cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ABO maternal-child discordance: Evidence of variable allelic expression and considerations for investigation.

BACKGROUND We report a case of apparent mother-child ABO group noninheritance. A Caucasian mother initially typed as group O and her infant group AB. Investigation ruled out preanalytical causes such as mislabeled samples and in vitro fertilization. MATERIALS AND METHODS Red blood cells were characterized by routine serologic testing. Genomic data were analyzed by targeted polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and Sanger sequencing. Transferase structures were modeled using PyMOL molecular visualization software. RESULTS Serologic testing initially demonstrated the mother was group O, father group AB, and infant group AB. Further testing of the maternal sample with anti-A,B demonstrated weak A expression. Molecular testing revealed the maternal sample had an ABO*O.01.01 allele in trans to an A allele, ABO*AW.29 (c.311T>A, p.Ile104Asn), determined by gene sequencing. The sample from the infant carried the same ABO*AW.29 allele in trans to a B allele, ABO*B.01. CONCLUSION ABO genotyping revealed an A transferase encoded by ABO*AW.29, with apparent variable activity. Although A antigen expression is well known to be weak in newborns, it was robust on the red blood cells (RBCs) of the AB infant and undetectable with anti-A on the mother. Variable expression of weak subgroups may reflect competition or enhancement by a codominant allele, as well as glycan chain maturation on red cells. Previous examples in group AB mothers with Aweak infants suggested that the decreased expression is primarily due to glycan immaturity. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of the ABO*AW.29 allele presenting with weak A expression in a group Aweak mother and robust A expression in a group AB infant, suggesting the in trans allele is an important factor in determining transferase activity and may override age-related effects.
Establishing a safe, comprehensive radium 223 dichloride practice

2637 Objectives According to the National Cancer Institute, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, with over 200,000 new cases diagnosed annually. Fifteen percent of men will get prostate cancer at some point in their lifetime. While prognosis tends to be good, bone is one of the most common sites for spread of this disease. Radium 223 dichloride was approved for treatment of bone metastases from prostate cancer in the U.S. in 2013. The objective was to establish a radium practice meeting all radiation safety requirements while satisfying the referring physicians and patients. Methods As a tertiary care center with a strong emphasis in cancer treatment, there was significant interest in this new therapy from referring physicians. The first requirement was to get radium added to the Radioactive Material License. Next, any potential users needed to be added to the Authorized User list. The dose was added to the List of Approved Doses. A Written Directive needed to be created. The dose calibrator setting was established using a NIST dose. This step must be repeated annually. A protocol needed to be written, incorporating safe handling of this alpha emitter. The order codes were set up; changes in isotope billing in 2015 required modification of this process. Finally, introduction of the workflow to the Radiation Oncologists had to occur in order to ensure a smooth process for all involved. Results To date, 106 treatments have been successfully administered: 12 patients have completed the 6 injection treatment plan, 3 patients stopped early due to disease progression, and 7 patients are undergoing treatment. No immediate complications were seen at the time of injection. A state inspection did not result in any concerns. Conclusions With careful planning and attention to detail, a successful radium practice can be established. Ongoing efforts are needed to ensure any changes, such as the recent billing adjustments, are incorporated. Offering this therapy requires little initial financial output, making it feasible for many departments to start, irregardless of the size of the patient population.
Distant metastases after diagnosis: Racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes.

1084Background: Black women diagnosed with breast cancer are more likely to have a poor prognosis, regardless of breast cancer subtype. Despite having a lower incidence rate of breast cancer when c...
Early Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Telehealth Patterns in Primary Care, Mental Health, and Specialty Care Facilities in Texas.

Objectives Since the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many US clinics have shifted some or all of their practice from in-person to virtual visits. In this study, we assessed the use of telehealth among primary care and specialty clinics, by targeting healthcare administrators via multiple channels. Methods Using an online survey, we assessed the use of, barriers to, and reimbursement for telehealth. Respondents included clinic administrators (chief executive officers, vice presidents, directors, and senior-level managers). Results A total of 85 complete responses were recorded, 79% of which represented solo or group practices and 63% reported a daily patient census >50. The proportion of clinics that delivered ≥50% of their consults using telehealth increased from 16% in March to 42% in April, 35% in May, and 30% in June. Clinics identified problems with telehealth reimbursement; although 63% of clinics reported that ≥75% of their telehealth consults were reimbursed, only 51% indicated that ≥75% of their telehealth visits were reimbursed at par with in-person office visits. Sixty-five percent of clinics reported having basic or foundational telehealth services, whereas only 9% of clinics reported advanced telehealth maturity. Value-based care participating clinics were more likely to report advanced telehealth services (27%), compared with non-value-based care clinics (3%). Conclusions These findings highlight the adaptability of clinics to quickly transition and adopt telehealth. Uncertainty about reimbursement and policy changes may make the shift temporal, however.
Development and validation of a finishing cattle monitoring system with microcomputer compatibility

v GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 Dissertation Organization 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 3 Nutrition and Cattle Growth 3 Animal Evaluation 6 PROJECTION OF 12TH RIB RIBEYE AREA, 12th RIB BACKFAT, AND 14 INTRAMUSCULAR FAT DEVELOPMENT IN FINISHING CATTLE BASED ON FEEDLOT PERFORMANCE AND INITIAL ULTRASONIC DATA Abstract 14 Introduction 14 Materials and Methods 16 Results and Discussion 17 Implications 28 AN OBSERVATION OF THE VALUE ULTRASONIC MEASUREMENTS HAVE 29 FOR SORTING CATTLE AND ESTIMATING THE FINAL STANDARD DEVIATION FOR A LOT IN TERMS OF CARCASS WEIGHT, QUALITY GRADE, AND YIELD GRADE Abstract 29 Introduction 30 Materials and Methods 31 Resuks and Discussion 33 Implications 41 MONITORING LIVE WEIGHT, YIELD GRADE, QUALITY GRADE, AND 42 CARCASS WEIGHT DEVELOPMENT IN FEEDLOT CATTLE Abstract 42 Introduction 42 Materials and Methods 44
Breaking and Remaking: Aesthetic Practice in England, 1700-1820

Paulson shows how 18th-century English poets and artists confronted the decline of High Renaissance ideals in literary theory and aesthetics. The book is less a single extended argument, though, than a collection of brilliant insights and interpretations: Pope as Ovidian poet; Joseph Wright as Shandyan artist. Especially stimulating are the readings of Hogarth, Wright, Gainsborough, Stubbs, and Constable that comprise the second half of the book. Except for the deconstructionist jargon, the discussions are lucid and compelling. Highly recommended for libraries supporting graduate programs in literature or art.
Cell Biology of Nidovirus Replication Complexes

Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites that modify the host cell to generate an environment for optimal production of progeny virus. Positive-strand RNA viruses modify intracellular membranes to generate “factories” for viral RNA synthesis. These factories are made up of viral replicase proteins and host cell membranes that assemble to form novel structures, which can be visualized by electron microscopy (EM). For example, the replication complex of brome mosaic virus, a positive-strand RNA virus of plants, induces invaginations and spherule formation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). These spherules sequester the viral genomic RNA and polymerase together and allow for the efficient synthesis of viral genomic and subgenomic mRNAs. The replication complexes of hepatitis C virus form a membranous web in the cytoplasm of hepatoma cells. This membranous web may provide an environment for persistence of viral RNA during chronic infection. For nidoviruses, a striking feature is that viral replicase proteins induce the formation of double-membrane vesicles (DMVs), which are the sites of viral RNA synthesis. This chapter reviews the current literature on the visualization and assembly of nidovirus DMVs, and describes recent studies that provide insight into the possible host cell pathways subverted by the viral replication complexes to help generate these factories for nidovirus RNA synthesis.
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma: A pilot study in 20 patients

Abstract Background: Liver transplantation for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma yields disappointing results. Most cases recur within 2 years, often in the transplanted liver. Methods: A combination of neoadjuvant doxorubicin and orthotopic liver transplantation was used in 20 patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma confined to the liver. Seventeen patients had tumors >5 cm in greatest diameter, and 11 cases were stage IVA by the TNM classification. Doxorubicin was administered preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively at a dose of 10 mg/m 2 weekly, totaling 200 mg/m 2 . Results: Chemotherapy was well tolerated although leukopenia was observed in 70% of patients. Eight patients died, five of recurrent tumor and three of hepatitis B. Three others remain alive 8–22 months after tumor recurrence. One patient had initial tumor recurrence in the allograft. Actuarial survival is 59% and tumor-free survival is 54% at 3 years. For the 17 patients with tumors > 5 cm, overall survival is 63% and tumor-free survival is 49% at 3 years.Conclusion: The results of this pilot study suggest that neoadjuvant doxorubicin chemotherapy favorably alters the posttransplant survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
Detection of Melamine in Foodstuffs by Vibrational Spectroscopy

In this chapter, the detection of melamine in foodstuffs with little or no sample preparation is discussed. First the direct application of mid-infrared, near-infrared (NIR) and Raman spectroscopy for the detection of the presence of melamine is discussed. In all three cases, the typical detection limits are between 0.1 and 1%. These detection limits can be reduced by several orders of magnitude by the application of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Finally the application of vibrational hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is described. Mid-infrared HSI was used to detect the presence of melamine cyanurate in feline kidneys, while the presence of a few particles of melamine in a food matrix has been demonstrated by NIR and Raman HSI. Keywords: melamine; direct detection; mid-infrared; near-infrared; Raman; surface-enhanced Raman; hyperspectral imaging
Probabilistic Grammars and their Applications

