cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Substance P: Correlation of CSF and Plasma Levels

SYNOPSIS Objective: To determine the correlation between cerebrospinal fluid and plasma concentrations of substance P.Patients: 37 patients undergoing lumbar puncture for various diagnostic purposes. Measurements: Samples of cerebrospinal fluid and blood were obtained at the same visit. Substance P was measured by radioimmunoassay technique. At least 4 separate measurements were conducted on each sample to insure accuracy. Results: The mean plasma SP level was 1.195 (± 1.1). The mean cerebrospinal fluid substance P level was 1.075 (± .07). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between substance P level in the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid. The Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.656 (P<.0001) and the Spearman correlationcoefficient was 0.698 (P<.0001). Conclusions: Plasma substance P levels closely correlate with cerebrospinal fluid substance P levels. This will simplify the measurement of substance P in the evaluation of therapeutic agents for headache.
Bullous pyoderma gangrenosum as the presenting sign of fatal acute myelogenous leukemia

Bullous pyoderma gangrenosum begins as a bulla, nodule or nonulcerated erythematous plaque that blisters or ulcerates to form a superficial ulcer surrounded by a hemorrhagic, bullous border, which is surrounded by a blue-gray halo. Bullous pyoderma gangrenosum is most commonly associated with hematologic malignancies, specifically, acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). We report a patient whose initial presentation with bullous pyoderma gangrenosum prompted the appropriate diagnostic evaluation and confirmation of AML, which was ultimately fatal. We emphasize that a thorough hematologic investigation, including bone marrow biopsy, should be performed in all patients who present with lesions clinically suggestive of bullous pyoderma gangrenosum because the skin lesion may be the only indicator of the underlying hematologic disorder.
Longitudinal Strain Pulse Propagation in Wide Rectangular Bars: Part 1—Theoretical Considerations

The propagation of a longitudinal elastic strain pulse in a wide rectangular bar is considered on the basis of approximate plane-stress equations of motion. Asymptotic expressions are obtained which, for large distances of travel, describe the pulse propagation in a semi-infinite strip with stress-free lateral edges, subject to the conditions that a uniform normal stress with a step-function time dependence is applied to the end and that the end is laterally constrained. Particular emphasis is given to describing the warping of plane sections during passage of the strain pulse.
Temporal discretisation errors in non-iterative split-operator approaches to solving chemical reaction/groundwater transport models

Split-operator approaches are methods in widespread use for numerical solutions of reaction/transport problems. However, only a couple of analyses of truncation errors resulting from operator splitting have been published. A range of linear, single species models is analysed here, leading to generalisations of earlier findings, in addition to developing new results. Linear retardation, radioactive decay and interphase mass transfer are considered in detail. Operator-splitting errors for both the standard two-step and alternating two-step methods are presented, the latter approach being popular as a way to reduce errors due to operator splitting. An ambiguity in implementing two-step methods is revealed. The truncation error analysis also shows that the application of the usual alternating split-operator method to an equilibrium reaction (linear retardation) actually increases the (first order in time) truncation error relative to the standard method. However, for homogeneous boundary conditions, the same reaction can be solved to second-order accuracy if the model derived from taking the limit of a nonequilibrium, interphase mass transfer process is used. For the linear reactions considered here, the alternating two-step method is always second-order accurate in the temporal discretisation.
A proximal gradient algorithm for tracking cascades over networks

Many real-world processes evolve in cascades over networks, whose topologies are often unobservable and change over time. However, the so-termed adoption times when for instance blogs mention popular news items are typically known, and are implicitly dependent on the underlying network. To infer the network topology, a dynamic structural equation model is adopted to capture the relationship between observed adoption times and the unknown edge weights, while accounting also for external (non-topological) perturbations. Assuming a slowly time-varying topology and leveraging the sparse connectivity inherent to social networks, edge weights are estimated by minimizing a sparsity-regularized exponentially-weighted least-squares criterion. To this end, a solver is developed by leveraging (pseudo) real-time sparsity-promoting proximal gradient iterations. Numerical tests with real cascades of online media demonstrate the effectiveness of the novel algorithm in unveiling sparse dynamically-evolving topologies.
Mouthparts of southern leopard frog, Lithobates sphenocephalus, tadpoles not affected by exposure to a formulation of glyphosate.

This study evaluated the impacts of Roundup® on tadpole mouthpart damage as a mechanism for reduced growth and developmental rates in Lithobates sphenocephalus (Southern leopard frog) tadpoles. We did not find evidence that Roundup® damages larval mouthparts, nor was there a significant relationship between mouthpart damage and either body condition or developmental rate. However, the highest concentration of Roundup® significantly stunted development compared to all other treatments. Although we observed a significant effect of Roundup® on developmental rate, we conclude that mouthpart damage is likely not a mechanism for this life history response.
Silicone gel breast augmentation with a periareolar incision

The technique of augmentation mammaplasty using the soft silicone gel prosthesis placed via a periareolar incision is described. Details of the operation, the postoperative course, and results in a series of 51 patients operated upon over an 18-month period are recounted.
Stereochemical activity of the metal-centered lone electron pair in group 14 metallocenes. Crystal structure of the linear sandwich complex [C5(iPr)3H2]2Pb.

