cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rapid and Cost-Effective Gene Targeting in Rat Embryonic Stem Cells by TALENs

The rat is the preferred animal model in many areas of biomedical research and drug development. Genetic manipulation in rats has lagged behind that in mice due to the lack of efficient gene targeting tools. Previously, we generated a knockout rat via conventional homologous recombination in rat embryonic stem (ES) cells. Here, we show that efficient gene targeting in rat ES cells can be achieved quickly through transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN)-mediated DNA double-strand breaks. Using the Golden Gate cloning technique, we constructed a pair of TALEN targeting vectors for the gene of interest in 5 days. After gene transfection, the targeted rat ES cell colonies were isolated, screened, and confirmed by PCR without the need of drug selection. Our results suggest that TALEN-mediated gene targeting is a superior means of establishing genetically modified rat ES cell lines with high efficiency and short turnaround time.
Biomechanics of the goat three bundle anterior cruciate ligament.

The goat is a widely used animal model for basic research on the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), but the biomechanical role of the different bundles [intermediate (IM), anteromedial (AM), posterolateral (PL)] of the ACL is unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study is to describe the biomechanical function of the different bundles and evaluate its use for a double bundle ACL reconstruction model. A CASPAR Staubli RX90 robot with a six degree-of-freedom load cell was used for measurement of anterior tibial translation (ATT) (mm) and in situ forces (N) at 30° (full extension), 60°, 90° as well as rotational testing at 30° in 14 paired goat knees before and after each bundle was cut. When the AM-bundle was cut, the ATT increased significantly at 60° and 90° of flexion (p < 0.05). When the PL-bundle was cut, the ATT increased only at 30°. However, most load was transferred through the big AM-bundle while the PL-bundle shared significant load only at 30°, with only minimal contribution from the IM-bundle at all flexion degrees. The observed biomechanical results in this study are similar to the human ACL observed previously in the literature. Though anatomically discernible, the IM-bundle plays only an inferior role in ATT and might be neglected as a separate bundle during reconstruction. The goat ACL shows some differences to the human ACL, whereas the main functions of the ACL bundles are similar.
Novel single-ended CMOS transconductance amplifiers

Two novel CMOS single-ended amplifiers are presented. Suitable for switched-capacitor-filter designs, they exhibit high gain and bandwidth as well as high PSRR, low power and small size.
Expression of ɛBP, a β-galactoside-binding soluble lectin, in normal and neoplastic epidermis

The study of animal lectins and glycoconjugates has become an important area of research in biomedical sciences, as these molecules are believed to play important roles in a variety of biological processes. This report describes a study of the expression of an animal lectin, IgE-binding protein (epsilon BP), also known as Mac-2 and CBP35, in human skin. We have analyzed cultured human keratinocytes as well as normal human skin and a number of epidermal neoplasms, by immunoblotting, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. We showed that epsilon BP is expressed in human keratinocytes, hair follicles, sebaceous and sweat glands. We found that epsilon BP expression retains in various epidermal neoplasms, including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and keratoacanthoma, although the level of expression appears to be reduced as compared to normal epidermis. The immunohistochemical analysis also suggests that the level of epsilon BP expression appears to be dependent on the degree of cellular differentiation of keratinocytes.
Some effects of giant Andean stem-rosettes on ground microclimate, and their ecological significance

The effect of giant Andean stem-rosettes (Coespeletia lutescens) on air and soil temperatures was studied in the Paramo de Piedras Blancas (Venezuela) at 4265 and 4385 m altitude during the dry season, which is the coldest season in this tropical mountain area. Maximum air temperatures beneath a plant canopy were only slightly higher than in the open. Minimum temperatures below the stem-rosettes were 4.7° to 7.0°C higher than in the open. This substantially reduced the intensity of nightly freezing. Soil temperature minima at 20 cm depth were 2.4° to 4.2°C higher below plants, but maxima were somewhat lower than in bare soil. These microclimatic alterations are ecologically significant for stemprosette seedlings, which should have a higher probability of survival due to the reduced frequency of frost and needle ice formation below large plants. Warmer soils at night should also result in greater water uptake by seedlings during the early morning hours, thus reducing dry-season mortality.
Multiplication of a granulosis virus in larval midgut cells of Trichoplusia ni and possible pathways of invasion into the hemocoel.