Formal grammars are widely used in speech recognition, language translation, and language understanding systems. Grammars rich enough to accommodate natural language generate multiple interpretations of typical sentences. These ambiguities are a fundamental challenge to practical application. Grammars can be equipped with probability distributions, and the various parameters of these distributions can be estimated from data (e.g., acoustic representations of spoken words or a corpus of hand-parsed sentences). The resulting probabilistic grammars help to interpret spoken or written language unambiguously. This article reviews the main classes of probabilistic grammars and points to some active areas of research.
Enhancing undergraduate AI courses through machine learning projects

It is generally recognized that an undergraduate introductory artificial intelligence course is challenging to teach. This is, in part, due to the diverse and seemingly disconnected core topics that are typically covered. The paper presents work funded by the National Science Foundation to address this problem and to enhance the student learning experience in the course. Our work involves the development of an adaptable framework for the presentation of core AI topics through a unifying theme of machine learning. A suite of hands-on semester-long projects are developed, each involving the design and implementation of a learning system that enhances a commonly-deployed application. The projects use machine learning as a unifying theme to tie together the core AI topics. In this paper, we will first provide an overview of our model and the projects being developed and will then present in some detail our experiences with one of the projects, Web User Profiling, which we have used in our AI class
Backdoors to typical case complexity

There has been significant recent progress in reasoning and constraint processing methods. In areas such as planning and finite model-checking, current solution techniques can handle combinatorial problems with up to a million variables and five million constraints. The good scaling behavior of these methods appears to defy what one would expect based on a worst-case complexity analysis. In order to bridge this gap between theory and practice, we propose a new framework for studying the complexity of these techniques on practical problem instances. In particular, our approach incorporates general structural properties observed in practical problem instances into the formal complexity analysis. We introduce a notion of "backdoors", which are small sets of variables that capture the overall combinatorics of the problem instance. We provide empirical results showing the existence of such backdoors in real-world problems. We then present a series of complexity results that explain the good scaling behavior of current reasoning and constraint methods observed on practical problem instances.
An optimum OFDM receiver exploiting cyclic prefix for improved data estimation

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is a promising technique for multi-antenna broadband systems, since it significantly reduces receiver complexity by providing orthogonal subchannels. A drawback of OFDM systems is the performance/rate reduction due to the cyclic prefix overhead. We propose receiver structures that exploit the cyclic prefix to increase the performance of the link. The proposed structures use the standard OFDM transmitter, and the modifications are only made at the receiver. Optimum receivers in both the least-mean-squares and least-squares senses are presented, and they do not result in any extra processing complexity compared to the standard OFDM receiver. The proposed architecture is further extended to a MIMO OFDM structure. Simulation results validate the improved performance of the proposed receiver.
Web use and the RIT silicon processes course: triple implanted BJT process laboratory

A senior or graduate level advanced course covering diffusion, oxidation and ion implantation is intimately coupled to a laboratory fabrication project which uses a triple implanted BJT process. Example process simulations which reinforce lecture material are provided by way of the class Web site. Students simulate the entire process flow, including experimental design splits and collect process data on the Web for comparison and analysis. Pages on ion implantation are used to prepare students for use of the actual equipment. Animated Web applets are used to review some of the basic device physics before electrical testing begins. The electrical test programs, sample test data and setup information are also available through the Web. This paper describes RIT's implementation of these features in course work in microelectronics.
The Use of Low Energy X-Rays for Device Testing - A Comparison with Co-60 Radiation

Low (~10 keV) energy x-ray sources have been proposed as alternatives to Co-60 for device testing. Several effects caused by differences in the photon energies of the two types of sources are evaluated. Quantitative estimates of the magnitude of these effects and other factors which should be considered in setting up test protocols are presented. Several cases are defined where the differences in the effects caused by x-rays and Co-60 are expected to be small. Other cases where the differences may be as great as a factor of five are described. Lateral spreading of the collimated x-ray beam beyond the desired irradiated chip region is also discussed.
Off-line cursive handwriting recognition using neural networks

Recognition of general unconstrained cursive handwriting remains largely unsolved. We present a system for recognizing off-line cursive English text guided in part by global characteristics of the handwriting. A new method for finding the letter boundaries based on minimizing a heuristic cost function is introduced. The function is evaluated at each point along the baseline of the word to find the best possible segmentation points. The algorithm tries to find all the actual letter boundaries and as few additional ones as possible. After a normalization step that removes much of the style variation, the normalized segments are classified by a one hidden layer feedforward neural network. The word recognition algorithms find the segmentation points that are likely to be extraneous and generates all possible final segmentations of the word by either keeping or removing them. Interpreting the output of the neural network as posterior probabilities of letters, it then finds the word that maximizes the probability of having produced the image, over a set of 30,000 words and over all the possible final segmentations. We compared two hypotheses for finding the likelihood of words that are in the lexicon and found that using a Hidden Markov Model of English is significantly less successful than assuming independence among the letters of a word. In our initial test involving multiple writers, 68% of the words were in the top three choices.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Maniac III arithmetic system

