cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The FEHBP as a model for a new Medicare program

Abstract: The deficiencies of the Medicare program are rooted in its defined-benefit structure and in its use of price controls. Medicare should be transformed into a defined cash contribution made to beneficiaries' private plans or to the traditional Medicare program. The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) is essentially such a system and is a good model for Medicare reform. The FEHBP has been highly successful at holding down costs while offering a wide range of benefits and types of plans. Its features for consumer information and plan standards also would be useful in a reformed Medicare program.
Strategic Combination of DNA-Damaging Agent and PARP Inhibitor Results in Enhanced Cytotoxicity.

PARP inhibitors (PARPi) are under clinical trial for combination cancer chemotherapy. In the presence of a PARPi, PARP-1 binds DNA strand breaks but cannot produce poly(ADP-ribose) polymers or undergo auto-poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation. DNA binding is persistent, hindering DNA repair. Methylated bases formed as a result of cellular exposure to DNA methylating agents are repaired by DNA polymerase β (pol β)-dependent base excision repair (BER) producing a 5´-deoxyribose phosphate (5´-dRP) repair intermediate. PARP-1 binds and is activated by the 5´-dRP, and PARPi-mediated sensitization to methylating agents is considerable, especially in pol β-deficient cells. Cells deficient in the BER factor XRCC1 are less sensitized by PARPi than are wild-type cells. PARPi sensitization is reduced in cells expressing forms of XRCC1 deficient in interaction with either pol β or PARP-1. In contrast, agents producing oxidative DNA damage and 3´- rather than 5´-repair intermediates are modestly PARPi sensitized. We summarize PARPi experiments in mouse fibroblasts and confirm the importance of the 5´-dRP repair intermediate and functional pol β and XRCC1 proteins. Understanding the chemistry of repair is key to enhancing the clinical success of PARPi.
Ectopic growth hormone-releasing hormone secretion by a bronchial carcinoid tumor: clinical experience following tumor resection and long-acting octreotide therapy.

Acromegaly resulting from the ectopic secretion of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) is rare. We present a case of acromegaly secondary to proven GHRH-secretion by a bronchial carcinoid tumor in a type 1 diabetic subject and document the clinical course pre- and post-resection of the tumor and of subsequent octreotide therapy. A 54-year-old Caucasian man was referred for evaluation of acromegalic symptoms and significantly increased insulin requirements. He had a history of left lung surgery 20 years prior for hemoptysis. Initial laboratory results indicated acromegaly. Fasting serum growth hormone (GH): 26.1 ng/mL (0–5 ng/mL), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1): 635 ng/mL (87–283 ng/mL), GH at 60 min post-ingestion of 75 grams of oral glucose during a glucose tolerance test: 8.3 ng/mL (normal <1 ng/mL). Pituitary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed diffuse pituitary enlargement without adenoma. A 4.4 cm left hilar mass was noted on chest computed tomography (CT) scan. Further evaluation for a suspected GHRH-secreting neuroendocrine tumor was pursued. Plasma GHRH level was elevated: 198 pg/mL (<50 pg/mL). Octreoscan showed radiolabelled-octreotide uptake in the left lung mass and pituitary gland. Surgical resection of the lung mass was performed. Immunohistochemical study of the tumor tissue indicated a neuroendocrine tumor secreting GHRH. Postoperatively, serum GHRH, GH and IGF-1 levels fell precipitously. At 10 months, IGF-1 levels were mildly elevated and 7 months of 10 mg long-acting octreotide therapy (Sandostatin® LAR®) was trialed. At 20 months, off octreotide, serum IGF-1 levels had normalized, acromegalic features were receding, and the patient’s daily insulin requirements had decreased by 57%.
Learning how to get along with others

A veteran of the tech transfer business offers guidance on how to manage interuniversity research—and how to avoid the wrangling over IP that often accompanies invention.
“Space—The Final Frontier”: Autocorrelation and Small-Area Income Forecasting Models

Regional planning agencies often project future income at the neighborhood level to determine future needs for transportation, jobs, social services, and amenities. Despite a decade of methodological advances regarding the importance of spatial autocorrelation in altering or reducing the reliability of regression estimates, few forecasters have tried to include such spatial relationships in their neighborhood-level projections. Part of the reason is that controlling for spatial autocorrelation is complex and can require expensive software. The authors use a free and user-friendly software package to estimate spatial effects in forecasting and then show how to develop and utilize proxy variables that can mitigate such autocorrelation. They illustrate how the failure to include such controls in Southern California could lead to overestimates of income in poor areas and hence a tendency to underserve needy areas.
Deep impact : Optical spectroscopy and photometry obtained at MIRA

