cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Image-guided craniotomy for cerebral metastases: techniques and outcomes.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of the present study was to analyze the outcomes after craniotomies for brain metastases in a modern series using image-guided technologies either in the regular operating room or in the intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging unit. METHODS Neurosurgical outcomes were analyzed for 49 patients who underwent 55 image-guided craniotomies for excision of brain metastases during a 5-year period. Tumors were located in critical and noncritical function regions of the brain. A total of 23 craniotomies for tumors in critical brain were performed using intravenous sedation anesthesia; craniotomies for noncritical function brain regions were completed under general anesthesia. The patients were also divided into Radiation Therapy Oncology Group recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) classes on the basis of age, Karnofsky Performance Scale scores, state of primary disease, and presence or absence of extracranial metastases. RESULTS There was no perioperative mortality. Gross total resection, as verified by postoperative contrast-enhanced computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, was achieved in 96% of patients. The median anesthesia time was 4.25 hours, and the median length of hospital stay was 3 days. In 51 symptomatic cases, there was complete resolution of symptoms in 70% (n = 36), improvement in 14% (n = 7), and no change in 12% (n = 6) postoperatively. No patient who was neurologically intact preoperatively deteriorated after surgery, and 93% of patients maintained or improved their functional status. Only two patients (3.6%) with significant preoperative deficits had increased long-term deficits postoperatively. The mean follow-up was 1 year, and the local recurrence rate was 16%. The median survival of the entire group was 16.23 months (17.5 mo in RPA Class I, 22.9 mo in RPA Class II, and 9.8 mo in RPA Class III). CONCLUSION Gross total resection of brain metastases, including those involving critical function areas, can be safely achieved with a low morbidity rate using contemporary image-guided systems. RPA Class I and II patients with controlled primary disease benefit from aggressive treatment by surgery and radiation.
Morphological correlates of migratory distance and flight display in the avian genus Anthus

Conflicting pressures on the evolution of wing morphology are exemplified within the avian genus Anthus, where different migratory and flight display behaviours might be expected to exert different effects on the evolution of wing morphology. A phylogenetically controlled study of wing shape in relation to migratory distance and flight display suggests that migration has a larger impact on wing morphology than does flight display, despite the fact that flight display is generally the more heavily used flight-type. Correlations between single measures of morphology and migration were found only in males, although principal components analysis suggests that overall wing shape is correlated with migratory distance in both sexes. With regard to flight display, males, but not females, show a positive relationship between flight display type and the length of a flight feather that is highly elongated relative to other flight feathers. This exceptionally long flight feather is also found in other genera that perform flight displays.
The dual method of solving the linear programming problem

Many problems in logistics are capable of being formulated as linear programming problems. For example, one such problem is the so-called transportation problem, which is concerned with obtaining the best way (in the sense of least time, or of least expense, etc.) of shipping stipulated quantities of materials from m origins to n destinations. This paper develops a new computational method of solving general linear programming problems.
Measurement of fluorescence decay time in living cells.

Abstract This paper reports a simple technique for measuring fluorescence decay times of intracellular compounds. The data can be obtained from suspensions of living cells or, using a microscope, from single cells. The method employs a TRW, Inc. nanosecond spectral source and decay time computer which have been used previously for measuring decay times of aqueous solutions. Ascites tumor cells, liver cells, fibroblasts, bacteria, and cell fractions, after incubation with a fluorochrome and appropriate washing, can be suspended in a cuvette (or in the case of single cells, placed on a microscope slide) and the fluorescent decay time can be read out digitally in nanoseconds. The instrument is most accurate where actual decay values are > 2 ns, and under these conditions reads to a precision of ±0.5 ns in clear solutions, and ±1.0 ns for intracellular work. Results obtained using the fluorescent probes, anilinonaphthalene sulfonate (ANS), toluidinyl naphthalene sulfonate (TNS), 3,4-benzpyrene (BP), and 2-aminonaphthalene (2-AN) are presented as examples.
Ultrasonography of acute epitrochlear lymphadenitis

While the clinical symptomatology and radiographic findings of acute suppurative infection of the epitrochlear lymph nodes of the arm have been previously described [1], ultrasonographic findings have not been reported. This case report demonstrates that sonograpic identification of enlarged epitrochlear lymph nodes immediately confirms the diagnosis. We summarize the clinical, radiological, and sonographic findings of acute suppurative infection of the epitrochlear lymphnodes.
Colonial immigrant literacy: An economic analysis of Pennsylvania-German evidence, 1727–1775

Abstract The literacy of over 23,000 immigrants is compared to the literacy of established American and European populations to assess the contribution of immigrants to the general superiority of colonial literacy vis-a-vis the rest of Europe. The nature of the positive self-selection of literate individuals into the transatlantic migration stream is explored using regression techniques and generation-specific controls. The estimated changes in the propensity of literates to migrate over the life cycle are explained by the changing nature of investment in general versus specific human capital over the life cycle.
Axial asymmetry in nearly symmetric deformed nuclei

