cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of MR and CT in Evaluating Clival Chordomas and Chondrosarcomas

Sixteen chordomas and nine chondrosarcomas of the clivus were evaluated with CT and MR either before (22 cases) or after (three cases) treatment with proton beam irradiation. The ability of these imaging techniques to provide information necessary to direct patient treatment was studied. The tumor was detected and its gross margins were identified by both techniques in all instances. No reliable diagnostic features allowing differentiation between these two tumors were encountered. MR generally was superior in defining the exact position of the brainstem and optic chiasm relative to the tumor, and it frequently provided superior information about tumor extension into the nasopharynx and cavernous sinus. CT was always better than MR in demonstrating tumoral calcification and in defining the exact anatomy of bone destruction. MR was generally superior to CT in demonstrating the position of the cavernous internal carotid artery relative to the tumor and often provided superior visualization of the vertebral and basilar arteries. In cases in which bone-induced artifact obscured the interface between the neural axis and tumor in the CT image, or in which the tumor had suprasellar extension and was likely to compress the optic chiasm and tracts, MR was of great value in planning irradiation therapy. The high occurrence of clinically asymptomatic signal intensity alterations in the MR studies of previously treated patients appears to limit the differential diagnostic value of this information. Given its greater availability and lower cost, CT appears to be the technique of choice for routine follow-up of previously treated patients.
An Accurate Method for Computing Atmospheric Refraction

This paper describes a method for computing atmospheric refraction that is simple, highly accurate, and usable for wavelengths lambda-lambda-3000 - 10,000A. When compared with the REfraction Tables of Pulkovo Observatory (Abalakin 1985), the computed and Pulkovo refractions are in extremely good agreement (~10 mas or better) for zenith distances under 65 degrees, and at a zenith distance of 75 degrees, the agreement degrades to about ~150 mas. Moreover, this refraction is easy to compute, since only knowledge of the meterological conditions at the observing site (e.g., ambient temperature, atmospheric pressure, and dew point or relative humidity), the apparent zenith distance of the object being observed, and the location of the observing site relative to the Earth's geoid are needed for its calculation. Because of its simplicity and high accuracy, the refraction presented in this paper is well suited for programs where huge amounts of data needs to be processed quickly to star positions or for accurately setting automated telecopes. In addition, the refraction for a given telescope passband will differ in a way dependent on the spectrum of the object being observed. This paper describes how a mean refraction, weighting the selective refraction over the passband, can be computed.
Pharmacologic Therapy of Aphakic and Pseudophakic Cystoid Macular Edema: 1985 Update

Major advances in the pharmacologic therapy of aphakic cystoid macular edema (ACME) have not occurred since 1982. Topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents are still not commercially available for ocular therapy. Topical indomethacin remains the one agent which has been proven to be of prophylactic value for angiographic aphakic cystoid macular edema although other non-steroidal agents may also work. The therapeutic value of these compounds for established ACME remains uncertain. No prospective randomized prophylactic or therapeutic trials of either topical or systemic corticosteroids have been performed.
Studies on growth hormone secretion VIII effects of α,β-methylene-ATP on prostaglandin induced GH release and cyclic AMP accumulation in rat anterior pituitary glands

Alpha, beta-methylene-ATP, a competitive inhibitor of adenylate cyclase of liver and fat cell membrane preparations, caused a dose related inhibition of PGE1 and PGE2-induced cyclic AMP accumulation in rat anterior pituitary explants. At the same time, this ATP analog potentiated PGE1 and PGE2-promoted growth hormone secretion. The possible functional role of prostaglandins and cyclic nucleotides in the regulation of growth hormone secretion remains to be defined.
Bone metastases as the initial presentation of carcinoma of gall bladder: a rarity

Distant metastases are rare form of presentation of carcinoma gall bladder. Bony pain as initial presentation is quite unusual. A 50-year-old woman presented with the pain in right shoulder. Investigation showed metastatic adenocarcinoma in the head of humerus and the primary was found in the gall bladder. She received local radiotherapy for bone metastases and undergoing systemic chemotherapy. Carcinoma gall bladder is a common abdominal malignancy, mostly presenting in advanced stage with abdominal symptoms and obstructive jaundice. In presence of metastasis, the management is palliative and role of chemotherapy is limited for palliation symptoms.
Recovery of floral and faunal communities after placement of dredged material on seagrasses in Laguna Madre, Texas

