cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hemodynamic considerations during carotid endarterectomy.

To evaluate the hemodynamic and angiographic characteristics of patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy, we reviewed the medical records, angiograms, transcranial Doppler ultrasound data, and EEGs of 42 consecutive patients having 44 carotid endarterectomies. Significant (p < 0.0002) changes in the peak systolic velocity of the middle cerebral artery ipsilateral to the side of surgery (iMCAFV) occurred with anesthesia, carotid clamping, shunting, and the release of clamps. Thirteen percent of patients with collateral flow toward the side of surgery and 57% of those with flow away from the operated side had a drop in iMCAFV exceeding 50% of the baseline value (p = 0.054); the presence of a <70% ipsilateral internal carotid artery stenosis was also correlated with a similar decrease in iMCAFV (p = 0.01). There was no correlation between systolic blood pressure changes and iMCAFV in patients who were not shunted. This information may be useful in guiding intraoperative decision-making.
Electronic Sensing of Aromatic Volatiles for Quality Sorting of Blueberries

An electronic sniffer using semi-conductor gas sensors that nondestructively measured aromatic volatile gas emissions from fruit was developed to assess blueberry quality. The sniffer detected soft and damaged fruit in packaged containers at a 5% level of damage and distinguished four of five fruit ripeness classes: (1) mature-green and green-pink; (2) blue-pink; (3) blue; and (4) ripe fruit. Sniffer response increased as fruit ripened, as did total concentration of aromatic volatiles. Sniffer response correlated with berry firmness, pH, titratable acidity, and color, and detected differences among 10 cultivars, as did impact response analysis. The electronic sniffer is rapid, nondestructive and may be used to sort and quality check for presence of unripe or damaged fruit in closed packs of fresh berries.
High‐pressure liquid chromatographic analysis of methotrexate in presence of its degradation products

Two high-pressure liquid chromatographic methods are described for the quantitative determination of methotrexate in the presence of its contaminants and degradation products. Method 1 takes less than 15 min and is recommended for routine assays of methotrexate in commercial products. Method 2 takes about 35 min and is the method of choice to detect and quantitate large amounts of degradation products. Quantitation to a level of 1 μg of methotrexate/ml is feasible by these methods and thus provides potential applicability for the analysis of methotrexate in biological fluids.
Cytomegalovirus and HLA-A, B, and DR locus interactions: Impact on renal transplant graft survival

Graft failure rates for renal transplantations performed between 1989 and 1994 and recorded in the US Renal Data System database were retrospectively evaluated for interactions between cytomegalovirus and HLA-A, B, and DR loci. Twelve significant interactions were observed. There were significantly greater risks of graft failure for the total effect of cytomegalovirus and donor or matched HLA-DR9, recipient or matched HLA-B-51, and matched HLA-B13. We conclude that further study of renal transplants with these combinations of cytomegalovirus and HLA loci is needed to determine whether the observed interactions should be taken into consideration when matching donors with recipients.
An Immunohistochemical Study of Na+/I− Symporter in Human Thyroid Tissues and Salivary Gland Tissues

The human Na+/I- symporter (hNIS) is the plasma membrane protein that mediates active iodide uptake into several tissues, such as the thyroid and salivary glands. To study the distribution and cellular localization of the hNIS protein, we have generated a polyclonal antibody that could detect the hNIS protein by immunohistochemical staining on tissue sections. In normal thyroids, hNIS expression is heterogeneous, and it is only detected in sporadic thyrocytes of a given follicle. The hNIS protein was not detected in thyroid carcinomas, yet it was detected in the majority of thyrocytes in Graves' thyroids. In salivary glands, hNIS protein was not detected in acinar cells, but it was detected in ductal cells. The hNIS proteins are clustered in the basal and lateral membranes in cells stained positive for hNIS.
ON INCREASING THE RATE OF RESPONSE TO MAIL SURVEYS: A NEW APPROACH

Two methods for increasing the rate of response to mail surveys were tested: (1) the inclusion of a pen as a premium and (2) adding the postscript, “P.S. Please respond. Even answering two questions will help.” The results indicated that the pen premium did not result in a significant increase in response rate. The postscript did seem to evoke a higher rate of response.
Factoring a graph in polynomial time

We present a polynomial-time algorithm for deciding whether a given connected graph is a non-trivial Cartesian product. The method entails first representing the graph as an isometric subgraph of a Cartesian product of graphs, then finding a suitable partition of the factors.
An experiment evaluating the impacts of real-time transit information on bus riders in Tampa, Florida

