cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Advance Demand Information, Price Discrimination, and Pre-Order Strategies

This paper studies the pre-order strategy that a seller may use to sell a perishable product in an uncertain market with heterogeneous consumers. By accepting pre-orders, the seller is able to obtain advance demand information for inventory planning and price-discriminate the consumers. Given the pre-order option, the consumers react strategically by optimizing the timing of purchase. We fi nd that accurate demand information may improve the availability of the product, which undermines the seller's ability to charge a high pre-order price. As a result, advance demand information may hurt the seller's pro fit due to its negative impact for the pre-order season. This cautions the seller about a potential conflict between the benefi ts of advance demand information and price discrimination when facing strategic consumers. A common practice to contain consumers' strategic waiting is to off er price guarantees that compensate pre-order consumers in case of a later price cut. Under price guarantees, the seller will reduce price in the regular season only if the pre-order demand is low; however, such advance information implies weak demand in the regular season as well. This means that the seller can no longer benefi t from a high demand in the regular season. Therefore, under price guarantees, more accurate advance demand information may still hurt the seller's profi t due to its adverse impact for the regular season. We also investigate the seller's strategy choice in such a setting (i.e., whether the pre-order option should be off ered and whether it should be coupled with price guarantees) and find that the answer depends on the relative sizes of the heterogeneous consumer segments.
HIDDEN ALLELES AT THE α-GLYCEROPHOSPHATE DEHYDROGENASE LOCUS IN COLIAS BUTTERFLIES

By varying polyacrylamide gel pore size, the α-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase locus of Colias butterflies is shown to contain at least five alleles, rather than the two which had been reported previously. Two of the alleles have the same apparent net charge, and presumably are detected electrophoretically because of conformational differences. Additional variation occurs in the isoelectric points of the proteins. It is suggested that electrophoresis employing a single gel of intermediate pore size will fail to discriminate between many alleles, and that the concept of electrophoretic alleles as differing simply in charge may not always be appropriate. "How does one know what it is one believes When it's so difficult to know what it is one knows?" —Jumpers (Stoppard, 1972)
The Local History Museum, So Near and Yet So Far

The author, a historian with a vision impairment, and her blind companion decide spontaneously to visit a local history museum. Instead of either a docent or an audio guide, they find staff who appear unaware of present-day means for providing access to people with disabilities in public places. The author shows how access through universal design benefits not only people with disabilities, but everyone.
Müllerian inhibiting substance gene expression in the cycling rat ovary correlates with recruited or graafian follicle selection.

Throughout the estrous cycle, Muillerian inhibiting substance (MIS) mRNA signals, as detected by in situ hybridization, were found to be intense in granulosa cells of growing preantral and small antral follicles, especially in the layer closest to the oocyte. Neither primordial follicles, typical atretic follicles, nor CL expressed detectable signals. MIS mRNA signals seen in the cumulus cells of preovulatory follicles at 1000 and 1600 h of proestrus sharply declined at 2400 h, just before ovulation. MIS mRNA signals were intense and uniform in all newly recruited growing antral and Graafian follicles (> 350 pm) at 1000 h of estrus but became heterogeneous in their expression of MIS on metestrus and diestrus and notably absent in atretic follicles; these findings suggest that MIS expression is correlated with recruited follicle selection and suppression with selection for atresia. The fact that all the MIS-positive growing follicles contain oocytes arrested in meiosis, coupled with previous experimental evidence that MIS inhibits germinal vesicle breakdown, suggests that MIS also might act as a regulator of oocyte maturation.
Immunotherapy with tacrolimus (FK506) does not select for resistance to calcineurin inhibitors in Candida albicans isolates from liver transplant patients

In Candida albicans, calcineurin mediates tolerance to azole antifungal drugs, survival in serum, and virulence. In this study, we examined 24 Candida isolates from liver transplant recipients receiving a calcineurin inhibitor as a component of their immunosuppressive therapy. We were unable to detect a difference in susceptibility to calcineurin inhibitors in combination with fluconazole, serum, or calcium in these isolates.
Fluconazole versus Amphotericin B in the treatment of Hematogenous Candidiasis: A matched cohort study

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy and toxicity of fluconazole and amphotericin B in the treatment of hematogenous candidiasis in cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A matched cohort study of cancer patients with hematogenous candidiasis was conducted. Forty-five patients with hematogenous candidiasis who received fluconazole (200 to 600 mg/day) in an open-label trial at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, between February 1990 and June 1992 were matched to 45 patients treated with amphotericin B (0.3 to 1.2 mg/kg/day) for the same diagnosis. Criteria for matching included the following prognostic variables at the initiation of therapy: pneumonia, neutropenia ( 3 ), number of positive blood cultures before therapy, infecting Candida species, underlying disease, and the simplified acute physiology score. Response and survival at 48 hours, after 5 days of therapy, and at the end of therapy, as well as toxicity rates were obtained. Other post hoc analyses were performed. Differences in outcomes were assessed by the McNemar, the sign, and the log rank tests. RESULTS: Patients were similar with respect to the matching criteria, age, sex, status of underlying disease, use of antibiotics and growth factors, duration of treatment, presence and removal of central venous catheters, disseminated disease, and concomitant infections. Response rates at 48 hours and 5 days were similar between the two study groups. Overall response rates at the end of therapy were 73% for patients treated with fluconazole and 71% for patients treated with amphotericin B ( P = 0.78.). There were no differences in survival rates or causes of death. Toxicity was observed in 9% of patients treated with fluconazole and in 67% of patients treated with amphotericin B ( P CONCLUSION: Fluconazole is effective and better tolerated than amphotericin B for the treatment of hematogenous candidiasis in cancer patients.
Phylogenetic analyses indicate little variation among reticuloendotheliosis viruses infecting avian species, including the endangered Attwater's prairie chicken.

