cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lead(IV) and thallium(III) acetates in trifluoroacetic acid as spot test reagents for aromatic compounds

Abstract Reagents consisting of lead(IV) or thallium (III) acetate in trifluoroacetic acid give intense colors with a number of aromatic compounds. The former is useful for identification of many polynuclear and polyphenyl hydrocarbons and their derivatives as well as aryl amines and methoxy ethers. The latter reagent gives positive tests with a smaller number of polynuclear hydrocarbons and with most phenols. While the reagents probably function similarly to Le Rosen's formaldehyde in concentrated sulfuric acid in giving condensations and oxidations, they have the advantage of being appreciably more selective with respect to classes of compounds giving colors. Used in conjunction with the Le Rosen reagent they allow considerable differentiation among and within groups of aromatic compounds.
Persistent Functional Atrioventricular Block in Two Patients with Prolonged QT Intervals; Elucidation of the Mechanism of Block

This article describes two infants with prolonged QT interval and intermittent second-degree atrioventricular block. An asymptomatic 14-month-old child with persistent 2:1 atrioventricular conduction since birth underwent electrophysiology study including measurements with a contact monophasic action potential catheter. During 2:1 conduction, atrioventricular block occurred distal to the site of the His-bundle recording. Monophasic action potential duration was closely related to prior RR intervals. Single premature atrial or ventricular depolarizations during 1:1 conduction followed by a pause, lead to monophasic action potential prolongation and subsequent 2:1 atrioventricular conduction, which was perpetuated by the resulting long RR intervals. Paired premature ventricular contractions or short bursts of ventricular pacing elicited monophasic action potential shortening and subsequent 1:1 atrioventricular conduction that was perpetuated by the resulting short RR intervals. A second infant presented at birth with a prolonged QT interval, ventricular tachycardia, and episodes of second-degree atrioventricular block with persistent 2:1 atrioventricular conduction. The atrioventricular block was repeatedly elicited by single premature ventricular contractions and terminated by ventricular couplets. We conclude that the atrioventricular block in both patients is functional in nature and results from the interrelationships between ventricular rate, action potential duration, and His-Purkinje system refractoriness.
Analysis of Polar Clouds from Satellite Imagery Using Pattern Recognition and a Statistical Cloud Analysis Scheme

Abstract The analysis of cloud cover in the polar regions from satellite data is more difficult than at other latitudes because the visible and thermal contrasts between the cloud cover and the underlying surface are frequently quite small. Pattern recognition has proven to be a useful tool in detecting and identifying several cloud types over snow and ice. Here a pattern recognition algorithm in combined with a hybrid histogram-spatial coherence (HHSC) scheme to derive cloud classification and fractional coverage, surface and cloud visible albedos and infrared brightness temperatures from multispectral AVHRR satellite imagery. The accuracy of the cloud fraction estimates were between 0.05 and 0.26, based on the mean absolute difference between the automated and manual nephanalyses of nearly 1000 training samples. The HHSC demonstrated greater accuracy at estimating cloud friction than three different threshold. methods. An important result is that the prior classification of a sample may significantly im...
Reply to ``Comments on `Analogies of Ocean/Atmosphere Rotating Fluid Dynamics with Gyroscopes: Teaching Opportunities'''

I t is fascinating to learn that the analogy between gyroscopes and rotating shallow-water (RSW) dynamics extends so far. We were unaware of the original work on gyroscope–fluid dynamics analogies of Arnol’d or Obukhov or of the interesting recent developments by Gluhovsky, Tong, and their collaborators. Our focus was on the analogies between gyroscopic motion (precession and nutation) and linear RSW modes dominated by Coriolis forces (geostrophic flow and inertial oscillation, respectively). We were aware that close similarities exist between the nonlinear Euler equations for the gyroscope [(S19) and (S20) in our supplement] and for the nonlinear equations describing a frictionless particle sliding on a rotating sphere [(S32) and (S33)]. However, we had no idea that the equations for a system of coupled Volterra gyrostats provide a generic basis to construct nonlinear low-order models (LOMs) of fluid dynamics. Such LOMs with quadratic nonlinearity are very common in geophysical fluid dynamics. They apply to a vast range of phenomena because the ubiquitous convective acceleration is a quadratic nonlinearity. Some important oceanic and atmospheric processes involve other nonlinearities, however, like radiative transfer, phase changes, or the seawater equation of state. It is unclear if coupled Volterra gyrostats extend to include LOMs of these cases. Our initial suspicion that a link exists between RSW dynamics and gyroscopes was based on intuition and play. Perhaps the coupled Volterra gyrostat–fluids analogy can be exploited further to construct real physical machines that demonstrate other principles of ocean/atmosphere fluid dynamics—that would be a thought-provoking application of the important discoveries that Gluhovsky and Tong describe. DOI:10.1175/BAMS-D-13-00239.1
HEART PRESERVATION UTILIZING HYPERBARIC OXYGEN AND HYPOTHERMIA.