The ultrastructure of the midgut epithelium of the fourth-instar cabbage looper larva of Trichoplusia ni has been described. The epithelium consists of columnar and goblet cells. A granulosis virus of T. ni infects and multiplies in columnar midgut cells and in fat cells. The goblet cells appear not to be infected. Complete virus particles with developmental (or outer) membranes have been found, 24 hours after virus ingestion, in some of the intercellular spaces between midgut cells. There is evidence of virus multiplication in the nuclei of columnar cells as early as 24 hours after virus ingestion. A few virus particles occur in the cytoplasm near the bases of the microvilli, but most are found in the basal portion of the cytoplasm of the infected cells. Some particles also appear in the intercellular spaces at the bases of the columnar cells and in the basement membrane. The infected midgut cells contain “naked” and complete virus particles, but very rarely virus inclusion bodies (capsules). Occasionally hexagonal inclusions occur in virus-infected cells, but they do not seem to have virus particles in them. Based on these observations, we have postulated two pathways by which the ingested granulosis virus may invade into the hemococl of the cabbage looper larva.
Sample clean-up and high-performance liquid chromatographic techniques for measurement of whole blood rapamycin concentrations

Determination of rapamycin (RAPA), a potential adjunct to cyclosporin immunosuppressive therapy in solid organ transplantation, presents a challenge because of the agent's unusual chemical properties. RAPA is not readily extracted from biological matrices, is light-sensitive, and exists in numerous isomeric forms. Using liquid-liquid extraction techniques with tert.-butyl methyl ether followed by ethanol, one achieves 96% recovery of RAPA and 70% recovery of the internal standard, beta-estradiol-3-methyl ether, from human whole blood. Subsequent high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) utilizing two heated reversed-phase C18 columns in tandem and an 85% methanol-water mobile phase with ultraviolet detection at 276 nm provides measurement of RAPA from 1-ml samples of human whole blood. The chromatography requires less than 40 min per sample. The assay exhibits < or = 10% standard error of the mean and < or = 12% coefficient of variation over the concentration range 2-100 ng/ml. The method has been tested using pharmacokinetic profiles from renal transplant recipients receiving bolus intravenous RAPA infusions.
Child-Centered Play Therapy: A Creative Approach to Culturally Competent Counseling

Child-centered play therapy (CCPT) can be a valuable creative method to gain understanding of children’s life, culture, and needs. This approach allows children to play out life problems in an accepting environment through the experiential and cultural components inherent in creative interventions such as CCPT. This manuscript will share insights and examples in the use of CCPT to provide culturally competent services to a diverse population of child clients.
Dysfunctional uterine bleeding associated with 45X/47XXX mosaicism and von Willebrand's disease

This report describes a patient with Turner's mosaicism (45X/47XXX) who presented with short stature and heavy menstrual bleeding. Pelvic ultrasound revealed the presence of a large right cystic ovary; the left ovary was not visualized. Coagulation evaluation demonstrated Von Willebrand's disease.
Expanded indications for transcervical thymectomy in the management of anterior mediastinal masses.

Abstract Background . Transcervical thymectomy (TCT) is an accepted though controversial approach for thymectomy in myasthenia gravis (MG). The suggestion of thymoma on computed tomography (CT) has been considered a contraindication to TCT. We sought to determine whether the indications for TCT could be safely expanded to include selected patients with thymomas as well as other types of anterior mediastinal masses. Methods . Between January 1992 and September 1999, we performed 121 TCTs: 98 in patients with MG and 23 in patients without MG. The patients' records were retrospectively reviewed. Results . Among the 98 MG patients, 28 had CT scans suspicious for thymoma. Of these, 14 had a thymoma pathologically. These were classified as stage I (5), stage II (8), and stage III (1). Five patients required extension of the incision for completion of the procedure. There have been no thymoma recurrences to date with a mean follow-up of 48 months (range 3 to 96 months). In the 23 patients without MG, 12 had new anterior mediastinal masses, 4 had a history of treated lymphoma, 1 had a history of treated germ cell tumor, and 6 had suspected mediastinal parathyroid adenoma. Diagnostic tissue was obtained in all patients undergoing the procedure for diagnosis, and in 4 of 6 patients, a parathyroid adenoma was successfully resected. Conclusions . Transcervical exploration and thymectomy offers a less invasive approach to the diagnosis and/or definitive treatment of selected anterior mediastinal masses. We suggest that it is appropriate to expand its use to several clinical scenarios beyond the typical indication of thymectomy in MG patients without thymoma.
THE DISASTER VICTIM COMMUNITY: PART OF THE SOLUTION, NOT THE PROBLEM

One of the greatest disaster relief resources available to emergency management officials is the disaster victim community. Contrary to a popular image of social and psychological breakdown in the aftermath of a sudden catastrophic event, impacted communities do respond rationally and adaptively. Recommendations are advanced for utilizing community groups in pre-disaster planning and in relief operations used during the emergency period.
A Decomposition Theorem for Polling Models: The Switchover Times are Effectively Additive

We consider the classical polling model: queues served in cyclic order with either exhaustive or gated service, each with its own distinct Poisson arrival stream, service-time distribution, and switchover-time the server's travel time from that queue to the next distribution. Traditionally, models with zero switchover times the server travels at infinite speed and nonzero switchover times have been considered separately because of technical difficulties reflecting the fact that in the latter case the mean cycle time approaches zero as the travel speed approaches infinity. We argue that the zero-switchover-times model is the more fundamental model: the mean waiting times in the nonzero-switchover-times model decompose reminiscent of vacation models into a sum of two terms, one being a simple function of the sum of the mean switchover times, and the other the mean waiting time in a "corresponding" model obtained from the original by setting the switchover times to zero and modifying the service-time variances. This generalizes a recent result of S. W. Fuhrmann for the case of constant switchover times, where no variance modification is necessary. The effect of these studies is to reduce computation and to improve theoretical understanding of polling models.
The Use of PCR to Detect a Pathogen in Compost