Abstract Public transit agencies often struggle with service reliability issues; when a bus does not arrive on time, passengers become frustrated and may be less likely to choose transit for future trips. To address reliability issues, transit authorities have begun to provide real-time information (RTI) to riders via mobile and web-enabled devices. The objective of this research is to quantify the benefits of RTI provided to bus riders. The method used is a behavioral experiment with a before–after control group design in which RTI is only provided to the experimental group. Web-based surveys are used to measure behavior, feeling, and satisfaction changes of bus riders in Tampa, Florida over a study period of approximately three months. The results show that the primary benefits associated with providing RTI to passengers pertain to waiting at the bus stop. Analysis of “usual” wait times revealed a significantly larger decrease (nearly 2 min) for RTI users compared to the control group. Additionally, RTI users had significant decreases in levels of anxiety and frustration when waiting for the bus compared to the control group. Similarly, they had significant increases in levels of satisfaction with the time they spend waiting for the bus and how often the bus arrives at the stop on time. Taken together, these findings provide strong evidence that RTI significantly improves the passenger experience of waiting for the bus, which is notoriously one of the most disliked elements of transit trips. The frequency of bus trips and bus-to-bus transfers were also evaluated during the study period, but there were no significant differences between the experimental and control groups. This is not surprising since the majority of bus riders in Tampa are transit-dependent and lack other transportation alternatives. The primary contribution of this research is a comprehensive evaluation of the passenger benefits of RTI conducted in a controlled environment. Moreover, this research has immediate implications for public transit agencies – particularly those serving largely transit-dependent populations – facing pressure to improve service under tight budget constraints.
Divergent effects of butyrate on the alkaline phosphatases of SW-620 cells

Abstract The human colon cancer cell line SW-620 produces two alkaline phosphatases (ALPs) which are not expressed by normal colon. They are the heat-stable, term-placental and the heat-labile, L -homoarginine-sensitive, liver/bone/kidney ALPs. Butyrate, an ALP inducer, has strikingly dissimilar effects on the activity of these enzymes: whereas high (2.0 mM) butyrate concentrations exclusively induce increased activity levels of liver/bone/kidney ALP, low (0.5 mM) concetrations increase the activity of both, albeit induction of term-placental ALP is less pronounced. These observations indicate that the effect of butyrate on the two ALPs is non-coordinate and suggest that their expression by SW-620 cells is independently modulated.
Epidemiology of burn injuries in a rural community

Summary A prospective and comprehensive analysis of 42 burn patients treated at the University of Virginia Burn Center was undertaken to identify the epidemiology of burns in a rural community. From this study, there emerged a picture of the patients who are prone to burn injury in this community. A strategy for preventing these burn injuries is discussed.
Mixed convection from a localized heat source in a cavity with conducting walls: a numerical study

Mixed convection is studied numerically in the case of an isolated, constant source of heat input within a rectangular enclosure. An external flow enters the enclosure through an opening in the left vertical wall and exits from another opening in the right vertical wall. This configuration leads to a conjugate heat transfer problem and simulates the air cooling of electronic components. Various parameters arise in this problem, particularly the Reynolds number, the buoyancy parameter Gr/Re2, the ratio of the thermal conductivity of the wall material to that of the fluid taken as air, and several geometric parameters. The time-dependent continuity and Navier-Stokes equations are transformed into a system of equations with the stream function and the vorticity as the dependent variables. The energy equation is solved over the entire domain, using the corresponding properties for the solid and fluid regions. The control volume approach is employed in order to discredit the governing equations for their numer...
A Preliminary Investigation of Stimulus Control, Self-Monitoring, and Reinforcement in Lifestyle Interventions for Pediatric Overweight

Objective. The current study examined the use of stimulus control, self-monitoring, and reinforcement by youth, parents, and interventionists as related to weight management in lifestyle intervention programs. Design. Secondary analysis of an existing data set was used to integrate the results of 14 published, randomized treatment–control intervention trials for overweight youth aged 2 to 18 years. Main outcome measure. Between-group differences in weight-related outcomes, including weight, body mass index (BMI), and percentage overweight, measured at the end of treatment, were used to calculate effect sizes for each treatment–control comparison. Additionally, average effect sizes were calculated among sets of comparisons sharing similar approaches to implementing behavioral techniques. Results. Treatment programs that taught youth to use stimulus control, taught youth to self-monitor, and taught parents to use reinforcement, produced significantly larger effect sizes than programs that did not include th...
Synthesis of end- and mid-Phthalic Anhydride Functional Polymers by Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

Polystyrene (PS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) having a single di-tert-butyl phthalate (DTBP) group either at the chain end or in the middle of the chain were synthesized by Cu(I) ion mediated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The di-tert-butyl phthalate initiators 7 and 8 (for end-functional polymers) and 11 (for mid-functional polymers) were prepared from commercially available di-tert-butyl acetylene dicarboxylate (1) and myrcene (2) in four and six steps, respectively, with high overall yields. The DTBP functionalized polymers could be cleanly converted to the corresponding phthalic anhydride (PA) functional polymers by pyrolysis. The pyrolysis process could be easily monitored using conventional 1H NMR spectroscopy, by observing the significant chemical shift change of the alkyl linker existing in the initiators. Kinetic study of the pyrolysis revealed that the mechanism of the DTBP group pyrolysis to phthalic anhydride (PA) group follows two first-order consecutive reactions having a phthalic diacid (DA) as an observable intermediate. When the PA-functionalized PMMA was subjected to reactive blending at 180 °C with an amine-functionalized PS, the conversion reached a maximum (>90%) in less than 2 min, which is considerably faster than the corresponding reaction of an aliphatic anhydride (e.g., succinic anhydride)-functionalized PMMA. A competition experiment with small molecules showed that phthalic anhydride reacts 5 times faster than succinic anhydride with PS-NH2.
ERRORS IN ELLIPTICAL GAUSSIAN FITS

