cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
IBR5: An Optimal Measurement of Integrated Backscatter and Cyclic Variation of Integrated Backscatter

Various methods have been developed to measure the coefficient of volume backscatter. For these measures, correction has made for signal energy, instrumentation/transducer filtration, diffraction and bulk loss, while using various square law or log magnitude detectors. Also, tissue backscatter has been measured as a function of frequency and the statistics of the backscatter has been examined. This paper unites methods of measuring a properly scaled (unbiased) estimate of the backscatter coefficient with knowledge of the scattering statistics and frequency response using statistical communications techniques. The maximum likelihood, minimum variance, unbiased estimator for wideband measurement of backscatter is developed together with its performance. The measurement technique has strong implications for system design for measuring cyclic myocardial backscatter.
Prediction of Porosity and Permeability of Caved Zone in Longwall Gobs

The porosity and permeability of the caved zone (gob) in a longwall operation impact many ventilation and methane control related issues, such as air leakage into the gob, the onset of spontaneous combustion, methane and air flow patterns in the gob, and the interaction of gob gas ventholes with the mining environment. Despite its importance, the gob is typically inaccessible for performing direct measurements of porosity and permeability. Thus, there has always been debate on the likely values of porosity and permeability of the caved zone and how these values can be predicted. This study demonstrates a predictive approach that combines fractal scaling in porous medium with principles of fluid flow. The approach allows the calculation of porosity and permeability from the size distribution of broken rock material in the gob, which can be determined from image analyzes of gob material using the theories on a completely fragmented porous medium. The virtual fragmented fractal porous medium so generated is exposed to various uniaxial stresses to simulate gob compaction and porosity and permeability changes during this process. The results suggest that the gob porosity and permeability values can be predicted by this approach and the presented models are capable to produce values close to values documented by other researchers.
Was the Laramide orogeny related to subduction of an oceanic plateau

Numerous models have been presented to explain the late Cretaceous/early Cenozoic Laramide orogeny, which affected the foreland region of the western cordillera within the US1. The most attractive models invoke low-angle subduction2–4, which can develop for various reasons5,6. Evidence from South America indicates that one such reason may be the subduction of buoyant ocean floor. We here extend the low-angle subduction models by attributing the shallowing of the subduction angle during the Laramide orogeny to subduction of a large oceanic plateau of anomalously thick and buoyant oceanic crust. Pacific plate history indicates that a twin to the Hess Rise may represent the oceanic plateau that triggered Laramide events.
A Bolivian medical mission experience.

ABSTRACT VOLUNTEERING TO PARTICIPATE in a medical mission is an excellent way for nurses to get back to the basics of nursing and be reminded of why they became nurses in the first place. ONE PERIOPERATIVE NURSE'S EXPERIENCE on a medical mission to Cochabamba, Bolivia, through the organization Solidarity Bridge is described in this article. MISSIONERS HAD TO ADJUST to very basic working conditions, including reusing disposable items and using only minimal monitoring equipment. MEMBERS OF THE SURGICAL TEAM performed 39 surgical procedures during the one-week mission trip, and many felt that they gained more from the experience than they gave. AORN J 86 (November 2007) 759–766.
DITHIOCARBAMATE EXTRACTION OF TRACE AMOUNTS OF SELENIUM FROM BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES FOR NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS

A three-step method has been developed for extracting trace amounts of selenium from biological samples for neutron activation analysis /NAA/. After acid digestion, the sample is first extracted with lead diethyldithiocarbamate at pH 4 to remove a number of interfering elements. Next, selenium is extracted with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate into chloroform at pH 1.5. Finally, selenium is back-extracted with concentrated nitric acid for NAA. Analysis of selenium extracted from four standard reference materials resulted in excellent agreement with the certified values of selenium concentration. A detection limit of 0.05 μg has been achieved.
Hedgerows and Petticoats: Sartorial Subversion and Anti-enclosure Protest in Seventeenth-century England

The struggle to determine ownership of property, gender identity, and social status engaged through cross-dressing --- particularly as a skimmington -- challenged and shaped seventeenth century notions of property and ownership. The debated possession of one’s land, class, and gender played out in anti-enclosure protests and in theatre, including the plays The Late Lancashire Witches , The Tamer Tamed and The Roaring Gir l. Drawing on the traditional use of a skimmington to redress communal injustice, several men dressed in women’s clothing adopted the title Lady Skimmington to protest enclosures of communally accessed forests during the Western Rising, 1626-1632. Similarly, women cross-dressed and adopted male titles, such as captain, to protest enclosure. Since women did not have an acceptable sphere for cross-dressing, such as in a skimmington, cross-dressing women were more deeply threatening to the state than men cross-dressing as Lady Skimmington. Theatrical, cross-dressing, female characters provide insight in the motivations for female cross-dressing. Cross-dressing characters in the field or on the stage provided a battleground for communities and the state to contest ownership of land, class mobility, and gendered identity.
Substrate choice of territorial male Topeka shiners (Notropis topeka) in the absence of sunfish (Lepomis sp.)