Abstract We present spectroscopic and photometric observations, spanning the optical UV to the far red, before, during, and after the NASA Deep Impact event of July 4, 2005. The inner 2000 km of the pre- and post-impact coma was about 0.3 magnitude redder in B–R than in the outer coma. The pre-impact spectrum was a faint reflected solar spectrum dominated by molecular emissions extending > 40 , 000 km from the nucleus. The post-impact light curve in R and I showed a rapid rise consistent with an expanding optically thick cloud during the first 18 min after impact. During the next 8 min the cloud became optically thin. Sixty minutes after impact the impact R-band flux reached a plateau at 7.5 × 10 −15 erg cm −2 s −1 A −1 , the comet brightening by a factor of ∼4.3 above its pre-impact value observed in a 15″ aperture. The mean expansion velocity of the grains during the first 49 min was 229 ± 49 m s −1 . The spectrum became dominated by scattered sunlight during the first hour after impact. The volume scattering function (VSF) observed 32 min after impact shows strong reddening. At 49 min, however, the VSF shows an additional twofold increase in the blue but only a 20% increase at 5500 A. Post-impact spectra and R–I photometry showed rapid reddening. The particle size distribution, dominated by 1–2.5 μm particles shortly after impact, changed dramatically during the first hour due to sublimation of water-ice particles of this size. On the night following impact the comet was still substantially brighter than before impact, but R–I had returned to its pre-impact value. B–R remained significantly redder. The ejecta 25 h after impact was fan-shaped subtending ∼180° roughly symmetrical about position angle 225°. The mean expansion velocity 90° from the direction to the Sun was 185 ± 12 m s −1 .
Closely Related CC- and A-adding Enzymes Collaborate to Construct and Repair the 3′-Terminal CCA of tRNA in Synechocystis sp. and Deinococcus radiodurans

Abstract The 3′-terminal CCA sequence of tRNA is faithfully constructed and repaired by the CCA-adding enzyme (ATP(CTP):tRNA nucleotidyltransferase) using CTP and ATP as substrates but no nucleic acid template. Until recently, all CCA-adding enzymes from all three kingdoms appeared to be composed of a single kind of polypeptide with dual specificity for adding both CTP and ATP; however, we recently found that in Aquifex aeolicus, which lies near the deepest root of the eubacterial 16 S rRNA-based phylogenetic tree, CCA addition represents a collaboration between closely related CC-adding and A-adding enzymes (Tomita, K. and Weiner, A. M. (2001) Science 294, 1334–1336). Here we show that inSynechocystis sp. and Deinococcus radiodurans, as in A. aeolicus, CCA is added by homologous CC- and A-adding enzymes. We also find that the eubacterial CCA-, CC-, and A-adding enzymes, as well as the related eubacterial poly(A) polymerases, each fall into phylogenetically distinct groups derived from a common ancestor. Intriguingly, the Thermatoga maritima CCA-adding enzyme groups with the A-adding enzymes, suggesting that these distinct tRNA nucleotidyltransferase activities can intraconvert over evolutionary time.
AniMesh: interleaved animation, modeling, and editing

We introduce AniMesh, a system that supports interleaved modeling and animation creation and editing. AniMesh is suitable for rapid prototyping and easily accessible to non-experts. Source animations can be obtained from commodity motion capture devices or by adapting canned motion sequences. We propose skeleton abstraction and motion retargeting algorithms for finding correspondences and transferring motion between skeletons, or portions of skeletons, with varied topology. Motion can be copied-and-pasted between kinematic chains with different skeletal topologies, and entire model parts can be cut and reattached, while always retaining plausible, composite animations.
Mesostigmatid Mites from Turkey, With Keys to Genera and Species

A survey of small-mammal ectoparasites was conducted from July 1965 to March 1968 in the central area of Turkey's western coast. Mammals were trapped in 8 areas ranging from the immediate coast to 140 km inland, and from 0 to 900 m elevation. The ectoparasites collected were mesostigmatid and trombiculid mites, fleas, lice and ticks. This manuscript deals only with the mesostigmatid mites. Host and distribution records are given for 15 species of mesostigmatid mites— Eulaelaps stabularis, Haemogamasus kusumotoi, H. nidiformes, Haemolaelaps fahrenholzi , Hirstionyssus arcuatus, Hypoaspis miles, H. vacua, Laelaps agilis, L. algericus, L. kochi, L. longisetosus, L. Pavlovskyi, Myonyssus decumani, M. gigas, and Ornithonyssus bacoti —taken from 8 species of mammals at 12 localities in Turkey.
Step bunching on a vicinal face of a crystal growing in a flowing solution

Abstract The effect of a parallel shear flow and anisotropic interface kinetics on the onset of (linear) instability during growth from a supersaturated solution is analyzed including perturbations in the flow velocity. The model used for anisotropy is based on the microscopic picture of step motion. A shear flow (linear Couette flow or asymptotic suction profile) parallel to the crystal-solution interface in the same direction as the step motion (negative shear) decreases interface stability. For large wavenumbers kx, the perturbed flow field can be neglected and a simple analytic approximation for the stability-instability demarcation is found. A shear flow counter to the step motion (positive shear) enhances stability and for sufficiently large shear rates (on the order of 1 s−1) the interface is morphologically stable. Alternatively, the approximate analysis predicts that the system is unstable if the solution flow velocity in the direction of the step motion at a distance(2kx)−1 from the interface exceeds the propagation rate vx of step bunches induced by the interface perturbations. The approximate results are applied to the growth of ADP and lysozyme. For sufficiently low supersaturations, the interface is stable for positive shear and unstable for negative shear. More generally, there is a critical negative shear rate for which the interface becomes unstable as the magnitude of the shear rate increases. For a range of growth conditions for ADP, the magnitude of this critical shear rate is2kxvx. Even shear rates due to natural convection may be sufficient to affect stability for typical growth conditions.
Field-cycling method with central transition readout for pure quadrupole resonance detection in dilute systems