Testing compost for pathogens can be very difficult, time consuming and expensive. A method to purify DNA from compost for amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was sought. The published techniques used to purify DNA from soils or sediments did not work with compost samples in our laboratory. We have devised an extraction protocol specifically for compost samples. In a series of Escherichia coli-spiked compost samples, ranging from 108 to 103 organisms per gram of compost, the removal of substances that inhibit PCR amplification of DNA was accomplished by extracting the organisms from the compost and treating the extract with base resin. After cell lysis, the collected DNA was further purified on a 1 percent low melt agarose gel. A 260 base-pair region of the lac Z gene, unique to E. coli, was successfully amplified by PCR in the DNA extracted from the gel. The technique was sensitive to the level of 104 E. coli cells per gram of compost.
SU‐EE‐A4‐03: Spatial Resolution‐Matched Comparison Between Fan‐Beam and Cone‐Beam X‐Ray CT Images

Purpose: Cone Beam CT(CBCT) kilovoltage imaging devices are increasingly available for daily imaging in radiotherapy departments. Flat‐panel based CBCTscanners present a distinctive set of artifacts due mostly to increased scatter, longer data acquisition time and reduced detector quantum efficiency as compared to helical Fan Beam CT (FBCT) systems. Our purpose is to characterize image quality from FBCT and CBCTscanners based on noise,contrast and dose, using FBCT as a benchmark. Method and Materials: we acquired phantom and clinical patient images with a CBCT Varian On‐Board Imager as well as with a FBCT Picker PQ5000 single‐row helical scanner. The CBCTscanner was equipped with antiscatter grid and bowtie filter. By comparing CBCT and FBCT images of a high contrast resolution insert, the CBCT reconstruction voxel size and filter were adjusted until the spatial resolution of the FBCT and CBCTimages was approximately matched. Dose was measured with standard CTDI and Farmer chambers. Noise,contrast and SNR were evaluated and compared. Results:CBCTimages of both phantom and patient were relatively free of streaking and cupping artifacts, indicating that the grid had successfully attenuated most of the scatter. Low contrastdetectability threshold is similar for the two modalities, when CBCTdose is about twice as large as FBCT. Noise and non‐uniformities are more prevalent in patient CBCTimages, but pelvic soft tissue structures are well discernible. For patient and phantom imagesDose×SNR2 is about 4 times lower for FBCT than in CBCT, which is about 1.5–2 times larger than expected, given the measured grid transmission and detector quantum efficiency. Conclusion: In this study, resolution‐matched CBCT and FBCT images could exhibit similar SNRs and contrast‐to‐noise ratios through a combination of increased imagingdose and reduced spatial resolution.
Newtonian style and scientific revolution

The Newtonian Revolution, with Illustrations of the Transformation of Scientific Ideas. By I.B. Cohen. Pp.414. ISBN 0-521-22964-2. (Cambridge University Press: 1981.) £18, $37.50.
Extended Krylov subspace method for reduced order analysis of linear circuits with multiple sources

This paper presents a method for general reduced order analysis of linear circuits with a large number of independent sources. This type of circuit is used to model the power grid in power supply noise analysis for example. The large size of the linear circuit model renders circuit simulation inefficient. The large number of independent sources makes conventional multi-port model reduction ineffective. In order to address these problems, this paper proposes an extended Krylov subspace method which constructs a transformation matrix based on the dynamics of the circuit as well as the source excitations, thus avoiding the multi-port problem of model reduction. The transformation matrix is then used to reduce the given circuit to a smaller circuit model, which allows for more efficient analysis.
The MMPI–2 Gender-Role Scales as Measures of Sex-Typing

The validity of the MMPI-2 Gender-role GM/GF scales as measures of sex-typing was examined relative to gender classification using the Personality Attributes Questionnaires. Although mean differences by sex were in the expected direction, the scales did not distinguish sex-typed, androgynous, and undifferentiated subjects. Correlations with the PAQ gender scales provided some support for the criterion validity of Gender-role GM scale for both men and women and the Gender-role GF scale for women.
XX. Is capillary attraction an electric phœnomenon

(1845). XX. Is capillary attraction an electric phœnomenon?. The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science: Vol. 26, No. 172, pp. 185-189.
Thermalization of test particles in plasmas

A general form of the scattering distribution function is obtained through the use of the Schr\"odinger equation. The formulation is quite adequate in the study of particle-wave interactions, plasma radiation, fusion reactions, and nonelastic scattering as well as elastic scattering. The distribution function is obtained from a first Born approximation and is separated into two independent functions: a space-time-correlation function and a potential function. The former is of great interest in simulation of the dynamics of many-body systems and in the interpretation of scattering experiments. The potential function allows the use of different interaction potentials without the labor of repeating the calculations and with considerable reduction in the computation time. Analytic expressions for the rate of energy transfer from test particles to background plasmas are obtained together with the proper thermalization time. The dynamic behavior of the plasma is taken into consideration. The present formulation is compared with other different approaches. Results which are available in the literature lack the mathematical rigor of the treatment given here and are bound to stringent physical limitations. Consequently, the behavior of a test particle thermalizing in a background plasma is different from that anticipated in several studies, especially in the area of high-temperature plasmas.
Issues in pediatric sexual abuse--what we think we know and where we need to go.

