cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Historical Introduction of Natural Killer (NK) Cells and Current Status of Their Role in Host Defences

ABSTRACT Natural killer (NK) cells are a major component of the immune system, which can play an important role in host defences against cancer and microbial infections. Their identification, characterization, elucidation of how they function and are regulated, exploration of their biological roles have all occurred during the past 30 years. NK cells have been found to be distinct from T or B lymphocytes, have a characteristic morphology of large granular lymphocytes, and can be readily identified by characteristic cell surface molecules. The hallmark of their function is the spontaneous ability to reorganize and rapidly kill a wide array of tumour cells and also virus-infected normal cells. In addition, their cytotoxic activity can be strongly augmented by interferon, interleukin-2, and other cytotkines. NK cells not only respond to various cytokines, but are also major producers of some cytokines, especially interferon gamma. NK cells have been found to play a major role in host resistance against tumour growth and to be particularly effective in resistance against metastatic spread of tumours. Their potential to inhibit tumour growth has led to an increasing interest in exploring the therapeutic effects of activated NK cells against various types of cancer.
A practical guide to pseudospectral methods: FFT-based implementation of PS methods

Periodic PS methods are almost always implemented with use of the FFT algorithm. For nonperiodic PS methods, direct matrix × vector multiplication is often both fast and convenient. However, in the case of Chebyshev-PS methods, a cosine-FFT approach is also effective. Following a description of the FFT concept in Section F.1, its use for periodic and Chebyshev- PS implementations is described in Sections F.2 and F.3. In most periodic PS contexts, what is actually needed is not Fourier expansion coefficients but rather a fast way to compute periodic convolutions. FFTs offer one way to do this. In Section F.4, we discuss convolutions and some alternative ways to calculate them effectively. In Section F.5, we find that, at four times the cost of a “basic” FFT, the scope of the algorithm can be greatly broadened. These fractional Fourier transforms apply to many problems of physical and computational interest.
Instrumentation of Gas Chromatography

Instrumentation for gas chromatography (GC) comprises well-defined components, each of which contributes to the overall chromatographic performance. Most of these components have reached a mature level of technical development after nearly 50 years of development. Nonetheless, advances are occurring in an evolutionary, not revolutionary, manner with sample handling and in refinements of detectors. One area of dramatic advance in GC instrumentation is the development of small, sophisticated, portable gas chromatographs. Each component of a gas chromatograph (columns excepted) is discussed below where principles and recent developments are emphasized.
Linear Transformations and Matrices

In Chapter 4.1 we examined a number of transformations T of 4-space all of which have the property that the coordinates of T(X) are given as linear functions of the coordinates of X. In each case we have formulas of the sort $$ T\left( {\begin{array}{*{20}{c}} {{x_1}}\\ {{x_2}}\\ {{x_3}}\\ {{x_4}} \end{array}} \right)\;{\rm{ = }}\;\left( {\begin{array}{*{20}{c}} {{a_{11}}{x_1}\; + \;{a_{12}}{x_2}\;{\rm{ + }}\;{a_{13}}{x_3}\;{\rm{ + }}\;{a_{14}}{x_4}}\\ {{a_{21}}{x_1}\; + \;{a_{22}}{x_2}\;{\rm{ + }}\;{a_{23}}{x_3}\;{\rm{ + }}\;{a_{24}}{x_4}}\\ {{a_{31}}{x_1}\; + \;{a_{32}}{x_2}\;{\rm{ + }}\;{a_{33}}{x_3}\;{\rm{ + }}\;{a_{34}}{x_4}}\\ {{a_{41}}{x_1}\; + \;{a_{42}}{x_2}\;{\rm{ + }}\;{a_{43}}{x_3}\;{\rm{ + }}\;{a_{44}}{x_4}} \end{array}} \right). $$
Minimally Invasive Surgery

An adolescent is scheduled for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for an anterior mediastinal mass. The discussion includes comorbidities, the surgeons’ request for one-lung ventilation, and plans for perioperative pain management. Additional topics include laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a sickle cell disease adolescent, one-lung ventilation in a school-age child for VATS drainage of an empyema, an adolescent with cystic fibrosis requesting local/blocks/sedation for functional endoscopic sinus surgery, and a toddler scheduled for a laparoscopic nephrectomy.
Cuba: healthcare and the revolution

This paper depicts Cuba as a relic of the Cold War Its coverage of healthcare demonstrates steadfastness and success in surmounting hurdles of complacency and disregard to socialized medicine - an extension of Soviet patronage and third world alliances. The literature relays a mission of inclusivity underpinned by political ideology and a conviction to humanity. With the aid ofendorsements, it speaks to contrasts and critiques in service and results by reflecting on the delivery offree healthcare for all Cuban citizens and its impression on the eradication of numerous diseases, reduced mortality rate and increased life expectancy. Punished by the longest trade embargo in modern history, the regime is in possession of limited resources to expedite remedy to its subjects. Such, much to the dislike of the authorities, elevates elements of distinction in association with the dispensation of service and drugs demonstrated by an evolving two-tier system for the disenfranchised and privileged clientele while simultaneously impacting the maintenance of facilities and equipment. Consequently, it recognizes harsh ramifications attributed to compliance with ideology and subtle adjustments to withstand external exertion. The Cuban replica is currently a tale of sorts awaiting a comprehensible definition for future generations.
Interfaces for eliciting new user preferences in recommender systems

