cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use and quality of bitewing films in private dental offices.

Patient records (387) were obtained from twenty-five dentists in private practice in Rochester, New York. The number and types of radiographs taken at each recall examination in the most recent 10-year period were recorded. Bitewing radiographs were taken at 50.5% of the recalls with size 2 film used most frequently (83.7%). The average recall interval was 8.4 months overall and 18.0 months for bitewing recalls. Of all proximal surfaces available on the bitewing films, 68.2% were judged adequately separated for diagnostic purposes. For individual surfaces, the highest percentages were recorded for the mesial surface of the maxillary second premolar (89.9%) in the permanent dentition and for the distal surface of the mandibular second molar (83.7%) in the deciduous dentition. Taking four bitewing film instead of two improved the percentage of adequately separated proximal surfaces at a given recall by 2% to 25%. The percentage of unreadable proximal surfaces caused by overlapping or distortion on the bitewing radiographs, when excluding the canines, ranged from 6.3% to 39.5% in the permanent dentition and from 12.5% to 24.9% in the deciduous dentition.
Privacy and ethical concerns in internet security

This paper will deal with issues of privacy and ethical concerns in internet security. Security is defined as protecting a company or network from attack. Yet, the soft side of this attack deals with protecting the privacy of those clients, vendors and employees from invaders. Privacy of individual's data must be considered both internally and externally. Laws protecting corporations and individuals need to be understood to keep a company from being liable for infringements of unprotected data. Companies and internet providers who are not up-to-date on the laws will find themselves facing litigation in various forms.The ethical side of security is a much more nebulous area for the internet to deal with. We need to understand where ethics fits into the processes for security protection. This chapter will briefly discuss these ethical and privacy issues that we must address and processes that need to be in place.
Real-time soil water dynamics over large areas using multisensor capacitance probes and monitoring system

Better methods are needed to accurately measure and record soil water content in real-time and at specified depths on a field scale. Recent developments of such a system using multisensor capacitance probes offers great potential for rigorous investigation of soil water dynamics over large areas. The purpose of this report is to show some of the kinds of information that can be obtained using this system to study the real-time soil water content dynamics at short time intervals (10 min), typically at four depth positions, under long-term, field-scale conditions, with our probes located as far as 125 m form the data logger. The systems have been used in the field for three years of continuous study (at 10 min increments), to study changes in soil water content, at four soil depths (commonly at 10, 20, 30, and 50 cm) as part of a research project to quantify temporal and spatial variation in soil properties under plow-tillage (PT) and no-tillage (NT) maize (Zea mays, L.). The multisensor capacitance probes and monitoring system have proven to be highly sensitive and robust for field scale soil water research. Viewing the soil water dynamics in real-time provides opportunity for precise control over the timing and amount of water that needs to be applied for optimal crop production yet avoiding excess deep percolation losses of water and agrochemicals to groundwater.
East Coast Computer Algebra day: ECCAD 2002 poster and demonstration abstracts

East Coast Computer Algebra Day 2002 (ECCAD 02) was held on May 18, 2002 at LaGuardia Community College of The City University of New York, New York. The abstracts of the invited speakers were published in the March 2002 issue of this Bulletin. Below are the abstracts of posters and demonstrations that were accepted and presented at the conference (some posters were presented in absentia).
Dobutamine two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiographic stress testing for detection of coronary artery disease

Abstract Atrial pacing and dipyridamole transesophageal echocardiography have been shown to be sensitive and specific tests for the detection of coronary artery disease. However, the sensitivity and specificity of dobutamine transesophageal echocardiography have not been reported. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility, sensitivity, and specificity of dobutamine transesophageal echocardiography for the detection of coronary artery disease. Transesophageal echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular function was performed in 81 adult patients aged 62 ± 12 years during stepwise infusion of dobutamine from 5.0 to 40 μg/kg/min. Ischemia was diagnosed by the development of severe hypokinesis, akinesis, or dyskinesis of a previously contractile left ventricular segment. Coronary artery disease was defined by angiography as a reduction in luminal diameter of ≥70% of an epicardial or ≥50% of the left main coronary artery. In patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery, a stenotic bypass graft was defined as a reduction in luminal diameter of ≥70%. In patients without previous CABG, significant coronary artery disease was present in 21 patients: 5 with single-vessel disease, 7 double-vessel disease, 8 triple-vessel disease, and 1 left main coronary disease. Dobutamine transesophageal echocardiography had a sensitivity of 90% (19 of 21) and specificity of 94% (49 of 52) for the detection of coronary artery disease. In patients with previous CABG (n = 8), the sensitivity and specificity for the detection of bypass graft stenosis were 100% (4 of 4) and 75% (3 of 4), respectively. Dobutamine transesophageal echocardiography was safe and devoid of serious complications. Dobutamine transesophageal echocardiography is feasible, safe, sensitive, and specific for the detection of coronary artery disease and shows promise for the detection of bypass graft stenosis. Dobutamine transesophageal echocardiography may play a role in select patients for whom transthoracic echocardiographic studies are technically inadequate.
Articulation Test Performances of Low-Income, African-American Preschoolers With Communication Impairments

Culturally valid speech and language testing measures for use with African-American children who are speakers of Black English (BE) are limited. An alternative to developing new tests for use with this population is to adapt currently available tests designed for use with standard English speakers. The purpose of this study was to compare the responses of 28 low-income, urban African-American preschoolers from Metropolitan Detroit who were speakers of BE on the Arizona Articulation Proficiency Scale, using a standard English and a BE scoring procedure. The findings indicated that this test does not require a BE scoring adjustment for northern children who are speakers of BE.
Noncovalent functionalization of carbon nanotubes by fluorescein-polyethylene glycol: supramolecular conjugates with pH-dependent absorbance and fluorescence.