– Topeka shiners (Notropis topeka), an endangered minnow species, typically spawn on or around breeding Lepomis sunfish (Centrarchidae) nests. Why spawning Topeka shiners are attracted to these nests is unclear, but having the nesting sunfish provide shiner eggs with improved aeration, a lessening of siltation, and protection from egg predators are possibilities. We tested the substrate utilisation of Topeka shiners in outdoor tanks in the absence of sunfish to determine the shiner’s fundamental choice. Shiners were provided with substrate patches of cleaned sand, small gravel, large gravel, and small cobble, and the bare floor of the tank. The substrate above which a male shiner established his territory was used as evidence of choice. A statistically significant choice for sand substrates was demonstrated. This fundamental choice might influence which sunfish nests Topeka shiners use, given that nest substrate characteristics differ both between sunfish species and within species by spawning site location.
Completion time and performance on multiple-choice and essay tests

The relationship between the order in which students completed multiple-choice or essay tests and their scores on those tests was examined; no significant relationship was found. One cannot successfully predict a student’s test score by knowing when the student completed the test.
The theory of the bird-cage resonator

Abstract Circuit equations for the low-pass bird-cage resonator are solved to yield a two-parameter expression for the resonant frequencies; good agreement with experiment is shown for a bird cage of eight meshes. A theory of the driven bird-cage coil is given, which describes capacitive or inductive drive schemes, neglecting perturbations of coil symmetry due to the drive reactance. The theory shows how the polarization plane of the B field of a perfectly symmetrical bird cage can be rotated arbitrarily about the resonator's cylinder axis. Deviations from ideal symmetry, due to imperfect construction or trimming reactances, are then treated by perturbation theory. It is shown that in first order, the perturbation does not disturb the sinusoidal current distribution of the bird cage, although it does polarize that distribution along a direction fixed by the positions of the perturbing elements. The measured and calculated polarization directions are shown to agree to within experimental error; the measured frequency shifts due to perturbation are within 10% of those calculated. It is shown that two identical perturbations in space quadrature produce eigenstates with no spatial polarization, i.e., circularly traveling current waves.
Oncogenic Osteomalacia From a Primary Phosphaturic Mesenchymal Tumor of the Toe: A Case Report

Oncogenic osteomalacia is an acquired, rare paraneoplastic syndrome characterized by renal phosphate wasting and subsequent hypophosphatemic osteomalacia. The condition is usually associated with a phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor, which produces fibroblast growth factor 23, the primary circulating factor responsible for reduced tubular phosphate reabsorption. Clinically, adult patients typically present with bone pain, myalgia, recurrent and/or multiple stress fractures, and fatigue, with serum levels typified by low 1,25-(OH)2 vitamin D3, increased alkaline phosphatase, and normal calcium, parathyroid hormone, calcitonin, 25-OH-vitamin D3, and 25,25-(OH)2 vitamin D3 levels. The tumor in question is typically benign and can be of little clinical significance apart from its role in causing hypophosphatemic osteomalacia. Detection of the tumor, therefore, can often be delayed and requires an astute index of suspicion.
Barium stimulation of esophageal smooth muscle.

SummaryThis study reports the effect of BaCl2 on circular smooth muscle from the distal esophagus of the cat. The magnitude of the contractile response is dose-related; the threshold concentration varies from 5 × 10-5 to 5 × 10-4 gm/ml and irreversible contracture occurs at concentrations of 5 × 10-3 gm/ml or greater. The dose-response curve is not affected by atropine, hexamethonium, nicotine or the β-adrenergic stimulant, dl-isoproterenol. Thus, the response to barium is the result of a direct action on muscle rather than an indirect action through stimulation of motor elements of the esophageal intramural plexuses.
Rheumatic Chorea: Relationship to Systemic Manifestations and Response to Corticosteroids

Objective To describe Sydenham chorea among children in a cohort of patients with rheumatic fever (RF). Study design An existing database was used to identify demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, and therapy in persons with RF identified in Salt Lake City, Utah, from 1985 through January 2002. Results Of 584 cases in the database, 537 (91%) were new-onset RF (median age of 10 years) and 177 (33%) had chorea. Patients with chorea were more often female (OR = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.25-0.55, P Conclusions Chorea affected one-third of the children with RF. Patients with chorea were less likely to have severe cardiac or rheumatologic complications of RF. Therapy with prednisone shortened the duration of rheumatic chorea; some reported recurrences of chorea and had minor neurologic sequelae.
Bridging the gap between human and automated procedure execution