Recommender systems build user models to help users find the items they will find most interesting from among many available items. One way to build such a model is to ask the user to rate a selection of items. The choice of items selected affects the quality of the user model generated. In this paper, we explore the effects of letting the user participate in choosing the items that are used to develop the model. We compared three interfaces to elicit information from new users: having the system choose items for users to rate, asking the users to choose items themselves, and a mixed-initiative interface that combines the other two methods. We found that the two pure interfaces both produced accurate user models, but that directly asking users for items to rate increases user loyalty in the system. Ironically, this increased loyalty comes despite a lengthier signup process. The mixed-initiative interface is not a reasonable compromise as it created less accurate user models with no increase in loyalty.
The safety of postnatal transport of newborns prenatally diagnosed with duct-dependent congenital heart disease

AbstractObjective: Critical congenital heart disease is increasingly recognized prenatally. Following the diagnosis, families are advised to deliver in a facility where neonatal cardiac interventions are available. We studied the safety of transport of neonates who had been prenatally diagnosed with duct-dependent congenital heart lesions.Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of all fetuses diagnosed with duct-dependent congenital heart disease in our fetal program between 2007 and 2011. Demographic data, dose of prostaglandin infusion, respiratory status, blood gas data, as well as complications of the transport were collected.Results: Twenty-nine neonates qualified for inclusion in the study. Ten were intubated (7 electively) prior to the transport. One of these required intervention for desaturation during the transport. One of the 19 unintubated patients required emergent intubation during the transport. Thus, the overall rate of incidents was 6.9%. All 4 patients who developed apnea requ...
INHERITANCE OF THE 2μm DNA PLASMID FROM SACCHAROMYCES

A variety of Saccharomyces strains were examined for the presence of 2µ DNA and, if present, for the pattern of fragments produced by its digestion with site-specific (restriction) endonucleases. Two strains were found that did not contain detectable levels of 2µ DNA, and two strains contained 2µ DNA molecules having only one Eco RI restriction endonuclease recognition site rather than the usual two.—A haploid containing 2µ DNA with one Eco RI restriction site was mated with a haploid containing 2µ DNA with two Eco RI restriction sites and the resulting diploid maintained both types during vegetative growth. Sporulation of the diploid produced four spores, and the clones from these spores contained both types.—A haploid lacking 2µ DNA was mated with a haploid containing 2µ DNA and the resulting diploid contained 2µ DNA. The four clones derived from the haploid spores after sporulation of this diploid all contained 2µ DNA. A rho - strain without 2µ DNA was mated to a rho + strain with 2µ DNA, and heteroplasmons were selected that had received the nucleus from the strain without 2µ DNA and the mitochondria from the strain with 2µ DNA. Twelve of twenty-four such clones contained 2µ DNA.—I conclude that: (1) the different types of 2µ DNA identified in these strains do not restrict one another, (2) the different types are inherited extrachromosomally, (3) lack of 2µ DNA in two strains is not due to the absence of genes needed for maintenance and (4) the approximately 100 copies of 2µ DNA contained within a single cell are probably clustered within one or a few cytoplasmic organelles.
Design of horizontal trenches for leachate recirculation in bioreactor landfills using two-phase modelling

Horizontal trenches (HTs) are the simplest form of leachate recirculation systems (LRSs), constructed by excavating a trench to a desired depth and length along the length of a municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill. The performance of HTs is mainly based on few empirical studies. Moreover, previous mathematical models often either considered the MSW as saturated than unsaturated or assumed incorrect MSW properties. Hence, those studies lack the accuracy needed for the efficient design of HT. In this study, parametric studies are performed to develop design charts for HTs considering real field MSW conditions. Heterogeneous-anisotropic MSW resulted in an increase in wetted width and area and a decrease in the pore pressures developed than homogeneous-isotropic waste. Normalised design charts are provided to estimate wetted width, wetted area and pore water pressure at steady-state for a given leachate injection rate, hydraulic conductivity and the dimension and location of HT from a LRS.
Relationship Between Country Income And View Toward Work

his paper examines the relationship between income and the view toward work. That is, countries are compared based on per capita income and survey results showing how work is viewed. The hypothesis is that high income countries value work more than low income countries. Furthermore, it is hypothesized that low income countries value something, other than work, more than high income countries. The reasoning is that rich countries are rich because they value work and poor countries are poor because they value something else more than work. Per capita income data is taken from the World Bank. The data on values is taken from the World Values Survey and the European Values Survey (WVS/EVS).
Genotypic and phenotypic variation of Lewis antigen expression in geographically diverse Helicobacter pylori isolates

