cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Studies on the carbohydrate units of thyroglobulin. Evaluation of their microheterogeneity in the human and calf proteins.

Information has been obtained in regard to the carbohydrate units of human and calf thyroglobulin through a study of the glycopeptides obtained after extensive Pronase digestion of these proteins. Human thyroglobulin was shown to contain, as has been previously reported for the calf protein, carbohydrate units consisting only of mannose and N-acetylglucosamine (unit A) as well as more complex units consisting of mannose, Nacetylglucosamine, galactose, N-acetylneuraminic acid, and fucose (unit B). The units A of the human and calf thyroglobulin were similar, consisting on an average of 8 to 9 residues of mannose and 2 of N-acetylglucosamine. There were 7 to 8 units of this type in the human protein and 5 to 6 in the calf. Chromatography of human and calf unit A glycopeptides on Dowex 50-X2 revealed extensive microheterogeneity, with the mannose content varying from 5 to 11 residues per unit, but with the glucosamine content remaining constant at 2 residues in each. The average unit B of the human thyroglobulin was found to consist of 3 mannose, 4 N-acetylglucosamine, 2 to 3 galactose, 1 fucose, and 1 sialic acid residues. It differed from that previously reported for the calf in containing fewer residues of sialic acid, galactose, and glucosamine. There were found to be 22 units of the B type in the human thyroglobulin compared with 13 to 14 of these units in the calf protein. The human unit B was also found to exhibit pronounced microheterogeneity, as was revealed by fractionation of its glycopeptides on DEAE-cellulose. The variation was primarily evident in the sialic acid, galactose, and glucosamine residues, with the mannose of the core portion remaining constant at 3 residues. The galactosamine residues of the human thyroglobulin were shown, by density gradient centrifugation, to be an integral part of this protein and to occur in units distinct from carbohydrate units A and B, which have been designated as unit C. Alkaline sulfite treatment of glycopeptides containing galactosamine suggested that the C type of unit is linked to serine and threonine residues by O-glycosidic bonds, in contrast to the glycosylamine type of linkage to asparagine which attaches units A and B to the peptide chain. During Pronase digestion, some of the glycopeptide bonds linking unit A were split, yielding neutral oligosaccharides containing 7 to 8 mannose and 2 N-acetylglucosamine residues, with 1 of the latter in a reducing terminal position.
α-Keto Acid Dehydrogenase Complexes XIX. SUBUNIT STRUCTURE OF THE ESCHERICHIA COLI α-KETOGLUTARATE DEHYDROGENASE COMPLEX

The Escherichia coli α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex contains a core, consisting of dihydrolipoyl transsuccinylase, to which α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase and dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase (a flavoprotein) are joined by noncovalent bonds. The molecular weights of the three enzymes isolated from the complex are: α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, about 190,000; dihydrolipoyl transsuccinylase, about 1,000,-000; and dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase, about 112,000. Both the isolated α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase and the flavoprotein exist in solution at pH 7.0 as stable dimers that contain two apparently identical polypeptide chains. Although the transsuccinylase core consists of 24 very similar polypeptide chains, only 12 of these chains contain a covalently bound lipoyl moiety. The subunit composition of the native α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex is about 12 α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase chains, 24 transsuccinylase chains, and about 12 flavoprotein chains. Reconstitution experiments indicate that the transsuccinylase can bind about six α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase dimers (i.e. 12 chains) and about 18 flavoprotein dimers (i.e. 36 chains). However, nearly maximum activity is obtained when only about six flavoprotein dimers (i.e. about 12 chains) are bound. A possible explanation of these findings is that a systematic perturbation of the structure of the transsuccinylase has reduced its symmetry from 432 to 23 so that instead of one set of 24 equivalent sites for each ligand the transsuccinylase has two sets of 12 equivalent sites. The perturbation need not be a large one, and the binding energies of the nonequivalent sites could be different.
Evidence‐based development of liver allocation: a review

Liver transplantation has undergone a rapid evolution from a high-risk experimental procedure to a mainstream therapy for thousands of patients with a wide range of hepatic diseases. Its increasing success has been accompanied by progressive imbalance between organ donor supply and the patients who might benefit. Where demand outstrips supply in transplantation, a system of organ allocation is inevitably required to make the wisest use of the available, but scarce, organs. Early attempts to rationally allocate donor livers were particularly hampered by lack of available and suitable data, leading to imperfect solutions that created or exacerbated inequities in the system. The advent and maturation of evidence-based predictors of waiting list mortality risk led to more objective criteria for liver allocation, aided by the increasing availability of data on large numbers of patients. Until now, the vast majority of allocation systems for liver transplantation have relied on estimation of waiting list mortality. Evidence-based allocation systems that incorporate measures of post-transplant outcomes are conceptually attractive and these transplant benefit-based allocation systems have been developed, modeled, and subjected to computer simulation. Future implementations of benefit-based liver allocation await continued refinement and additional debate in the transplant community.
A Procedure for Determining the Validity of Data Produced by Automatic Continuous Area Monitors