We report the use of fluorescein−polyethylene glycol (Fluor-PEG) to noncovalently functionalize single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) for obtaining water-soluble nanotube conjugates (Fluor-PEG/SWNT) and simultaneously affording fluorescence labels to nanotubes. We find serendipitously that fluorescein, a widely used fluorophore, can strongly adsorb onto the sidewall of the SWNTs, likely via π-stacking, and the hydrophilic PEG chain imparts high aqueous solubility. Interaction between fluorescein and SWNT is pH dependent; it weakens as the pH is increased, causing the Fluor-PEG/SWNT conjugate to be less stable at high pHs. Fluorescein molecules bound to SWNTs exhibit interesting pH-dependent optical absorbance and fluorescence properties that are distinct from free molecules, as a result of pH-dependent interactions with SWNT sidewalls. Fluorescence emission from fluorescein adsorbed on SWNT is quenched by ∼67%, but remains sufficient and useful as a fluorescent label. The utility of Fluor-PEG/SWNT as a s...
Nonunion of a type II odontoid fracture after an apparent radiographic fusion: case report

The type II odontoid fracture, initially described by Anderson and D'Alonzo, is the most common axis fracture. Several factors that predict the need for operative intervention have been discussed in the literature; however, the initial treatment remains somewhat controversial. We present the case of a 20-year-old woman who suffered a Type II odontoid fracture during a skiing accident. She was managed initially with halo-vest immobilization, and after 12 weeks, bony fusion was documented by plain spine radiographs and tomography. Routine follow-up cervical spine films at 8 months after her injury revealed no union at the previous fracture site and resultant atlantoaxial instability. A posterior C1-C2 fusion was therefore performed, leading to a long-term solid bony fusion. There are no previous reports in the literature describing a nonunion after radiographically documented healing of a Type II odontoid fracture. We present this case in order to emphasize the importance of scheduled follow-up examinations, including cervical spine films, for at least 12 months after a documented fusion. Further reports of similar cases may generate a more thorough understanding of the pathogenesis of delayed nonunion and may elicit factors that will predict its development.
Altered levels and regulation of stathmin in paclitaxel-resistant ovarian cancer cells

Two paclitaxel(Ptx)-resistant ovarian cancer cell lines, 1A9/Ptx-10 and 1A9/Ptx-22, isolated from the 1A9 cell line (a clone of the A2780 line) by continuous exposure to Ptx and verapamil, have point mutations in their major beta-tubulin gene and in one or both alleles of their TP53 gene. These cells were examined for alterations in cell cycle regulators and the tubulin-binding protein stathmin. Unlike parental cells, neither 1A9/Ptx-10 nor 1A9/Ptx-22 expressed detectable levels of p21(WAF1/Cip1), a putative transcriptional regulator of stathmin, but did overexpress stathmin and Bcl2. No differences were noted in the expression levels of proliferative cell nuclear antigen or tyrosine-phosphorylated p34Cdc2. Ptx treatment altered little the expression of stathmin in the parental cell line, although it increased p21(WAF1/Cip1) levels several-fold. Infection of Ptx-resistant lines with a wild-type TP53-bearing adenovirus (AdWTp53) changed cell cycle distribution and increased the levels of p21(WAF1/Cip1), but caused no changes in stathmin levels. Microtubule drug resistance in ovarian carcinoma may be associated with altered p53/21(WAF1/Cip1) regulatory pathways for stathmin expression and function.
Critical variables in the alignment of electrospun PLLA nanofibers.

Abstract Electrospun polymer nanofibers show promise as components of scaffolds for tissue engineering because of their ability to orient regenerating cells. Our research focuses on aligned electrospun fiber scaffolds for nerve regeneration. Critical to this are highly aligned fibers, which are frequently difficult to manufacture reproducibly. Here we show that three variables: the distance between the spinneret tip and collector, the addition of DMF to the solvent, and placement of an aluminum sheet on the spinneret together greatly improve the alignment of electrospun poly-L-lactide (PLLA) nanofibers. We identified the most important variable as tip-to-collector distance. Nanofiber alignment was maximal at 30 cm compared to shorter distances. DMF:chloroform (1:9) improved nanofiber uniformity and was integral to maintaining a uniform stream over the 30 cm tip-to-collector distance. Other ratios caused splattering of the solution or flattening or beading of the fibers and non-uniform fiber diameter. The aluminum sheet helped to stabilize the electric field and improve fiber alignment provided that it was placed at 1 cm behind the tip, while other distances destabilized the stream and worsened alignment. This study demonstrates that control of these variables produces dramatic improvement in reproducibly obtaining high alignment and uniform morphology of electrospun PLLA nanofibers.
Increased renin excretion is associated with augmented urinary angiotensin II levels in chronic angiotensin II-infused hypertensive rats

Renin expression in principal cells of collecting ducts (CD) is upregulated in angiotensin II (ANG II)-dependent hypertensive rats; however, it remains unclear whether increased CD-derived renin un...
Identification of a Cucumber mosaic virus subgroup II strain associated with virus-like symptoms on Hosta in Ohio.