Elliptical Gaussian fits are used in astronomy for accurate measurements of fundamental source parameters such as central position, peak flux density, and angular size. The full value of a noise-limited image can be realized only if the effects of noise on the fitted parameters are estimated accurately. This paper presents the equations of error propagation for two-dimensional elliptical Gaussian fits in the presence of Gaussian noise plus a new method that simplifies the use of a priori size constraints to reduce amplitude errors.
Nanodiamond immobilized membranes for enhanced desalination via membrane distillation

Abstract Recent years have witnessed the emergence of detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) as a new member of the nanocarbon family. This paper reports the immobilization of DNDs within a hydrophobic membrane for desalination applications. A dispersion of DNDs in polyvinylidene fluoride polymer was injected through a hydrophobic membrane, which incorporated the DNDs within the membrane. Embedding only a minimal quantity of (approximately 2%) the nanocarbon favorably altered the water vapor–membrane interactions to enhance water vapor permeability while preventing liquid penetration into the membrane pores thereby enhancing water vapor flux. Overall, desalination was consistently better with DND immobilized membrane than with conventional polypropylene, with flux enhancement as high as 118% in the sweep gas membrane distillation mode.
A simplified method for the free vibration and flutter analysis of bridge decks

Abstract A simplified method for the free vibration and flutter analysis of bridge decks is presented. Bending–torsion coupled beam theory with warping stiffness included is used in the structural idealization of bridge decks in order to derive explicit formulae for natural frequencies and mode shapes. These are used to perform the flutter analysis. The time-dependent aerodynamic forces are modelled using Theodorsen type flat plate theory. Expressions for generalized mass, generalized stiffness and generalized aerodynamic force terms are derived in compact explicit form. The flutter problem is then formulated by summing algebraically the analytical expressions for generalized mass, generalized stiffness and generalized aerodynamic forces, and the associated flutter determinant is expanded in analytical form. Finally, the flutter speed and flutter frequency are thereby determined by using a standard root finding procedure. The method is demonstrated by numerical results. This is followed by some concluding remarks.
Interpreting α-rationality in hierarchical games

Abstract We discuss here the connection between the game-theoretic representation of the principal-agent problem and its representation in terms of standard production and consumption sets. In addition we consider the issue of α-rationality as it applies in this framework.
Cultivation and Use of Opium in Rural India: Bottom-Up Insights Into Anti-Drug Efforts

Although India is a major supplier of licit (i.e., legally grown) opium, it is also a leading producer of illicit (i.e., illegally grown) opium. To learn who might be involved in both types of production, the researchers interviewed 50 licensed opium farmers in Madhya Pradesh. Those interviews covered, among other aspects, farmers’ opium use, community attitudes towards addiction and trafficking, and knowledge of government-set opium prices and regulations. In general, some of those interviewed outlined both informal social controls and shunning, used against rural addicts, and support, even if grudgingly given, for government regulation. Those same interviews, however, revealed evidence of important social/economic changes that are undercutting the limited efficacy of extant formal controls in curtailing opium use, addiction, and trafficking.
Radiological-pathological correlation of pleomorphic liposarcoma of the anterior mediastinum in a 17-year-old girl

Liposarcoma is a soft-tissue sarcoma typically seen in adults. It is extremely rare in children. It most often occurs in the extremities or in the retroperitoneum. We present a very rare case of an anterior mediastinal liposarcoma of the pleomorphic subtype in a 17-year-old girl, along with radiological and pathological correlation. The location, patient age and histological subtype are exceedingly uncommon for this tumor.
Prostaglandin stimulation of canine platelet adenylate cyclase

Abstract Homogenates of washed canine platelets possessed an adenylate cyclase system that was potently activated by prostaglandin (PG) E 1 and to a lesser extent by PGE 2 , A 2 and F 2a . The effect of the PGs on adenylate cyclase were not augmented by the GTP analog, 5′-guanylyl imidodiphosphate. Moreover, 1 ′epinephrine, a stimulator of canine platelet aggregation induced by other agents, acted as a weak inhibitor of the adenylate cyclase.
Lung function and symptom improvement with fluticasone propionate/salmeterol and ipratropium bromide/albuterol in COPD: Response by beta-agonist reversibility

