cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interaction of BP180 (Type XVII Collagen) and α6 Integrin is Necessary for Stabilization of Hemidesmosome Structure

The hemidesmosome is a multimolecular complex that integrates the extracellular matrix with the keratin cytoskeleton and that stabilizes epithelial attachment to connective tissue. A 180 kDa protein (BP180, type XVII collagen), first identified by its reactivity with autoantibodies in the serum of patients with a blistering skin disease called bullous pemphigoid (BP), is a transmembrane component of the hemidesmosome with a collagen-like extracellular domain. Here, using recombinantly expressed molecules and the yeast two-hybrid assay, we have identified α6 integrin as a BP180-binding partner. The association between specific domains of the BP180 and α6 integrin molecules is inhibited by a 14 mer peptide, whose sequence is identical to amino acid residues 506–519 in the noncollagenous region of the ectodomain of the BP180 molecule, as well as by antibodies raised against this peptide. The 14 mer peptide sequence is part of an epitope recognized by autoantibodies that are pathogenic in BP.In vivo, when 804G cells are plated into medium containing the same peptide, they fail to assemble hemidesmosomes. Furthermore, although BP180 and certain cytoplasmic components of the hemidesmosome colocalize in the peptide-treated cells, they are aberrantly distributed and fail to show extensive association with α6β4 integrin. Taken together, our results indicate that BP180 is a novel transmembrane ligand of the α6β4 integrin heterodimer. In addition, our data provide support for the possibility that BP180 and α6 integrin interaction is not only mediated by the BP epitope but is necessary for hemidesmosome formation.
Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Independent School Teacher Development Inventory

In this study the author examined the psychometrics of an instrument, the Independent School Teacher Development Inventory, designed to assess the professional learning opportunities in U.S. independent schools. The inventory was sent to 3,422 independent school administrators and of these, 2,474 returned completed surveys. Exploratory factor analysis performed on a randomly assigned half of the sample (n = 1237) suggested that the Independent School Teacher Development Inventory comprises 5 factors: traditional, content, coherence, duration, and active learning/collaboration. Confirmatory factor analysis performed on the second half of the sample provided additional support for a 5-factor structure of the inventory. The Independent School Teacher Development Inventory is a promising tool for assessing professional development practices in independent schools, and further research is warranted to determine whether it may be appropriate for use in public schools.
The role of granules within viscous capture threads of orb-weaving spiders

Sticky viscous prey capture threads form the spiral elements of spider orb-webs and are responsible for retaining insects that strike a web. These threads are formed of regularly spaced aqueous droplets that surround a pair of supporting axial fibers. When a thread is flattened on a microscope slide a small, opaque granule can usually be seen within each droplet. These granules have been thought to be the glycoprotein glue that imparts thread adhesion. Both independent contrast and standard regressions showed that granule size is directly related to droplet volume and indicated that granule volume is about 15% of droplet volume. We attempted to find support for the hypothesized adhesive role of granules by establishing an association between the contact surface area and volume of these granules and the stickiness of the viscous threads of 16 species in the context of a six-variable model that describes thread stickiness. However, we found that granule size made either an insignificant or a small negative contribution to thread stickiness. Consequently, we hypothesize that granules serve to anchor larger, surrounding layers of transparent glycoprotein glue to the axial fibers of the thread, thereby equipping droplets to resist slippage on the axial fibers as these droplets generate adhesion, elongate under a load, and transfer force to the axial fibers. * APP : the contact surface area of flattened primary and secondary droplets on a contact plate DL : primary droplet length DW : primary droplet width EDN : the total droplet equivalents that contribute to a thread's stickiness on a contact plate GA : contact surface area of a granule in a primary droplet GAPP : total surface area of granules in primary droplets adhering to a contact plate GL : length of a granule in a primary droplet GV : volume of a granule in a primary droplet GVPP : total volume of granules in primary droplets adhering to a plate GW : width of a granule in a primary droplet PDPP : primary droplets per contact plate PH2O : proportion of water in a primary droplet PV : volume of a primary droplet RE : residual extensibility of a thread SDPP : number of secondary droplets per contact plate SHAPE : twice the focal length of a parabola defined by the lower half of a primary droplet SVPP : total secondary droplet volume per contact plate T : thickness of a flattened primary droplet, determined by dividing its PV by its flattened area
Reply to comment by H. Q. Feng, D. J. Wu, and J. K. Chao on “Comparison of small‐scale flux rope magnetic properties to large‐scale magnetic clouds: Evidence for reconnection across the HCS”?