A procedure was developed and demonstrated to determine the validity of data produced by automatic continuous area monitors for ambient air monitoring. The validation procedure uses a portable dynamic gas standard generation system to generate low concentration, high volume standards. Field tests indicate the procedure to be reliable and point to the need for this type of validation to ensure the integrity of continuous monitor data.
Neural network development using VHDL

A developmental approach for hardware implementations of neural networks is presented. Neural network architectural representations including both behavioral and structural influences are presented using the VHSIC High-Level Description Language (VHDL). VHDL design entities and configurations are applied to neural network algorithm development and simulation. Neural network design interchange formats are discussed. >
Interferon inhibition of hexose monophosphate shunt activity as the mechanism of blocking differentiation of a preadipose cell line.

Mouse L cell interferon (IFN αβ) inhibited the differentiation of mouse 3T3-Li fibroblasts into adipocytes. IFN αβ also inhibited hexose monophosphate shunt (HMP) activity in these cells. HMP activity is required for the reducing power necessary for the conversion of 3T3-Li fibroblasts to adipocytes. Both IFN blockage of differentiation and HMP activity were reversed by the reducing agent 2-mercaptoethanol, probably through interaction with membrane receptors and not through direct inactivation of IFN. Several non-antiviral effects of IFN αβ on cellular function, including differentiation and immunoregulation, may be mediated at the biochemical level through blockage of HMP activity.
A disposable bio-nano-chip using agarose beads for high performance immunoassays.

Abstract This article reports on the fabrication of a disposable bio-nano-chip (BNC), a microfluidic device composed of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and thiolene-based optical epoxy which is both cost-effective and suitable for high performance immunoassays. A novel room temperature (RT) bonding technique was utilized so as to achieve irreversible covalent bonding between PDMS and thiolene-based epoxy layers, while at the same time being compatible with the insertion of agarose bead sensors, selectively arranged in an array of pyramidal microcavities replicated in the thiolene thin film layer. In the sealed device, the bead-supporting epoxy film is sandwiched between two PDMS layers comprising of fluidic injection and drain channels. The agarose bead sensors used in the device are sensitized with anti-C-reactive protein (CRP) antibody, and a fluorescent sandwich-type immunoassay was run to characterize the performance of this device. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used based on the device specifications to model the bead penetration. Experimental data revealed analyte penetration of the immunocomplex to 100 μm into the 280 μm diameter agarose beads, which correlated well with the simulation. A dose–response curve was obtained and the linear dynamic range of the assay was established over 1 ng/mL to 50 ng/mL with a limit of detection less than 1 ng/mL.
Design and characteristic analysis of shaping optics for optical trepanning

Optical trepanning is a new laser drilling method using an annular beam. The annular beams allow numerous irradiance profiles to supply laser energy to the workpiece and thus provide more flexibility in affecting the hole quality than a traditional circular laser beam. The refractive axicon system has been designed to generating a collimated annular beam. In this article, calculations of intensity distributions produced by this refractive system are made by evaluating the Kirchhoff-Fresnel diffraction. It is shown that the refractive system is able to transform a Gaussian beam into a full Gaussian annular beam. The base angle of the axicon lens, input laser beam diameter and intensity profiles are found to be important factors for the axcion refractive system. Their effects on the annular beam profiles are analyzed based on the numerical solutions of the diffraction patterns.
Journeys to the Other Shore: Muslim and Western Travelers in Search of Knowledge, by Roxanne L. Euben

Journeys to the Other Shore: Muslim and Western Travelers in Search of Knowledge, by Roxanne L. Euben, Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press, 2006, xiii + 328 pp., $29.95/£17.95, ISBN 978-1-400...
The Aftermath of Carl Stokes: An Analysis of Political Drama in the 1971 Cleveland Mayoral Campaign

The 1971 mayoral campaign in Cleveland began on September 28, 1971, the day of the primaries. James Carney and Ralph Perk won the Democratic and Republican nominations, respectively. Polls had predicted, however, that the council president, Anthony J. Garofoli, running with strong support on the west side, would score a comfortable victory for the Democratic nomination (Burdock, 1971a: 1). Mayor Carl B. Stokes, Cleveland's first black mayor and the first black mayor in the nation, played a significant role in the mayoral campaign and the primaries. Mayor Stokes conducted a telephone campaign to the black community on the east side and asked them to vote for James Carney in the primaries against Anthony Garofoli. Garofoli was viewed negatively in the black community because of his opposing view on public housing. Partly as a result of Stokes' intervention, Carney won the nomination through the support of black voters. In less than two weeks, however, Stokes took unorthodox action by changing his endorsement from Carney to the black independent candidate, Arnold R. Pinkney. In the weeks that followed, Stokes' previous actions in the primaries
A Model for Recruitment and Retention of Minority Students in Teacher Preparation Programs.