Abstract The objectives of this project were to determine how long alterations in habitat characteristics and use by fishery and forage organisms were detectable at dredged material placement sites in Laguna Madre, Texas. Water, sediment, seagrass, benthos, and nekton characteristics were measured and compared among newly deposited sediments and nearby and distant seagrasses each fall and spring over three years. Over this period, 75% of the estimated total surface area of the original deposits was either re-vegetated by seagrass or dispersed by winds and currents. Differences in water and sediment characteristics among habitat types were mostly detected early in the study. There were signs of steady seagrass re-colonization in the latter half of the study period, and mean seagrass coverage of deposits had reached 48% approximately three years after dredging. Clovergrass Halophila engelmannii was the initial colonist, but shoalgrass Halodule wrightii predominated after about one year. Densities of annelids and non-decapod crustaceans were generally significantly greater in close and distant seagrass habitats than in dredged material habitat, whereas densities of molluscs were not significantly related to habitat type. Nekton (fish and decapod) densities were almost always significantly greater in the two seagrass habitats than in dredged material deposits. Benthos and nekton communities in dredged material deposits were distinct from those in seagrass habitats. Recovery from dredged material placement was nearly complete for water column and sediment components after 1.5 to 3 years, but recovery of seagrasses, benthos, and nekton was predicted to take 4 to 8 years. The current 2 to 5 years dredging cycle virtually insures no time for ecosystem recovery before being disturbed again. The only way to ensure permanent protection of the high primary and secondary productivity of seagrass beds in Laguna Madre from acute and chronic effects of maintenance dredging, while ensuring navigation capability, is to remove dredged materials from the shallow waters of the ecosystem.
The surgical management of hypotony

Abstract Objective To study the effect of dissecting epiciliary proliferative tissue in eyes that are hypotonous. Design Retrospective noncomparative case series. Participants Eight patients (nine eyes). Main outcome measures Normalization of intraocular pressure and preservation of vision. Methods A chart review was conducted to locate all surgical procedures performed primarily for hypotony. Nine procedures on eight eyes of eight patients seen in the vitreoretinal service of the Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute were identified and included in this study. Six of these eyes had undergone prior surgery for retinal detachment in association with proliferative vitreoretinopathy, one had undergone surgery for retinal detachment in the setting of a ruptured globe, and two had undergone cataract surgery and coined the diagnoses of uveitis (juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and sarcoid). Dissection and removal of the epiciliary proliferative tissue and lens capsule was undertaken by two surgeons (EdJ and MSH) using either a pars plana or limbal approach. The main outcome measures were intraocular pressure (IOP) and visual acuity after an average follow-up of 26 months (range, 9–48 months). Results In the immediate postoperative period, all patients showed an increase in IOP (average increase of 6.3 mmHg; range, 3–14 mmHg). This average increase in IOP decreased to 5.2 mmHg at 6 months and 4.2 mmHg at 12 or more months of follow-up. The rate of the IOP decrease appeared to lessen with time, suggesting long-term stabilization. Visual acuity remained stable in all patients, although the final level of vision was low. Conclusions Surgical intervention for hypotony with greater than 1 year follow-up continues to show elevated IOP in some patients, despite the fact that the large initial increase in IOP is not sustained. No eye had phthisis develop or became painful. However, no eye had marked improvement in vision. Further study is needed to uncover the main contributing factors that result in hypotony before IOP can be maintained for prolonged periods in more hypotonous eyes and before these eyes can regain more vision.
Hybrid multi-scale epoxy composite made of conventional carbon fiber fabrics with interlaminar regions containing electrospun carbon nanofiber mats

Herein we report the development and evaluation of hybrid multi-scale epoxy composite made of conventional carbon fiber fabrics with interlaminar regions containing mats of electrospun carbon nanofibers (ECNs). The results indicated that (1) the interlaminar shear strength and flexural properties of hybrid multi-scale composite were substantially higher than those of control/comparison composite without ECNs; in particular, the interlaminar shear strength was higher by ∼86%; and (2) the electrical conductivities in both in-plane and out-of-plane directions were enhanced through incorporation of ECNs, while the enhancement of out-of-plane conductivity (∼150%) was much larger than that of in-plane conductivity (∼20%). To validate the data reduction procedure, a new shear stress formula was formulated for composite laminates, which took into account the effect of layup and inter-layers. The study suggested that ECNs could be utilized for the development of high-performance composites, particularly with the improved out-of-plan properties (e.g., interlaminar shear strength).
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction study of the 3-Fe ferredoxin II from the bacterium Desulfovibrio gigas☆

The 3-Fe ferredoxin (FdII) from the bacterium Desulfovibrio gigas has been crystallized at pH 5.0 and 23 degrees C in two different crystal forms. One form is monoclinic, space group C2, with unit cell parameters a = 40.78 A, b = 44.98 A, c = 26.47 A, beta = 104.6 degrees, and one monomer of the FdII tetramer per asymmetric unit. The molecule can be either the monomer of molecular weight 6400 or a dimer of twice this molecular weight with 2-fold symmetry coincident with the 2-fold axis of the crystal. The other crystal form is orthorhombic, space group P2(1)2(1)2 and unit cell parameters a = 109.5 A, b = 37.0 A, c = 30.5 A. The asymmetric unit of this crystal contains two monomers of FdII. The orthorhombic crystal has not been reproduced since the initial crystallization.
Improving orthogonal tRNA-synthetase recognition for efficient unnatural amino acid incorporation and application in mammalian cells