[1] The comment by Feng et al. [2010] suggests that the semi-automated algorithm developed by Cartwright and Moldwin [2008] is not always a reliable method of identifying flux ropes and that the duration distribution of flux ropes in the solar wind is not bimodal. The semi-automated method was developed in an attempt to remove the subjective nature of visual flux rope identification by using quantitative minimum criteria for flux rope selection. It searches for the classic signatures of a flux rope; that of a core field enhancement coincident with an inflection point in the bipolar field of the flux rope. The automated method identified 68 flux ropes of which Feng et al. [2010] find that 10 have magnetic field rotation signatures that are not smooth (low variance) and hence should not be considered flux ropes. It is possible that a small percentage of the events found by the semi-automated program were random IMF fluctuations rather than flux ropes. The smoothness (or low variance) of the flux rope rotation signature can depend on the presence of waves [e.g., Moldwin and Hughes, 1992] and has been included as one of the several identifying properties of magnetic clouds [e.g., Burlaga et al., 1981]. How low variance or smooth a flux rope can be is subjective from survey to survey, but was not one of the selection criterions for the automated survey. To examine if the inclusion of the non-smooth events influences the conclusions of the Cartwright and Moldwin [2008] study, we removed the 10 flux ropes and analyzed the duration distribution of small to large-scale size flux ropes.
Variable influence of heparin and contrast agents on platelet function as assessed by the in vitro bleeding time.

Abstract Both heparin and contrast agents have anticoagulant effects which are well-documented but their effects on platelets are not well-characterized. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the sequential effects of heparin and then a contrast agent on platelet function during an angiographic procedure. Blood samples from 54 patients were obtained at baseline, after a 5000 unit bolus of heparin and after administration of a contrast agent (iohexol, n=30: diatrizoate, n=24) during angiography. The in vitro bleeding time (IVBT) was determined on nonanticoagulated whole blood using a hollow fiber device under physiological flow conditions. Mean IVBT at baseline was 3.6 ± 2.7 minutes and increased to 17.0 ± 12.3 minutes after heparin (p
Interaction of a toxin from the scorpion Tityus serrulatus with a cloned K+ channel from squid (sqKv1A).

A toxin from the scorpion Tityus serrulatus (TsTX-Kα) blocks native squid K+ channels and their cloned counterpart, sqKv1A, at pH 8 (nativeKd ≈ 20 nM; sqKv1AKd ≈ 10 nM). In both cases, decreasing the pH below 7.0 significantly diminishes the TsTX-Kα effect (pK = 6.6). In the cloned squid channel, the pH dependence of the block is abolished by a single point mutation (H351G), and no change in toxin affinity was observed at higher pH values (pH ≥8.0). To further investigate the TsTX-Kα−sqKv1A interaction, the three-dimensional structure of TsTX-Kα was determined in solution by NMR spectroscopy, and a model of the TsTX-Kα−sqKv1A complex was generated. As found for other α-K toxins such as charybdotoxin (CTX), site-directed mutagenesis at toxin residue K27 (K27A, K27R, and K27E) significantly reduced the toxin's affinity for sqKv1A channels. This is consistent with the TsTX-Kα−sqKv1A model reported here, which has K27 of the toxin inserted into the ion conduction pathway of the K+ channel. This toxin-channel ...
Microsecond-resolution electrical measurements in high-current discharges

The instrumentation and operation of an accurate technique for electrical measurements in a capacitor discharge system are described. Capable of measuring currents up to about 50 kA at voltages up to 10 kV, the system uses commercially available current transformers to measure both current and voltage. The measurement system was evaluated by performing experiments on a calibrated Inconel resistor. The results indicate that electrical resistance and imparted electrical energy can be measured with an uncertainly of less than 1.5%.
Menin induces endodermal differentiation in aggregated P19 stem cells by modulating the retinoic acid receptors

Menin, a ubiquitously expressed protein, is the product of the multiple endocrine neoplasia type I (Men1) gene, mutations of which cause tumors primarily of the parathyroid, endocrine pancreas, and anterior pituitary. Menin-null mice display early embryonic lethality, and thus imply a critical role for menin in early development. In this study, using the P19 embryonic carcinoma stem cells, we studied menin’s role in cell differentiation. Menin expression is induced in P19 cell aggregates by retinoic acid (RA). Menin over-expressing stable clones proliferated in a significantly reduced rate compared to the empty vector harboring cells. RA induced cell death in aggregated menin over-expressing cells. However, in the absence of RA, specific populations of the aggregated menin over-expressing cells displayed the characteristic of an endodermal phenotype by the acquisition of cytokeratin Endo A expression (TROMA-1), a marker for the primitive endoderm, with a concomitant loss of the stem cell marker SSEA-1. Menin’s ability to induce endodermal differentiation in specific populations of the aggregated cells in the absence of RA implied that menin could substitute RA by inducing a set of target genes that are RA responsive. Menin over-expressing cells upon aggregation showed a robust expression of RA receptors (RAR), RARα, β, and γ relative to the empty vector-harboring cells. Moreover, endodermal differentiation was inhibited by the pan-RAR antagonist Ro41-5253, suggesting that menin could induce endodermal differentiation of uncommitted cells by functionally modulating the RARs.
Using latent semantic analysis to find different names for the same entity in free text

A common problem faced when gathering information from the web is the use of different names to refer to the same entity. For example, the city in India referred to as Bombay in some documents may be referred to as Mumbai in others because its name officially changed from the former to the latter in 1995. Multiplicity of names can cause relevant documents to be missed by search engines. Our goal is to develop an automated system that discovers additional names for an entity given just one of its names. Latent semantic analysis (LSA) is generally thought to be well-suited for this task (Berry & Fierro 1996). We demonstrate empirically that under a broad range of circumstances LSA performs poorly, and describe a two-stage algorithm based on LSA that performs significantly better.
What Is Learned From Artificial Grammars? Transfer Tests of Simple Association