Abstract Reticuloendotheliosis virus infection, which typically causes systemic lymphomas and high mortality in the endangered Attwater's prairie chicken, has been described as a major obstacle in repopulation efforts of captive breeding facilities in Texas. Although antigenic relationships among reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) strains have been previously determined, phylogenetic relationships have not been reported. The pol and env of REV proviral DNA from prairie chickens (PC-R92 and PC-2404), from poxvirus lesions in domestic chickens, the prototype poultry derived REV-A and chick syncytial virus (CSV), and duck derived spleen necrosis virus (SNV) were PCR amplified and sequenced. The 5032 bp, that included the pol and most of env genes, of the PC-R92 and REV-A were 98% identical, and nucleotide sequence identities of smaller regions within the pol and env from REV strains examined ranged from 95 to 99% and 93 to 99%, respectively. The putative amino acid sequences were 97–99% identical in the polymerase and 90–98% in the envelope. Phylogenetic analyses of the nucleotide and amino acid sequences indicated the closest relationship among the recent fowl pox-associated chicken isolates, the prairie chicken isolates and the prototype CSV while only the SNV appeared to be distinctly divergent. While the origin of the naturally occurring viruses is not known, the avian poxvirus may be a critical component of transmission of these ubiquitous oncogenic viruses.
Image Parsing with Stochastic Scene Grammar

This paper proposes a parsing algorithm for scene understanding which includes four aspects: computing 3D scene layout, detecting 3D objects (e.g. furniture), detecting 2D faces (windows, doors etc.), and segmenting background. In contrast to previous scene labeling work that applied discriminative classifiers to pixels (or super-pixels), we use a generative Stochastic Scene Grammar (SSG). This grammar represents the compositional structures of visual entities from scene categories, 3D foreground/background, 2D faces, to 1D lines. The grammar includes three types of production rules and two types of contextual relations. Production rules: (i) AND rules represent the decomposition of an entity into sub-parts; (ii) OR rules represent the switching among sub-types of an entity; (iii) SET rules represent an ensemble of visual entities. Contextual relations: (i) Cooperative "+" relations represent positive links between binding entities, such as hinged faces of a object or aligned boxes; (ii) Competitive "-" relations represents negative links between competing entities, such as mutually exclusive boxes. We design an efficient MCMC inference algorithm, namely Hierarchical cluster sampling, to search in the large solution space of scene configurations. The algorithm has two stages: (i) Clustering: It forms all possible higher-level structures (clusters) from lower-level entities by production rules and contextual relations. (ii) Sampling: It jumps between alternative structures (clusters) in each layer of the hierarchy to find the most probable configuration (represented by a parse tree). In our experiment, we demonstrate the superiority of our algorithm over existing methods on public dataset. In addition, our approach achieves richer structures in the parse tree.
A cognitive task analysis of a visual analytic workflow: Exploring molecular interaction networks in systems biology.

Background: Bioinformatics visualization tools are often not robust enough to support biomedical specialists’ complex exploratory analyses. Tools need to accommodate the workflows that scientists actually perform for specific translational research questions. To understand and model one of these workflows, we conducted a case-based, cognitive task analysis of a biomedical specialist’s exploratory workflow for the question: What functional interactions among gene products of high throughput expression data suggest previously unknown mechanisms of a disease? Results: From our cognitive task analysis four complementary representations of the targeted workflow were developed. They include: usage scenarios, flow diagrams, a cognitive task taxonomy, and a mapping between cognitive tasks and user-centered visualization requirements. The representations capture the flows of cognitive tasks that led a biomedical specialist to inferences critical to hypothesizing. We created representations at levels of detail that could strategically guide visualization development, and we confirmed this by making a trial prototype based on user requirements for a small portion of the workflow. Conclusions: Our results imply that visualizations should make available to scientific users “bundles of features” consonant with the compositional cognitive tasks purposefully enacted at specific points in the workflow. We also highlight certain aspects of visualizations that: (a) need more built-in flexibility; (b) are critical for negotiating meaning; and (c) are necessary for essential metacognitive support.
Fixed Green and Brown Color Morphs and a Novel Color‐Changing Morph of the Pacific Tree Frog Hyla regilla

Abstract: Pacific tree frogs Hyla regilla are typically either green or brown in dorsal coloration. The frequency of green and brown individuals is known to fluctuate seasonally. Previous investigators have generally assumed that the green and brown body colors represent a “fixed” polymorphism and that seasonal changes in the proportion of the two body colors are a consequence of differential survival of the two color morphs. Here we report that, in addition to the “fixed” (i.e., non‐color‐changing) green and brown morphs of H. regilla, there are some individuals that can change hue between green and brown. The distribution of color‐change ability in our study population is bimodal, suggesting that “color changers” are a distinct morph rather than one extreme of a continuous distribution of color‐change ability. Our findings suggest that background brightness, not hue, triggers color change in the newly discovered morph and that this change requires days to weeks to occur. Such slow color change is not we...
The Hidden Issues: What Kind of Order?