This retrospective analysis of data from two multi-center, randomized, double-blind, parallel group studies compared the efficacy of fluticasone propionate/salmeterol (FSC) 250/50 mcg twice daily with ipratropium bromide/albuterol (IB/ALB) 36/206 mcg four times daily in albuterol-reversible (n=320 [44%]) and non-reversible (n=399 [56%]) patients with COPD. In reversible and non-reversible patients, both treatments significantly increased FEV(1)AUC(0-6h) from baseline and the magnitude of improvement was larger in reversible patients. FSC increased FEV(1)AUC(0-6h) by 1.46+/-0.08 and 1.98+/-0.13 l-h at Day 1 and Week 8, respectively, in reversible patients, compared with 0.71+/-0.06 and 0.94+/-0.10 l-h in non-reversible patients (p<0.001). With IB/ALB, increases were 1.46+/-0.08 and 1.19+/-0.11 l-h at Day 1 in reversible patients and Week 8, respectively, and 0.89+/-0.06 and 0.74+/-0.09 l-h (p < or = 0.041) in non-reversible patients. After 8 weeks, in both the reversible and non-reversible populations, the FEV(1) AUC(0-6h) significantly increased with FSC treatment (p < or = 0.002) and significantly decreased with IB/ALB (p < or = 0.010). In both reversibility groups, improvement in Transition Dyspnea Index (TDI) scores, overall daytime diary symptom scores and nocturnal symptom measures were significantly greater with FSC treatment compared with IB/ALB (p < or = 0.044). Reversibility status was not predictive of the magnitude of reduction in symptom scores. We conclude that both reversible and non-reversible patients receive greater clinical benefit with FSC compared with IB/ALB and acute bronchodilator reversibility is not useful for differentiating patients based on symptomatic responses to FSC compared with IB/ALB.
Arf nucleotide binding site opener [ARNO] promotes sequential activation of Arf6, Cdc42 and Rac1 and insulin secretion in INS 832/13 β-cells and rat islets

Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion [GSIS] involves interplay between small G-proteins and their regulatory factors. Herein, we tested the hypothesis that Arf nucleotide binding site opener [ARNO], a guanine nucleotide-exchange factor [GEF] for the small G-protein Arf6, mediates the functional activation of Arf6, and that ARNO/Arf6 signaling axis, in turn, controls the activation of Cdc42 and Rac1, which have been implicated in GSIS. Molecular biological [i.e., expression of inactive mutants or siRNA] and pharmacological approaches were employed to assess the roles for ARNO/Arf6 signaling pathway in insulin secretion in normal rat islets and INS 832/13 cells. Degrees of activation of Arf6 and Cdc42/Rac1 were quantitated by GST-GGA3 and PAK-1 kinase pull-down assays, respectively. ARNO is expressed in INS 832/13 cells, rat islets and human islets. Expression of inactive mutants of Arf6 [Arf6-T27N] or ARNO [ARNO-E156K] or siRNA-ARNO markedly reduced GSIS in isolated β-cells. SecinH3, a selective inhibitor of ARNO/Arf6 signaling axis, also inhibited GSIS in INS 832/13 cells and rat islets. Stimulatory concentrations of glucose promoted Arf6 activation, which was inhibited by secinH3 or siRNA-ARNO, suggesting that ARNO/Arf6 signaling cascade is necessary for GSIS. SecinH3 or siRNA-ARNO also inhibited glucose-induced activation of Cdc42 and Rac1 suggesting that ARNO/Arf6 might be upstream to Cdc42 and Rac1 activation steps, which are necessary for GSIS. Lastly, co-immunoprecipitation and confocal microscopic studies suggested increased association between Arf6 and ARNO in glucose-stimulated β-cells. These findings provide the first evidence to implicate ARNO in the sequential activation of Arf6, Cdc42 and Rac1 culminating in GSIS.
The definition of damage functions from irradiation test data

Abstract This report describes a method of determining irradiation effectiveness of different neutron spectra in causing radiation effects to fuel cladding and reactor structural materials. It involves the definition of a semi-empirical damage function or cross section using measured data from specimens irradiated in thermal and fast test reactor spectra. The damage function is applied to design problems involving irradiation effects to reactor structural and fuel cladding materials to predict the fluence which would produce a specific change in material properties.
The PTR family: a new group of peptide transporters

Summary The transport of peptides into cells is a welldocumented biological phenomenon which is accomplished by specific, energy-dependent transporters found in a number of organisms as diverse as bacteria and humans. Until recently, the majority of peptide transporters cloned and characterized were found to be proteins of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) family. We report the identification of a new family of peptide transporters, which we call the PTR family. This group of proteins, distinct from the ABC-type peptide transporters, was uncovered by sequence analyses of a number of recently discovered peptide transport proteins. Alignment of these proteins demonstrated a high number of identical and similar residues and identified conserved glycosylation and phosphorylation sites, as well as a structural motif unique to this group of proteins. Cluster analysis among the proteins indicated these sequences were indeed related and could be further divided into two subfamilies. A phylogenetic analysis of these new peptide transport sequences, compared to over 50 other peptide and membrane-bound transporters, showed that these proteins comprise a distinct, separate group of proteins.
Henoch-Schönlein Purpura With Hemoptysis: Is It Pneumonia or Something Else?

