cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Successful High-Volume Plasmapheresis in Acute Liver Failure.

Acute liver failure carries a high mortality. At present, liver transplant is the definitive treatment along with standard medical support. In the absence of or as a bridge to liver transplant, several liver assist therapies have been derived. Some of the therapies have shown short-term mortality benefits and transplant-free survival over standard medical treatment alone. High volume plasmapheresis (HVP) is one of such therapies and is readily available in hospitals. We discuss the case of a 28-year-old female who presented with acute liver failure, did not qualify for the liver transplant and successfully underwent HVP. Various regimens of plasmapheresis have been described in the literature of which we used the HVP for pre-determined three days. Our case emphasizes the importance of early initiation of HVP in an acute liver failure patient who did not qualify for liver transplant, and adds to the existing evidence of the utility of this particular type of plasmapheresis over other regimens.
Well-being capital and government's intervention to Dam's affected residents: Pak Mun Dam, Thailand

[enter Abstract BodGovernment plays an important role as a well-being capital provider through policies, strategies, or even direct provision to local residents to improve their livelihoods. Pak Mun Dam is one of the most controversial dams in Thailand, and government intervention is needed to solve the issues the dam has created. This study tests the premise that government intervention will impact overall well-being only through structural means by providing strategy and policies related to social and economic well-being. Government training programs and government services will impact over all well-being through social well-being. A satisfactory solution to the Pak Mun Dam situation will impact overall well-being through economic well-being. In this study a number of items, related to different well-being dimensions, were examined. The findings suggest that appropriate policy must address the four significant items which surfaced in the economic well-being measure and ten items in the social well-being dimensiony]
The stereochemistry of reductive dehalogenation

Abstract The stereochemistry of reductive dehalogenation has been examined employing three representative reducing agents—zinc and acetic acid, chromous acetate, and catalytic hydrogenation over Pd C. Chromous acetate and zinc and acetic acid reduce, in greater than 70% yield, just the chlorine atom anti to the double bond in the title compound. Catalytic reduction, on the other hand, does not affect either of the geminal bridge chlorines, but instead reduces and dechlorinates the vinyl system.
Aspects of the Electroweak Theory

These notes contain some of the material I presented at TASI 96 on the comparison of the standard model with precision electroweak data. After a physical accounting of the dominant electroweak radiative corrections, including the effects of initial state bremsstrahlung, I examine how data from LEP and the SLC provides a clear test of the standard model. Apparent discrepancies in the $R_b$ and $R_c$ ratios, and their physical resolution, are also examined in some detail.
Parallel Parsing of Ambigous Languages on Hypercube Architectures

In this paper we describe a generalization of existing LALR techniques to allow the parallel parsing of ambiguous languages on hypercube architectures. In particular we are interested in the parsing of natural languages in parallel. The technique that is used is a “nondeterministic” version of a standard LALR parser, where when a shift/reduce or reduce/reduce conflict is reached the parser branches and pursues them both independently. We have developed a parallel parser generator RACC, which is developed with the use of YACC under Unix. By specifying a YACC like specification file and running it through RACC one obtains a parallel parser that will run on the nodes of the NCUBE/10 hypercube.
Nutrition and the anterior pituitary with special reference to the general adaptation syndrome.

Publisher Summary The functions of the anterior pituitary and the target organs of its secretions are largely dependent on the nutritional state and the composition of the diet fed. Conversely, the various hormones of the anterior pituitary and its target organs profoundly affect the absorption, utilization, and excretion of nutrients and body requirements for specific dietary factors. The chapter presents available data on the nutrition–endocrine interrelationships of the mammalian organism, particularly as they pertain to the anterior pituitary, and with special reference to their role in the general adaptation syndrome. A number of interrelationships both specific and nonspecific between various nutrients and endocrine glands are discussed in the chapter. The nutritional state and the composition of the diet fed may profoundly affect (1) the synthesis and secretion of hormones, (2) the response of target organs and peripheral tissues thereto, and (3) the metabolism and excretion of hormonal substances.
Pharmacological therapies in smoking cessation: an evidence-based update

Smoking cessation presents a daunting challenge for clinicians; tobacco use impacts every major organ system and is responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality. Despite significant reductions in the rate of smoking over the past 50 years, tobacco use continues to burden the healthcare system. First-line therapies for smoking cessation include nicotine replacement, novel partial nicotinic agonists as well as antidepressant therapy. Herein, we review recent updates to the literature regarding nicotine replacement, bupropion, and varenicline. Re-emerging therapies such as cytisine are reviewed, as well as the novel concept of vaccination. Finally, the controversy surrounding electronic cigarettes and their debatable role in cessation therapy will be addressed as their popularity continues to grow.
Pavement Design and Controls for Minimizing Automotive Hydroplaning and Increasing Traction