HE F E A S I B I L I T Y OF WHOLE ORGAN Ttransplanta t ion has awakened an interest in certain areas of investigation and crystalized attention to the magnitude of certain problems. Early transplantation work involved cells and small portions of tissues; however, the problems now have advanced to the stage of transplantation of whole organs. The problem areas are rather well defined: the surgical technique of whole organ transplantation, immune or rejection response and the organ availability or organ preservation. Of t h w problems, two are now receiving paramount attention and one is solved. The technical problems of whole organ tramplantation have been studied and overcome, and the s u c d u l surgical exercises are now a reality in many centers. The immune-rejection response is a formidable problem and is now under investigation but will require extensive research into cell metabolism and the transference of the immune mechanism. The yielding of the surgical technical problems to experimental solution has brought forth the paramount problem of having an organ suitable for implantation when needed. Since it is imposible to produce the organ for implantation, the organ must be obtained from another human subject at a given time when the subject has succumbed to either accidental death or disease, and the organ must be obtained in a viable oxygenated stage and pmSCrved until the recipient is prepared for implantation. This vital need s thus stimulating the search for means of maintaining the whole organ viable for a period of one or more days until the redpient can be hmpitalized, evaluated and
Effects of Repeated Administration of a κ-Opioid Agonist on Phorbol Ester Binding to Membrane-Bound Protein Kinase C in Rat Brain

The dissociation constant (KD) of [3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) binding to protein kinase C (PKC) in membranes of rat cortex and midbrain was significantly decreased with no change in the receptor density (Bmax) following 7-d treatment with a kappa-opioid agonist, U-50,488 (20 mg/kg/d, i.p.). Neither the Bmax nor KD values in pons/medulla were altered by repeated U-50,488 treatment. These results suggest that repeated administration of a kappa-opioid agonist increases the affinity for PDBu binding to the membrane-bound PKC in rat cortex and midbrain, but not in pons/medulla.
Data-intensive computing for competent genetic algorithms: a pilot study using meandre

Data-intensive computing has positioned itself as a valuable programming paradigm to efficiently approach problems requiring processing very large volumes of data. This paper presents a pilot study about how to apply the data-intensive computing paradigm to evolutionary computation algorithms. Two representative cases (selectorecombinative genetic algorithms and estimation of distribution algorithms) are presented, analyzed, and discussed. This study shows that equivalent data-intensive computing evolutionary computation algorithms can be easily developed, providing robust and scalable algorithms for the multicore-computing era. Experimental results show how such algorithms scale with the number of available cores without further modification.
Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis effects on plasma homovanillic acid in man

Abstract Background: Effects of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis on central dopaminergic systems have been proposed to underlie the development of psychotic symptoms in depression. This study examined HPA axis hormone effects on plasma levels of homovanillic acid (HVA), the dopamine metabolite, in healthy volunteers, using a placebo-controlled, double-blind, random-assignment, crossover design. On the basis of preliminary studies, we hypothesized that HPA axis hormones would produce delayed effects on plasma HVA levels measured in the afternoon. Methods: Ten healthy subjects underwent a standard protocol on four occasions and each time received ovine corticotropin-releasing hormone, synthetic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, or placebo. Plasma HVA was measured at 9 am and 4 pm on Day 1, immediately prior to administration of the test substance at 7 pm , then at 30–60-min intervals until 11 pm . Plasma HVA levels were subsequently obtained at 9 am and 4 pm on Days 2 and 3. Results: As predicted, there were significant differences between test substances in delayed effects on afternoon HVA levels measured on Days 2 and 3, with cortisol and ACTH producing greater increases in HVA than placebo. Acute effects of HPA axis hormones on HVA were not found, while differences between test substances in delayed effects on morning HVA levels approached significance. Conclusions: HPA axis hormones exert delayed effects on plasma HVA levels in healthy humans.
Dynamic model based algorithms for screening and genotyping over 100K SNPs on oligonucleotide microarrays

Motivation: A high density of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) coverage on the genome is desirable and often an essential requirement for population genetics studies. Region-specific or chromosome-specific linkage studies also benefit from the availability of as many high quality SNPs as possible. The availability of millions of SNPs from both Perlegen and the public domain and the development of an efficient microarray-based assay for genotyping SNPs has brought up some interesting analytical challenges. Effective methods for the selection of optimal subsets of SNPs spanning the genome and methods for accurately calling genotypes from probe hybridization patterns have enabled the development of a new microarray-based system for robustly genotyping over 100 000 SNPs per sample. Results: We introduce a new dynamic model-based algorithm (DM) for screening over 3 million SNPs and genotyping over 100 000 SNPs. The model is based on four possible underlying states: Null, A, AB and B for each probe quartet. We calculate a probe-level log likelihood for each model and then select between the four competing models with an SNP-level statistical aggregation across multiple probe quartets to provide a high-quality genotype call along with a quality measure of the call. We assess performance with HapMap reference genotypes, informative Mendelian inheritance relationship in families, and consistency between DM and another genotype classification method. At a call rate of 95.91% the concordance with reference genotypes from the HapMap Project is 99.81% based on over 1.5 million genotypes, the Mendelian error rate is 0.018% based on 10 trios, and the consistency between DM and MPAM is 99.90% at a comparable rate of 97.18%. We also develop methods for SNP selection and optimal probe selection. Availability: The DM algorithm is available in Affymetrix's Genotyping Tools software package and in Affymetrix's GDAS software package. See http://www.affymetrix.com for further information. 10K and 100K mapping array data are available on the Affymetrix website. Contact: xiaojun_di@affymetrix.com
Design of low-noise RF/microwave amplifiers for communication systems requiring very low power consumption