Procedures are a fundamental product used by NASA flight controllers and crew to operate space systems.12 Procedures are often complex and repetitive, taking operators hours to perform. Standard practice today is to manually create scripts to automate procedures. This process is laborious, error-prone, and inflexible. NASA's Exploration Technology Development Project (ETDP) is investing in advanced technology designed to improve operations for the Constellation Program, which oversees the creation of the next generation of human spaceflight vehicles. Under this project, NASA has developed technology for creating human-readable procedures, as well as for automating the execution of these procedures in a way that permits the crew to maintain a fine degree of control over the level and extent of the automation. The Procedure Representation Language (PRL) is a language for specifying spacecraft procedures, primarily for display to humans who are responsible for all commanding and decision-making. The Plan Execution Interchange Language (PLEXIL) represents plans for automatic execution, and has been demonstrated on applications ranging from planetary analog drills and surface robots to rotorcraft control. We describe the automated translation from PRL to PLEXIL and how the result provides an effective means to execute procedures under the desired level of automation. We highlight the resulting capability using examples derived from the International Space Station.
Caudal anaesthesia with bupivacaine (Marcaineŗ) for anal surgery: A clinical trial

The local anaesthetic bupivacaine (Marcaineŗ) was investigated for its usefulness in caudal anaesthesia for anorectal surgery in 83 patients. Concentrations of 0.25 per cent bupivacaine (average 23.7 ml) were effective for 5.2±0.8 hours; concentrations of 0.5 per cent (average 21.6 ml) were effective for 8.5 ± 0.3 hours. Postoperative analgesics were given only after 10 hours. There were no major side effects. Therefore, bupivacaine appears to be a useful anaesthetic for caudal block in cases where long-lasting analgesic may be advantageous.
Conserved Residues in Lassa Fever Virus Z Protein Modulate Viral Infectivity at the Level of the Ribonucleoprotein

Arenaviruses are negative-strand RNA viruses that cause human diseases such as lymphocytic choriomeningitis, Bolivian hemorrhagic fever, and Lassa hemorrhagic fever. No licensed vaccines exist, and current treatment is limited to ribavirin. The prototypic arenavirus, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), is a model for dissecting virus-host interactions in persistent and acute disease. The RING finger protein Z has been identified as the driving force of arenaviral budding and acts as the viral matrix protein. While residues in Z required for viral budding have been described, residues that govern the Z matrix function(s) have yet to be fully elucidated. Because this matrix function is integral to viral assembly, we reasoned that this would be reflected in sequence conservation. Using sequence alignment, we identified several conserved residues in Z outside the RING and late domains. Nine residues were each mutated to alanine in Lassa fever virus Z. All of the mutations affected the expression of an LCMV minigenome and the infectivity of virus-like particles, but to greatly varying degrees. Interestingly, no mutations appeared to affect Z-mediated budding or association with viral GP. Our findings provide direct experimental evidence supporting a role for Z in the modulation of the activity of the viral ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex and its packaging into mature infectious viral particles.
The use of surface and thin film science in the development of advanced gas sensors

Abstract This paper illustrates how surface science and thin-film science are used together in the design and fabrication of advanced sensor components based on gas-induced variations in electronic properties. Surface spectroscopies are combined with electrical measurements to examine the near-surface region of materials where local chemisorption events can be transduced into measurable collective responses. Efforts to construct faster, more reliable gas sensors rely upon model studies (on crystalline materials) which attempt to isolate adsorption/desorption, dissociation, diffusion and Schottky barrier modulation phenomena. Guided by such results, microstructure-controlled films and selectivity-enhancing adlayers are deposited and the composites are evaluated for performance characteristics and stability under various operating conditions. In our research approach, analytical, deposition and modification instrumentation are combined in a single, controlled-vacuum (UHV-based) enclosure to efficiently study sensor materials and mechanisms. The impact that high-resolution, probe-tip techniques and micromachining are exposed to make toward future generations of gas sensors is also discussed.
Publication bias and the failure of replication in experimental psychology

Replication of empirical findings plays a fundamental role in science. Among experimental psychologists, successful replication enhances belief in a finding, while a failure to replicate is often interpreted to mean that one of the experiments is flawed. This view is wrong. Because experimental psychology uses statistics, empirical findings should appear with predictable probabilities. In a misguided effort to demonstrate successful replication of empirical findings and avoid failures to replicate, experimental psychologists sometimes report too many positive results. Rather than strengthen confidence in an effect, too much successful replication actually indicates publication bias, which invalidates entire sets of experimental findings. Researchers cannot judge the validity of a set of biased experiments because the experiment set may consist entirely of type I errors. This article shows how an investigation of the effect sizes from reported experiments can test for publication bias by looking for too much successful replication. Simulated experiments demonstrate that the publication bias test is able to discriminate biased experiment sets from unbiased experiment sets, but it is conservative about reporting bias. The test is then applied to several studies of prominent phenomena that highlight how publication bias contaminates some findings in experimental psychology. Additional simulated experiments demonstrate that using Bayesian methods of data analysis can reduce (and in some cases, eliminate) the occurrence of publication bias. Such methods should be part of a systematic process to remove publication bias from experimental psychology and reinstate the important role of replication as a final arbiter of scientific findings.
Rectus muscle and visceral peritoneum closure at cesarean delivery and intraabdominal adhesions