In this brief, the authors report the identification of a Cucumber mosaic virus subgroup II strain associated with mottle and spotting symptoms on Hosta spp. 'Cynthia.’ These results represent the ...
Infrared laser absorption measurements of HCl(v=1) production in reactions of Cl atoms with isobutane, methanol, acetaldehyde, and toluene at 295 K

Abstract Absolute rate coefficients and branching ratios for production of HCl(v=1) are measured for the reactions of Cl with (CH3)3CH, CH3OH, CH3CHO, and C6H5CH3. The fractions of HCl(v=1) produced (f=HCl(v=1)/HCl (total)) are f((CH3)3CH)=0.03±0.02, f(CH3OH)=0.12±0.02, f(CH3CHO)=0.54±0.04, and f(C6H5CH3)=0.47±0.03; a significant fraction of the exothermicity appears in HCl vibration. Rate coefficients at 295 K are k((CH3)3CH)=(1.49±0.02)×10−10, k(CH3OH)=(5.6±0.2)×10−11, k(CH3CHO)=(8.3±0.1)×10−11, and k( C 6 H 5 CH 3 )=(6.1±0.2)×10 −11 cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 .
Adsorption of Globular Proteins on Locally Planar Surfaces. II. Models for the Effect of Multiple Adsorbate Conformations on Adsorption Equilibria and Kinetics

Equilibrium and kinetic models for nonspecific adsorption of proteins to planar surfaces are presented. These models allow for the possibility of multiple interconvertible surface conformations of adsorbed protein. Steric repulsion resulting in area exclusion by adsorbed molecules is taken into account by treating the adsorbate as a thermodynamically nonideal two-dimensional fluid. In the equilibrium model, the possibility of attractive interactions between adsorbed molecules is taken into account in a limited fashion by permitting one of the adsorbed species to self-associate. Calculated equilibrium adsorption isotherms exhibit apparent high-affinity and low-affinity binding regions, corresponding respectively to adsorption of ligand at low fractional area occupancy in an energetically favorable side-on conformation and conversion at higher fractional area occupancy of the side-on conformation to an entropically favored end-on conformation. Adsorbate self-association may lead to considerable steepening of the adsorption isotherm, compensating to a variable extent for the broadening effect of steric repulsion. Kinetic calculations suggest that in the absence of attractive interactions between adsorbate molecules, the process of adsorption may be highly "stretched" along the time axis, rendering the attainment of adsorption equilibrium in the context of conventional experiments problematic.
Effect of Microstructure on Deformation of Polycrystalline MgO

Six types of polycrystalline MgO, one nominally fully dense and the others having porosities of ∼1 to 2%, were tested in compression up to 1400°C. At 1200°C and above, all materials deformed plastically; two of the materials, both porous, also exhibited plastic flow at temperatures down to 800°C, and a third at 1000°C. A qualitative analysis of the microstructures of these materials indicated that the differences in behavior arose primarily because of variations in the size and distribution of pores and in the concentration of impurities at the grain boundaries. It is suggested that the following factors aid plasticity below ∼1200°C: (1) Strong grain boundaries, in the absence of excessive impurities, permit buildup of stress concentrations with consequent nucleation of slip on the {100} system and the extension of slip across the boundaries and (2) clusters of very fine pores within the grains allow some mass accommodation.
Certification strategies for health-related SRMS at NIST

Inaccuracy in health-related measurements raises overall health care costs, results in misdiagnoses, leads to inaccurate conclusions in clinical studies, and results in inaccurate nutrition labeling. NIST has an extensive program aimed at providing the health measurements community with standard reference materials (SRMs) to assist them in making accurate measurements. A variety of approaches are used to certify health-related SRMs. For pure crystalline SRMs used as primary standards, direct assays of purity are often not possible. Thus numerous techniques including differential scanning calorimetry, mass spectrometry, chromatography, and others may be used to assess purity. For matrix SRMs used to assess the accuracy of measurement systems, the approaches for certification depend upon the needs of the users and NIST capabilities. When accuracy needs are the highest and the methods exist, NIST uses definitive methods, primarily involving isotope dilution mass spectrometry. These methods have been applied to the certification of serum-based SRMs for a number of the common clinical analytes. For many analytes, definitive methods have not been developed, so NIST uses other strategies for certification. In some cases, such as for drugs of abuse, two independent methods are used for the measurements. For nutrients such as vitamins, in-house methods are used along with results from outside laboratories having extensive experience with a particular analysis. The paper includes tables with examples of many of the health-related SRMs that are available.
Persistence Time of Loss-of-Function Mutations at Nonessential Loci Affecting Eye Color in Drosophila melanogaster