Unlike most computers, for which there is a formal distinction between "fixed-point" and "floating-point" numbers, the University of Chicago Maniac III computer handles all numbers in a single format (exponent and coefficient, with the coefficient in general not normalized). This permits several types of arithmetic to be defined, which differ in that results are adjusted (coefficient scaled) according to different rules. These rules are classified in terms of "significant-digit," "normalized," "specified point" or "basic" characteristics. Since the operand format in all cases is the same, numbers can be processed by the various arithmetics without intermediate conversion, thus adding a dimension of flexibility to the computing process.This paper discusses the Maniac III arithmetic rules in some detail, showing how they embody the cited characteristics, and how consistent conventions for rounding, adjustment of zero and formation of low order parts are established. The trapping system used for the detection of anomalous results is also described.
Speech Communities: A Sociolinguistic Concept for Intercultural Communication Instruction.

Our increasingly globalized society is composed of numerous speech communities. Instructors of international and intercultural communication can use the sociolinguistic concept of speech community and its concomitant six aspects to organize their curricula and classroom activities efficiently and productively.
Evidence for Noradrenergic Mediation of Opioid Effects on Luteinizing Hormone Secretion

Ovariectomized rats received estradiol benzoate (EB; 7.5 μg/rat, on day 0 at 1000 h) and progesterone (P; 5 mg/rat, on day 2 at 1000 h). On day 2, these EB- and P-treated (EBP) rats received either saline (control; at 1215 and 1230 h), morphine sulfate (M; 45 μg/kg, at 1230 h), or naloxone (NAL; 2 μg/kg, at 1215 h), followed by M (at 1230 h), and were killed between 1445–1515 h. M treatment alone blocked the P-induced afternoon increases in serum LH and the medial basal hypothalamic LHRH levels, whereas NAL pretreatment counteracted the M-induced LH suppression. The involvement of central adrenergic systems in the M- and NAL-induced serum LH responses in EBP-treated and young male rats was next evaluated. In these rats, NAL injection elicited rapid increases in serum LH levels, which were blocked by M pretreatment. The dopamine agonist, apomorphine, or antagonist, pimozide, failed to inhibit LH release induced by NAL in EBP rats. When norepinephrine (NE) neurotransmission was selectively suppressed by an ...
Histone deacetylases and transcriptional therapy with their inhibitors.

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is characterized by the expansion of malignant myeloid cells blocked at the promyelocytic stage of hemopoietic development and is invariably associated with reciprocal chromosomal translocations involving the retinoic acid receptor α (RARα) gene on chromosome 17. RARα variably fuses to PML, PLZF, NPM, NuMA, and Stat5B genes (X genes/proteins). These translocations are balanced and reciprocal, thus leading to the generation of X-RARα and RARα-X fusion genes of which the products coexist in the APL blast. The invariable involvement in these translocations of RARα, a prototypical transcription factor, makes APL a compelling example of aberrant transcriptional mechanisms in the etiopathogenesis of cancer. This paper focuses on the recent progress in defining the molecular mechanisms underlying APL pathogenesis and addresses how this new understanding has allowed the proposal and development of novel therapeutic strategies with compounds such as histone deacetylase inhibitors and inorganic arsenicals such as As2O3 which are currently being tested in murine leukemia models as well as in human APL patients. In particular, the crucial role played by the aberrant transcriptional activities of X-RARα and RARα-X fusion proteins in APL pathogenesis is discussed by reviewing the relevant therapeutic implications resulting from this analysis.
Inhibition of Moraxella-Acinetobacter Cells by Sodium Phosphates and Sodium Chloride

The effect of sodium phosphates with and without NaCl, on the ability of unstressed and heat-stressed Moraxella-Acinetobacter (M-A) isolate number 7 cells to form colonies in plate count agar (PCA) was determined. The effectiveness, in order of decreasing ability, of phosphates to inhibit colony formation of unstressed M-A cells was as follows: sodium tripolyphosphate (Na5P3O10; STPP), sodium pyrophosphate (Na4P2O7; SPP), and sodium orthophosphate (Na3PO4; SP). Filter sterilized STPP was more inhibitory than when heated and inhibition was not related to pH. Certain combinations of NaCl and STPP were additive whereas combinations of NaCl and SPP exhibited a synergistic effect. Heat-stressed M-A cells were more sensitive to levels of NaCl (0.8%) than to levels of STPP (0.1%) or SPP (0.12%); all shown to have no effect on the number of colonies formed in PCA by unstressed cells.
End stage and chronic kidney disease: associations with renal cancer.

