cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intrauterine expression of prothrombin in the sprague-dawley rat.

Thrombin appears to underlie myometrial contractions in response to intrauterine bleeding. In a similar fashion, thrombin generated within the uterus in the absence of active bleeding could also produce contractions. These studies sought to determine whether functionally active prothrombin is expressed in the pregnant and nonpregnant rat uterus. Uteri were obtained from proestrus/estrus and timed-pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats. Western blots were performed using antithrombin antibodies. Immunohistochemical studies were performed using the same antibodies along with the Vector Elite ABC kit. Qualitative reverse transcriptaase—polymerase chain reaction studies were performed using rat prothrombin-specific oligonucleotide primers. In vitro uterine contraction studies were performed using Taipan snake venom (an exogenous prothrombinase) and components of the plasma prothrombinase complex (Factors Xa and V) with and without pretreatment with thrombin inhibitors (heparin or hirudin). The Western blots demonstrated prothrombin peptides in myometrial tissue from estrus and pregnant rats. The immunohistochemical studies confirmed prothrombin peptides in both the circular and longitudinal myometrium, along with the endometrium. The reverse transcriptase—polymerase chain reaction studies demonstrated prothrombin mRNA in the endometrium and placenta, but not in the myometrial smooth muscle. The Taipan snake venom stimulated a significant increase in contractions, which were suppressed by pretreatment within heparin and hirudin. The Factor Xa and V complex also significantly stimulated uterine contractions, which were likewise inhibited by hirudin. These studies provide evidence supporting the expression of functionally active prothrombin in the pregnant and nonpregnant rat uterus. Based on the presence of its mRNA, prothrombin appears to be synthesized in the endometrium and placenta; in contrast, the myometrial smooth-muscle cells appear to sequester preformed prothrombin. These results support the hypothesis that intrauterine thrombin could play an autocrine/paracrine role in the regulation of contractile activity.
Long-term follow-up of women who underwent surgical correction for imperforate hymen

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the clinical results of postoperative evaluation for a consecutive series of cases of imperforate hymen presenting at a tertiary medical center during an over 14-year period. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 15 patients with imperforate hymen that had undergone hymenectomy between 1987 and 1998. After completing a questionnaire via a telephone interview regarding sexuality, fertility, menstrual problems, micturition and defecation after surgical correction, those patients were persuaded to come back to the hospital for further gynecological surveys during 2002. The mean postoperative follow-up was 8.5 years (range, 4–14 years). The mean age at diagnosis was 13.2 years (range, 11–16). The most common clinical symptom was cryptomenorrhea (15), followed by pelvic pain (11), palpable abdominal mass (9), urinary retention and other voiding problems (8) and problems of defecation (4). None admitted intercourse attempts before. Two patients also had uterine anomalies, but none had urinary tract or bowel anomalies. During the follow-up period, we found that the majority of patients had irregular menstrual cycles and were worried about their future fertility. Six patients suffered from dysmenorrhea; of 11 patients who began having intercourse two later delivered babies, and none complained of sexual dysfunction. After hymenectomy, the women with imperforate hymen were markedly relieved of cryptomenorrhea, and problems of micturition and defecation also greatly improved. Although complaints of irregular menstruation and dysmenorrhea gradually evolved as the center of attention during follow-up, most patients fared well in terms of fertility and sexual function.
Techniques for improving the performance of the Perkin—Elmer scanning calorimeter

Abstract The Perkin—Elmer DSC-lB differential scanning calorimeter is now a relatively standard laboratory instrument. Although reasonably well designed, it is possible to improve the operation significantly with a few simple modifications. The most major of these is thermostating the cell compartment. Using a dry nitrogen atmosphere outside as well as inside the thermostated cell greatly reduces noise and decreases drift. Sub-ambient operation under these conditions becomes relatively simple. The baseline drift becomes very reproducible—a significant aid in heat capacity measurement. Simple electronic modifications in the control potentiometers also bring about significant improvements. Directions with drawings and sample runs contrasting operation are given for the optimization of this instrument.
Building a Common Pediatric Research Terminology for Accelerating Child Health Research