Case: An 18-year-old male presented to the emergency department with a 5-day history of a palpable purpuric rash, arthralgias, dark-colored urine, and severe abdominal pain. The patient was admitted to the hospital medicine service for further management. A urinalysis showed mild hematuria and trace proteinuria. An abdominal ultrasound was normal. He was diagnosed with Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) and was started on prednisone by the hospital medicine team. His symptoms improved significantly, and he was subsequently discharged from the hospital on hospital day 4 (day 9 of illness) to complete a 2-week taper of prednisone (initially started on 80 mg/day with instructions to decrease the dose by 20 mg every 5 days) and to follow up with his primary care physician. On day 15 of illness, the patient presented to the emergency department with worsening upper and lower extremity edema, arthralgia, and palpable purpura, new-onset shortness of breath, hemoptysis, and epistaxis. No fever was reported. He was at the time taking 60 mg of oral prednisone per day. On physical examination, the patient was pale in appearance but was not in acute distress. Vital signs showed elevated blood pressure of 148/69 mm Hg, temperature of 36°C (96.8°F), heart rate of 89 beats per minute, respiratory rate of 18 breaths per minute, and oxygen saturation of 99% on room air. He had normal respiratory effort, and lungs were clear on auscultation with good air movement. A new systolic ejection murmur best heard at the left upper sternal border was appreciated, and the patient was also noted to have pitting edema in the lower extremities bilaterally. Abdominal examination was reassuring, and there were normal bowel sounds with no abdominal tenderness or distention. Laboratory evaluation revealed a slight increase in the serum creatinine level from 0.59 to 0.68 mg/dL, significant proteinuria (300 mg/dL; urine …
Modeling of thermal actuation in a bulk-micromachined CMOS micromirror

In this paper, the thermal actuation characterisitcs of a novel Micro-Electro-Mechanical mirror fabricated in a standard CMOS process is presented. The micromirror consists of a plate suspended over a bulk-etched pit by four cantilever flexures, two of which are vertical thermal actuators. The thermal actuators consist in part of stacked layers of aluminum, silicon dioxide and polysilicon. The differences in thermal expansion coefficient (CTE) of these materials cause the flexures to curl when an ohmic heating from an input electrical power is applied. Due to a complex geometry, the actuators are not complete bimorphs, rendering use of bimorph theory alone inadequte in predicting the deflection. Analytical and finite element models verified by experiments were developed to predict and model the static deflection of the thermal actuator. The temperature distribution throughout the actuator and the mirror warpage were investigated.
The synthesis of 1,4,5‐trialkyl‐2‐pyrazolines from monoalkylhydrazines and aliphatic aldehydes

It has been found that the thermal decomposition of heptanal methylhydrazone affords 5-hexyl-1-methyl-4-pentyl-2-pyrazoline (I), in addition to heptanenitrile and methylamine. The formation of I suggests the synthesis of 1,4, 5-trialkyl-2-pyrazolines from monoalkylhydrazines and aliphatic aldehydes. A number of these compounds have been prepared in good yields by this method, or through the related hydrazones, and some of their physical and chemical properties have been studied.
Ethical problems in public accounting: The view from the top

The authors empirically examine the nature and extent of ethical problems confronting senior level AICPA members (CPAs) and examine the effectiveness of partner actions and codes of ethics in reducing ethical problems. The results indicate that the most difficult ethical problems (frequency reported) were: client requests to alter tax returns and commit tax fraud, conflict of interest and independence, client requests to alter financial statements, personal-professional problems, and fee problems. Analysis of attitudes toward ethics in the accounting profession indicated that (1) CPAs perceive that opportunities exist in the accounting profession to engage in unethical behavior, (2) CPAs, in general, do not believe that unethical behavior leads to success, and (3) when top management (partners) reprimand unethical behavior, the ethical problems perceived by CPAs seem to be reduced.
Prism-hamiltonicity of triangulations

The prism over a graph G is the Cartesian product G s K2 of G with the complete graph K2. If the prism over G is hamiltonian, we say that G is prism-hamiltonian. We prove that triangulations of the plane, projective plane, torus, and Klein bottle are prism-hamiltonian. We additionally show that every 4-connected triangulation of a surface with sufficiently large representativity is prism-hamiltonian, and that every 3-connected planar bipartite graph is prism-hamiltonian. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 57: 181–197, 2008 The United States Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints notwithstanding any copyright notation herein.
Pretransplant transfusions in cardiac allograft recipients.