Optimizing the anticodon recognition between orthogonal tRNA and synthetase significantly increased the incorporation efficiencies of various unnatural amino acids in mammalian cells, and the enhanced incorporation enabled efficient photocrosslinking of interacting proteins in mammalian cells.
A certain locally most powerful test for one-way random effects model: full distribution and power considerations

We investigate the properties of the locally most powerful nonparametric criterion against logistic alternatives developed by Govindarajulu (1975) for testing one-way random effects modcls. We deduce the appropriate computational forms for the test criterion T and tabulate the critical values of T for α = .01, .05 and 0.10, and various sample sizes. Certain features of the computational methods are discussed. In the tables we retain only those sample sizes beyond which the asymptotic theory is meaningful. We also study the power comparison of the test for two populations with the classical F-test under a range of normal alternatives.
Informative advertising and product match

Abstract This paper studies informative advertising in a variety of market structures for which some consumers are informed about two differentiated products while other consumers are uninformed. We characterize a unique symmetric subgame perfect Nash equilibrium in advertising and pricing, and analyze the welfare properties of the equilibrium. Remarkably, total surplus is non-monotonic in advertising. In a duopoly market, the equilibrium level of advertising may be more or less than socially optimal. We also study the effect of a trade association, and compare these results with the first-best solution and a multiproduct monopolist.
Children's homework problems: A comparison of goal setting and parent training

Most reviews of empirical research conclude that homework is beneficial to academic achievement and learning. However, poor homework production and homework-related behavior problems are common among school-aged children. Unfortunately, research aimed at evaluating effective homework interventions has been limited. The current study compared two practical behavioral interventions for homework problems in elementary-aged children: parent training and goal setting with contingency contracting. Homework Problem Checklist scores were significantly improved in both active treatment groups. However, only goal setting resulted in significant increases in number of homework answers correct per minute.
AN ACCESSORY ADRENAL CORTEX IN THE KIDNEY OF A RHESUS MONKEY AND THE EFFECTS OF PYRIMETHAMINE ON THIS TISSUE

THE frequent occurrence of accessory adrenal tissue is well known, since a statement or summary of its constituents and locations appears in most textbooks dealing with adrenal glands. In brief review, it may be stated that the accessory bodies may be made up of either cortical tissue or medullary tissue alone, or a combination of both, the latter sometimes resembling true adrenal glands in miniature. Such accessory bodies may be located in the capsule of the adrenal glands themselves, in the fat and connective tissue around the adrenals and cranial portions of the kidney, occasionally within the kidney, in the retroperitoneal area below the kidneys, in the broad ligament, in the scrotum, and sometimes in other regions of the abdominal cavity. It is assumed that some of these may be functional; in some animals, at least, indirect evidence for this is strong.
A comparison of the neurotoxic potential of methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and its N-methylated and N-ethylated derivatives

Three psychoactive amphetamine congeners were evaluated for their ability to cause long-term changes in several neurochemical parameters indicative of central serotonergic function. Two weeks after multiple doses (10 mg/kg) of 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) or its N-methylated derivative, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), selective and dramatic decreases were observed in regional brain tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) activities, and in corresponding concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and its primary metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA). However, the N-ethylated derivative of MDA, N-ethyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDE), was much less potent in its ability to lower brain hydroxyindoles, and in most regions examined did not significantly affect TPH activity. The neurotoxic implications of these results are discussed.
Psychosexual development in postpubertal males with idiopathic panhypopituitarism

Abstract In a longitudinal psychoendocrine follow‐up study, six males were treated for idiopathic panhypopituitarism from teenage until age 25 to 35 years. All six were short statured and failed to attain full pubertal virilization. All six were chronically juvenilized by other people. Self‐report data showed low frequencies of erection, ejaculation, masturbation, erotic fantasy, and sexual intercourse, and low frequencies of socializing, friendships, dating, necking, petting and the pair‐bonding of falling in love. Falling‐in‐love impairment may have been secondary to neural impairment that parallels impairment of the brain's hypothalamic governance of pituitary function.
Ontogeny of the rat striatum: Correspondence of dopamine terminals, opiate receptors and acetylcholinesterase

The ontogeny of dopamine terminals, mu opiate receptors and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in rat striatum were examined during the first two weeks postnatally using fluorescence histochemistry, autoradiography and AChE stain, respectively. The most dense regions of all three markers were superimposable, particularly in the dorsal third of the striatum, as long as the dense regions could be clearly visualized. This anatomic overlapping of markers for three neuronal systems suggests an important and distinct relationship between these neuronal systems during development in addition to that already seen in adult tissue.
Upper airway cough syndrome in children and two inflammatory factors: TRPV1 and TGF-β2.