Ss were trained on letter pairs or letter strings in an artificial grammar learning paradigm to determine the extent to which implicit learning is driven by simple associative knowledge. Learning on strings resulted in sensitivity to violations of grammaticality and in transfer to a changed letter set. Learning on letter pairs resulted in less sensitivity and no transfer. Discrepancies in performance were later reduced, but not eliminated, by equating the task demands of the conditions during learning. A direct test of associative knowledge showed that training on letter pairs resulted in knowledge of legal bigrams, but this knowledge was only weakly related to violation sensitivity
Effect of lyophilization and freeze-thawing on the stability of siRNA-liposome complexes

The purpose of this research was to describe the application of lyophilization in the delivery of siRNA using cationic lipids by addressing the long-term formulation/stability issues associated with cationic lipids and to understand the mechanism of lyoprotection. siRNA liposomes complexes were formed in different potential cyro/lyoprotectants and subjected to either lyophilization or freeze thaw cycles. siRNA, liposomes and/or lipoplexes were tested for activity, SYBR Green I binding, cellular uptake and particle size. The lipoplexes when lyophilized in the presence of sugars as lyoprotectants could be lyophilized and reconstituted without loss of transfection efficacy but in ionic solutions they lost 65–75% of their functionality. The mechanism of this loss of activity was further investigated. The lyophilization process did not alter siRNA’s intrinsic biological activity as was evident by the ability of lyophilized siRNA to retain functionality and SYBR green I binding ability. While the lipoplex size dramatically increased (∼50–70 times) after lyophilization in the absence of non-ionic lyoprotectants. This increase in size correlated to the decrease in cellular accumulation of siRNA and a decrease in activity. In conclusion, siRNAs can be applied in cationic lipid lyophilized formulations and these complexes represent a potential method of increasing the stability of pre-formed complex.
Effect of Ebola Progression on Transmission and Control in Liberia

The current epidemic of Ebola virus disease in Western Africa is unprecedented, and there is an urgent need to control its trajectory with very limited resources. Using clinical and epidemiologic d...
Energy Conversion Techniques

The conception and evolution of the basic principles of thermionic energy conversion, the newest of the heat-to-electricity conversion methods, are described. The application of thermionic energy converters to its ideal heat source, the fission reactor, is discussed. It is believed that the state of the art is far enough advanced to make such a thermionic-reactor system practical within the next decade.
The influence of local control on metastatic dissemination of prostate cancer treated by external beam megavoltage radiation therapy

The influence of local control on metastatic dissemination was analyzed in 601 patients with clinically staged A2 to C prostate cancer treated by high-energy external beam radiation therapy who did not undergo hormonal manipulation before disease progression. Median follow-up for surviving patients was 7.7 years. Ninety-three patients had locally recurrent disease. The actuarial incidence of metastases in these patients (70% at 13 years) was significantly higher than in the 508 patients without local failure (40% at 13 years, P less than 0.001). High stage, high grade, prior transurethral resection, elevated acid phosphatase, disease fixation to the pelvic sidewall, and failure to perform a baseline bone scan correlated positively with the occurrence of metastases. However, except for a slight excess of Stage C, none of the metastatic predictors were more common in patients who failed locally than in those who did not. The Stage C preponderance does not account for the difference in incidence of metastases between the two groups, in as much as metastases were significantly more common in Stage C when disease recurred locally than when it did not. Thus, local control of prostate cancer does decrease the likelihood of metastatic disease. Moreover, patients with local control experienced a significantly better disease-specific survival than patients who failed locally.
Free-Energy Relationships between the Proton and Hydride Donor Abilities of [HNi(diphosphine)2]+ Complexes and the Half-Wave Potentials of Their Conjugate Bases

A linear free-energy relationship exists between the half-wave potentials of the (II/I) couples of Ni(diphosphine)2 complexes and the hydride donor ability (ΔG°H−) of the corresponding [HNi(diphosphine)2]+ complexes. A similar correlation is observed between the half-wave potentials of the (I/0) couples of Ni(diphosphine)2 complexes and the pKa values (or ΔG°H+) of the corresponding [HNi(diphosphine)2]+ complexes. As a result, it is possible to use the potentials of these two couples to predict the free energies of all three Ni−H bond cleavage reactions, ΔG°H+, ΔG°H•, and ΔG°H−, for this class of nickel complexes. The molecular structures of Ni(Et2PCH2CH2PPh2)2 and Ni(Ph2PCHCHPPh2)2 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies.
Effects of alpha-aminoisobutyric acid on urinary excretion of homocystine in patients with homocystinuria

Abstract The effect of oral administration of α-amino-isobutyric acid (AIB) on the renal clearance and excretion of 14 amino acids was studied in two patients with homocystinuria, secondary to cystathionine synthase deficiency, and one normal subject. In both patients AIB increased the clearance of homocystine two- to threefold. In addition, there was a positive relationship between plasma AIB concentration and changes in homocystine clearance in that the greater the plasma concentration of AIB, the greater the increase in homocystine clearance.
Pediatric palliative care.