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the rectus muscle and visceral peritoneum closure at cesarean delivery on adhesions. Study Design We performed a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study of women who underwent first repeat cesarean delivery. Surgeons scored the severity and location of adhesions. Records were abstracted to assess previous surgical techniques. Results The original cohort included 173 patients. Rectus muscle closure was associated with fewer combined filmy and dense adhesions overall (27.5% vs 46%; P = .04) and fewer dense adhesions overall (17.5% vs 46%; P = .001; adjusted odds ratio, [aOR], 0.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.09–0.65), particularly from fascia to omentum (aOR, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.007–0.82). Visceral peritoneum closure was associated with increased dense fascia-to-omentum adhesions (aOR, 15.78; 95% CI, 1.81–137.24). Conclusion Closure of the rectus muscles at cesarean delivery may reduce adhesions, and visceral peritoneum closure may increase them. Surgical techniques at cesarean delivery should be assessed independently, because they may have opposite effects on adhesion formation.
Expert system technology applied to item classification

This article describes how the n‐Cube expert system development tool can assist in item classification using the Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) standard. The n‐Cube makes use of a tree classification structure with associated rules and default inheritance features. Any information known about a particular classification is a combination of the defaults known about that class, as well as the defaults associated with any of its parent classes. As a result, many of the problems associated with simple rule‐based systems are overcome.
Genetic control of sexual development in Volvox.

Sexual development in Volvox carteri f. nagariensis is initiated by the action of a glycoprotein pheromone produced by sexual male spheroids which induces the reproductive cell to cleave in the sexual pattern rather than the asexual pattern. The reproductive cell is temporally sensitive to sexual induction by the pheromone which must be present for a significant length of time prior to reproductive cell cleavage. Four mutant strains identifying four, unlinked genetic loci affecting sexual development have been isolated and analyzed genetically. Three of these mutants are spontaneously or constitutively sexual, sex c , without the addition of sexual pheromone while the other mutant, sic , is unable to undergo any development in the continued presence of the pheromone. The interaction of these mutants in multiple mutant strains and their response to added pheromone can be explained in terms of two genetic pathways regulating sexual development. One pathway is normally initiated by the presence of the pheromone while the second pathway seems to be independent of pheromone regulation. This second pathway may exist to allow asexual male strains to respond to an unknown environmental signal to enter the sexual pathway in order to produce the pheromone. The pattern of reproductive cells in the sexual phase is distinctive for the male or female strains and different from the asexual development mode. Four mutant strains have been isolated which have an effect on the position and number of reproductive cells. These mutants show a change in reproductive cell pattern either in all developmental modes or only one or two. These observations suggest that the determination of reproductive cell pattern (position and number) is independent of the determination of reproductive cell type (asexual or sexual, male or female).
Meaning and misunderstanding in occupational forms: a study of therapeutic goal setting.

Objective This study examined occupational therapists' use of the occupational form of goal setting as therapy and its impact on clients. Method The study method was qualitative, using participant observation and interviewing as the main source of data. Results The findings illustrated that therapists work both to give substance to the occupational form and to create the context of an implied narrative that imbues it with particular meanings. Simultaneously, clients' experience of meaning is influenced by a personal volitional narrative. When the two narratives do not coincide, therapists' efforts to maintain the occupational form intensify as they encourage clients toward attitudes and performances that do not resonate with the clients' experience of reality. Conclusion The findings underscore the importance of recognizing that occupational forms are embedded in social processes and perspectives that inevitably come into play when occupational forms are used as therapy.
Surface effects on the diffusion release rate of rare gases

The diffusion of gases which are injected into the surface layers of crystalline solids by an accelerator or fission recoil may be strongly influenced by surface properties of the solid. The diffusion of fission-recoiled Xe133 in CsI and CaF2 single crystals has been studied for different surface conditions. Surface strain caused by mechanically polishing CsI produced varying diffusion coefficients consistent with gas atom trapping while the unstrained, chemically polished crystals exhibited classical diffusion. The surface evaporation of CaF2 at high temperature increased the release rate of Xe133 significantly above the diffusion release rate and different evaporation characteristics were observed for different crystal orientations. Thin surface films, which were formed on CaF2 surfaces during heating in quartz or mullite tubes, retarded the gas release and produced release curves which could falsely be interpreted in terms of gas trapping within the crystal lattice. The results illustrate that considerable care must be exercised in recoil injection experiments to avoid anomalous surface effects. Die Diffusion von Gasen, die in die Oberflachenschichten von kristallinen Festkorpern durch einen Beschleuniger oder durch Spaltungsruckstos injiziert werden, kann durch die Oberflacheneigenschaften des Festkorpers stark beeinflust werden. Die Spaltungsruckstos-Diffusion von Xe133 in CsJ- und CaF2-Einkristallen wurde fur verschiedene Oberflachenbedingungen untersucht. Oberflachenspannungen, die durch mechanisches Polieren von CsJ verursacht wurden, erzeugten sich verandernde Diffusionskoeffizienten in Uberein-stimmung mit dem Anhaften von Gasatomen, wahrend chemisch polierte Kristalle klassisches Diffusionsverhalten zeigten. Die Oberflachenverdampfung von CaF2 bei hohen Temperaturen steigert die Freisetzungsrate von Xe133 bedeutend uber die Diffusionsabgaberate und es wurden unterschiedliche Verdampfungscharakteristiken fur verschiedene Kristallorientierungen beobachtet. Dunne Oberflachenschichten, die auf CaF2-Oberflachen wahrend des Heizens in Quarz- oder Mullitrohren gebildet wurden, verzogerten die Gasfreisetzung und erzeugten Freisetzungskurven, die falschlich mit Gasanhaften innerhalb des Kristallgitters interpretiert werden konnen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, das betrachtliche Sorgfalt bei Ruckstosinjektionsexperimenten angewendet werden mus, um anomale Oberflacheneffekte zu vermeiden.
Biochemical Characterization of Novel Retroviral Integrase Proteins