Abstract We present a modification of a field-cycling method which uses the NMR signal of the central transition at high field to indirectly detect zero-field quadrupole transitions. The quadrupole transitions at zero-field are detected as changes in the overall intensity of the central transition signal after the field cycle, and the method is relatively immune to lineshape distortions of the central transition caused by receiver dead time, frequency response of the probe, longer pulse lengths, etc. Cross-polarization with protons is used to enhance the central-transition signal and to increase the recycling rate of the experiment. The technique is especially useful when mixtures of several species are present. In a frozen solution of phenylboronic acid, 11 B quadrupole signals of the tetrahedral species at 600 kHz and planar-trigonal species at 1450 kHz are clearly resolved. The field-cycling approach allows high-sensitivity detection of low-frequency quadrupole transitions; the experiment is sensitive enough to study boronic-acid protease inhibitors bound to proteins and may possibly be extended to lower sensitivity nuclei. The experiments are performed using a low-temperature field-cycling apparatus, operated at 10–30 K, capable of pneumatically moving the sample from the high field of a commercial 500 MHz magnet to the area above the top of the magnet where the low field is controlled by a pair of Helmholz coils.
RIR-MAPLE deposition of conjugated polymers for application to optoelectronic devices

Resonant-infrared matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (RIR-MAPLE) is a promising deposition technology for the fabrication of conjugated polymer-based optoelectronic devices for two primary reasons: (i) the ability to control film morphology, and (ii) the ability to deposit multi-layered heterostructures. This article reviews a variation of RIR-MAPLE that uses emulsified targets of organic solvents and water such that the incident laser wavelength (Er:YAG at 2.9 μm) is resonant with hydroxyl (O–H) bonds in the host matrix, which are absent from the guest material. The novelty of the approach lies in the fact that while most polymers of interest and many compatible solvents do not resonantly absorb the laser energy at 2.9 μm, the emulsion with water enables high-quality, thin-film deposition with minimal photochemical and structural degradation for almost any polymer of interest. In addition, the advantages of emulsion-based RIR-MAPLE for conjugated polymer-based optoelectronic devices are demonstrated by two important studies. First, conjugated polymer films deposited by RIR-MAPLE are shown to have higher hole drift mobilities than films deposited using traditional drop-casting and spin-casting techniques. Second, the unique capability of RIR-MAPLE to enable conjugated polymer-based optical heterostructures is demonstrated by the fabrication and characterization of a multi-layer, polymer distributed Bragg reflector.
Empyema caused by Mycoplasma salivarium

ABSTRACT Mycoplasma salivarium infections outside the oral cavity are rare. We describe a 49-year-old man with laryngeal cancer and right pleural space infection with M. salivarium. To our knowledge, this is the first report of empyema due to Mycoplasma salivarium.
Ex-vessel boiling experiments: laboratory- and reactor-scale testing of the flooded cavity concept for in-vessel core retention Part I: Observation of quenching of downward-facing surfaces

Abstract This paper presents the results of a series of quenching experiments to examine the boiling curve of relative large downward-facing surfaces. The test masses are 61 cm in diameter and the downward-facing surface is either flat or curved. The work is motivated by the need to assess the ex-vessel boiling process for in-vessel core retention. The critical heat flux is found to be approximately 50 W cm −2 . The nucleate boiling regime and the critical heat flux regime are found to be characterized by cyclic two-phase flow patterns.
Temperature control analysis and flight results for the Viking Orbiter 1975 Mars atmospheric water detection instrument

The Mars atmospheric water detector (MAWD) instrument required a temperature of -70 C at the detector. The monochromator housing required +20 C + or - 1 C. This instrument was located on the scan platform, and slewed across two solar panels. The thermal design for the detector was an open flat plate radiator thermally isolated on four 1-in. tubes, with a flexible strap to the detector. MAWD radiator view factors and heat loads from the spacecraft were determined for the Lander on and off, for all angular positions of the scan platform. Subsystem and system tests were performed using the 25-ft diameter solar simulator. In-flight results have shown no anomalies, and no degradation has been observed. Servo-controlled heaters are used to control the temperature.
A test of candidate equilibrium

Richard McKelvey predicts that candidates will converge to an equilibrium if candidates and voters maximize their utility and voters' preferences conform to stringent assumptions. Although there are discrepancies between electoral data and the requirements of the theory, an analysis of 1972 and 1976 survey data lends support to basic components of the theory. First, most voters did choose the candidate who provided the greater utility. Second, voter distribution was not asymmetrical enough to allow a candidate to win by moving away from the median toward a concentration of voters. Third, the winning strategy for a candidate was to locate at or near the median. While formal theories' predictions will not hold in their precisely stated form, the assumptions can be robust enough to offer an explanation of electoral choices.
Comment on “Photon spectrum of the neutron-proton Bremsstrahlung at 170 MeV”: Contributions of np → dγ to inclusive photon energy spectra from np and pd collisions near 200 MeV