The authors provide a comprehensive model for planning, implementing, and maintaining an institutional effort to re cruit and maintain minority students in teacher education programs. Significant f...
Developmental conflicts for families dealing with the child who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Each developmental stage may impose differing challenges for the family who has a child with attention deficity hyperactivity disorder. This discussion uses theoretic developmental frameworks to highlight difficulties that may be experienced by these children and their families at each stage of development. These developmental frameworks provide a perspective for assessment and interventions by nurse practitioners who are interacting with children who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and their families in home, school, and health service settings.
Changes in the level and distribution of Ku proteins during cellular senescence.

Aging is associated with accumulation of genomic rearrangements consistent with aberrant repair of DNA breaks. We have shown previously that DNA repair by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) becomes less efficient and more error-prone in senescent cells. Here, we show that the levels of Ku70 and Ku80 drop approximately twofold in replicatively senescent cells. Intracellular distribution of Ku also changes. In the young cells roughly half of Ku is located in the nucleus and half in the cytoplasm. In senescent cells the nuclear levels of Ku do not change, while the cytoplasmic Ku fraction disappears. Upon treatment with γ-irradiation, in the young cells cytoplasmic Ku moved into the nuclear and membrane fractions, while no change in the Ku distribution occurred in senescent cells. Upon treatment with UVC Ku moved out of the nucleus in the young cells, while most Ku remained nuclear in senescent cells. This suggests that the nuclear Ku in senescent cells is unable to respond to DNA damage. We hypothesize that overall decline in Ku levels changes in Ku intracellular distribution, and the loss of appropriate response of Ku to DNA damage in senescent cells contribute to the decline of NHEJ and to age-related genomic instability.
Absorption and esterification of micellar free and esterified cholesterol-4-C14

Abstract Free cholesterol-4-C 14 (5 mg) was administered as albumin-stabilized or micellar preparations to lymph-fistula rats. There were no differences between the preparations in respect to the rate of appearance in lymph, extent of absorption, or degree of esterification of the cholesterol-4-C 14 . Cholesterol-4-C 14 oleate (8.3 mg), administered in micellar form, was absorbed at the same rate and to the same extent as free cholesterol, while the ester administered as an albumin-dispersion was poorly absorbed. This difference was due to the greater susceptibility of the micellar ester to hydrolysis by pancreatic juice cholesterol esterase. That intact esters solubilized in micelles are not absorbed as such was demonstrated by the quantitative recovery from the intestinal lumen of a nonhydrolyzable ester of cholesterol-4-C 14 . While there were differences in the total absorption of administered cholesterol-4-C 14 , 86% of the labeled sterol in lymph was in the esterified form, irrespective of whether free or esterified cholesterol was administered.
Optical identification of binary pulsars

Abstract Of the nearly 500 known pulsars, only seven pulsars are in binary systems. In this article, I review the identification of binary pulsars with emphasis on the critical and unique information provided by optical observations. Optical observations have provided: (i) basic conformation of the stellar evolution acenarios and (ii) observational evidence for the asymptotic field decay in neutrons stars. This review is heavily biased towards the interpretation of the optical results and in particular, the impact of optical observations on the evolution of magnetic fields of pulsars. Proper appreciation of the optical data requires a full understanding of the stellar evolutionary scenarios for binary pulsars and the evolution of magnetic field in pulsars. These topics are discussed in sections 1,2 and 3. In section 4, the theoretical expectations of the optical properties of binary pulsars are summarized. In section 5, I discuss the optical observations of all the known binary pulsars. In two cases we find a major discrepancy between our theoretical expectation and observation. This dilemma is resolved by the asymptotic magnetic field decay hyothesis which is discussed in section 6. A brief comment on the notation: the pulsar will be referred to as the “primary” and the companion as the “secondary” This terminology is appropriate since the progenitor of the pulsars is always more massive than the secondary (see section 1).
SHP-1 expression in avian mixed neural/glial cultures

The central nervous system response to injury includes astrocyte proliferation and hypertrophy as well as microglial activation and proliferation. However, not all glial cells enter the cell cycle following damage, and the mechanism that determines which glial cells will proliferate and which will remain quiescent has yet to be elucidated. Protein tyrosine phosphorylation has been shown to play an important role in the regulation of the cell cycle in a number of different systems and has been implicated in both astrocyte proliferation and differentiation. Of particular interest is the protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 (Src homology 2-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 1), which: (1) modulates cellular proliferation in the hematopoietic system, (2) is involved in various growth factor second messenger signaling cascades, and (3) has been demonstrated by our laboratory to increase in immunoreactivity within a subpopulation of astrocytes following deafferentation of the chicken auditory brainstem. These SHP-1+ cells appear to be those which fail to enter the cell cycle following deafferentation. The present study examines whether manipulation of cellular proliferation in vitro modifies the expression of SHP-1 immunoreactivity in mixed neural/glial cultures of the avian auditory brainstem. In addition, the effect of the protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor sodium orthovanadate on cellular proliferation was assessed in these cultures. Our results demonstrate that SHP-1 expression can be modulated by changes in proliferation and that inhibiting tyrosine phosphatase activity results in increased proliferation. Taken together, these results indicate that SHP-1 may play central role in negatively regulating glial proliferation following injury.
Magical Pursuits: Legitimacy and Representation in a Transnational Political Field