Background: Helicobacter pylori are a persistent colonizer of the human gastric mucosa, which can lead to the development of peptic ulcer disease and gastric adenocarcinomas. However, H. pylori can asymptomatically colonize a host for years. One factor that has been hypothesized to contribute to such persistence is the production of Lewis (Le) antigens in the lipopolysaccharide layer of the bacterial outer membrane as a form of molecular mimicry, because humans also express these antigens on their gastric mucosa. Humans and H. pylori both are polymorphic for Le expression, which is driven in H. pylori by variation at the Le synthesis loci. In this report, we sought to characterize Le genotypic and phenotypic variation in geographically diverse H. pylori isolates. Materials and Methods: From patients undergoing endoscopy in 29 countries, we determined Le phenotypes of 78 H. pylori strains and performed genotyping of the galT and b-(1,3)galT loci in 113 H. pylori strains. Results: Le antigen phenotyping revealed a significant (p < .0001) association between type 1 (Le a and Le b ) expression and strains of East Asian origin. Genotyping revealed a significant correlation between strain origin and the size of the promoter region upstream of the Le synthesis gene, galT (p < .0001). Conclusion: These results indicate that the heterogeneity of human Le phenotypes is reflected in their H. pylori colonizing strains and suggest new loci that can be studied to assess the variation of Le expression.
P cresol biodegradation under denitrifying conditions isolation of a bacterial coculture

From polluted river sediment, two bacterial species were isolated which utilized p-cresol as the sole source of carbon when grown in coculture under nitrate-reducing conditions. One species, PC-07, metabolized p-cresol (pCr) anaerobically to p-hydroxybenzoate (pOHB), which in turn was further metabolized by the second isolate, PB-04. The PC-07 isolate was unable to degrade and utilize pOHB, and PB-04 was unable to utilize pCr, thereby demonstrating a syntrophic relationship for pCr utilization under anaerobic conditions. Nitrate served as external electron acceptor for both microorganisms under anaerobic conditions and was reduced via NO2− and N2O to N2. pCr, therefore, appears to be metabolized to ring fission products via the formation of pOHB under nitrate reducing conditions, with the metabolism being mediated by a 2-member microbiol food chain.
Message design—graphic display strategies for instruction

Message design is concerned with the clarity, accuracy, and conciseness of messages and their design as a visual perception. Because so many variables exist in visualized instruction studies, a single theory to predict learning efficiency and effectiveness is virtually impossible. The effect of instruction seems to be a matter of types of visuals used, methods of cueing, relevant student characteristics, methods of presentation, type of educational objectives achieved, and a whole host of sociological, psychological and environmental factors. Research in this as a behavioral science is thus more useful when it is localized to cater to specific situational requirements. A need also exists to match these with the main criteria of good message design which is a subset of instructional systems design. This article explains what message designers can do to (1) attract learner attention to displays, (2) hold their attention, and (3) provide adequate cueing devices for efficient and effective learning to take place.
Clostridium difficile and vancomycin-resistant enterococcus: the new nosocomial alliance

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to determine the frequency of the association between Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) and delineate the role of C. difficile coinfection as a predictor of VRE infection versus colonization and adverse outcome. METHODS: Patients with both C. difficile colitis and VRE (CD/VRE) were compared to patients with VRE alone with regard to demographics, comorbidity, prior antibiotic therapy, and coinfection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and funguria. C. difficile as a predictor of VRE infection (VRE-I) versus colonization (VRE-C) and adverse outcome was also studied. RESULTS: Eighty-nine patients with VRE infection or colonization were studied. This included 31 cases of VRE-I and 58 VRE-C. C. difficile was isolated in 17 (19.1%) of patients; of these C. difficile was isolated before VRE in 9 patients and after VRE in 8. The two groups did not differ in age, residence, or comorbidity. C. difficile coinfection was not predictive of VRE-I versus VRE-C, nor was it associated with increased length of stay or mortality. However, the mortality rates in both groups was high, around 30%. A significant association was noted between the use of vancomycin and metronidazole (before the isolation of VRE) and C. difficile coinfection (p = 0.03 and p = 0.001, respectively). A high incidence of nosocomial coinfection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, funguria, and gram-negative sepsis was noted in both groups; the association with funguria was statistically significant (p = 0.029). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, C. difficile coinfection is common in patients with VRE infection or colonization and is significantly associated with other nosocomial dilemmas like funguria. This may result in the emergence of highly virulent pathogens including vancomycin-resistant C. difficile, posing new challenges in the management of nosocomial diarrheas.
Item-level informant discrepancies between children and their parents on the PROMIS® pediatric scales

The study objective was to describe the individual item-level discrepancies between children ages 8–17 years and their parents for the PROMIS® pediatric scales. Contextual effects on item-level informant discrepancies for the pediatric pain interference items were further analyzed conditional on whether the child, the parent, or anyone else in the household experienced chronic pain. Parallel pediatric self-report and parent proxy-report items were completed by approximately 300 parent–child dyads depending on form assignment and individual nonresponse. Agreement between parent and child responses to individual items was measured using the polychoric correlation coefficient and weighted κ. The Chi-square test of symmetry was utilized for a comparison of the pattern of parent–child item discrepancies on the response scales, and the differences between the child and parent responses on the 1–5 item response scale are summarized . A continuum of higher item-level parent–child discrepancies was demonstrated starting with peer relationships, anger, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, followed by progressively lower parent–child discrepancies for energy, fatigue, asthma impact, pain interference, upper extremity, and mobility items. Parent–child discrepancies for pain interference items were lower in the context of chronic pain either in the child or in the parent. Parent–child item-level discrepancies were lower for more objective or visible items than for items measuring internal states or less observable items measuring latent variables such as peer relationships and fatigue. Future research should focus on the child and parent characteristics that influence domain-specific item-level discrepancies, and under what conditions item-level parent–child discrepancies predict child health outcomes.
Effects of decreased availability of sulfur amino acids in severe childhood undernutrition