As miniaturization becomes a dominant factor in the development of microwave communication systems, power consumption emerges as an extremely critical design parameter for battery-operated wireless communication devices. With circuits requiring low power consumption, the resultant decrease in power supply battery size provides significant overall system volume and weight reduction. Low-noise amplifiers are essential in the design of many classes of communication receivers employed in microwave technology. For a broad class of wireless systems, there is a significant requirement for low-bias power, low-noise amplifiers operating in the 1 GHz frequency range. This paper presents the development of low-bias (V/sub CE/=1 volt, I/sub C/=1 mA), single-stage, low-noise amplifiers operating in the 1 GHz frequency range. These bipolar designs are unique in that they achieve excellent gain (>10 dB) and noise figure (/spl sim/1 dB) while simultaneously requiring significantly lower bias power than standard designs.
What is the biology and optimal treatment for papillary microcarcinoma of the thyroid

Background Papillary microcarcinomas of the thyroid, defined as tumors measuring ≤10 mm, are believed to be a less aggressive subset of papillary cancers that behave more like benign lesions and are often more conservatively treated. However, some groups have reported a high incidence of metastases from papillary microcarcinomas and favor aggressive surgical resection followed by radioiodine therapy. Therefore, to characterize the biology and optimal treatment for papillary microcarcinomas, we reviewed our experience. Methods From May 1994 to October 2004, 184 patients underwent thyroid surgery at the University of Wisconsin and had papillary thyroid cancer present in the resected gland. Of these patients, 10 were excluded because there was no record of tumor size. Of the remaining 174 patients, 74 (42%) had papillary microcarcinomas. Data from these patients were retrospectively analyzed. Results The mean age of these patients was 42 ± 1.48 year and 57 (77%) were female. The mean tumor size was 5.7 ± 0.38 mm. Of the 74 patients, 12 (16%) had lymph node metastases. The majority of patients (65%) underwent a total thyroidectomy and 61% had radioiodine ablation therapy after surgery. With follow-up up to 134 months, the recurrence rate was 8% and only two patients currently have active disease. No patients with papillary microcarcinoma have died during this period. Conclusion Papillary microcarcinomas of the thyroid are quite common, comprising almost half of all papillary cancers. Despite a significant rate of metastatic disease, the prognosis for patients with microcarcinomas has been excellent with 100% survival and a low recurrence rate. These outcomes may be the result of the aggressive surgical therapy used at our institution. Thus, papillary microcarcinomas appear to have a similar biology to other low risk papillary thyroid cancers and, in our opinion, may warrant similar treatment.
The spectrum of complications of immunosuppression: is the time right for hand transplantation?

• Life-threatening complications of long-term immunosuppression include malignancy, infection, and metabolic disorders such as renal failure and diabetes. • Up to three-fourths or more of patients on chronic immunosuppressive medications experience an infectious complication. • The hand transplants to date have had multiple episodes of acute rejection. • The frequency and timing of episodes of acute rejection, even if the episodes are easily treated, are predictive of chronic allograft dysfunction and failure. • Chronic allograft rejection is not effectively treated with current immunosuppressive medications, and it has become a primary cause of long-term allograft failure. The introduction of cyclosporine A in the early 1980s revolutionized solid organ transplantation. There were marked improvements not only in preserving graft function, but also in prolonging patient survival following solid organ transplantation 1. As the viability of transplanted organs improved, the indications for clinical transplantation expanded to include not only acutely life-threatening conditions, but also more chronic conditions that adversely affected longevity and quality of life. Composite tissue allotransplantation involves the transplantation of nonvital tissues for reconstruction of deficits following trauma or tumor resection. If successful, composite tissue allotransplantation would facilitate the recovery of lost function through grafting of complex, disparate tissue types. However, composite tissue allotransplantation also poses unique challenges. Solid organs, such as the kidneys, may be more tolerant of rejection episodes than are composite tissues, for which the risk of rejection of one or more components is high. Parenchymal organs may have a tremendous functional reserve so that a substantial amount of tissue can be lost before organ function is compromised, but composite tissue allografts tend to have complex architecture with limited built-in redundancy. Thus, while the majority of kidney function may be lost before blood urea nitrogen or creatinine levels are elevated, comparable loss of the function of composite …
Use of EMLA cream in the treatment of post-herpetic neuralgia