Inexorable forces may shift control from governments to transnational corporations and induce crisis on a grand scale; a call for TDF moratorium.
Effects of respiratory muscle work on cardiac output and its distribution during maximal exercise

We have recently demonstrated that changes in the work of breathing during maximal exercise affect leg blood flow and leg vascular conductance (C. A. Harms, M. A. Babcock, S. R. McClaran, D. F. Peg...
Sutureless circumcision using 2-octyl cyanoacrylate (Dermabond): appraisal after 18-month experience

Introduction 2-Octyl cyanoacrylate (2-OCA; Dermabond) is a synthetic tissue adhesive that has proven utility in the closure of minor surgical incisions. Recently, we began using this adhesive for skin closure after circumcision and herein report our experience. Technical Considerations A total of 267 patients (mean age 4 years) underwent circumcision (n = 208) or circumcision revision (n = 59) using 2-OCA for skin closure. The circumcision was performed using a sleeve technique in 219 patients and a Gomco clamp in 48. After meticulous hemostasis, the incision was cleansed, and the skin edges were aligned. Two thin layers of 2-OCA were applied to the incision and allowed to dry. Antibiotic ointment was then applied to the glans and penis. The technique was not used if poor skin edge apposition or bleeding was noted after circumcision. The skin closure time using 2-OCA averaged 3 minutes for the first 150 patients and less than 90 seconds for the last 120 patients, reflecting a learning curve associated with application. At a mean follow-up of 13 months (range 2 to 18), three postoperative complications had occurred. The cosmetic outcomes have been subjectively better than those with standard closure using interrupted 5-0 or 6-0 sutures, with no risk of suture tracks or sinuses. Parental satisfaction has been consistently great. Conclusions Sutureless circumcision closure using 2-OCA is a safe, fast, and cosmetically appealing alternative to standard interrupted suture reapproximation. These advantages have made it our technique of choice. A direct economic and outcome comparison to sutured repairs is ongoing.
Uptake of Copper Acetamidinate ALD Precursors on Nickel Surfaces

The adsorption and thermal activation of copper(I)-N,N′-di-sec-butylacetamidinate on a Ni(110) single-crystal surface were characterized in connection with the use of that compound as a precursor for the growth of copper films via atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes. Studies were carried out under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions by using a combination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), low-energy ion scattering (LEIS), and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). A temperature window between approximately 350 and 450 K was identified for the clean deposition of the precursor on the surface: lower temperatures are insufficient for activation of the dissociative adsorption, and higher temperatures lead to continuous decomposition beyond Cu monolayer saturation. Approximately three ALD-like cycles are required to reach full Cu monolayer saturation, the equivalent of a film growth rate of approximately 0.75 A/cycle. Preadsorption of hydrogen on the surface does not modify any of this behavior be...
Research Resource: The Pdx1 Cistrome of Pancreatic Islets

The homeodomain transcription factor pancreas duodenal homeobox 1 (Pdx1, also known as insulin promoter factor 1) is a master regulator of pancreas development, as mice or humans lacking Pdx1 function are a pancreatic. Importantly, heterozygous mutations in Pdx1 cause early and late onset forms of diabetes in humans. Despite these central roles in development and adult β-cell function, we have only rudimentary knowledge of the transcriptome targets of Pdx1 that mediate these phenotypes. Therefore, we performed global location analysis of Pdx1 occupancy in pancreatic islets. We used evolutionary conservation of target genes to identify the most relevant Pdx1 targets by performing chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing on both human and mouse islets. Remarkably, the conserved target set is highly enriched for genes annotated to function in endocrine system and metabolic disorders, various signaling pathways, and cell survival, providing a molecular explanation for many of the phenotypes resulting from Pdx1 deficiency.
Pollen–pistil interactions and the endomembrane system

The endomembrane system offers many potential points where plant mating can be effectively controlled. This results from two basic features of angiosperm reproduction: the requirement for pollen tubes to pass through sporophytic tissues to gain access to ovules and the physiology of pollen tube growth that provides it with the capacity to do so. Rapid pollen tube growth requires extravagant exocytosis and endocytosis activity as cell wall material is deposited and membrane is recovered from the actively growing tip. Moreover, recent results show that pollen tubes take up a great deal of material from the pistil extracellular matrix. Regarding the stigma and style as organs specialized for mate selection focuses attention on their complementary roles in secreting material to support the growth of compatible pollen tubes and discourage the growth of undesirable pollen. Since these processes also involve regulated activities of the endomembrane system, the potential for regulating mating by controlling endomembrane events exists in both pollen and pistil.
Quantile Estimation in Dependent Sequences