Abstract A long-standing issue in the study of deformed nuclei is whether axial asymmetry occurs because of dynamic fluctuations (γ-softness) or as a stable shape (triaxial) component. This question can be conveniently addressed by exploiting certain properties of the IBA which allow the superposition of a γ-soft potential with the traditional hamiltonian via an additional (cubic) term that incorporates a contribution to V ( γ ) with a minimum at γ =30°. With such an approach, it has been shown that nuclei with large r.m.s. asymmetry are, in fact, extremely γ-soft. The present study concerns well deformed rare-earth nuclei with small r.m.s. γ ( γ ≃10°) and focuses on the sensitivity of ratios of β- and γ-band energies to the degree of γ-softness. It is found that a γ-rigid potential results in qualitative dis agreement with the data and, indeed, that the data for these nuclei consistently indicate that the inclusion of a cubic term (rigid triaxiality) makes the model predictions worse. In contrast, a γ-soft potential is in reasonable agreement with empirical results. For most of the nuclei studied, limits on the potential yield a γ min ⩽15° with a relative depth at the minimum of
Charge transfer reactions in multiply charged ion-atom collisions

Charge-transfer reactions in collisions between highly charged ions and neutral atoms of hydrogen and/or helium may be rapid at thermal energies. If these reactions are rapid, they will suppress highly charged ions in H I regions and guarantee that the observed absorption features from such ions cannot originate in the interstellar gas. A discussion of such charge-transfer reactions is presented and compared with the available experimental data. The possible implications of these reactions for observations of the interstellar medium, H II regions, and planetary nebulae are outlined.
Light-scattering studies of crosslinking unsaturated polyesters with methyl acrylate

The Debye-Bueche theory of light scattering of inhomogeneous solids was applied to a three-dimensional crosslinking process. A series of unsaturated polyesters of an average degree of polymerization of 7.4 were prepared in which the double bond spacings were varied. These polyesters were crosslinked with methyl acrylate in 1 : 2, 1 : 3, and 1 : 4 polyester double bond: monomer ratios. The crosslinking process was followed up with measurements of the light-scattering envelope beyond the gel point. Parameters corresponding to the extent of inhomogeneities and the mean square deviation of the local refractive index from the average were evaluated. The data were interpreted by proposing a gelation mechanism which can be separated into three phases by optical means.
Seroprevalence of tetanus antibodies among immigrants over age 50: A comparison to an aged matched US-born population

Study objectives: A significant number of elderly patients and immigrants have been documented to have nonprotective titers to tetanus. In 1995, the Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices recommended that all patients aged 50 years and older be evaluated for tetanus immunization. This study is to define the extent of immunity against tetanus antibodies among patients older than 50 years by measuring antitetanus antibody (ATA) levels and whether the patients were born in the United States. Methods: A convenience sample of 103 ambulatory patients was studied. Serum was obtained, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay testing was performed using the Bindazyme (Binding Site Kit, San Diego, CA). Results: In 56 (54%) of 103 study patients, ATA levels did not reach protective levels. Forty-three (73%) of 50 women and 13 (30%) of 44 men did not have adequate titers. Fifty-five (53%) patients were immigrants, and 46 (84%) of 55 did not have protective titers. Ten (21%) of 48 of US-born individuals older than 50 years did not have protective ATA (P Conclusion: Patients older than 50 years are substantially less likely to have adequate immunity to tetanus, especially if they are not born in the United States. Emergency physicians must take this into consideration when evaluating tetanus immunization status in injured patients older than 50 years.
In the midst of confusion lies opportunity: fostering quality science in dietary supplement research.

The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) was established at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by Congress through the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994. The mission of the ODS is to strengthen knowledge and understanding of dietary supplements by evaluating scientific information, stimulating and supporting research, disseminating research results and educating the public, all in an effort to foster an enhanced quality of life and health for the U.S. population. In pursuit of this mission, ODS takes into account an array of dietary supplement ingredients and products. This includes vitamin and mineral supplements and botanicals, as well as non-nutrient supplements. Toward that end, ODS has taken a number of steps. In collaboration with other Institutes and Centers at NIH, ODS has established a network of Dietary Supplement Research Centers around the country that provide the focus for multidisciplinary research efforts; it supports research activities and scientific conferences, it supports evidence-based reviews of supplements, and it maintains a public database of scientific literature on dietary supplements. The lack of credible information from well-controlled studies of many dietary supplements raises issues of caution and concern. The ODS is committed to providing and disseminating accurate and reliable scientific information on dietary supplements.
Characterization and error analysis of an operational retrieval algorithm for estimating column ozone and aerosol properties from ground-based ultra-violet irradiance measurements