Longitudinal observational clinical data on pediatric patients in electronic format is becoming widely available. A new era of multi-institutional data networks that study pediatric diseases and outcomes across disparate health delivery models and care settings are also enabling an innovative collaborative rapid improvement paradigm called the Learning Health System. However, the potential alignment of routine clinical care, observational clinical research, pragmatic clinical trials, and health systems improvement requires a data infrastructure capable of combining information from systems and workflows that historically have been isolated from each other. Removing barriers to integrating and reusing data collected in different settings will permit new opportunities to develop a more complete picture of a patient’s care and to leverage data from related research studies. One key barrier is the lack of a common terminology that provides uniform definitions and descriptions of clinical observations and data. A well-characterized terminology ensures a common meaning and supports data reuse and integration. A common terminology allows studies to build upon previous findings and to reuse data collection tools and data management processes. We present the current state of terminology harmonization and describe a governance structure and mechanism for coordinating the development of a common pediatric research terminology that links to clinical terminologies and can be used to align existing terminologies. By reducing the barriers between clinical care and clinical research, a Learning Health System can leverage and reuse not only its own data resources but also broader extant data resources.
Uniform stability of posteriors

Abstract Infinitesimal sensitivities of the posterior distribution P(·|X) and posterior quantities ρ(P) w.r.t. the choice of the prior P are considered. In a very general setting, the posterior P(·|x) and posterior quantities ρ(P) are treated as functions of the prior P on the space M of probability measures. Stability then amounts to checking if these functions satisfy Lipschitz condition of order 1. For parametric prior families, an intuitive criterion of p-stability is proposed and a general result on p-stability of posteriors is established. This result is then used to show that exponential family priors produce p-stable posteriors. In another interesting development, the notion of uniform stability of posteriors, i.e., stability w.r.t. to the prior that hold uniformly over all data, is introduced. Sufficient conditions are obtained under which posteriors are uniformly stable in the total variation metric and the weak convergence metrics.
Evaluation of solar cells by means of spectral analysis

An approach toward testing of solar cells is outlined, and a test set and evaluation procedure of test results are described. Outer space short-circuit current is calculated from spectral response measurements performed on the cells. From this and additional measurements that determine the forward diode characteristic, the maximum obtainable power and the voltage at which maximum power is delivered are computed. The accuracy of outer space short-circuit current predictions is ±2 to 3 per cent when suitable standards are employed.
Steroid Hormone Transformations by Endocrine Organs from Pregnant Mammals. III. Biosynthesis and Metabolism of Progesterone by the Mare Placenta in Vitro

The formation of radioactive progesterone from pregnenolone-7α-3H has been demonstrated in vitro by mare placental preparations. In addition, the following radioactive metabolites were identified following incubation of either pregnenolone-7α-3H or progesterone-4- 14C with mare placental preparations: 20α-hydroxypregn- 4-en-3-one, 5α-pregnane-3,20-dione, 5α-pregnan-3β-ol-20-one, 5α-pregnan-20α-ol-3- one, 5α-pregnane-3β,20α-diol and 5α-pregnane-3β,17α,20α-triol. The compound 20β-hydroxypregn- 4-en-3-one was identified only after incubation with pregnenolone-7α-3H. These findings are considered in relation to previously reported observations on placental metabolism in other mammalian species. In addition, the potential importance of the mare placenta as a source of urinary C21 metabolites during pregnancy is discussed. (Endocrinology 84: 91, 1969)
Correcting DFT Codes with a Modified Berlekamp-Massey Algorithm and Kalman Recursive Syndrome Extension

Real number block codes derived from the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) are corrected by coupling a very modified Berlekamp-Massey (BM) algorithm with a syndrome extension process. The modified BM algorithm determines recursively the locations of any large errors whose number is within the capability of the DFT code. It evolves a connection polynomial which is changed when a discrepancy is above a threshold which is adjusted during each iteration. The large error locations are repositioned to exact location indices to combat low-level noise effects. The syndromes are extended using the refined connection polynomial taps. Alternately, enhanced extension recursions based on Kalman syndrome extensions are developed and simulated.
Pre-transform early Miocene extension in western California