Integrase is an essential retroviral enzyme, catalyzing the stable integration of reverse transcribed DNA into cellular DNA. Several aspects of the integration mechanism, including the length of host DNA sequence duplication flanking the integrated provirus, which can be from 4 to 6 bp, and the nucleotide preferences at the site of integration, are thought to cluster among the different retroviral genera. To date only the spumavirus prototype foamy virus integrase has provided diffractable crystals of integrase-DNA complexes, revealing unprecedented details on the molecular mechanisms of DNA integration. Here, we characterize five previously unstudied integrase proteins, including those derived from the alpharetrovirus lymphoproliferative disease virus (LPDV), betaretroviruses Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV), and mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV), epsilonretrovirus walleye dermal sarcoma virus (WDSV), and gammaretrovirus reticuloendotheliosis virus strain A (Rev-A) to identify potential novel structural biology candidates. Integrase expressed in bacterial cells was analyzed for solubility, stability during purification, and, once purified, 39 processing and DNA strand transfer activities in vitro. We show that while we were unable to extract or purify accountable amounts of WDSV, JRSV, or LPDV integrase, purified MMTV and Rev-A integrase each preferentially support the concerted integration of two viral DNA ends into target DNA. The sequencing of concerted Rev-A integration products indicates high fidelity cleavage of target DNA strands separated by 5 bp during integration, which contrasts with the 4 bp duplication generated by a separate gammaretrovirus, the Moloney murine leukemia virus (MLV). By comparing Rev-A in vitro integration sites to those generated by MLV in cells, we concordantly conclude that the spacing of target DNA cleavage is more evolutionarily flexible than are the target DNA base contacts made by integrase during integration. Given their desirable concerted DNA integration profiles, Rev-A and MMTV integrase proteins have been earmarked for structural biology studies.
Combined 1H MRI, PET and Multinuclear MRS hybrid imaging system

In this abstract we describe a novel method of combining three imaging modalities: 1H Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), and multinuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) in one system dedicated for true molecular imaging. The addition of PET to MRI was introduced to provide functional/metabolic information about diseases or natural processes in the human body. High resolution and soft tissue contrast of 1H MRI morphological images is complemented by PET’s ability to depict metabolic processes through the use of biologically active radioactively labeled imaging agents, paving the way for molecular imaging. The application of localized 1H MRS is implemented by using the imaging coil tuned to proton resonances. Localized, or MRI-guided, MR spectroscopy enables quantification of chemical composition of different tissue components in small volumes of less than 0.1 ml. Particularly in the brain, 1H MRS can for example measure accurately N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), lactate, glutamate, creatine, and choline to provide a view of the progression of neuro-degeneration. However, the use of coil exclusively tuned to 1H significantly limits the “window” of observation by elimination of other biologically relevant nuclei like 13C, 14N, 17O, or 31P. Therefore we propose introducing a second resonator that will be tuned to these nuclei. We anticipate that MRS of other than 1H nuclei will provide more spectroscopic details and remove the ambiguity that exists in the 1H spectra from overlapping lines. The additional coil tuned to specific X-nuclei can be embedded within the existing 1H coil or can be removable, to be added whenever MRS on these nuclei is deemed necessary.
Predictive Time-Delay Control of Vehicle Suspensions:

A predictive control methodology is introduced for active vehicle suspension control, taking into account the effect of time delay as an inherent characteristic of active systems in the absence of preview information. In this method, at each time instant, the control signal is calculated by minimizing a perfor mance index, based on the predicted response in a finite prediction horizon. The discrete predictive method ology, compared with the widely used linear quadratic regulator method, is easier to formulate and results in a discrete-time control algorithm suitable for digital control, and time delays can be more easily introduced in the formulation. In this paper, predictive control simulation results are compared with passive control re sults. It is shown that this method is capable of improving ride performance of the single-degree-of-freedom quarter-car model for a wide range of input frequencies in the presence of time delay, while in the meantime it maintains the maximum suspension travel below the...
Cloning the trpR gene.