Abstract Several years ago, a measured photon energy spectrum from np collisions was presented as a measurement of free np Bremsstrahlung, and subsequently theoretical groups compared the data to their model calculations of the process np → npγ [F. Malek, A. Nifenecker, J.A. Pinston, F. Schussler, S. Drissi, J. Julien, Phys. Lett. B 266 (1991) 391]. We point out that in np collisions, np capture ( np → dγ ) is important and cannot be ignored. It contributes approximately 30% of the cross section for photons above 40 MeV. Capture also makes a significant contribution to the photon spectra produced in p - d collisions, and possibly has a role in p -nucleus collisions. In the former case, better agreement between theory and experiment is obtained when (quasifree) capture is included.
Structure-activity relations of amiloride and its analogues in blocking the mechanosensitive channel in Xenopus oocytes.

Abstract 1. Patch clamp recording techniques have been used to compare the block caused by amiloride and some of its structural analogues of the mechanosensitive (MS) cation selective channel in frog (Xenopus laevis) oocytes. 2. Like amiloride, the amiloride analogues dimethylamiloride (DMA), benzamil and bromohexamethyleneamiloride (BrHMA) block the MS channel in a highly voltage-dependent manner. 3. All analogues tested were more potent blockers than amiloride with IC50's of 500 microM (amiloride), 370 microM (DMA), 95 microM (benzamil) and 34 microM (BrHMA). 4. Hill plots gave Hill coefficients of 2 (amiloride), 1.8 (DMA), 1 (benzamil) and 1.2 (BrHMA) indicating that the binding of two ligand molecules may be necessary for the block caused by amiloride, DMA and possibly BrHMA whereas only a single ligand molecule may be required for the block by benzamil. 5. The potential use of BrHMA as a light-activated, covalent label of the MS channel protein is discussed. 6. The amiloride analogue 'fingerprinting' of the blocking site on the MS channel indicates it is structurally different from previously described amiloride-sensitive ion transport pathways but may be related to the amiloride binding site on outer hair cells of the ear.
An Analysis of the Effect of Network Parameters on the Performance of Distributed Database Systems

Performance analysis studies of distributed database systems in the past have assumed that the message transmission time between any two nodes of a network is constant. They disregard the effect of communication network parameters such as network traffic, network topology, and capacity of transmission channels. In this paper, an analytical model is used to estimate the delays in transmission channels of the long haul network supporting the distributed database system. The analysis shows that the constant transmission time assumption cannot be justified in many cases, and that the response time is sensitive to the parameters mentioned above. Extensions and performance analysis in the context of interconnection networks are also discussed.
585-nm pulsed dye laser in the treatment of surgical scars starting on the suture removal day.

Background The optimal time frame to improve the quality and cosmetic appearance of scars by laser therapy has not been clearly elucidated by prior controlled clinical trials. Objective To determine the efficacy of the 585-nm pulsed dye laser (PDL) in the treatment of surgical scars starting on the day of suture removal. Methods Eleven patients (skin types I-IV) with 12 postoperative linear scars that were greater than 2 cm were treated three times on monthly intervals with the 585-nm PDL (450 micro s, 10-mm spot size, 3.5 J/cm2 with 10% overlap) on one scar half, whereas the other half received no treatment. Scars were later evaluated by a blinded examiner using the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) for pigmentation, vascularity, pliability, and height. Scars were then blindly examined for cosmetic appearance using a visual analog scale. Results One month after the last treatment, final scar analysis by the blinded examiner revealed a significant difference between treated and untreated sites, with the treated halves scoring better in all scar parameters in the VSS and in cosmetic appearance. The treated halves demonstrated an overall average improvement in the VSS between the first treatment score and the final score of 54% versus 10% in the controls (P=0.0002). The cosmetic appearance score (0=worst; 10=best) at final assessment was significantly better for the treated scars, scoring 7.3 versus the averaged control score of 5.2 (P=0.016). Conclusion The 585-nm PDL is effective and safe in improving the quality and cosmetic appearance of surgical scars in skin types I-IV starting on the day of suture removal.
Instream flow requirements in the Powder River coal basin

As coal resources are developed in the Northern Great Plains regions, new reservoirs are being considered to meet expanding water demands. The amount of water available for industrial diversion, however, could be limited by regulations that require minimum flow levels to be maintained downstream of the reservoir sites. Computer simulations of potential reservoirs were used to determine to what extent, if any, instream flow requirements might limit the ability of reservoirs to deliver industrial water supplies. Data on instream flow requirements, potential reservoir sites, and historic runoff were input for the simulation of the Powder River Region of Montana and Wyoming. Results of the simulations compared the maximum amount of water available for industrial diversion with and without requiring instream flow criteria.
Experience assessing an architectural approach to large-scale systematic reuse

