cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding Worry About Risks Associated With Thyroid Hormone Therapy: A National Survey of Endocrinologists, Family Physicians, and Geriatricians.

Abstract Objective Thyroid hormone use is widespread, and prior studies have shown that over- and undertreatment with thyroid hormone are common. Our objective was to understand physician worry regarding risks associated with thyroid hormone therapy, specifically overtreatment or undertreatment. Methods A nationwide survey was administered to physician members of the Endocrine Society, the American Academy of Family Practice, and the American Geriatrics Society. Participants were asked how often they were worried about various risks that may be associated with thyroid hormone over- or undertreatment, that is, cardiovascular complications, bone complications, and poor quality of life due to overtreatment or undertreatment with thyroid hormone. Multivariable regression analyses were conducted to determine physician characteristics associated with each worry. Results The response rate was 63% (359 of 566); of those who responded, 128 (36%) were primary care physicians, 114 (32%) were endocrinologists, and 113 (32%) were geriatricians. Overall, 74 (21%) physicians reported that they frequently or always worried about cardiovascular complications, 74 (21%) about bone complications, 111 (31%) about the poor quality of life due to symptoms from undertreatment with thyroid hormone, and 87 (24%) about the poor quality of life due to symptoms from overtreatment with thyroid hormone. Endocrinologists were more likely to frequently or always worry about the patients' poor quality of life due to symptoms from overtreatment (odds ratio, 2.05; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-3.93) compared with primary care physicians. Conclusion Up to one third of the physicians frequently or always worried about risks resulting from the thyroid hormone overtreatment or undertreatment. More research is needed across specialties to understand physician perceptions of how thyroid hormone therapy impacts the patients' quality of life.
Models of Influence in Networks

This article focuses on dynamic models of endogenous interpersonal influences unfolding in networks, that is, a social process in which the displayed emotional, attitudinal, or behavioral orientations of individuals toward a common object are affected by the displayed orientations of other individuals toward the same object. A large empirical literature on interpersonal influence exists in the social sciences, which presents particular useful constraints on the formal architecture of this class of dynamic models. Research on these dynamic models is an accelerating interdisciplinary enterprise that includes contributions from the social, natural, and engineering sciences. The article outlines the core constructs and measurement models of this field, and details its engagement with the postulate of an influence process based on convex combinations of individuals’ heterogeneous orientations toward common objects of their social environments.
Abstract 1075: Incident or Continued Angina During Hypertension Treatment is Associated With Increased Risk of Death, MI, or Stroke Among Patients With Known CAD: A Substudy of The INternational VErapamil/Trandolapril STudy (INVEST)

Introduction: To assess the impact of incident angina pectoris on clinical outcomes in a trial of two different antihypertensive treatment strategies. Methods: Clinically stable outpatients with CAD (n=22,576) were randomly assigned to either a beta blocker (atenolol/HCTZ) or calcium antagonist (verapamil-SR/trandolapril) based hypertension treatment strategy and followed for first occurrence of death, nonfatal MI, or nonfatal stroke (primary outcome, PO). Patients were categorized according to presence or absence of angina at baseline and during follow-up. This prespecified analysis was performed to assess the impact of baseline and incident angina on adverse outcomes during follow up. Results : The rate of the PO as well as BP control (>70% were Conclusions: Among clinically stable ambulatory hypertensive patients with CAD who achieved excellent BP control, angina incidence rates are very low. Neither a beta blocker nor calcium antagonist-based treatment strategy significantly influences the rate of death, stroke, or MI. However, the presence of angina, either incident or continued, significantly impacted the rate of the PO.
Perceptions About Changing the Miranda Warnings Among Police Chiefs

Abstract A number of studies have considered whether the race of a police officer influences police decision-making processes. The current study assesses whether a police chief's race influences perceptions about the Miranda warnings. Police chiefs from the Commonwealth of Virginia completed questionnaires assessing various aspects about the Miranda warnings when the fate of the warnings was to be determined by the Supreme Court. Results suggest that race only moderately influenced chiefs' perceptions. Implications are provided.
An Analysis of Small Business Hiring of Seniors

This study investigated small business hiring of senior citizens. It found that older persons make up a moderate percentage of the small business work force. The respondents reported dependability, possession of the work ethic, respect for authority, experience, and company loyalty as advantages of seniors. The major disadvantages were physical limitations, illness, slow work, and costs of medical benefits. Most respondents plan to hire larger numbers of seniors in future periods.
Dominance and sexual behavior: a hypothesis.