Abstract Objectives The aim of the study was to investigate upper airway cough syndrome (UACS) in children and to determine alternative methods to explore the relationships among TRPV1, TGF-β2, and UACS. Methods In 2012, 104 children with adenoid hypertrophy aged 2–13 years who were admitted to the otolaryngology department, Capital Institute of Pediatrics-affiliated children's hospital, were included in this study. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunohistochemical (IHC) studies for TRPV1 and TGF-β2 were performed to understand the relationship between the two inflammatory factors, and the correlations among the indices and UACS. The research was divided into three stages. In stage 1, 72 children (24 UACS and 48 controls) were enrolled in the study, and ELISAs for TRPV1 and TGF-β2 were performed. In stage 2, 32 children (16 UACS and 16 controls) were enrolled in the study and both ELISA and IHC for TRPV1 and TGF-β2 were performed. In stage 3, 41 children were enrolled in this research who had thick mucus secretions in the posterior nasal apertures in stage 1 and 2 (23 cases with chief complaint (or history) of chronic cough and 18 cases without). The difference between the TRPV1 and TGF-β2 serum values and the clinical factors was determined. Results The levels of TRPV1 and TGF-β2 were significantly increased in the UACS cases. OSAHS and thick mucus secretions correlated with a diagnosis of UACS. A history of asthma and thick mucus secretions correlated with elevation of the two inflammatory factors. There was no statistical correlation between ELISA and IHC testing. Among the children with thick mucus secretions, some had a higher possibility of chronic coughing including those who had higher levels of the two indices, larger tonsils and a history of chronic tonsillitis. Conclusion The detections of TRPV1 and TGF-β2 from serum and adenoid body specimens are valuable for UACS auxiliary diagnosis. Tonsil hypertrophy and chronic tonsillitis history are independent risk factors of UACS.
New digital detector for projection radiography

The operational principle of a new, patented digital radiographic system using a multi-layer structure consisting of a thin-film pixel array, selenium x-ray photoconductor, dielectric layer and top electrode is described. Under an applied electric field, a diagnostic x-ray signal is obtained by the direct conversion of x-ray energy to electron-hole pairs which are collected as electrical charges by individual storage capacitor associated with each pixel element. The electronic readout sequence is initiated immediately after the x-ray exposure, and in several seconds, the image data is available for display on a video monitor, for data storage, data transmission, and hard copy generation. Signal strength of this direct conversion method is estimated to be significantly higher than that of other indirect conversion methods where light is first generated using a scintillator or phosphor and then detected by charge-coupled devices (CCDs) or thin-film-transistor (TFT) arrays in conjunction with photodiodes. In addition, since charges generated by x-ray photons move mostly along the direction of the bias electric field, images of very high spatial resolution can be obtained. The resolution limits are principally defined by the smallest pixel that can be manufactured. Recent x-ray images obtained from experimental detector panels are presented. X-ray sensitivity, dynamic range, signal-to-noise ratio, and spatial resolution are discussed.
Sonic Persuasion: Reading Sound in the Recorded Age

Greg Goodale, Sonic Persuasion: Reading Sound in the Recorded Age (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2011), xi + 189 pp. $75.00 (cloth), $27.00 (paper), $14.34 (e-book). Sonic Persuasion emerge...
DNA damage in AML cells exposed to adriamycin; correlations with clinical response to therapy☆

Abstract Peripheral blood leukemic cells from 11 patients with acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) were assayed for DNA damage produced by exposure to adriamycin (1 μg/ml) for 4 h, and the results were compared to therapeutic responses of the patients to combination therapy with adriamycin and ara-C. Each of 5 patients having a complete remission had measurable DNA damage ( n > 0.15) in cells treated in vitro with adriamycin. Of 6 patients with resistant disease, 5 had cells resistant to adriamycin-induced DNA damage ( n in vitro prior to chemotherapy.
Hartshorne’s Dipolar Theism and the Mystery of God

Anselm said that God is that than which nothing greater can be conceived, but he believed that it followed that God is greater than can be conceived. The second formula—essential to sound theology—points to the mystery of God. The usual way of preserving divine mystery is the via negativa, as one finds in Aquinas. I formalize Hartshorne’s central argument against negative theology in the simplest modal system T. I end with a defense of Hartshorne’s way of preserving the mystery of God, which he locates in the actuality of God rather than in the divine existence or essence. This paper was delivered during the APA Pacific 2007 Mini-Conference on Models of God.
Tetrahedral image-to-mesh conversion for biomedical applications

The modeling of physical processes in biomedical image analysis requires a discretization of the image space into simple shapes like triangles in two dimensions and tetrahedra in three dimensions. These discretizations are known as meshes, and the construction of the meshes as image-to-mesh conversion. There are a number of requirements on image-to-mesh conversion, the most critical of them being the shape of mesh elements in terms of the absence of small angles, the faithful geometrical representation of the tissues by the mesh elements, small number of elements for real-time Finite Element and Finite Volume analysis, and rapid execution times. We present a novel algorithm for triangular and tetrahedral image-to-mesh conversion which allows for guaranteed bounds on the smallest dihedral angle and on the distance between the boundaries of the mesh and the boundaries of the tissues. The algorithm produces a small number of mesh elements that comply with these bounds. We also describe and evaluate our implementation of the proposed algorithm on two publicly available three-dimensional medical atlases. The implementation is faster than a state-of-the art Delaunay code, and in addition solves the small dihedral angle problem.
End products of carbohydrate metabolism in Trichomonas vaginalis.