EMLA cream is an acronym for eutectic mixture of local anesthetics. It contains lidocaine and prilocaine creams. A eutectic preparation, applied topically, penetrates into the dermis after an application period of 1 to 2 hours. This case report describes the successful treatment with EMLA cream of post-herpetic neuralgia, which was resistant to other modes of therapy, and briefly discusses the pharmacology of EMLA cream.
Phase II Trial of Pemetrexed Plus Bevacizumab for Second-Line Therapy of Patients With Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: NCCTG and SWOG Study N0426

Purpose To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of pemetrexed combined with bevacizumab as second-line therapy for patients with advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to correlate allelic variants in pemetrexed-metabolizing genes with clinical outcome. Patients and Methods Patients with previously treated NSCLC received pemetrexed (500 mg/m2 intravenous) combined with bevacizumab (15 mg/kg intravenous) every 3 weeks. The primary end point, evaluated using a one-stage Fleming design for detecting a true success rate of at least 70%, was the proportion of patients who were progression free and on treatment at 3 months. Polymorphisms in genes responsible for pemetrexed transport (reduced folate carrier [SLC19A1]) and metabolism (folylpolyglutamate synthase [FPGS] and gamma-glutamyl hydrolase [GGH]) evaluated in germline DNA (blood) were correlated with treatment outcome. Results Forty-eight evaluable patients (14 females and 34 males) received a median of four cycles (range, one to 20 cycles). The mo...
Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite markers from the velvet tree, Miconia calvescens DC. (Melastomataceae)

Nine polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized from the invasive velvet tree (Miconia calvescens DC.), a serious forest invader in tropical Pacific oceanic islands. These loci provided markers with polymorphism of three to 10 alleles per locus within 95 individuals. The expected and observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.0367 to 0.5053 and from 0.0370 to 0.2473, respectively. These markers should be useful to study dispersal and the invasion genetics of the velvet tree.
The Downed Runner

Race coverage can be a rewarding experience for the sports medicine clinician. Several conditions are likely to present to the medical tent, and accurate diagnosis is critical to proper treatment. An algorithm approach as outlined in this article can provide a starting point for the assessment of the downed runner. Recognition of the primary causes for collapse can help to instigate the correct treatment approach. A proper history and physical examination often can help to differentiate significant cardiac events from the more innocuous EAC. Furthermore, avoiding immediate i.v. fluids in the downed runner is prudent, at least until an appropriate diagnosis is made. This will help to prevent iatrogenic hyponatremia. In sum, proper preparation and knowledge of the ailments that affect long distance runners will help to maintain an effective medical tent on race day.
Antifungal Agents: In Vitro Susceptibility Testing, Pharmacodynamics, and Prospects for Combination Therapy

As invasive fungal infections in immunocompromised patients become increasingly important, the field of antifungal chemotherapy continues to evolve rapidly. New agents have entered the clinical arena, providing physicians with a variety of choices for treatment of most infections. Standardized methods for testing the in vitro susceptibility of fungi have become available, and concentration-effect relationships are increasingly explored. Finally, the availability of an entirely new class of antifungal agents is opening new opportunities for combination therapy of infections that are notoriously difficult to treat and carry a dismal prognosis. However, the ongoing progress in these key areas has also made antifungal chemotherapy considerably more complex and susceptible to misconceptions. Continuing efforts in the laboratory and well designed collaborative clinical trials are needed more than ever to turn opportunities into lasting benefit for patients at risk for or suffering from life-threatening invasive mycoses.
Renal Anomalies in Turner's Syndrome Types and Suggested Embryogenesis

Of 15 patients with Turner's syndrome studied for renal anomalies by intravenous pyelogram, 11 had demonstrable abnormalities ; three had horseshoe kidney. None had evidence of impaired renal func tion. Four reported previous urinary tract infections. Similarities among the positional and structural abnormalities of the kidneys suggested a continuum of morphologic changes, with a possible re lationship of such changes to impaired positional information pro gramming by the developing abnormal gonad during embryogenesis.
Tolerance of peach and nectarine fruits to insecticidal controlled atmospheres as influenced by cultivar, maturity, and size