Earliest Miocene (20-24 Ma) faulting and volcanism were widespread in western California, including the San Joaquin-La Honda basin, Coast Ranges, and Transverse Ranges. Evidence for strike slip on faults of this age is lacking. Their arrangement on a pre-San Andreas restoration suggests continuity with early Miocene extended terranes in eastern California and southwestern Arizona. Deformation was probably not an effect of transform or triple-junction-migration tectonics, because it was synchronous over 300 km of latitude and there is no direct evidence for a transform boundary until late in early Miocene time. Magnetic anomalies in the eastern Pacific permit an interpretation that a spreading ridge supplied a still-active subduction zone with young oceanic crust until sometime after 20 Ma. If so, extension evidently took place in an arc-related setting. A transform regime probably formed about 18 Ma, when most basins underwent episodes of deepening or uplift, strike-slip faults became active, and rotation of the western Transverse Ranges block began.
Impact of collaborative traces on trustworthiness

We investigated how trust among software developers would be affected by providing them with visualizations of collaborative traces. We define collaborative traces to be representations of the past and current activity of a group of developers manipulating software development artifacts. In this paper, we report two main findings. First, we report the results of our controlled experiment in which collaborative traces were visualized. Second, we present an overview of tools which aim to represent collaborative software engineering traces. Our experiment provides evidence that collaborative traces can support the development of several factors of trust identified in our field study. However, we also identified some shortcomings of our current visualizations, gaining insights into future improvements. From our review of tools that represent collaborative traces, we observed that such representations can drive the design of tools that aim to support trust. We also present a table of tools; the table can be used to guide discussion and the design of tools that promote trust in software development.
Effect of Humid Conditions on Glass Surfaces Studied by Photographic and Transmission Techniques

The progressive attack on polished glass surfaces caused by exposure to high humidity conditions was studied with photomicrographs and by measuring the visible–light transmissions. Carefully polished specimens of five commercial glasses representing a wide range of chemical durability were exposed to relative humidities of 95, 73, and 57% at 90°C. for a total of 1296 hours. Photomicrographs taken at frequent intervals show the degree of surface alteration as a function of time and humidity and furnish some basis for characterizing the course of weathering. For some glasses, the transmission losses did not correlate simply with the amount of visible attack; gains in transmission were noted frequently as the attack progressed. One glass in particular exhibited a general trapsmission gain of 1% after 24 hours of weathering and maintained this gain throughout the tests. Surface films produced on the least resistant glasses caused greater transmission loss in the blue region of the visible spectrum than in the red. Following a dilute-acid wash, transmissions approached, or in some cases exceeded, values characteristic of the original polished condition.
Seasonal differences in motor terminals

Abstract 1. 1. Motor terminals undergo growth- and age-related changes throughout the lifetime of the animal in both vertebrates and invertebrates. 2. 2. Motor terminals also show seasonal differences in transmitter release and morphology in both vertebrates and invertebrates. 3. 3. Seasonal differences in motor terminals are likely to result from seasonal changes in motor activity and hormonal levels.
A REFINED AND LESS CONSERVATIVE DAY-OF-LAUNCH ATMOSPHERIC FLIGHT LOADS ANALYSIS APPROACH

Abstract : A day-of-launch atmospheric flight loads analysis approach that reduces conservatism by better defining the components of flight loads that have to be treated statistically and those that can be established with measured wind profiles just prior to launch is described. The approach introduces the concept of removing from measured day-of- launch winds the rapidly varying features, and only using the more slowly changing components in day-of-launch placard calculations. The proposed approach takes advantage of a recently-developed methodology that defines the spectral boundary, as a function of time, between wind components that can be considered slowly varying and those that change rapidly and, hence, have to be addressed statistically.
The effect of fluconazole prophylaxis on fungal colonization in neutropenic cancer patients