Primatological, ethnographic, and psychiatric data suggest the hypothesis that male dominance facilitates male-female copulatory behavior while female dominance inhibits it. The author discusses a mother-son pair of rhesus macaques in which two incestuous episodes took place, several human societies in which the wife is economically independent of her husband and has higher status in the home, and the significance of maternal dominance in the dynamics of male homosexuality. Presentation of these data is followed by suggestions for testing the hypothesis and a discussion of the social and therapeutic implications of the observed relationships.
Transport phenomena during freezing of isolated hepatocytes

The cellular response of isolated rat hepatocytes to freezing stress under various chemical and physical conditions was investigated using cryomicroscopic observations and a theoretical transport model. Cryomicroscopy was used to determine the cellular dehydration during freezing at different cooling rates. Using these results, water permeability parameters were also obtained. In addition, intracellular ice formation (IIF) parameters were obtained from rapid freezing experiments at a cooling rate of 400°C/min to decouple the effects of dehydration from IIF. The water permeability and IIF parameters were then used in a transport model to predict the probability of IIF under a wide range of chemical and physical conditions observed during cell freezing. In order to verify the model predictions, experiments were performed under similar conditions and compared to the theoretical predictions. The results suggest that slowly cooled cells ( 120°C/min) contain enough undercooled cellular water which undergoes IIF between −5 and −12°C.
A software-driven, single-pump liquid chromatographic system for column-switching applications

Abstract A general-purpose, software-driven high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) instrument is described for multidimensional chromatographic experiments. The system consists of a laboratory microcomputer, a commercial solvent delivery system, a flexible, computer-controlled valving system and a conventional, mixed-wavelength, ultraviolet (u.v.) detector. Reconfiguration of the instrument for a variety of multidimensional experiments involves only a change in software and the column/valve connections. Several single-valve and two-valve configurations, including those for back-flushing, auto-injection, heartcutting, sample cleanup and selectivity programming are illustrated along with chromatograms obtained on various complex mixtures.
Mixed-valence molecules: Electronic delocalization and stabilization

Mise au point. Determination des constantes de «codismutation». Facteurs affectant la stabilite des complexes a degre d'oxydation mixte. Interactions electroniques par l'intermediaire des coordinats pontants
Antifungal Agents. Part II. The Azoles

Before 1978, amphotericin Band flucytosine were the only drugs available for the treatment of systemic fungal infections. The imidazoles, miconazole and ketoconazole, were introduced during the next 3 years. Intravenously administered miconazole served a limited therapeutic role and is no longer available. Orally administered ketoconazole, an inexpensive, effective, and convenient option for treating mucosal candidiasis, was widely used for a decade because it was the only available oral therapy for systemic fungal infections. During the 1990s, use of ketoconazole diminished because of the release of the triazoles fluconazole and itraconazole. Fluconazole is less toxic and has several pharmacologic advantages over ketoconazole, including penetration into the cerebrospinal fluid. In addition, it has superior efficacy against systemic candidiasis, cryptococcosis, and coccidioidomycosis. Despite a myriad of drug interactions and less favorable pharmacologic and toxicity profiles in comparison with fluconazole, itraconazole has become a valuable addition to the antifungal armamentarium. It has excellent activity against sporotrichosis and seems promising in the treatment of aspergillosis. Itraconazole has replaced ketoconazole as the therapy of choice for nonmeningeal, non-life-threatening cases of histoplasmosis, blastomycosis, and paracoccidioidomycosis and is effective in patients with cryptococcosis and coccidioidomycosis, including those with meningitis. Further investigation into the development of new antifungal agents is ongoing.
Magnetic Excitations in the S = 1/2 Alternating Chain Compound \(VO\) 2 P 2 O 7

Magnetic excitations in an array of $(\mathrm{VO}{)}_{2}{\mathrm{P}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ single crystals have been measured using inelastic neutron scattering. Until now, $(\mathrm{VO}{)}_{2}{\mathrm{P}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ has been thought of as a two-leg antiferromagnetic Heisenberg spin ladder with chains running in the $a$ direction. The present results show unequivocally that $(\mathrm{VO}{)}_{2}{\mathrm{P}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ is best described as an alternating spin chain directed along the crystallographic $b$ direction. In addition to the expected magnon with magnetic zone-center energy gap $\ensuremath{\Delta}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}3.1\mathrm{meV}$, a second excitation is observed at an energy just below $2\ensuremath{\Delta}$. The higher mode may be a triplet two-magnon bound state.
Generation of nonequilibrium electron and lattice temperatures in copper by picosecond laser pulses.

Picosecond laser pulses can be used to generate and probe nonequilibrium electron and lattice temperature differences in metals. This is demonstrated by transient thermoreflectance measurements on copper in the vicinity of the d-band absorption edge. Our measurements are in agreement with an energy-balance model based on a separation of the one-dimensional heat-flow equation into electron and lattice subsystems.
Pharmacies, Pharmacists, and Conscientious Objection*

This paper examines the obligations of pharmacy licensees and pharmacists in the context of conscience-based objections to filling lawful prescriptions for certain types of medications—e.g., standard and emergency contraceptives. Claims of conscience are analyzed as means to preserve or main- tain an individual's moral integrity. It is argued that pharmacy licensees have an obligation to dispense prescription medications that satisfy the health needs of the populations they serve, and this obligation can override claims of conscience. Although efforts should be made to respect the moral integrity of pharmacists and accommodate their claims of conscience, it is argued that the health needs of patients and the professional obligations of pharmacists limit the extent to which pharmacists may refuse to assist patients who have lawful prescriptions for medically indicated drugs.
The biopsychology of salt hunger and sodium deficiency.