Abstract Tolerances of peach and nectarine fruits to insecticidal controlled atmospheres were determined by the time before occurrence of visual injury and/or off-flavor. The tolerances of ‘John Henry’ peaches, ‘Fantasia’ nectarines, ‘Fire Red’ peaches, ‘O'Henry’ peaches, ‘Royal Giant’ nectarines, and ‘Flamekist’ nectarines to 0.25% O 2 (balance N 2 ) at 20°C were 2.8, 4.0, 4.0, 4.4, 5.1, and 5.2 days, respectively. ‘Fairtime’ peaches tolerated 0.21% O 2 + 99% CO 2 at 20°C for 3.8 days, 0.21% O 2 + 99% CO 2 at 0°C for 5.0 days, 0.21% O 2 at 20°C for 6.0 days, and 0.21% O 2 at 0°C for up to 19 days. Soluble solids content, pH, titratable acidity, and vitamin C content of ‘Fairtime’ peaches were not significantly influenced by the low O 2 and/or high CO 2 treatments. There was a good correlation between tolerances of peaches and nectarines to the insecticidal atmospheres and the accumulation rates of acetaldehyde ( r = −0.94, P r = −0.88, P 2 was associated with a higher respiration rate, a more mature and larger fruit, and faster accumulation rates of acetaldehyde, ethanol, and ethyl acetate. Generally, accumulation rates of anaerobic volatiles were higher in more mature and larger fruits of ‘O'Henry’ peaches and ‘Fantasia’ nectarines kept in 0.25% O 2 , air + 35% CO 2 , or 0.25% O 2 + 35% CO 2 at 20°C. Comparison of fruit tolerance and published information on the time to reach 100% mortality of some insects suggests that 0.25% O 2 at 20°C is probably not feasible for postharvest insect disinfestation while 0.21% O 2 with or without 99% CO 2 at 0°C merits further investigation.
Follicular adenoma presenting as lateral aberrant thyroid

Introduction: True benign thyroid masses very rarely present as a solitary lateral neck mass. Different aetiological mechanisms have been proposed for such masses. Case report: We report a case of thyroid follicular adenoma that presented as a lateral neck mass. Discussion: Ectopic thyroid tissue and metastases from primary thyroid carcinoma should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of lateral neck masses. Complete investigation should include complete blood tests to characterise the orthotopic thyroid gland.
Provision of essential newborn care training to midwives in Zambia is a low-cost intervention that reduces neonatal mortality.

Commentary on: A Manasyan, E Chomba, EM McClure, et al.. Cost-effectiveness of essential newborn care training in urban first-level facilities.Pediatrics2011;127:e1176–81.
Comparison of linear correlation and a statistical dependency measure for inferring spatial relation of temperature sensors in buildings

A large number of facility management tasks relying on sensor measurements require knowledge of the context under which the readings were collected. However, this context information (i.e. 'spatial metadata') is generally recorded manually, a process that is error-prone and time consuming considering the number of sensors located in a building. Therefore, as other researchers have pointed out, there is a need to automatically determine the location information. Inferring the relative locations of sensors with respect to each other is arguably the first step to take and previous work in this area has already shown promising initial results. In this paper, we explore whether linear correlation or a statistical dependency measure (in this case distance correlation) are better suited to infer spatial relations between a pair of temperature sensors in a commercial building. We conducted analyses on three different test beds where temperature measurements from 10 sensors were collected every minute. We consider every possible size of data subsets within a year to explore time-windowing effects. We also examine how different physical distances between sensors affect the results. We conclude that a linear correlation (the normalized covariance matrix) captures the spatial relationship in most situations although it is significantly sensitive to choosing the appropriate window size.
Supply voltage degradation aware analytical placement

Increasingly significant power/ground supply voltage degradation in nanometer VLSI designs leads to system performance degradation and even malfunction. Existing techniques focus on design and optimization of power/ground supply networks. In this paper, we propose supply voltage degradation aware placement, e.g., to reduce maximum supply voltage degradation by relocation of supply current sources. We represent supply voltage degradation at a P/G node as a function of supply currents and effective impedances (i.e., effective resistances in DC analysis) in a P/G network, and integrate supply voltage degradation in an analytical placement objective. For scalability and efficiency improvement, we apply random-walk, graph contraction and interpolation techniques to obtain effective resistances. Our experimental results show an average 20.9% improvement of worst-case voltage degradation and 11.7% improvement of average voltage degradation with only 4.3% wirelength increase.
Inhibition of IL-6 and IL-10 Signaling and Stat Activation by Inflammatory and Stress Pathways

The development and resolution of an inflammatory process are regulated by a complex interplay among cytokines that have pro- and anti-inflammatory effects. Effective and sustained action of a proinflammatory cytokine depends on synergy with other inflammatory cytokines and antagonism of opposing cytokines that are often highly expressed at inflammatory sites. We analyzed the effects of the inflammatory and stress agents, IL-1, TNF-alpha, LPS, sorbitol, and H(2)O(2), on signaling by IL-6 and IL-10, pleiotropic cytokines that activate the Jak-Stat signaling pathway and have both pro- and anti-inflammatory actions. IL-1, TNF-alpha, and LPS blocked the activation of Stat DNA binding and tyrosine phosphorylation by IL-6 and IL-10, but not by IFN-gamma, in primary macrophages. Inhibition of Stat activation correlated with inhibition of expression of IL-6-inducible genes. The inhibition was rapid and independent of de novo gene induction and occurred when the expression of suppressor of cytokine synthesis-3 was blocked. Inhibition of IL-6 signaling was mediated by the p38 subfamily of stress-activated protein kinases. Jak1 was inhibited at the level of tyrosine phosphorylation, indicating that inhibition occurred at least in part upstream of Stats in the Jak-Stat pathway. Experiments using Stat3 mutated at serine 727 and using truncated IL-6Rs suggested that the target of inhibition is contained within the membrane-proximal region of the cytoplasmic domain of the gp130 subunit of the IL-6 receptor and is different from the SH2 domain-containing protein-tyrosine phosphatase/suppressor of cytokine synthesis-3 docking site. These results identify a new level at which IL-1 and TNF-alpha modulate signaling by pleiotropic cytokines such as IL-6 and IL-10 and provide a molecular basis for the previously described antagonism of certain IL-6 actions by IL-1.
Thermosonic wire bonding process simulation and bond pad over active stress analysis

