cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seasonal changes in forage nutritive value of common weeds encountered in Missouri pastures

During the 2015, 2016, and 2017 growing seasons, weed and weed-free mixed tall fescue and legume forage samples were harvested from 29 pastures throughout Missouri for investigation of the nutritive value of 20 common pasture weed species throughout the season. At certain times during the growing season, many broadleaf weed species had greater nutritive values for a given quality parameter as compared with the available weed-free, mixed tall fescue and legume forage harvested from the same location. There were no significant differences in crude protein concentration between the weed-free forage and many weeds throughout the growing season. However, crude protein content of common burdock, common cocklebur, common ragweed, dandelion, horsenettle, and lanceleaf ragweed was greater than that of the corresponding forage sample at multiple collection periods. The digestible neutral detergent fiber (dNDF) content of all broadleaf weeds except lanceleaf ragweed was significantly lower than that of the weed-free forage at all collection periods. Conversely, large crabgrass had significantly greater digestible neutral detergent fiber levels than did the mixed tall fescue forage at all sampling dates. Dandelion and spiny amaranth had greater in vitro true digestibility (IVTD) content than did the forage for the entire growing season. Three perennial weeds—horsenettle, vervains, and late boneset—did not differ in IVTD levels as compared with the mixed tall fescue and legume forage at any collection date. For most summer annual weeds, the trend was toward greater digestibility earlier in the season, with a gradual decline and often lower IVTD by the late summer or early fall. The results of this study will enable producers to make more informed management decisions about the potential benefit or detriment a weed may provide to the overall nutritive value of the pasture system.Nomenclature: Common burdock, Arctium minus (Hill) Bernh.; common cocklebur, Xanthium strumarium L.; common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.; dandelion, Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg; horsenettle, Solanum carolinense L.; lanceleaf ragweed, Ambrosia bidentata Michx.; large crabgrass, Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.; late boneset, Eupatorium serotinum Michx.; spiny amaranth, Amaranthus spinosus L.; vervain species, Verbena spp.; tall fescue, Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort.
Derandomized Asymmetrical Balanced Allocation

Balls-in-bins model, in which n balls are sequentially placed into n bins according to some dispatching policy, is an important model with a wide range of applications despite its simplicity. The power-of-d choices (Pod) policy, in which each ball samples d independent uniform random bins and join the one with the least load (where ties are broken arbitrarily), can yield a maximum load of $\frac{\log\log n}{\log d} + \Theta(1)$ with high probability whenever $d\geq 2$. Voking later proposed a variant of power-of-d scheme in which bins are divided into d groups, and d bins are sampled from each group respectively. One important feature of this scheme is that ties are broken asymmetrically based on groups. Comparing with Pod, this scheme reduces the maximum load to $\frac{\log\log n}{d\log\phi_{d}}+\Theta(1)$ where $1 \lt \phi_{d} \lt 2$. Our recent work shows that one can replace independent uniform sampling with random walk based sampling while having the same performance of Pod in terms of the maximum load of all bins. In this work, we propose multiple derandomized variants of Voking’s asymmetrical schemes and we show that they can yield the same performance as the original scheme, i.e. the maximum load is bounded by $\frac{\log \log n}{d \log \phi_{d}}+\Theta(1)$
Interaction between lymphopenia, radiotherapy technique, dosimetry, and survival outcomes in lung cancer patients receiving combined immunotherapy and radiotherapy.

Abstract Aim Immune function (e.g. absolute lymphocyte count (ALC)) and modifiable predictors thereof (e.g. volume of the heart/lungs receiving low-dose radiation) impact outcomes of cancer patients, but this has not been well-studied in the immunotherapy era. This investigation of metastatic lung cancer assessed the interaction of dosimetric parameters (e.g. lung/heart V5), radiotherapy technique (e.g. stereotactic (SBRT) or traditional radiotherapy), lymphopenia, and survival outcomes. Methods Patients were collected from three institutional phase I/II trials of combined immunotherapy and lung irradiation. SBRT referred to 50 Gy/4 fractions or 60 Gy/10 fractions, and traditional RT as 45 Gy/15 fractions. Blood collections were standardized on the first and last day of radiotherapy and each cycle of immunotherapy. Statistics included multivariable linear regression to identify variables associated with ALC decline, Kaplan-Meier analysis of overall and progression-free survival (PFS), and Cox multivariate analysis. Results The median follow-up of the 165 patients was 21 months. The only factor independently predictive of ALC decline was traditional RT (p Conclusions When combined with immunotherapy, SBRT may better preserve lymphocytes (and hence improve outcomes) than traditional RT. When administering traditional RT, constraining the lung V5 may indirectly impact outcomes by means of ALC preservation.
Identification and Delineation of Essential Habitat for Elasmobranchs in Estuaries on the Texas Coast