The impact of prophylaxis with 400 mg/day fluconazole on fungal colonization at different body sites was assessed in a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study among patients with leukaemia and those undergoing bone marrow transplantation. The study drug was given throughout the period of neutropenia and samples were obtained at weekly intervals. Of the 23 patients in each group, 11 of those given fluconazole and 12 placebo recipients were colonized at entry. The commonest sites were the oropharynx and rectum and Candida albicans was the most frequent isolate. Fluconazole led to a marked reduction in colonization by the second week of treatment to 29% compared with 68% for those given the placebo. Two-weeks after stopping the study regimen there was little change with yeast being isolated from 33% and 81% respectively. Fluconazole was particularly effective in reducing the carriage of C. albicans in the oropharynx from 46% to 0-10% and in maintaining this throughout prophylaxis. Recovery of Candida (Torulopsis) glabrata from the perianal region steadily increased to around 30% in both patient groups and while Candida krusei species were found exclusively in patients given fluconazole, other candida were more common in the placebo group. These results demonstrate that by rapidly reducing the colonization of the alimentary tract, fluconazole eliminates the major reservoir for infection with yeasts other than C. glabrata and C. krusei during the critical period of neutropenia.
Of web portals, E-Gov, and the public’s prints☆

Les sites portails gouvernementaux aux Etats-Unis. Problemes de preservation et de protection de l'information dans le contexte suivant: les agences fderales peuvent passer des contrats directement avec des imprimeurs prives
In vitro fertilization (IVF) versus gonadotropins followed by IVF as treatment for primary infertility : a cost-based decision analysis

Objective To compare the economic consequences of proceeding directly to IVF to those of proceeding with gonadotropins followed by IVF in patients Design A decision-tree model. The model incorporated the cost and success of each infertility regimen as well as the pregnancy-associated costs of singleton or multiple gestations and the risk and cost of cerebral palsy. Main Outcome Measure(s) Cost per live birth. Result(s) Both treatment arms resulted in a >80% chance of birth. The gonadotropin arm was over four times more likely to result in a high-order multiple pregnancy (HOMP). Despite this, when the base case estimates were utilized, immediate IVF emerged as more costly per live birth. In sensitivity analysis, immediate IVF became less costly per live birth when IVF was more likely to achieve birth (55.1%) or cheaper ($11,432) than our base case assumptions. Conclusion(s) After considering the risk and cost of HOMP, immediate IVF is more costly per live birth than a trial of gonadotropins prior to IVF.
Physical Properties of Spicules from Simultaneous Spectropolarimetric Observations of He I and Ca II Lines

We present full Stokes observations from SPINOR (Spectro-Polarimeter for INfrared and Optical Regions, at the Dunn Solar Telescope) in the Ca II infrared triplet and the He I multiplet at 1083 nm from which some properties of spicules have been derived. There are important advantages in multiline observations, particularly from different elements. We find that the orientation of the plane of polarization is very different for the Ca and He lines, which provides new model-independent direct evidence of magnetic fields in spicules. Our data show that the Ca and He lines have almost identical widths. Since the Ca atom is 10 times heavier than He, we are able to conclude that most of the broadening is nonthermal (16 km s-1) and to set an upper limit of 13 kK to the spicular temperatures. The bisectors of the lines span a velocity range of over 15 km s-1 for the He line and 30 km s-1 for the Ca ones. The vertical gradient of line-of-sight velocities is also very different for both elements. We obtain 2.8 km s-1 Mm-1 from He versus 6.4 km s-1 Mm-1 from Ca. These properties, and others from similar observations, should be taken into account in future physical models of spicules.
Preterm medical complications differentially affect neurobehavioral functions: Results from a new neonatal medical index