In this paper, a transient non-linear dynamic finite element framework is developed, which integrates the wire bonding process and the silicon devices under the bond pad. Two major areas are addressed: one is the impact of the assembly 1/sup st/ wire bonding process and another one is the impact of device layout below the bond pad. Simulation includes the ultrasonic transient dynamic bonding process and the stress wave transferred to the bond pad device and silicon in the 1/sup st/ bond. The Pierce strain rate dependent model is introduced to model the impact strain hardening effect. Ultrasonic amplitude and frequency are studied and discussed for the bonding process. In addition, different layouts of device metallization under the bond pad are analyzed and discussed for the efforts to reduce the dynamic impact response of the bond pad over active (BPOA) design. Modeling discloses the stress and deformation impacts to both wire bonding and pad below the device with strain rate, different ultrasonic amplitudes and frequencies, different friction coefficients, as well as different bond pad thickness and device layout under the pad. The residual stress, after cooling down to a lower temperature, is discussed for the impact of substrate temperature.
Detection of oxygen by fluorescence quenching.

The incorporation of an aromatic hydrocarbon fluorescent compound into silicone allows utilization of fluorescence quenching as a mechanism to measure molecular oxygen concentration in the composite matrix. Excitation and emission spectra of the aromatics change in agreement with the Franck-Condon model when the universal solvent is benzene. Fluorescence intensity was measured as a function of fluorophor concentration in several solvents: benzene; silicone fluids of different viscosities; and fully polymerized silicone. The relative fluorescence intensity of 9,10-diphenyl anthracene in poly(dimethyl siloxane) and silicone fluids was measured as a function of oxygen concentration, fluorophor concentration, and fluid viscosity. This results in a linear relationship between relative fluorescence intensity and concentration of oxygen.
Preliminary results of use of a mark-release-recapture technique for determining the sphere of influence of a kairomone-baited lure trap attractive to adult western corn rootworms (Coleopter: Chrysomelidae).

The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (LeConte)(Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), continues to be one of the most costly insect pests of corn, Zea mays L., in the United States. It is estimated that the corn rootworm complex causes approximately $1 billion in crop losses and control costs annually in the U.S. (Metcalf, 1986). This pest also has recently been introduced into Europe. Urek (1998) stated that it was discovered in Serbia as early as 1990 and has since continued to spread throughout the European continent. For these reasons, it is increasingly important to develop an efficacious, user friendly system of monitoring this pest. Several types of western corn rootworm (WCR) monitoring techniques have been in troduced and studied over the past decades (Chiang, 1973; Hein and Tollefson, 1984; Hoffman et al, 1996; Luckmann et al, 1975; Musick and Fairchild, 1970; Shaw et al, 1984). Although these techniques have scientific value, several current monitoring tech niques (such as sticky traps) have met with resistance from producers and consultants because of the inconvenience associated with handling messy, sticky materials (G. Wilde, pers. obs.). Furthermore, visual plant inspections may yield varying population estimates because of differences in scout experience (Shufran and Raney, 1989), time of day or weather conditions (Lance, 1990). Since non-sticky, kairomone-baited traps are left in the field over a longer period of time, resulting captures are not necessarily affected by fluctuations in WCR activity levels caused by changes in weather or time of day. Assuming that the traps have been deployed properly, scout experience should also have less influence on beetle captures. Turchin and Odendaal (1996) employed both a single-release-multiple-trap design and a multiple-release-single-trap design to study the effective sampling area of a pheromone trap for Dendtroctonus frontalis Zimmerman (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). They suggested the single-release design was most suited for studying the long-distance probabilities of recapturing beetles. The multiple-release design was employed for their short-range studies to avoid underestimation of recapture probabilities due to overlap of attractive areas (Elkinton and Carde, 1980). Furthermore, Turchin and Thoeny (1993) suggested that traps closest to the release point would capture many of the released beetles, reducing the recapture probability at longer distances. A commercially available kairomone-baited lure trap (Trece, Inc., Salinas, CA) has been tested in field trials in Kansas to determine its effectiveness in monitoring adult WCR. Knowledge about the sphere of influence of a lure trap is important in deploying traps in the field and to avoid lure plume overlap during studies. We sought to develop a method of determining the sphere of influence for the Trece lure trap and to determine its effective
Eating Behaviors Predict the Number of Trips: An Observational Study at Chinese Buffets