Persistence time of a mutant allele, the expected number of generations before its elimination from the population, can be estimated as the ratio of the number of segregating mutations per individual over the mutation rate per generation. We screened two natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster for mutations causing clear-cut eye phenotypes and detected 25 mutant alleles, falling into 19 complementation groups, in 1164 haploid genomes, which implies 0.021 eye mutations/genome. The de novo haploid mutation rate for the same set of loci was estimated as 2 × 10−4 in a 10-generation mutation-accumulation experiment. Thus, the average persistence time of all mutations causing clear-cut eye phenotypes is ∼100 generations (95% confidence interval: 61–219). This estimate shows that the strength of selection against phenotypically drastic alleles of nonessential loci is close to that against recessive lethals. In both cases, deleterious alleles are apparently eliminated by selection against heterozygous individuals, which show no visible phenotypic differences from wild type.
Determination of 129I in heavy residues of two crude oils

Abstract 129I/127I ratios were determined in heavy residues of two crude oils which were produced from 10 Ma and 300 Ma old formations. The measured 129I/127I ratios were between 5 and 10 × 10−12. These values are significantly above the ratios determined for marine sediments and, for the older oil, also above those supported by in situ production of 129I from uranium. We attribute the high level of 129I in the residues to addition of anthropogenic iodine during the production of the oils. The ratios indicate also that more than 90% of the iodine measured came originally from the oils.
Synchrotron-produced ultrasoft X-rays: a tool for testing biophysical models of radiation action.

SummaryUltrasoft X-rays are useful for mechanistic studies of ionizing radiation damage in living cells due to the localized nature of their energy depositions. To date radiobiology experiments in this energy region have relied on characteristic X-rays (mainly Alk and Ck) from X-ray tubes. However, limitations in the photon intensity and the available energies from X-ray tube sources prevent a definitive characterization of the relationship between photon energy and biological damage. Synchrotron radiation has the potential to avoid these limitations, since it produces X-rays with high intensity over a continuous spectrum. We have established a synchrotron-based system for radiation biology studies using the ES-0 exposure station of the Center for X-ray Lithography at the University of Wisconsin Synchrotron Radiation Center storage ring, Aladdin. A characterization of the system including spectral and intensity properties of the photon beam is presented. The first mammalian cell survival curve for synchro...
New insights into replisome fluidity during chromosome replication

Several paradigm shifting advances have recently been made on the composition and function of the chromosomal DNA replication machinery. Replisomes appear to be more fluid and dynamic than ever imagined, enabling rapid and efficient bypass of roadblocks and template lesions while faithfully replicating chromosomal DNA. This fluidity is determined by many layers of regulation, which reach beyond the role of replisome components themselves. In fact, recent studies show that additional polymerases, post-transcriptional modifications, and chromatin structure are required for complete chromosome duplication. Many of these factors are involved with the more complex events that take place during lagging-strand synthesis. These, and other recent discoveries, are the focus of this review.
Degradation of Phytic Acid in Oncom (Fermented Peanut Press Cake)

Peanut press cake was fermented with Neurospora sitophila, Rhizopus oligosporus, a Neurospora strain isolated from Indonesian oncom, and mixed cultures of these molds. The phytic acid content of the uninoculated cake was 1.36% on a dry basis, but decreased rapidly during fermentation. Oncom prepared with R. oligosporus contained the least amount of phytic acid (0.05% after 72 hr of fermentation), while oncom prepared with the Indonesian strain of Neurospora contained the greatest amount of it (0.70%). Penta-, tetra-, tri-, di- and mono-phosphates of inositol, as well as inorganic phosphate and inositol, were found in the fermenting cake.
Note on the Ultraviolet Absorption Systems of Benzene Vapor

An attempt has been made to give a coherent interpretation of the absorption systems of benzene vapor in the far ultraviolet including the Rydberg series. The following assignments are proposed: A forbidden transition of symmetry 1A1g→1B1u is suggested for the bands at 2050 to 1850A and an allowed 1A1g→1E—u transition for the much more intense bands at 1850 to 1650A. The continuous background in the latter region may possibly be due to a transition involving a C–H dissociation. The observed two Rydberg series can both be assigned to allowed transitions of symmetry 1A1g→1E—u.
Development and Application of Smart Distribution Grid Self-Healing Control System

Self-healing is an important feature of smart distribution grid. Self-healing control for smart distribution grid covers risk prevention and operation optimization before accidents, in addition, it covers fault location, fault isolation and power restoration. The research of self-healing control theory, risk assessment, fault diagnosis and safety warning for smart distribution grid provides technical supports to help build a safe, reliable, efficient, high-quality, flexible and compliant smart distribution grid.
Amino acid transamination in the freshwater clams Anodonta couperiana and Popenaias Buckleyi