ABSTRACT In this article, I examine the strategies of Salvadoran state actors to contain and control transnational political subjects in the postwar period. The civil war in El Salvador (1980–92) precipitated massive emigration, most of it to the United States. Most Salvadoran migrants have been excluded from formal participation in national politics in both El Salvador and the United States. However, they have become important transnational political actors, owing in no small part to the increasing dependence of El Salvador on migrant remittances. This contradiction between their formal exclusion and their informal influence shapes an emergent regime of transnational governmentality, a system of domination that submits mobile subjects to the tactics of containment and control traditionally reserved for nonmobile citizens. This transnational governmentality depends on the appropriation of popular forms of organizing and expression associated with civil society as a way to mask the inequality at the heart of this relationship.
Technology takes to securities trading

The Internet and other communications technologies are changing the way financial markets operate. Some markets will be full-service marketplaces, others will provide only certain services, and others will be ill-defined-such as smart agents on the Internet. Technology will allow orders to be routed to the most appropriate market. So the market of the future is likely to be a glass box of markets with different but transparent trading opportunities accessible through technology. The result will be seamless electronic trading, around the clock and around the world, with investors buying and selling individual stocks, currencies, commodities and mixed portfolios. Trades will be based on a variety of parameters. Liquidity will be provided primarily by investors, as opposed to intermediaries. Settlement will occur in real time. Multiple types of competing markets and market centers will provide multiple services. Transaction costs will fall to competitive levels on a worldwide basis. Technology will help us achieve this goal, but foresight and thoughtful proactive regulation are also necessary. Let us hope that, if the technical community keeps providing the former, the government will try hard to provide the latter.
Spectrum R-D 100 [R&D spending]

All companies listed on the US stock markets may have to begin figuring stock outlays into their R&D expenses following the enactment of a new rule proposed by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, which establishes US accounting standards. The looming prospect of this new corporate accounting practice is already buffeting R&D in a way that few other developments have over the past half century. Disruptive as it is, the stock-accounting trend is just one of several poised to have long-term effects on R&D. Also seen to impact R&D are the increasing concentration of R&D resources on software development, systems engineering, and consulting, and the shift of basic research from private corporations to government-funded university projects as well as the globalization of the industrial research enterprise.
Integrating Writing and Mathematics

Teachers often find it difficult to integrate writing and mathematics while honoring the integrity of both disciplines. In this article, the authors present two levels of integration that teachers may use as a starting point. The first level, writing without revision, can be worked into mathematics instruction quickly and readily. The second level, writing with revision, may take more time but enables teachers to connect the writing process more fully with mathematics instruction. Six examples are provided, including student work, in which teachers have successfully attended to the goals of both writing and mathematics.
The influence of Cr additions on the ordering of Fe-Cr-Ni alloys near the Ni3Fe composition

A study of ordering in (Ni3Fe)1-xCrx alloys (0 or=12% Cr. The Mossbauer spectra of the ordered alloys contain a contribution attributed to Fe atoms each with a Cr neighbour. The magnitude of this component is smaller than it would be in a random alloy, implying that Cr atoms preferentially occupy Fe sites in Ni3Fe. In the alloys with the higher Cr contents little evidence of SRO was detected. A very slight increase in the mean hyperfine field on aging these alloys may indicate the formation of Fe-rich regions, as previously proposed by Binnatov and co-workers (1975).
Pediatric restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movement disorder: parent-child pairs.

Abstract Objective Although recent publications have reported the occurrence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) and periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) in children and adolescents, the literature is relatively limited. The goals of this retrospective study were to (1) apply the recent International Classification of Sleep Disorders 2nd edition (ICSD-2) diagnostic criteria for RLS and PLMD in pediatric cases where periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS) ⩾5 per hour were found; (2) review parental history of RLS; and (3) further define the clinical characteristics of RLS and PLMD in a pediatric subgroup where each child had a parent with clinically assessed RLS. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of consecutive polysomnograms (PSGs) with PLMS >5 per hour in patients ⩽19 years of age from a single pediatric sleep/neurology practice over 11 years. Excluded were cases with sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or medication that might induce or aggravate PLMS or RLS. ICSD-2 diagnostic criteria for definite RLS and PLMD were applied to the pediatric cases, and parental history for RLS was assessed. A subset of cases was included for detailed review if the child or adolescent had RLS or PLMD and a biological parent met RLS criteria and had a formal sleep evaluation. Results There were 204 cases that met the initial inclusion criteria. A positive parental history of RLS was found in 53% of pediatric RLS cases and in 52% of pediatric PLMD cases. A subset of 37 children or adolescents and 36 biological parents, from 33 different families, met full inclusion criteria and are presented in detail. Of these 37, 10 had a diagnosis of RLS and 27 a diagnosis of PLMD. Over this same period of time, PLMS >5 per hour were found in 74% of pediatric definite RLS cases assessed by PSG. Conclusions This case series adds to the growing literature describing RLS and PLMD in children and adolescents using recently revised diagnostic criteria. The similar prevalence of parental RLS in both pediatric RLS and pediatric PLMD cases suggests a close association between PLMD and RLS in some cases. This supports the emerging view that PLMS may be a marker or endophenotype for a specific, common RLS genotype.
Anterior tibial mass: an unusual complication of popliteal cysts.