Standard nonparametric estimators of quantiles based on order statistics can be used not only when the data are i.i.d., but also when the data are drawn from a stationary, I-mixing process of continuous random variables. However, when the random variables are highly positively correlated, the sample sizes needed for estimating extreme quantiles become computationally unmanageable. This paper gives a practical scheme, based on a maximum transformation in a two-way layout of the data, that reduces the sample size sufficiently to allow an experimenter to obtain a point estimate of an extreme quantile. The paper gives three schemes that lead to confidence interval estimates for the quantile. One uses a spectral analysis of the reduced sample. The other two, averaged group quantiles and nested group quantiles, are extensions of the method of batched means to quantile estimation. These two schemes give even greater data compaction than the first scheme. None of the schemes requires that the process being simulated is regenerative.
Mother–child relationships, family context, and child characteristics as predictors of anxiety symptoms in middle childhood

The goal of the study was to examine several factors that may explain the development of anxiety symptoms in middle childhood. Using data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care (n = 1,364 families), we examined mother-child relationships, other aspects of family context, and child characteristics as predictors of anxiety in preadolescence. Latent growth curve analyses revealed that children who were more anxious at the beginning of middle childhood had been more behaviorally inhibited as preschoolers, and in middle childhood lived in families who experienced more negative life events and had mothers who were more anxious. Children who became more anxious across middle childhood were less behaviorally inhibited as preschoolers and in middle childhood perceived less security in their attachments to their mothers, experienced more negative life events, and had mothers who were more anxious. The findings illustrate the need to include a broad set of risk factors in etiological models of anxiety. In addition, the evidence for cumulative effects suggests several possible points of intervention with anxious children and their parents.
Climatic Role of the Southerly Flow from the Gulf of Mexico in Interannual Variations in Summer Rainfall in the Central United States

This study continues the investigation of causes of the interannual variations in summer rainfall in the central United States. A previous study by the authors showed that the ENSO teleconnection significantly affected the interannual variations in summer rainfall in the central United States in two epochs, 1871‐1916 and 1949‐78. The teleconnection effect weakened in the epochs 1917‐48 and 1979‐97. The current study partially answers the question: What affected the interannual summer rainfall variations in the two epochs when the ENSO teleconnection weakened? Its results showed that the low-level southerly flow from the Gulf of Mexico was another source of interannual summer rainfall variations. The southerly flow possessed significant interannual variations independent of the ENSO variation. In the epochs when the ENSO teleconnection broke down, the variations of the southerly flow amplified. In the meantime, the circulation anomalies in the lower troposphere in the central United States favored a convergence and an unstable thermal profile. They helped to engage the variations in the southerly flow and the summer rainfall variation in the central United States and to maintain the interannual summer rainfall variation. A coherent variation of this source and ENSO teleconnection in different epochs sustained the observed interannual variations of the summer rainfall in the central United States. The coherent variation of the role of these two different sources was in accord with the multidecadal variation in SST in the mid- and high-latitude North Pacific Ocean, supporting the notion that the multidecadal variation in the SST may have facilitated the coherent variation.
Proxy Consent in Nontherapeutic Settings

Two major lines of argumentation against the justifiability of proxy consent for nontherapeutic research offered by Ramsey and the earlier May unfolded dialectically in the course of their debate with Richard McCormick, and so it seems appropriate to place the latter’s most relevant views on the matter here, even though technically they ought to be classified as part of the following chapter, which examines arguments that favor the validity of proxy consent in nontherapeutic situations. What is known as the Ramsey and May vs. McCormick debate began in the 1970s and even though its content centered largely on children subjected to nontherapeutic research, it can also be applied by extension to other classes of incompetent subjects. Despite the numerous ethical insights that they shared and the support they offered one another in the exchange against McCormick, Ramsey and May developed their own approaches, which are not entirely equivalent. For the sake of clarity I have decided to present them separately and in contrast to McCormick’s position.
Storm Tracks and Barotropic Deformation in Climate Models

Abstract The relationship between the time-mean planetary-scale deformation field and the structure of midlatitude storm tracks is studied in wintertime simulations of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Climate Model and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Earth Observing System model. Model biases are determined by contrasting model simulations (forced by observed SSTs) with parallel analyses of NCEP–NCAR reanalyses. Barotropic diagnostics are employed to identify potential dynamical linkages between regional biases in the midlatitude storm tracks and the horizontal deformation field. Initial observational analyses confirm that synoptic eddies are optimally configured to transfer kinetic energy to the mean flow in the jet exit regions, where strong stretching deformation exists. In these regions, the major axes of the synoptic eddies are aligned along the dilatation axes of the mean flow. Consequently, mean flow advection stretches synoptic eddies a...
VENTILATORY ACTION OF THE HYPAXIAL MUSCLES OF THE LIZARD IGUANA IGUANA: A FUNCTION OF SLOW MUSCLE