In studies of glutathione (GSH) metabolism in children with severe childhood undernutrition (SCU), slower erythrocyte GSH synthesis in children with edema was associated with lower concentrations of cysteine, the rate-limiting precursor of GSH synthesis. This finding suggested a shortage of cysteine available for GSH synthesis in children with edematous SCU. The plasma concentration of methionine, the sulfur donor for cysteine synthesis, was also lower in children with edematous SCU, suggesting decreased availability of methionine for cysteine synthesis. It is also possible that reduced methionine availability will result in decreased synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine, which could lead to an overall defect in methylation reactions. This review focuses on the relationship between cysteine availability and GSH synthesis in children with SCU. It also examines whether there is an inadequate supply of cysteine in those with edematous SCU and, if so, whether this is due to a shortage of methionine due to a decreased release of methionine from protein breakdown. Finally, the review explores whether a shortage of methionine results in decreased synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine, the universal methyl donor.
The structure of M6, a recombinant plasmid containing Dictyostelium DNA homologous to actin messenger RNA

Abstract The recombinant plasmid M6 contains a DNA sequence from the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum which hybridizes to actin messenger RNA. The plasmid contains 6 kilobase pairs (kb) of Dictyostelium DNA inserted into a pMB9 vector. Ten cleavage sites for four different restriction enzymes have been mapped. Other work has shown that a central restriction fragment, 1.7 kb in length, contains sequences repeated about fifteen times in the genome, and that this fragment hybridizes to actin mRNA. Heteroduplexes between M6 and pDd actin 2, a chromosomal plasmid which contains two copies of the actin repeated sequence, were used to define the position of this repeat in M6. Two plasmids with inserts of cDNA made from actin mRNA were heteroduplexed to M6 to define the position and orientation of the message complementary region. This orientation was confirmed by inserting the fragment into phage λ and determining which of the separated λ strands was complementary to actin mRNA. An electron microscope technique has been developed for identifying poly(dA) sequences by hybridizing to them dBrU polymers attached to suitable markers. The mapping of the (dA) tracts that occur in the Dictyostelium insert of M6 is described here. The positions of the A:T tracts do not correlate in any simple way with the position of the actin gene sequence.
Observations of the Star-Disk Interface: Search for Wind Origins

Energetic outflows provide a dramatic accompaniment to accretion disks in all stages of star formation. The low extinction toward Classical T Tauri stars offers an opportunity to probe the star-disk interface region to search for the launch site and acceleration region of accretion-driven winds. This search is complicated by the fact that the dominant sources of emission in the optical and ultraviolet are the funnel flows and accretion shocks associated with magnetospheric accretion. Thus the quest for inner wind diagnostics requires disentangling accretion and outflow processes from the same line profile. We discuss two tracers of a high velocity inner wind in stars with high disk accretion rates. One, a hot component, is traced by helium emission and must arise very close to the star. A second, cooler component, is traced by blueshifted absorption in strong resonance lines and arises further from the star, but still within about ten stellar radii. We present evidence that the character of both magnetospheric accretion and the inner wind may differ among stars with high and low disk accretion rates.
Implementing speech supplementation strategies: effects on intelligibility and speech rate of individuals with chronic severe dysarthria.

A growing body of experimental research suggests that speech supplementation strategies can markedly increase speech intelligibility for individuals with dysarthria (D. Beukelman & K. Yorkston, 197...
The pipes of pan.

The pipes of Pan is the crowning achievement of Pablo Picasso's neoclassical period of the 1920s. This monumental canvas depicts a mythological Mediterranean scene in which two sculpted classical giants stare out, seemingly across the centuries, toward a distant and lost Arcadia. Picasso was influenced by Greco-Romain art during his travels in Italy, and his neoclassical works typically portray massive, immobile, and pensive figures. Pan and his pipes are taken directly from Greek mythological lore by Picasso and placed directly into 20th century art. He frequently turned to various mythological figures throughout his methamorphosing periods. The Pipes of Pan was also influenced by the painter's infatuation with the beautiful American expatriate Sara Murphy, and the finished masterpiece represents a revision of a previously conceived neoclassical work. The Pipes of Pan now hangs in the Musee Picasso in Paris.
Variation in the incidence of hospital-acquired anemia during hospitalization with acute myocardial infarction (data from 57 US hospitals).