C hild sexual abuse was overlooked for many years in the field of pediatrics and was described as a “hidden pediatric problem” in 1977 by Kempe. Since then, significant gains have been made in terms of studying child sexual abuse and increasing clinician awareness of the problem. Through the past two decades, substantial advances have been made in knowledge of the normal genital anatomy of children and normal variants. Through the study of abused and nonabused children, certain findings that were initially thought to be indicators of abuse were found to be normal variants. The use of the colposcope for sexual abuse evaluations has greatly increased since initially described by Teixeira in 1981, and many recent research studies have used this technology. Despite these scientific gains, many questions in the field of child sexual abuse remain to be answered.
Forecasting Coronal Mass Ejections from Line-of-Sight Magnetograms

We show that the length of strong-gradient, strong-field main neutral line, L(sub SGM), which can be measured from line-of-sight magnetograms such as from SOHO/MDI, is both a measure of active-region nonpotentiality and a useful predictor of an active region's future CME productivity. To demonstrate that L(sub SGM) is a nonpotentiality measure, we show that it is strongly correlated with a direct measure of nonpotentiality. For an appropriate choice of a threshold value, an active region s measured LsGM can be used as a predictor of whether the active region will produce a CME within a few days after the magnetogram. For our set of 36 MSFC vector magnetograms of bipolar active regions, L(sub SGM) is found to have a success rate of 80% for prediction of CME productivity in the 0-2 day window. The development of L(sub SGM) as a method of measuring nonpotentiality for forecasting large, fast CMEs from present space based assets is of value to NASA's Space Exploration Initiative (manned missions to the Moon and Mars)
Nature of the Metal-Support Interaction in Bifunctional Catalytic Pt/H-ZSM-5 Zeolite

The metal-support interaction of a dispersed Pt atom on H-ZSM-5 zeolite has been investigated by using an embedded cluster and cluster models with the density functional theory/B3LYP functional method. We found that the Pt atom interacts with a Bronsted proton and a nearby framework oxygen. Interaction with the framework oxygen causes electron transfer from the zeolite to the Pt atom. Concurrently, a Bronsted proton stabilizes the Pt atom on the zeolite surface by withdrawing excess electron density from the Pt atom. These charge transfers result in a zero net charge on the Pt atom while changing its orbital occupation. The binding energy of Pt on the Bronsted acid was 15 kcal/mol. Inclusion of the Madelung potential by Surface Charge Representation of the Electrostatic Embedded Potential method (SCREEP) had small effects on structure and charge density of Pt/H-ZSM-5 but it shifted the stretching mode of CO toward a higher frequency by almost 40 cm(-1). The frequency shift of absorbed CO calculated with embedded cluster models was from 8 to 11 cm(-1) red shift, compared to 20 cm(-1) red shift from experiment. This implies that not only the electronic state of the Pt atom but also the Madelung potential of the support is responsible for the observed small red shift of CO on the Pt-H-ZSM-5.
Gastroschisis is caused by the combination of carbon monoxide and protein-zinc deficiencies in mice.

BACKGROUND: Gastroschisis is a rare congenital defect of the abdominal wall. Its occurrence is noted primarily in the offspring of young mothers who often smoke during pregnancy. The incidence of gastroschisis has been increasing in many countries in recent years. The etiology of gastroschisis is not known. METHODS: Pregnant mice of CD-1 strain were maintained on 17 and 9% protein diets mixed with deficient, normal, or supplemental zinc levels throughout gestation. The dams in each protein-zinc diet group were randomly divided in two groups. One group was exposed to air (control) and the other to 500 ppm carbon monoxide (CO) in air, in environmental chambers, from gestation days (GD) 8–18. The dams were sacrificed by carbon dioxide asphyxiation on GD 18, and data on malformations was collected. RESULTS: The rates of fetal mortality and malformations were increased by protein and zinc deficiencies. Carbon monoxide exposure also increased fetal mortality. In the low protein group, the rate of fetal mortality was inversely related to the dietary zinc level, and the rate of fetal malformations was highest in the zinc deficient group. The incidence of gastroschisis in the low protein/zinc deficient/CO exposed group was 47%, and 60% of the litters were affected. The incidence of gastroschisis in the rest of the low protein/zinc diets/air or CO groups was 0. CONCLUSION: The data indicates that gastroschisis is caused by the combination of protein-zinc deficiencies and carbon monoxide exposure during gestation. The finding may be relevant to human populations that experience protein and zinc deficiencies during gestation, and are exposed to CO pollution, or cigarette, or marijuana smoke during pregnancy. Birth Defects Res B 68:355–362, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A comparison of two screening tests (the Matrix Analogies Test-Short Form and the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test) with the WISC-III