Abstract 1. 1. The major excreted acidic end products of the anaerobic and aerobic carbohydrate metabolism of Trichomonas vaginalis (ATCC 30001) were acetate and lactate. Glycerol-1-phosphate, pyruvate, malate and ethanol were also detected in the incubation medium, but they represented less than 3% of the total carbon excreted. Succinate could not be found. Under anaerobic conditions H 2 and CO 2 were produced. Under aerobic conditions O 2 was consumed and CO 2 produced. 2. 2. In the absence of exogeneous carbohydrate more acetate than lactate was produced. Glucose (50 mM) significantly increased acid production with lactate becoming the predominant product. Glucose also increased the anaerobic and aerobic gas exchange. 3. 3. In the presence of 5% CO 2 there were no significant changes in carbohydrate utilization and acid production. 4. 4. Aerobiosis was accompanied by increased carbohydrate utilization and end product formation. No Pasteur effect could be observed.
MODIFICATION OF ANTITYPHUS ANTIBODIES ON PASSAGE THROUGH THE GUT OF THE HUMAN BODY LOUSE WITH DISCUSSION OF SOME EPIDEMIOLOGIC AND EVOLUTIONARY IMPLICATIONS

Evidence is presented to indicate that proteolytic and perhaps other enzymes of the louse midgut, essential to the nutrition of the louse, perform molecular dissection on the antirickettsial antibodies present in the blood of a typhus-immune host that selectively destroys, along with other functions, the portion of the antibody that determines the only known function by which antirickettsial antibodies may operate in host defense mechanisms, namely, opsonization of rickettsiae for enhanced ingestion by professional phagocytes and subsequent destruction. The epidemiologic significance of these findings is discussed in relation to the progressive destruction of cells that produce digestive enzymes of the louse midgut that occurs with progressive rickettsial infection, and the possibility of a negative feedback mechanism in transmission is introduced. Speculations that involve evolutionary concepts of both convergent and divergent varieties with respect to rickettsiae, potentially operational in a system that consists of an obligate blood-sucking arthropod vector and a vertebrate host capable of adaptive responses to both vector and rickettsial agent, are presented.
Use of Green-Ampt model for analyzing one-dimensional convective transport in unsaturated soils

Abstract A general analytical solution to the equation describing purely convective vertical transport of a conservative solute under transient water flow conditions is presented. Richards equation does not yield analytical solutions for the flow field, except under restrictive choices of hydraulic properties relating water content, hydraulic conductivity and the soil matric potential. The utility of the Green-Ampt model for homogeneous unsaturated soils is investigated as an alternative to Richards equation. This model, though approximate, provides analytical solutions to the flow field. It is found that the flow quantities required for the analytical solution of convective transport (specifically the soil water storage) are predicted accurately by the Green-Ampt model. Comparisons of numerical and analytical solutions of solute concentration profiles suggest that the Green-Ampt water flow model is adequate for convective solute transport predictions, and that the flow field need not be computed by the more numerically expensive Richards equation for this problem.
A study of Java's non-Java memory

A Java application sometimes raises an out-of-memory ex-ception. This is usually because it has exhausted the Java heap. However, a Java application can raise an out-of-memory exception when it exhausts the memory used by Java that is not in the Java heap. We call this area non-Java memory. For example, an out-of-memory exception in the non-Java memory can happen when the JVM attempts to load too many classes. Although it is relatively rare to ex-haust the non-Java memory compared to exhausting the Java heap, a Java application can consume a considerable amount of non-Java memory.This paper presents a quantitative analysis of non-Java memory. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first in-depth analysis of the non-Java memory. To do this we cre-ated a tool called Memory Analyzer for Redundant, Unused, and String Areas (MARUSA), which gathers memory statis-tics from both the OS and the Java virtual machine, break-ing down and visualizing the non-Java memory usage.We studied the use of non-Java memory for a wide range of Java applications, including the DaCapo benchmarks and Apache DayTrader. Our study is based on the IBM J9 Java Virtual Machine for Linux. Although some of our results may be specific to this combination, we believe that most of our observations are applicable to other platforms as well.
Success Factors in Independent Ethnic Restaurants

The number and popularity of ethnic restaurants have grown dramatically. Researchers have identified factors contributing to overall restaurant success; however, it is uncertain whether these factors affect independent ethnic restaurants in the same way. The authors interviewed 20 owners of successful independent ethnic restaurants in southeast Texas to determine which factors ranked as the most important. Ethnic restaurateurs agreed with previous research that “competent management” was the most important contributor to success. They also ranked prior business and/or culinary experience as important; however, they did not rank formal hospitality education as an important success factor. Rather, cost controls, market-driven pricing, and loyal patrons were deemed to be more important.
Impact of prior seasonal influenza vaccination and infection on pandemic A (H1N1) influenza virus replication in ferrets