Previous research found that six behaviors (e.g., using larger plates) were associated with higher BMI at all-you-can-eat Chinese buffets. To examine if those behaviors were associated with the number of trips a patron made to the buffet, 303 patrons at 22 buffets were observed. Patrons who served immediately and who used larger plates made more trips than those who scouted their options and who used smaller plates. Importantly, these findings were statistically independent from the estimated BMI.
World Income Inequality in the Global Era: New Estimates, 1990–2008

Several studies have recently found that world income inequality declined during the closing years of the twentieth century. However, these studies feature a number of shortcomings, including the use of outdated national income estimates to measure inequality between countries, as well as sparse data to capture the smaller (but growing) component found within countries. The current study addresses these concerns and offers new estimates of world income inequality based on 151 countries covering 95 percent of the world's population during the 1990–2008 period. Overall, the results are fairly compatible with prior efforts, lending greater confidence to earlier findings. Nevertheless, the results suggest that prior studies covering the 1990s overestimate the decline in between-country inequality, but underestimate the rise in within-country inequality. Consequently, total inequality did not begin to decline substantially until the post-2000 era. After presenting these estimates, I then examine factors associated with income mobility among the 15,100 subnational percentile groups in my data set. The results suggest that (a) the negative effect of inequality is larger than the positive effect of economic growth among the poorest 25 percent of the world's population, and (b) late industrialization has contributed to income convergence between countries, while economic globalization has primarily served to stretch income distributions within nations.
What Is Medical Education? Assessing The Oxford Textbook of Medical Education

The Oxford Textbook of Medical Education, edited by Kieran Walsh, 2013, 784 pages, Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. £195.00 (hardback).One immediately notable characteristic of The Oxford Textb...
Interorganizational Exchange Behavior in Marketing Channels: A Broadened Perspective:

The scope of research on interorganizational exchange behavior in the marketing channels literature has been very limited, in part because of an incomplete conceptual framework. What is urgently ne...
Review: Urban Alchemy: Gordon Matta-Clark

Urban Alchemy: Gordon Matta-Clark . The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, St. Louis. 30 October 2009–5 June 2010 The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts is a seductively self-contained private museum set in an urban wasteland. Established by Emily Rauh Pulitzer, who came to St. Louis in 1964 as a curator, its 2001 building was designed by the Japanese Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando. Charged by his client to eschew curatorial conventions, Ando's is not an easy environment in which to set exhibitions. Long expanses of glass in galleries cause some to be too bright for fragile paper; interiors feel oversized-or intensely intimate. Visitors enter the Main Gallery and turn so as to look toward Ellsworth Kelly's eye-catching Blue Black , permanently positioned at the opposite end. This painting is made even more pronounced by a line of daylight falling from above, yet in designing exhibitions, curators often isolate it, as it is generally unrelated to what they are showing. Blue Black faces a broad, cascading stair leading downward; here audiences regularly sit for symposia, musical offerings, or other events that are also part of the institution's core mission; otherwise this area remains open. The art and architecture in the Main Gallery thus conspire to establish an assertive emptiness within the institution's largest exhibition space. Catalogs from past exhibitions, in fact, underscore the Pulitzer's tendency to avoid hanging art along the walls near the stair, likely based on both the desire to isolate the Kelly piece visually and an understandable effort to avoid distractions that might make traveling down the stair unsafe. Until June of 2010, two …
Testing for genetic predisposition to venous thrombosis.

To earn CEUs, see test on page 20.LEARNING OBJECTIVESUpon completion of this articlethe reader will be able to:1. Describe the inherited genetic defectsassociated with thrombosis.2. Define the mechanisms and clinicalmanifestations for hypercoagulability.3. Describe testing used to evaluatehypercoagulable states.4. Define the laboratorian’s role in providingguidance to physicians for cost-effective testingfor patients with thrombosis.
Structuring Family Business Succession: An Analysis of the Future Leader's Decision Making

This article examines the perception of potential family business leaders from a behavioral economics theory perspective. The findings suggest that high financial and behavioral sunk costs, as well...
Analytical Protein and Peptide Separations

This chapter describes the approaches used to prepare protein samples for MS analysis. At this stage of proteomic analysis, we must do two things (Fig. 1). First, we must convert proteins to peptides. This is generally done with proteolytic enzymes. Second, we must separate very complex mixtures of proteins or peptides into somewhat less complex mixtures. This gives the MS instruments a better opportunity to obtain useful data on the components of the mixture. There is no obligatory order for these two steps. We can first separate proteins, then digest them and analyze the peptides. Alternatively, we can first digest a complex mixture of proteins to peptides, and then resolve the peptides. Each approach has advantages and drawbacks, which will be discussed here.
Title XI Loan Guarantees: The Destruction of an Excellent Financial Aid Program for the United States Maritime Industry