Stereochemically active valence electrons are not present in the structure of [C5(Pri)3H2]2Pb, which, like [C5Me4(SiMe2But)]2Pb, possesses parallel cyclopentadienyl rings. There are no close intramolecular contacts that force the rings to be parallel; the structure is consistent with the lack of a strong electronic preference for bending in heavy group 14 metallocenes.
Phylogenetic conservatism in the presence of a neurotensin-related hexapeptide in neurons of globus pallidus

The vast majority of the pallidal neurons of the hamster, pigeon, caiman and turtle basal telencephalon were positively labeled by an antiserum against LANT-6, a neurotensin-like hexapeptide. In sharks also, LANT-6-positive neurons were observed in the apparent equivalent of the globus pallidus. These results, which imply the coexistence of a LANT-6-like peptide with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in pallidal neurons, suggest that a LANT-6-like peptide may be an important and evolutionarily conserved neurotransmitter/neuromodulator in pallidal neurons.
Hypertension is Associated With Cognitive Decline in Elderly People at High Risk for Dementia

Cardiovascular risk factors including hypertension (HTN) have been shown to increase the risk of Alzheimer disease. The current study investigated whether individuals with HTN are more susceptible to increased cognitive decline and whether the influence of HTN on cognitive decline varied as a function of dementia severity. A total of 224 nursing home and assisted living residents, with a mean age of 84.9 (±7.6) years, were assessed longitudinally with Mini Mental State Exams (MMSEs) and Clinical Dementia Ratings (CDR). Baseline dementia status was defined by the CDR score. As described in Table 2, MMSE scores in persons with HTN and questionable dementia (CDR = 0.5) declined significantly faster than nonhypertensive questionably demented persons. Hypertensive participants did not decline significantly faster than nonhypertensive participants in persons with intact cognition (CDR = 0) or frank dementia (CDR ≥ 1). These results suggest an increased risk of subsequent cognitive decline in hypertensive individuals who are especially vulnerable to developing dementia and raises the possibility that avoiding or controlling HTN might reduce the rate of cognitive decline in cognitively vulnerable individuals, potentially delaying their conversion to full-fledged dementia.
Amino-Terminal Alteration of the HLA-A *0201-Restricted Human Immunodeficiency Virus Pol Peptide Increases Complex Stability and in vitro Immunogenicity

Initial studies suggested that major histocompatibility complex class I-restricted viral epitopes could be predicted by the presence of particular residues termed anchors. However, recent studies showed that nonanchor positions of the epitopes are also significant for class I binding and recognition by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). We investigated if changing nonanchor amino acids could increase class I affinity, complex stability, and T-cell recognition of a natural viral epitope. This concept was tested by using the HLA-A 0201-restricted human immunodeficiency virus type 1 epitope from reverse transcriptase (pol). Position 1 (P1) amino acid substitutions were emphasized because P1 alterations may not alter the T-cell receptor interaction. The peptide with the P1 substitution of tyrosine for isoleucine (I1Y) showed a binding affinity for HLA-A 0201 similar to that of the wild-type pol peptide in a cell lysate assembly assay. Surprisingly, I1Y significantly increased the HLA-A 0201-peptide complex stability at the cell surface. I1Y sensitized HLA-A 0201-expressing target cells for wild-type pol-specific CTL lysis as well as wild-type pol. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from three HLA-A2 HIV-seropositive individuals were stimulated in vitro with I1Y and wild-type pol. I1Y stimulated a higher wild-type pol-specific CTL response than wild-type pol in all three donors. Thus, I1Y may be an "improved" epitope for use as a CTL-based human immunodeficiency virus vaccine component. The design of improved epitopes has important ramifications for prophylaxis and therapeutic vaccine development.
Spatial relations in the oral cavity of cortisone-treated mouse fetuses during the time of secondary palate closure.

Cortisone has long been used experimentally to induce cleft palate in mice, but the mechanisms by which it causes this effect remain controversial. It has been repeatedly demonstrated that after administration of cortisone the movement of the palatal shelves from a vertical to a horizontal position is delayed. The long-accepted hypothesis is that during this delay growth of the head continues so that when the palatal shelves finally do become horizontal they are too far apart to meet in the midline and fuse. We found that maternally administered cortisone induced 95% cleft palate in ICR/DUB mouse fetuses observed at days 15–18 of gestation. Observations made on frozen, cryostat-cut sections of fetal heads during the time of palate closure indicated that shelf elevation in experimental animals was delayed by as much as 12–14 h. However, when the shelves finally reached the horizontal they made contact with both the nasal septum and each other. It seems therefore that cortisone, beside causing delay in self movement, may also interfere with processes that occur subsequent to horizontalization leading to shelf fusion.
Compartment syndrome following forearm fracture in children