The authors discuss test results and analyses of tire hydroplaning, skid resistance, and other tire-pavement interactions. They address roadway and vehicle operator controls for mitigating hydroplaning and improving highway safety. The conclusions are based on analyses of simulation, laboratory, and full-scale tests. Pavement cross slope, texture, rut depth, pavement wear, surface drainage, drainage-path length, precipitation intensity and duration, tire inflation, tread-pattern depth, tire construction, and vehicle traveling speed influence hydroplaning tendencies and vehicle control. Other factors considered are tire rolling resistance, vehicle fuel consumption, noise, splash and spray, and headlight glare. These results are applicable to highway pavement design, construction, and rehabilitation; tire construction; and vehicle operation.
An empirical comparison of tools for phylogenetic footprinting

Phylogenetic footprinting is an increasingly popular comparative genomics method for detecting regulatory elements in DNA sequences. With the profusion of possible methods to use for phylogenetic footprinting, the biologist needs some guidance to choose the most appropriate tool. We present methods for comparing tools on phylogenetic footprinting data. More specifically, we discuss two different classes of comparative experiments: those on simulated data and those on real orthologous promoter regions. We then report the results of a series of such empirical comparisons. The tools compared are the alignment-based methods using ClustalW and Dialign, and the motif-finding programs MEME and FootPrinter. Our results show that methods taking the species' phylogenetic relationships into consideration obtain better accuracy.
In vivo wireless communications and networking

In vivo wireless communications and networking of biomedical devices has the potential of being a critical component in advancing health care delivery. Such systems offer the promise of improving the effectiveness of sophisticated cyber-physical biomedical systems. This paper provides an overview of our research on characterizing the in vivo wireless channel and contrasting this channel with the familiar cellular and WLAN channels. Characterization of the in vivo channel is still in its infancy, but the importance of obtaining accurate channel models is essential to the design of efficient communication systems and network protocols to support advanced biomedical applications. We describe our initial research on signal processing matched to the in vivo channel including MIMO in vivo and Cooperative Network Coding [CNC] systems. MIMO in vivo 2×2 systems demonstrate substantial performance improvement relative to SISO arrangements that significantly depends on antenna location. MIMO makes it possible to achieve the target data rate of 100 Mbps, with maximum SAR [Specific Absorption Rate] levels met. Furthermore, it is found that, to satisfy the maximum allowed SAR, a larger bandwidth may, but not necessarily, increase the system capacity. Also, we discuss the ability of Cooperative Network Coding [CNC] to increase the reliability (especially for real-time applications), provide transparent self-healing, and enhance the expected number of correctly received and decoded packets at the WBAN destination, while transmitting at low power. Because of the real-time nature of many of these medical applications and the fact that many sensors can only transmit, error detection and retransmission (i.e., ARQ) is not a preferred option. CNC requires about 3.5 dB less energy per bit than extant WBAN systems that do not use cooperation or network coding.
In the Shadow of Illness: Parents and Siblings of the Chronically III Child

Social Suffering. Arthur Kleinman, Veena Das. and Margaret Lock. eds. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997. xx vii. 404 pp.
NADH oxidase activity (NOX) and enlargement of HeLa cells oscillate with two different temperature-compensated period lengths of 22 and 24 minutes corresponding to different NOX forms

NOX proteins are cell surface-associated and growth-related hydroquinone (NADH) oxidases with protein disulfide-thiol interchange activity. A defining characteristic of NOX proteins is that the two enzymatic activities alternate to generate a regular period length of about 24 min. HeLa cells exhibit at least two forms of NOX. One is tumor-associated (tNOX) and is inhibited by putative quinone site inhibitors (e.g., capsaicin or the antitumor sulfonylurea, LY181984). Another is constitutive (CNOX) and refractory to inhibition. The periodic alternation of activities and drug sensitivity of the NADH oxidase activity observed with intact HeLa cells was retained in isolated plasma membranes and with the solubilized and partially purified enzyme. At least two activities were present. One had a period length of 24 min and the other had a period length of 22 min. The lengths of both the 22 and the 24 min periods were temperature compensated (approximately the same when measured at 17, 27 or 37 degrees C) whereas the rate of NADH oxidation approximately doubled with each 10 degrees C rise in temperature. The rate of increase in cell area of HeLa cells when measured by video-enhanced light microscopy also exhibited a complex period of oscillations reflective of both 22 and 24 min period lengths. The findings demonstrate the presence of a novel oscillating NOX activity at the surface of cancer cells with a period length of 22 min in addition to the constitutive NOX of non-cancer cells and tissues with a period length of 24 min.
Probing immune functions in RAG-deficient mice

Inactivation of recombination activating gene (RAG)-1 or RAG-2 in mice results in the inability of developing lymphocytes to initiate V(D)J recombination, leading to the arrest of lymphocyte differentiation at a very early stage. Introduction of functionally assembled antigen-receptor genes or other potentially relevant genes into the RAG-deficient background can bypass the V(D)J recombination block and promote differentiation of the lymphocytes of RAG-deficient mice to various stages. This approach offers new means for analyzing the control of lymphocyte differentiation. In addition, generation of somatic chimeric mice by injecting mutant embryonic stem cells into the RAG-2-deficient blastocysts has also provided a powerful new method for assaying the potential roles of genes or regulatory elements in lymphocyte development or function.
84 MARKERS OF DNA METHYLATION IN OVINE UTERO–PLACENTAL TISSUES DURING EARLY PREGNANCY: EFFECTS OF ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY

Compromised pregnancies can be caused by genetic, epigenetic, environmental and/or other factors. Assisted reproductive technology (ART) may have profound effects on placental and fetal development, leading eventually to compromised pregnancy. DNA methylation, regulated by DNA methyltransferases (Dnmt) and other factors, plays an important role during embryonic, including placental, development. Altered DNA methylation in the trophoblast and, subsequently, the placenta has been reported for compromised pregnancies and may contribute to embryonic/fetal loss. Little is known, however, about DNA methylation processes in placental tissues during early stages of normal or compromised pregnancies in any species. Thus, we hypothesised that ART would affect the expression of 5 methylcytosine (5mC; a marker of global methylation) and mRNA for Dnmt1, 3a and 3b in utero-placental tissues during early pregnancy in sheep. Pregnancies (n = 7 per group) were achieved through natural breeding (NAT, control), or transfer of embryos generated through natural breeding (NAT-ET), in vitro fertilization (IVF) or in vitro activation (IVA; parthenogenetic clones). On Day 22 of pregnancy, caruncle (CAR; maternal placenta) and fetal membranes (FM; fetal placenta) were snap-frozen separately for RNA extraction followed by quantitative real-time PCR. In addition, cross sections of gravid uterus were fixed and then used for immunohistochemical detection and image analysis of 5 mC in FM. In FM, expression of mRNA for Dnmt3a was ∼2-fold greater (P < 0.01) in IVA compared with the other groups and was similar in NAT, NAT-ET and IVF groups. Expression of 5 mC was ∼2- to 3-fold greater (P < 0.02) in IVF and IVA than in NAT. In CAR, mRNA expression for Dnmt1 was ∼1.5-fold greater (P < 0.04) in IVA compared with the other groups, but Dnmt3a expression was less (P < 0.04) in NAT-ET and IVA than NAT. Expression of mRNA for Dnmt1 in FM and 3b in FM and CAR was similar in all groups. In IVA and/or IVF pregnancy, increased expression of Dnmt3a mRNA and/or 5 mC in FM may indicate de novo methylation in the fetal placenta. Furthermore, in pregnancies created through ART, decreased expression of Dnmt3a in CAR may indicate reduced de novo methylation in maternal placenta. Thus, in sheep, ART may have specific effects on growth and function of utero-placental and fetal tissues through regulation of DNA methylation and likely other mechanisms. These data provide a foundation for determining the basis for altered DNA methylation of specific genes in placental and embryonic tissues in compromised pregnancies. In addition, these data will help us to better understand placental regulatory mechanisms in compromised pregnancies and to identify strategies for rescuing such pregnancies. Supported by Hatch Project ND01712; USDA grant 2007-01215 to LPR and ATGB, NIH grant HL64141 to LPR and DAR and NSF-MRI-ARRA grant to ATGB.
Influence of Surface Drag on the Evolution of Fronts

Abstract Surface frontal structure during cyclogenesis, and the sensitivity of this structure to surface friction, is examined. The approach is based on the analyses of simulations using a primitive equation model, with the domain restricted to a sector of one hemisphere, and the physics reduced to surface drag, horizontal diffusion, and dry convective adjustment. The model horizontal resolution is 1.2° latitude × 1.5° longitude, and there are 21 layers in the vertical. The drag coefficient is varied in simulations with midlatitude jet streams as initial conditions. The extent to which simulations in the adiabatic framework or with highly simplified representations of physical processes succeed in producing features of cyclone evolution emphasized by recent observational analyses is evaluated. Shallow bent-back warm fronts develop in simulations with surface drag coefficients that are zero or representative of ocean surfaces. Horizontal advection, first in strong easterly and later in strong northerly win...
Evidence for the photoreaction F→F' in CaO: Ca

Abstract Photo-induced charge transfer to and from the F center in additively colored CaO has been observed, and is interpreted in terms of the reaction F→F'. Reciprocal changes in the 3.1 eV and F bands are seen, accompanied by corresponding changes in the F center ESR signal.
Selection Rules for Circularly Polarized Waves in Nonlinear Optics

The symmetry properties of nonlinear optical susceptibilities in the electric dipole approximation for collinear circularly or elliptically polarized light waves have been analyzed on the basis of group-theoretical considerations. Selection rules are obtained for the nonlinear interaction of arbitrary order along any symmetry axis of the 32 crystallographic groups and the three-dimensional rotation group.
Quantum mechanical reactive scattering for three-dimensional atom plus diatom systems. II. Accurate cross sections for H+H2