Abstract 1. 1. The specificity of l -amino acid transamination with 2-oxoglutarate has been studied using hepatopancreas homogenates from the freshwater bivalves Anodonta couperiana and Popenaias buckleyi. 2. 2. With [2-14C]oxoglutarate as the amino group acceptor, radiometrically determined transaminase activity with ALA was highest in both bivalves. ASP reacted 84% as fast in A. couperiana and 58% as fast in P. buckleyi (however, total ASP% activity appeared similar in both bivalves). Both bivalves also showed substantial activity with LEU, ILE and VAL and trace activity with TYR and ORN. 3. 3. Both bivalves exhibit glutamate dehydrogenase activity, however, l -amino acid oxidase activity has been observed only in P. buckleyi. Against these differing profiles, transaminase specificity was essentially similar in both animals.
Nilotinib: a novel Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase inhibitor for the treatment of leukemias

The successful introduction of the tyrosine kinase inhibitors has initiated a new era in the management of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Imatinib mesilate therapy has significantly improved the prognosis of CML. A minority of patients in chronic-phase CML--and more patients in advanced phases--are resistant to imatinib, or develop resistance during treatment. This is attributed, in 40-50% of cases, to the development of mutations in the Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase domain that impair imatinib binding. Nilotinib (Tasigna) is a novel potent selective oral kinase inhibitor. Preclinical and clinical investigations demonstrate that nilotinib effectively overcomes imatinib resistance, and has induced high rates of hematologic and cytogenetic responses in CML post imatinib failure.
Comparison of support vector machine, neural network, and CART algorithms for the land-cover classification using limited training data points

Abstract Support vector machine (SVM) was applied for land-cover characterization using MODIS time-series data. Classification performance was examined with respect to training sample size, sample variability, and landscape homogeneity (purity). The results were compared to two conventional nonparametric image classification algorithms: multilayer perceptron neural networks (NN) and classification and regression trees (CART). For 2001 MODIS time-series data, SVM generated overall accuracies ranging from 77% to 80% for training sample sizes from 20 to 800 pixels per class, compared to 67–76% and 62–73% for NN and CART, respectively. These results indicated that SVM’s had superior generalization capability, particularly with respect to small training sample sizes. There was also less variability of SVM performance when classification trials were repeated using different training sets. Additionally, classification accuracies were directly related to sample homogeneity/heterogeneity. The overall accuracies for the SVM algorithm were 91% (Kappa = 0.77) and 64% (Kappa = 0.34) for homogeneous and heterogeneous pixels, respectively. The inclusion of heterogeneous pixels in the training sample did not increase overall accuracies. Also, the SVM performance was examined for the classification of multiple year MODIS time-series data at annual intervals. Finally, using only the SVM output values, a method was developed to directly classify pixel purity. Approximately 65% of pixels within the Albemarle–Pamlico Basin study area were labeled as “functionally homogeneous” with an overall classification accuracy of 91% (Kappa = 0.79). The results indicated a high potential for regional scale operational land-cover characterization applications.
Supersonic jet mixing enhancement by 'delta-tabs'

The results of a continuing investigation of the effect of vortex generators, in the form of small tabs at the nozzle exit, on the evolution of a jet are reported. Primarily, tabs of triangular shape are considered, and the effect is studied up to an equivalent jet Mach number of 1.8. By changing the orientation of the tab with respect to the nozzle exit plane, streamwise vortex pairs of opposite sign were generated. This resulted in either an outward selection of jet core fluid into the ambient or an inward indentation of the mixing layer into the core of the jet. A triangular shaped tab with its apex leaning downstream, referred to as a delta tab, was found to be the most effective in influencing the jet evolution. Two delta tabs, spaced 180 degrees apart, completely bifurcated the jet. Four delta tabs increased jet mixing substantially, more than by various other methods tried previously; the mass flux at fourteen jet diameters downstream from the nozzle increased by about 50 percent over that for the no tab case. The tabs were found to be effective in jets with laminar or turbulent boundary layers as well as in jets with low or high core turbulence intensities.
Childhood cancer and the SBLA syndrome

Two nuclear families showing characteristics of the SBLA syndrome are described wherein progeny of breast cancer-affected mothers manifested early childhood malignant neoplasms. These observations have led us to postulate a novel type genetic-environmental interactive model which incorporates Knudsen's "two-hit" hypothesis as a partial explanation for the exceedingly early onset of cancer in the subject progeny. Given the assumption that the first hit was germinal with transfer of the deleterious SBLA gene at conception, we postulate that the second or somatic-hit occurred early on in utero. This may have involved a complex mechanism of one or more factors including tumor cell products, tumor specific antigens, immunosuppression, de-repressed oncogene, or an activated oncogenic virus via a transplacental communicable phenomenon. The testing of this new hypothesis dealing with carcinogenesis in the SBLA syndrome should employ immunologicalgenetic parameters concurrently in fetuses and mothers.
STUDIES ON THE ACCELERATION AND INHIBITION OF HÆMOLYSIS. IV. THE EFFECT OF INITIAL pH ON SAPONIN, TAUROCHOLATE, AND GLYCOCHOLATE HÆMOLYSIS