PED. Fille de 9 ans ayant depuis l'âge de 4 ans une polyarthrite chronique infantile. A partir d'un kyste poplite developpement d'une masse de tissu mou recouvrant le tibia anterieur
Discontinuous Galerkin hp-adaptive methods for multiscale chemical reactors: Quiescent reactors

Abstract We present a class of chemical reactor systems, modeled numerically using a fractional multistep method between the reacting and diffusing modes of the system, subsequently allowing one to utilize algebraic techniques for the resulting reactive subsystems. A mixed form discontinuous Galerkin method is presented with implicit and explicit (IMEX) timestepping strategies coupled to dioristic entropy schemes for h p -adaptivity of the solution, where the h and p are adapted based on an L 1 -stability result. Finally we provide some numerical studies on the convergence behavior, adaptation, and asymptotics of the system applied to a pair of equilibrium problems, as well as to general three-dimensional nonlinear Lotka–Volterra chemical systems.
Pneumothorax in pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis.

Background Pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (PLCH) is a smoking-related interstitial lung disease characterized by development of cystic changes that predispose to occurrence of pneumothorax. Study objectives To determine the frequency, recurrence rate, and optimal management of pneumothorax associated with PLCH. Design Retrospective study. Setting Tertiary care, referral medical center. Patients One hundred two adults >or= 18 years old with histologically confirmed PLCH seen at Mayo Clinic Rochester over a 23-year period from 1976 to 1998. Interventions None. Measurements and results Sixteen of 102 patients (16%) with PLCH had pneumothorax; mean age at the time of diagnosis was 29.4 years (range, 18 to 52 years), and all had smoked cigarettes. There were 37 episodes of pneumothoraces (1 to 5 episodes per patient); 10 patients (63%) had more than one episode. Median age at diagnosis of PLCH was significantly younger in patients with pneumothorax when compared to those without pneumothorax (27 years vs 41.5 years, p Conclusions These data support the early use of surgical therapy with pleurodesis in managing patients with PLCH and spontaneous pneumothorax.
Maximizing Mailed Questionnaire Responses

A mailed questionnaire was used in national surveys of 109 deans of colleges of nursing and 444 nurse-middle managers in academic nursing. Detailed descriptions are given of all parts of the data collection process over which the researcher had some control: respondents, questionnaires, cover letters, mailings, dates, and follow-up procedures. Response rates of 94% and 88%, coupled with a low incidence of item nonresponse on a lengthy questionnaire, challenge the common criticisms of this data gathering method. Future investigations need to focus on the forces influencing the decisions of potential research subjects to participate.
Six- to Five-Coordinate Heme−Nitrosyl Conversion in Cytochrome c‘ and Its Relevance to Guanylate Cyclase†

The 5-coordinate ferrous heme of Alcaligenes xylosoxidans cytochrome c‘ reacts with NO to form a 6-coordinate nitrosyl intermediate (λSoret at 415 nm) which subsequently converts to a 5-coordinate nitrosyl end product (λSoret at 395 nm) in a rate-determining step. Stopped-flow measurements at pH 8.9, 25 °C, yield a rate constant for the formation of the 6-coordinate nitrosyl adduct, kon = (4.4 ± 0.5) × 104 M-1 s-1, which is 3−4 orders of magnitude lower than the values for other pentacoordinate ferrous hemes and is consistent with NO binding within the sterically crowded distal heme pocket. Resonance Raman measurements of the freeze-trapped 6-coordinate nitrosyl intermediate reveal an unusually high Fe−NO stretching frequency of 579 cm-1, suggesting a distorted Fe−N−O coordination geometry. The rate of 6- to 5-coordinate heme nitrosyl conversion is also dependent upon NO concentration, with a rate constant, k6-5 = (8.1 ± 0.7) × 103 M-1 s-1, implying that an additional molecule of NO is required to form th...
A comparative analysis of structural risk minimization by support vector machines and nearest neighbor rule