Accurate three‐dimensional reactive and nonreactive quantum mechanical cross sections for the H+H_2 exchange reaction on the Porter–Karplus potential energy surface are presented. Tests of convergence in the calculations indicate an accuracy of better than 5% for most of the results in the energy range considered (0.3 to 0.7 eV total energy). The reactive differential cross sections are exclusively backward peaked, with peak widths increasing monotonically from about 32° at 0.4 eV to 51° at 0.7 eV. Nonreactive inelastic differential cross sections show backwards to sidewards peaking, while elastic ones are strongly forward peaked with a nearly monotonic decrease with increasing scattering angle. Some oscillations due to interferences between the direct and exchange amplitudes are obtained in the para‐to‐para and ortho‐to‐ortho antisymmetrized cross sections above the effective threshold for reaction. Nonreactive collisions do not show a tendency to satisfy a "j_z‐conserving" selection rule. The reactive cross sections show significant rotational angular momentum polarization with the m_j=m′_j=0 transition dominating for low reagent rotational quantum number j. In constrast, the degeneracy averaged rotational distributions can be fitted to statistical temperaturelike expressions to a high degree of accuracy. The integral cross sections have an effective threshold total energy of about 0.55 eV, and differences between this quantity and the corresponding 1D and 2D results can largely be interpreted as resulting from bending motions in the transition state. In comparing these results with those of previous approximate dynamical calculations, we find best overall agreement between our reactive integral and differential cross sections and the quasiclassical ones of Karplus, Porter, and Sharma [J. Chem. Phys. 43, 3259 (1965)], at energies above the quasiclassical effective thresholds. This results in the near equality of the quantum and quasiclassical thermal rate constants at 600 K. At lower temperatures, however, the effects of tunneling become very important with the quantum rate constant achieving a value larger than the quasiclassical one by a factor of 3.2 at 300 K and 18 at 200 K.
Experimental pneumococcal otitis media: longitudinal studies in the gerbil model.

Summary In order to ascertain that the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus , is an acceptable model for studying the development of chronic from acute otitis media, we used previously published methods for experimental otitis media in a longitudinal study of the acute disease and sequellae. The gerbil was found to be susceptible to as few as 30 viable Streptococcus pneumoniae type 3 cells, indicating that only a few viable pathogens are able to cause the disease. Untreated experimental infections with S. pneumoniae type 23 resulted in a mild, self-limiting disease with little permanent sequellae, while S. pneumoniae type 3 produced severe disease characterized by an acute phase of from 2 to 3 weeks, followed by the development of new bone formation and a vascularized granulation tissue which persisted throughout the 13-week study. Viable pneumococci could be recovered from the middle ears for only two weeks. We conclude that the gerbil is a useful model for otitis media.
A Solid Sulfur Cathode for Aqueous Batteries

Because of its high resistivity and subsequent low electroactivity, sulfur is not normally considered a room-temperature battery cathode. An elemental sulfur cathode has been made with a measured capacity of over 900 ampere·hours per kilogram, more than 90 percent of the theoretical storage capacity of solid sulfur at room temperature, accessed by means of a lightweight, highly conductive, aqueous polysulfide interface through the electrocatalyzed reaction S + H2O + 2e- → HS- + OH-. This solid sulfur cathode was first used in a battery with an aluminum anode for an overall discharge reaction 2Al + 3S + 3OH- + 3H2O → 2Al(OH)3 + 3HS-, giving a cell potential of 1.3 volts. The theoretical specific energy of the aluminum-sulfur battery (based on potassium salts) is 910 watt·hours per kilogram with an experimental specific energy of up to 220 watt·hours per kilogram.
Electronic and magnetic states in metallic compounds—I. Kondo effect and ferromagnetism in CoAl☆

Abstract Magnetic susceptibility and electron transport properties were investigated in CoAl alloys in the vicinity of exact stoichiometry. Resistance minima, negative magnetoresistance, and thermo-power anomalies were observed in the liquid helium region. The concentration, temperature, and field dependence of the transport properties were interpreted in terms of localized magnetic moments formed on Co atoms on Al sites (Cox atoms) in the lattice. The effective moment on the Cox atoms in the paramagnetic state is 5·9 μR. Analysis of the data in terms of the theories of the Kondo effect led to estimates of the exchange parameter and Kondo temperature of ∼ −1·3 to −2·2 eV and ∼8°K. respectively. At excess Co concentrations of more than 0·6 at.%. ferromagnetic interactions between the Cox atoms become apparent in that the resistance minima disappear, the Weiss temperature changes from negative to positive, and remanent magnetization is observed. The nature of the ferromagnetic state is discussed along with some evidence for spin-fluctuation effects in the nearly ferromagnetic alloys.
Reply to "Comment on 'Characterization of the tunneling conductance across DNA bases' ".