Patterns of muscle activity during lung ventilation, patterns of innervation and some contractile properties were measured in the hypaxial muscles of green iguanas. Electromyography shows that only four hypaxial muscles are involved in breathing. Expiration is produced by two deep hypaxial muscles, the transversalis and the retrahentes costarum. Inspiration is produced by the external and internal intercostal muscles. Although the two intercostal muscles are the main agonists of inspiration, neither is involved in expiration. This conflicts with the widely held notion that the different fibre orientations of the two intercostal muscles determine their ventilatory action. Several observations indicate that ventilation is produced by slow (i.e. nontwitch) fibres of these four muscles. First, electromyographic (EMG) activity recorded from these muscles during ventilation has an unusually low range of frequencies (less than 100 Hz). Such low-frequency signals have been suggested to be characteristic of muscle fibres that do not propagate action potentials (i.e. slow fibres). Second, during inspiration, EMG activity is restricted to he medical sides of the two intercostal muscles. Muscle fibres from this region have multiple motor endplates and exhibit tonic contraction when immersed in saline solutions of high potassium content. Like the intercostals, the transversalis and retrahentes costarum muscles also contain fibres with multiple motor endplates. Thus, although breathing is a phasic activity, it is produced by tonic (i.e. slow) muscle fibres. The intercostal muscles are also involved in postural and locomotor movements of the trunk. However, such movements employ twitch as well as slow fibres of the intercostal muscles.
Isokinetic, electrophysiologic, and clinical function relationships following tourniquet-aided knee arthrotomy.

Few data exist pertaining to the validity of isokinetic muscle function tests, partic­ ularly in describing their interrelationships with other common clinical assess­ ments. The purpose of this study was to critically analyze the maximal voluntary knee torque, motor unit activity, range of motion, and gait sequelae in a series of 95 patients who had tourniquet-aided meniscectomy or intra-articular loose-body removal. Prior to arthrotomy, affected and contralateral knee data differed mini­ mally. In the first days following arthrotomy, the patients invariably demonstrated severe gait and muscle mechanical impairments, with grossly abnormal quadri­ ceps femoris muscle motor unit activity. Of 32 patients consenting to one-month postoperative diagnostic electromyographic and nerve conduction velocity testing, 17 (53%) were found to have femoral neuropathies, with 8 of the 17 having other thigh and leg neuropathies as well. Patients with neuropathy recovered more slowly and scored significantly lower on functional and electrophysiological mea­ sures than patients without neuropathy. One month postarthrotomy, knee extensor torques, motor unit activity, and gait scores averaged about half the normal val­ ues, and knee flexion torques and ROM were about 75% of normal. Isokinetic device measurements were moderately related to other clinical measures of post­ arthrotomy outcome (.58 < r < .80). Knee torque measurements alone do not adequately characterize functional capacity. [Krebs DE: Isokinetic, electrophysio­ logic, and clinical function relationships following tourniquet-aided knee arthrot­ omy. Phys Ther 69:803-815, 1989]
Near-Field Measurement Models

In Chap. 12 we derived the Thompson-Gray measurement model using both a direct approach and an approach based on reciprocity relations. In either case, we assumed the incident and scattered waves could be treated as quasi-plane waves modified by appropriate diffraction correction terms and the scattering amplitude was assumed to be slowly varying so that it could be evaluated along a fixed set of incident and scattered directions. Although the quasi-plane wave (or paraxial) approximation of the incident and scattered fields is typically a very good assumption even in the near field, the combination of this assumption with the slowly varying scattering amplitude assumption can cause the Thompson-Gray models developed in Chap. 12 to break down in the near field. This breakdown is particularly severe for very specular scatterers (such as cracks or flat-bottom holes). In this chapter, we will construct near field measurement models based only on a high frequency, small flaw assumption. These models will reduce to the Thompson-Gray models found previously when the directions of the waves and the scattering amplitude both do not vary significantly from their values along a set of fixed rays in the transmission and reception processes.
Trial and Appellate Judging in the Measure of Judicial Responsiveness

In Triangulating Judicial Responsiveness: Automated Content Analysis, Judicial Opinions, and the Methodology of Legal Scholarship, Chad Oldfather, Joseph Bockhorst, and Brian Dimmer initiate a provocative dialogue about measuring judicial responsiveness by providing innovative tools for assessing how closely judicial opinions hew to the arguments and information provided by litigants.This brief comment responds to the authors’ analysis by examining whether a more accurate characterization of their project is that they are quantifying appellate judicial responsiveness, and by suggesting that the authors might consider a broader definition of judicial responsiveness to account for litigation materials beyond appellate briefs.
The direct Coombs test in lead poisoning.