There is a well known association between end stage renal disease and the development of kidney cancer in the native kidney of patients requiring renal replacement therapy. There is now emerging evidence that lesser degrees of renal insufficiency (chronic kidney disease, CKD) are also associated with an increased likelihood of cancer in general and kidney cancer in particular. Nephro pathological changes are commonly observed in the non tumor bearing portions of kidney resected at the time of partial and radical nephrectomy. In addition, patients with renal cancer are more likely to have CKD at the time of diagnosis and treatment than the general population. The exact mechanism by which renal insufficiency transforms normal kidney cells into tumor cells is not known. Possible mechanisms include uremic immune inhibition or increased exposure to circulating toxins not adequately cleared by the kidneys. Surgeons managing kidney tumors must have an increased awareness of their patient’s renal functional status as they plan their resection. Kidney sparing approaches, including partial nephrectomy or active surveillance in older and morbidly ill patients, can prevent CKD or delay the further decline in renal function which is well documented with radical nephrectomy. Despite emerging evidence that partial nephrectomy provides equivalent local tumor control to radical nephrectomy while at the same time preventing CKD, this operation remains under utilized in the United States and abroad. Increased awareness of the bi directional relationship between kidney function and kidney cancer is essential in the contemporary management of kidney cancer.
Statistical implications of the dependence between the parameters used for calculations of large scale emissions inventories

Abstract Development of emissions inventories for large geographic areas is currently based on the use of “mass balance” equations to estimate the emissions from each source. The general equation used states that the instantaneous emissions from a particular source are the product of certain emission parameters, Ui, such as activity rate, emission factor, control efficiency, etc. The emission total over a time period T is thus E = TΠUi, but is approximated as E = TΠ U i . This gives rise to an error of approximation distinct from and logically prior to the usual errors of estimation found in statistical applications. The time series aspect of the emission parameters has very little effect on the bias of E , but the covariance between contemporaneous values of the emission parameters has a large effect. With two emission parameters X and Y, the bias is bounded by (0, - TσXY) for a wide variety of time series in X and Y. To date, studies have been unable to detect any dependence between currently used emission parameters; thus values of E are approximately unbiased. However, for a roughly realistic time series model, the mean squared error of E depends on the correlation between emission parameters one day apart. A conservative approach involves using √MSE ≈ 100σXσY.
Launch site payload ground support factors in Space Shuttle launch operations

This paper addresses several of the major factors in support of the Space Shuttle payload ground processing operations at the launch site. In particular, the factors of payload facility and transportation capabilities are addressed. The paper begins with an overview of payload ground processing. It discusses the specific facilities which support payload operations and outlines their roles in the activity. The transportation elements which are utilized at the launch site are then discussed. The paper concludes with a number of issues and concerns which impact the support of Shuttle payload ground processing.
Material Evidence Analysis upon Accident Investigation of Gas and Coal Dust Explosion

Abstract The gas and coal dust explosion accident is one of the most frequent and serious accidents in China coal mine. Based on explosion characteristics parameters after explosion and the change laws of gas and solid components, the comprehensive criteria of the determination of accident property and explosion source point in explosion accident investigation was put forward. The research of this paper provides theoretical basis for the inversion process of mine explosion accidents and material evidence analysis of explosion accident investigation. There are also important reference significance on the research of laws of gas and coal dust explosion.
Neurocognitive enhancement therapy with vocational services: Work outcomes at two-year follow-up

Abstract Neurocognitive enhancement therapy (NET) is a remediation program for the persistent and function-limiting cognitive impairments of schizophrenia. In a previous study in veterans, NET improved work therapy outcomes as well as executive function and working memory. The present study aimed to determine whether NET could enhance functional outcomes among schizophrenia and schizoaffective patients in a community mental health center receiving community-based vocational services. Method : Patients ( N = 72) participated in a hybrid transitional and supported employment program (VOC) and were randomized to either NET + VOC or VOC only. NET + VOC included computer-based cognitive training, work feedback and a social information information-processing group. VOC only also included two weekly support groups. Active intervention was 12 months with 12 month follow-up. Follow-up rate was 100%. Results : NET + VOC patients worked significantly more hours during the 12 month follow-up period, reached a significantly higher cumulative rate of competitive employment by the sixth quarter, and maintained significantly higher rates of employment. Conclusion : NET training improved vocational outcomes, suggesting the value of combining cognitive remediation with other rehabilitation methods to enhance functional outcomes.
Monoclonal anti-gametocyte antibodies identify an antigen present in all blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum.