In 1979, eighteen major U.S. flag liner companies operated in the foreign trades. Today, there are only six, and these companies operate only 120 vessels. The two largest U.S. flag liner operators, American President Lines, and Sea-Land, have threatened to withdraw their vessels from the U.S. flag starting in 1995 unless reforms are implemented to help U.S. flag operators compete in world markets. Total revenues earned by the U.S. water transportation industry are nearly $21 billion. Nearly $10 billion in revenues are earned from the movement of freight by water. Over $8 billion in revenues are earned from services incidental to water transportation. More than $2 billion in revenues are earned from the water transportation of passengers. In 1990, the U.S. maritime industry generated over $12.1 billion in balance of payments receipts. This includes over $4.2 billion in export freight and charter hire payments to U.S. carriers by foreign entities. Because there have been no significant numbers of commercial ships for foreign trades recently being built in American ship yards, America has had to rely on foreign flag ships and foreign crews to carry the vast majority of its import and export cargoes. In fact, since 1985, foreign flag ships have carried more than 80 percent of the U.S. ocean borne liner trade, and more than 95 percent of our bulk commodities. And, as the number of ships in the U.S. flag fleet decline, so do the number of civilian merchant sea-farers in the active work force. In 1960 the U.S. flag fleet supported slightly over 100,000 active sea-farers. By 1990, these numbers had dropped to about 27,000. The bottom line is that our American foreign trade merchant fleet will probably be extinct by the year 2000. For purposes of this paper (research cut-off date September 2, 1992), The authors review the actual requirements that are ostensibly needed to obtain Title XI ship financing, and discuss the current Bills which are tangentially related to this problem. The synthesis of this paper is that even though Congress intended the Merchant Marine Act to "foster the development and encourage the maintenance" of a merchant marine in the United States for domestic and foreign trade and military support, Title XI, one of the cornerstones of the plan to place "American ship owners on a parity with their foreign competitors, by equalizing the higher cost of building ships in the United States and operating them under American registry" has become a casualty of changing economic policies.
Large-Scale and Targeted Quantitative Cross-Linking MS Using Isotope-Labeled Protein Interaction Reporter (PIR) Cross-Linkers.

Quantitative measurement of chemically cross-linked proteins is crucial to reveal dynamic information about protein structures and protein–protein interactions and how these are differentially regulated during stress, aging, drug treatment, and most perturbations. Previously, we demonstrated how quantitative in vivo cross-linking (CL) with stable isotope labeling of amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) enables both heritable and dynamic changes in cells to be visualized. In this work, we demonstrate the technical feasibility of proteome-scale quantitative in vivo CL–MS using isotope-labeled protein interaction reporter (PIR) cross-linkers and E. coli as a model system. This isotope-labeled cross-linkers approach, combined with Real-time Analysis of Cross-linked peptide Technology (ReACT) previously developed in our lab, enables the quantification of 941 nonredundant cross-linked peptide pairs from a total of 1213 fully identified peptide pairs in two biological replicate samples through comparison of MS1 p...
ADHD: the statistics of a “national disaster”

In an extract from his new book, investigative reporter Alan Schwarz tells how surveys and analyses by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed the true extent of ADHD diagnoses in the USA
Predictors of unintended pregnancy in women with epilepsy.

Objective: To determine whether rates of unintended pregnancy in women with epilepsy (WWE) vary by contraceptive category and when stratified by antiepileptic drug (AED) category. Methods: These retrospective data come from the Epilepsy Birth Control Registry (EBCR) web-based survey of 1,144 WWE in the community, 18–47 years of age, who provided demographic, epilepsy, AED, contraceptive, and pregnancy data. Participants indicated whether pregnancies were intended or unintended, as well as the type of contraceptive and AED used at conception. We report failure rates relative to the frequency of use of each contraceptive category in the EBCR. Results: Most WWE (78.9%) reported having at least one unintended pregnancy; 65.0% of their pregnancies were unintended. Unintended pregnancy was more common among younger, racial minority, and Hispanic WWE. Among reversible contraceptive categories, the intrauterine device had the lowest failure rate. Failure rates varied greatly on systemic hormonal contraception (HC), depending on whether oral or nonoral forms were used and especially in relation to the category of AED with which HC was combined. Oral forms had greater failure rate than nonoral forms. HC combined with enzyme-inducing AEDs had a substantially greater failure rate than HC combined with no AED or any other AED category and in comparison to barrier plus any AED category. Other AED–HC combinations, in contrast, carried lower risks than barrier. Conclusions: Unintended pregnancy is common among WWE and may vary by contraceptive category and AED stratification. In view of the important consequences of unintended pregnancy on pregnancy outcomes, these retrospective findings warrant further prospective investigation.
The Exascale Computing Project

The US Department of Energy's (DOE) Exascale Computing Project is a partnership between the DOE Office of Science and the National Nuclear Security Administration. Its mission is to transform today's high-performance computing (HPC) ecosystem by executing a multifaceted plan: developing mission-critical applications of unprecedented complexity; supporting US national security initiatives; partnering with the US HPC industry to develop exascale computer architectures; collaborating with US software vendors to develop a software stack that is both exascale-capable and usable on US industrial- and academic-scale systems; and training the next-generation workforce of computer and computational scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and data scientists.