This study examined the concurrent validity of two brief intelligence tests, the Matrix Analogies Test-Short Form (MAT; J. A. Naglieri, 1985a) and the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT; A. S. Kaufman & N. L. Kaufman, 1990), with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III; D. Wechsler, 1991) using a sample of 50 referred students who were attending a large urban school district. The MAT/WISC-III and K-BIT/WISC-III correlations were high and did not differ significantly in magnitude (rs =.67 and.78, respectively). Both screening tests tended to give scores that were significantly higher than the WISC-III Full Scale IQ. Administration time was under 10 min for both screening tests. The MAT and K-BIT appeared to be equally useful as screening tests when the WISC-III was the criterion measure
Restoration of Turbulence-Degraded Images*

Turbulence-degraded images have been processed to obtain an improvement of their visual image quality. The initial objects were photographed through laboratory-generated turbulence. The resulting transparencies of the degraded images were digitized by a photoelectric scanner and processed on a digital computer. The processing consisted of applying corrections to the amplitude and phase coefficients of the two-dimensional Fourier series representing the degraded images. The correction factors were obtained from the optical transfer function of the turbulence measured at the time the images were photographed. The experiment was done for 5-msec and 1-min exposure times. The processed data were used to generate photographs. The processed images were found to have significantly more visual detail than the original degraded images; the 5-msec-exposure restorations were superior to the 1-min-exposure restorations.
Messenger RNAs coding for receptors and channels in the cerebral cortex of adult and aged rats.

Abstract Poly(A) + mRNAs from the cerebral cortex of aged (24 months) and young adult (3 months) rats were isolated and injected into Xenopus oocytes to express functional neurotransmitter receptors and voltage-operated channels. Electrophysiological recordings of induced membrane currents were used as a measure of the relative amounts of mRNA encoding different receptors and channels, and to study their functional properties. There were no large differences apparent between mRNAs from aged and adult rats, in marked contrast to the dramatic (1000-fold) changes in mRNA expression that occur during embryonic and postnatal development. The membrane currents induced by glutamate or acetylcholine (ACh) application were roughly one third smaller in oocytes injected with mRNA from aged cerebral cortex than in oocytes injected with mRNA from adult cerebral cortex, whereas currents induced by γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), kainate or serotonin (5-HT) application, and by activation of voltage-operated Na + and Ca 2+ channels were not significantly different. We did not observe any age-related differences in the properties of the receptors and channels studied.
65 Immunotactoid Glomerulopathy in an Incident HIV Patient

IMMUNOTACTOID GLOMERULOPATHY IN AN INCIDENT HIV PATIENT Guiselle Clark, Jose A. Morfin, Univeristy of Californina Davis, Sacramento CA, USA Immunotactoid Glomerulpathy is a rare cause of Nephrotic Syndrome. While most cases are deemed to be idopathic, a small percentage are associated with Chronic Lymphocytic Lymphoma (CLL) and B cell lymphomas, while others can be associated with HIV infection which have been reported in the literature. We present a case of a patient with an initial presentation of Nephrotic Syndrome related to presumed Idiopathic Immunotactoid Glomerulopathy who subsequently developed an AIDS defining illness with a favorable clinical response to HAART Therapy. 30 year old Native American, homeless gentleman with no known past medical history presented with worsening, progressive bilateral lower extremity swelling associated with brown appearing urine over a period of weeks to months. On admission, he was noted to have preserved kidney function, but nephrotic syndrome. Complete serological workup was unremarkable without an HIV test due to lack of consent. A renal biopsy demonstrated immune complex mediated glomerulopathy consistent with Immunotactoid Glomerulonephritis. No secondary causes were identified and due to his marginal housing, the patient was lost to follow up for the next 6 months, at which time, he re-presented with a pulmonary embolus and cryptococcus meningitis consistent with AIDS. Patient was initiated on HAART and anticoagulation without cytotoxic therapy. Over the next 12 months, he had significant improvement in clinical status. HIV has many associated immune complex glomerular diseases and as in this case, the nephrotic syndrome can be the initial presentation of an AIDS Defining Illness. Immunotactoid glomerulopathy is treated with caution when using cytotoxic therapy. The optimal therapy for immune complex glomerulonephritis in the setting of HIV infection is unknown, the role of antiretroviral therapy in modifying the course of these renal lesions appears to be promising as illustrated in this case.
Biofabrication Using Pyrrole Electropolymerization for the Immobilization of Glucose Oxidase and Lactate Oxidase on Implanted Microfabricated Biotransducers