Sodium is a necessary dietary macromineral that tended to be sparsely distributed in mankind’s environment in the past. Evolutionary selection pressure shaped physiological mechanisms including hormonal systems and neural circuits that serve to promote sodium ingestion. Sodium deficiency triggers the activation of these hormonal systems and neural circuits to engage motivational processes that elicit a craving for salty substances and a state of reward when salty foods are consumed. Sodium deficiency also appears to be associated with aversive psychological states including anhedonia, impaired cognition, and fatigue. Under certain circumstances the psychological processes that promote salt intake can become powerful enough to cause “salt gluttony,” or salt intake far in excess of physiological need. The present review discusses three aspects of the biopsychology of salt hunger and sodium deficiency: (1) the psychological processes that promote salt intake during sodium deficiency, (2) the effects of sodium deficiency on mood and cognition, and (3) the sensitization of sodium appetite as a possible cause of salt gluttony.
Sources of spatial complexity in two coastal plain soil landscapes

Abstract The spatial pattern of soils and soil properties in soil landscapes is considered here as a function of (1) systematic variation along catenas or associated with spatial patterns of soil-forming factors; and (2) local pseudo-random variations associated with local disturbances or small, unobserved variations in soil-forming factors. The problem is approached at two study sites in the U.S. Atlantic Coastal Plain using algebraic graph theory and the spectral radius of the soil adjacency matrix as a measure of complexity. The matrix is constructed based on the observed spatial contiguity of soil taxa, and soil factor sequences (SFS) are defined for each site based on systematic soil variation associated with variations in parent material, topography, sandy surface thicknesses, and secondary podzolization. The spectral radii of the networks described by the adjacency graphs are compared to those associated with the maximum for a graph of the same size, and the maximum associated with control entirely by variations in soil forming factors. At the Clayroot study site, which is entirely cropland, complexity of the adjacency matrix is less than Λ, the maximum that could be accounted for by the four identified SFS, due to redundant information in the SFS. The Littlefield site, by contrast, has a spectral radius greater than Λ. Here, where about half the site is forested, the contingent variation is likely associated with effects of individual trees on soil morphology. The utility of the adjacency analysis is in identifying whether soil heterogeneity is likely associated with SFS or with contingent factors not captured in SFS.
Design and analysis of Annisquam River Bridge railing

This paper summarises the design and analysis of the Annisquam River Bridge railing to satisfy the requirements of National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350 Test Level 3. Design of a previously accepted Minnesota Test Level 3 bridge railing was used as the starting point. A baseline finite-element model of a crash-tested Minnesota bridge railing is developed and validated against the full-scale crash test results, using the non-linear dynamic finite-element program LS-DYNA. After validating the baseline model, a series of finite-element simulation studies are performed to evaluate the crashworthiness of six design alternatives. A separate resistance analysis was also performed using the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' Load and Resistance Factor Design (AASHTO LRFD) procedure to verify the adequacy of the final Annisquam Bridge railing design in satisfying NCHRP Report 350 Test Level 3 requirements. Results of the LRFD resistance analysis support the LS-DYNA predictions. This project used a finite-element model that was validated based on a crash test and then used to extrapolate the design to an untested condition. Another novel feature of this research is the comparison of the finite-element-based design in comparison to the AASHTO LRFD procedure. As shown in the paper, the two methods result in essentially identical results. Based on the study results, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued an acceptance letter allowing the use of Annisquam Bridge railing design on the National Highway System in the United States.
A Comparison of Noncontingent Plus Contingent Reinforcement to Contingent Reinforcement Alone on Students’ Academic Performance

Noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) can be described as time-based or response-independent delivery of stimuli with known reinforcing properties. Previous research has shown NCR to reduce problem behavior in individuals with developmental disabilities and to interfere with the acquisition of more desired alternative behavior. To date, however, little research has examined the effects of NCR on children’s academic performance. The present study examined the effects of NCR on the completion of math computation worksheets by 3 students in an elementary school setting. An ABCB reversal design was used to compare an NCR schedule in combination with contingent reinforcement to contingent reinforcement alone. Results showed that digits correct per session decreased to baseline levels for all 3 students during implementation of the NCR plus contingent reinforcement condition. Implications of these results for the reductive effects of NCR are discussed.
Adding aspirin to clopidogrel worsened outcomes in PCI patients receiving oral anticoagulants

Source Citation Dewilde WJ, Oirbans T, Verheugt FW, et al; WOEST study investigators. Use of clopidogrel with or without aspirin in patients taking oral anticoagulant therapy and undergoing percuta...
Sex differences and the effects of sex hormones on hemostasis and vascular reactivity