Abstract A neonatal medical index was developed and externally validated to test the clinical sensitivity of the Neurobehavioral Assessment of the Preterm Infant (NAPI), for which the reliability and developmental validity had previously been established, but which had not been tested for its clinical validity. The Neonatal Medical Index (NMI) summarizes, in bold strokes, infants' medical course during their stay in the hospital. Two questions were posed: (a) Does the assessment differentiate between the performance of infants who had severe medical complications from that of infants who had an uncomplicated medical course? and (b) Do medical complications affect some neurobehavioral functions and not others? The results indicated that all functions requiring infant vigor and strength were significantly affected by prior medical complications (i.e., motor development and vigor, irritability, and vigor of crying). By contrast, alertness and orientation and several other neurobehavioral functions were relatively unaffected by prior illness.
Deterioration of mechanical properties: A cause for fuel cell membrane failure

Abstract The mechanical properties of Nafion ® membranes that were degraded after periods of open circuit voltage (OCV) conditions in a fuel cell were studied. Severe decreases in membrane modulus and ductility at 80 °C and 100% relative humidity were observed. Stress-at-break values for 45 and 72 h degraded membrane–electrode assemblies (MEAs) were 6 and 9 times lower, respectively, while strain-at-break was 24 and 28 times lower, respectively, than that of a control MEA. Contractile stresses developed in constrained hydrated membranes that were then dried were conducted as a function of drying time. A pre-OCV degraded MEA, when subjected to creep deformation at 10 MPa, showed surface cracks which were not present in the control MEA. The 72 h-degraded MEA exhibited wider cracks than those of the 45 h-degraded MEA sample. Spectroscopic analysis of degraded membranes showed various small molecule fragments associated with side chain degradation.
Resonance Raman studies of xanthine oxidase: The reduced enzyme-product complex with violapterin.

A study of the molecular, electronic, and vibrational characteristics of the molybdenum-containing enzyme complex xanthine oxidase with violapterin has been carried out using density functional theory calculations and resonance Raman spectroscopy. The electronic structure calculations were carried out on a model consisting of the enzyme molybdopterin cofactor [in the four-valent, reduced state; Mo I V O(SH)] covalently linked to violapterin (1H,3H,8H-pteridine-2,4,7-trione in the neutral form) via an oxygen bridge, Mo-O-C7. Full geometry optimizations were performed for all models using the SDD basis set and the three-parameter exchange functional of Becke combined with the Lee, Yang, and Parr correlational functional. Harmonic vibrational frequencies were determined for a variety of isotopes in an attempt to correlate experimentally observed shifts upon 1 8 O-labeling of the Mo-OR bridge to bound product as well as shifts seen upon substitution of solvent-exchangeable protons in samples prepared in D 2 O. The theoretical vibrational frequencies compared favorably with experimentally observed vibrational modes in the resonance Raman spectra of the reduced xanthine oxidase-violapterin complex prepared in H 2 O and D 2 O and with 1 8 O-labeled product. Correlating the isotopic shifts from the calculations with those from the resonance Raman experiments resulted in complete normal mode assignments for all modes observed in the 350-1750 cm - 1 range. The present work demonstrates that a model in which the violapterin is coordinated to the molybdenum of the active site in a simple end-on manner via the hydroxyl group introduced by an enzyme accurately predicts the observed resonance Raman spectrum of the complex. Given the numerous modes involving the bridging oxygen, a side-on binding mode can be eliminated.
Modelling composite crushing initiation using a cohesive element formulation

Simulations of delamination propagation and the initiation and crushing of composite laminates are made using a finite-element crash code, LS-DYNA. Delamination growth is modelled using cohesive failure models native to LS-DYNA, and in-plane failures are made using a laminated composite failure model. Results show that it is possible to accurately simulate simple dynamic delamination propagation events. Response during laminate crushing initiation is significantly more complex. Qualitative similarity between experimental data and crushing simulations is found, though quantitative correlation remains elusive.
New synthesis ofcis-3,cis-5- andtrans-3,cis-5-tetradecadienoic acids, pheromone constituents ofattagenus elongatulus andA. megatoma