Systematic reuse of large-scale software components promises rapid, low cost development of high-quality software through the straightforward integration of existing software assets. To date this promise remains largely unrealized, owing to technical, managerial, cultural, and legal barriers, One important technical barrier is architectural mismatch. Recently, several component integration architectures have been developed that purport to promote large-scale reuse. Microsoft's OLE technology and associated applications are representative of this trend. To understand the potential of these architectures to enable large-scale reuse, we evaluated OLE by using it to develop a novel fault-tree analysis tool. Although difficulties remain, the approach appears to overcome architectural impediments that have hindered some previous large-scale reuse attempts, to be practical for use in many domains, and to represent significant progress towards realizing the promise of barge-scale systematic reuse.
Modelling and extracting parameters of organic solar cells

A model that captures the physical phenomena behind the operation of organic solar cells is proposed. This model is simple and suitable for parameter extraction. By simulation, it is shown that the I-V characteristics of the single diode model, the double diode model and the proposed model are in good agreement and close to experimental values. An extraction method is proposed and validated by fitting simulated and experimental results.
Global institutions for an interdependent world

Abstract After a brief discussion of some necessary conditions for an international order concerned with development, a distinction is drawn, following Boulding, between the exchange system, the threat system and the integrative system. It pays one country to put up protectionist barriers, whether others do so or not; it pays one country to build up arms, whether others do so or not; it pays one country to pollute the global air and oceans, whether others do so or not. These typical prisoner's dilemma situations call for global reforms. There is a lag between technological advance that has unified the globe and the institution of the nation state. Suggestions are made as to how to overcome this lag, when the world no longer has a dominant power that provides the global public goods and avoids the global public bads.
Broader Participation in Foreign Language Teacher Training.

in particular, where the future language teacher needs to be better prepared: 1. he is deficient in his ability to explain and demonstrate in simple and convincing examples the role grammar plays in verbal communication; 2. he is ill equipped to present a simple story or literary excerpt in a manner that is both relevant and interesting to the young learner; 3. he lacks personal involvement with literature in general and foreign literature in particular. Baudelaire's statement about art criticism, namely that it must be "partiale, passionnie, politique, c'est-a-dire faite A un point de vue exclusif, mais au point de vue qui ouvre le plus d'horizons" indicates how a student teacher should feel about literature before he is
Passive particle transport in three-vortex flow

We study transport of tracer particles in a two-dimensional incompressible inviscid flow produced by three point vortices of equal strength. Time dependence of the flow caused by vortex motion gives rise to chaotic tracer trajectories, which fill parts of the flow plane referred to as mixing regions. For general vortex positions, a large connected mixing region (chaotic sea) is formed around vortices. It comprises a number of coherent fluid patches (islands), which do not mix with the rest of the chaotic sea, inside them particle motion is predominantly regular; three near-circular islands surrounding vortices are distinguished by their robust nature. Tracers in the chaotic sea rotate around the center of vorticity in an irregular way. Their trajectories are intermittent, long flights of almost regular motion are caused by trappings in the boundary regions of regular islands. The statistics of tracer rotation exhibits anomalous features, such as faster than linear growth of tracer ensemble variance and asymmetric probability distribution with long power tails. Exponent of the variance growth power law is different for different time ranges. Central part of the tracer distribution and its low (noninteger) moments evolve in a self-similar way, characterized by an exponent, which is different from that of the variance, and contrary to the latter is constant in time. Algebraic tails of the tracer distribution, controlling the behavior of the variance, are responsible for this effect. Long correlations in tracer motion lead to non-Poissonian distribution of Poincar\'e recurrences in the mixing region. Analysis of long recurrences proves, that they are caused by tracer trappings inside boundary layers of islands of regular motion, which always exist inside the mixing region. Statistics of Poincar\'e recurrences and trapping times exhibit power-law decay, indicating absence of a characteristic relaxation time. Values of the decay exponent for recurrences and for escape from the analyzed traps are very close to each other; long correlations are not dominated by a single trap, but are a cumulative effect of all of them, relative importance of a trap is determined by its size, and by its rotation frequency with respect to the background.
Advances in the life cycle of Toxoplasma gondii

This paper reviews recent studies on the life cycle of Toxoplasma gondii. Tachyzoites, bradyzoites, and sporozoites are the three infectious stages of T. gondii. Humans and animals become infected mainly by ingesting bradyzoites or oocytes. After ingestion, both bradyzoites and sporozoites convert to tachyzoites inside tissues. The conversion of tachyzoites to bradyzoites and bradyzoites to tachyzoites is of biological and clinical significance because bradyzoites are less susceptible to chemotherapy and reactivation of bradyzoites to tachyzoites is considered the cause of fatal toxoplasmosis in AIDS patients. Of all the methods currently available to assess stage conversion of T. gondii, feeding infective stages to cats is the most reliable method. Felidae, the definitive hosts of T. gondii excrete oocysts 3-10 days after ingesting tissue cysts/bradyzoites, > or = 18 days after ingesting oocysts, and > or = 13 days after ingesting tachyzoites.
A mirage of genes