Thrombus formation and vasospasm are involved in the initiation of acute ischemic events in the heart. Gender differences in persons with coronary artery disease and the incidence of myocardial ischemia have been clearly documented. In addition, it is well established that sex hormones influence the risk of developing coronary artery disease. Epidemiologic studies suggest that estrogen may exert a protective effect, yet the results of recently completed and ongoing prospective trials of estrogen and hormone (estrogen + progesterone) replacement suggest that these hormones can increase thrombotic events in postmenopausal women. This review focuses on sex (gender) differences in hemostasis and vascular reactivity and on the influence that sex hormones have on these physiologic systems. This review takes the novel approach of focusing on sex differences in hemostasis and vascular reactivity in healthy premenopausal women and men of a similar age. By comparing men and women in this age group, the confounding issues of age, pathology, or decline in sex hormone levels are avoided. Animal and in vitro investigations pertinent to examining potential cellular mechanism(s) of sex hormones in mediating these sex differences are discussed. We assume there is a relationship between the normal physiologic and pathologic effects of sex hormones; elucidating sex differences in normal cardiovascular function will help clarify the basis for sex differences in the incidence and manifestations of coronary heart disease and will aid in the future development of gender-specific therapies for cardiovascular disease.
Bijective proofs of formulae for the number of standard Yound tableaux

We give a bijective proof of a formula due independently to Frobenius and Young for the number of standard Young tableau of shape λ for λ any partition. Frame, Robinson, and Thrall derived their hook formula for the number of standard Young tableau from the Frobenius-Young formula. As a corollary to our bijective proof of the Frobenius-Young formula, we also give a bijective proof of the Frame-Robinson-Thrall hook formula.
When Are Two Wave Functions Distinguishable: A New Answer to Pauli's Question, with Potential Application to Quantum Cosmology

Traditional quantum mechanics (QM) predicts probabilities of different events. If we describe an elementary particle, then, experimentally, these probabilities mean that if we repeat the same measurement procedure with multiple particles in the same state, the resulting sequence of measurement results will be random w.r.t. the corresponding probability measure. In quantum cosmology, QM is used to describe the world as a whole; we have only one copy of the world, so multiple measurements are impossible. How to interpret these probabilities? In this paper, we use the approach of the algorithmic information theory to come up with a reasonable interpretation. This interpretation is in good accordance with the arguments presented by several physicists (such as D. Finkelstein) that a wave function is not always a physically reasonable description of a quantum state.
A Water-Labile Fungistatic Extractive characterizing Living Trees

THE ability of living trees to resist attack by common fungi which destroy dead branches and lumber from these same trees seems to be in need of explanation. This problem is made more interesting by the fact that some wood-destroying fungi, such as Schizophyllum commune Fries, are in general unable to cause serious trouble even in wounded living trees.
Variations in Arginase Activity in Livers of White Rats, Caused by Fasting

ConclusionsRats respond to short fasts (2 days) without change in arginase concentration in the liver tissue, and adaptations to changes in metabolism are reflected in decreases in the size of the liver. If fasted until near the moribund condition there is increased arginase concentration in the livers of both sexes, with loss of sex differentiation. Adjustment of the quantities of this enzyme by male rats when fasted 8 days is reflected by change in the size of the liver and by increase in its concentration of the enzyme. Adjustments to long fasts by female rats is accompanied by increase in enzyme concentration and after 4 days of fast the quantities of liver tissue are not further decreased. As shown in Fig. 1 fasts of intermediate duration give variable results in the concentration of the enzyme in the livers of male rats. Such variations may be correlated with the type of body materials, carbohydrates and fats (non-nitrogenous) or proteins (nitrogenous), that serve as primary energy sources at the ti...
Generation and Purification of Human INO80 Chromatin Remodeling Complexes and Subcomplexes

INO80 chromatin remodeling complexes regulate nucleosome dynamics and DNA accessibility by catalyzing ATP-dependent nucleosome remodeling. Human INO80 complexes consist of 14 protein subunits including Ino80, a SNF2-like ATPase, which serves both as the catalytic subunit and the scaffold for assembly of the complexes. Functions of the other subunits and the mechanisms by which they contribute to the INO80 complex's chromatin remodeling activity remain poorly understood, in part due to the challenge of generating INO80 subassemblies in human cells or heterologous expression systems. This JOVE protocol describes a procedure that allows purification of human INO80 chromatin remodeling subcomplexes that are lacking a subunit or a subset of subunits. N-terminally FLAG epitope tagged Ino80 cDNA are stably introduced into human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cell lines using Flp-mediated recombination. In the event that a subset of subunits of the INO80 complex is to be deleted, one expresses instead mutant Ino80 proteins that lack the platform needed for assembly of those subunits. In the event an individual subunit is to be depleted, one transfects siRNAs targeting this subunit into an HEK 293 cell line stably expressing FLAG tagged Ino80 ATPase. Nuclear extracts are prepared, and FLAG immunoprecipitation is performed to enrich protein fractions containing Ino80 derivatives. The compositions of purified INO80 subcomplexes can then be analyzed using methods such as immunoblotting, silver staining, and mass spectrometry. The INO80 and INO80 subcomplexes generated according to this protocol can be further analyzed using various biochemical assays, which are described in the accompanying JOVE protocol. The methods described here can be adapted for studies of the structural and functional properties of any mammalian multi-subunit chromatin remodeling and modifying complexes.
State estimation with point and set measurements