Six cases of acute compartment syndrome of the forearm following displaced fractures of the distal radius and ulna are presented. In children the diagnosis can be difficult to make, and can be helped by the use of compartment pressure measurements. Children with this type of fracture are at risk of developing this complication, and careful observation and assessment following injury is recommended. The use of early decompression has given better results in this younger age group than that reported in adults.
A Method for Determining the Velocity Induced by Highly Anisotropic Vorticity Blobs

Resolution of boundary layer flows at moderate or high Reynolds numbers with the vortex blob method requires a great many isotropic elements. In this paper, an approximate method for determination of the induced velocity from highly anisotropic vorticity blobs is presented, and issues related to use of anisotropic elements in calculations with vortex blob algorithms for high Reynolds number near-wall flows are examined. The method presented here can be used to determine the induced velocity from smooth blob functions of arbitrary form, provided that the vorticity length scale associated with the blob is much less in one direction than in orthogonal directions. The ratio of these length scales is called the blob aspect ratio, ?, and is used as a small parameter to construct an asymptotic approximation to the induced velocity field. This method is applied in the present paper to derive induced velocity expressions for anisotropic Gaussian blob functions in both two and three dimensions. It is argued, using test calculations for a Blasius boundary layer, that although direct calculation of the induced velocity requires about an order of magnitude more CPU time for anisotropic Gaussian elements than for isotropic elements, this difference is more than made up for by a reduction of several orders of magnitude in the number of elements needed to resolve boundary layer flows at moderate to high Reynolds numbers. It is also found that the standard vortex blob representation leads to errors in the calculation of wall slip velocity and wall shear stress due to smoothing of the discontinuity between the real and image vorticity fields at the wall, but that these errors can be avoided by placing doublet-type elements along the wall.
Delayed first pregnancy among African-American adolescent smokers

Abstract Purpose: This study aimed to compare rates of adolescent pregnancy among African-American adolescents who began smoking as adolescents with those who did not. Methods: Cross-sectional data on 1042 primiparous African-American women enrolled in a randomized clinical trial of nurse home visitation were examined. The independent variable, adolescent smoking, was defined as a report of smoking before the age of 18 years. The outcome variable was adolescent pregnancy, defined as first pregnancy before the age of 18 years. Logistic regression was used to control for potential confounders. Results: After adjustments for drug use, use of contraception, frequency of coitus, and sexually transmitted diseases, women who smoked during adolescence had a 50% lower risk of becoming pregnant as an adolescent [odds ratio of 0.46 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.27–0.76)]. When time to first pregnancy was examined as a continuous variable, adolescent smoking was associated with a delay in pregnancy of 22.6 months (95% CI 16.8–29.2). Conclusions: Teen smoking appears to be associated with a significantly lower rate of adolescent pregnancy among African-Americans. Although the nature of this relationship is unclear, this finding suggests the need for linkage between smoking prevention and adolescent pregnancy prevention.
Effect of Submersed Aquatic Macrophytes on Resource Partitioning in Yearling Rock Bass (Ambloplites rupestris) and Pumpkinseeds (Lepomis gibbosus) in Lake St. Clair

Yearling rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris), pumpkinseeds (Lepomis gibbosus), macroinvertebrates, and submersed aquatic plants were sampled at 2- or 3-week intervals from June to October 1979 in a shallow, heavily vegetated embayment in Lake St. Clair to determine whether seasonal changes in plant canopy and plant taxonomic composition affected resource partitioning in these two fish species. In both species, numbers of prey and gut volumes increased with increasing plant canopy until the plant canopy reached a seasonal maximum in mid-summer. Rock bass consumed fewer, larger prey than pumpkinseeds while large Caenidae-Trichoptera-Coenagrionidae, the prey group most preferred by rock bass, was available. Pumpkinseeds ate smaller amphipods, gastropods, and chironomid-lepidopterans that were more abundant numerically than Caenidae-Trichoptera-Coenagrionidae. After mid-summer, the plant canopy declined slowly to one-half of the maximum value, but built-up densities of Hyalella azteca, gastropods, and chironomid-lepidopterans kept availability of prey high throughout late summer. Rock bass shifted to Gammarus, gastropods, and chironomid-lepidopterans as large Caenidae-Trichoptera-Coenagrionidae became scarce. Pumpkinseeds ate more prey in the late season and displayed no prey preference. Their gut volumes peaked in September. Apparently, increasing combined canopy of bushy plants and Heteranthera dubia hindered the foraging of rock bass more than that of pumpkinseeds and caused resource partitioning in the two species.
Implementing patient self-medication in an orthopaedic rehabilitation unit

This article describes why and how a patient self-medication programme was introduced into a community hospital fast stream orthopaedic rehabilitation unit, where the average length of stay is 8 days. Continual evaluation has shown that both staff and patients now prefer self-administration of medicines. The programme has operated successfully for nearly 3 years despite the fact that the hospital has no on-site medical or pharmaceutical cover. The rehabilitation team have highlighted the reasons for its success as: o 1. The programme idea was initiated by the team. 2. Lengthy time taken in planning enabled all staff to participate in decision making, become familiar with the programme, and feel confident about changing practice. 3. Close interdisciplinary communication and collaboration.
Synthesis, conformational novelty, and x-ray crystal structure of the spherical .