The dual responsive Electrochemical Cell-on-a-Chip Microdisc Electrode Array (ECC MDEA 5037) is a recently developed electrochemical transducer for use in a wireless, implantable biosensor system for the continuous measurement of interstitial glucose and lactate. Fabrication of the biorecognition membrane via pyrrole electropolymerization and both in vitro and in vivo characterization of the resulting biotransducer is described. The influence of EDC-NHS covalent conjugation of glucose oxidase with 4-(3-pyrrolyl) butyric acid (monomerization) and with 4-sulfobenzoic acid (sulfonization) on biosensor performance was examined. As the extent of enzyme conjugation was increased sensitivity decreased for monomerized enzymes but increased for sulfonized enzymes. Implanted biotransducers were examined in a Sprague-Dawley rat hemorrhage model. Resection after 4 h and subsequent in vitro re-characterization showed a decreased sensitivity from 0.68 (±0.40) to 0.22 (±0.17) µA·cm−2·mM−1, an increase in the limit of detection from 0.05 (±0.03) to 0.27 (±0.27) mM and a six-fold increase in the response time from 41 (±18) to 244 (±193) s. This evidence reconfirms the importance of biofouling at the bio-abio interface and the need for mitigation strategies to address the foreign body response.
Identification of suppressor genes associated with the chromosome 6-mediated suppressed melanoma cell UACC903(+6) by cDNA microarray

Identification of suppressor genes associated with the chromosome 6-mediated suppressed melanoma cell UACC903(+6) by cDNA microarray
Edge dominating and hypomatchable sets

The weighted edge dominating set problem (EDS) generalizes both the weighted vertex cover problem and the problem of covering the edges of graph by a minimum cost set of both vertices and edges. Although EDS was proven NP-complete in 1980, not much progress had been made in improving its approximability to match that of weighted vertex cover until 2000. In this paper we develop a 2-approximation for weighted EDS by honing the technique of a recent 2 1/10-approximation which exploits the close polyhedral relationship between EDS and the edge cover problem. For the sake of completeness we also present a new direct proof of Edmonds and Johnson's characterization of the edge cover polyhedron. Our approximation guarantee is tight in the sense that the existence of a (2-e)-approximation for weighted EDS for some constant, e would imply a (2-e)-approximation for weighted vertex cover, constituting a major breakthrough in the field.
Improving health promotion to American Indians in the midwest United States: preferred sources of health information and its use for the medical encounter.

American Indians and Alaska Natives suffer significant health disparities for many infectious and chronic diseases as compared to the general population. Providing accurate and culturally tailored health information to underserved groups has been shown to influence health behaviors and health outcomes. Little prior research has explored American Indians health information use and preferences. National representative sample surveys such as the Health Information National Trends Survey provide some data on minority groups but are underpowered to provide useful information on American Indians. The present study analyzes data from a survey of over 900 American Indians from the Midwest United States and explores their sources of health information, their preferences for information presentation, and their use of health information prior to and during medical encounters. We conclude that campaigns targeting Natives should be narrowly focused and be community driven or employing community resources. American Indians use a diversity of media sources to obtain health information, with the Internet being underutilized compared to the general population. Partnership with Indian Health Service providers and pharmacists, as well as traditional healers, in the development and dissemination of new health information for Natives may provide the “expert” tone needed to promote health improvements in American Indians.
Bench-top setup for validation of real time, digital periodic error correction

This paper provides experimental validation of the digital first-order periodic error reduction scheme described by Chu and Ray. A bench-top setup of a single-pass, heterodyne Michelson interferometer, designed to minimize common error contributors such as Abbe, dead path and environment, is described. Linear, reciprocating motion generation is achieved using a parallelogram, leaf-type flexure. Periodic error amplitude is varied through independent rotation of a half wave plate and polarizer. Experimental results demonstrate that the correction algorithm can successfully attenuate first-order error to sub-nm levels for a wide range of frequency mixing conditions.
Cyclooxygenase-2 promotes early atherosclerotic lesion formation in ApoE-deficient and C57BL/6 mice

Cyclooxygenase (COX) 2 is expressed in atherosclerotic lesions. We have previously reported that selective inhibition of COX-2 reduces early atherosclerosis in LDLR deficient mice. To examine the role of COX-2 in atherosclerosis in other mouse models, we studied the effects of selective COX-2 inhibition (by rofecoxib and NS-398) and nonselective COX inhibition (by indomethacin) on early atherosclerotic lesion formation in apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE(-/-)) mice. Selective COX-2 and nonselective COX inhibition reduced atherosclerosis in female apoE(-/-) mice by 35-38% and 38-51% in the proximal and en face aortas, respectively. Next we investigated the role of macrophage COX-2 by transplanting COX-2(-/-) fetal liver cells into C57BL/6 mice and challenging the mice with an atherogenic diet. Genetic deletion of COX-2 from hematopoietic cells reduced atherosclerosis by 51%. In addition, LPS activated COX-2(-/-) macrophages had decreased expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha). The results demonstrate that selective inhibition of COX-2 and elimination of COX-2 from macrophages significantly reduces early atherosclerotic lesion formation in apoE-deficient and C57BL/6 mice. These results are compatible with COX-2 expression by macrophages having a proatherogenic role, and support the potential of anti-inflammatory therapeutic approaches for atherosclerosis.
Strategic trading against retail investors with loss-aversion