Early epidemiologic and serologic studies have suggested pre-existing immunity to the pandemic A (H1N1) 2009 influenza virus (H1N1pdm) may be altering its morbidity and mortality in humans. To determine the role that contemporary seasonal H1N1 virus infection or trivalent inactivated vaccine (TIV) might be playing in this immunity we conducted a vaccination-challenge study in ferrets. Vaccination with TIV was unable to alter subsequent morbidity or contact transmission in ferrets following challenge with H1N1pdm. Conversely, prior infection with the contemporary seasonal H1N1 strain altered morbidity, but not transmission, of H1N1pdm despite the detection of only minimal levels of cross reactive antibodies.
Fractal structure of three-dimensional Witten—Sander clusters

Abstract Five large (25 000 particle) three-dimensional Witten—Sander clusters have been generated, and geometric relationships characterizing this structure have been examined. The quantities measured include the dependence of the radius of gyration. (r2) 1 2 , and (r4) 1 4 on cluster size N, the mass M(r) contained within a distance r from the center mass, the dependence of the areas of projections of the clusters onto a plane of cluster size N, the density—density correlation function and the distribution of particles (occupied lattice sites) in cubes of side λ as a function of λ. Although uncertainties are quite large, our results are consistent with the concept hat the geometric scaling properties of three-dimensional Witten—Sander clusters can be described in terms of a single effective dimensionality D with a value of = 2.45. Additional results are also presented for two-dimensional Witten—Sander clusters which indicate a single effective dimensionality with a value of = 5/3.
Divergent Effects of the Catalytic and Bridging Functions of Hepatic Lipase on Atherosclerosis

Objective— Increased expression of human hepatic lipase (HL) or a catalytically inactive (ci) HL clears plasma cholesterol in mice deficient in low-density lipoprotein receptors (LDLr) and murine HL. We hypothesized that increased expression of both HL and ciHL reduces atherosclerosis in these mice. Methods and Results— Mice deficient in both LDLr and murine HL, alone or transgenically expressing similar levels of either human HL or ciHL, were fed a high-fat, cholesterol-enriched “Western” diet for 3 months to accelerate the development of atherosclerosis. Levels of plasma lipids, insulin, glucose, and liver enzymes were measured monthly, and aortic atherosclerosis was quantitated after 3 months. Plasma insulin, glucose, and liver enzyme levels did not differ significantly from controls. After 3 months, expression of HL reduced plasma cholesterol by 55% to 65% and reduced atherosclerosis by 40%. Surprisingly, expression of ciHL did not reduce plasma cholesterol or atherosclerosis. Conclusions— High levels of HL, but not ciHL, delay the development of atherosclerosis in mice deficient in LDLr and mHL.
Viability of mature superior cervical ganglia transplants in peripheral nerve of adult rat

Allografts of mature rat superior cervical ganglia (SCG) survived for up to 120 days following transplantation to regenerating and degenerating peripheral nerves of adult rats. Transplants contained the constituents of normal superior cervical ganglia and there was evidence of outgrowth of catecholamine containing fibers from the transplants. However, fibers did not attain the length necessary to enter peripheral muscles and no muscle response could be elicited by electrical stimulation of the implanted nerve where the transplanted mature SCG was the only source of nerve fibers.
Confounding effects of procaine hydrochloride and adequate baseline on conditioned drinking

Abstract Two experiments were carried out to asses the effects of subcutaneous administration of procaine hydrochloride on the acquisition and extinction of so-called conditioned drinking. The dose and general procedures were the same as that in previous studies on this phenomenon in which the procaine had been administered as a local anesthetic with the hypertonic saline to eliminate noxious stimulation associated with the injection. The data were clear and demonstrate that procaine hydrochloride decreases wheel turning behavior and that the injection procedure by itself decreases drinking and eating under these conditions. In addition drinking, and to a less extent, eating continued to increase under these test conditions for at least 50 days and indicate that baseline conditions must be determined more carefully in the future. Results indicate that procaine hydrochloride decreases motor activity and seems to be unrelated to conditioned drinking under these conditions. If increases in drinking occur following the injection phase of the experiment, such increases represent a return to a normal elevated baseline which appears to be enhanced because of the attenuation of drinking due to the injection procedure.
Evaluation of Hemostatic Agents for Skin Graft Donor Sites

Using a reproducible technique for determining the blood loss from skin graft donor sites, the hemostatic effect of topical application of dilute solutions of phenylephrine and thrombin was evaluated. Both drugs decreased blood loss from donor sites significantly, but phenylephrine proved the more effective hemostatic agent. Topical treatment of donor sites with this vasoactive agent was not associated with any systemic pressor effects or cardiac irregularities. Its low cost compared to that of thrombin is an additional advantage.
Some properties of a class of tests of fit

Most familiar tests of fit have been constructed on a heuristic basis. In this paper, the class of alternative distributions is parametrized in a rich enough manner to give good power properties against a wide class of alternatives, and the consistency and asymptotic distribution of the resulting Bayes tests are studied.
Disease Mutations in the Human Mitochondrial DNA Polymerase Thumb Subdomain Impart Severe Defects in Mitochondrial DNA Replication