Abstract The synthesis and x-ray crystal structure of a spherical cryptand 2 , in which the bridgehead N -electrons are in the in - in configuration and one of the pyridine rings is located inside the cavity of the cryptand, are described.
AB INITIO CONFIGURATION INTERACTION CALCULATIONS FOR FIVE STATES OF ArHe

Abstract Ab initio configuration interaction calculations have been carried out on five doublet states of ArHe + molecular ion. Five state (X 2 Σ + , A 2 II, B 2 Σ + , D 2 II) are found to be weakly bound. The calculated results are compared with experimental data.
Relationship between atopic dermatitis and immunoglobulin E.

Coca and Grove (1925) concluded that serum factors, which they called reagins, were present in individuals with allergic respiratory disease. More than 40 years later, reaginic antibody was shown by Johansson and Ichizaka to belong to the immunoglobin E (IgE) class of immunoglobins. It has been established that the Fc component of IgE has an affinity for surface receptors on mast cells and basophilic leukocytes. After IgE has become fixed to these receptors, binding of appropriate allergen to the Fab component of the immunoglobulin Initiates an inflammatory response via the release of pharmacologic mediators. IgE is not unique to individuals with atopic disease. Nearly all persons have detectable serum levels of IgE. Plasma cells in lymphoid tissue draining mucosal surfaces have been shown to stain with fluorescein-tagged anti-lgE, suggesting that IgE is produced in these areas. Like other immunoglobulins, IgE enters the bloodstream, but unlike the others, the quantity present shows extreme variability. IgE has been found at concentrations of less that 2.4 ng/ml in normal adult serum. Recently a nonmyeloma patient was discovered with a serum IgE level greater than 500,000 ng/ml. High IgE levels may be found 'in nonatopic individuals having several other conditions, including parasitic and fungal infections. It is difficult to establish a mean value for IgE levels in normal nonatopic individuals. There are no technical probFrom the Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Optimality of trunk reservation for an m/m/k/n queue with several customer types and holding costs

In this article we study optimal admission to an M/M/k/N queue with several customer types. The reward structure consists of revenues collected from admitted customers and holding costs, both of which depend on customer types. This article studies average rewards per unit time and describes the structures of stationary optimal, canonical, bias optimal, and Blackwell optimal policies. Similar to the case without holding costs, bias optimal and Blackwell optimal policies are unique, coincide, and have a trunk reservation form with the largest optimal control level for each customer type. Problems with one holding cost rate have been studied previously in the literature.
Towards High‐Performance Nonaqueous Redox Flow Electrolyte Via Ionic Modification of Active Species

We will present a novel design lithium-organic non-aqueous redox flow battery based on a modified ferrocene catholyte. This RFB produced desired electrochemical performance exceeding most of the currently reported nonaqueous RFB systems.
The residual permanent magnetic dipole moment of the moon

The residual dipole moment of the outer spherical shell of the Moon, magnetized in the field of an internal dipole is calculated for the case when the permeability of the shell differs from unity. It is shown that, using an average value of surface magnetization from returned lunar crystalline rock samples and a global figure for the lunar permeability of 1.012, that a residual moment of the order of 1015 to 1016 Am2 is expected. This value is some two or three orders of magnitude lower than the moment for a shell magnetized in an external uniform field and is of the same order as the upper limit of the residual moment detected by Russellet al. (1974). At present the magnetic data and the thermal state of the Moon are not known with sufficient accuracy to distinguish between a crust magnetized in an internal dipole field of constant polarity and a crust magnetized in the dipole field of a self-reversing core dynamo. Refined measurements of the relevant parameters together with the theory presented in this paper could enable these two possibilities to be distinguished.
Isolated Hypersomnia Due to Bilateral Thalamic Infarcts

We describe a unique patient who developed hypersomnia as the sole presenting symptom of bilateral thalamic infarcts.
Homologous Radioimmunoassay for Canine Thyrotropin: Response of Normal and X-Irradiated Dogs to Propylthiouracil

A RIA for canine TSH (cTSH) has been developed using a double antibody method. Rabbit anti-cTSH antisera was slightly cross-reactive with ovine TSH. No evidence of cross-reactivity was noted with human, bovine, rat TSH, or ovine LH. Serum cTSH in euthyroid dogs (9–10 yr of age; 7–14 kg) was 7.0 ± 0.9 ng/ml (mean ± SE; range, 2.7–7.9). Normal and x-irradiated (localized to the thyroid or cranium) dogs received 334 mg propylthiouracil (PTU) im in oil daily for 1 week as a goitrogenic challenge. A significant increase (P P P < 0.20, respectively) in thyroid-irradiated dogs, a significant decrease (P < 0.01) in T.i was observed in both normal and x-irradiated dogs maintained on PTU for 1 week. The inability of h...
Parallel performance study of Monte Carlo photon transport code on shared-, distributed-, and distributed-shared-memory architectures