Support vector machines (SVMs) are by far the most sophisticated and powerful classifiers available today. However, this robustness and novelty in approach come at a large computational cost. On the other hand, nearest neighbor (NN) classifiers provide a simple yet robust approach that is guaranteed to converge to a result. In this paper, we present a technique that combines these two classifiers by adopting a NN rule-based structural risk minimization classifier. Using synthetic and real data, the classification technique is shown to be more robust to kernel conditions with a significantly lower computational cost than conventional SVMs. Consequently, the proposed method provides a powerful alternative to SVMs in applications where computation time and accuracy are of prime importance. Experimental results indicate that the NNSRM formulation is not only computationally less expensive, but also much more robust to varying data representations than SVMs.
Health Care Workers with HIV and a Patient's Right to Know

Accidental human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection of patients in health care settings raises the question about whether patients have a right to expect disclosure of HIV/AIDS diagnoses by their health workers. Although such a right-and the correlative duty to disclose-might appear justified by reason of standards of informed consent, I argue that such standards should only apply to questions of risks of and barriers to HIV infection involved in a particular medical treatment, not to disclosure of personal diagnoses. Because the degree of risk of HIV infection is low and disclosure would also have damaging consequences for health workers, and because patient protection is available in other ways, it is argued that no such generalized right should be recognized.
Atlas for optogalvanic wavelength calibration.

The accuracy of laser wavelength calibration was demonstrated using a uranium hollow cathode discharge tube. (AIP)
Acute treatments: some blind alleys.

SUMMARYThe introduction of sumatriptan, a selective 5-HT1B/1D agonist, for the treatment of migraine sparked a new era of drug research in this field. Many novel targets have since been developed, and tested in the clinic. The promise of these approaches is to deliver an anti-migraine compound with the optimal efficacy and safety profile. In this chapter, blind alleys in anti-migraine development are discussed. The falling soldiers have includedthe NK-1 antagonists, some second-generation 5-HT1B/1D agonists, CP-122,288, 4991W93, the neurosteroid ganaxolone, selective 5-HT1F (LY334370) and 5-HT1D agonists (PNU-142,633), and the endothelin-1 antagonist bosentan. Some of these promising targets failed to demonstrate clinical efficacy, while others were stopped for preclinical toxicity.
The influence of peripheral stimuli on the amount and direction of autokinesis.

Peripheral visual stimuli were presented in conjunction with an autokinetic target to determine the influence of additional visual contour on the amount and direction of autokinetic movement. The addition of any peripheral stimulus resulted in a significant decrease in autokinesis. The greatest reduction occurred when peripheral stimuli were presented at near eccentricities and when the peripheral stimulus completely surrounded the autokinetic stimulus. Peripheral stimuli also influenced the direction of autokinesis. Stimuli placed at 1° eccentric to the autokinetic stimulus increased the amount of autokinetic motion in the direction away from the additional stimulus. Also, at more peripheral placements, a vertical bar increased autokinetic movement in the vertical plane. These results are interpreted within the context of the contribution of additional stimuli in the visual field to enhanced fixational stability.
Comparison of floodplain surface roughness parameters derived from land cover data and field measurements

Summary Parameterizing surface roughness is a key element in the application of tidal and storm surge inundation models. In this context, surface roughness refers to the ability of the terrain to act as a momentum sink to the overland water flow and also the prevailing winds that help drive this flow. These effects are typically parameterized using estimates of Manning’s n , surface canopy coverage and effective aerodynamic roughness length which vary spatially across the modeling domain as a function of the physical landscape. The current methodology for coastal inundation in the United States assigns these parameters based on published land use/land cover data such as the National Land Cover Dataset. This paper compares those assigned values to values computed based on field measurements at 24 sites in Florida that are representative of land use/land cover classes affected by storm surge. It is shown that while the land use/land cover method is capable of automatically parameterizing surface roughness over a large model domain, parameter prediction errors due to variability within land cover types, misclassification, and parameter value selection for specific land cover classes at the local level are significant which could result in inaccurate estimates of inundation extent and duration.
SU‐GG‐I‐109: A Quantitative Evaluation of Velocity AI Deformable Image Registration