Essential habitat is required for a given species to complete its lifecycle and includes habitat for breeding, feeding, and growth. Estuaries provide essential habitat for many fishes, including elasmobranchs, particularly as nurseries. Shore-based, gillnet surveys have documented ten elasmobranch species (sharks and batoids) inhabiting Texas estuaries; however, limitations in the methodology, spatial, and temporal scope employed mean the role of these estuaries as elasmobranch nurseries remains uncertain. Therefore, an alternative sampling technique was implemented to survey open water locations in two Texas estuaries during the peak time of putative elasmobranch nursery usage (May to October). Ten species of elasmobranch were observed, including a shark, Carcharhinus porosus, and batoid species, Hypanus americanus, that were not documented in previous surveys. The most commonly encountered species, Carcharhinus brevipinna, comprised 45% of individuals caught, in contrast to previous surveys of these estuaries, in which the species was less than 1% of the total elasmobranch catch. The results revealed a distinction between sharks and batoids in terms of the life history stages present, as well as the depths and distances from the tidal inlet of areas in which they were encountered. Young-of-the-year and small juvenile Carcharhinus brevipinna and Sphyrna lewini were observed across multiple years and in multiple months within years at one site, suggesting that one of the sampled estuaries functions as a nursery. Although putative nurseries for these species have been identified elsewhere in the world, estuaries serving as nursery grounds in the western Gulf of Mexico are not well described.
Comparison of initial computed tomography-based target delineation and subsequent magnetic resonance imaging-based target delineation for cervical cancer brachytherapy.

Purpose For cervical brachytherapy planning, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is preferable to computed tomography (CT) for target delineation. However, due to logistical and financial restrictions, in-room MRI is sometimes not routinely available in brachytherapy centers. Our institution has created a workflow that integrates MRI-based target delineation with an in-room CT scanner, with the aim of improving target coverage and conformality. This study reports the initial dosimetric results with using this workflow. Material and methods A retrospective review was performed on 46 consecutive patients who received definitive chemoradiation with 5 fraction intracavitary high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy for cervical cancer. Fraction 1 was planned from CT only. Outpatient MRI was obtained after Smit sleeve placement and first insertion to assess concurrent chemoradiotherapy tumor response. This MRI was registered to the CT for planning fractions 2-5. The median prescription dose for the cohort was 25 Gy (range, 25-29 Gy). Results The D90 to the high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV) and D2cc rectal dose were increased from fraction 1 to fraction 2-5 averaged (p 0.05) with MRI fusion. Eleven out of 18 patients had changes in high-risk target volume greater than 20%, with an absolute average change in volume of 31.5%. Conclusions The use of asynchronous MRI for target delineation, with co-registration to CT for each fraction of brachytherapy was associated with higher D90 to the HR-CTV. We observed slightly higher D2cc rectal doses with MRI, but cumulative rectal doses were within accepted thresholds. High-risk target volumes were not consistently increased or decreased, but MRI fusion was associated with target volume changes greater than 20% in over half of the treated patients.
Silicon Photonic Weights for Microwave Photonic Canceller

Demonstration of silicon integrated linear filter, comprised of tunable weights, implemented as the matched filter of a microwave photonic canceller. Achieving 34 dB of weighting and 20 dB of cancellation over 6 GHz operating range.
A Very Brief History of the Relationship Between Indigenous Peoples and the US Government

The history of the legal relationship between three major groups of indigenous peoples—American Indians, Native Alaskans, and Native Hawaiians—and the US government is summarized and discussed. Particular attention is paid to the treaty history and sovereign and land settlements from first contact (with the US government) to the present. The experiences across the three groups are compared in order to demonstrate the surprising differences between them. In general, American Indians have the most political sovereignty, Native Alaskans have less sovereignty, and Native Hawaiians remain politically unrecognized at the federal level.
A DDDAS Protocol for Real-Time Large-Scale UAS Flight Coordination

NASA engineers have published a number of system requirements in an effort to enable dense operations of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in urban environments [7, 8]. These requirements describe a free-flight model, where operators are afforded the maximum flexibility to design individually optimal trajectories, with the caveat that all operations must be strategically deconflicted prior to flight. Strategic deconfliction reduces the probability of having to perform tactical deconflicton using onboard sensors and real-time algorithms to avoid conflicts. Such approaches require a common protocol to guarantee that UAS do not collide, but do not scale well. Thus, UAS Service Suppliers (USS) must deconflict their planned trajectories pairwise prior to flight in order to achieve strategic deconfliction. We propose a communication-based protocol to coordinate airspace during flight. We present a dynamic distributed protocol for reactive conflict management that serves a similar purpose, albeit functioning at a time-horizon in between strategic deconfliction and sensor-based conflict management. This DDDAS inspired approach obviates the need for any centralized control by having each UAS maintain a model of its environment, and exploiting sensing and communication resources as dictated by the lane-based model.
Highly Sustained Release of Bactericides from Complex Coacervates

Materials for preventing harmful bacterial contamination attract widespread interest in areas that include healthcare, home/personal care products, and crop protection. One approach to achieving th...
Non-invasive measurement of the pressure distribution in a deformable micro-channel