Children’s health has been the principal beneficiary of the scientific and medical technologic advances of the twentieth century40 Between 1900 and 1994, the mortality rates for the total population were reduced by more than 50%, whereas childhood mortality rates decreased by more than 90%.89,’04 F~lton~~ writes of a death-freegenerution, a generation that has lived into adulthood and had children with little likelihood of experiencing the death of an elderly relative let alone the death of a child.28 Few families, including grandparents, have cared for a dying child or known a child with a significant risk of dying, and most providers of health care to children have cared for relatively few dying children. In general, most health care providers are familiar with the principles of palliative care, especially as applied to the aging adult population. Although these principles can be applied generally to the care of children, the needs of dying children and their families are unique and require special ~onsideration.4~ Childhood is a time of rapid changes in physical maturity and cognition, with the acquisition of independence and autonomy. The impact of the changes on the management of a life-limiting illness and the impact of the illness on the progression of developmental tasks such as independence and autonomy are significant.
Suppression of growth in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo of human carcinoma cell lines by transfected p16INK4

The function of p16INK4 as a putative tumor suppressor gene was examined by investigating its ability to inhibit the growth of cancer cell lines in vitro and tumor formation in vivo. A p16INK4 cDNA expression vector was transfected into five human cancer cell lines that varied in their p16INK4 and retinoblastoma (Rb) status. Suppression of colony-forming efficiency was seen in four cell lines. Of two cell lines wild type for p16INK4 but null for Rb protein expression, one (Hep 3B) showed inhibition of colony formation, whereas the other (Saos-2) did not. This observation may demonstrate involvement of p16INK4 independent of Rb. The transfected p16INK4 gene was frequently selected against and lost during continued growth in vitro. When compared to the colon carcinoma cell line (DLD-1), p16INK4-transfected DLD-1 clone 1 cells were less tumorigenic in athymic nude mice. Tumors arising from p16INK4-transfected DLD-1 clones, which were growth suppressed in vitro, either lost the integrated exogenous p16INK4 or expressed reduced amounts of p16INK4 protein. Therefore, p16INK4 was also selected against during tumor formation in vivo. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that p16INK4 is a tumor suppressor gene. (This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.) © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Enthalpies of Mixing in Silver Bromide—Alkali Bromide and Thallium Chloride—Alkali Chloride Liquid Mixtures

The enthalpies of mixing in silver bromide—alkali bromide and thallium chloride—alkali chloride liquid mixtures have been determined by high‐temperature reaction calorimetry.The following semiempirical relations represent the molar enthalpies of mixing to a good approximation: AgBr–AlkBr: HM=N1N2(U0+++52δ12−340δ122) kcal/mole,TlCl–AlkCl: HM=N1N2(U0+++21δ12−340δ122) kcal/mole. In these expressions N1 and N2 are the mole fractions of the two components, while δ12 = (d1 — d2)/d1d2, when d1 and d2 are the sums of the ionic radii in the two component salts. The positive term U0+ + differs from system to system. It represents a theoretical estimate of the contribution to the mixing enthalpy which arises from the dispersion interaction between next‐nearest‐neighbor cations, calculated by an adaptation of the method of Mayer.These expressions are similar to the ones previously determined for the silver chloride—alkali chloride and silver nitrate—alkali nitrate systems, except for the coefficient of the term lin...
Aging increases inattentional blindness to the gorilla in our midst.

When engaged in an attention demanding task, people are surprisingly vulnerable to inattentional blindness, the failure to notice an unexpected event. Two theories of cognitive aging, attentional capacity models and inhibitory deficit models, make opposite predictions about age differences in susceptibility to inattentional blindness. We tested these predictions using an inattentional blindness paradigm developed by Simons and Chabris (1999) and found that older adults were more likely to experience inattentional blindness than young adults. These results are compatible with attentional capacity models of cognitive aging, but not with current inhibitory deficit models.
Strategies for directing the structure and function of three-dimensional collagen biomaterials across length scales

Collagen type I is a widely used natural biomaterial that has found utility in a variety of biological and medical applications. Its well-characterized structure and role as an extracellular matrix protein make it a highly relevant material for controlling cell function and mimicking tissue properties. Collagen type I is abundant in a number of tissues, and can be isolated as a purified protein. This review focuses on hydrogel biomaterials made by reconstituting collagen type I from a solubilized form, with an emphasis on in vitro studies in which collagen structure can be controlled. The hierarchical structure of collagen from the nanoscale to the macroscale is described, with an emphasis on how structure is related to function across scales. Methods of reconstituting collagen into hydrogel materials are presented, including molding of macroscopic constructs, creation of microscale modules and electrospinning of nanoscale fibers. The modification of collagen biomaterials to achieve the desired structures and functions is also addressed, with particular emphasis on mechanical control of collagen structure, creation of collagen composite materials and crosslinking of collagenous matrices. Biomaterials scientists have made remarkable progress in rationally designing collagen-based biomaterials and in applying them both to the study of biology and for therapeutic benefit. This broad review illustrates recent examples of techniques used to control collagen structure and thereby to direct its biological and mechanical functions.
They Went Thataway