Numerous state estimation problems (e.g., under linear or nonlinear inequality constraints, with quantized measurements) can be formulated as those with point and set measurements. Inspired by the estimation with quantized measurements developed by Curry [1], under a Gaussian assumption, the minimum mean-squared error (MMSE) filtering with point measurements and set measurements of any shape is proposed by discretizing continuous set measurements. Possible ways to relax the Gaussian assumption and to discretize the involved Gaussian and truncated Gaussian distributions are discussed. Through an inequality constrained state estimation example, it is shown that under a certain condition, the update by inequality constraints as set measurements is redundant, otherwise the update is necessary and helpful. Supporting numerical examples are provided.
Recurrent Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Associated With Factor I Mutation in a Living Related Renal Transplant Recipient

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, or the nondiarrheal form of hemolytic uremic syndrome, is a rare disorder typically classified as familial or sporadic. Recent literature has suggested that approximately 50% of patients have mutations in factor H (CFH), factor I (CFI), or membrane cofactor protein (encoded by CD46). Importantly, results of renal transplantation in patients with mutations in either CFH or CFI are dismal, with recurrent disease leading to graft loss in the majority of cases. We describe an adult renal transplant recipient who developed recurrent hemolytic uremic syndrome 1 month after transplantation. Bidirectional sequencing of CFH, CFI, and CD46 confirmed that the patient was heterozygous for a novel missense mutation, a substitution of a serine reside for a tyrosine residue at amino acid 369, in CFI. This report reemphasizes the importance of screening patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome for mutations in these genes before renal transplantation and shows the challenges in the management of these patients.
Acute and late onset cognitive dysfunction associated with chemotherapy in women with breast cancer

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence supports cognitive dysfunction associated with standard dose chemotherapy in breast cancer survivors. We determined the incidence, nature, and chronicity of cognitive dysfunction in a prospective longitudinal randomized phase 3 treatment trial for patients with T1-3, N0-1, M0 breast cancer receiving 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide with or without paclitaxel. METHODS: Forty-two patients underwent a neuropsychological evaluation including measures of cognition, mood, and quality of life. Patients were scheduled to be assessed before chemotherapy, during and shortly after chemotherapy, and 1 year after completion of chemotherapy. RESULTS: Before chemotherapy, 21% (9 of 42) evidenced cognitive dysfunction. In the acute interval, 65% (24 of 37) demonstrated cognitive decline. At the long-term evaluation, 61% (17 of 28) evidenced cognitive decline after cessation of treatment. Within this group of patients, 71% (12 of 17) evidenced continuous decline from the acute interval, and, notably, 29% (5 of 17) evidenced new delayed cognitive decline. Cognitive decline was most common in the domains of learning and memory, executive function, and processing speed. Cognitive decline was not associated with mood or other measured clinical or demographic characteristics, but late decline may be associated with baseline level of performance. CONCLUSIONS: Standard dose systemic chemotherapy is associated with decline in cognitive function during and shortly after completion of chemotherapy. In addition, delayed cognitive dysfunction occurred in a large proportion of patients. These findings are consistent with a developing body of translational animal research demonstrating both acute and delayed structural brain changes as well as functional changes associated with common chemotherapeutic agents such as 5-flouorouracil. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry as a Detector for Micellar Liquid Chromatography: Speciation of Alkyltin Compounds

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry has been used as a detector for several organotin compounds which were separated with the use of micellar liquid chromatography. Trimethyltin chloride, triethyltin bromide, and tripropyltin chloride were separated with a 0.1 M sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micellar mobile phase and C-18 stationary phase. Detection limits for the three were 27, 51, and 111 picograms tin, respectively. A 0.02 M SDS mobile phase was used to separate mono-methyltin trichloride, dimethyltin dichloride, and trimethyltin chloride. Detection limits for these compounds were 46, 26, and 126 picograms tin, respectively. Preliminary separation of those five organotin compounds was obtained by gradient elution. Calibration curves were linear over 3.5 orders of magnitude. The relative standard deviation for ten 100-μL injections containing 4 ng tin ranged from 1.3 to 1.9% with a 0.1 M SDS mobile phase and from 3.4 to 4.8% with a 0.02 M SDS mobile phase.
Isotope mixing between chemisorbed CO molecules on a K promoted Ni(111) surface: an LITD study

Abstract The laser induced thermal desorption technique (LITD) is used to monitor the extent of isotope mixing between CO molecules on a potassium promoted, ( θ K = 0.28) Ni(111) surface. The onset of isotope mixing is found to occur at 400 K, well below the CO or potassium thermal desorption temperature. The maximum mixing yield is about 60% of the statistical limit over the temperature range of 450 to 600 K, suggesting that not all CO on the surface participates in the isotopic mixing reaction due to limited mobility. It is shown that the LITD technique can be used to measure the rate of mixing at temperatures well below that at which thermal desorption occurs. At 475 K the observed isotope exchange rate is consistent with a second order rate constant of k = 6 × 10 −2 ML −1 s −1 .
The carpal tunnel syndrome.