Abstract Two polypeptides of 150 and 130 kDa present in all asexual and sexual blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum have been identified with anti-gametocyte monoclonal antibodies. The apparent molecular mass of these antigens is identical in different developmental stages of the parasite and in different isolates. These antigens are released in the culture supernatant during the process of schizogony and are also detected in the sera of patients undergoing a primary P. falciparum infection. Antibodies against these antigens occur in sera of a large percentage of children and most adults living in malaria-endemic areas, suggesting that they are highly immunogenic. The antigametocyte monoclonal antibodies react with a synthetic peptide (Glu-Glu-Asn-Val) 4 , present in antigen Pf155 [Perlmann, H. et al. (1984) J. Exp. Med. 159, 1686–1704] and in the ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen [Coppel, R.L. et al. (1984) Nature 310, 789–792], indicating that these polypeptides are closely related. In contrast, two glycophorin-binding proteins of similar molecular mass [Perkins, M.E. (1984) J. Exp. Med. 160, 788–798] appear to be entirely distinct from the presently described antigens. We failed to observe any in vitro inhibitory activity of the monoclonal antibodies on merozoite invasion and on gametocyte infectivity.
Distributed simple sequence repeat markers for efficient mapping from maize public mutagenesis populations

The genome sequence of the B73 maize inbred enables map-based cloning of genetic variants underlying phenotypes. In parallel to sequencing efforts, multiple public mutagenesis resources are being developed predominantly in the W22 and B73 inbreds. Efficient platforms to map mutants in these genetic backgrounds would aid molecular genetic analysis of the public resources. We screened 505 simple sequence repeat markers for polymorphisms between the B73, Mo17, and W22 inbreds. Using common thermocycling conditions, 47.1% of the markers showed co-dominant polymorphisms in at least one pair of inbreds. Based on these results, we identified 85 distributed markers for mapping in all three inbred pairs. For each inbred pair, the distributed set has 64-71 polymorphic markers with a mean distance of 27-29 cM between markers. The distributed markers give nearly complete coverage of the genetic map for each inbred pair. We demonstrate the utility of the marker set for efficient placement of mutants on the maize genetic map with an example mapping experiment of a seed mutant from the UniformMu mutagenesis resource. We conclude that these distributed molecular markers enable rapid mapping of phenotypic variants from public mutagenesis populations.
Optical coherence tomography speckle reduction by a partially spatially coherent source

Speckle in optical coherence tomography (OCT) images originates in the high spatial coherence of incident light that enables interference of light backscattered from spatially heterogenous tissue specimens. We report results of a numerical simulation and an experiment to test speckle reduction using a partially spatially coherent source. A Gaussian-Schell model for a partially spatially coherent source is used in the OCT simulation. For the experiment, such a source was generated by a spatially coherent boardband light source and a multimode fiber. The advantage of using a multimode fiber in combination with a broadband source is the large number of photons per coherence volume. To illustrate speckle reduction with a partially spatially coherent source, we record low-coherence interferograms of a scattering surface using single-mode and multimode source fibers. Interferograms recorded using a single-mode source fiber are indicative of those observed using conventional OCT. Speckle in OCT images recorded using a multimode source fiber is substantially reduced.
Macro-mineral concentrations in milk of two goat breeds at different stages of lactation

First-year freshened French-Alpine and Anglo-Nubian does, ten each, were randomly selected from the University milking herd to study concentration profiles of calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium and sulphur for 0 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, and 2, 3, 10, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 days postpartum and to evaluate differences in levels of teh six major minerals between breeds, stages of lactation and their interactions. Overall mean contents (mg/100ml) for Alpines and Nubians were: calcium: 138.6, 139.3; phosphorus: 129.2, 142.8; sodium: 55.4, 66.1; potassium: 110.8, 87.0; magnesium: 17.6, 19.2; sulphur: 2.97, 2.81, respectively. For pooled breed data, there were no differences in mean contents of calcium, phosphorus and sodium among lactation periods, but a few variations occurred in separate breed cases. The magnesium and sulphur levels revealed typical lactation trends, where colostrum contained significantly (P<0.05) greater levels than normal milk. The potassium levels fluctuated greatly by periods, and potassium and sodium levels were significantly (P<0.01) different between breeds. Interactions between breeds and lactation periods had no influence on the levels of any minerals. There were significant (P<0.01), positive correlations between calcium and phosphorus and negative correlations between sodium and potassium or calcium in the milk.
Racial differences in colorectal cancer survival in the Detroit Metropolitan area

African American (AA) women have poorer breast cancer survival compared to Caucasian American (CA) women. The purpose of this analysis was to determine whether socioeconomic status (SES) and treatment differences influence racial differences in breast cancer survival. The study population included 9,321 women (82% CA, 18% AA) diagnosed with local (63%) or regional (37%) stage disease between 1988 and 1992, identified through the Metropolitan Detroit SEER registry. Data on SES were obtained through linkage with the 1990 Census of Population and Housing Summary Tape and cases were geocoded to census block groups. Pathology, treatment and survival data were obtained through SEER. Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare survival for AA versus CA women after adjusting for age, SES, tumor size, number of involved lymph nodes, and treatment. AA␣women were more likely to live in a geographic area classified as working poor than were CA women (p<0.001). AA women were less likely to have lumpectomy and radiation and more likely to have mastectomy with radiation (p<0.001). After multivariable adjusted analysis, there were no significant racial differences in survival among women with local stage disease, although AA women with regional stage disease had persistent but attenuated poorer survival compared to CA women. After adjusting for known clinical and SES predictors of survival, AA and CA women who are diagnosed with local disease demonstrate similar overall and breast cancer-specific survival, while race continues to have an independent effect among women presenting at a later stage of disease.
Synthesis of [9-14C]nonanoic acid via 2-thienyl(14CH3)(cyano)cuprate and its oxidation by newborn piglet muscle strips.