We have parallelized a Monte Carlo photon transport algorithm. Three different parallel versions of the algorithm were developed. The first version is for the Tera Multi-Threaded Architecture (MTA) and uses Tera specific directives. The second version, which uses MPI library calls, has been implemented on both the CRAY T3E and the 8-way SMP IBM SP with Power3 processors. The third version is a hybrid MPI-OpenMP implementation and is used on the SMP IBM SP. This version uses MPI to communicate between nodes and OpenMP to perform shared memory operations among processors within a node. We explain the three different parallelization approaches and present parallel performance results of these three parallel implementations on three different machines. We observe near perfect speedup for the three versions on the three architectures. The results on the SMP IBM SP suggest that the hybrid MPI-OpenMP programming is suitable for SMP type machines.
Ischemic Injury to White Matter: An Age-Dependent Process

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States with aging being one of the most significant risk factor. Axonal injury and dysfunction are responsible for most of the disability observed after stroke. Since white matter (WM) is injured in most strokes and approach aimed at protecting gray matter has failed, we have changed our approach to investigate the impact of ischemic injury on WM as a function of age. This leads to the identification of ischemic WM injury mechanisms, which showed characteristic differences compared to those observed in gray matter. In addition, we observed that WM ischemic injury mechanisms changed as a function of age, rendering aging white matter more susceptible to ischemic injury. Aging WM show an enhanced excitotoxic and oxidative mechanisms of ischemic injury, which is mainly, caused by WM reorganization of its glutamate homeostasis and mitochondrial dynamics with aging. Overall, our research suggests that for the development successful of future stroke therapies, we must tailor our approach to protect both gray matter and white matter as a function of age.
Glycomic analyses of mouse models of congenital muscular dystrophy.

Dystroglycanopathies are a subset of congenital muscular dystrophies wherein α-dystroglycan (α-DG) is hypoglycosylated. α-DG is an extensively O-glycosylated extracellular matrix-binding protein and a key component of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex. Previous studies have shown α-DG to be post-translationally modified by both O-GalNAc- and O-mannose-initiated glycan structures. Mutations in defined or putative glycosyltransferase genes involved in O-mannosylation are associated with a loss of ligand-binding activity of α-DG and are causal for various forms of congenital muscular dystrophy. In this study, we sought to perform glycomic analysis on brain O-linked glycan structures released from proteins of three different knock-out mouse models associated with O-mannosylation (POMGnT1, LARGE (Myd), and DAG1−/−). Using mass spectrometry approaches, we were able to identify nine O-mannose-initiated and 25 O-GalNAc-initiated glycan structures in wild-type littermate control mouse brains. Through our analysis, we were able to confirm that POMGnT1 is essential for the extension of all observed O-mannose glycan structures with β1,2-linked GlcNAc. Loss of LARGE expression in the Myd mouse had no observable effect on the O-mannose-initiated glycan structures characterized here. Interestingly, we also determined that similar amounts of O-mannose-initiated glycan structures are present on brain proteins from α-DG-lacking mice (DAG1) compared with wild-type mice, indicating that there must be additional proteins that are O-mannosylated in the mammalian brain. Our findings illustrate that classical β1,2-elongation and β1,6-GlcNAc branching of O-mannose glycan structures are dependent upon the POMGnT1 enzyme and that O-mannosylation is not limited solely to α-DG in the brain.
Diagnosis of small delay defects arising due to manufacturing imperfections using path delay measurements

A boolean satisfiability based approach capable of identifying the location of embedded segments with small delay defects, arising due to process variations, is proposed. Furthermore, a novel algorithmic framework is presented to derive swift solutions for the generated conjunctive normal form. To our knowledge, this is the first approach which guarantees that one of the solutions describes the actual defective configurations. Experimental analysis on ISCAS and ITC benchmark suites show that the proposed approach is highly scalable and identifies the location of multiple delay defects.
The elusive definition of pandemic influenza

There has been considerable controversy over the past year, particularly in Europe, over whether the World Health Organization (WHO) changed its definition of pandemic influenza in 2009, after novel H1N1 influenza was identified. Some have argued that not only was the definition changed, but that it was done to pave the way for declaring a pandemic. Others claim that the definition was never changed and that this allegation is completely unfounded. Such polarized views have hampered our ability to draw important conclusions. This impasse, combined with concerns over potential conflicts of interest and doubts about the proportionality of the response to the H1N1 influenza outbreak, has undermined the public trust in health officials and our collective capacity to effectively respond to future disease threats. WHO did not change its definition of pandemic influenza for the simple reason that it has never formally defined pandemic influenza. While WHO has put forth many descriptions of pandemic influenza, it has never established a formal definition and the criteria for declaring a pandemic caused by the H1N1 virus derived from "pandemic phase" definitions, not from a definition of "pandemic influenza". The fact that despite ten years of pandemic preparedness activities no formal definition of pandemic influenza has been formulated reveals important underlying assumptions about the nature of this infectious disease. In particular, the limitations of "virus-centric" approaches merit further attention and should inform ongoing efforts to "learn lessons" that will guide the response to future outbreaks of novel infectious diseases.
Matrix reduction and approximation to principal axes