Lagerqvist et al.'s Comment regarding the calculation of the transverse conductance of a single-strand DNA heteropolymer translocated through a nanogap between two metal electrodes fully confirms the main conclusions of our study [Phys. Rev. E 74, 011919 (2006)]. In the absence of resonant tunneling, the sensitivity to geometrical factors and the uncertainty in the density functional theory model, which is used in our study and is the basis for the parametrization of the model used by Lagerqvist et al., raises doubt about the utility of static-bias measurements for DNA sequencing. A possible scheme discussed by Lagerqvist et al., the stabilization of geometry by an applied strong transverse voltage $(1\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{V})$, is outside the applicability range of the near-equilibrium theory they (and we) used. More advanced theories and precise gap measurements are needed to resolve these issues.
Technology Trust in Internet-Based Interorganizational Electronic Commerce

Trust in Internet-based Business-to-Business (B2B) e-commerce is an important issue for both practicioners and academicians. Whereas the traditional notion of dyadic interfirm trust primarily focuses on trust in a trading partner firm, trust in e-commerce also implicitly incorporates the notion of trust in the transaction infrastructure and underlying control mechanisms (technology trust), which deals with transaction integrity, authentication, confidentliality, non-repudiation, and best business practices. This researcch explicitely examines this new institutional character of trust in B2B e-commerce, arguing that business value realization is heavily dependent on the dimension of technology trust, captured as perceived benefits and actual organizational performance, even after controlling for the positive effects of partner trust. Given the absense of adequate metrics to capture the notion of technology trust in B2B e-commerce, this research develops and validates a measure for technology trust and tests its effec on benefits and performance. This paper contributes to theory by bridging the gap between technological solutions (technology trust) from an institutional trust perspective, trading partner trust (relationship trust) and business value (perceived benefits and organizational performance). The proposed theoretical model is tested in organizations actively involved in B2B e-commerce using survey methodology. The findings from 288 firms validated the importance of technology trust for organizational success in B2B e-commerce.
Spectral signature databases and their application/misapplication to modeling and exploitation of multispectral/hyperspectral data

Spectral signature databases abound in the field of remote sensing. Scientists use these databases to assist in their analysis everyday. Many decisions are made about hyperspectral data and the observations made with this data based on the assumption that these databases contain "ground truth" representations of the signatures for materials sensed. For the most part, this is true if the team collecting the signatures that populate these databases follow sound practices when collecting this data. The data does, however, represent a very specific picture of the "truth". Signatures found in databases represent a specific collection configuration or geometry. The source of illumination, whether it is artificial or natural, is in a very specific location as is the sensor used to collect radiance for the derivation of the reflectance signatures. A signature found in the database is useful for only a very specific scenario, one that matches the geometry used during ground truth collection. There are other very significant factors regarding illumination field and scattering properties of the material and reference standards that influence the computed reflectance signature. This work will illustrate some of the dramatic variation that can exist in the reflectance signatures derived for the same material using different techniques. Difference upward of 30% may exist for the same material. These observations are presented so that scientists who look to these databases in the future will consider very carefully the metadata that is presented with the signatures that they use to make sure they are applicable to the phenomenology and collection scenario that they have under study. These observations should also point out that signatures presented without detailed metadata could be very hazardous to use if the outcome of the analysis being performed relies upon the absolute reflectance spectra being known.
Effect of convection on the microstructure of a lamellar eutectic growing with a stepped interface

A two dimensional model developed to study the influence of convective flow on the concentration field ahead of a growing lamellar eutectic is described when one phase projects out into the melt creating a stepped interface. The two dimensional convective flow field, which is periodic in the horizontal direction, was computed numerically using the software FLUENT. The velocity field generated due to the flow of melt over the steps was then incorporated into a finite difference scheme employed to solve the concentration field. The average interfacial composition was calculated and converted to lamellar spacing using the Jackson and Hunt minimum supercooling criterion. It was found that a stepped interface is more sensitive to convection than a planar interface.
To Be or Not to Be in a Cavity: The Hydrated Electron Dilemma

The hydrated electron-the species that results from the addition of a single excess electron to liquid water-has been the focus of much interest both because of its role in radiation chemistry and other chemical reactions, and because it provides for a deceptively simple system that can serve as a means to confront the predictions of quantum molecular dynamics simulations with experiment. Despite all this interest, there is still considerable debate over the molecular structure of the hydrated electron: does it occupy a cavity, have a significant number of interior water molecules, or have a structure somewhere in between? The reason for all this debate is that different computer simulations have produced each of these different structures, yet the predicted properties for these different structures are still in reasonable agreement with experiment. In this Feature Article, we explore the reasons underlying why different structures are produced when different pseudopotentials are used in quantum simulations of the hydrated electron. We also show that essentially all the different models for the hydrated electron, including those from fully ab initio calculations, have relatively little direct overlap of the electron's wave function with the nearby water molecules. Thus, a non-cavity hydrated electron is better thought of as an "inverse plum pudding" model, with interior waters that locally expel the surrounding electron's charge density. Finally, we also explore the agreement between different hydrated electron models and certain key experiments, such as resonance Raman spectroscopy and the temperature dependence and degree of homogeneous broadening of the optical absorption spectrum, in order to distinguish between the different simulated structures. Taken together, we conclude that the hydrated electron likely has a significant number of interior water molecules.
Effectiveness and Cost-effectiveness of Measuring Fecal Calprotectin in Diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Adults and Children