Abstract To determine if newborn piglet muscle could oxidize propionyl-CoA formed by catabolism of odd-chain fatty acids, an odd-chain fatty acid labeled in the terminal three carbons was needed. The synthetic scheme described is based upon the displacement of a primary alkyl iodide, ethyl 8-iodooctanoate, by a [14C]methyl group via an activated 2-thienyl(14CH3)(cyano)cuprate intermediate, forming ethyl [9-14C]nonanoate. Ethyl [9-14C]nonanoate was hydrolyzed in 6 n KOH and [9-14C]nonanoic acid recovered by ion-exchange chromatography. The yield of [9-14C]nonanoic acid was 40%, based on the initial amount of [14C]methyl iodide. The cuprate and other precursors were commercially available or readily synthesized from available precursors. Mass spectroscopy of commercial and synthesized nonradioactive nonanoate determined anm/zof 159 for the product molecular ion, as expected. The14C-labeled product phenacyl ester was found to cochromatograph in a C-18 reverse-phase HPLC system with similarly derivatized commercially obtained nonanoic acid. The synthesis should be generally applicable to labeling of compounds by displacement of primary alkyl iodides, where other reactive groups (e.g., carboxylic acid),if present, can be protected (e.g., converted to an ester). Muscle strips isolated from the triceps muscle of newborn piglets oxidized [9-14C]nonanoic acid to14CO2. Newborn piglet muscle can oxidize propionyl-CoA produced during odd-chain fatty acid oxidation.
Characterization of cDNAs representing five abscisic acid-responsive genes associated with somatic embryogenesis in Picea glauca, and their responses to abscisic acid stereostructure

Five abscisic acid (ABA)-responsive cDNAs that were identified by differential screening of a white spruce [Picea glauca (Moench) Voss] cotyledonary somatic embryo cDNA library are characterized. Three of the cDNAs (PgEMB12, 14, 15) are predicted to encode homologues of different late-embryogenesis-abundant (LEA) proteins, a further two (PgEMB 5 and 23) share little similarity to any known DNA or protein sequences. When suspension cultures were fed 1.5 × 105 M S-(+)-ABA and assessed for transcript abundance over 48 h, gene expression corresponding to each lea-like gene was inducible and was evident during the 48-h period. Conversely, transcripts were at a very low abundance when suspensions were fed R-(−)-ABA. When suspensions were treated with a range of S-(+)-ABA and R-(−)-ABA concentrations (10−7–10−4 M), expression was induced at S-(+)-ABA concentrations of 10−5 M or above. Expression corresponding to PgEMB5 and PgEMB23 indicates less specificity for ABA stereostructure, with similar expression patterns being observed for either enantiomer during the 48 h after feeding. The two corresponding genes also appear more responsive to ABA concentration than the predicted lea genes, within the range examined (10−7–10−4 M).
Impact of Helical Computed Tomography on the Outcomes of Emergency Department Patients with Suspected Appendicitis

Objectives: To assess the impact of an emergency department (ED) guideline employing selective use of helical computed tomography (CT) on clinical outcomes of female patients with suspected appendicitis. Methods: All patients presenting with suspected appendicitis were prospectively enrolled and managed in accordance with a guideline incorporating selective use of helical CT. Although not the objective of this investigation, male patients were included for purposes of comparison. Patients with clinically evident appendicitis were referred to the surgical service, and patients with equivocal presentations were studied with helical CT. Patients were followed to final surgical or clinical outcomes. Outcome measures included time from ED presentation to laparotomy and rate of appendiceal perforation. These measures were compared with those of a historical cohort of patients preceding the use of helical CT. Results: A total of 310 consecutive patients with suspected appendicitis were enrolled; 92 had appendicitis. Sixty patients were referred to the surgical service without helical CT, and 41 had appendicitis (68%). Helical CT was performed on 250 patients; 51 had appendicitis (20%). For males, the mean interval from ED presentation to laparotomy was 559 minutes (95% CI = 444 to 674 minutes) during guideline use and 480 minutes (95% CI = 405 to 555 minutes) before. This interval for females was 433 minutes (95% CI = 326 to 540 minutes) during guideline use and 710 minutes (95% CI = 558 to 862 minutes) before. Appendiceal perforation rate for males was 0.25 (95% CI = 0.14 to 0.36) during guideline use and 0.38 (95% CI = 0.29 to 0.47) before; perforation rate for females was 0.06 (95% CI = -0.05 to 0.17) during guideline use and 0.23 (95% Cl = 0.14 to 0.32) before. Helical CT had 92% sensitivity, 97% specificity, and 96% accuracy in diagnosing appendicitis. Conclusions: Helical CT is highly accurate in detecting appendicitis in patients with equivocal ED presentations. The use of a guideline employing selective helical CT was associated with a decline in the time from ED presentation to operative intervention in females.
Studies on leukocyte brancher enzyme activityin a family with type IV glycogenosis