Direct and non-invasive measurement of the pressure distribution in test sections of a micro-channel is a challenging, if not an impossible, task. Here, we present an analytical method for extracting the pressure distribution in a deformable micro-channel under flow. Our method is based on a measurement of the channel deflection profile as a function of applied hydrostatic pressure; this initial measurement generates ‘constitutive curves’ for the deformable channel. The deflection profile under flow is then matched to the constitutive curves, providing the hydrodynamic pressure distribution. The method is validated by measurements on planar microfluidic channels against analytic and numerical models. The accuracy here is independent of the nature of the wall deformations and is not degraded even in the limit of large deflections, , with and being the maximum deflection and the unperturbed height of the channel, respectively. We discuss possible applications of the method in characterizing micro-flows, including those in biological systems.
Neurosyphilis, MOGAD or both? A case of meningoencephalomyelitis associated with MOG-IgG seropositivity in a patient with syphilis

Abstract Background Onset of MOG-IgG associated disease (MOGAD) may often occur following an infectious prodrome. Case Report Herein we present a case of a man with latent syphilis who developed meningoencephalomyelitis shortly after initiation of treatment with penicillin. He was initially treated for neurosyphilis without significant improvement, and was ultimately found to be seropositive for MOG-IgG, with marked clinical improvement following treatment with high-dose corticosteroids and plasma exchange. Conclusions This case raises the possibility that syphilitic infection could be a trigger of MOGAD and underlines the importance of searching for alternative etiologies in patients with presumed neurosyphilis with poor response to antibiotic treatment.
Vertical movement of soluble carbon and nutrients from biocrusts to subsurface mineral soils

Abstract Dryland ecosystems can be constrained by low soil fertility. Within drylands, the soil nutrient and organic carbon (C) cycling that does occur is often mediated by soil surface communities known as biological soil crusts (biocrusts), which cycle C and nutrients in the top ca. 0–2 cm of soil. However, the degree to which biocrusts are influencing soil fertility and biogeochemical cycling in deeper, subsurface mineral soils is unclear. The movement of dissolved resources from biocrusts to deeper soil layers in leachate may be one of the main mechanisms through which biocrust fertility is transferred downward towards deeper microbial communities and plant roots occurring within mineral soil. Here we examined the role of biocrust leachate in contributing to subsurface nutrient and soluble C pools and subsurface microbial cycling. We collected biocrusts from three biocrust successional stages and explored resource pools in situ at multiple soil depths, while collecting leachate and measuring nutrient and organic C concentrations and metabolite composition from each successional stage in the laboratory. After four leachate collections, we conducted an incubation of mineral soil collected from below each biocrust successional stage to measure heterotrophic microbial CO2 flux and biomass. Overall, our findings observed that the degree of nutrient and C connectivity between biocrusts and the sub-crust mineral soil depended on the biocrust successional stage and the element being considered, and the influence of biocrust successional stage on mineral soil CO2 flux is likely related to long-term resource build up. Together, our results suggest that the influence of biocrust leachate on subsurface mineral soil is complex and context dependent, but, over longer time periods and at later successional stages, can have measurable effects on dryland soil biogeochemical cycling with feedbacks to resource availability and CO2 flux.
Maid in Public: Negotiating ‘Authenticity’ via Public Confessionals, Or A Question of Agency: Narrative, Power, and the ‘Maid from Guinea’

The initial observations that reached the American public about the Diallo-DSK rape case, as it was orchestrated by the popular media, was one that represented the polar opposites of global political and gender categories. American readers identified with Diallo’s initial story, as long as it remained an affair that personified the established, easily identifiable dialectical oppositions of race, class, and gender. However, when it was revealed that Diallo may have had “agency” unavailable to the classic victim – in fashioning her finances and immigration narrative – her credibility as a victim of rape was questioned. This essay explores the relationship between narratives, power, the ability of each actor to deploy their agency, and the manner in which credibility is questioned when a victim exercise whatever limited power is available to her.
AXL receptor tyrosine kinase as a therapeutic target in NSCLC

The AXL receptor tyrosine kinase and its ligand, Gas6, regulate key processes in lung cancer growth, metastasis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition-associated drug resistance. Gas6 and AXL expression have been correlated with poor prognosis and advanced clinical stage in patients with lung cancer, and targeting the Gas6/AXL pathway demonstrates antitumor activity, decreases cellular invasion, and restores sensitivity in de novo and acquired drug resistance models. These findings implicate AXL as a promising therapeutic target in lung cancer. In this review, we explore the role of AXL in lung cancer progression, from tumor development to disseminated disease, and highlight the current clinical landscape of anti-AXL therapeutics.
Subjectivity and Sentiment Annotation of Modern Standard Arabic Newswire