1. It is shown that haemolytic systems containing saponin, sodium taurocholate, or sodium glycocholate as the lysin are affected by initial pH in the following manner:— (a) The rendering of systems more acid than pH 6•0 results in an acceleration which increases with the concentration of acid employed except in the case of lysis produced by high concentrations of sodium taurocholate, where the addition of acid results in an increasing inhibition up to pH 4•5, beyond which the addition of more acid results in acceleration. (b) Raising the pH beyond 6•0 results in an inhibition which reaches its maximum in the case of the bile salts at about pH 8•0, and in the case of saponin between pH 9•0 and pH 10•0. (c) High concentrations of acid as well as alkali cause acceleration in all the systems. 2. Although the red cell is directly affected by high concentrations of acid or alkali, in moderate concentrations the effect is primarily upon the lysin. 3. The empirical expression which has been employed to describe certain well-known cases of inhibition is found to be applicable to the types of inhibition and acceleration encountered in this study.
Race Differences in Cohort Effects on Non-Marital Fertility in the United States: Reply to Martin

We appreciate the opportunity to clarify and provide additional tests of the key elements of our age-period-cohort analysis of non-marital birth rates in this March 2009 issue of Social Forces. Where Steve Martin, in his commentary, has suggested specific alternative specifications or interpretations of our findings, we have re-estimated and performed explicit tests of the alternatives. In the end we have demonstrated the robustness of our results and strengthened the case for our interpretations. The points Martin raises and our responses should help to clarify the nature of cohort effects and our interpretation of them. We thank Martin for his close attention to our paper. As Martin notes, in the typical rectangular age-period table there are the same numbers of cells/observations for each age, the same number of cells/ observations for each period, but different numbers of cells/observations for some of the cohorts. This is well known yet cohort analysts persist in using such tables when studying cohort effects. These analysts know that if one does not take into account the age and period effects in such a table, then differences between cohorts could be produced by age and period effects. If one does control for the main effects of age and period, however, this will not create apparent cohort effects. Martin suggests, however, that there are patterns of age*period interactions that are not related to cohort effects that could produce the patterns we observe along cohort diagonals. Certainly such patterns are possible: It is incumbent on the critic to point out these patterns and, given that our discipline considers theory important, to produce compelling reasons why such patterns might exist. Martin does both. He suggests that there is an interaction between age and period. He notes that "the non-marital birth ratio rose steeply for women in their 20s and slowly for women in their 40s." That is, increases in NFRs over time are different for different age groups. Martin then suggests that "[a] plausible explanation for this age*period pattern is that delays in marriage increased the unmarried population most rapidly among women in their. 20s, so the rise in the non-marital birth ratio has been most pronounced among women in their twenties." His Figure 4 displays the differences in these slopes, and it is on this figure that much of his argument rests.
Radio Access Network energy minimization in multi-layer heterogeneous wireless systems

The energy consumption reduction in cellular systems is important from both economic and environmental perspectives. Nearly 80% of the energy in cellular systems is consumed by the Radio Access Network (RAN). In recent years, much research has been done to reduce the energy consumption in the RAN. However, existing models fail to capture the spatiotemporal variability of traffic demands, bit rate and power requirements, as well as the peculiarities in the energy consumption from different hardware components in a base station (BS). In this paper, a new RAN energy consumption model for multi-layer infrastructure-based heterogeneous wireless systems (IbHWS) is proposed. It captures all the aforementioned factors and accurately addresses the characteristics of IbHWS, where cellular systems are a particular case. A low-complexity algorithm is proposed to minimize the RAN's energy consumption, and to satisfy all traffic demands in space and time. Based on extensive simulation results across a wide range of scenarios, the energy savings from this algorithm were on average 26%.
Correction for Seymour Benzer. 15 October 1921 — 30 November 2007

Biogr. Mems Fell. R. Soc. 58 , 23–32 (2012; Published online 18 July 2012) (http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbm.2012.0031) We regret that on page 26 the election of Guido Pontecorvo to the Royal Society is incorrectly referred to as ‘(ForMemRS 1955)’; this should read ‘(FRS 1955)’.
Hypocalcemia resulting from calcium accretion by a chondrosarcoma.

A large chondrosarcoma, hypocalcemia, and hyperphosphatemia were found incidentally in a 44-year-old woman. Investigation of the etiology of the hypocalcemia excluded such factors as a dietary deficiency of calcium and/or vitamin D, acute pancreatitis, malabsorption, renal failure, hypoproteinemia, hypomagnesemia, idiopathic hypoparathyroidism, pseudohypoparathyroidism, and a calcitonin-producing tumor. The most likely cause of hypocalcemia appears to be calcium accretion by the tumor. In addition, evidence is presented to support an hypothesis that hyperphosphatemia resulted from temporary secondary hypoparathyroidism.
Prevalence of abdominal and pelvic surgeries in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: comparison between Caucasian and African Americans.