Brancher enzyme activity was measured with extracts of leukocytes from the parents of a child who died with type IV glycogen storage disease. The activity of this enzyme was reduced to approximately half that of leukocyte extracts from control patients, demonstrating a gene-dose effect. These findings tend to confirm deficiency of brancher enzyme activity as the primary defect and also suggest an autosomal recessive mechanism of inheritance of this disorder. Type IV glycogenosis is one of some 20 inborn metabolic disorders in which study of leukocytes can serve to identify the homozygous deficient or the heterozygous individual.
Structures for fuzzy decision systems

We introduce the concept of higher order criteria in the decision making problem. A prototypical manifestation of these types of criteria occurs in situations in which we desire to satisfy a criteria if it is possible without sacrificing the satisfaction to other primary criteria. We show how these types of criteria can be used to help model the process of satisficing.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
An inexpensive automated system for the measurement of rotational behavior in small animals

A reliable, low-cost automated system for the quantification of rotational behavior from up to 10 subjects simultaneously is described. The system resolves quarter and full turns to the left and right, and can relay data to another computer for statistical analysis. The system is easily constructed from simple and inexpensive components, including the computer, that total less than $1,000 and can be used with a variety of different test chambers.
Product class effects on perceived risk: The role of emotion

Abstract The article investigates a model of perceived risk. Evidence for the model is presented using an aggregative data set of 89 product categories which were randomly selected from the SIC manual. Results indicate that luxuries and necessities are both significantly related to perceived risk but in very different ways. It is also demonstrated that positive and negative emotional factors make a substantial contribution as mediators of product class effects on perceived risk. Once again, the effects on perceived risk are very different for each of the mediating factors.
Both the unique and repeat regions of the Porphyromonas gingivalis hemagglutin A are involved in adhesion and invasion of host cells.

Abstract Porphyromonas gingivalis is one of the major etiologic agents of adult periodontitis and has been associated with cardiovascular diseases. It expresses multiple hemagglutinins that are significant virulence factors and play an important role in bacterial attachment and invasion of host cells. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of P . gingivalis hemagglutinin A (HagA) on the attachment to and invasion of human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC) and gingival epithelial cells (GEC). Bacterial strains expressing the HagA protein (or subunits), including Escherichia coli carrying plasmid pEKS5, E . coli carrying plasmid ST2, and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium with plasmid pNM1.1 were used in this study. The strains were tested for their ability to attach to and invade HCAEC and GEC using antibiotic protection assays. In addition, the unique 5′ N-terminal non-repeated segment of HagA was purified in recombinant form and a monoclonal antibody was created against the polypeptide. The monoclonal antibody against the unique portion of HagA was tested for inhibitory activity in these assays. The attachment of both E . coli strains expressing HagA fragment to host cells was significantly increased compared to their respective controls. However, they did not invade GEC or HCAEC. Interestingly, HagA expression in the Salmonella strain increased both adherence to and invasion of HCAEC, which may be due to the presence of the entire hag A ORF. A monoclonal antibody against the unique 5′ N-terminal portion of HagA reduced invasion. Further experiments are needed to determine the role of the unique and the repeat segments of P . gingivalis HagA.
A Period-Luminosity Relation for the Slow Variations of Luminous Blue Variables

The slow (annual-to-decadal) cycles of light and color variation displayed by many luminous blue variables show mean "periods" that are inversely proportional to the stars' luminosities. New theoretical evolutionary tracks reveal that very massive stars undergo repeated mass outbursts due to quasi-secular oscillations of the stellar envelope between dynamically stable and unstable states, at the observed locations of LBVs at quiescence in the H-R diagram. Within the estimated errors, the models correctly predict the observed "periods," eruption mass-loss rates, and lack of dependence of these rates on the stars' luminosities. During a cycle the models shift nearly imperceptibly on the H-R diagram. Observed variations of light and color in the LBVs are therefore probably attributable to changes in size of the optically thick ejected cloud. An earlier phase of stronger dynamical instability is predicted to have led to the ejection of huge circumstellar shells, whose computed masses scale with stellar luminosity in roughly the manner observed for massive old nebulae surrounding LBVs.