Etude retrospective sur 68 cas, divises en 3 groupes: pas de transfusions, transfusions dans l'annee precedant la transplantation, transfusions d'hematies ou de leucocytes specifiques du donneur 2 a 4 semaines avant la transplantation. Resultats: les transfusions prealables ameliorent la survie
Continuous Bayesian adaptive randomization based on event times with covariates

In comparative clinical trials, the randomization probabilities may be unbalanced adaptively by utilizing the interim data available at each patient's entry time to favour the treatment or treatments having comparatively superior outcomes. This is ethically appealing because, on average, more patients are assigned to the more successful treatments. Consequently, physicians are more likely to enroll patients onto trials where the randomization is outcome-adaptive rather than balanced in the conventional manner. Outcome-adaptive methods based on a binary variable may be applied by reducing an event time to the indicator of the event's occurrence within a predetermined time interval. This results in a loss of information, however, since it ignores the censoring times of patients who have not experienced the event but whose evaluation interval is not complete. This paper proposes and compares exact and approximate Bayesian outcome-adaptive randomization procedures based on time-to-event outcomes. The procedures account for baseline prognostic covariates, and they may be applied continuously over the course of the trial. We illustrate these methods by application to a phase II selection trial in acute leukaemia. A simulation study in the context of this trial is presented.
Prenyltransferase inhibitors: treating human ailments from cancer to parasitic infections

The posttranslational modification of protein prenylation is a covalent lipid modification on the C-terminus of substrate proteins that serves to enhance membrane affinity. Oncogenic proteins such as Ras have this modification and significant effort has been placed into developing inhibitors of the prenyltransferase enzymes for clinical therapy. In addition to cancer therapy, prenyltransferase inhibitors have begun to find important therapeutic uses in other diseases, including progeria, hepatitis C and D, parasitic infections, and other maladies. This review will trace the evolution of prenyltransferase inhibitors from their initial use as cancer therapeutics to their expanded applications for other diseases.
Dog Ownership: A Complex Web?

Summary.-Current interest in pets and their therapeutic effects has created a need for comprehensive model of pet ownership. Although Kling and Scacchi's (1982) web model was designed to explain organizational computing systems, it makes a useful metaphor for dog ownership. The web model considers the resource to be an ensemble of equipment, applications and techniques, with costs and benefits only partially identifiable. A complex infrastrucrure is necessary to support the resource. Both resource and infrastructure are social objects, highly charged with meaning. Points from the web model were compared with examples from human-animal bond literature and the author's experience. While recent international conferences have focused attention on the growing study of human-mima1 interactions, a lack of useful theoretical models is apparent. This paper provides a partial fulfillment of this gap. The importance and problems of dog ownership are reviewed and rwo models which may be useful as metaphors for viewing dog ownership are presented: the discrete entiry model, which appears co be the prevailing one used by many who are not trained in the multicausal approach of current social psychology, and the web model. Concepts from the web model are compared with examples from the literature and the author's personal experience. DOG OWNERSHIP Charles, Charles, Associates' have reported that 42.5% of households owned at least one dog. Surveys on attitudes towards dogs have reported consistently high ratings? It seems people enjoy dogs, consider them to be members of the family, ;nd report holding conversations with them (Horn 8i Meer, 1785). Many dog-owner relationships are highly successful, lasting the animal's entire life. But when an individual or family gets a new puppy, the dog does not necessarily spend its entire lifespan there. Schneider ( 1779) found that 35% of adopted puppies did not last out the first year, but were gotten rid of. Many of the these young, healthy dogs end up in animal shelters, where up to 70% of them, over 13 million a year, are destroyed (Arkow, 1985). The apparent contradiction between positive attitudes towards dogs and the frequent failure to develop a lasting relationship between dog and owner 'Request reprints from D. B. Case, 959 Rancho Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91362. 'Charles, Charles, Assoc. The veterinary services market: study summary and report on promoting vererinary services, 1983. (Available from author, Overland Park, KS 66212). 'D. B. Case, Attitudes and reported behaviors of dog owners. (Un~ublished manuscri~t, . A.
Characterization of the Colchicine Binding Site on Avian Tubulin Isotype βVI

Tubulin, the basic component of microtubules, is present in most eukaryotic cells as multiple gene products, called isotypes. The major tubulin isotypes are highly conserved in terms of structure and drug binding capabilities. Tubulin isotype betaVI, however, is significantly divergent from the other isotypes in sequence, assembly properties, and function. It is the major beta-tubulin isotype of hematopoietic tissue and forms the microtubules of platelet marginal bands. The interaction of the major tubulin isotypes betaI, betaII, betaIII, and betaIotaV with antimicrotubule drugs has been widely studied, but little is known about the drug binding properties of tubulin isotype betaVI. In this investigation, we characterize the activity of various colchicine site ligands with tubulin isolated from Gallus gallus erythrocytes (CeTb), which is approximately 95% betaVI. Colchicine binding is thought to be a universal property of higher eukaryotic tubulin; however, we were unable to detect colchicine binding to CeTb under any experimental conditions. Podophyllotoxin and nocodazole, other colchicine site ligands with divergent structures, were able to inhibit paclitaxel-induced CeTb assembly. Surprisingly, the colchicine isomer allocolchicine also inhibited CeTb assembly and displayed measurable, moderate affinity for CeTb (K(a) = 0.18 x 10(5) M(-1) vs 5.0 x 10(5) M(-1) for bovine brain tubulin). Since allocolchicine and colchicine differ in their C ring structures, the two C ring colchicine analogues were also tested for CeTb binding. Kinetic experiments indicate that thiocolchicine and chlorocolchicine bind to CeTb, but very slowly and with low affinity. Molecular modeling of CeTb identified five divergent amino acid residues within 6 A of the colchicine binding site compared to betaI, betaII, and betaIV; three of these amino acids are also altered in betaIII-tubulin. Interestingly, the altered amino acids are in the vicinity of the A ring region of the colchicine binding site rather than the C ring region. We propose that the amino acid differences in the binding site constrict the A ring binding domain in CeTb, which interferes with the positioning of the trimethoxyphenyl A ring and prevents C ring binding site interactions from efficiently occurring. Allocolchicine is able to accommodate the altered binding mode because of its smaller ring size and more flexible C ring substituents. The sequence of the colchicine binding domain of CeTb isotype betaVI is almost identical to that of its human hematopoietic counterpart. Thus, through analysis of the interactions of ligands with CeTb, it may be possible to discover colchicine site ligands that specifically target tubulin in human hematopoietic cells.
Bacteriology of acute otitis media unresponsive to initial antimicrobial therapy