1. The anemia produced by lead intoxication in humans as well as experimentally induced lead poisoning in dogs results in a positive direct Coombs test. 2. The direct antiglobulin test will become positive within twenty-four hours in cases of severe lead poisoning produced experimentally in dogs. 3. The blood from cases of severe lead poisoning in dogs will form a layer phenomenon when allowed to stand with the formation of a supernatant fraction of cells above the packed erythrocytes. These cells remain suspended in the plasma for many hours. This superior fraction on a column of blood has a high per cent of reticulocytes, and cells with coarse basophilic stippling. The direct Coombs test is positive in the superior fraction of such a column. The positivity decreases as the sampling approaches the bottom. In many instances the whole blood direct Coombs test may be negative and the cells from the superior portion of the column be strongly positive. The latter phenomenon was also found in asymptomatic workers exposed to lead in a smelting plant. 4. The possible significance of the correlation of the direct anti-globulin reaction and cell immaturity or chemical trauma to the membrane is briefly discussed.
The Political Geography of Campaign Finance: Contributions to 2008 Republican Presidential Candidates

In fundraising, potential candidates who do not collect sizable amounts of “early money” may be effectively eliminated even before the start of the Iowa Caucus. This winnowing raises concern about the impact money has on narrowing the field of candidates from whom voters can choose. To better grasp patterns of successful fundraising, we explore where candidates obtain funds during the preprimary and primary periods. We use individual contributions data from the Federal Election Commission during the preprimary and primary periods of the 2008 Republican presidential nomination contest. Findings suggest that although California, New York, and Texas provide disproportionate amounts of early financing, the ability of presidential aspirants to broaden their support is indicative of campaign success.
Cabbage Looper: Ovicidal Activity of Pesticides in the Laboratory

Commercial formulations of 23 insecticides and fungicides were evaluated in the laboratory for ovicidal activity against 2 indigenous strains of the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni (Hubner). The laboratory strain had been reared continuously for ca. 3 yr while the field strain had been reared for 3–4 generations during the experiment. The field strain was more tolerant to the ovicides than the laboratory strain. Materials with most ovicidal activity were permethrin, Pydrin® (cyano (3-phenoxyphenyl) methyl-4-chloro-alpha-(l-methylethyl) benzeneacetate), methomyl, and chlordimeform. Other pesticides with lesser ovicidal activity (from lowest to highest LC50 of the field strain) were Mobil 9087 (l-ethoxy-4-{ 1-[4-(I, I-dimethylethyl) phenyl]-2-nitrobutyl} benzene), UC 51762 (dimethylester of N, N-[thiobis [(methylimino)carbonyloxy]] bisethanimidothioic acid), mevinphos, sulprofos, monocrotophos, and profenofos. Pesticides with no ovicidal activity were acephate, benomyl, chlorothionil, diflubenzuron, endosulfan, maneb, methamidophos, oxamyl, parathion, tetradifon, tetrasol, and triphenyl tin hydroxide.
Abstract A66: Potent CDK4 inhibitor in human breast cancer therapy

Deregulated cell cycle is a common feature in many human cancers. Overexpression of cyclinD1 oncogene and highly activation of the cyclinD1/Cdk4Cdk6 kinase modulate the tumor initiation, tumor progression and the chemo‐sensitivity of cancer cells. Targeting G1 phase of cell cycle leading cancer cell into senescence or quiescence stage or causing cell death has become a promising approach in cancer treatment. Here, we report the in vitro anti‐tumor functions of the synthetic Cdk4 inhibitor, Naphtho [2, 1‐α] pyrrolo [3, 4‐c] carbazole‐5, 7 (6H, 12H)‐dione (NPCD) in a panel of human breast cancer cell lines. NPCD is able to inhibit cancer cell growth, arrest cancer cells at G1 phase and cause cell death as results of diminished Cdk4Cdk6 phosphorylation of the Rb protein without disrupting the cyclinD1/Cdk4Cdk6 complex formation or affecting G1 phase proteins intracellular localization. The sensitivity to NPCD is associated with the intracellular cyclinD1 and Cdk4 or Cdk6 proteins level. Upon NPCD treatment, the changes in several G1‐S phase proteins levels differ between cell lines which could because different cell lines develop different signaling networks responding to same stimuli. The dramatically decreased p27kip protein is a common feature between cell lines we studied upon NPCD treatment; it could be either a result of NPCD induced G1 arrest and inactivation of cyclinD1/Cdk4Cdk6 or could be an upstream mediator to cause Cdk4Cdk6 inactivation and G1 arrest. In recent years, the functions of p27kip protein have been extended involving in cell cycle regulation, embryonic development, tumor genesis and tumor progression, consequently, pursuing the mechanisms resulting rapidly decreased p27kip protein in responding to NPCD may help us to better understand the function of this protein in deregulated cell cycle system. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):A66.
Antiinflammatory, Analgesic, and Antiulcer Activities of Copper Complexes Suggest Their Use in a Physiologic Approach to Treatment of Arthritic Diseases

Copper is an essential metalloelement, and therefore is required by all human cells for normal metabolism. Amounts of copper found in various body tissues and fluids have been tabulated elsewhere.1 Calculated amounts of ionic copper suggested to be present in biological systems (10-18 M in plasma) are too small to be measured using the most sensitive instrumentation available. As a result, measurable tissue copper content reflects content of copper complexes, and these complexes account for absorption, distribution, and biologically active forms, including copper-dependent enzymes.1,2
Grid division method for buried pipelines during numerical simulation