Forty-five different point mutations in POLG, the gene encoding the catalytic subunit of the human mitochondrial DNA polymerase (pol γ), cause the early onset mitochondrial DNA depletion disorder, Alpers syndrome. Sequence analysis of the C-terminal polymerase region of pol γ revealed a cluster of four Alpers mutations at highly conserved residues in the thumb subdomain (G848S, c.2542g→a; T851A, c.2551a→g; R852C, c.2554c→t; R853Q, c.2558g→a) and two Alpers mutations at less conserved positions in the adjacent palm subdomain (Q879H, c.2637g→t and T885S, c.2653a→t). Biochemical characterization of purified, recombinant forms of pol γ revealed that Alpers mutations in the thumb subdomain reduced polymerase activity more than 99% relative to the wild-type enzyme, whereas the palm subdomain mutations retained 50–70% wild-type polymerase activity. All six mutant enzymes retained physical and functional interaction with the pol γ accessory subunit (p55), and none of the six mutants exhibited defects in misinsertion fidelity in vitro. However, differential DNA binding by these mutants suggests a possible orientation of the DNA with respect to the polymerase during catalysis. To our knowledge this study represents the first structure-function analysis of the thumb subdomain in pol γ and examines the consequences of mitochondrial disease mutations in this region.
Promoter activity of the beta-amyloid precursor protein gene is negatively modulated by an upstream regulatory element

Abstract Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the aggregation of the amyloid beta-peptide (Aβ) which is generated from a larger beta-amyloid precursor protein (βAPP). An overexpression of the βAPP gene in certain areas of the AD brain has been suggested to be an important factor in the neuropathology of AD. Here we have further characterized an upstream regulatory element (URE) located between −2257 and −2234 of the human βAPP promoter. In addition to its location in the promoter, BLAST search reveals that URE is present in several introns of the βAPP gene and is also detected in many other genes. For functional studies, two promoter regions were cloned upstream of the reporter gene, chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT): (i) phβE-B — the plasmid that contains the human (h) promoter region (−2832 to +101) including URE, and (ii) prhβE-B — the plasmid that contains the rhesus (rh) promoter region excluding URE as it lacks a 270 bp region of the hβAPP promoter (−2435 to −2165). Transient transfection studies indicate that phβE-B displayed significantly less CAT-promoter activity than prhβE-B in C6, PC12 and SK-N-SH cells. To determine the role of URE in a heterologous promoter, a pβURE construct was made by subcloning URE in an enhancerless promoter vector pCATP. The pβURE-CAT construct displayed threefold to fourfold less promoter activity than pCATP when different cell lines were transfected with the plasmids. URE interacts with a novel protein(s) as determined by the electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Although the core DNA region of URE resembles with the NF-kB element, URE-binding protein is not related to the NF-kB transcription factor. When EMSA was performed with specific competitors in different cell lines, the labeled URE probe was not competed by the oligonucleotides specific for either the AP3, NF-1 or NF-kB transcription factor. The migration of the URE–protein complex was different from the NF-kB–protein complex in the EMSA gel. A distinct URE-specific nuclear factor was also detected in frontal cortex of a normal human brain. These results suggest that the URE region acts as a repressor element, that the URE-binding protein is not related to the known transcription factors tested, and that the protein is present in astrocytic, neuroblastoma, PC12 cells and in the human brain.
Palliative radiation therapy for head and neck cancer: Toward an optimal fractionation scheme

Background. To analyze the efficacy of various fractionation schedules for the palliation of head and neck cancer with radiation therapy. Methods. Sixty patients completed palliative irradiation to primary head and neck sites. The most commonly used fractionation regimen was the one previously described by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) protocol 85-02 and was designed to deliver 440 cGy using 370 cGy fractionation, administered twice a day for 2 consecutive days at 2- to 3-week intervals for 3 total cycles. Results. The rates of palliative response were 83%, 77%, 67%, 86%, and 60% among those treated using the RTOG regimen, 7000 cGy/35 fractions, 3000 cGy/10 fractions, 3750 cGy/15 fractions, and 2000 cGy/5 fractions, respectively (p = .42). Nine percent (2/23) of those treated with the RTOG regimen developed grade 3+ toxicity compared with 37% among those treated with other schedules (p = .01). Conclusion. Although all of the analyzed schedules were effective at providing palliation, the RTOG 85-02 regimen was associated with less toxicity. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2008
LIFE CYCLE-ASSOCIATED CHARACTER VARIATION IN AULACOSEIRA KRAMMERI SP. NOV., A NEW MIOCENE SPECIES FROM OREGON, U.S.A.