Extensive sensitivity and error characteristics of a recently developed optimal estimation retrieval algorithm which simultaneously determines aerosol optical depth (AOD), aerosol single scatter albedo (SSA) and total ozone column (TOC) from ultra-violet irradiances are described. The algorithm inverts measured diffuse and direct irradiances at 7 channels in the UV spectral range obtained from the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) UV-B Monitoring and Research Program's (UVMRP) network of 33 ground-based UV-MFRSR instruments to produce aerosol optical properties and TOC at all seven wavelengths. Sensitivity studies of the Tropospheric Ultra-violet/Visible (TUV) radiative transfer model performed for various operating modes (Delta-Eddington versus n-stream Discrete Ordinate) over domains of AOD, SSA, TOC, asymmetry parameter and surface albedo show that the solutions are well constrained. Realistic input error budgets and diagnostic and error outputs from the retrieval are analyzed to demonstrate the atmospheric conditions under which the retrieval provides useful and significant results. After optimizing the algorithm for the USDA site in Panther Junction, Texas the retrieval algorithm was run on a cloud screened set of irradiance measurements for the month of May 2003. Comparisons to independently derived AOD's are favorable with root mean square (RMS) differences of about 3% to 7% at 300nm and less than 1% at 368nm, on May 12 and 22, 2003. This retrieval method will be used to build an aerosol climatology and provide ground-truthing of satellite measurements by running it operationally on the USDA UV network database.
Preparation of fluorolactones from the reaction of γ-ketoacids with diethylaminosulfur trifluoride

Abstract Levulinic acid and related γ-ketoacids react with diethylaminosulfur trifluoride to give γ-fluorobutyrolactones in good yield. The involvement of a bicyclic (3.2.1) mechanism is considered.
Changes of cellular markers during differentiation of HL-60 promyelocytes to macrophages as induced by T lymphocyte conditioned medium

Abstract Human promyelocytes from a cell line HL-60 of acute promyelocytic leukemia origin were examined in suspension culture in response to conditioned medium (CM) derived from allogeneic lymphocyte or phytohemagglutinin (PHA) stimulated lymphocytes. Within 24 h of exposure to CM, some cells became adherent and aggregates of cells were seen in suspension. A reduction in proliferating cells in suspension occurred, as detected by cell cycle analysis using flow cytometry. The total cellular RNA content was then reduced as determined through simultaneous fluorescence measurement of the DNA and RNA content of single cells. The cells subsequently developed a monocyte-macrophage morphology correlating with the decrease in RNA content. By day six to eight of incubation with CM, almost all the cultured cells were macrophage-like. During this development, the proportion of cells possessing complement receptors became maximal and the reactivity with alphanapthyl esterase staining and the phagocytic capacity were acquired. From these cellular changes, we can infer that the interaction between the inducer and the promyelocytes resulted in suppression of DNA replication with the parallel induction of differentiation. Activated T lymphocytes were demonstrated to be important in providing the maturation inducer. The interaction between lymphoid and promyelocytes in differentiation is discussed.
Severe chronic asthma.

Summary Persistent childhood asthma is more common in females with atopy with an early onset and may result in significant impairment of lung function. Pathological changes in severe chronic asthma in childhood are only partially defined and correlation between pathology, response to treatment and persistence is imprecise. Failure to respond to usual therapies requires careful consideration of differential diagnosis, type of inflammation present, compliance with therapy, and continuing monitoring and re-assessment.
Fragmentation and hydration of tektites and microtektites

Abstract— An examination of data collected over the last 30 years indicates that the percent of glass fragments vs. whole splash forms in the Cenozoic microtektite strewn fields increases towards the source crater (or source region). We propose that this is due to thermal stress produced when tektites and larger microtektites fall into water near the source crater while still relatively hot (>1150 °C). We also find evidence (low major oxide totals, frothing when melted) for hydration of most of the North American tektite fragments and microtektites found in marine sediments. High-temperature mass spectrometry indicates that these tektite fragments and microtektites contain up to 3.8 wt% H2O. The H2O-release behavior during the high-temperature mass-spectrometric analysis, plus high CI abundances (0.05 wt%), indicate that the North American tektite fragments and microtektites were hydrated in the marine environment (i.e., the H2O was not trapped solely on quenching from a melt). The younger Ivory Coast and Australasian microtektites do not exhibit much evidence of hydration (at least not in excess of 0.5 wt% H2O); this suggests that the degree of hydration increases with age. In addition, we find that some glass spherules (with 65 wt% SiO2 can undergo simple hydration in the marine environment, while impact glasses (with <65 wt% SiO2) can also undergo palagonitization.
Understanding the Role of Sex in Heart Valve and Major Vascular Diseases