Abstract In this paper, we study a model incorporating the retail trader's reluctance to sell into losses. We show that in this setup the informed trader always buys the asset when he receives a favorable signal. However, when the informed trader receives an unfavorable signal, he may not always sell the asset if the signal is moderately bad and the retail trader is reluctant to realize losses. Hence the good news travels faster than the bad news and the asset price exhibits steady climbs with sharp and sudden drops.
Some caveats regarding the interpretation of data from 800 number callers

Notes how more and more companies are using information from their 800 number callers as a substitute for conventional survey research, analysing the monthly volume of complaints in a quantitative way. Assesses the merits of such practices based on the evidence available to date, considering representativeness and data recording problems for example. Offers managerial recommendations as well as suggestions for improving procedures. Concludes that the quantitative interpretation of data derived from 800 numbers is generally problematic and sometimes wholly inappropriate.
Electrical derivative measurement of quantum cascade lasers (QCLs)

Testing QCL devices usually requires cryogenic systems, mid-IR windows, optics and detectors. We report here the demonstration of an electrical derivative method that can quickly measure QCL lasing thresholds without using mid-IR optics or detectors.
Elderly deaf patients' health care experiences.

Background: Approximately 10% of the US population has some degree of hearing loss, and 2 million Americans are deaf. Most medical school curricula and major textbooks characterize deafness as pathologic condition only, which is at odds with the movement to understand the Deaf population as a minority group with a unique language and cultural tradition. Physicians might therefore be unprepared to meet the needs of deaf patients effectively and sensitively. This study seeks to understand the health care experiences of elderly Deaf adults in Richmond, Va. Methods: The authors conducted focus groups of elderly Deaf persons. Real-time voice-interpretation of the sign language communication allowed for tape recording and full transcription. The authors independently analyzed the transcripts using an editing style, and incorporated feedback on their interpretation from participants. Results: Participants experienced many practical barriers to effective health care, including problems with scheduling appointments and communicating with providers. They believed that providers are ill-prepared to care for them and worried that prejudice might be a more subtle obstacle. Participants seemed resigned to these circumstances. Conclusions: The authors suggest a possible explanation for this perspective, and make specific recommendations for three levels of competency in caring for deaf patients. When the provider and the office staff provide methods to communicate with deaf patients using telephone-assisted communication, qualified interpreters, and some basic knowledge of lipreading or sign language, the care of deaf patients is greatly enhanced and the physician-patient relationship improved.
Evolution of legacy system comprehensibility through automated refactoring

Software engineering is a continually evolving discipline, wherein researchers and members of industry are working towards defining and refining what are known as "best practices." Best practices are the set of known correct engineering techniques that lead to quality software.When a software artifact is produced, it becomes temporally locked into a single instantiation of these best practices at a given point in time. If such software is not maintained in such a way as to keep it current with the evolution of practice, then there is a good chance that subsequent engineers may not understand the design choices made. There are known techniques, called refactorings, which allow for structural changes to software without altering the outward appearance and behavior, thus maintaining the intent of the original design. Unfortunately, refactoring requires an engineer to both understand the techniques to be applied and the code to which they are applied to. This is not always feasible.We have developed an automated system utilizing Evolutionary Algorithms to manipulate refactorings correctly without requiring an underlying understanding of the software. This then allows for sustained levels of quality of evolving software systems. The understandability, maintainability, and reusability of the software regenerate as best practices evolve.
Patient Management Problem: Arthritis with a Rash

1. Mohsen Ziai 1. Professor of Pediatrics, the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, and Chief of Pediatrics, Rochester General Hospital, Rochester, New York A 16-year-old black girl was admitted to the hospital with the complaint of painful right knee and skin lesions. Three weeks prior to admission the patient had felt somewhat fatigued and had had a sore throat, and the next day she developed a temperature of 102 F with shaking chills. At that time she had pain in both wrists and in back of both knees. On the following day while still somewhat febrile she noted the onset of sores on her skin which began as flat, red, painful spots over the hands and subsequently over both feet. These eventually desquamated and were on both wrists and palms, the left elbow, and over both soles and feet. Pain in her extremities was intermittent lasting about two or three days at a time in any one location. It involved the wrists, the knees, and the ankles; these pains were not accompanied by frank swelling but did interfere with proper movement of the joints. New crops of skin lesions continued to appear while the old ones desquamated. She did not measure her body temperature but did not feel feverish. Two days prior to admission she noted intense pain in her right knee which at this time appeared swollen and tender.
The therapeutic potential of neuronal K V 7 (KCNQ) channel modulators: an update.