Background & Aims The level of fecal calprotectin (FC) can predict the onset of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with high accuracy and precision. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of using measurements of FC to identify adults and children who require endoscopic confirmation of IBD. Methods We constructed a decision analytic tree to compare the cost-effectiveness of measuring FC before endoscopy examination with that of direct endoscopic evaluation alone. A second decision analytic tree was constructed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of FC cutoff levels of 100 μg/g vs 50 μg/g (typically used to screen for intestinal inflammation). The primary outcome measure was the incremental cost required to avoid 1 false-negative result by using FC level to diagnose new-onset IBD. Results In adults, FC screening saved $417/patient but delayed diagnosis for 2.2/32 patients with IBD among 100 screened patients. In children, FC screening saved $300/patient but delayed diagnosis for 4.8/61 patients with IBD among 100 screened patients. If endoscopic biopsy analysis remained the standard for diagnosis, direct endoscopic evaluation would cost an additional $18,955 in adults and $6250 in children to avoid 1 false-negative result from FC screening. Sensitivity analyses showed that cost-effectiveness of FC screening varied with the sensitivity of the test and the pre-test probability of IBD in adults and children. Pre-test probabilities for IBD of ≤75% in adults and ≤65% in children made FC screening cost-effective, but it was cost-ineffective if the probabilities were ≥85% and ≥78% in adults and children, respectively. Compared with the FC cutoff level of 100 μg/g, the cutoff level of 50 μg/g cost an additional $55 and $43 for adults and children, respectively, but it yielded 2.4 and 6.1 additional accurate diagnoses of IBD per 100 screened adults and children, respectively. Conclusions Screening adults and children to measure fecal levels of calprotectin is effective and cost-effective in identifying those with IBD on a per-case basis when the pre-test probability is ≤75% for adults and ≤65% for children. The utility of the test is greater for adults than children. Increasing the FC cutoff level to ≥50 μg/g increases diagnostic accuracy without substantially increasing total cost.
Interleukin-1β, tumour necrosis factor-α and lipopolysaccharide induce C-type natriuretic peptide from canine aortic endothelial cells

The N-terminal portion of pro C-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pCNP) has shown promise as a biomarker for sepsis in humans and dogs, however the mechanism of NT-pCNP production in dogs is unknown. Canine aortic endothelial cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide, lipoteichoic acid, peptidoglycan, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IL-21, CXCL-8, IFN-γ, VEGF-A or control (PBS), and NT-pCNP production was measured. Lipopolysaccharide, TNF-α, and IL-1β significantly stimulated NT-pCNP production in a dose and time dependent manner; IL-1β resulted in the greatest NT-pCNP concentrations. The other stimulants did not result in significant NT-pCNP production. The addition of serum to the cell culture model did not alter lipopolysaccharide, lipoteichoic acid or peptidoglycan induced NT-pCNP production. These data indicate that lipopolysaccharide, TNF-α and IL-1β regulate CNP production from canine vascular endothelium and of the stimulants tested, IL-1β is the predominant inducing factor. These data provide some initial insight into the mechanisms of CNP regulation in dogs.
Interatomic potential for copper–antimony in dilute solid–solution alloys and application to single crystal dislocation nucleation

Abstract A new interatomic potential for copper–antimony (Cu–Sb) in low Sb concentration solid–solution alloys is proposed based upon the Lennard-Jones (LJ) pair formulation. Parameters for this new potential, σ and e, are motivated by calculations of the Cu–Sb heat of solution (heat of mixing) and the strain field generated by a single substitutional impurity in single crystal copper, which is analyzed for impurity (dopant) atoms with various atomic radii. A well established embedded-atom method (EAM) potential is used to model the host copper. The e parameter is derived for a range of values of σ by matching to the experimental value of the heat of solution. Then, the strain field around a single dopant atom is computed for each set of the calculated LJ parameters. Ultimately, the final parameters for the Cu–Sb interaction are selected to match the strain field corresponding to the atomic radius mismatch between Sb and Cu and are compared with the Eshelby solutions which are based on classical theory of elasticity. As an application of this new potential, it is shown using molecular dynamics simulations that the plastic deformation behavior of single crystal copper is affected by the characteristics of the strain field around the dopant atoms.
Evaluation of Preharvest Aflatoxin Contamination in Several Potentially Resistant Peanut Genotypes

Abstract Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is susceptible to aflatoxin contamination when pods are developing under drought conditions in the field. The development of cultivars which resist preharvest aflatoxin contamination would be advantageous, but has been limited by the lack of genes for resistance. Several genotypes have been suggested as potential sources of resistance. Conflicting results have been reported on how useful this resistance may be, and some of these sources have never been specifically examined for resistance to preharvest aflatoxin contamination. The objective of this study was to evaluate aflatoxin contamination under drought stressed conditions in potentially resistant peanut genotypes. Twelve peanut genotypes were planted in a randomized complete-block design in field plots in Yuma, AZ in 1991 and 1992. Ten of these genotypes were also planted in a randomized complete-block design in field plots in Tifton, GA in 1992. All plots were inoculated with Aspergillus inoculum and were subjec...
NMR Structure of the SARS-CoV Nonstructural Protein 7 in Solution at pH 6.5.