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the major cause of mortality in the elderly population. The cost of CVD treatment and surgeries was over $300 billion in the United States alone in 2010, making this disorder a critical healthcare issue. Many studies have suggested sex as a risk factor for heart valve and major vascular diseases, such as aortic valve stenosis, mitral prolapse and regurgitation, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, and abdominal aortic aneurysm. Unfortunately, only a handful of studies have illustrated the role of sex in the etiology and progression of these disorders. Moreover, knowledge of biomolecular factors that affect these diseases in men and women is very limited. Numerous clinical studies have revealed obvious differences in the prevalence of these diseases between the sexes. These reports were supported by a few molecular and cellular physiology studies that associated this difference to sex and sex hormones. In particular, male sex has commonly been identified as a risk factor for majority of heart valve and vascular diseases, whereas females have been identified as higher risk for certain disorders as well. In addition, menopause is a critical issue that turns the tables against women and enhances complications in their cardiovascular structure due to hormonal change. In this review, major vascular and heart valve diseases for which sex is associated as a risk factor have been reviewed to highlight the importance of this risk factor in CVDs.
The Absence of Favorable Aromatic Interactions between β-Sheet Peptides

This paper asks whether interactions between phenylalanine (Phe) residues of the non-hydrogen-bonded cross-strand pairs of antiparallel β-sheets are important and finds that they are not. Peptides ...
Optical Determination of Anisotropic Material Properties of Bovine Articular Cartilage in Compression

Abstract The precise nature of the material symmetry of articular cartilage in compression remains to be elucidated. The primary objective of this study was to determine the equilibrium compressive Young's moduli and Poisson's ratios of bovine cartilage along multiple directions (parallel and perpendicular to the split line direction, and normal to the articular surface) by loading small cubic specimens (0.9×0.9×0.8 mm, n=15) in unconfined compression, with the expectation that the material symmetry of cartilage could be determined more accurately with the help of a more complete set of material properties. The second objective was to investigate how the tension-compression nonlinearity of cartilage might alter the interpretation of material symmetry. Optimized digital image correlation was used to accurately determine the resultant strain fields within the specimens under loading. Experimental results demonstrated that neither the Young's moduli nor the Poisson's ratios exhibit the same values when measured along the three loading directions. The main findings of this study are that the framework of linear orthotropic elasticity (as well as higher symmetries of linear elasticity) is not suitable to describe the equilibrium response of articular cartilage nor characterize its material symmetry; a framework which accounts for the distinctly different responses of cartilage in tension and compression is more suitable for describing the equilibrium response of cartilage; within this framework, cartilage exhibits no lower than orthotropic symmetry.
Long period grating-based ocean pH sensor in an SMS fiber

ABSTRACT A long period grating-based pH sensor has been designed in order to measure the pH in the ocean. The pH-sensitive hydrogel, which is made through the thermal crosslink of poly vinyl alcohol and poly acrylic acid, canswell or contract in response to the pH change in the surrounding environment. The sensor is designed in a singlemode-multimode-single mode (SMS) ber structure. The long period grating is written into the multimode berof the SMS structure using a focused CO 2 laser at the critical period (1 mm) of this particular multimode ber.The hydrogel is glued underneath the SMS structure and will physically stretch or compress the long periodgrating hence change the phase matching condition in the SMS structure. Because of the dierent core sizesof the single mode ber and the multimode ber, only energy coupled in and out of the fundamental modein the multimode ber will be detected directly. The SMS structure has a higher sensitivity than using justthe multimode sensing ber. This sensor has been utilized in the seawater pH sensing in the range of 6 8.Experiments show that the sensor has a pH resolution of 0.0042.Keywords: LPG, pH, hydrogel, SMS, critical period
X-linked hypochromic anaemia of mice.

SUMMARY An X-linked recessive mutant gene (symbol sla) in the mouse causes hypochromic anaemia in hemizygous males and homozygous females; heterozygous carrier females show only slight changes. A detailed assessment of the anaemia is presented here. The red cells show a wide variety of morphological changes, including target cell formation, and the MCV is strikingly reduced. The anaemia and morphological changes tend to regress with increasing age. The anaemia also responds to parenteral iron-dextran treatment, but not to pyridoxine and other agents. These findings and preliminary results of other investigations suggest that the underlying metabolic disturbance is likely to involve some step in the supply of iron to the erythron. It thus appears that in the mouse an X-linked locus plays a role in iron metabolism, and this mutant provides an opportunity further to elucidate mechanisms of iron transfer.
Blue laser devices for optical data storage

A number of different techniques have been used for nonlinear frequency upconversion of near-infrared semiconductor diode lasers to blue wavelengths. Intracavity frequency doubling of a diode-laser-pumped 946- nm Nd:YAG laser resulted in generation of 9.5 mW of blue 473-nm power. A special electronic servo technique was devised to lock the output frequency of a single-mode GaAlAs diode laser to a monolithic KNbO3 resonator. Using this approach, 54 mW of 428-nm output were obtained with an electrical-to-optical conversion efficiency of approximately equals 12%. The use of nonlinear waveguide devices for frequency doubling of near- infrared diode lasers is promising for the development of miniaturized, low-cost blue laser sources.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Structural Effects on Flax Stems of Three Potential Retting Fungi