Purpose: We designed an experiment to quantitatively evaluate the feasibility of the VelocityAI version 2.0 deformable image registration algorithm (DIRA), rigid scale (RS) and rigid only (RO) for adaptive radiotherapy.Method and Materials: A phantom made of a Lucite box, bolus material, solid water and a Radiadyne balloon was developed to simulate a prostate patient. A deformable prostate was simulated using a balloon filled with 65 cc water and eighty Visicoil derived golden markers spaced on a 10 mm grid were attached to the balloon's surface. A native computertomography(CT) scan was taken with 1.5 mm slice thickness. Subsequently the balloon was deformed and the corresponding CT data set was collected using the same acquisition protocol and registered to the native image. The resampled data sets were created using the DIRA, RS and RO algorithms. The position of the makers in the resampled image was compared to that of native image by three independent observers. The accuracy of DIRA was studied when different ROIs were employed. Results: When applying DIRA, the range of markers' shifts was reduced from 0–3.0 mm to 0–2.5 mm laterally (x), 3.6–10.45 mm to 0&–3.6 mm anterior‐posteriorly (z) and increased from 0.1–2.0 mm to 0–3.4 mm superior‐inferiorly (y) while the range of markers' 3D position decreased from 3.6–10.45 mm to 0.37–3.94 mm. Results from all three algorithms were within 1 mm and their accuracy ranged from 3.94 to 4.75 mm. When the ROI was decreased (15 mm to 3mm) from the balloon the accuracy of DIRA was improved by ∼ 2mm (5.55 to 3.21 mm). Conclusion: The DIRA technique had the best accuracy (≤4 mm) and can be improved within 1mm by decreasing the ROI and it may have the potential to be used in adaptive radiation therapy.
Delegating Pricing Decisions

An outstanding problem in marketing is why some firms in a competitive market delegate pricing decisions to agents and other firms do not. This paper analyzes the impact of competition on the delegation decision and, in turn, the impact of delegation on prices and incentives. The theory builds on the simplest framework of competition in two dimensions: prices and (sales agents') effort. Specifically, we are interested in answering the following questions: (1) Does competition affect the price-delegation decision and, if yes, why? (2) How do prices vary under price-delegation and no-price-delegation scenarios? (3) Do the incentives to the sales representatives vary under the delegation and no-delegation scenarios?To address these issues, we build a game-theoretic model that consists of two firms selling through their sales representatives. These representatives are company employees. Sales are a function of prices and selling efforts. The risk-neutral firms decide whether or not to delegate the pricing decision to risk-averse sales representatives. The wages to the sales representatives consist of salary plus a commission on gross margins. The commission on gross margins can be adjusted, either through communicated marginal cost of production, which we call ''virtual'' marginal cost, or directly. The firm and the sales representative are assumed to have the same information about the market, that is, there is no information asymmetry.With competition in two dimensions, the strategic nature of decision variableprice depends on the relative intensity of competition. With unobservable contracts and risk-averse sales representatives, firms delegate the pricing decision when price competition is intense. Part of the uncertainty in demand is absorbed by the firm by keeping ''virtual'' marginal cost greater than the marginal cost of production. The competing firm infers this through the risk aversion of the sales representatives. Under price delegation the sales representatives' wages are higher, and they set a price that is higher than what the firms would have set themselves. This leads to softening of price competition that is to the advantage of both firms. When the effort competition is dominant, however, the firms prefer to make the pricing decision themselves, because this reduces the intensity of effort competition among agents.A single-instrument commission structure in which the firms adjust the ''virtual'' marginal cost is compared to a two-instrument commission structure in which the firms can adjust the commission rate, as well the ''virtual'' marginal cost. Under no price delegation, the two incentive schemes are the same. However, under price delegation the risk premium with the two-instrument scheme is lower. However, the prices and efforts are higher with the single-instrument scheme. When price competition is intense, the increase in risk premium with the single instrument scheme is more than compensated for by the increase in profits. This is the benefit of softening price competition through higher prices.
A scaling law for the magnetic fields of superconducting undulators

Abstract A scaling law for the calculation of the peak magnetic fields in the midplane of planar superconducting undulators (SCUs) was deduced from numerical analyses. The scaling law, which is a constant of (current density)×(period), requires the scaling of the SCU dimensions according to a period ratio. Under the scaling law, not only the peak field and coil maximum field, but also the whole field distribution remained unchanged. Using the scaling law, the peak fields for a period range of 8–40 mm were calculated from a data set computed for SCUs with NbTi superconducting coils for a period of 16 mm and a gap/period ratio g / λ = 0.5 . From numerical analyses for one case of coil dimensions, the dependence of the peak field on g / λ was deduced to exp ( - π g / λ ) , which underestimated the peak field up to 4% for g / λ > 0.2 .
Breast cancer risk and immune responses in healthy women.

Purpose/objectives To summarize the findings of objective and subjective breast cancer risk assessments and their association with psychological distress and immune responses in healthy women with a family history of breast cancer. Data sources Published articles and book chapters. Data synthesis Healthy women with a family history of breast cancer have shown decreased immune responses (i.e., low natural killer cell activity and low Th1 cytokine production), exaggerated biophysiologic reactivity to stimuli, and increased psychological distress. Conclusions Objective and subjective breast cancer risk is associated with impaired immune responses and exaggerated biophysiologic responses in healthy women with a family history of breast cancer. Increased psychological distress can contribute further to negative immune responses. Additional studies are warranted to substantiate and extend the findings based on more comprehensive assessments of objective and subjective breast cancer risk. Implications for nursing Biophysiologic assessment is a useful approach for nurses in early identification of women at risk for breast cancer and developing appropriate strategies to reduce the risk.
The President’s Committee on Administrative Management: The Untold Story and the Federalist Connection