To determine the microbiology of acute otitis media unresponsive to initial antimicrobial therapy, we performed tympanocentesis on 43 children. All had failed to improve after at least 36 hours of therapy. Initial therapy was ampicillin or amoxicillin (31), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (5), erythromycin and sulfisoxazole (5), erythromycin (1), and ampicillin and gentamicin (1). Among these children, 19% had isolates from middle ear fluid resistant to initial therapy. Bacteria sensitive to initial therapy were isolated from ten children (24%). The majority of children (57%) had bacteriologically negative middle ear fluid. Resistant isolates from children initially treated with ampicillin or amoxicillin were sensitive to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or to erythromycin and sulfisozole, and vice versa. Critically ill children should have tympanocentesis to guide therapy; other children who fail to respond to antimicrobial therapy may receive alternative therapy as indicated by the results of this study.
Mapping of a Rat Multidrug Resistance Gene by Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization

A cDNA clone encoding the rat mdr1b (Pgy2) gene was recently isolated and characterized. This gene has a high degree of sequence identity with other Pgy genes, particularly the mouse Pgy2 gene. By means of in situ fluorescence hybridization, the rat Pgy gene was localized on chromosome 4 band q12. This regional mapping will facilitate the identification of synteny groups on rat, mouse, and human genomes and chromosomal rearrangements during mammalian evolution.
Perfluoropolyether characterization by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography

Abstract Perfluoropolyethers (PFPEs) are vital lubricants in the aerospace and magnetic recording industry, and they have potential applications in micro-electromechanical and optoelectronic devices. Precise control of their physical properties requires analytical tools, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) to characterize, chain composition end groups, and molecular weight distribution. The 19 F chemical shifts for Z-, D- and K-type perfluoropolyethers, and six different end groups are compiled into tables within. Application of NMR spectra to derive the number average molecular weight and chain composition is illustrated. A GPC system was developed to measure the perfluoropolyether Zdol molecular weight distributions. Significant variation in the Zdol refractive index with molecular weight was observed in the differential refractometer during GPC. The index variation compared favorably with that calculated from the molar refraction of subunits and end groups. Oligomer peaks found in the low molecular weight tail of the molecular weight distribution are well described by a statistical model. Both the NMR spectroscopy and GPC were simultaneously employed to follow the evolution of the molecular weight distribution during Zdol evaporation.
Laser induced oxidation and optical properties of stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric Bi2Te3 nanoplates

Bi-Te nanoplates (NPs) grown by a low pressure vapor transport method have been studied by Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). We find that the surface of relatively thick (more than tens of nanometers) Bi2Te3 NPs is oxidized in the air and forms a bump under heating with moderate laser power, as revealed by the emergence of Raman lines characteristic of Bi2O3 and TeO2 and characterization by AFM and EDS. Further increase of laser power burns holes on the surface of the NPs. Thin (thicknesses less than 20 nm) NPs with stoichiometry different from Bi2Te3 were also studied. Raman lines from non-stoichiometric NPs are different from those of stoichiometric ones and display characteristic changes with the increase of Bi concentration. Thin NPs with the same thickness but different stoichiometries show different color contrast compared to the substrate in the optical image. This indicates that the optical absorption coefficient in thin Bi-Te NPs strongly depends on their stoichiometry.
High-throughput screening identifies small molecules that enhance the pharmacological effects of oligonucleotides