Rhizomucor pusillus and Fusarium lateritium, isolated from flax dew-retted in South Carolina, and Epicoccum nigrum, isolated from flax dew-retted in the Netherlands, are evaluated for structural modifications of various cells in their flax stems, particularly the effects on fiber walls and bundles as related to retting. All fungi are effective in degrading parenchyma tissues and isolating fibers, but F. lateritium and particularly E. nigrum also degrade the fiber cell walls, including the secondary layers, indicating the potential for over-retting and reduced fiber strength. In contrast, R. pusillus does not appear to attack the main portion of the secondary wall, but degrades the most central portion of the fiber wall, thus expanding the fiber lumen. Extracellular enzymes pro duced by this fungus appear to effectively degrade the middle lamellae, separating bundles into fibers. The lignified walls of the core cells are partially degraded by F. lateritium but not by R. pusillus or E. nigrum. R. pusillus a...
Porosity and Pressure Waves in a Fluidized Bed of FCC Particles

The speeds of motion of compression waves through a fluidized bed of 75-μm FCC particles between the minimum bubbling and the minimum fluidization velocities were determined by measuring the times of arrival of compression zones using a γ-ray densitometer. The theory of characteristics shows that this speed, which is on the order of 1.4 m/s, represents the maximum velocity of discharge of nonfluidized FCC particles. The velocity of these compression waves was used to calculate the solids stress modulus of the fluidized bed via the one-dimensional mass and momentum balances for granular flow. In addition, measurements of the pressure wave propagation produced a mixture sonic velocity that is an order of magnitude higher than the speeds of the solids compression wave. The sonic velocity of the homogeneous mixture, which is on the order of 20 m/s, gives the maximum achievable velocity for the circulation of FCC particles in a standpipe of a refinery. This study shows that there are two distinct waves that tr...
Tar DNA Binding Protein-43 (TDP-43) Associates with Stress Granules: Analysis of Cultured Cells and Pathological Brain Tissue

Tar DNA Binding Protein-43 (TDP-43) is a principle component of inclusions in many cases of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD-U) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). TDP-43 resides predominantly in the nucleus, but in affected areas of ALS and FTLD-U central nervous system, TDP-43 is aberrantly processed and forms cytoplasmic inclusions. The mechanisms governing TDP-43 inclusion formation are poorly understood. Increasing evidence indicates that TDP-43 regulates mRNA metabolism by interacting with mRNA binding proteins that are known to associate with RNA granules. Here we show that TDP-43 can be induced to form inclusions in cell culture and that most TDP-43 inclusions co-localize with SGs. SGs are cytoplasmic RNA granules that consist of mixed protein - RNA complexes. Under stressful conditions SGs are generated by the reversible aggregation of prion-like proteins, such as TIA-1, to regulate mRNA metabolism and protein translation. We also show that disease-linked mutations in TDP-43 increased TDP-43 inclusion formation in response to stressful stimuli. Biochemical studies demonstrated that the increased TDP-43 inclusion formation is associated with accumulation of TDP-43 detergent insoluble complexes. TDP-43 associates with SG by interacting with SG proteins, such as TIA-1, via direct protein-protein interactions, as well as RNA-dependent interactions. The signaling pathway that regulates SGs formation also modulates TDP-43 inclusion formation. We observed that inclusion formation mediated by WT or mutant TDP-43 can be suppressed by treatment with translational inhibitors that suppress or reverse SG formation. Finally, using Sudan black to quench endogenous autofluorescence, we also demonstrate that TDP-43 positive-inclusions in pathological CNS tissue co-localize with multiple protein markers of stress granules, including TIA-1 and eIF3. These data provide support for accumulating evidence that TDP-43 participates in the SG pathway.
Properties of Plutonium-Containing Colloids Released from Glass-Bonded Sodalite Nuclear Waste Form

In glass-bonded sodalite, which is the ceramic waste form (CWF) to immobilize radioactive electrorefiner salt from spent metallic reactor fuel, uranium and plutonium are found as 20-50 nm (U,Pu)O{sub 2} particles encapsulated in glass near glass-sodalite phase boundaries. In order to determine whether the (U,Pu)O{sub 2} affects the durability of the CWF, and to determine release behavior of uranium and plutonium during CWF corrosion, tests were conducted to measure the release of matrix and radioactive elements from crushed CWF samples into water and the properties of released plutonium. Released colloids have been characterized by sequential filtration of test solutions followed by elemental analysis, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. This paper reports the composition, size, and agglomeration of these colloids. Significant amounts of colloidal, amorphous aluminosilicates and smaller amounts of colloidal crystalline (U,Pu)O{sub 2} were identified in test solutions. The normalized releases of uranium and plutonium were significantly less than the normalized releases of matrix elements.
Structure-dependent nonenzymatic deamidation of glutaminyl and asparaginyl pentapeptides