Subjectivity and sentiment analysis (SSA) is an area that has been witnessing a flurry of novel research. However, only few attempts have been made to build SSA systems for morphologically-rich languages (MRL). In the current study, we report efforts to partially bridge this gap. We present a newly labeled corpus of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) from the news domain manually annotated for subjectivity and domain at the sentence level. We summarize our linguistically-motivated annotation guidelines and provide examples from our corpus exemplifying the different phenomena. Throughout the paper, we discuss expression of subjectivity in natural language, combining various previously scattered insights belonging to many branches of linguistics.
Acetaminophen poisoning: a case report of the use of acetylcysteine

Acetylcysteine treatment of acetaminophen overdose (24--30 g) in a 31-year-old female is reported. Acetylcysteine was used to prevent acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity. An oral loading dose of 7 g of acetylcysteine was followed with oral administraton of 3.6 g every four hours for 17 doses. Liver enzymes were elevated on the fourth day after overdose. Phytonadione was administered on days four through six for elevated prothrombin time ratios. Only mild elevations of liver enzymes still were present on day seven. Previous case reports and studies of acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity and acetylcysteine therapy are reviewed. The use of acetylcysteine in this case appeared to be beneficial.
Margin Rules, Informed Trading in Derivatives and Price Dynamics

We analyze the impact of option trading and margin rules on the behavior of informed traders and on the microstructure of stock and option markets. In the absence of binding margin requirements, the introduction of an options market causes informed traders to exhibit a relative trading bias towards the stock because of its greater information sensitivity. In turn, this widens the stock's bid-ask spread. But when informed traders are subject to margin requirements, their bias towards the stock is enhanced or mitigated depending on the leverage provided by the option relative to the stock, leading to wider or narrower stock bid-ask spreads. The introduction of option trading, with or without margin requirements, unambiguously improves the informational efficiency of stock prices. Margin rules improve market efficiency when stock and option margins are sufficiently large or small but not when they are of moderate size.
Lesions of the amygdala that spare adjacent cortical regions do not impair memory or exacerbate the impairment following lesions of the hippocampal formation

Monkeys with stereotaxic lesions of the amygdaloid complex that spared the surrounding cortex (i.e., the periamygdaloid, entorhinal, and perirhinal cortices) performed normally on the delayed nonmatching to sample task, as well as on 3 other memory tasks (object retention, concurrent discrimination, and delayed response) administered during the 1 1/2 years after surgery. These animals also performed normally on pattern discrimination and motor-skill learning, 2 tasks analogous to ones amnesic patients perform well. A second group of monkeys with conjoint lesions that included both the amygdaloid complex, as just described, and the hippocampal formation were impaired on the same 4 memory tasks. However, the severity of impairment in this group was no greater than in monkeys with lesions of the hippocampal formation alone. Thus, circumscribed bilateral lesions of the amygdala did not impair performance on 4 different memory tasks, nor did they exacerbate the memory impairment that followed hippocampal formation lesions alone. These findings suggest that one must look to structures other than the amygdala to account for the severe memory impairment that follows large lesions of the medial temporal region. One possibility is that damage to the cortical regions that surround the amygdala contributes to memory impairment.
Copper Transporting ATPases in Mammalian Cells

Copper-transporting ATPases (Cu-ATPases) are essential for growth and development of mammalian organisms. These ubiquitous and evolutionarily conserved transporters participate in the biosynthesis of copper-dependent enzymes and maintain copper levels within the range necessary to meet metabolic demands and avoid toxicity. Cu-ATPases are the key components of sophisticated cellular machinery that evolved to provide precise inter- and intracellular distribution of metals, and the function of these transporters is tightly regulated. Copper along with a growing number of cytosolic proteins controls the activity, stability, and localization of Cu-ATPases; this regulation ensures balance between the delivery of copper to metalloenzymes in various cell compartments and copper export. Inactivating mutations in human Cu-ATPases ATP7A and ATP7B are associated with debilitating and often lethal disorders (Menkes disease and Wilson's disease, respectively). Biochemical and biophysical studies of ATP7A and ATP7B revealed multiple metal-binding sites, complex multi-domain architecture, and a significant role of interdomain interactions in the function and regulation of these transporters. This article summarizes the current data on the structure and mechanism of human Cu-ATPases ATP7A and ATP7B, as well as the biochemical basis of their regulation. Keywords: copper; ATP7A; ATP7B; Atox1; Wilson's disease; Menkes disease; P-type ATPase
Lack of evidence for activation of a serum factor in protease-induced differentiation of mouse erythroleukemia cells.

The addition of certain proteases to cultures of Friend virus-infected mouse erythroleukemia cells can induced up to 90% of the cells in culture to become hemoglobin-containing, as assessed by positive staining for benzidine (B+). Because the mechanism of this protease action is unknown, media components were studied as possible targets for protease activity. Aliquots of medium plus serum were incubated for various times with levels of protease sufficient to induce approximately 50% of the cells to the B+ state. Cells were added to protease-pretreated serum either before or after inactivation of the protease. In all cases, enzymatically active protease had to be present with the cells to induce B+ cells to form. Serum and other components of the medium pretreated with protease were inactive. Mouse erythroleukemia cells grown in the absence of serum were also induced by proteases to form B+ cells. These data imply that the inducing action of proteases cannot be passively transferred by protease-pretreated serum or medium nor is serum required for protease-mediated induction of B+ cells. Taken together, these conclusions suggest that the protease action is on the cells or on cellular products intimately associated with cells.
Deciphering antibody-mediated rejection: new insights into mechanisms and treatment.