ABSTRACT Background Although controversial, studies suggest that irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is associated with an increased risk of abdominal and pelvic surgeries. However, the role of race in this interaction has not been defined. We studied the prevalence of appendectomy, cholecystectomy, and hysterectomy among African American patients with IBS among the population at large and compared it with the Caucasians residing in same area. Methods A total of 990 adults from 9 different sites in the Jackson, Mississippi, metropolitan area (670 African Americans and 320 Caucasians), completed self-administered questionnaires providing sociodemographic information and details regarding bowel habits and associated symptoms for diagnosing the IBS, based on ROME II criteria. We recorded the patient’s name, age, sex, race, history of smoking, and history of surgeries. Subjects with a history of IBD and gastrointestinal cancer were excluded. The prevalence of appendectomy and hysterectomy was compared between IBS patients and non-IBS control subjects. Results One thousand ninety-nine, or 84%, of those distributed were returned. On checking the exclusion and inclusion criteria, we eliminated 109 subjects. The reasons for elimination of 109 subjects included incomplete questionnaires and incorrect marking of questionnaires that resulted in invalid data. Overall, there was significantly higher prevalence of appendectomy (15.3% vs 5.1%) and cholecystectomy (6.6% vs 3.4%) but not hysterectomy (21.1% vs 17.6%; P = NS) among Caucasian Americans as compared with African Americans. The prevalence of appendectomy among IBS patients (n = 95) versus non-IBS subjects (n = 895) was not statistically significant (10.5% vs 8.2%; OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.7 to 2.7; P = 0.43). The prevalence of cholecystectomy in the 2 groups was also similar (5.3% vs 4.4%). Likewise, there was no statistically significant difference for the prevalence of hysterectomy among females IBS patients versus non-IBS females (23.3% vs 18.2%; OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 0.8 to 2.4; P = 0.29). Comparing the prevalence of these surgeries in with IBS patients (African Americans versus Caucasian Americans), we found significant difference in the prevalence of appendectomy to be 1.9% vs 21.4% ( P Conclusions Based on responses to ROME II criteria questionnaire administered to community at large, IBS is not associated with greater prevalence of abdominal and pelvic surgeries. Caucasians are more likely to have these surgeries irrespective of whether they have IBS or not. Our study does not exclude the possibility that there may indeed be association between IBS and surgeries if only the IBS patients seeking health care are considered.
Effect of Fouling on Temperature Measurement Error and a Solution

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of fouling on the accuracy of temperature measurement. When a thin scale layer is deposited on a temperature-measuring probe, the temperature reading can be in error by several degrees in spite of ±0.1 K resolution of the probe. This erroneous temperature reading can pose a serious problem in the evaluation of heat exchanger performance and in the operation of an automated process control system.
The Relationship of Primigravid Sleep Experience and Select Moods on the First Postpartum Day

Documented studies have indicated that sleep loss occurs in women during the third trimester of pregnancy. This study quantified the third trimester and intrapartal sleep of 28 primigravid women to identify the relationship between sleep loss and the presence of anxiety, hostility, and depression on the first postpartum day. The study sample reported an increase in third‐trimester sleep but significant intrapartal sleep loss. A computation of Pearson's correlation coefficient indicated no significant relationship between sleep loss and moods of anxiety, hostility, and depression.
A STUDENT TALKS TO THE TEACHERS ON METHODS OF TEACHING ELEMENTARY CLASSES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN COLLEGES

Author's Summary.— The author regrets the feverish haste with which elementary students are hurried through the early stages of foreign language studies; and he suggests that teachers return to the old ideals of scholarly thoroughness, and direct all their efforts to assist their students to acquire a sound knowledge of fundamentals.)
Fiberwise properties of definable sets and functions in o-minimal structures

We examine how in any o-minimal expansion of a dense linear order, fiberwise open implies pecewise open for sets definable with parameters, and fiberwise continuous implies piecewise continuous for functions definable with parameters.
Development of fear in chicks of two closely related genetic lines

Summary Two closely related lines of White Rock chicks were compared at varying ages for development of fear responses. Half the birds of each line were held in isolation, and half in groups. All were tested individually for responses to a sudden loud noise. The lines differed significantly in their responsiveness to the bell, and line-method-of-rearing interactions were evident. Responsiveness increased, then declined to a plateau still well above the initial level with increasing age. These results are discussed in relation to two hypotheses on the nature of fear and its development.
Load balancing in bounded-latency content distribution

In this paper we present a balanced data replication scheme that provides real-time latency bounds on content retrieval in content distribution networks. Many network applications have ever-increasing requirements on latency sensitive data services. Data replication services have been widely used as an important performance enhancement mechanism to reduce data access latency and throughput. We investigate the problem of provisioning an underlying balanced data replication service to provide a global latency bound on data retrieval in content distribution networks. The solution involves constructing an overlay network based on the given latency bound, and a mechanism to assign content objects to the network nodes so that the workload of all the network nodes is balanced. Our evaluation results drawn from detailed simulations show the efficacy of our load-balancing scheme in meeting the latency bound requirements with high confidence under heavy load
Hardware-only compression to reduce cost and improve utilization of address buses