Nonenzymatic deamidation rates for 52 glutaminyl and 52 asparaginyl pentapeptides in pH 7.4, 37.0 degrees C. 0.15 m Tris-HCl buffer have been determined by direct injection mass spectrometry. These and the previously reported 306 asparginyl rates have been combined in a self-consistent model for peptide deamidation. This model depends quantitatively upon peptide structure and involves succinimide, glutarimide and hydrolysis mechanisms. The experimental values and suitable interpolated values have been combined to provide deamidation rate values in pH 7.4, 37.0 degrees C. 0.15 m Tris-HCl buffer for the entire set of 648 single-amide permutations of ordinary amino acid residues in GlyXxxAsnYyyGly and GlyXxxGlnYyyGly. Thus, knowledge about sequence-dependent deamidation in peptides is extended to include very long deamidation half-times in the range of 2-50 years.
Effect of Age and Pathologic Gleason Score on PSA Recurrence: Analysis of 2911 Patients Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy

Objectives To clarify the relationship between age and pathologic Gleason score and their effect on prostate-specific antigen recurrence (PSAR). Methods The data from a cohort of 2911 men who had undergone radical prostatectomy from 1988 to 2006 were retrieved from the Duke Prostate Center database. Patient age was divided into 3 groups: 7. PSAR was defined as the prostate-specific antigen level increasing to >0.2 ng/mL >30 days after radical prostatectomy. The associations between age and pathologic Gleason score on PSAR and the time to PSAR were analyzed using parametric, nonparametric, Kaplan-Meier, and Cox regression techniques. Results Patient age and interval to PSAR had no significant association ( P > .05). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated a significant difference in PSAR among age groups. The pathologic Gleason scores of 3 + 3, 3 + 4, 4 + 3, and >7 were significant in determining the incidence of PSAR. Age was not significant for PSAR in patients with a pathologic Gleason score of ≤7. In patients with a pathologic Gleason score of >7, a statistically significant difference was observed among the age groups. Men 7 had a lower incidence of PSAR than did older men with a similar pathologic Gleason score. A pathologic Gleason score of ≥6 was significant in predicting PSAR. Conclusions Age alone was an independent factor in predicting PSAR, but not in predicting the interval to PSAR. The pathologic Gleason score remained a predictor of PSAR, and patient age should be considered in patients with a pathologic Gleason score >7.
Scapolite-plagioclase exchange: ClCO3 scapolite solution chemistry and implications for peristerite plagioclase

Abstract Chemical exchange between coexisting scapolite and plagioclase was studied for both a set of natural pairs from a regionally metamorphosed terrain (450–670‡C, 3.5–6 kbar) in northern Idaho and for eight synthetic pairs produced by Ellis (1978) in hydrothermal experiments at 750°C and 4 kbars. On the basis of electron probe microanalysis, the natural scapolite samples exhibit a range of compositions from XEqAn = 0.22, XCl = 0.86 to XEqAn = 0.63, XCl = 0.04, and fall very close to a binary join defined by XCl = −2.046XEqAn + 1.320, r2 = 0.97. The exchange represented by this binary is Na2.4Si1.4Cl ⇌ Ca2.4Al1.4CO3. Plagioclase compositions vary from XAn = 0.0 to 0.44. The distribution coefficient (Kd) for coexisting scapolite and plagioclase compositions was calculated for the equilibrium: 2 anorthite + albite + calcite ⇌ CO 3 - scapolite Solution modelling based on this equilibrium and comparison of 1n Kd for the natural Idaho pairs with that of the high temperature synthetic pairs indicate nearly ideal solution behavior for observed scapolite compositions. For the Idaho samples with XAn
Heart Rate Variability

Heart rate variability (HRV), usually performed from 24 hour ambulatory ECG recordings, measures the variability of the heart rate. Alterations in autonomic balance and baroreceptor function, increased plasma norepinephrine levels, and reduced HRV have been associated with progressive myocardial failure. Not only has reduced HRV been associated with the degree of myocardial failure, possibility of prognostic significiance, but also increased sudden death risk in both ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathy in humans. Heart rate variability analysis in the dog is confounded by pronounced sinus arrhythmia, and whether or not this technique has clinical utility in the dog remains to be demonstrated.
Manufacturing Tribology in the Nano-Manufacturing Era

In 1966 a report published by UK Department of Education and Science introduced the concept of tribology, which was defined as the science of interacting surfaces in relative motion. Tribology in practice studies friction, wear and lubrication. These processes affect each other with interacting causes and effects: one aspect of tribology is the study of their interactions. One of the fields in which these interactions play a large effect is manufacturing in general and manufacturing processes in particular. From macro manufacturing processes (milling, turning, drilling, boring, etc) to micro (grinding, superfinishing) and nano manufacturing processes (polishing, lapping, CMP) friction, wear and lubrication are the main phenomena governing these processes. This paper will focus on micro and nano abrasive processes and emphasize the application of tribological knowledge on the outcomes of these processes. A study case regarding nano polishing of AlTiC magnetic head will be described together with a special tribo-technology, which will allow the generation of surfaces with Ry of 0.2 nanometers. Also molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of nanoindentation, nanoscratching and friction coefficient at the nano level will be presented.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Group order preservation and the proportional rule for the adjudication of conflicting claims