Development of hospital-acquired anemia (HAA) during acute myocardial infarction may be related to processes of care and is associated with poor outcomes. Little is known about variation in the incidence of HAA across hospitals or the hospital characteristics associated with HAA. We studied 17,676 patients with acute myocardial infarction without anemia at admission, defining HAA as a hemoglobin decline below anemia diagnostic thresholds and moderate-to-severe HAA as a hemoglobin decline to <11 g/dl. We calculated median rate ratios (MRRs), the median value of the relative risk (RR) for HAA for 2 patients with identical characteristics presenting to 2 randomly selected hospitals, to identify variation in HAA adjusting for patient characteristics. Separate models were fit to test the association between hospital characteristics and HAA. HAA (57.5%) and moderate-to-severe HAA (20.1%) were common. The incidence of HAA varied substantially across hospitals and remained significant after multivariable adjustment (any HAA: MRR 1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07 to 1.13; moderate-to-severe HAA: MRR 1.27, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.39). Adjusting for patient characteristics, teaching status (RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.84 to 0.97 vs nonteaching status), and region (Northeast vs Midwest: RR 1.10, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.19; West vs Midwest: RR 1.19, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.33, respectively) was associated with risk of HAA. Teaching status (RR 0.7, 95% CI 0.6 to 0.9 vs nonteaching status) and region (South vs Midwest: RR 1.3, 95% CI 1.0 to 1.5) were independently associated with moderate-to-severe HAA. In conclusion, we observed significant variability in the incidence of HAA across hospitals and found a lower risk of HAA at teaching centers, suggesting that qualitative studies of the relation between HAA and processes of care are needed to identify targets for quality improvement.
Model-based wavefront control for CCAT

The 25-m aperture CCAT submillimeter-wave telescope will have a primary mirror that is divided into 162 individual segments, each of which is provided with 3 positioning actuators. CCAT will be equipped with innovative Imaging Displacement Sensors (IDS) - inexpensive optical edge sensors - capable of accurately measuring all segment relative motions. These measurements are used in a Kalman-filter-based Optical State Estimator to estimate wavefront errors, permitting use of a minimum-wavefront controller without direct wavefront measurement. This controller corrects the optical impact of errors in 6 degrees of freedom per segment, including lateral translations of the segments, using only the 3 actuated degrees of freedom per segment. The edge sensors do not measure the global motions of the Primary and Secondary Mirrors. These are controlled using a gravity-sag look-up table. Predicted performance is illustrated by simulated response to errors such as gravity sag.
Metabolic isoenzyme shifts in cancer as potential novel therapeutic targets

The functional redundancy of metabolic enzyme expression may present a new strategy for developing targeted therapies in cancer. To satisfy the increased metabolic demand required during neoplastic transformations and proliferation, cancer cells may rely on additional isoforms of a metabolic enzyme to satisfy the increased demand for metabolic precursors, which could subsequently render cancer cells more vulnerable to isoform-specific inhibitors. In this review, we provide a survey of common isoenzyme shifts that have been reported to be important in cancer metabolism and link those to metabolic pathways that currently have drugs in various stages of development. This phenomenon suggests a potentially new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of cancer by identifying shifts in the expression of metabolic isoenzymes between cancer and normal cells. We also delineate other putative metabolic isoenzymes that could be targets for novel targeted therapies for cancer. Changes in isoenzyme expression that occur during neoplastic transformations or in response to environmental pressure in cancer cells may result in isoenzyme diversity that may subsequently render cancer cells more vulnerable to isoform-specific inhibitors due to reliance on a single isoform to perform a vital enzymatic function.
Recurrent autonomous esophageal peristalsis in patients with chest discomfort.

Routine esophageal manometry revealed a novel pattern of esophageal motility, recurrent autonomous peristalsis, in five patients evaluated for chest discomfort and heartburn. In the absence of swallowing, esophageal peristalsis occurred at frequencies of 4–8 peristaltic sequences per minute for periods of 2–8 min. The recurrent peristaltic sequences developed spontaneously during manometry and were associated with the onset of vague chest discomfort in four patients; itone patient reported no symptoms during recurrent peristalsis. Duration and propagation velocity of the recurrent peristaltic contractions differed significantly from primary peristalses in four patients. Recurrent autonomous esophageal peristalsis is an unusual motor pattern that may be associated with vague chest discomfort. The circuit(s) mediating recurrent autonomous peristalses are unknown.
Characterizations of interiors of feasible and infeasible data instances and feasibility for conic linear programming

In this paper, we present simple proofs for the main results that appear in Nunez (Math Program 91:375–390, 2002) using a lemma in Freund and Vera (Math Program 86:225–260, 1999) for conic linear programming. Connections between interiors and boundaries of feasible and infeasible data instances and weak and strong feasibilities of a conic linear programming primal-dual pair are made.
Natural history of retinal pigment epithelial detachments in age-related macular degeneration