Communication components (address, instruction, and data buses and associated hardware like I/O pins, pads, and buffers) are contributing increasingly to the area/cost and power consumption of microprocessor systems. To decrease costs due to address buses, we propose to use narrow widths for underutilized buses (hardware-only compression) to transmit information in multiple cycles. We analyze performance and power consumption overheads of hardware-only compression and investigate the use of "address concatenation" to mitigate performance loss and address offsets and XORs to reduce power consumption overheads.
Increasing Channel Capacity of an Ultrawideband MIMO System Using Vector Antennas

Recently it was shown that co-located vector antennas can provide the same capacity increase as spatial array antennas in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. This paper describes the design of a vector antenna consisting of a loop antenna and two orthogonal bowtie antennas for a ultrawideband (UWB) MIMO system that operates in the frequency range 3.6-8.5 GHz. Channel capacity calculations performed with the antenna operating in a rich scattering environment show that spectral efficiency of the UWB vector antenna system approaches that of the traditional spatial array. This demonstrates that vector antennas can be used in place of spatial arrays where compact UWB multiantenna systems are needed.
Transformation of an [Fe(η2-N2H3)]+ species to π-delocalized [Fe2(μ-N2H2)](2+/+) complexes

A monomeric iron Fe(η2-N2H3) species has been prepared, and exposure to oxygen yields a diiron complex that features five-coordinate iron centers and an activated bridging diazene ligand (NH=NH). Combined structural, theoretical, and spectroscopic data for the redox pair of complexes [Fe2(μ-N2H2)]2+/1+ are consistent with 4-center, 4-electron π-delocalized bonding picture across the Fe-NH-NH-Fe core that finds analogy in butadiene and the butadiene anion.
Weed seed destruction by arthropods and rodents in low-input soybean agroecosystems

Weed seed consumption experiments involving comparison of rates of seed loss by seed feeders were conducted over a five-week period in low-input (no insecticide, low herbicide usage) conventional- and no-tillage soybean agroecosystems. Seeds of four broadleaf weed species (ragweed [Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.], pigweed [Amaranthus retroflexus L.], sicklepod [Cassia obtusifolia L.], and jimsonweed [Datura stramonium L.]) and one grain crop species (wheat [Triticum aestivum L.]) were provided in a free choice design at densities of 10, 25, and 50 seeds/24 cm3. Approximately 2.3 times more seeds overall, and 1.4 times more large seeds as a group were consumed in notillage systems than in conventional-tillage systems. In our experimental low-input, notillage treatments, large ground beetles (Carabidae: Coleoptera) (15–25 mm) and mice preferentially fed on the larger seed species, while small carabids (< 15 mm), ants and crickets, fed almost exclusively on the smaller seed species. Carabid beetles were responsible for more than half of all seeds consumed. Laboratory and field studies indicated that ground beetles selectively consumed specific seed species. In conventional-tillage, ants were one of the dominant consumers of seeds, suggesting different patterns of resource partitioning in each tillage system. We suggest that selective feeding by arthropod seed feeders, in combination with their high number, could affect the species composition and possibly the abundance of weeds in low-input, no-tillage agroecosystems.
Analysis of a cortical cytoskeletal structure: a role for ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM proteins) in the marginal band of chicken erythrocytes

We are studying how the cytoskeleton determines cell shape, using a simple model system, the marginal band of chicken erythrocytes. We previously identified a minor component of the marginal band by a monoclonal antibody, called 13H9 (Birgbauer and Solomon (1989). J. Cell Biol. 109, 1609–1620; Goslin et al. (1989). J. Cell Biol. 109, 1621–1631). mAb 13H9 also binds to the leading edges of fibroblasts and to neuronal growth cones and recognizes the cytoskeletal protein ezrin. In recent years, two proteins with a high degree of homology to ezrin were identified: moesin and radixin, together comprising the ERM protein family. We now show that the contiguous epitope sufficient for mAb 13H9 binding is a sequence present in each of the ERM proteins, as well as the product of the gene associated with neurofibromatosis 2, merlin or schwannomin. We used biochemical and immunological techniques, as well as PCR to characterize the expression and localization of the ERM proteins in chicken erythrocytes. The results demonstrate that radixin is the major ERM protein associated with the cytoskeleton. Both ezrin and radixin localize to the position of the marginal band. Our results suggest that the ERM proteins play functionally conserved roles in quite diverse organelles.
Dynamic Traffic Grooming in Optical Networks with Wavelength Conversion

Traffic grooming in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical networks refers to routing and aggregating low-rate client traffic onto wavelength granularity lightpaths. When client traffic randomly arrives/departs, it is called dynamic traffic grooming. This paper focuses on dynamic traffic grooming when the optical network has sparse wavelength conversion, and aims to examine the impact of wavelength conversion and converter placement on dynamic traffic grooming. We have developed both an analytical model for performance evaluation, and an adaptive traffic load-based (ATL) heuristic algorithm for converter placement, accompanied with a discussion of various converter placement heuristics. Numerical results indicate that the ATL heuristic can obtain similar performance as the greedy heuristic with lower computation complexity.