Abstract We investigate the existence of rules for the adjudication of conflicting claims satisfying ‘group order preservation’: given two groups of claimants, suppose that the sum of the claims of the members of the first group is greater than or equal to the sum of the claims of the members of the second group. Then, similar inequalities should hold for the sums of the awards to the members of the two groups, and for the sums of the losses incurred by the members of two groups. The property is easily satisfied. We then combine it with two others. First is ‘claims continuity’: the chosen awards vector should vary continuously with the claims vector. Second is ‘consistency’: the awards vector chosen for each problem should be ‘in agreement’ with the awards vector chosen for each problem derived from it by imagining some of the claimants receiving their awards and leaving. We show that only the proportional rule satisfies all three requirements. This characterization holds even if the number of potential claimants is as low as 3. We also offer a version of the characterization for a variant of the model in which the set of claimants is modelled as a continuum.
Pride and Prejudice Fear of Death and Social Behavior

Terror management theory posits that awareness of mortality engenders a potential for paralyzing terror, which is assuaged by cultural worldviews: humanly created, shared beliefs that provide individuals with the sense they are valuable members of an enduring, meaningful universe (self-esteem), and hence are qualified for safety and continuance beyond death. Thus, self-esteem serves the fundamental psychological function of buffering anxiety. In support of this view, studies have shown that bolstering selfesteem reduces anxiety and that reminders of mortality intensify striving for self-esteem; this research suggests that self-esteem is critical for psychological equanimity. Cultural worldviews serve the fundamental psychological function of providing the basis for death transcendence. To the extent this is true, reminders of mortality should stimulate bolstering of one’s worldview. More than 80 studies have supported this idea, most commonly by demonstrating that making death momentarily salient increases liking for people who support one’s worldview and hostility toward those with alternative worldviews. This work helps explain human beings’ dreadful history of intergroup prejudice and violence: The mere existence of people with different beliefs threatens our primary basis of psychological security; we therefore respond by derogation, assimilation efforts, or annihilation.
Epidemiology of In-Hospital Deaths Among Black Stroke Patients

Fatality rates in 527 consecutive stroke patients were compared by nine different criteria: age, sex, each of four risk factors or the absence of all, type of lesion, and initial level of consciousness. In the 527, the only significant increases (P < 0.01) in fatality rate were in older patients compared to younger patients (48% versus 34%), hemorrhages compared to infarctions (85% versus 33%), and patients with depressed sensoriums compared to alert ones (65% versus 19%). When the series was split by age (≤ 65 years, ≥ 66 years), younger hypertensives had more fatalities than normotensives (39% versus 24%, P < 0.02), while older hypertensives fared better than normotensives (45% fatalities versus 50%, not significant). For infarction alone, younger hypertensives had 21% fatalities, normotensives 16%; of older hypertensives, 39% died compared to 44% of the normotensives. These differences are not significant (P<0.25). In this series, it appears that (1) age, initial sensorium, and type of lesion are good ...
Evidence that Circuits for Spatial and Color Vision Segregate at the First Retinal Synapse

We are grateful to E. Pugh, G. Buchsbaum, and W. Merigan for critically reading the manuscript.
Using draft reviews to improve writing and thinking in engineering classes

Although faculty-student conferencing on papers and reports is common practice in composition classes, many engineering faculty are reluctant to try it. This paper describes the draft review conferencing process developed in the chemical engineering unit operations field session at the Colorado School of Mines. Since draft reviews were introduced, engineering faculty report improvement in students' writing skills, a dramatic decrease in the amount of time required to grade final reports, and far less frustration with the organisation and technical content of student reports. Students are very satisfied with the draft reviews as well, many of them describing the process as the 'best' aspect of their field session. In this paper the author describes the genesis and implementation of their draft review process, provides an example of such a review, and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using draft reviews in engineering classes.
AN EVALUATION OF THE GUTERMAN PREGNANCY TEST IN CLINICAL PRACTICE1

THE evaluation of the Guterman pregnancy test here reported has two distinct features: In the first place, we have resisted the temptation to modify the technique and have used it as described by its sponsor (4, 5) Secondly, we have employed the procedure routinely and have avoided a “test-series” of cases. The selection of patients has been entirely in the hands of the house and attending staffs; when it was clinically necessary to determine whether or not a patient was pregnant by laboratory methods, this test was performed, although a Friedman test would also be carried out on request. By this means we have gained a more accurate estimate of the usefulness of the test for hospital and dispensary practice. The technique outlined by Guterman employs the color reaction of Talbot et at. (9) and a modification of the extraction method of Astwood and Jones (1). Essentially it amounts to a qualitative reading of a quantitative change, and is based on the assumption that amenorrhea plus 1 mg. pregnandiol per 1...
Relational Genre Knowledge and the Online Design Critique: Relational Authenticity in Preprofessional Genre Learning:

This study explores the types of feedback and implicated relational systems in an online design critique using an inductive analysis of an online critique about a project focused on designing a new food pyramid. The results reveal eight types of feedback and three implied relational systems, all of which suggest relational archetypes that are disconnected from typical preprofessional activity systems. These results illustrate the potential for the online medium to be a space in which participants pursue idealized relational identities and interactions that are not necessarily authentic approximations of actual relational systems. Using these results as a foundation, the author discusses the potential relevance of the online medium to this setting and the implications of relational authenticity and genre knowledge on oral genre teaching and learning.
Verification and Validation of System-of-Systems Models for Lunar Command, Control, Communication, and Information Architecture

Strategic decisions for system-of-systems problems are critical because they require investments and have consequences that extend over generational time scales . Due to the complex nature of these problems, model-based system-of-systems engineering is the primary methodology for making high impact decisions early in the program design life cycle. While the definition of appropriate verification and validation processes for accreditation, certification, and credibility evaluation of models, simulations, and analyses is always important, it is particularly more challenging in system-of-systems engineering realm due to non-deterministic perturbations (arising from exogenous sources and operational environment disruptors) and interaction driven emergent behaviors (in the resource and stakeholder networks). Resultantly, this paper proposes a guiding methodology for implementing verification and validation of system-of-systems models, with particular application emphasis applied to improving informed decision -making for the design of the Lunar Command, Control, Communication, and Information architecture. For the purpose of verification and validation of SoS modeling and simulation, t he paper adopted ad existing “re-engineering process,” best practices in space exploration, defense, air transportation domains, and best practices from general modeling and simulation realm. The paper concludes with a discussion of our initial efforts in applying this methodology to the development of an M&S tool for architectural performance analyses and solution evaluations for the design of command, control, communication, and information services for proposed lunar surface operations.
Evaluation of inverter topology options for low inductance motors

Trends in modern motor designs require the power converter to satisfy stringent requirements. A few of the recently proposed quasi-resonant inverters have the capability to reach the performance levels required to drive these motors directly. A comparative evaluation of these inverter topologies is presented, with the conventional hard switched inverter as the base. All these inverters represent performance and size advantages compared to a conventional hard switched inverter. A preliminary reliability analysis reveals that the new topologies have somewhat smaller MTBF (mean time between failures) than the conventional hard switched inverter. >
Potentiation of Halogenated Pyrimidine Radiosensitizers in Human Carcinoma Cells by β-Lapachone (3,4-Dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-2H-naphtho[1,2-b]pyran-5,6-dione), a Novel DNA Repair Inhibitor

3,4-Dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-2H-naptho[1,2,-b]pyran-5,6-dione (beta-lapachone) is a novel DNA repair inhibitor. It was tested for synergistic X-ray-induced lethality in combination with several halogenated pyrimidine radiosensitizers. Logarithmic-phase growing human epidermoid laryngeal carcinoma (HEp-2) cells were allowed to incorporate pyrimidine analogues for 48 h (approximately two cell doublings) and then were X-irradiated and subjected to various posttreatments. beta-Lapachone synergistically increased the dose enhancement ratios (DERs) of all analogues screened, with the exception of the 2'-chloro derivative of 5-bromodeoxyuridine. For example, following 5-bromodeoxycytidine sensitization an X-ray DER value of 1.87 +/- 0.04 at 1% survival was increased to 3.51 +/- 0.42 due to a 4-h post-X-irradiation exposure to 4 microM beta-lapachone. Do and Dq values for halogenated pyrimidine-sensitized human epidermoid laryngeal carcinoma cells were decreased 1.4- to 5.4-fold and 1.4- to 4.0-fold, respectively. beta-Lapachone had little effect upon the cytotoxicities of unirradiated human epidermoid laryngeal carcinoma cells whether or not they were previously exposed to any of the halogenated pyrimidine radiosensitizers. beta-Lapachone treatment following X-irradiation of cells that had not incorporated a pyrimidine analogue exhibited DER values of 1.38 +/- 0.05 and 1.40 +/- 0.01 at 10 and 1% survival levels, respectively. beta-Lapachone enhanced the radiosensitization of deoxycytidine analogues to a greater extent than the structurally related deoxyuridine analogues. Greater DERs and lower Do and Dq values were found for deoxycytidine than for deoxyuridine analogue radiosensitizers following beta-lapachone treatment. This agent may improve presently used radiation therapies and enhance proposed strategies which utilize deoxycytidine analogue radiosensitization together with protection of normal tissues by tetrahydrouridine to achieve tumor-selective radiotherapy.
Articulated Motion Modeling for Activity Analysis

We propose an algorithm for articulated human motion segmentation that estimates parametric motions of body parts and segments images into moving regions accordingly. Our approach combines robust optical flow estimation, RANSAC, and region segmentation using color and Gaussian shape priors. This combination results in an algorithm that can robustly estimate and segment multiple motions, even for moving regions with small support and in low-resolution images. Based on the raw motion segmentation, consistent body motions are detected over time to characterize human activity. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated in a real scenario: characterizing dining activities of patients at a nursing home.