Purpose of review To outline recent studies describing the mechanisms of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) and new clinical protocols aimed at prevention and/or treatment of this difficult clinical entity. Recent findings The natural history of acute AMR after positive cross-match kidney transplantation involves an acute rise in donor-specific alloantibody (DSA) in the first few weeks after transplantation. Whereas the exact cellular mechanisms responsible for AMR are not known, it seems likely that both pre-existing plasma cells and the conversion of memory B cells to new plasma cells play a role in the increased DSA production. One recent study suggested that combination therapy with plasmapheresis, high-dose IVIG and rituximab was more effective treatment for AMR than high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) alone, but the role of anti-CD20 antibody is still unclear. Two new promising approaches to AMR focus on depletion of plasma cells with the proteasome inhibitor, bortezomib, and the inhibition of terminal complement activation with a humanized, anti-C5 antibody, eculizumab. Summary The pathogenesis of AMR in several different clinical settings is becoming clearer and more effective treatments are being developed. Whether the prevention or successful treatment of AMR will decrease the prevalence of chronic injury and improved long-term graft survival will require longer-term studies.
Predicting Salmonella Populations from Biological, Chemical, and Physical Indicators in Florida Surface Waters

Coliforms, Escherichia coli, and various physicochemical water characteristics have been suggested as indicators of microbial water quality or index organisms for pathogen populations. The relationship between the presence and/or concentration of Salmonella and biological, physical, or chemical indicators in Central Florida surface water samples over 12 consecutive months was explored. Samples were taken monthly for 12 months from 18 locations throughout Central Florida (n = 202). Air and water temperature, pH, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), turbidity, and conductivity were measured. Weather data were obtained from nearby weather stations. Aerobic plate counts and most probable numbers (MPN) for Salmonella, E. coli, and coliforms were performed. Weak linear relationships existed between biological indicators (E. coli/coliforms) and Salmonella levels (R(2) < 0.1) and between physicochemical indicators and Salmonella levels (R(2) < 0.1). The average rainfall (previous day, week, and month) before sampling did not correlate well with bacterial levels. Logistic regression analysis showed that E. coli concentration can predict the probability of enumerating selected Salmonella levels. The lack of good correlations between biological indicators and Salmonella levels and between physicochemical indicators and Salmonella levels shows that the relationship between pathogens and indicators is complex. However, Escherichia coli provides a reasonable way to predict Salmonella levels in Central Florida surface water through logistic regression.
Scientific visualization at the Center for the Analysis and Prediction of Storms

This paper presents a general overview of the current research and development in scientific visualization at the University of Oklahoma (OU) Geosciences Computing Network (OCN) and the Center for the Analysis and Prediction of Storms (CAPS). The discussion includes a description of hardware components and preliminary results in the use of interactive and noninteractive data analysis software in both UNIX and VMS environments. New tools and techniques are being developed and used to study data from severe thunderstorm models, meteorological observing systems and other general fluid dynamics applications. These techniques are also being used to assist in the development of a new breed of real-time meteorological modeling, forecasting and information systems. Our systems will utilize visualization throughout the entire operating cycle including data ingest, prediction, and display and analysis of end products.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Optimization and evaluation of black zinc selective solar absorber surfaces

Abstract Black zinc oxide surfaces produced by anodix oxidation in an alkaline electrolyte have been studied for potential application as solar-selective absorber surfaces for low temperature photothermal solar energy conversion. Multiple linear regression analysis has been used to estimate the functional dependence of the surface optical properties and thermal stability on the anodizing parameters. Anodizing parameters studied, at various stages of the investigation, include NaOH, NaNO2, NaNO3 and zinc concentrations, bath temperature, current density, anodizing time (as charge transfer) and substrate form. Reproducibility of the coating surfaces was demonstrated and the models obtained were used to specify optimized ranges of values for the parameters in terms of the production of surfaces exhibiting high solar absorptance and good thermal stability. The effects of aging on optical properties as a function of temperature (up to 350 °C) and time (up to 320 h) were evaluated. Structural features of the coatings were evaluated utilizing the techniques of scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy and reflection high energy electron diffraction. Possible mechanisms for solar absorptance and thermal degradation are suggested on the basis of the structural observations.
Correlated electron photoemission: old problems, emerging thrusts and opportunities for theory

The k-resolved spectral function for electron addition and removal is a basic theoretical tool for characterizing strongly correlated electron systems. Subject to certain qualifications the removal part can be measured by angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy. An overview is given of recent photoemission work on old problems, on emerging thrusts of experimental effort and on new opportunities for meaningful comparison of experiment to theory for strongly correlated electron systems.
Predictive anthropometric measurements for humeral head curvature.