A new method for the synthesis ofcis-3,cis-5- andtrans-3,cis-5-tetradecadienoic acids, pheromone constituents of the dermestid beetlesAttagenus elongatulus andA. megatoma, was developed. The syntheses are based upon the formation oftrans-2-tetradecen-5-ynoic acid by reaction of 4-bromo-2-butenoic acid with 1-decynylmagnesium bromide. The enynoic acid undergoes alkali-induced isomerization to yield a mixture of acids from whichcis-3- andtrans-3-tetradecen-5-ynoic acids were separated in 31% and 34% yields, respectively. Methyltrans-2-tetradecen-5-ynoate was similarly prepared and isomerized to furnish methylcis-3-tetradecen-5-ynoate in 8% yield. Reduction of the tetradecenynoic acids with dicyclohexylborane gavecis-3,cis-5-andtrans-3,cis-5-tetradecadienoic acids in 4% and 39% yields, respectively. A better yield (49%) in the reduction ofcis-3-tetradecen-5-ynoic acid tocis-3,cis-5-tetradecadienoic acid was obtained by hydrogenation over Lindlar's catalyst. Similarly, reduction of methylcis-3-tetradecen-5-ynoate with disiamylborane gave 22% methylcis-3,cis-5-tetradecadienoate.
Two parallel relative homological algebras

~:lass is shown to be a relative homological algebra, and a characterization is given for each. Here no assumptions are made regarding the groups considered and, in general, no distinction is made between the short exact sequence O-~A ~B~C-~O and the element it represents in the group Ext (C, A). However, if E is the sequence O~A-~B~B/A~O, the notation hE, where n~Z, always denotes the sequence O~A-A*H~-~B/A-~O where H:{(b,b~+A)[b+A=nbl+A}, j(a)=(a,O), and s(b, b~+A)=b~+A, nE does represent n times the element represented by E in Ext (B/A, A). Also, the notation E, denotes the sequence 0 ~A/A [n]-~A +nB/A [n] ~n(B/A)~O, where the maps are induced by those of E. The torsion subgroup of Ext (C, A) is denoted by Text (C, A), the divisible part of Ext (C, A) by Dext (C, A), and the elements of infinite height by Pext (C, A). In [4], C. WALKER proved that an exact sequence E: O+A-~B~B/A-+O represents an element of Text (B/A, A) if and only if for some n the sequence E, is split exact. The characterizations of the two relative homological algebras studied in this paper are similar to this characterization of Text. DEFINITION. (a) A sequence E: O-~A-~B~B/A~O is quasi-pure if nE is pure :for some nEZ. The class of all such E is denoted A.
Clinical comparison of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in the treatment of geriatric depression: a review of literature

IntroductionWith their ease of administration, relatively benign side-effect profile and safety in overdose, in the United States the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have become de facto first choice in the treatment of geriatric depression, displacing tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). In this paper, the relevant literature regarding neurochemistry, kinetics, dosing, efficacy and differential side-effect profiles of citalopram, fluvoxamine, fluoxetine, sertraline, and paroxetine, the five currently available SSRIs in the USA, will be reviewed with special emphasis on geriatric data. Of late, considerable controversy has been generated regarding whether SSRIs are as effective as TCAs in severe and melancholic depressive subtypes. This important issue will be explored and the relative utility of all the SSRIs in the elderly patient compared and contrasted. Finally, reasons for difficulties in comparing results across studies will be elucidated.
Reduced oxygen extraction during reperfusion: a consequence of global ischemic arrest