This paper examines the structure of popular conceptions of the new genetics, and assesses why genetics has been so readily accepted in medicine and in the public discourse. Adapting Rene Dubos' classic analysis, Mirage of Health, we examine the new genetics by comparing it to Dubos' analysis of the structure and limits of germ theory. Germ theory focuses on the internal rather than the external environment, emphasises a doctrine of specific aetiology, and adopts the metaphor of the body as a machine. The germ theory model narrowed our vision about disease aetiology, proved misleading in some cases, yet remained the basis for clinical medical models of disease. In recent years, genetics has moved to the cutting edge of medical research and thinking about disease and behaviour. The structure of popular conceptions of the new genetics shows remarkable parallels with germ theory. This has eased the acceptance of genetics but simultaneously raises questions about these genetic explanations. An appearance and allure of specificity privileges genetic expla- nations in the public discourse; on examination, this specificity may prove to be a mirage.
Radar glacier zones in southeast Alaska, U.S.A.: field and satellite observations

The ability of synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) to record change in glaciers and icefields on seasonal to interannual time-scales is useful in maritime mountain regions where visible data are often obscured by clouds. A time series of RADARSAT and second European Remote-sensing Satellite (ERS-2) SAR images shows dramatic changes related to the onset and progression of glacier melting on the Juneau Icefield, southeast Alaska, U.S.A. Four “radar glacier zones” are interpreted from SAR images as snow that is dry during winter, an early snowmelt (M), a second phase of snowmelt (M2) and bare ice. These zones develop every year on the Juneau Icefield and other mid-latitude glaciers. Summer field observations on the Juneau Icefield during 1997 and 1998 constrain interpretations of the C-band radar glacier zones. Of the two zones that occur in melting snow (M, M2), M has low radar backscatter coefficients (σ° −12) of the subsequent M2 zone. Snow moisture and surface roughness at the scale of the radar wavelength (5.6 cm) were measured to characterize the melt zones. Correlation length, wetness and grain-size in the two zones are not distinguishable in the late ablation season. Mean surface roughness, due to the presence of suncups, is higher in the M2 zone than in the M zone and probably causes the higher backscatter due to greater scattering.
Impact of deformation on the atomic structures and dynamics of a Cu-Zr metallic glass: A molecular dynamics study

Despite numerous studies on the atomic structures of Cu-Zr metallic glasses (MGs), their inherent structural ordering, e.g., medium-range order (MRO), remains difficult to describe. Specifically lacking is an understanding of how the MRO responds to deformation and the associated changes in atomic mobility. In this paper, we focus on the impact of deformation on MRO and associated effect on diffusion in a well-relaxed $\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{u}}_{64.5}\mathrm{Z}{\mathrm{r}}_{35.5}$ MG by molecular dynamics simulations. The Cu-Zr MG exhibits a larger elastic limit of 0.035 and a yield stress of 3.5 GPa. The cluster alignment method was employed to characterize the icosahedral short-range order (ISRO) and Bergman-type medium-range order (BMRO) in the models upon loading and unloading. From this analysis, we find the disruption of both ISRO and BMRO occurs as the strain reaches about 0.02, well below the elastic limit. Within the elastic limit, the total fractions of ISRO or BMRO can be fully recovered upon unloading. The diffusivity increases six to eight times in regions undergoing plastic deformation, which is due to the dramatic disruption of the ISRO and BMRO. By mapping the spatial distributions of the mobile atoms, we demonstrate the increase in atomic mobility is due to the extended regions of disrupted ISRO and more importantly BMRO.
Differential regulation, by MK-801, of dopamine receptor gene expression in rat nigrostriatal and mesocorticolimbic systems.

Abstract Glutamate agonists have been shown to stimulate striatal dopamine release, but less is known about dopamine-glutamate interactions at the receptor level. We treated rats with 0.3, 1.0, or 3.0 mg/kg of MK-801, an NMDA antagonist, daily for 1 week and, using in situ hybridization, measured dopamine receptor rnRNA levels in cortical and subcortical structures. MK-801 caused a significant increase of D1 and D2 mRNA in the dorsal and ventral striatum, a significant decrease of D3 mRNA in the nucleus accumbens, and a significant decrease of D1 mRNA in the limbic cortex. Dopamine autoreceptor expression, reflected by D2 mRNA in the midbrain, was increased in the ventral tegmental area, but not in the substantia nigra. Thus, MK-801 appears to differentially regulate the mesocorticolimbic and nigrostriatal dopamine systems.
Condensation heat transfer studies for stratified, cocurrent two-phase flow in horizontal tubes

Abstract Condensation heat transfer inside horizontal tubes is investigated for a stratified, cocurrent two-phase flow of vapor and liquid. The analysis takes into account the effects of interfacial shear, axial pressure gradient, saturation temperature level, driving temperature difference and the development of the stratified angle associated with the accumulated condensate layer at the bottom of the tube. The influence of these parameters is evaluated with respect to the peripheral condensate film heat transfer performance for the practically interesting laminar flow range of operating conditions of water-vapor flow. A theoretical predictive method is developed to obtain the overall heat transfer coefficient along the tube length. Results of the theoretical predictions are found to agree favorably with the reported experimental data which cover a variety of fluids with a relatively wide range of operating conditions. A simple, predictive heat transfer coefficient correlation is proposed from the numerical solution by means of regression analysis.
Periventricular leukomalacia is common after neonatal cardiac surgery.