Background Estimation of size, shape, and curvature of the humeral head is important for shoulder replacement procedures and allograft transplantation, especially as we try to recreate normal anatomy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the value of various anthropometric measurements for predicting humeral head curvature. Materials and methods Cadaveric humeri were scanned with a 3-dimensional laser scanner. Length of the humerus, epicondylar breadth, and humeral head curvature were determined using data from the scans. A linear regression was performed for the length of the humerus, epicondylar breadth, gender, age, height, and weight. A stepwise linear regression with forward and backward substitution (α = 0.15) was performed for the most predictive variables from the initial linear regression. An equation for the prediction of humeral head radius of curvature was generated using this data. Results The most predictive factors ( R 2 > 0.5) were epicondylar breadth, height, sex, and humeral length. These 4 factors were included in a forward and backward stepwise regression. The resulting equation had an R 2 value of 0.812. Conclusion Of the predicted measurements evaluated, patient height, maximum humeral length, epicondylar breadth, and gender were most correlated with humeral head curvature. Including these 4 factors in a linear regression model increased the R 2 value to 0.812. If only a single measurement can be used to size the humeral head curvature, patient height will give the same accuracy as epicondylar breadth and can more easily be obtained. A patient's height can help accurately predict the patient's humeral head anatomy.
Reactivity of NO2 [sbnd] towards Co2(CO)8: Direct Synthesis of Co(NO)(CO)3

Abstract An efficient one step synthesis of Co(NO)(CO)3 which proceeds directly from Co2(CO)8 and NO2 [sbnd] in acidic, aqueous solution in 63% yield is described.
Evidence for wavelike anomalies with short meridional and large zonal scales in the lower stratospheric temperature field

Global microwave brightness temperature measurements are analyzed to investigate the range of meridional wavelengths 2000-3000 km where spectral studies reveal larger than expected variance. The data, from the TIROS-N Microwave Sounding Unit, are sensitive to lower stratospheric temperatures (30-150 mb). The results reveal striking temperature anomalies with short meridional wavelengths (2000-3000 km) and long zonal wavelengths (zonal wavenumbers 1-4). The anomalies, with amplitudes approximately 1-2 K, extend from the equatorial region to at least as high as 70 deg N and 70 deg S during January 1979. The features exhibit slow eastward movement or else are nearly stationary for several days. In the Northern Hemisphere, comparison with NMC data reveals that the strongest features tend to be associated with major jet streams.
Low-copy episomal vector pFY20 and high-saturation coverage genomic libraries for the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

In fission yeast, as in many organisms, episomally replicating plasmid DNA molecules can be used for a wide variety of applications. However, replicating plasmids described previously are each propagated at a high copy number per cell. Plasmid fission yeast twenty (pFY20) contains the ura4+ gene for positive and negative selection, an origin of replication (ars1) and a stability element (stb). Although this plasmid does not have a centromere, it is propagated with a copy number of about two plasmids per haploid genome equivalent and it is transmitted with relatively high fidelity in mitosis and meiosis. This low-copy vector is useful for screens and mutational studies where overexpression (e.g. from high copy plasmids) is undesirable. We therefore constructed multiple partial-digest, size-fractionated, fission yeast genomic DNA libraries in pFY20 and in the cloning vector pBluescript KS+. These libraries have sufficient complexity (average of 2100 genome equivalents each) for saturation screening by complementation, plasmid shuffle or hybridization. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Notes on the Ena and U antigens of Ena(En.OP) heterozygotes, and the U antigen of En(a--) individuals.

Using two anti-Ena antibodies, from which anti-Wrb had been removed, and anti-U antibodies, the authors have failed to demonstrate any difference in the amounts of Ena and U antigens on the red blood cells of individuals with one and two functioning Ena (En.OP) genes. Two En(a–) samples, one from an individual who is En/En (En.op/En.op) and the other En/Mk (En.op/Mk), could not be distinguished from U-positive samples from individuals with two functioning U (U.OP) genes in dosage studies with anti-U.
PCAVR: a portable laboratory program for performing varimax-rotated principal components analysis of event-related potentials.

Abstract A portable laboratory computer program for performing varimax-rotated principal components analysis (PCA) of event-related potentials (ERPs) is described. The program is written in FORTRAN 77; its compiled version requires 429,140 bytes of memory. The program reads a matrix of numbers from an input file. The PCA can be performed on either the variance/covariance or the correlation matrix. The program computes the first six principal components. The user is given the option of rotating as many of the principal components as desired based upon the percentages of variance that they account for. Eigenvalues, percentages of variance, cumulative percentages of variance, factor loadings, and factor scores are written to an output file. Description of the program is preceded by a conceptual overview both of PCA as a factor analytic technique and of the application of PCA to ERP data analysis.
Andrew S. Tanenbaum: The Impact of MINIX