Background: Neuronal KCNQ channels (KV7.2-5) represent attractive targets for the development of therapeutics for chronic and neuropathic pain, migraine, epilepsy and other neuronal hyperexcitability disorders, although there has been only modest progress in translating this potential into useful therapeutics. Objective: Compelling evidence of the importance of KV7 channels as neuronal regulatory elements, readily amenable to pharmacological modulation, has sustained widespread interest in these channels as drug targets. This review will update readers on key aspects of the characterization of these important ion channel targets, and will discuss possible current barriers to their exploitation for CNS therapeutics. Methods: This article is based on a review of recent literature, with a focus on data pertaining to the roles of these channels in neurophysiology. In addition, I review some of the regulatory elements that influence the channels and how these may relate to channel pharmacology, and present a r...
Outcome of intensive care in patients with HIV infection.

Objectives To examine ICU admission rates and diagnoses of patients with HIV infection and to determine the outcomes of different critical illnesses. Design Consecutive enrollment of patients admitted to the ICU with confirmed HIV infection or an AIDS-defining diagnosis. Setting Medical ICU of an urban teaching hospital. Patients 65 adult patients with documented HIV infection or AIDS-defining disorder. Interventions Standard care. Results In 1 year, there were 1,550 hospital admissions for patients with HIV infection, and 65 (4.2%) were admitted to the ICU. The mortality rate of patients admitted to the ICU was 51%; 35 (54%) were admitted with respiratory failure, 22 of whom had Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). Sixteen patients with PCP required mechanical ventilation, and 13 (81%) died despite treatment with adjunctive corticosteroids. Other causes of respiratory failure included bacterial pneumonia, pulmonary tuberculosis, adult respiratory distress syndrome, and pulmonary Kaposi’s sarcoma. Overall, 22 of 35 (63%) patients with respiratory failure died in the hospital. Thirty patients (46%) were admitted because of sepsis, neurologic disease, congestive heart failure, hypotension, or drug overdose. These patients had a mortality rate of 37%. Prior antiretroviral and anti-Pneumocystis prophylaxis did not influence outcome, but a body weight of 10% or more below ideal at the time of admission predicted poor survival. Conclusion There is a diverse range of indications for critical care in patients with HIV infection. Although respiratory failure due to PCP was the most common reason for admission to the ICU, it accounted for only 34% of the cases. The prognosis of PCP in patients who require mechanical ventilation despite adjunctive corticosteroid treatment is poor.
The Mechanism of Hydride Transfer

The hydrogen nucleus can migrate from one atom to another accompanied by zero, one, or two electrons, and the process is termed proton, hydrogen atom, or hydride transfer, respectively. Proton transfers are characterized by rapid exchange of the transferred hydrogen with solvent protons; this is easily detected with the use of deuterium or tritium isotopes either in the transferred hydrogen or in the solvent protons. (Such exchange experiments cannot be carried out in aprotic solvents.) Hydrogen atom and hydride anion transfers are not usually accompanied by exchange with protons in the solvent, but rather the hydrogen is quantitatively transferred directly from the donor atom to the acceptor.
The relationship between student grades and software science parameters

The evaluation of programmers' performance has been an important subjecl in recent years. Making the reasonable assumption that a good programmer would consistently write programs of high quality, the problem of evaluation would be simplified if an objective measure of quality were available which could be applied to a sample program. This paper describes an experiment to study the relationship between grades in a programming course, which are the accepted evaluations of student programmers, and certain objectively computed software science parameters on program samples. The data shows that two of the parameters are correlated to the grades.
Multiple knockout mouse models reveal lincRNAs are required for life and brain development

The mammalian genome is comprised of DNA sequences that contain the templates for proteins, and other DNA sequences that do not code for proteins. The coding DNA sequences are transcribed to make messenger RNA molecules, which are then translated to make proteins. Researchers have known for many years that some of the noncoding DNA sequences are also transcribed to make other types of RNA molecules, such as transfer and ribosomal RNA. However, the true breadth and diversity of the roles played by these other RNA molecules have only recently begun to be fully appreciated. Mammalian genomes contain thousands of noncoding DNA sequences that are transcribed. Recent in vitro studies suggest that the resulting long noncoding RNA molecules can act as regulators of transcription, translation, and cell cycle. In vitro studies also suggest that these long noncoding RNA molecules may play a role in mammalian development and disease. Yet few in vivo studies have been performed to support or confirm such hypotheses. Now Sauvageau et al. have developed several lines of knockout mice to investigate a subset of noncoding RNA molecules known as long intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs). These experiments reveal that lincRNAs have a strong influence on the overall viability of mice, and also on a number of developmental processes, including the development of lungs and the cerebral cortex. Given that the vast majority of the human genome is transcribed, the mouse models developed by Sauvageau et al. represent an important step in determining the physiological relevance, on a genetic level, of the noncoding portion of the genome in vivo.