A new freshwater species, Aulacoseira krammeri R.K. Edgar, Kociolek & S.M. Edgar, from Miocene deposits in Oregon is described. The variation within this species encompasses distinctive robust and gracile morphotypes, and is described emphasizing variation incontinuous characters of valve morphology over the entire vegetative life cycle, especially with respect to covariation of mantle height, interareolar distance (within striae), interstriae distance, ringleist depth and height, and number of ringleist rimoportular canals with size(i.e. valve diameter). The morphometric differentiation of A. krammeri, A. solida (Eulenstein in Van Heurck) Krammer and A. paucistriata Bradbury is examined with an emphasis on size-standardised comparisons and is shown to be largely quantitative. Differences among species in principal axis regression slopes of characters versus valve diameter or mantle height and the location of bivariate means (character and valve diameter or mantle height) were statistically assessed using...
Time-frequency detection of gravitational waves

We present a time-frequency method to detect gravitational wave signals in interferometric data. This robust method can detect signals from poorly modeled and unmodeled sources. We evaluate the method on simulated data containing noise and signal components. The noise component approximates initial Laser Interferometric Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) interferometer noise. The signal components have the time and frequency characteristics postulated by Flanagan and Hughes for binary black hole coalescence. The signals correspond to binaries with total masses between ${45M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$ to ${70M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$ and with (optimal filter) signal-to-noise ratios of 7 to 12. The method is implementable in real time, and achieves a coincident false alarm rate for two detectors $\ensuremath{\approx}1$ per 475 years. At this false alarm rate, the single detector false dismissal rate for our signal model is as low as 5.3% at a signal-to-noise ratio of 10. We expect to obtain similar or better detection rates with this method for any signal of similar power that satisfies certain adiabaticity criteria. Because optimal filtering requires knowledge of the signal waveform to high precision, we argue that this method is likely to detect signals that are undetectable by optimal filtering, which is at present the best developed detection method for transient sources of gravitational waves.
Rapid and field-deployable biological and chemical Raman-based identification

Pathogen detection using Raman spectroscopy is achieved through the use of a sandwich immunoassay. Antibody-modified magnetic beads are used to capture and concentrate target analytes in solution and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) tags are conjugated with antibodies and act as labels to enable specific detection of biological pathogens. The rapid detection of biological pathogens is critical to first responders, thus assays to detect E.Coli and Anthrax have been developed and will be reported. The problems associated with pathogen detection resulting from the spectral complexity and variability of microorganisms are overcome through the use of SERS tags, which provide an intense, easily recognizable, and spectrally consistent Raman signal. The developed E. coli assay has been tested with 5 strains of E. coli and shows a low limit of detection, on the order of 10 and 100 c.f.u. per assay. Additionally, the SERS assay utilizes magnetic beads to collect the labeled pathogens into the focal point of the detection laser beam, making the assay robust to commonly encountered white powder interferants such as flour, baking powder, and corn starch. The reagents were also found to be stable at room temperature over extended periods of time with testing conducted over a one year period. Finally, through a specialized software algorithm, the assays are interfaced to the Raman instrument, StreetLab Mobile, for rapid-field-deployable biological identification.
Radiation by a neutron in a magnetic field

The precessional motion of a neutron in a magnetic field decays as energy is lost. This paper presents two calculations, one semiclassical and the other quantum mechanical, for the rate of decay of precession from an initial position, in which the magnetic moment precesses in the plane perpendicular to , to the final, equilibrium, position in which the magnetic moment is parallel to . First the problem is solved semiclassically, using Maxwell's equations, by considering the energy lost by magnetic dipole radiation. Second the problem is solved quantum mechanically, using perturbation theory and Fermi's Golden Rule, by considering the energy lost by photon emission. Finally, the results obtained by these two methods are compared and examples are given.
Suspended material distributions in the wake of estuarine channel dredging operations

Field sampling of the suspended material field downstream of a large volume bucket dredge operating in the Lower Thames River estuary near New London, Connecticut was conducted in order to examine the magnitude and character of the dredge-induced resuspension and to evaluate typical operational efficiency. These data indicate that approximately 1.5 to 3% of the sediment volume in each bucket-load is introduced into the water column producing suspended material concentrations adjacent to the dredge of 200 mg l −1 to 400 mg l −1 . These values exceed background levels by two orders of magnitude. Analysis of particulate organic carbon and grain size characteristics indicates that resuspension also alters suspended load composition increasing the percentage of inorganic materials and median grain size. Proceeding downstream, material concentrations along the center-line of the dredge-induced plume decrease rapidly approaching background within approximately 700 m. Compositional variations display similar trends with the major perturbations confined to the area within 300 m of the dredge. The observed spatial distributions indicate the dredge-induced resuspension is primarily a near field phenomenon producing relatively minor variations as compared to those caused by naturally occurring storm events. Previous work ( Bohlen & Tramontano, 1977 ) has shown that these latter systems can produce estuary-wide variations in suspended material concentrations, increasing the mass of material in suspension by at least a factor of two. This increase in total suspended load is nearly an order of magnitude larger than that produced by the dredge. These field observations also show that there is a distinct physical similarity between dredge and storm induced resuspension and provide some useful indications of the probable response of the larger scale coastal suspended material field to a variety of natural, high energy disturbances.