A modification of Hotelling's iteration method of factor analysis is presented which is much more rapid and almost as accurate. At any stage of the approximation for a factor vector its major product moment reduces the rank of the residual matrix by precisely one. Each approximation to an eigenvalue is larger than the preceding one. By observing the decline in these increments one can often stop the iterations at early stages without serious loss. If subsequent rotational procedures are used, the method gives practically the same results as the more exact methods and in a small fraction of the time.
Combined pressure–temperature effects on the chemical marker (4-hydroxy-5-methyl- 3(2H)-furanone) formation in whey protein gels

Abstract Chemical markers, such as furanone, are intrinsically formed in foods at elevated process temperatures, and have been successfully used as indirect indicators of heating patterns in advanced thermal proces-ses such as aseptic processing, microwave sterilization and ohmic heating. However, very limited information is available on suitability of these chemical markers during combined pressure–heat treatment. The present study was conducted on the formation and stability of chemical marker M-2 (4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H) furanone, a by-product of Maillard reaction) as a function of pressure, temperature and pH. Whey protein gels (containing 1g ribose/100g gel mix) at pH 6.1 and 8.3 were subjected to pressure assisted thermal processing (PATP; 350 and 700 MPa, 105 °C), high pressure processing (HPP; 350 and 700 MPa, 30 °C) and thermal processing (TP; 0.1 MPa, 105 °C) for different holding times. Unprocessed gel was used as control. The marker yield was quantified using HPLC. The initial concentrations of M-2 in the gels were 9.17 and 6.1 mg/100 g at pH 6.1 and 8.3, respectively. As expected, heat treatment at 105 °C, 0.1 MPa increased M-2 concentration. The marker yield increased with increase in holding time, following a first order kinetics and decreased with increasing pH. Pressure treatments from 350 to 700 MPa at 30 °C reduced the chemical marker formation for both pH values investigated. Marker formation during combined pressure-temperature (105 °C, 350 and 700 MPa) was influenced by both heat (which favored the marker formation) and pressure (which hindered marker formation). The net final concentration of the marker formed during PATP was higher than HPP, but lower than thermal treatments. This study suggests that 4-hydroxy, 5-methyl, 3(2H) furanone may not be a suitable marker for evaluating pressure–heat uniformity during PATP.
International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education

In this chapter Dr. Cochran uses an empirically based overarching conceptual framework linking historical patterns, current policy goals and intervening influences as a tool for understanding the p...
Improving the Performance Stability of Inductive Expert Systems Under Input Noise

Inductive expert systems typically operate with imperfect or noisy input attributes. We study design differences in inductive expert systems arising from implicit versus explicit handling of input noise. Most previous approaches use an implicit approach wherein inductive expert systems are constructed using input data of quality comparable to problems the system will be called upon to solve. We develop an explicit algorithm (ID3ecp) that uses a clean (without input errors) training set and an explicit measure of the input noise level and compare it to a traditional implicit algorithm, ID3p (the ID3 algorithm with the pessimistic pruning procedure). The novel feature of the explicit algorithm is that it injects noise in a controlled rather than random manner in order to reduce the performance variance due to noise. We show analytically that the implicit algorithm has the same expected partitioning behavior as the explicit algorithm. In contrast, however, the partitioning behavior of the explicit algorithm ...
The effect of multiple-choice L1 glosses and input-output cycles on lexical acquisition and retention:

The objective of the study was to determine the effect on lexical acquisition and retention of: (a) L1 multiple-choice glosses, (b) L2 text reconstruction with opportunities to recheck input and (c) combined treatments. These treatments were chosen for the following reasons: multiple-choice glosses are said to require ‘mental effort’, increasing the likelihood of retention. Reconstructing the text in the L2 may prompt learners to notice ‘holes’ in their lexicon and focus their attention on subsequent input. Seventy-six fourth-semester learners of German read a text in one of the four conditions (3 experimental; 1 control). Productive and receptive word gains were tested immediately after the treatment and again five weeks later. Findings suggest that the multiple-choice gloss treatment resulted in significantly deeper productive and receptive word gains immediately after the treatment. A significant receptive word gain was retained for five weeks only for the combined treatment condition.
Selective recognition of thymidylylthymidine (TpT) and antitumor effects of a macrocyclic dizinc(II) complex