On disposal of the circle borderlines, one of the ways is to use broken lines instead of the circle borderlines. If the broken lines are close enough to the circle, the accuracy of the result can be ensured. But during the division of the grids, the calculation is complicated, and usually the procedures can't be used. In the paper, we use rectangular borderlines instead of the circle ones. In comparison with the previous ways, the results are satisfactory, and it simplifies the procedure of thermal calculation of buried pipelines.
Research on Fault of Railway Rolling Bearing Based on Acoustic Emission Technique

With the aid of acoustic emission detection technology,fault diagnosis of rolling bearing of heavy trucks on the railway is performed without disassembly,acoustic emission signals collected by using wavelet packet analysis technology decomposed and reconstructed,energy feature vectors of fault signal extracted,the processed feature vectors input into BP neural network for the rolling bearing fault pattern recognition,and thus,all these may determine whether the bearing is faulty and which type the fault belongs to.Through the validation with a large number of actual experimental data of rolling bearing,the results show that the use of the proposed method is effective.
Synaptic vesicles contain small ribonucleic acids (sRNAs) including transfer RNA fragments (trfRNA) and microRNAs (miRNA).

Synaptic vesicles (SVs) are neuronal presynaptic organelles that load and release neurotransmitter at chemical synapses. In addition to classic neurotransmitters, we have found that synaptic vesicles isolated from the electric organ of Torpedo californica, a model cholinergic synapse, contain small ribonucleic acids (sRNAs), primarily the 5′ ends of transfer RNAs (tRNAs) termed tRNA fragments (trfRNAs). To test the evolutionary conservation of SV sRNAs we examined isolated SVs from the mouse central nervous system (CNS). We found abundant levels of sRNAs in mouse SVs, including trfRNAs and micro RNAs (miRNAs) known to be involved in transcriptional and translational regulation. This discovery suggests that, in addition to inducing changes in local dendritic excitability through the release of neurotransmitters, SVs may, through the release of specific trfRNAs and miRNAs, directly regulate local protein synthesis. We believe these findings have broad implications for the study of chemical synaptic transmission.
Management of Ruptured and Rapidly Progressive Mycotic Cerebral Aneurysms in the Setting of Unilateral Carotid Occlusion and Endocarditis with Valve Failure

Mycotic cerebral aneurysms can present unique neurosurgical challenges. We report a patient with left carotid occlusions, a ruptured left middle cerebral artery mycotic aneurysm, and a rapidly appearing unruptured left anterior cerebral artery/anterior communicating artery (ACA/ACom) mycotic aneurysm in the setting of mitral valve endocarditis with a perivalvular leak and evolving congestive heart failure. Following medical stabilization and antibiotic administration, a combined endovascular (with contralateral access via the ACom) and open surgical approach was used to selectively secure both aneurysms with preservation of distal flow, allowing lifesaving cardiac valve replacement. This case illustrates the therapeutic complexity of mycotic cerebral aneurysms, which we discuss in the context of an increasing reliance on endovascular approaches.
Peritoneal fluid from patients with endometriosis decreases sperm binding to the zona pellucida in the hemizona assay: a preliminary report

Objective To evaluate the effect of peritoneal fluid (PF) from patients with endometriosis on gamete interaction under hemizona assay (HZA) conditions. Design The HZA was used to study the effect of PF from patients with endometriosis on sperm binding to the zona pellucida using media and normal PF as controls. Setting The patients were collected from a university hospital infertility clinic. Patients Peritoneal fluid from 16 women being evaluated for infertility or sterilization who were found to have endometriosis at surgery was used. Three normal patients, who were being sterilized, had PF that was used as a control. Results Results suggest that there is a significant reduction in the number of tightly bound sperm to the zona surface in endometriosis specimens as reflected in the hemizona index and that this effect is directly related to the stage of the disease. Conclusions Although the sample is small, this methodology may help to elucidate one of the mechanisms responsible for endometriosis-associated infertility.
FY-15 Progress Report on Cleanup of irradiated SHINE Target Solutions Containing 140g-U/L Uranyl Sulfate

During FY 2012 and 2013, a process was developed to convert the SHINE Target Solution (STS) of irradiated uranyl sulfate (140 g U/L) to uranyl nitrate. This process is necessary so that the uranium solution can be processed by the UREX (Uranium Extraction) separation process, which will remove impurities from the uranium so that it can be recycled. The uranyl sulfate solution must contain <0.02 M SO42- so that the uranium will be extractable into the UREXsolvent. In addition, it is desired that the barium content be below 0.0007 M, as this is the limit in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
Opposing roles for DNA replication initiator proteins ORC1 and CDC6 in control of Cyclin E gene transcription