Abstract Myocardial oxygen utilization has been shown to be impaired following prolonged global ischemia in experimental and clinical studies. The precise nature of this defect in O2 utilization has not been well defined and the present study was designed in an attempt to elucidate the defect. Forty-six isolated, isovolumic feline heart preparations were utilized and three groups of 10 hearts each were subjected to 60 min of normothermic ischemic arrest. Left ventricular function, assessed by developed pressure (DP) and dP dt , coronary blood flow (CBF), myocardial oxygen consumption ( M V O 2 ), and oxygen extraction (O2E) were measured before and after ischemia. One group (I) had unmodified reperfusion; the second group (II) received epinephrine during reperfusion to increase contractility, and the third group (III) received nitroprusside post-ischemia to increase CBF. The remaining hearts, none of which underwent ischemic arrest, were divided into two groups, one of which (IV) was subjected to a period of reduced perfusion pressure with the above parameters examined, and in the final group (V) a period of epinephrine infusion was performed. In Group I hearts after ischemia, dP dt , CBF, M V O 2 , and O2E were all significantly reduced when compared to preischemic levels. Epinephrine infusion postarrest (Group II), although increasing dP dt , CBF, and M V O 2 , did not change the postischemic depression of O2E. With nitroprusside infusion to postischemic depression of oxygen extraction was still apparent. By contrast, epinephrine infusion in the nonarrested hearts (V) increased oxygen extraction as well as dP dt , CBF, and M V O 2 . These data suggest that the primary defect in postischemic oxygen utilization after prolonged ischemia is an impairment in oxygen extraction. Furthermore, the data demonstrate that oxygen extraction remains depressed following arrest in spite of changes in CBF and ventricular function.
BioMon: a Google Earth based continuous biomass monitoring system

We demonstrate a Google Earth based novel visualization system for continuous monitoring of biomass at regional and global scales. This system is integrated with a back-end spatiotemporal data mining system that continuously detects changes using high temporal resolution MODIS images. In addition to the visualization, we demonstrate novel query features of the system that provides insights into the current conditions of the landscape.
Allozyme variation in a natural contact zone between Gambusia affinis and Gambusia holbrooki

Allozymic variation was examined in the western and eastern mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis and G. holbrooki, respectively, from 19 locations in the Gulf Coast region of the United States. Genetic variation at 13 enzymatic loci was used to delineate the distributions of the two species within and among drainages. The allozyme data support the existence of a wide zone of sympatry between the two species, with some indication of limited hybridization having occurred. Heterozygosity and F-statistics estimates suggest that the species may be maintaining successful reproductive isolation when syntopic.
Relationships among illness uncertainty, stress, coping, and emotional well-being at entry into a clinical drug trial

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the relationships among illness uncertainty, stress, coping, and emotional well-being at the time of entry into a clinical drug trial. Hopefulness and mood state were included as indicators of emotional well-being. The sample included 59 clients who participated in a 2-year trial using methotrexate for progressive multiple sclerosis. Results indicated that ambulation status, education, perceived stress, and illness uncertainty were the best correlates of emotional well-being. The results suggest that clients entering a drug trial with high levels of illness uncertainty and stress are likely to experience mood disturbances and feel less hopeful about treatment effectiveness. This information may be used as a foundation for developing nursing interventions designed to foster emotional well-being at the time of entry into drug trials.
Tests for Hierarchical Structure in Random Data Sets

The degree of fit of phenograms (constructed using UPGMA cluster analysis) to similarity matrices based on random data was examined using the cophenetic correlation coefficient. Approximate critical bounds were established for testing for the presence of hierarchic structure in one's data. Sokal's taxonomic distance coefficient was shown to be more sensitive than the product-moment correlation coefficient to differences in the multivariate structure of the sampled distributions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree of fit of phenograms to similarity matrices based on random data (both multivariate normal and uniform distributions were used). The degree of fit was measured using the cophenetic correlation coefficient (Sokal and Rohlf, 1962). It is of interest to develop a standard for comparsion with actual numerical taxonomic results in order to formulate a test criterion to indicate whether one has sufficient evidence to indicate that the phenetic relationships present in one's data are hierarchic (rather than simply what could be expected from a random sample of a single homogeneous population).
Pollen-vegetation calibration for tundra communities in the Arctic Foothills, northern Alaska