Our profession, if indeed it is such, has undergone evolutionary development since its inception---an event which ought to be reckoned as far back as the first person who had well-developed entrepreneurial instincts, a good education, and generous helpings of intelligence and common sense. And that, I suspect, is a long time. I carefully refrain from making the tasteless claim that this may even make it the world's oldest profession. But, beginning with the mid-60s, I seem to detect a different kind of change; one which implies certain perils and which we can ignore only at grave risk. I think I can best communicate what I mean by, first, making a number of assertions which are, in my mind, incontrovertible fact; second, drawing a number of conclusions from these, and, finally, recommending a course of action capable of coping with the issue at hand.
Epidurals for Labor May Improve Outcomes for Babies of Women at High Risk for Unscheduled Cesarean Section † 547

Epidurals for Labor May Improve Outcomes for Babies of Women at High Risk for Unscheduled Cesarean Section † 547
Serum antibody to Sarcoptes scabiei and house dust mite prior to and during infestation with S. scabiei

In this study, serum antibodies to Sarcoptes scabiei var. canis (SS), Dermatophagoides farinae (DF), and D. pteronyssinus (DP) were determined in 19 healthy, random-source dogs prior to infestation with scabies then again during a primary infestation, cure and challenge infestation with scabies. Prior to scabies infestation, serum of 11 dogs contained faintly detectable amounts of IgE and/or IgG to proteins in SS extract, probably resulting from sensitization to dust mites that share cross-reactive antigenic epitopes with SS. After becoming infested with scabies, the response to SS antigens became stronger with antibodies appearing to more antigens as the scabies infestation progressed. Three of the newly recognized proteins were 170, 155 and 142/133kD and could be used in a diagnostic test since antibodies to them appeared during the primary infestation. In addition, during the primary infestation, 14 of 15 dogs developed IgE to 1-11 new SS proteins in addition to an increase in IgE binding to those proteins recognized prior to infestation. Overall, the strongest antibody responses (IgE and IgG) were exhibited during cure of the first infestation, when dead mites were still present in the stratum corneum. As expected, the antibody response was strong and rapid during challenge when the infestation self-cured. The immunogenic SS proteins identified by serum antibody binding during challenge, when the hosts self-cured, are candidates for inclusion in a vaccine. These candidate proteins are 200, 185, 170, 155, 142/133, 112, 97, 74, 57, 45/42, 32 and 22kD. Some of the proteins in SS that exhibited new or increased antibody binding during the experiment also had IgE and IgG binding to proteins with similar molecular weights in DF and DP extracts. These results illustrate the difficulties involved in understanding and interpreting serum antibody for developing a serological test for the diagnosis of scabies, isolating relevant SS antigens that could be included in a vaccine for prevention of scabies, and for understanding the immune response mechanism to scabies.
Short-Term Efficacy of Botulinum Toxin A for Refractory Overactive Bladder in the Elderly Population

Purpose: We determined the efficacy of intravesical botulinum toxin A injection for refractory overactive bladder in elderly patients.Materials and Methods: Patients 75 years or older with refractory urinary urgency were prospectively evaluated and offered treatment of symptoms with botulinum toxin A. A voiding log was obtained and urodynamics were performed before treatment. Patients underwent injection of 200 U botulinum toxin A (Botox®) into the detrusor muscle at 20 sites under cystoscopic guidance. Patients were followed postoperatively for evidence and duration of success, and treatment related complications.Results: From January 2006 to June 2007, 18 females and 3 males with a mean age of 81.2 years (range 75 to 92) in whom detrusor overactivity was confirmed on urodynamics and who were refractory to or intolerant of antimuscarinics were treated with intravesical botulinum toxin A. Preoperatively the mean ± SD number of daily voids was 11.4 ± 1.67 and the mean number of pads per day was 4.0 ± 0.89....
Field independence and laterality in the perception of faces.

For a sample of 28 college males the degree of left visual-field bias in the perception of faces correlated .45 (p < .01) with extent of field-independent performance, as assessed by a composite sc...
PAR7: VALIDATION OF A MODEL OF SEVERITY OF ILLNESS IN CHRONIC RESPIRATORY DISEASE