Andrew S. Tanenbaum describes the motivation, development, and market impact of the MINIX operating system. The first Web extra at http://youtu.be/86_BkFsb4eI is a video interview in which author Charles Severance speaks with Andrew S. Tanenbaum about the motivation, development, and market impact of the MINIX operating system. The second Web extra at http://youtu.be/ZS_LFeZA7p8 is an audio recording of author Charles Severance reading his Computing Conversations column, in which he discusses his interview with Andrew S. Tanenbaum about the motivation, development, and market impact of the MINIX operating system.
Effect of benomyl on reproduction in the male rat

Adult Sprague-Dawley male rats (65 days of age) received 10 daily treatments of 0, 200 or 400 mg benomyl/kg/day by gavage. Body weight, tissue weights, total epididymal sperm counts and sperm concentration from the vas deferens were measured 14 days after the last treatment. Testicular histology was evaluated in the 0 and 400 mg/kg/day groups. Significant findings included 35–48% depressions in the total epididymal sperm counts and in the vas deferens sperm concentrations in adult animals treated with 200 or 400 mg/kg/day. Histological evaluations of testicular sections from 6 adult animals in the 400 mg/kg/day group indicated a slight to moderately severe hypospermatocytogenesis in 2 animals and a slight to severe generalized hypospermatogenesis in 2 animals. Caudal epididymis weights were significantly (P < 0.05) depressed with benomyl treatment. No treatment effects were found in body weight, liver, kidney, tests, or seminal vesicle weights.
Fractional precipitation of rare earth iodates using complexation and hydrolysis of dimethyl sulfate

Abstract A new procedure has been developed to separate the trivalent rare earths. The rare earth cations are complexed with one of the following chelating agents; DTPA (diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid), DCTA (1,2-diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N′,N′-tetra-acetic acid) or EDTA (ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid). The pH is adjusted to about 3·5, and iodate is then added without causing a precipitate. About 1 ml of dimethyl sulfate is added and the resulting solution is agitated at room temperature for several hours. As the dimethyl sulfate slowly hydrolyses, the hydrogen ion concentration gradually increases. Hydrogen ions compete for the chelating agents, which results in a gradual increase in the free rare earth cations. Each chelate formed between each rare earth cation and each chelating agent has a different formation constant. The rare earth cation with the lowest formation constant is selectively released from its chelate as the hydrogen ion concentration is increased. The selectively released rare earth cation then precipitates as the iodate. Coprecipitation of adjacent rare earth cations is significantly decreased. Considerably improved separations have been achieved.
Surgical treatment of non-small cell lung cancer in patients older than seventy years

Surgical treatment of non-small cell lung cancer has been reported to be associated with increased mortality, especially when pneumonectomy has been employed. A 9-year review of 81 patients treated surgically, with a policy of avoiding pneumonectomy and using internal radiation and wedge excisions rather than lobectomy among patients with impaired reserve, resulted in an operative mortality of 4.9% compared with an overall mortality of 2.1%. Three of the four deaths were among patients older than 80 3/17 (17.6%) years so that mortality of patients 70 < age < 80 was not significantly different from overall mortality. Two of the four deaths were related to pulmonary emboli but there have been no such deaths since routine use of mini-heparin was initiated in 1990. Five-year survival was 42% overall, 65% for stage I, and 24% for stages II-IIIB. We conclude that surgical treatment of patients 70 < age < 80 may be accomplished with similar mortality and survival as the overall population. Heparin prophylaxis may be especially important among patients older than 80 years. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Identification of Phosphorylation Sites in PHF-TAU from Patients with Guam Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/Parkinsonism-dementia Complex

Guam Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/Parkinsonism-Dementia Complex (Guam ALS/PDC) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by abundant neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) composed of aggregated paired helical filaments (PHFs). These abnormal filaments resemble the PHFs in neurofibrillary lesions of classic Alzheimer's disease (AD), and recent studies demonstrated that tau in Guam ALS/PDC is aberrantly phosphorylated and biochemically similar to the abnormal tau proteins (PHFtau) in classic AD. However, unlike PHFtau in AD, there is little information on the specific sites of phosphorylation in PHFtau from Guam ALS/PDC. Thus, to address this important issue, we examined tangle-rich Guam ALS/PDC and AD brains by Western blot, immunoelectron microscopy and immunohistochemistry using 13 antibodies to defined phosphate-dependent or -independent epitopes distributed throughout AD PHFtau. These studies identified 7 previously unknown sites of phosphorylation in PHFtau from Guam ALS/PDC (i.e. Thr181, Thr231, Ser262, Ser396, Ser404, Ser422, and the site defined by monoclonal antibody AT10), all of which also are found in AD PHFtau. Indeed, the Western blot, light and immunoelectron microscopic data suggest that NFTs, PHFs and PHFtau in Guam ALS/PDC are very similar to their counterparts in classic AD. Thus, insights into mechanisms leading to the accumulation of neurofibrillary lesions in Guam ALS/PDC may advance understanding of the pathogenesis and biological consequences of these lesions in classic AD.
Measurement of Thermal Diffusivity of Bovine Aorta Subject to Finite Deformationa