Excerpt To the editors: The article by Katz and colleagues (1) makes inappropriate use of its primary technical reference (2). The cited article by Stevens (2) does not recommend use of the median ...
The Automotive Industry in Southeast Asia: Can Protection Be Made Less Costly?

COUNTRIES OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION AREA (AUSTRALIA, BRUNEI, CHINA, HONG KONG, INDONESIA, MALAYSIA, NEW ZEALAND, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, PHILIPPINES, SINGAPORE, TAIWAN, THAILAND)
The association of anemia and hypoalbuminemia with accelerated decline in GFR among adolescents with chronic kidney disease

We sought to describe rates of kidney function decline and to identify modifiable risk factors for CKD progression in a multicenter prospective cohort study of adolescents with CKD aged 11 to 18 years seen semiannually for up to three years. Of the 23 subjects meeting inclusion criteria, the average estimated GFR was 51 +/- 27 ml/min/1.73 m(2) (0.85 +/- 0.45 ml/s/1.73 m(2)) at entry. The overall annualized decline in GFR was 5.6 ml/min/1.73 m(2) (0.093 ml/s/1.73 m(2)) per year (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.9 to 9.3 [0.032 to 0.16]). The adjusted annualized decline in GFR was found to be accelerated in males, as well as among those over 15 years of age. The adjusted annualized decline in GFR was greater among those with either anemia (hematocrit below 36%), or hypoalbuminemia (albumin below 4 g/dl [40 g/L]). After adjustment, anemia was associated with an accelerated decline of 7.8 ml/min/1.73 m(2) (0.13 ml/s/1.73 m(2)) (95% CI: 3.3 to 12 [0.055 to 0.20]) and hypoalbuminemia was associated with an accelerated decline of 17 ml/min/1.73 m(2) (0.28 ml/s/1.73 m(2)) (95% CI: 11 to 22 [0.18 to 0.37]). Further study is needed to evaluate whether treatment of anemia or hypoalbuminemia, as outlined in current clinical care guidelines for CKD, may slow the progression of CKD in adolescents.
Anti-HLA-DR/anti-DOTA Diabody Construction in a Modular Gene Design Platform: Bispecific Antibodies for Pretargeted Radioimmunotherapy

Recombinant immunoglobulin libraries of single chain molecules (sc) from the variable domains of antibody light and heavy chains (Fv), have great promise for new approaches to radioimmunotherapy (RIT). However, creating and evaluating scFv from diverse sources is time consuming and differences in molecular format can influence in vitro and in vivo characteristics. Furthermore, scFv do not have optimal characteristics for targeting therapy to tumor because of their small size and univalent binding. Diabody molecules at least twice the size of scFv are better for RIT because bivalent and bispecific molecules can be constructed. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based primer system was created to easily convert scFv genes into a diabody gene format, once they have been placed into pCANTAB 5E, a readily available vector. The primer system for this diabody gene platform was developed and tested by constructing an anti-lymphoma/anti-chelate, bispecific diabody (anti-HLA-DR/anti-DOTA). Two mouse scFv libraries w...
Visibility-reducing species in the denver "brown cloud"—II. Sources and temporal patterns

Abstract The chemical and optical measurements collected at the General Motors Research Laboratories' site during the 1978 Denver “brown cloud” study are combined with data on energy consumption and emissions, as well as the use of tracer techniques, to estimate the contributions of the various sources to the fine paniculate mass (FPM) and the visual range reduction (VRR). Although no single source dominates either the FPM or the VRR, combustion processes account for over 80% of both. The major contributors to both the FPM and VRR are: motor vehicles, 26 and 27% (diesel trucks, 8 and 12%; light-duty noncatalyst vehicles. 14 and 9%; light-duty catalyst-equipped vehicles, 4 and 5% and tire rubber, negligible and 1%), coal combustion, > 20 and > 25%, and wood burning, 12 and 18%. The remainders of the FPM and VRR are due chiefly to fuel oil and natural-gas combustion and crustal and fly ash material. The motor vehicles and the wood combustion are the principal sources of both elemental and organic carbon particles while the coal combustion is the most important source of paniculate sulfate and nitrate precursors. Essentially, all the carbonaceous particles appear to be primary particles while most of the sulfate appears to be produced by a heterogeneous process. Both heterogeneous and homogeneous (photochemical) mechanisms appear to be producing nitrate, with the photochemical one being more important.
YAP1 oncogene and its eight isoforms