The natural history of 100 eyes of 93 patients with retinal pigment epithelial detachment (PED) and bilateral age-related macular degeneration (AMD) was retrospectively studied for a minimum of 12 months in the offices of Retina Consultants, Ltd. Detachment was defined as serous in 46 eyes, turbid in 12 eyes, hemorrhagic without evident neovascular membrane (NVM) in 20 eyes, and hemorrhagic with angiographically proven NVM in 17 eyes. Final visual results demonstrated visual acuity of 20/200 or worse in 33% of serous PED, 83% of turbid PED, and 89% of hemorrhagic PED. Despite strict inclusion criteria, 26% of serous PED developed NVM by one year and 49% of serous PED developed NVM by three years. Variables associated with NVM development in serous PED include older patient age, larger detachment size, presence of subretinal fluid at initial examination, and disciform scar in the fellow eye at presentation.
Non-enzymatic formation of insulin-glutathione mixed disulfides: Evidence for a transient species by plasma desorption mass spectrometry

Formation of insulin-glutathione mixed disulfides takes place under the conditions of 0.1 M ammonium acetate, neutral pH and without the presence of any enzyme. Using a SH-free glutathione-agarose column it is demonstrated that the interaction of insulin with glutathione is specific, and increasing the incubation time between these two peptides results in the reduction of insulin disulfide bonds and the production of A and B chains.
Effect of dietary protein and fat levels on fattening of corticosterone-injected broiler chicks.

The effect of dietary composition on fattening of cotricosterone-injected broilers was studied with Hubbard male chicks. Corticosterone was injected daily from 26 days of age during 9 days at a concentration of 600 micrograms/bird/day. Dietary energy to protein (E:P) ratio or fat level did not significantly affect body weight gain, abdominal fat pad size, skin dry matter, or liver parameters in corticosterone-injected chicks. However, corticosterone-injected birds fed the diet containing the narrower E:P ratio had smaller livers which also contained less fat than chicks fed the diet with a wide E:P ratio. This effect, although consistant in three experiments, was significant (P < .01) only in one. It is concluded that dietary fat level and E:P ratio do not affect carcass fat content of corticosterone-injected chicks, but diets containing wide E:P ratios may increase fattening of the liver considerably.
Body diagonalization of core matrices in three-way principal components analysis: theoretical bounds and simulation

In contrast with conventional PCA, a direct superposition and joint interpretation of loading plots is not possible in three-way PCA, since there may be data variance which is described by unequal components of different modes. The contributions to variance of all possible combinations of components are described in the core matrix. Body diagonalization, which is achieved by appropriate rotation of component matrices, is an essential tool for simplifying the core matrix structure. The maximum degree of body diagonality which may be obtained from such transformations is analysed from both the mathematical and simulation viewpoints. It is shown that, at least in the average case, high degrees can be expected, which makes the procedure reasonable for many practical applications. Furthermore, simulation as well as theoretical derivation show that the success of body diagonality depends on the so-called polarity of the core array. The methodology is illustrated by a three-way data example from environmental chemistry.
A set of ethical principles to guide land use policy

Abstract Decisions about land use raise fundamental and complex moral and ethical issues. Yet the existing normative framework traditionally used to guide such decisions is narrowly economic and utilitarian. This article seeks to expand the ethical foundation for land use decisions by proposing a set of tentative principles for ethical land use. These principles are admittedly broad and open to considerable discretion in their specific application. They are presented as ethical starting points, as an initial set of principles for discussion by the land use community.
X-ray-absorption spectroscopy study of the heavy-fermion superconductor PrOs 4 Sb 12

X-ray-absorption fine-structure (XAFS) measurements have been carried out at the Pr ${L}_{\mathrm{III}}$ and Os ${L}_{\mathrm{III}}$ edges on the Pr-based heavy-fermion superconductor ${\mathrm{PrOs}}_{4}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{12}.$ The x-ray absorption near-edge structure results suggest that the Pr valence is very close to 3+ with at most a small amount of ${\mathrm{Pr}}^{4+}$ $[{v}_{\mathrm{Pr}}\ensuremath{\sim}3.019(3)],$ while Os is close to metallic in this material. The extended XAFS results show that the Pr ions rattle inside the Sb cage characterized by a low Einstein temperature $({\ensuremath{\Theta}}_{E}\ensuremath{\sim}75\mathrm{K}),$ with a possible very small off-center displacement. They also indicate that the ${\mathrm{Os}}_{4}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{12}$ framework in ${\mathrm{PrOs}}_{4}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{12}$ is quite stiff.
Effects of Surface Hardness and Other Material Properties on Erosive Wear of Metals by Solid Particles

Erosion of a material from a metal surface by the action of impinging SiC particles is studied. In a brief review, it is shown that investigators have correlated erosion wear with several material properties. These include fully annealed properties such as surface hardness, or properties relating to atomic band strength such as modulus of elasticity. In this paper, which studies the erosion wear for a number of pure ductile materials as well as alloys in the copper-nickel system, it is shown that a better correlation with erosion wear is achieved by using the Vickers hardness value of the fully work-hardened surface of the material. This quantity is probably the best material parameter to use in predictions of erosion resistance of metals and in the modelling of the erosion process.
Effect of waves at a gas-liquid interface on a turbulent air flow

Air flowing over a liquid surface encounters an increased resistance if waves are present. The relation of this increased resistance to the properties of the waves has been studied. Air and a liquid flowed co-currently in an enclosed channel which is 12 in. wide and 1 in. high and which is long enough so that flow in the air and the liquid and the interfacial structure are fully developed. The drag on interfaces with three-dimensional wave structures was found to increase with the square of the gas velocity and to depend more on the height of the waves than on other parameters characterizing the interface. The ratio of the equivalent sand roughness to the root-mean-square of the fluctuations in the height of the liquid film is approximately equal to 3 √2. The velocity profiles in the gas were found to be different from what has been reported for flows over sand roughened surfaces.
The demand for health, 30 years later: a very personal retrospective and prospective reflection.