Newly born cells either continue to proliferate or exit the cell division cycle. This decision involves delaying expression of Cyclin E that promotes DNA replication. ORC1, the Origin Recognition Complex (ORC) large subunit, is inherited into newly born cells after it binds to condensing chromosomes during the preceding mitosis. We demonstrate that ORC1 represses Cyclin E gene (CCNE1) transcription, an E2F1 activated gene that is also repressed by the Retinoblastoma (RB) protein. ORC1 binds to RB, the histone methyltransferase SUV39H1 and to its repressive histone H3K9me3 mark. ORC1 cooperates with SUV39H1 and RB protein to repress E2F1-dependent CCNE1 transcription. In contrast, the ORC1-related replication protein CDC6 binds Cyclin E-CDK2 kinase and in a feedback loop removes RB from ORC1, thereby hyper-activating CCNE1 transcription. The opposing effects of ORC1 and CDC6 in controlling the level of Cyclin E ensures genome stability and a mechanism for linking directly DNA replication and cell division commitment.
Healthy eating patterns associated with acculturation, sex and BMI among Mexican Americans

Objective Examine relationships of healthy and unhealthy dietary patterns with BMI, sex, age and acculturation among Mexican Americans. Design Cross-sectional. Participants completed culturally tailored Healthy and Unhealthy Eating Indices. Multivariable mixed-effect Poisson regression models compared food pattern index scores and dietary intake of specific foods by BMI, sex, age and acculturation defined by language preference and generational status. Setting Participants recruited from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort study, Texas-Mexico border region, between 2008 and 2011. Subjects Mexican-American males and females aged 18-97 years (n 1250). Results Participants were primarily female (55·3 %), overweight or obese (85·7 %), preferred Spanish language (68·0 %) and first-generation status (60·3 %). Among first-generation participants, bilingual participants were less likely to have a healthy eating pattern than preferred Spanish-speaking participants (rate ratio (RR)=0·79, P=0·0218). This association was also found in males (RR=0·81, P=0·0098). Preferred English-speaking females were less likely to consume healthy foods than preferred Spanish-speaking females (RR=0·84, P=0·0293). Among second-generation participants, preferred English-speaking participants were more likely to report a higher unhealthy eating pattern than preferred Spanish-speaking participants (RR=1·23, P=0·0114). Higher unhealthy eating patterns were also found in females who preferred English v. females who preferred Spanish (RR=1·23, P=0·0107) or were bilingual (RR=1·26, P=0·0159). Younger, male participants were more likely to have a higher unhealthy eating pattern. BMI and diabetes status were not significantly associated with healthy or unhealthy eating patterns. Conclusions Acculturation, age, sex and education are associated with healthy and unhealthy dietary patterns. Nutrition interventions for Mexican Americans should tailor approaches by these characteristics.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of chordal replacement versus leaflet resection for isolated posterior mitral valve prolapse.

Introduction Chordal replacement (Chord MVr) for isolated posterior mitral valve prolapse allows for preservation of the native mitral valve apparatus. The potential benefits of this approach, as compared with leaflet resection (Resection), are not clearly defined. Evidence acquisition A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted on operative, clinical, and echocardiographic outcomes. Risk ratios (RR) were calculated by the Mantel-Haenszel method under a fixed or random effects model, as appropriate. Evidence synthesis Eight studies were included, with a total of 1922 patients (Chord MVr, N.=835; Resection, N.=1087). Baseline characteristics were similar, except for a higher incidence of atrial fibrillation in the Chord MVr group (15.5% versus 9.9%, P=0.03), and a slightly greater mitral regurgitation grade in the Resection group (3.5 versus 3.4, P=0.008). P2 segment prolapse was the most common pathology, however, patients undergoing Chord MVr had a higher incidence of multi-segment prolapse (32.1% versus 13.9%, P=0.0006). There was no difference in operative mortality (1.1% for both) or perioperative complications. At a mean follow-up of 2.9±2.8 years (median=2.8 years, IQR 1.6-4.4), Chord MVr was associated with a lower risk of reoperation (1.1% versus 4.3%; RR 0.26, 95% CI 0.12-0.56, P=0.0007), and similar survival and recurrence of moderate mitral regurgitation, when compared with Resection. Finally, a lower transmitral gradient (2.5 versus 2.8 mmHg, P=0.0004) and larger orifice area (3.2 versus 3.0 cm2, P=0.002) were observed with Chord MVr. Conclusions At 2.9-year follow-up, Chord MVr for isolated posterior mitral valve prolapse was associated with a lower reoperation rate and favorable valve hemodynamics, when compared with leaflet resection.
Insurance policy reformation for autism treatment coverage

Since the start of insurance reform on autism diagnosis and treatment coverage in 2001, 47 out of 50 states have passed relevant legal mandate applied to private health insurance companies, and 11 states have made one amendment after the legislation was activated. This paper provides an overview of autism insurance reform, discusses its business impacts, and suggests areas of future research.
Scattering using real-time path integrals

Sharp-momentum transition matrix elements for scattering from a short-range Gaussian potential are computed using a real-time path integral. The computation is based on a numerical implementation of a new interpretation of the path integral as the expectation of a potential functional with respect to a complex probability distribution on cylinder sets of paths. The method is closely related to a unitary transfer matrix computation.