Fernandez-L et al.1 and Liu et al.2 reported functional analyses of the human YAP1 gene using overexpression of its complementary DNA (cDNA) in various cell lines. Interestingly, in these reports one of the eight existing isoforms of YAP1 cDNA was used, namely YAP1 encoding 504 amino acid long protein. This isoform of YAP1 is generated by the splicing of exon 6 within the region of the transcript that encodes transcriptional activation domain (TAD) (Figure 1 and Gaffney et al.3). Other reports, in which the human YAP1 gene was interrogated in cells as a transfected cDNA, used different isoforms of YAP1, which encoded either 454 or 488 amino acid long proteins.4, 5 The YAP1-454 isoform was shown to signal differently from the YAP1-488 isoform (see discussion in Gaffney et al.3). Moreover, YAP1-488 isoform has an intact leucine zipper within its TAD domain, unlike YAP1-504, whose leucine zipper is interrupted by the insertion of 16 amino acids encoded by exon 6. Because of these structural and signaling differences, it is important to report which isoform of YAP1 is used in overexpression studies. This letter is to propose a unified nomenclature for YAP1 oncogene cDNA constructs as YAP1-XXX where XXX are the number of amino acids encoded by a given cDNA (Figure 1). Alternatively, YAP1-1α, β, γ, δ and YAP1-2 α, β, γ, δ could also be used.
Exact tests for random models with unequal cell frequencies in the last stage

Abstract Khuri and Littell (1987) derived exact tests for testing hypotheses concerning the variance components in an unbalanced random two-way model. The method used in the development of these tests can be extended to more general unbalanced random models. In this article, such an extension is established for models that are unbalanced only with respect to the last stage of their associated designs, which are assumed to have no missing cells. A numerical example is given to illustrate the implementation of the proposed methodology.
The Arabidopsis MEI1 gene likely encodes a protein with BRCT domains

It was previously proposed that the Arabidopsis MEI1 gene encodes a small protein with some similarity to an acrosin-trypsin inhibitor of humans [He and Mascarenhas (1998) Sex Plant Reprod 11:199–207]. Here we show that the complement strand of the MEI1 gene region encodes a predicted protein that fits better with the chromosome fragmentation phenotype of the mei1 mutant. By aligning their partial cDNA sequence with the two sources of genomic sequence available for the region, we deduced a predicted protein that contains three BRCT domains. Proteins with BRCT domains are involved in DNA repair, recombination, and cell cycle checkpoint control. This newly proposed annotation for MEI1 suggests that it might regulate the repair of DNA double-strand breaks during male meiotic recombination, which is consistent with the chromosome fragmentation defect found in early diplotene in the mei1 mutant.
Solubility of gases in micellar solutions

Abstract Measurements have been made to determine the solubilities of compressed He, O 2 , Ar, CH 4 , and C 2 H 6 in aqueous solutions of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) using a simple manometric technique. The solubility of each gas follows Henry's law and increases linearly with suffactant concentration above the critical micelle concentration. Values for the intramicellar solubility and associated Δ G for transfer of dissolved gas from water to the micellar interior are calculated from the data. The intramicellar solubility of each gas is found to be less than that in a typical hydrocarbon. The discrepancy can be explained using a simple phase separation model in which the hydrocarbon-like interior of a micelle is considered to be compressed by interfacial tension at the micelle surface.
Enkephalin-like immunoreactivity in the gustatory lobes and visceral nuclei in the brains of goldfish and catfish

Abstract The distribution of enkephalin-like immunoreactivity was examined in the medulla of two species of teleost fish, Carassius auratus and Ictalurus nebulosus . The primary visceral sensory nuclei of these species are clearly divided into three segments: facial gustatory lobe, vagal gustatory lobe and a general visceral nucleus. Dense ELI occurs in the general visceral nucleus and in certain layers or portions of the vagal gustatory lobe. The facial gustatory lobe contains a few enkephalin-like immunoreactive fibers, far less than either of the other two primary visceral sensory areas. Large numbers of such immunoreactive fibers are also associated with the facial nucleus, nucleus ambiguus and certain neurons of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus. The primary gustatory area of the medulla should not be considered to be a unitary structure but includes a vagal portion rich in ELI and a facial portion largely devoid of such immunoreactivity. This appears to be a feature common to fish and mammals if not all vertebrate classes.
Overlapping Methods of All-to-All Communication and FFT Algorithms for Torus-Connected Massively Parallel Supercomputers

Torus networks are commonly used for massively parallel computers, its performance often becomes the constraint on total application performance. Especially in an asymmetric torus network, network traffic along the longest axis is the performance bottleneck for all-to-all communication, so that it is important to schedule the longest-axis traffic smoothly. In this paper, we propose a new algorithm based on an indirect method for pipelining the all-to-all procedures using shared memory parallel threads, which (1) isolates the longest-axis traffic from other traffic, (2) schedules it smoothly and (3) overlaps all of the other traffic and overhead for the all-to-all communication behind the longest-axis traffic. The proposed method achieves up to 95% of the theoretical peak. We integrated the overlapped all-to-all method with parallel FFT algorithms. And local FFT calculations are also overlapped behind the longest-axis traffic. The FFT performance achieves up to 90% of the theoretical peak for the parallel 1D FFT.
A Note on the Kaplan—Meier Estimator