The final report of the President’s Committee on Administrative Management has been widely cited as a landmark study designed to improve executive branch management. This observation, however, does...
Harnessing the power of BitTorrent for distributed denial-of-service attacks

BitTorrent is a popular peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing protocol that utilizes a central server, known as a ‘tracker’, to coordinate connections between peers in a ‘swarm’, a term used to describe a BitTorrent ad-hocfile sharing network. The tracker of a swarm is specified by the original file distributor and trusted unconditionally by peers in the swarm. This central point of control provides an opportunity for a file distributor to deploy a modified tracker to provide peers in a swarm with malicious coordination data, directing peer connection traffic toward an arbitrary target machine on an arbitrary service port. Although such an attack does not generate huge amount of attack traffic, it would set up many connections with the victim server successfully, which could cause serious denial-of-service by exhausting the victim server's connection resource. In this paper, we present and demonstrate such an attack that is entirely tracker-based, requiring no modifications to BitTorrent client software and could be deployed by an attacker right now. The results from both emulation and real-world experiments show the applicability of this attack. Due to the skyrocketing popularity of BitTorrent and numerous large-scale swarms existed in the Internet, BitTorrent swarms provide an intriguing platform for launching distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks based on connection exhaustion. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The role of adapter protein Shc in estrogen non-genomic action

Abstract Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies in the United States. Seventy percent of breast cancers are hormone-responsive due to the presence of estrogen receptors ERα and ERβ, which are important diagnostic and therapeutic targets in cancer treatment. Estrogen acts through its receptors, which reside on the cell membrane as demonstrated recently and in the nucleus, leading to cancer cell proliferation and protection from cell death. The membrane ERα has been reported in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and is believed to mediate estrogen effects to activate mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-kinase). Activation of many growth factor receptors require adapter proteins to delivery the upstream signals to downstream kinases, such as MAP kinase. Both Shc and the p85α subunit of PI3-kinase are adapter proteins. In addition to their roles in transducing signals from membrane growth factor receptors, they have been demonstrated to interact with ERα in an estrogen dependent manner. In this review, the role of Shc in mediating estrogen effects on MAP Kinase regulation, cell growth and anti-apoptosis will be discussed. The possible role of PI3-kinase in estrogen rapid action is also reviewed in brief.
Pilot study evaluating technical feasibility and early outcomes of second-generation endosurgical platform for treatment of weight regain after gastric bypass surgery

Abstract Background For some gastric bypass patients, dilation of the gastrojejunal anastomosis (GJA) and/or gastric pouch is believed to contribute to weight regain. The present study had 2 objectives: (1) to assess the technical feasibility and safety of a novel endoscopic procedure called "revision obesity surgery endoscopic" (ROSE) using a second-generation, prototype endoscopic operating system that creates tissue plications to reduce the diameter of the GJA and the size of the gastric pouch; and (2) to assess the early outcomes regarding weight loss at a university hospital in the United States. Methods This was a prospective study of 5 patients who had regained a mean of 14.7 kg after gastric bypass with a dilated pouch and GJA on screening endoscopy. The gastric pouch and the GJA were measured before and after the procedure. The patients were followed up for a minimum of 3 months after the procedure. Weight changes were recorded. Results Technical success was achieved in all 5 patients (100%). The mean weight loss in the successful cases was 7.8 kg at 3 months. No major complications developed. Conclusion The results of our study have shown that the ROSE procedure using this second-generation prototype endoscopic operating system is technically feasible and appears safe. Our preliminary results suggest that the ROSE procedure is effective in reducing the size of both the GJA and the gastric pouch and could therefore be an alternative therapy for weight regain in postgastric bypass patients.
Intestinal obstruction in a dog due to incarceration of small intestine in a coccygeal fracture.

A case of dorsal rupture of the abdominal wall with prolapse, incarceration and partial obstruction of small bowel in a 2-year-old dog is reported. The diagnosis was made and confirmed radiographically by an upper gastrointestinal barium study and the defect was corrected surgically. The dog made an uneventful recovery. Resume. On a rapporte, chez un chien de deux ans, un cas de rupture dorsale de la paroi abdominale avec prolapsus, incarceration et obstruction partielle de l'intestin grele. Le diagnostic a ete fait et confirme par radiographie au moyen d'une etude de baryum dans la partie superieure gastro-intestinale et le defaut a ete corrige chirurgicalement. Le chien s'est retabli normalement. Zusammenfassung. Ein Fall von dorsalem Riss der Bauchdecke mit Prolaps, Inkarzeration und Teilobstruktion des Dunndarms wurde von einem 2-jahrigen Hund berichtet. Die Diagnose wurde getroffen und rontgenologisch mit einer ober-gastro-intestinalen Barium Untersuchung bestatigt. Das Gebrechen wurde chirurgisch beseitigt und der Hund erholte sich, ohne weiteren Zwishenfall.