Abstract Objectives Periventricular leukomalacia is necrosis of the cerebral white matter adjacent to the lateral ventricles and results from injury to immature oligodendroglia. In infants without congenital heart disease, periventricular leukomalacia is associated with an increased incidence of developmental delay and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The incidence of periventricular leukomalacia and the risk factors for development of periventricular leukomalacia after infant cardiac surgery are not known. Methods Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain was performed 6 to 14 days after cardiac surgery utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass with or without deep hypothermic circulatory arrest in 105 neonates and infants ≤ 6 months of age. Results Median age at surgery was 6 days (range 1-178), with 82 neonates (age ≤ 30 days). Periventricular leukomalacia was found in 44 of the neonates (54%) compared with 1 of 23 infants (4%). Forward logistic regression using age at surgery as a continuous variable identified a model containing longer total support time (cardiopulmonary bypass plus deep hypothermic circulatory arrest), lower systolic blood pressure at cardiac intensive care unit admission postoperatively, lower minimum diastolic blood pressure, and Po 2 in the first 48 hours after surgery. When age at surgery was considered as a dichotomous variable (neonate versus infant), younger age at surgery replaced systolic blood pressure, Po 2 , and total support time in the model. Lower minimum diastolic blood pressure was a significant risk factor in both models. Conclusions Periventricular leukomalacia was found in >50% of neonates after cardiac surgery but rarely in older infants. Hypoxemia and hypotension in the early postoperative period, particularly diastolic hypotension, may be important risk factors for periventricular leukomalacia.
Early coping experience and later aversive conditioning in cats

Kittens were given differential early experience in order to compare an objective coping behavior with the result of an inescapable aversive experience. Separate groups of kittens were treated in a shock motivated runway task at either 4 or 12 weeks of age, by allowing one member of a weight matched sibling pair to acquire an escape behavior, while the other member was confined; a third subject served as a handled control. Escape behavior was significantly different for 4 and 12 week old subjects, since the older kittens reached a running asymptote within the first few shock trials. At 6 months of age, the subjects were tested for effects of differential early treatment; heart rate, respiration rate and amplitude, and somatic activity were measured during classical conditioning. While all groups gave evidence of acquisition in one or more response measures, only a potentiated heart rate response in 4 week kittens could be related to early experience. Heart rate did not differentiate escaping kittens from confined ones. Rather, heart rate was related to early treatment with shock, perhaps reflecting an increased tendency to react with a passive defensive response.
Use of the Y Chromosome in Prenatal Sex Determination

REPEATED observations of the cellular composition of human endocervical mucus from the earliest weeks of pregnancy, using various staining techniques, have revealed not only cells of maternal origin, but also choridnic cells which have been shed into the fairly static cervical mucous plug.
Characteristics of Electrostatic Discharge Induced Damage on Magnetic Tunnel Junctions

We report on the investigation of electrostatic discharge (ESD) sensitivity of current perpendicular to plane (CPP) magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ) used in hard disk drives (HDD). The newer generations of HDDs increasingly use MTJs while the current in plane (CIP) giant magnetoresistive (GMR) heads are being gradually phased out. We have found that, in general, the ESD sensitivity of CPP MTJs and CIP GMR readers is comparable at the same areal density point. The difference is in the details of degradation. With increasing ESD voltage pulse applied across the two terminals of the reader, the amplitude of a GMR reader degrades first, while resistance remains stable to higher ESD voltage levels and ultimately increases. With the MTJ reader it is the resistance that decreases first, while the amplitude remains stable to higher ESD voltage levels and ultimately decreases. In addition to its effect on resistance and amplitude, ESD can also change the state of stability of MTJs. In this paper, we report on our investigations of instability generation in MTJs with increasing ESD levels. We describe the experimental method, record the observations, and analyze them to understand the source of instability.
Reduced myocardial actomyosin adenosine triphosphatase activity in the ageing male Fischer rat

Actomyosin was extracted from myocardial homogenates from male rats of different ages of a long-inbred Fischer rat colony maintained under controlled conditions of temperature, humidity, and light. ATPase specific activity rose to a maximum at 2 months of age; this was followed by a progressive decline by about 25% at 16 months of age. However, the extractable actomyosin remained constant during this period. This loss in actomyosin ATPase specific activity is in good agreement with previously reported decrements in both stroke index and myocardial calcium content and an increase in myocardial contraction duration in aged rats.
667 THE EFFECT OF PRENATAL ACETYL SALICYLIC ACID (ASA) INGESTION ON MATERNAL AND NEONATAL HEMOSTASIS