This symposium and the American Economic Association/International Health Economics Association roundtable on which it is based would have shocked my late father. A little more than 30 years ago he phoned me about an editorial in a magazine that he received each week. The magazine was called Financial World: America’s Investment and Business Weekly. The 13 December 1972 issue had an extremely critical editorial on my National Bureau of Economic Research monograph The Demand for Health: A Theoretical and Empirical Investigation (Grossman, 1972b). The thrust of the editorial was that it was foolish to talk about people choosing their level of health. My father was quite upset over its negative tone. I told him: “Dad, bad publicity is always better than no publicity at all.” I think that most professional economists find that their education never ceases. Mine certainly never does, and I want to acknowledge the contributions that the participants in this symposium have made to my education as an economist. John Mullahy began to work on the demand for cigarettes in the context of models of addiction before I did (Mullahy, 1985) and has made seminal contributions to the literature on the effects of alcohol abuse and mental health problems on labor market outcomes (for example, Mullahy and Sindelar, 1990, 1993). More recently, his penetrating development of the two-part model and its extensions (Mullahy, 1998; Manning and Mullahy, 2001) has added “mullit” to tobit and heckit as tools that all Ph.D. students in economics must learn. John also puts up with and answers all of my somewhat naive econometrics questions in a prompt manner. Arleen Leibowitz and Bob Michael entered the Columbia University Ph.D. Program in Economics together with me in September 1964. Arleen and I were child prodigies, so we are much younger and much less gray than Bob. We all took Gary Becker’s two semester course in microeconomics. We all took Gary Becker’s two semester course in microeconomics. I
Chronotropic Effect of Acetylstrophanthidin Infusion Into the Canine Sinus Nodal Artery

Studies were performed to determine the chronotropic effect of acetylstrophanthidin during constant infusion through cannulation of the sinus nodal artery. Ten mongrel dogs weighing 13.5 to 18 kg were studied under sodium thiamylal anesthesia. Epicardial atrial and ventricular electrograms were recorded. The sinus nodal artery was cannulated and infused for 20 minutes at a rate of 2 cc/min with a solution containing acetylstrophanthidin, 0.5 μg/cc. Mean results for the group of 10 animals were determined. There was a gradual acceleration of the atrial rate of 45 beats/min after 6 to 8 minutes of infusion. The peak atrial rate of 175 beats/min was achieved by 10 to 12 minutes. This tachycardia persisted for 2 to 4 minutes without atrioventricular block or premature beats. By 12 to 14 minutes, there was a gradual slowing of atrial rate followed by bradycardia, sinus pauses and atrial arrest. Sinus nodal arterial infusion of acetylstrophanthidin produces an initial positive chronotropic effect and, if maintained, a depression of atrial rate and, terminally, atrial arrest. The gradual time course of development and decline of the tachycardia suggests that the “paroxysmal” atrial tachycardia caused by digitalis excess is the result of enhanced pacemaker automaticity rather than reentry, and thus is not truly paroxysmal.
Characterization of a Nuclear Protein That Interacts with Regulatory Elements in the Human B Creatine Kinase Gene

Abstract The B creatine kinase gene is regulated by an array of positive and negative cis-elements in the 5′-flanking DNA that function in both muscle and nonmuscle cells. In C2C myogenic cells M and B creatine kinase mRNAs are coordinately up-regulated in the early stages of myogenesis and then undergo distinct regulatory programs. The B creatine kinase gene is down-regulated in the late stages of myogenesis as M creatine kinase becomes the predominant species in mature myotubes. Sequences between −92 and +80 of the B creatine kinase gene confer a regulated pattern of expression to chimeric plasmids that closely resembles the time course of expression of the endogenous B creatine kinase gene in C2C cells undergoing differentiation. We show that sequences within the first exon of the B creatine kinase gene are important for the developmental regulation of the gene in C2C cells and that these sequences bind a nuclear protein that shows a similar tissue-specific distribution and developmentally regulated expression to that of the endogenous B creatine kinase gene.
P01-450 - Medication adherence among Asian psychiatric outpatients: A systematic review