In Escherichia coli, the structural gene for purine nucleoside phosphorylase, deoD, is subject to insertional inactivation by prophage λ. From one such secondary site λ lysogen, strain SP265, one may isolate deletions that remove all or part of the trpR gene and other genes in the deo-thr sector of the E. coli chromosome. Specialized transducing phages harboring serB+ and trpR+ were liberated following induction of SP265. All such phages were N-defective, bio-type pseudolysogens whose DNA persisted in the form of plasmids. A collection of transducing phages, differing in their complement of bacterial DNA, was used to locate cleavage sites for bamHI, SalI, and PvuI within the deoD-trpR region of the E. coli genome. The trpR gene lies within a specific 950 base pair BamHI-PvuI segment.
CONTIGUOUS PHOSPHORYLATED AND NON-PHOSPHORYLATED DOMAINS ALONG AXONAL NEUROFILAMENTS

I have investigated the phosphorylation state of the medium molecular mass neurofilament protein (NF-M) along axonal neurofilaments. Cultured embryonic sensory neurons were treated with non-ionic detergent to cause the cytoskeletal polymers to splay apart from each other. Neurofilaments were visualized by double-label immunofluorescence microscopy and the proportion of their length that stained with various NF-M antibodies was determined using digital image analysis techniques. Monoclonal antibody RMO255, which binds to NF-M independently of phosphorylation state, stained an average of 98% of the neurofilament length. In contrast, monoclonal antibody RMO55, which binds specifically to a phosphorylated epitope on NF-M, stained some neurofilaments completely, some not at all, and some along part of their length. These partly stained neurofilaments exhibited single or multiple discrete segments of staining along their length separated by segments that were unstained. The average proportion of the neurofilament length that stained with this antibody was lowest proximally (12–22%, n=3) and increased along the axon to reach a maximum distally (58–87%, n=3). A converse pattern (77–87% proximally and 2–9% distally, n=3) was observed for neurons stained with monoclonal antibody FNP7, which binds to specifically to a non-phosphorylated epitope in both NF-M and the high molecular mass neurofilament protein, NF-H. Analysis of the staining of individual neurofilaments revealed a bimodal frequency distribution in which neurofilaments were more likely to be phosphorylated along either all or none of their length than along part of their length. These observations indicate that: (a) phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated neurofilaments can coexist side-by-side in these axons, (b) neurofilaments can be composed of single or multiple contiguous phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated epitope domains along their length, (c) the proportion of the neurofilament length that is phosphorylated at these epitopes increases along the axon in a proximal-to-distal manner, and (d) the pattern of phosphorylation is non-random, generating populations of phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated neurofilaments and discrete phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated domains along individual neurofilaments.
Commentary on "Alzheimer's Disease Drug Development and the Problem of the Blood-Brain Barrier".

Abstract The perspective by Dr. William Pardridge entitled "Alzheimer's Disease Drug Discovery and the Problem of the Blood-Brain Barrier" makes a strong case for the imbalance in resource distribution to the drug-discovery and brain drug delivery processes, where the latter received less than 1% of the investment of the former. My own calculations are consistent with this striking imbalance. Dr. Pardridge predicts that current trials of passive immunity against β-amyloid peptide will likely fail, whereas past trials of active immunization exhibited trial-ending side effects, in part because of disruption of the integrity of the blood-brain barrier. To bring an assessment of the physiology of the blood-brain barrier and the brain delivery of drugs to the fore, several changes are needed in the way we perceive the problem, train our young scientists, organize research efforts, and incentivize reaching our common goals of effective drug therapy for Alzheimer's disease.
The molecular mechanism of action of aspirin, curcumin and sulforaphane combinations in the chemoprevention of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer ranks as the fourth most deadly form of cancer in the United States with ~37,000 deaths each year. The present study evaluated the chemopreventive poten- tial of a combination of aspirin (ASP), curcumin (CUR) and sulforaphane (SFN) in low doses to human pancreatic cancer cells, MIA PaCa-2 and Panc-1. Results demonstrated that low doses of ASP (1 mM), CUR (10 µM) and SFN (5 µM) (ACS) combination reduced cell viability by ~70% (P<0.001), and also induced cell apoptosis by ~51% (P<0.001) accompanied by activation of caspase-3 and Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) proteins. The NF-κB DNA binding activity was inhi- bited by ~45% (P<0.01) and ~75% (P<0.001) in MIA PaCa-2 and Panc-1 cells, respectively. Mechanistic studies revealed that ACS promoted increase expression of phospho extracel- lular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (P-ERK1/2), c-Jun, p38 MAPK and p53 proteins. Furthermore, the cells pretreated with U0126 (ERK1/2 inhibitor) partially abolished the effect of ACS on cell viability. Data from this study demonstrate that a low-dose ACS combination inhibits cell growth by inducing cell apoptosis, and proposes sustained activation of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway as one of the possible mechanisms.
Minimizing cost in resource-allocation decisions