The effect of prenatal ASA ingestion on hemostasis was investigated in 59 maternal-neonate pairs. Group I consisted of 36 control pairs in whom a negative ASA drug history was substantiated by normal maternal and neonatal platelet aggregations and values for the prostaglandin byproduct malonyldialdehyde (MDA). Group II consisted of 16 pairs in whom a positive history for maternal ASA ingestion was confirmed by the expected abnormalities in platelet aggregations and MDA. Group III comprised 7 maternal-neonate pairs where maternal ASA ingestion occurred within 6 hours post partum. All groups were evaluated for hemostatic abnormalities. Maternal blood loss was considered excessive, if a drop of >10% between initial and discharge hemoglobin occurred (vaginal delivery), or >25% (C section). In Group I, no maternal hemostatic abnormalities were noted, although 1/34 neonates demonstrated facial ecchymoses. In 10/16 Group II pairs where maternal ASA ingestion had occurred 0-5 days prior to delivery, clinical evidence of bleeding occurred in 90% (9/10) of the infants, and 60% (6/10) of the mothers. In contrast, in 6/16 Group II pairs, where ASA ingestion had occurred 6-10 days prior to delivery, no abnormalities were found. Group III infants were normal, although 57% (4/7) mothers in this group bled abnormally. ASA ingested in the 5 days prior to delivery, or immediately post partum, is associated with hemostatic abnormalities in both mother and neonate.
Constructions for generalized balanced tournament designs

Abstract A generalized balanced tournament design, GBTD(n,k), defined on a kn-set V, is an arrangement of the blocks of a (kn,k,k−1)-BIBD defined on V into an n×(kn−1) array such that (1) every element of V is contained in precisely one cell of each column, and (2) every element of V is contained in at most k cells of each row. In this paper, we describe several constructions, both direct and recursive, for generalized balanced tournament designs. We include special cases of these constructions which can be used to produce factored and partitioned generalized balanced tournament designs.
Land Use Planning: An Institutional Overview

The environmental concerns of the 1970's have spawned an extensive institutional maze designed to achieve a multiplicity of environmental goals. Land use planning occupies an important, but, unfortunately, illdefined role within this configuration of insitutions. It is illaccomplish. The result is confusion, a misallocation of research resources and planning impotence.
Stability of the Decentralized Estimation in the JTIDS Relative Navigation

The joint tactical information distribution system (JTIDS) includes a relative navigation capability with which each member can estimate its own position by utilizing the broadcast position estimates of other members plus the measured times of arrival of the radio signals. Previous simulation studies of the system have shown that unrestricted ranging between members can produce unstable navigation errors, but a covariance-based hierarchy may be stable. We have succeeded in proving, analytically, the stability of a closely related organization?a fixed-rank hierarchy. For all ownstate organizations we present time-domain equations for computing estimation-error covariance and for analyzing stability. A simple simulation is able to demonstrate the stability issues.
Weight Regain and Health‐related Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women

Weight loss improves health-related quality of life (HRQoL). However, regain after loss is common; little is known about the impact of weight regain on HRQoL in postmenopausal women. Woman on the Move through Activity and Nutrition (WOMAN) is a randomized lifestyle intervention trial of diet, physical activity, and weight loss in 508 postmenopausal women aged 52–62 years. This analysis focused on the women who lost ≥5 lb during the initial phase of the study, baseline to 6 months (n = 248). This cohort was divided into three groups based on subsequent weight change between 6 and 18 months: weight loss (WL; ≥5 lb loss), weight stable (WS; <±5 lb change), and weight regain (WR; ≥5 lb gain). HRQoL was measured at baseline, 6, and 18 months using the Short Form-36. Of the 248 women studied, 51 (21%) continued to lose weight after initial weight loss, while 127 (51%) maintained a stable weight, and 70 (28%) regained weight. Between baseline and 6 months, women in WR group had decreased mental health and social-functioning scores, while the WL and WS groups improved in these subscales. Between baseline and 18 months, energy improved most significantly in those with continued weight loss (P = 0.0003). Weight loss was correlated with a small to moderate improvement in perceived general health and energy, which was reversed by weight gain. Further study is needed to investigate the impact of a decline in mental health and social functioning on future weight regain.
Genetic testing and informed consent.

Objectives : To discuss unique issues related to cancer predisposition genetic testing and informed consent. Data Sources : Published professional articles, review articles, research articles, clinical practice, position statements, websites, and textbooks. Conclusions : The discovery of germline mutations that confer a predisposition for the development of cancer will continue. The provision of adequate information is central to the process of genetic counseling and testing so that individuals may give informed consent and make choices appropriate to their own specific circumstances. Implications for Nursing Practice : The use of genetic information for the management of cancer will impact the practice of all oncology nurses in the coming years. Knowledge of genes that predispose for cancer and standards that delineate essential components of quality care during the informed consent process is vital.
Histological Investigations On the Ring Nematode Criconemoides Xenoplax Raski, 1952 (Nematoda: Criconematidae)

A comprehensive study of the morphology and histological anatomy of Criconemoides xenoplax is reported. A detailed description of the lip region, cephalic sensory structures and the cuticularized cephalic framework; the cuticle, hypodermal chords, and somatic musculature is included. The excretory system consists of a long, cuticularly lined duct leading from the excretory pore to a ventrolaterally situated uninucleate gland. The stylet, its musculature and possible mechanism of protraction and retraction are described and discussed. The histology and nuclear structure of the esophagus are described. Further details are also given of the intestine, rectum, reproductive and nervous systems.