Introduction Little is known about medication adherence among Asians and Asian Americans in psychiatric treatment. Objective We conducted a systematic review of studies of Asian American and Asian patients with depression or schizophrenia to understand adherence rates and tools used to measure adherence. Methods A key word search of PubMED and PsycINFO, restricted to journal articles available in English or Chinese and published between 1960 and March 2010 was performed. Reference lists of studies meeting inclusion criteria were manually reviewed and content experts were consulted. Two investigators independently reviewed all identified publications for inclusion using predetermined criteria and a pilot tested data-abstraction form. Results Of the 1520 journal articles retrieved, 10 met criteria for inclusion. Adherence rates among patients with schizophrenia ranged from 5–71%; adherence rates among patients with depression ranged from 16–67%. Adherence rates varied among Asian sub-populations: Chinese patients’ rates ranged from 6–56%; Taiwanese patients’ rate was 46–61%; Asian American patients’ rate was 16%; Japanese patients’ rate was 56–71%; and Singaporean patients’ rate was 4.3%. Adherence was measured by: self-report; blood levels; refill rates; chart review; or physician/nurse or family caregiver report. Conclusion Medication adherence rates varied across clinical populations and country of origin. Nearly all of the rates are lower than many clinicians would consider acceptable. A critical step to research on improving adherence will involve reaching consensus on how to measure rates.
Embryo morphology score on day 3 is predictive of implantation and live birth rates.

Purpose : To determine if embryo cleavage state or morphology on day 3 correlates with implantation or live birth rates. A retrospective cohort study of all fresh embryo transfers over 2 years. Methods : Patients were grouped by the average cleavage state and morphology. Cleavage state groups were: 1≤2, group 3 = >2≤3, and group 4 (worst) = >3≤4. Results : The overall implantation rate for 158 cycles was 28.1% with a live birth rate of 37.3%. Morphologic state was highly predictive of both implantation rate and live birth rate. Implantation rates by group were 54.8% (group 1), 30.4% (group 2), 23.8% (group 3), and 11.1% (group 4). Likewise, live birth rates among groups were 61.5, 39, 20, and 21%, respectively. Cleavage state was not predictive of outcome. Conclusions : Embryo grade is highly predictive of implantation and live birth rate and can be used to determine the number of embryos to transfer. Cleavage state is not predictive of outcome.
Regulation of chemokine production in response to pro-inflammatory cytokines in first trimester decidual cells.

Abstract Objective Chemokines initiate the immune response by controlling leukocyte migration and lymphocyte development. Macrophage infiltration of the decidua has been implicated in the genesis of recurrent miscarriage and preeclampsia. Therefore, we determined whether cultured human decidual cells produce monocyte/macrophage-recruiting chemokines in response to a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and whether decidual cell-conditioned medium contains monocyte- and macrophage-chemoattractant activity. Methods Leukocyte-free first trimester decidual cells were treated for 6h with estradiol (E 2 ) and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) to mimic the steroidal milieu of pregnancy, or E 2 and MPA and IL-1β (1ng/ml) to mimic inflamed decidua. Total RNA was used for cDNA synthesis. Biotinylated cRNAs were generated and chemically fragmented for hybridization on Affymetrix HG_U133 Plus 2.0 chips followed by fluorescence labeling and optical scanning. Raw data generated from Affymetrix GCOS 1.2 (GeneChip Operating Software) were analyzed by GeneSpring 7.2 software. Subsequently microarray results were validated by real time RT-PCR and Western blotting. A functional study of monocyte migration was carried out also using conditioned media from culture. Results Five chemokines responsible for monocyte/macrophage chemoattraction and activation, including C-C motif ligand 2 (CCL2), CCL5, C-X-C motif ligand 2 (CXCL2), CXCL3 and CXCL8, were markedly elevated from 29- to 975-fold after exposure to IL-1β in cultured first trimester decidual cells. The results of real-time RT-PCR (up-regulation from 43- to 3069-fold) and Western blotting (up-regulation from 15- to 300-fold) confirmed the microarray findings. Monocyte migration was significantly induced by the conditioned medium from IL-1β-treated decidual cells. Conclusions Treatment of first trimester decidual cells with IL-1β induces secretion of monocyte/macrophage recruiting-chemokines and promotes monocyte migration. Extrapolation of these in vitro results to the milieu of implantation site suggests a mechanism whereby IL-1β could mediate excessive macrophage infiltration of the decidua.
Implications of government publishing in the third world for library collections and services

Abstract This paper discusses the acquisition of and access to government publications from selected African and Asian sources. It is primarily based on the experiences of an exchange visit to England, Nigeria, Kenya, India, Singapore, and Indonesia during May–June 1988; on 10 years of acquisition, bibliographic, and reference work in the African Section of the Library of Congress; and on five years acquiring research and government documents from Third World countries at the University of Iowa Libraries. The publication and distribution of government documents in Singapore is contrasted with similar activities in a number of African states, namely Ethiopia; South Africa; and Nigeria, including the book famine there. Access to limited runs of reports, their preservation on microforms, and their availability are discussed.
Cluster Maintenance in Mobile Ad-hoc Networks

The main contribution of this paper is to propose a new cluster maintenance algorithm and a companion cluster initialization algorithm based on a number of interesting and novel properties of diameter-2 graphs. The initialization algorithm naturally blends into cluster maintenance, showing the unity between these two operations. We refer to our algorithms as tree-based since they depend on a spanning tree maintained at various nodes. Unlike the vast majority of published clustering algorithms, our algorithms are cluster-centric, as opposed to node-centric, and work in the presence of node mobility. Extensive simulation results have shown the effectiveness of our algorithms when compared to other clustering schemes proposed in the literature.