: The flash thermal diffusivity measurement technique is applied to tissue for the first time. Making use of its minimal contact with the specimen, the flash technique is extended to allow for well-defined, biaxial, finite strain. As an example application, the radial component of thermal diffusivity of bovine descending aorta is measured in vitro as a function of equibiaxial stretch, at room temperature. Data analysis is accomplished using a Marquardt algorithm coupled with a finite difference solution of the thermal diffusion equation. Extension of this method to measure simultaneously three orthogonal components of diffusivity, at different levels of temperature, is discussed.
Chloroplast biogenesis 89: development of analytical tools for probing the biosynthetic topography of photosynthetic membranes by determination of resonance excitation energy transfer distances separating metabolic tetrapyrrole donors from chlorophyll a acceptors.

Abstract The thorough understanding of photosynthetic membrane assembly requires a deeper knowledge of the coordination and regulation of the chlorophyll (Chl) and thylakoid apoprotein biosynthetic pathways. As a working hypothesis we have recently proposed three different Chl–thylakoid apoprotein biosynthesis models: a single-branched Chl biosynthetic pathway (SBP)–single location model, a SBP–multilocation model, and a multibranched Chl biosynthetic pathway (MBP)–sublocation model [Handbook of Photochemistry and Photobiology, American Scientific Publishers, Los Angeles, 2003, p. 183]. The detection of resonance excitation energy transfer between tetrapyrrole precursors of Chl, and several Chl–protein complexes [Photochem. Photobiol. 78 (2003) 184], has made it possible to test the validity of the proposed Chl–thylakoid apoprotein biosynthesis models by resonance excitation energy transfer determinations. In this work, resonance excitation energy transfer techniques that allow the determination of distances separating tetrapyrrole donors from Chl–protein acceptors in green plants by using readily available electronic spectroscopic instrumentation are developed. It is concluded that the calculated distances are compatible with the MBP–sublocation model and incompatible with the operation of the SBP–single location Chl–protein biosynthesis model.
Modeling sulfur concentrations and depositions in the United States during ANATEX

Abstract The Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HY-SPLIT) long-range transport, personal-computer-based model was incorporated with a non-linear chemistry module that includes gas- and aqueous-phase oxidation of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and dry and wet removal of SO2 and sulfate (SO42−) particles. The model considers multiple area and point sources (∼ 500) and calculates simultaneously 24-h averages of several species: air concentrations of SO2 and SO42− particles and SO42− wet deposition on each grid cell of the meteorological domain. Three-month averages of modeled air concentrations of SO2 and SO42− were compared with measurements from five National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Air Resources Laboratory dry deposition sites. The model tended to underpredict air concentrations of SO2 (ratios of model-predicted to measured concentrations between 0.6 and 1.2) and overpredict air concentrations of SO42− (ratios between 1.0 and 1.6). Modeled SO42− wet deposition values were calculated, averaged for the 3 months, and compared with the measured values at 137 combined UAPSP, MAP3S, and NADP precipitation chemistry sites. For the majority of these sites, the agreement was good; the ratios between modeled and measured depositions were between 0.5 and 1.6. However, a consistent underprediction was observed across the southern and extreme eastern U.S. This underprediction was primarily attributed to the proximity of the edge of the model domain to the eastern and southern U.S., which caused trajectories from the continent that would have curved back into the south-eastern U.S. to terminate prematurely. When SO2 emissions were reduced by 50% over the entire model domain, approximately 50–55% reductions were observed in SO2 air concentrations over the entire model domain and at all levels. However, sulfate air concentrations and depositions were only reduced 35–50% due to non-linear reactions involving SO2. When emissions of SO2 were reduced by 50% only in the Ohio Valley, reductions in SO2 and SO42− air concentrations to the north and south of the Ohio Valley were generally less than 15%. These small reductions are attributed to local emissions of SO2 and long-range transport of SO42− from other regions not affected by the reduction in emissions. SO42− wet deposition, however, was reduced by 15–23% to the north of the Ohio Valley, indicating some long-range transport from the Ohio Valley. In the Ohio Valley, reductions of SO2 air concentrations were between 10 and 42%, depending on the proximity to major sources, and reductions of SO42− air concentrations were between 10 and 30%. However, SO42− wet deposition was reduced less than 10%, consistent with the assumption that its primary contribution is from long-range transport.
Latex induced anaphylaxis : a case report

The case of a 42-year-old latex-sensitive female who experienced urticaria, pruritus, soft tissue swelling, and significant hypotension during an outpatient barium enema is described. These signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis occurred immediately after enema tip insertion and before infusion of contrast material. The patient responded well to appropriate emergency therapy and her symptoms resolved in a 24-hour period. Subsequent radioallergosorbent test showed an elevated immunoglobulin E (IgE) level to latex, and the skin prick test produced significant induration and erythema in response to latex. This patient experienced an IgE-mediated anaphylactic reaction to the latex enema tip. Emergency physicians need to be aware of the spectrum of latex-induced allergic reactions.