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to adapt a previously validated questionnaire to a pharmacy claims database and examine its construct validity in measuring severity of illness in chronic respiratory disease (CRD). METHODS: The authors modified an asthma severity of illness questionnaire (13 items, total score range 0–28) based upon symptoms, medication use, hospitalization information and intubation history to a scale that is more conducive to retrospective data analysis. The adapted CRD scale (CRDS) was based on pharmacy claims data and hospitalization history (11 items, total score range 0–18). The CRDS was compared to utility as measured by a general health visual analogue scale and quality of life (QoL) as measured by the Physical Component Scale (PCS), Physical Function (PF) and General Health (GH) domains of the SF-36. Panel data analysis was performed on pharmacy claims and survey data from the Kaiser Permanente/USC Consultation Study. QoL and utility were regressed on the CRDS, along with covariates. A non-respiratory chronic disease score was used to control for chronic disease while avoiding significant multicollinearity. The analysis was limited to 126 patients with CRD followed over 3 years. The Hausman specification test was used to determine the appropriateness of the random-effects model formulation. RESULTS: The Hausman specification test suggested the use of the fixed-effects formulation for utility (m = 8.2, p> m = 0.0420). The CRDS was negative and significant (−1.79, p m = 0.0333) and random-effects for GH (p> m = 0.0628) and PF (p> m = 0.1495). The CRDS was significant and negative for all three QoL domains: (PCS: −0.68, p < 0.0085; PF: −0.97, p<0.0130; GH: −0.065, p < 0.0077). CONCLUSION: The adaptation of the asthma severity of illness questionnaire appears to be a valid measure of chronic respiratory disease in a pharmacy claims database.
Environmental factors that impact the performance of a seismic landmine detection system

A system has been developed that uses high frequency seismic waves and non- contacting displacement sensors for the detection of land mines. The system consists of a moving displacement sensor and a stationary elastic-wave source. The source generates elastic waves in the earth. These waves propagate across the minefield where they interact with buried mines. The sensor measures the displacements at the earth's surface due to the passage of the waves and the interactions of the waves with mines. Because the mechanical properties of the mine are different from those of the earth, the surface displacements caused by the interaction are distinct form those associated with the free-field propagation of the waves. This provides the necessary cue for mine detection. The system has been demonstrated in a controlled laboratory environment, and efforts are currently underway to transition this work into field tests. Moving the experimental effort into the outdoor environment is a critical milestone toward the ultimate goal of this research effort, which is the design of a field-operable mine detection and classification system. There are many issues associated with this transition. Foremost among these is the propagation characteristics of seismic waves in the field environment and, particularly, the mechanisms that limit the energy which can be coupled into the seismic signal that is used to search for mines. To investigate this, a measurements was undertaken to determine the effects of environmental factors at both sites on the generation and propagation of seismic waves. At both sites, strong non-linearity was observed which limited the energy content of the incident signal.
NifX and NifEN exchange NifB cofactor and the VK-cluster, a newly isolated intermediate of the iron-molybdenum cofactor biosynthetic pathway

The iron-molybdenum cofactor of nitrogenase (FeMo-co) is synthesized in a multistep process catalysed by several Nif proteins and is finally inserted into a pre-synthesized apo-dinitrogenase to generate mature dinitrogenase protein. The NifEN complex serves as scaffold for some steps of this synthesis, while NifX belongs to a family of small proteins that bind either FeMo-co precursors or FeMo-co during cofactor synthesis. In this work, the binding of FeMo-co precursors and their transfer between purified Azotobacter vinelandii NifX and NifEN proteins was studied to shed light on the role of NifX on FeMo-co synthesis. Purified NifX binds NifB cofactor (NifB-co), a precursor to FeMo-co, with high affinity and is able to transfer it to the NifEN complex. In addition, NifEN and NifX exchange another [Fe-S] cluster that serves as a FeMo-co precursor, and we have designated it as the VK-cluster. In contrast to NifB-co, the VK-cluster is electronic paramagnetic resonance (EPR)-active in the reduced and the oxidized states. The NifX/VK-cluster complex is unable to support in vitro FeMo-co synthesis in the absence of NifEN because further processing of the VK-cluster into FeMo-co requires the simultaneous activities of NifEN and NifH. Our in vitro studies suggest that the role of NifX in vivo is to serve as transient reservoir of FeMo-co precursors and thus help control their flux during FeMo-co synthesis.
Satellites and sneakers: opportunistic male breeding tactics in pupfish (Cyprinodon pecosensis)

Manipulations of population density, availability of oviposition substrate, and size of breeding habitat affected the proportion of pupfish (Cyprinodon pecosensis) males adopting territorial and satellite breeding tactics. Satellites occupied stations above breeding substrates defended by territorial males. Both territorial and satellite males developed a bright blue breeding coloration. A third breeding tactic, sneak-spawning, was occasionally observed. Sneak-spawning males retained the cryptic female coloration and occasionally spawned on territories. The lower reproductive success of satellites and sneak-spawning males suggested that both are conditional breeding tactics adopted by competitively inferior males. Satellites were present in all treatments that favored a territorial breeding system, but were absent when the breeding system was a dominance hierarchy. Satellites were associated with territorial males that had higher reproductive success and larger territories than males without satellites. Satellites functioned as parasites rather than as mutualists, since they disrupted spawnings and stole copulations from territorial males. The occurrence and frequency of the conditional breeding behaviours in pupfish represent facultative responses of males to changes in the intensity of competition for breeding sites and females.
Quaternary Ammonium Compounds in Urban Estuarine Sediment Environments - A Class of Contaminants in Need of Increased Attention?