The NMR structure of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus nonstructural protein (nsp) 7 in aqueous solution at pH 6.5 was determined and compared with the results of previous structure determinations of nsp7 in solution at pH 7.5 and in the crystals of a hexadecameric nsp7/nsp8 complex obtained from a solution at pH 7.5. All three structures contain four helices as the only regular secondary structures, but there are differences in the lengths and sequence locations of the four helices, as well as between the tertiary folds. The present study includes data on conformational equilibria and intramolecular rate processes in nsp7 in solution at pH 6.5, which provide further insights into the polymorphisms implicated by a comparison of the three presently available nsp7 structures.
TBF and DIGM

These two acronyms are in many ways synonymous – at least DIGM is synonymous with TBF, although many other contributions in this issue of the JID show that TBF was much more than DIGM. Tom Fitzpatrick was the father of Dermatology in General Medicine and for over 3 decades was the driving force behind the work.
Contribution of fungal biomass to the growth of the shredder, Pycnopsyche gentilis (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae)

Summary 1. 1. It has been accepted that aquatic hyphomycetes colonising submerged leaves increase the nutritional value of leaf detritus and suggested that fungal biomass plays a greater role in the growth of shredders than leaf tissue itself. However, it is not clear what proportion of the nutritional needs of shredders is met by fungal biomass. 2. We fed Pycnopsyche gentilis larvae with tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) leaf discs colonised by the aquatic hyphomycete, Anguillospora filiformis, which had been radiolabelled to quantify the contribution of fungal carbon to the growth of the shredder at different larval developmental stages. Instantaneous growth rates of larvae on this diet were also estimated. 3. When provided with fungal-colonised leaves (14–16% fungal biomass), the third and the fifth instar larvae of P. gentilis grew at the rates of 0.061 and 0.034 day−1, respectively, but on a diet of sterile leaves, both larval instars lost weight. The incorporation rates of fungal carbon were 31.6 μg C mg−1 AFDM day−1, accounting for 100% of the daily growth rate of the third instar larvae and 8.6 μg C mg−1 AFDM day−1, accounting for 50% of the daily growth rate of the fifth instar larvae. 4. These results suggest that leaf material colonised by A. filiformis is a high quality food resource for P. gentilis larvae, and that fungal biomass can contribute significantly to the growth of these larvae. Differences in feeding behaviour and digestive physiology may explain the significantly greater assimilation of fungal biomass by the earlier instar than the final instar. To satisfy their nutritional needs the fifth instar larvae would have to assimilate detrital mass that may have been modified by fungal exoenzymes.
Adsorbate-Induced Quenching of Hot Electrons in Gold Core−Shell Nanoparticles

We have investigated the effect of molecular adsorbates on the ultrafast electron dynamics in nanoshell particles. These nanoparticles consist of a thin gold shell surrounding a gold sulfide core. Pump−probe transmission measurements at 1.5 eV on unmodified nanoshells in aqueous solution yield an electron relaxation lifetime of ∼2.7 ps. The lifetime decreased with the adsorption of p-aminobenzoic acid (∼1.7 ps) or aniline (∼1.9 ps) on the nanoshells. With adsorbed p-mercaptobenzoic acid or n-propylamine, electron thermalization occurred in ∼2.4 or ∼2.8 ps, respectively. Surface-enhanced Raman signals were detected from the aromatic molecules, confirming their adsorption on the nanoshells. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the molecules providing the strongest modification of the dynamics possess the largest induced dipole moments near a metal surface. This suggests that the adsorbate-induced perturbation of the nanoshell electron dynamics is primarily electronic in nature.
Seasonal and Spatial Patterns of Ichthyoplankton Abundance in Elkhorn Slough, California

Seasonal and spatial patterns in abundance of fish eggs and larvae are described from 323 samples collected from September 1974–September 1976 in Elkhorn Slough, a shallow, tidal embayment in Monterey Bay, California. These included 3645 larvae of 29 taxa that were numerically co-dominated by gobiid and clupeoid larvae. Ninety-four percent of the total catch comprised seven species, and included, in rank order abundance, Gillichthys mirabilis, Engraulis mordax, Clevelandia ios, Hypomesus pretiosus -osmerid, Leptocottus armatus, Genyonemus lineatus , and Clupea pallasii . Eggs of E. mordax, Citharichthys spp., and G. lineatus accounted for 73% of the catch. Two seasonal groups of larvae were evident. E. mordax and the gobiids ( G. mirabilis and C. ios ) formed a summer-fall group. While more speciose, a winter and early-spring group comprised of larval L. armatus, H. pretiosus -osmerid, Atherinidae and Ammodytes hexapterus was not as abundant as the summer–fall assemblage. Egg densities were overwhelmingly high in summer, due almost entirely to E. mordax . Similarity in species composition was greatest between collections from the most inland stations; larval assemblages from near-ocean stations were least similar to the inland slough assemblages. These distributions are attributed to reproductive specializations (egg type and spawning origin of adults) and hydrographic conditions.
Splitting, merging and spanwise wavenumber selection of Dean vortex pairs