A polyamino dizinc(II) complex, [(N-bisdien)Zn2(II)Cl2](ClO4)2, (LZn), has been synthesized as a new nucleobase receptor molecule in aqueous solution at physiological pH, and shows to be highly selective in recognizing deoxythymidine (dT) and thymidylylthymidine (TpT). The strong acidic Zn(II) ions in LZn at the fifth coordination sites interact with a variety of nucleosides. The binding and recognition processes have been studied by potentiometric titration. The X-ray crystal analysis of LZn shows that the two zinc ions are out of the basal plane of the macrocycle, favoring the effective recognition of TpT on the single strand of DNA. In vitro antitumor investigation shows that LZn is a patent inhibitor of tumor cell growth with IC50 values below 10 micromolar.
Performance bounds for high rate linear codes over partial response channels

We develop union bounds for high-rate linear codes used for partial-response equalized channels with additive white Gaussian noise. The bounds assume uniform interleaving and are based on an approximation which is valid for high-rate linear codes. Furthermore, the derivation of the bounds assumes that maximum-likelihood decoding is employed. One particular application of the present setting is the computation of bounds for magnetic recording systems using turbo codes. The results can be considered as a generalization of the results of M. Oberg and P.H. Siegel (see Proc. Allerton Conf. Communications, Control and Computing, Sept. 1998) which develops the union bound for the dicode channel; however, our approach is completely different. We present several examples of the bounds developed together with the simulation results.
The acridine orange and dye exclusion viability tests applied to irradiated Ehrlich tumour cells.

SummaryMice bearing an Ehrlich ascites tumour were given whole-body x-irradiation and sacrificed at intervals of one hour to three days after treatment. Specimens of ascites were removed and stained supravitally with acridine orange, eosin yellow or nigrosin. The viability of the ascites cells was assayed by observing their ability to produce new growths. The percentage of cells which showed unaltered cytoplasmic fluorescence after staining with acridine orange, or which did not absorb eosin or nigrosin, was significantly different from the percentage of cells which produced tumours. On the other hand, there was a good correlation between the results obtained with the two methods of assay when the cells were killed by treatment with formalin, alcohol or centrifugation. Fixed irradiated Ehrlich tumour cells showed a change in the cytoplasmic acridine orange fluorescence from red to orange or green. The percentage of cells showing this change increased with increasing dose, but did not correlate with the pe...
Improving the Orientation of Nerve Regrowth with a Simple Device

The synthetic microstructure described here is one of the simplest that can be imagined, and yet it partially solves one of the most complex problems currently encountered in reconstructive surgery. This microstructure is a simple rectangular sheet of biocompatible material, and it is used in the repair of divided nerves.
Syntheses and anticholinesterase activities of (3aS)-N1, N8-bisnorphenserine, (3aS)-N1, N8-bisnorphysostigmine, their antipodal isomers, and other potential metabolites of phenserine

Hydrolysis of the carbamate side chains in phenserine [(−)1] and physostigmine [(−)2] yields the metabolite (−)-eseroline (3), and the red dye rubreserine (4) on air oxidation of the former compoun...
Abstract B142: Physical activity and risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal women

B142 Physical activity is beneficial for many reasons, including weight loss and maintenance, improved insulin sensitivity, and improved lipid profile. Studies of the effect of physical activity on the risk of breast cancer have had conflicting results. We assessed the associations of specific activities and total activity within the prospective Nurses’ Health Study cohort. Amount and type of physical activity was queried every two to four years starting in 1986. The specific activities included walking, jogging, running, swimming, bicycling, tennis, aerobics, lawn mowing, yoga, and arm or leg weights. Total activity was calculated as the sum of time spent doing each individual activity. Cumulative averages were calculated for each 2-year follow-up period. Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for age, follow-up period, and several breast cancer risk factors, were used to calculate relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). A total of 95,485 postmenopausal women were followed for up to 20 years (1986-2006). Overall 4,810 cases of invasive breast cancer were documented during follow-up. Compared with those whose total activity summed to less than 10 minutes per day, women who engaged in higher amounts of total physical activity were at lower risk of breast cancer (RR (95%CI) were 1.00 (0.92-1.08) for 10- Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2008;1(7 Suppl):B142.
Glycomic Analysis of High Density Lipoprotein Shows a Highly Sialylated Particle

Many of the functional proteins and lipids in high density lipoprotein (HDL) particles are potentially glycosylated, yet very little is known about the glycoconjugates of HDL. In this study, HDL was isolated from plasma by sequential micro-ultracentrifugation, followed by glycoprotein and glycolipid analysis. N-Glycans, glycopeptides, and gangliosides were extracted and purified followed by analysis with nano-HPLC Chip quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry and MS/MS. HDL particles were found to be highly sialylated. Most of the N-glycans (∼90%) from HDL glycoproteins were sialylated with one or two neuraminic acids (Neu5Ac). The most abundant N-glycan was a biantennary complex type glycan with two sialic acids (Hexose5HexNAc4Neu5Ac2) and was found in multiple glycoproteins using site-specific glycosylation analysis. The observed O-glycans were all sialylated, and most contained a core 1 structure with two Neu5Acs, including those that were associated with apolipoprotein CIII (ApoC-III) and fetuin A....
Modeling User Satisfaction, Frustration, and User Goal/Website Compatibility

Users often come to websites with a specific type of purpose or goal, which defines how the user interacts with the site. Two types of task-goals addressed in this study include general browsing and specific information seeking. Likewise, the design and organization of different websites can facilitate different user goals. User satisfaction and frustration from interacting with a particular website depends on the compatibility between the website design and the user's type of goal. This study applies simulation techniques to investigate how the compatibility between user goals and website design impacts user satisfaction and frustration levels. The simulation results show that navigation tools that increase compatibility versus attractiveness (the increased likelihood of use) have a greater impact on customer satisfaction and could in turn maximize the effectiveness of website usage.
Abstract 3989: P-Cadherin overexpression modulates insulin-like growth factor signaling in oral squamous carcinoma cells.