Decisions about resource-allocation are faced by us daily, but only recently has published research explored how people make resource-allocation decisions. Previous studies examined resource-allocation tasks where the goal was to maximize payoff with limited resources. In the present study, we extended the literature by examining resource-allocation problems where the goal was to achieve a fixed objective while minimizing the consumption of resources. We asked participants to minimize cost by scheduling two aircraft with differing personnel and fuel requirements under conditions of certainty, risk, and uncertainty. Results indicated that participants could solve such problems surprisingly well, performing best under certainty and worst under uncertainty.
Alphacrinus New Genus and Origin of the Disparid Clade

Alphacrinus mansfieldi new genus and species from the Middle Tremadoc Series (Early Ibexian), near the base of the Ordovician, is the oldest known disparid crinoid. A new family, Alphacrinidae, receives this monospecific genus. Alphacrinus's character mosaic includes primitive traits unknown among other disparids, auguring for disparid origin from a more complexly plated, less standardized antecedent, and echoing the evolutionary progression documented for camerates and cladids. Disparids are diagnosed as those crinoids expressing an arm-like branch from the C ray. Morphologic progression indicates this distinctive trait evolved by modification of CD interray plates, not as an outgrowth from the C ray.
Evaluation of Patients with Known Coronary Artery Disease

Patients with coronary artery disease are at increased risk for cardiac events. According to the American Heart Association heart disease and stroke statistics [1], the estimated annual incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) in the United States is 610,000 new attacks and 325,000 recurrent attacks, and 16,300,000 Americans ≥20 years of age have coronary artery disease (CAD). Despite the high prevalence, prognosis for patients with known CAD has improved significantly during the last decades, with the identification and aggressive management of risk factors as well as the wide use of revascularization procedures and anti-platelet agents. As a result, in everyday practice physicians are called upon to evaluate and follow-up a substantial number of patients with known CAD, many of whom have undergone one or more revascularization procedures.
Assessing noninstructional costs and productivity

As colleges and universities face the need for cost reduction, the noninstructional areas are the first places to look to contain costs and improve productivity.
Higgs-boson–photon associated production at eē colliders

We present complete analytical expressions for the amplitudes of the process e\ifmmode \bar{e}\else \={e}\fi{}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}H\ensuremath{\gamma}. The calculation is performed using nonlinear gauges, which significantly simplifies both the actual analytical calculation and the check of its gauge invariance. After comparing our results with a previous numerical calculation, we extend the range of Higgs boson masses and center of mass energies to those appropriate to CERN LEP 200 and a future linear collider.
A Basic Analysis of Entry and Exit in the US Broadband Market, 2005-2008

We conduct a basic analysis of entry and exit in the US broadband market, using a complete FCC census of providers from 2005 to 2008. There is a tremendous amount of (simultaneous) entry and exit in the US broadband market. Most entry is from existing providers expanding into new geographic areas. Entry and exit vary widely across the various modes of provision, which argues against treating broadband as a homogenous service in theoretical or empirical work. The highest entry rates also generally have the highest entrant shares. Entry rates display positive autocorrelation, and the same is true for exit. There is also positive correlation between the entry and exit rates at various leads and lags, suggesting that there are systematic differences among the broadband types in the height of entry and exit barriers. We discuss some implications these results may have for both policy purposes and future work in the broadband market.
Shock-wave struture in a partially ionized gas