The distributions of wastewater-derived quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) were determined in surficial sediments (n = 47) collected from the urbanized lower Hudson River basin. The most abundant class of QACs were dialkyldimethylammonium compounds (DADMACs, with C8 to C18 carbon chain lengths; median ΣDADMAC = 26 μg/g), followed by benzylalkyldimethylammonium compounds (BAC, C12−C18; 1.5 μg/g), and alkyltrimethylammonium compounds (ATMAC, primarily C16 and C18; 0.52 μg/g). The concentrations of total QACs are higher than those of other conventional organic contaminants determined on the same samples (e.g., median ΣPAH level of 2.1 μg/g). Comparatively high concentrations, correlations with sewage derived contaminants, and the relatively constant compositions of QACs observed over large areas suggest that many sediment-sorbed QACs can be relatively persistent in receiving waters. Unusually large concentration-dependent sorption is considered as a mechanism that likely affects persistence of these intrin...
Optimal regularization parameter estimation for image restoration

Image restoration results that are both objectively and subjectively superior can be obtained by allowing the regularization to be spatially variant. Space-variant regularization can be accomplished through iterative restoration techniques. The optimal choice of the regularization parameter is usually unknown a priori. The generalized cross-validation (GCV) criterion has proven to perform well as an estimator of this parameter in a space-invariant setting. However, the GCV criterion is prohibitive to compute for space-variant regularization. In this work, we introduce an estimator of the GCV criterion that can be used to estimate the optimal regularization parameter. The estimator of the GCV measure can be evaluated with a computational effort on the same order as that required to restore the image. Results are presented which show that this estimate works well for space-variant regularization.
Spatial Stochastic Models for Cancer Initiation and Progression

The multistage carcinogenesis hypothesis has been formulated by a number of authors as a stochastic process. However, most previous models assumed "perfect mixing" in the population of cells, and included no information about spatial locations. In this work, we studied the role of spatial dynamics in carcinogenesis. We formulated a 1D spatial generalization of a constant population (Moran) birth-death process, and described the dynamics analytically. We found that in the spatial model, the probability of fixation of advantageous and disadvantageous mutants is lower, and the rate of generation of double-hit mutants (the so-called tunneling rate) is higher, compared to those for the space-free model. This means that the results previously obtained for space-free models give an underestimation for rates of cancer initiation in the case where the first event is the generation of a double-hit mutant, e.g. the inactivation of a tumor-suppressor gene.
Hypocalcemia and the patent ductus arteriosus

THIS REPORT presents the findings of a controlled retrospective analysis undertaken to investigate the association of early neonatal hypocalcemia with persistent patency of the ductus arteriosus in low-birth-weight infants. METHODS The charts of all infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Bronx Municipal Hospital Center (Kennedy Center Clinical Research Unit) between January 1, 1976, and April 30, 1978, with the diagnosis of PDA were reviewed. The diagnosis was based upon clinical evaluation by a senior neonatologist or a pediatric cardiologist, or both. The babies with PDA were subdivided into two groups: Subgroup A-infants managed successfully with fluid restriction, with or without administration of furosemide and digitalis, and Subgroup Bmore severely affected infants who, in addition to the above therapy, required indomethacin in an attempt to close their PDA. The criterion for the use of indomethacin was either the lack of improvement in concUrrent respiratory distress or the persistence of congest!ve heart failure after conservative medical managemen t . No infant in either group required surgical closure of the PDA. A control group of infants, without PDA, treated concurrently in the same unit, was matched by computer with the PDA group fo r gestationa! age, birth weight, and pattern of early respiratory distress. Both the control and the PDA groups were selected from the pool of neonates who survived the first two weeks of life, so that persistent patency of the ductus could be ascertained, and were either born in BMHC or transferred into the intensive care unit within the first 12 hours of life. All the infants were treated either in radiant warmers or incubators. Management of respiratory distress syndrome in both groups was similar. Those who required respiratory assistance were supported by a Bourns LS 104-150 volume ventilator (Bourns, IncorPorated, Life Systems, Riverside, Calif.). The babies were fed human milk when available, or PM 60/40 (24 calories/ounce) formula.
Two human valyl-tRNA synthetase-encoding cDNA sequences deposited in GenBank display extensive differences

Abstract Prompted by the Letter to the Editor (Motorin, 1996), we have rechecked the old autoradiographic films (Vilalta et al., 1993). Our sequence entry in the GenBank has been corrected accordingly. The misalignments at nucleotides #1253 and #2904 were confirmed by re-sequencing our cDNA clones described by Vilalta et al. (1993). In addition, we are in the process of sequencing the G7 clones (Hsieh and Campbell, 1991) that were kindly provided by Dr. R. Duncan Campbell (Oxford University). Our preliminary data suggest the presence of cDNA polymorphism. This new sequence information will be deposited into the GenBank when the sequencing is completed (see GenBank accession No. M98326; Vilalta et al., 1993).
Ruptured anterior mediastinal teratoma with radiologic, pathologic, and bronchoscopic correlation