Abstract An anomalous feature of the Kaplan-Meier estimator is that certain estimated survival probabilities can be decreased when the data are perturbed in a way that improves the overall group survival. An alternative estimator based on the so-called reduced-sample method does not have this disadvantage. However, its construction requires knowledge of the potential censoring times of subjects who were actually observed to fail. If these censoring times are unknown, it is natural to proceed by imputing them. A self-consistency argument shows that this leads back to the Kaplan-Meier estimator. Although the method does not yield a new estimator, it gives some insight into the anomalous behavior of the original one.
A continuous auditing web services model for XML-based accounting systems

Abstract This article discusses how emerging information technology (IT) frameworks, such as extensible markup language (XML) and Web services, can be utilized to facilitate continuous auditing for the next generation of accounting systems. Relying on a number of components of Web services technology, this article presents a new model for continuously audit business processes, referred to as continuous auditing web service (CAWS). The CAWS mechanism would run as a “web service” in the audit firm's computing environment and could be applied at a very granular level to provide assurance about specific business processes, at a very aggregate level for providing assurance relating to continuously reported earnings, or to provide continuous assurance (CA) about the operation of internal controls resident in the audit client's environment. The primary user of CAWS, given the current audit model, is the audit firm itself. However, the proposed CAWS approach facilitates a new “pull” model of auditing as envisaged by Elliot [ Account. Horiz. (1992) 61], where assurance consumers invoke the CAWS routines to obtain assurance on demand. In such a model, the auditor would offer restricted views provided by the CAWS routines on a fee basis to analysts, investors, financial institutions, and other parties interested in obtaining CA of business performance or other audit objects of interest. The frameworks and technologies that facilitate such a Web-service-based continuous auditing mechanism in an XML-enhanced world are briefly described. The article concludes with suggestions for future research.
Modeling studies of binding of sea raven Type II antifreeze protein to ice.

Certain plants, insects, and fish living in cold environments prevent tissue damage due to freezing by producing antifreeze proteins or antifreeze glycoproteins that inhibit ice growth below the normal equilibrium freezing point of water in a noncolligative fashion. In polar fish these macromolecules, taking into account their structural characteristics, are grouped into three broad classes, namely Type I, Type II, and Type III. In this paper we report the results of our studies on the stereospecific binding of sea raven, a Type II antifreeze protein (AFP) to (111) hexagonal bipyramidal faces of ice. Earlier studies of Type I and Type III AFPs have shown that stereospecific binding of these proteins, recognizing specific planes of ice, is essential for their noncolligative antifreeze point depression. Moreover, as it has been shown for the AFT of Type I, this binding also occurs along specific vectors on these planes and also is enantioselective, distinguishing between the mirror related directions. In th...
Traumatic compared to non-traumatic clinical-pathologic associations in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Abstract This study determined differences in clinical-pathologic characteristics of intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients whose mechanism of cerebral injury and chronic seizures involved a prior history of cerebral trauma compared to those with non-traumatic initial injuries. TLE patients (n = 120) from a single epilepsy center were retrospectively and blindly catalogued into pathogenic groups (independent variables) based on if there was a significant Birth injury (n = 11) or Cerebral trauma (n = 26). These two ‘trauma’ categories were compared to TLE patients with non-seizure non-trauma histories (Non-Sz/Non-Trauma; n = 17), or a first Prolonged seizure (n = 66). The four groups were compared for differences in the time course of their clinical injuries and seizures, quantified hippocampal neuron counts, other temporal neocortical pathologies, and seizure outcomes (dependent variables). Between group statistically significant (at least P
The quantitative evaluation of a confocal surgical microscope

The design and development of a confocal operating microscope has demonstrated a significant improvement in the optical sectioning ability of a surgical microscope. A Zeiss OPMIl operating microscope was modified to incorporate confocal scanning. Real-time, reflected-light images were produced from an electro-mechanical multiple slit scanner, and captured on video. The images were quantitatively analyzed for resolution, contrast, and depth of field behavior. The studies indicate that confocal scanning is capable of reducing the depth of field by 94%, and improving the resolution by 30%.
Model of neutron-production rates from femtosecond-laser–cluster interactions

Solid deuterium clusters provide a new type of target for laser-matter interactions. We present a theory for the generation of laser driven Coulomb explosions that create a hot fusion-producing ion tail. We derive an initial distribution function for the exploded ions, for an arbitrary cluster-size distribution, and solve for the D-D neutron-production rate during the free expansion of these ions into a vacuum. We find good agreement between the theory and the experiment: the theory suggests an explanation for the observed saturation and drop in neutron yield beyond a definite cluster size, consistent with recent experiments by Ditmire [T. Ditmire et al., Nature 398, 489 (1999)] and Zweiback [J. Zweiback et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 2634 (2000); J. Zweiback et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 3640 (2000)].