Altered expression of cadherin cell adhesion proteins is a frequent occurrence in epithelial tumor development. P-cadherin, a component of normal epithelia, has been ascribed both causative and preventive roles in tumor development, contingent upon the tissue of origin. In oral epithelia, histological studies demonstrate an upregulation of P-cadherin during dysplasia, and a subsequent loss of P-cadherin in later stage oral squamous carcinomas. A possible mechanism by which P-cadherin may modulate tumor development is via alterations in ligand-mediated signaling of receptor tyrosine kinases, a phenomenon that has previously been demonstrated for both E- and N-cadherin. To better understand the role that P-cadherin plays in tumor development, retroviral transduction was used to deplete or overexpress P-cadherin in two oral squamous carcinoma cell lines. Six growth factors were independently utilized to screen for P-cadherin-dependent alterations in signaling, with the greatest effects occurring in response to insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF). The increased level of P-cadherin in IGF-treated cells greatly altered the kinetics of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, but had little direct effect on the activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. P-cadherin overexpression increased steady-state levels of Snai1 protein, with further increases noted upon IGF administration. Inhibition of either MAPK or PI3K signaling pathways in P-cadherin overexpressing cells resulted in decreased Snai1 expression. Ser-9 phosphorylation of GSK-3β was unchanged after IGF treatment, suggesting P-cadherin contributes to Snai1 stability independent of GSK3β activity. P-cadherin over-expressing cells treated with IGF showed a time-dependent decrease in P-cadherin levels. This decrease was accompanied by a decrease in detectable levels of immunofluorescence staining of P-cadherin at cell borders. The internalization of P-cadherin could be inhibited by treatment with dynasore, a dynamin inhibitor. Also, increases in motility were found in P-cadherin overexpressing cells compared to normal cells. Our data suggests that the increase in P-cadherin seen in early oral cancer may promote tumor aggressiveness by altering cell behavior, and increasing EMT- related signaling. The contribution of P-cadherin to tumor development may be helpful in identifying biological targets for oral cancer therapies in dysplastic tissue. Citation Format: Desseree Lysne, Michelle Perkins, James Johns, Matthew Van Dam, Darren Cuevas, Kathryn Lawson. P-Cadherin overexpression modulates insulin-like growth factor signaling in oral squamous carcinoma cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3989. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3989
Live-Cell Imaging of Microtubules and Microtubule-Associated Proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana

Microtubules and microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) play fundamental roles in plant growth and morphogenesis. The ability to observe microtubules and MAPs in living cells using fluorescent protein fusions has propelled plant scientists forward and given them the opportunity to answer longstanding biological questions. In combination with the genetic resources available in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, our mechanistic understanding of how the microtubule cytoskeleton affects plant life has dramatically increased. It is a simple process to construct transgenic A. thaliana plants that express fluorescent protein fusions by using the disarmed plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Several screening steps are necessary to ensure that the fusion protein accurately mimics the native protein because transgenes are inserted randomly into the A. thaliana genome. To image the fluorescent proteins in planta, confocal microscopy is used to alleviate issues caused by specimen thickness and autofluorescence.
Robust organelle size extractions from elastic scattering measurements of single cells(Conference Presentation)

The goal of this project is to estimate non-nuclear organelle size distributions in single cells by measuring angular scattering patterns and fitting them with Mie theory. Simulations have indicated that the large relative size distribution of organelles (mean:width≈2) leads to unstable Mie fits unless scattering is collected at polar angles less than 20 degrees. Our optical system has therefore been modified to collect angles down to 10 degrees. Initial validations will be performed on polystyrene bead populations whose size distributions resemble those of cell organelles. Unlike with the narrow bead distributions that are often used for calibration, we expect to see an order-of-magnitude improvement in the stability of the size estimates as the minimum angle decreases from 20 to 10 degrees. Scattering patterns will then be acquired and analyzed from single cells (EMT6 mouse cancer cells), both fixed and live, at multiple time points. Fixed cells, with no changes in organelle sizes over time, will be measured to determine the fluctuation level in estimated size distribution due to measurement imperfections alone. Subsequent measurements on live cells will determine whether there is a higher level of fluctuation that could be attributed to dynamic changes in organelle size. Studies on unperturbed cells are precursors to ones in which the effects of exogenous agents are monitored over time.