The structure of a shock wave in a partially ionized gas, which may be in thermal non-equilibrium ahead of the shock wave, is investigated. A method is developed to solve this problem by separating it into two parts. First, the structure of the shock wave associated with the massive particles, ions and atoms, is assumed to be of the MottSmith form. Then the behavior of the electrons as they pass through this shock is analyzed. Using this method, calculations are carried out for shock waves at several Mach numbers and several values of the electron-ion temperature ratio ahead of the shock. An essential feature of the shock profiles is found to be the existence of a broad zone of elevated electron temperature ahead of the electron compression region, caused by the high thermal conductivity in the electron gas. (auth)
Long-Term Effects of High-Dose Chemotherapy and Radiation for Relapsed and Refractory Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Purpose To evaluate the risk of late morbidity and mortality, and to assess long-term health-related quality of life (QOL) among patients with relapsed/refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) after high-dose chemoradiotherapy (HDT) and autologous stem-cell rescue (ASCR). Patients and Methods From 1985 to 1998, 218 patients with HL were treated on HDT with ASCR salvage protocols. Of these 218, 153 (70%) who survived ≥ 2 years after ASCR were evaluated for late morbidity and mortality from causes other than HL. QOL information was obtained through self-administered questionnaires. Risk ratios (RR) were calculated to compare observed second malignancy (SM) rates in this cohort with expected SM rates from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry. Results Median follow-up after ASCR was 11.5 years. Among 153 patients, there were 53 deaths; 33 from HL and 20 from other causes. Thirteen deaths were caused by SM, with median time from ASCR to SM diagnosis of 9 years (range, 3 to 18 years). The RR ...
Effects of a multicomponent school-based intervention on health markers, body composition, physical fitness, and psychological measures in overweight and obese adolescent females.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether participation in a multicomponent school-based intervention using circuit-resistance training, dietary intervention and behavioral modification had an effect on health markers, body composition, physical fitness, and psychological measures for overweight/obese adolescent females. Forty-two overweight/obese adolescents participated in the 10-week program with assessments completed at 0, 10, and 22 weeks. Data were analyzed by ANOVA repeated measures analysis, with a level of significance set at p < 0.05, and presented as means ± SD from baseline. Statistically significant group x time interactions were observed for the following: body mass (CON 2.82% ± 2.7 vs. EXP 0.58% ± 2.5, p = 0.021) fat mass (CON 3.64% ± 5.9 vs. EXP -2.66% ± 5.7, p = 0.006), percent fat (CON 0.52% ± 4.69 vs. EXP -2.92% ± 4.44, p = 0.024), triglycerides (CON 44.78% ± 85.11 vs. EXP -9.56% ± 34.99, p = 0.002), HOMA-IR (CON 49.41% ± 69.65 vs. EXP 17.64% ± 66.76, p = 0.052), physical activity environmental factors (CON -6.92% ± 18.66 vs. EXP 9.96% ± 27.79, p = 0.039), fruit and vegetable con decisions (CON 31.71% ± 49.75 vs. EXP 3.41% ± 47.22, p = 0.043), and dietary protein intake (CON -3.28% ± 53.05 vs. EXP 8.15% ± 58.68, p = 0.025). Time significance represented an overall mean increase in body mass (1.6 % ± 3), lean mass (2.7% ± 4), bone mineral content (3.6% ± 5) and bone mineral density (3.4% ± 3). Follow-up testing was conducted with a subset of participants (n = 29), after three months. The participants’ revealed statistically significant group x time effects for the pediatric quality of life psychosocial health summary score (CON -23% ± 40 vs. EXP 25.3% ± 65, p = 0.039) and the PACE measurements of physical activity family support (CON -0.64% ± 24.4 vs. EXP 17.8% ± 19.3, p = 0.027). This research indicated that overweight/obese adolescent females can benefit from both standard physical education and a multicomponent program. However, the participants in the multicomponent program observed significantly greater improvements in body composition, triglycerides, and insulin sensitivity.
Christine Wilson and the West Coast Nutritional Anthropologists, 1978-1989.

This contribution to the Christine Wilson memorial volume is based upon personal recollections of the author and West Coast Nutritional Anthropologist Society documents in his files dated between the period of 1976 through 1989. Christine Wilson was the leading anthropologist on the West Coast who established the WCNA society and helped it flourish. Records of annual meetings and symposia sponsored by WCNA, document an especially active group of colleagues, many today with prominent academic and professional positions of local, regional, national, and international prominence. Christine Wilson influenced each of the colleagues mentioned in this memorial article with her kind words, editorial assistance, and deep understanding of the vast and diffuse literature of nutritional anthropology.
Do extracellular chaperone proteins in plasma have potential as Alzheimer's disease biomarkers?

Clinical Research Branch, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA and Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA Tel.: +1 410 558 8572 Fax: +1 410 558 8674 thambisettym@mail.nih.gov “The potential for developing disease-modifying treatments for AD based on modulating peripheral levels of extracellular chaperones is an exciting possibility. An important question to be addressed is whether manipulating peripheral levels of extracellular chaperones will affect their concentrations in the brain and, thereby, influence their role in AD pathogenesis.” Do extracellular chaperone proteins in plasma have potential as Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers?
False-path-aware statistical timing analysis and efficient path selection for delay testing and timing validation

We propose a false-path-aware statistical timing analysis framework. In our framework, cell as well as interconnect delays are assumed to be correlated random variables. Our tool can characterize statistical circuit delay distribution for the entire circuit and produce a set of true critical paths.
Increasing Sensitivity Of A Deflection Measurement System

Synchronous demodulation was applied to the Laser Optical Line of Sight system (LOLOS) used to measure deflections of a canister used in underground testing. The purpose of this was to achieve greater sensitivity and resolution than that found in the original system. Electronics and optical equipment were built or acquired to evaluate the concept. Under laboratory conditions sensitivity to lateral and angular displacements were improved by more than an order of magnitude.
Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm

A 16-year-old high school basketball player presents with the complaint that he is not playing as well as he used to. He complains of chest tightness, coughing with wheezes, as well as the production of lots of phlegm, and slight shortness of breath during basketball practice and sometimes right after basketball games. He has no symptoms while in class but does admit that he sometimes coughs at night, especially when he has not cleaned his room in a while. This patient has no past history of asthma but does have seasonal allergies. His surgical history is significant for a tonsillectomy at age 5 and an appendectomy at age 10. The patient lives at home with his mother, who is a smoker, and his pet dog. He denies smoking, does not take any illegal drugs, and does not drink alcohol. Physical exam is significant for slightly erythematous and enlarged nasal turbinates. His lungs are clear to auscultation bilaterally, and the rest of the physical was normal.