The therapeutic use of antisense and siRNA oligonucleotides has been constrained by the limited ability of these membrane-impermeable molecules to reach their intracellular sites of action. We sought to address this problem using small organic molecules to enhance the effects of oligonucleotides by modulating their intracellular trafficking and release from endosomes. A high-throughput screen of multiple small molecule libraries yielded several hits that markedly potentiated the actions of splice switching oligonucleotides in cell culture. These compounds also enhanced the effects of antisense and siRNA oligonucleotides. The hit compounds preferentially caused release of fluorescent oligonucleotides from late endosomes rather than other intracellular compartments. Studies in a transgenic mouse model indicated that these compounds could enhance the in vivo effects of a splice-switching oligonucleotide without causing significant toxicity. These observations suggest that selected small molecule enhancers may eventually be of value in oligonucleotide-based therapeutics.
A scalable, robust, ultra-low complexity agent swarm for area coverage and interception tasks

Simulations of biologically inspired swarms where agents jointly achieve tasks using local rules rather than global centralized or distributed control have demonstrated the high performance of agent swarms on a variety of tasks (such as surveillance, plume tracking, or target interception). However, most swarm systems rely on the information exchange of agents with their neighbors, which in practical instantiations would involve digital communication. Moreover, many systems would require global positioning methods (e.g., GPS) to determine the exact location of agents in their environment. We propose a beacon-based principle for target-oriented navigation of large numbers of autonomous agents, which is radically different from previous methods in that it neither requires digital communication nor any kind of global position information for coordination of movements and interactions and, moreover, has only minimal “computing” requirements. Results from extensive simulations of the system in an area coverage and agent interception task show that (1) the system achieves perfect task performance (i.e., all hostile agents are intercepted), (2) scales (works with an arbitrary number of agents), and (3) is robust (adapts to changes in agent position and configuration).
Adaptive significance of female physical attractiveness: Role of waist-to-hip ratio.

Evidence is presented showing that body fat distribution as measured by waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is correlated with youthfulness, reproductive endocrinologic status, and long-term health risk in women. Three studies show that men judge women with low WHR as attractive. Study 1 documents that minor changes in WHRs of Miss America winners and Playboy playmates have occurred over the past 30-60 years. Study 2 shows that college-age men find female figures with low WHR more attractive, healthier, and of greater reproductive value than figures with a higher WHR. In Study 3, 25- to 85-year-old men were found to prefer female figures with lower WHR and assign them higher ratings of attractiveness and reproductive potential. It is suggested that WHR represents an important bodily feature associated with physical attractiveness as well as with health and reproductive potential. A hypothesis is proposed to explain how WHR influences female attractiveness and its role in mate selection. Evolutionary theories of human mate selection contend that both men and women select mating partners who enable them to enhance reproductive success. Differential reproductive conditions and physiological constraints in men and women, however, induce different gender-specific sexual and reproductive strategies. In general, a woman can increase her reproductive success by choosing a high-status man who controls resources and, hence, can provide material security to successfully raise
Message Length Effects for Solving Polynomial Systems on a Hypercube

Comparisons between problems solved on uniprocessor systems and those solved on distributed computing systems generally ignore the overhead associated with information transfer from one process to another. This paper considers the solution of polynomial systems of equations via a globally convergent homotopy algorithm on a hypercube and some timing results for different situations.
Availability of iron from iron-storage proteins to marine phytoplankton

We examined the bioavailability of iron-storage proteins—including representatives of maxi- and miniferritins—to various species of marine phytoplankton. Both eukaryotic and prokaryotic species were able to grow rapidly with horse spleen ferritin (HoSF) or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-binding proteins from starved cells (Dps) from Trichodesmium erythraeum as the sole Fe source in the medium. In the presence of ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid (EDTA), cells grown with HoSF or Dps maintained exponential growth rates similar to those obtained at the same concentration of FeEDTA. Growth was also observed in the absence of EDTA, showing that a complexing agent is not necessary for Fe availability. The bioavailability of Fe in these storage proteins apparently results from a spontaneous release of Fe(III) to solution with an effective first-order rate constant ,0.15 d 21 . Genes coding for iron-storage proteins are common in DNA samples from seawater. In iron-deprived marine ecosystems, iron-storage proteins may be important constituents of the recycled iron pool and modulate its availability to phytoplankton. Iron, an essential element for virtually all living organisms, is present at extremely low concentrations in the oxygenated waters of most oceanic regions because of the insolubility of Fe(III) (Bruland et al. 1994; Martin et al. 1994). Numerous field studies have demonstrated that Fe limits phytoplankton productivity in high-nitrate, lowchlorophyll (HNLC) regions of the ocean (Martin et al. 1994; Coale et al. 1996, 2004). The interaction of oxygen, light, and Fe leads to the production of reactive oxygen species that cause oxidative damage to cells. Iron-storage proteins are used by organisms to sequester and store intracellular iron in a safe manner and provide a source of iron that can be drawn on when external iron supplies are limited (Harrison and Arosio 1996; Andrews 1998). Ferritin, bacterioferritin (heme-containing ferritin), and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) binding protein from starved cells (Dps) compose a superfamily of iron-storage proteins that are found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Although ferritin, bacterioferritin, and Dps proteins are distantly related they retain similar structural and functional properties. Ferritin and bacterioferritin are composed of 24