Splitting, merging and spanwise wavenumber selection are studied during the initial development of Dean vortex pairs in a channel with mild curvature, an aspect ratio of 40, and an inner to outer radius ratio of 0.979. Two types of splitting events, and four types of merging events are evident from flow visualizations at Dean numbers from 75 to 220. These events are described in detail along with observations that occurrances of these different events are tied to spatial and temporal variations of spanwise wavenumbers of vortex pair spacing. Also discussed are frequency spectra of different events, recurrent phenomena, and the part played by splitting and merging in laminar to turbulent transition in curved channels.
The initiation of cell division in theChaetopterus Egg

The various agents which can cause the initiation of cell division in the egg of the wormChaetopterus all cause an increase in the viscosity of the interior protoplasm. These agents include hypertonic solutions, isotonic potassium chloride solutions, cold, heat, acid, alkali, ether and ultraviolet radiation.
When will teenage childbearing become a problem? The implications of western experience for developing countries.

In the US nonmarital births to adolescents--especially those from minority groups or poor families--have created substantial public concern. On the other hand high rates of teen pregnancy are not considered a social problem in other countries. This paper explores the demographic economic cultural and political circumstances under which early family formation becomes problematic on a societal level and the implications of the Western experience for developing countries. Postindustrial development has been associated with later marriage greater sexual freedom involvement of the mass media in the sexual socialization process a decline of parental authority expanded educational and employment opportunities and gender equality. Economic development is also linked with a drop in the age at menarche which elevates the risk of conception among young people. In the US conservative political forces have succeeded in creating judgmental social attitudes toward adolescent sexuality and childbearing but the abstinence campaigns they promote have been ineffective. The situation in the US has been complicated further by mixed messages whereby teenagers are formally instructed to abstain from sex yet educators know teens are unlikely to heed this message. Developing countries are likely to experience in the near future the same modernization-related trends that have potential to increase premarital sexual activity. Whether this becomes a social problem depends in part on the roles played by religious and political forces in curtailing teenage fertility.
Escherichia coli uracil DNA glycosylase: NMR characterization of the short hydrogen bond from His187 to uracil O2.

Uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG) cleaves the glycosidic bond of deoxyuridine in DNA using a hydrolytic mechanism, with an overall catalytic rate enhancement of 1012-fold over the solution reaction. The nature of the enzyme−substrate interactions that lead to this large rate enhancement are key to understanding enzymatic DNA repair. Using 1H and heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy, we have characterized one such interaction in the ternary product complex of Escherichia coli UDG, the short (2.7 A) H bond between His187 Ne2 and uracil O2. The H bond proton is highly deshielded at 15.6 ppm, indicating a short N-O distance and exhibits a solvent exchange rate that is 400- and 105-fold slower than free imidazole at pH 7.5 and pH 10, respectively. Heteronuclear NMR experiments at neutral pH show that this H bond involves the neutral imidazole form of His187 and the N1-O2 imidate form of uracil. The excellent correspondence of the pKa for the disappearance of the H bond (pKa = 6.3 ± 0.1) with the previously determined pKa...
Longitudinal Changes in Microbial Assemblages of the Ogeechee River

Summary 1 Bacteria are common and important constituents of aquatic ecosystems but little is known about their populations; most measurements commonly employed are at a grosser, assemblage-level. The purpose of this study was to compare longitudinal patterns in microbial assemblages and populations along a river ecosystem. 2 Water samples were collected under base flow conditions from 13 main stem and four tributary sites along the Ogeechee River spanning the piedmont and coastal plain of Georgia, USA. Based on the detection of active cells with abundant ribosomes, two species of bacteria, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and Pseudomonas putida, represented 0.4–4.9% of individuals in the Domain Bacteria. The abundance of P. putida was low in the headwater region of the river, perhaps because of lower concentrations of aromatic compounds. 3 The abundance of members of the Domain Bacteria peaked in the upper and lower orders of the river and were low in the mid-orders, where protozoa were numerous. 4 Higher DOC quality (based on bacterial growth) in the headwaters and peak protozoa numbers in the mid-section of the river, may have contributed to the spatial patterns observed in the bacterial assemblage. Results suggest that there is a longitudinal pattern of changing relationships between labile DOC, protozoa and bacteria but that, within the bacterial assemblage, species differ in their responses.
Network analysis of microcirculation of cat mesentery.

Abstract The modular configuration of the microcirculatory system in cat mesentery is subjected to a hydrodynamic network analysis assuming Poiseuillian dynamical behavior. Intravascular pressure, vessel pressure gradient, and wall shear stress are computed for an isolated module and presented as a function of vessel diameter, from arterial affluent to venous effluent. Computed and in vivo intravascular pressures show a marked disparity on the arterial side of the true capillaries and a fair agreement on the venous side. This is attributed to the effects of precapillary sphincter action and non-Newtonian rheological behavior. Computed pressure gradients based on a simple Poiseuillian relationship are approximately six times greater than those measured in vivo . By comparison of predicted and measured pressure gradients, the magnitude of maximum vessel wall shear stress is estimated to be on the order of 10 dyn/cm 2 .