While most teratomas are asymptomatic, intrathoracic teratomas can rarely rupture spontaneously causing more alarming symptoms. Ruptured teratoma is a serious clinical entity, and early recognition is crucial for avoidance of further complications and preparation of proper surgical approach. We present a case of ruptured anterior mediastinal teratoma with radiologic, pathologic, and bronchoscopic correlation. This case uniquely illustrates a patient presenting with signs of infection and progressively worsening symptoms, thus emphasizing the need for early diagnosis and the importance of imaging.
Estimating true evolutionary distances between genomes

Evolution operates on whole genomes by operations that change the order and strandedness of genes within the genomes. This type of data presents new opportunities for discoveries about deep evolutionary rearrangement events, provided that sufficiently accurate methods can be developed to reconstruct evolutionary trees in these models [3, 6, 7, 15, 17]. A necessary component of any such method is the ability to accurately estimate true evolutionary distances between two genomes, which is the number of rearrangement events that took place in the evolutionary history between them. We present a new technique called IEBP, for estimating the true evolutionary distance between two genomes, whether signed or unsigned, circular or linear, and for any relative probabilities of rearrangement event classes. The method is highly accurate, as our simulation study shows. This simulation study also shows that the distance estimation technique improves the accuracy of the phylogenetic trees reconstructed by the popular distance-based method, neighbor joining [1, 20].
Cost-effective and privacy-preserving energy management for smart meters

Smart meters, designed for information collection and system monitoring in smart grid, report fine-grained power consumption to utility providers. With these highly accurate profiles of energy usage, however, it is possible to identify consumers' specific activities or behavior patterns, thereby giving rise to serious privacy concerns. This paper addresses these concerns by designing a cost-effective and privacy-preserving energy management technique that uses a rechargeable battery. From a holistic perspective, a dynamic programming framework is designed for consumers to strike a tradeoff between smart meter data privacy and the cost of electricity. In general, a major challenge in solving dynamic programming problems lies in the need for the knowledge of future electricity consumption events. By exploring the underlying structure of the original problem, an equivalent problem is derived, which can be solved by using only the current observations. An online control algorithm is then developed to solve the equivalent problem based on the Lyapunov optimization technique. It is shown that without the knowledge of the statistics of the time-varying load requirements and the electricity price processes, the proposed online control algorithm, parametrized by a positive value V , is within O (1/{V) of the optimal solution to the original problem, where the maximum value of V is limited by the battery capacity. The efficacy of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated through extensive numerical analysis using real data.
Nonlinear Raman microscopy: improving detection through nonlinear optical interaction

Raman spectroscopy based on spontaneous scattering cannot compete with nonlinear Raman spectroscopy, when the sample volume is large enough to take advantage of the coherent nature of nonlinear optical interactions. However, when the interaction volume is small, the number of optical photons generated through spontaneous Raman scattering can be larger than the number of photons generated by coherent Raman process. In this work, the signal-to-noise ratio for Raman spectroscopy is carefully evaluated, and, by optically amplifying the weak Raman signal, Raman spectra, free of background noise are achieved.
TiN-based coatings on fuel cladding tubes for advanced nuclear reactors

Titanium nitride (TiN) thin films are coated on HT-9 and MA957 fuel cladding tubes and bars to explore their mechanical strength, thermal stability, diffusion barrier properties, and thermal conductivity properties. The ultimate goal is to implement TiN as an effective diffusion barrier to prevent the inter-diffusion between the nuclear fuel and the cladding material, and thus lead to a longer lifetime of the cladding tubes. Mechanical tests including hardness and scratch tests for the samples before and after thermal cycle tests show that the films have a high hardness of 28GPa and excellent adhesion properties despite the thermal treatment. Thermal conductivity measurements demonstrate that the thin TiN films have very minimal impact on the overall thermal conductivity of the MA957 and HT-9 substrates, i.e., the thermal conductivity of the uncoated HT-9 and MA957 substrates was 26.25 and 28.44 W m-1 K-1, and that of the coated ones was 26.21 and 28.38W m-1 K-1, respectively. A preliminary Ce diffusion test on the couple of Ce/TiN/HT-9 suggests that TiN has excellent material compatibility and good diffusion barrier properties.
Automatic differentiation for design sensitivity analysis of structural systems using parallel-vector processors

Abstract Automatic differentiation tools, ADIFOR [1] (Bischof, C. H. and Griewank, A., Proc. 4th AIAA/USAF/NASA/OAI Symposium on Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization , Cleveland, OH, pp. 433–441, 1992), are incorporated into a finite element-based structural analysis program for shape and non-shape sensitivity analysis of structural systems [2, 3] (Arora, J. S. and Haug, E. J., Applied Optimal Design , John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1991; Hafta, R. T., Gurdal, Z. and Kamat, M. P., Elements of Structural Optimization , Kluwer, 1990). The entire analysis and sensitivity procedures are parallelized and vectorized for high-performance computation [4, 5] (Agarwal, T. K., Storaasli, O. O. and Nguyen, D. T., Proc. AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS 31st SDM Conference , Long Beach, CA, 1990; Qin, J. and Nguyen, D. T., Proc. AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS 34th SDM Conference , LaJolla, CA, 1993). Small-scale examples to verify the accuracy of the proposed program and a medium-scale example to demonstrate the parallel-vector performance on the Cray-C90 processors are included in the paper.