Summary 1 Palynology has been portrayed as a ‘blunt’ tool for reconstructing variations in arctic tundra vegetation. We tested this characterization in the Arctic Foothills of northern Alaska by analysing 56 modern pollen assemblages from lakes on contrasting glaciated surfaces. The two surfaces, which date to the Sagavanirktok (> 125 000 years BP) and Itkillik II ( c. 11 500 years BP) ice advances from the Brooks Range, have considerably different geomorphology, soil characteristics and plant communities. Sagavanirktok surfaces are dominated by dwarf-shrub tundra (DST), and Itkillik II surfaces by prostrateshrub tundra (PST). 2 We used two multivariate approaches, dissimilarity metrics (squared chord distance and Canberra metric distance) and discriminant analysis, to assess the ability of the pollen data to distinguish between the Sagavanirktok and Itkillik II landscapes, and to identify the taxa most strongly associated with one surface or the other. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the performance of the dissimilarity metrics and to determine their ‘critical values’ for distinguishing between assemblages from like and unlike plant communities. 3 According to the discriminant analysis, taxa indicative of the Sagavanirktok surface include Rubus chamaemorus , Sphagnum and Ericales, whereas Equisetum , Thalictrum and Polypodiaceae were faithful to the Itkillik II surface. These differences between the pollen assemblages make it possible to differentiate between the two landscapes using Canberra metric distance comparisons. The ROC analysis demonstrated that the Canberra metric distance is more effective than squared chord distance for distinguishing between the two surfaces. This study illustrates that palynology can be used to explore questions regarding the landscape-scale heterogeneity of past tundra vegetation.
Log-Based Distributed Security Event Detection Using Simple Event Correlator

Log event correlation is an effective means of detecting system faults and security breaches encountered in information technology environments. Centralized, database-driven log event correlation is common, but suffers from flaws such as high network bandwidth utilization, significant requirements for system resources, and difficulty in detecting certain suspicious behaviors. Distributed event correlation is often assumed to be superior, but no research effort has been made which quantitatively evaluates its advantages and disadvantages. This research presents a distributed event correlation system which performs security event detection, and evaluates it experimentally, compared with a centralized alternative. The comparison measures the value in distributed event correlation by considering network bandwidth utilization, detection capability and database query efficiency. The implementation of these advantages allows a 99% reduction of network syslog traffic in the low accountability case. In addition, the system detects every implemented malicious use case, with a low false positive rate.
Design of Inserts for Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar Testing of Low Strain-to-Failure Materials

In the present study a new insert design is presented and validated to enable reliable dynamic mechanical characterization of low strain-to-failure materials using the Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) apparatus. Finite element-based simulations are conducted to better understand the effects of stress concentrations on the dynamic behavior of LM-1, a Zr-based bulk metallic glass (BMG), using the conventional SHPB setup with cylindrical inserts, and two modified setups—one utilizing conical inserts and the other utilizing a “dogbone” shaped specimen. Based on the results of these computational experiments the ends of the dogbone specimen are replaced with high-strength maraging steel inserts. This new insert-specimen configuration is expected to prevent specimen failure outside the specimen gage section. Simulations are then performed to validate the new insert design. Moreover, high strain-rate uniaxial compression tests are conducted on LM-1 using the modified SHPB with the new inserts. An ultra-high-speed camera is employed to investigate the changes in failure behavior of the specimens. Additional experiments are conducted with strain gages directly attached to the gage section of the specimens to determine accurately their dynamic stress–strain behavior.
Robust Iterative Learning Control: L 1 adaptive feedback control in an ILC framework

This paper presents a novel Iterative Learning Control (ILC) scheme for linear systems in the presence of parametric uncertainty. The developed ILC architecture is comprised of an L 1 adaptive feedback controller combined with an ILC feedforward controller. The learning controller is designed to compensate for repetitive system uncertainties, while the adaptive controller compensates for non-repetitive uncertainties. Simulation results for a simplified motion control system illustrate the potential benefits of the architecture.
Toxic Membrane Fractions from Mycoplasma fermentans

Abstract A recent isolate of Mycoplasma fermentans (strain K10, from human leukemic bone marrow) induced a lethal toxicity syndrome in mice. High doses of both viable and inactivated cells were toxic when injected intraperitoneally. Whole lysates and membranes from osmotically shocked cells killed mice, but cytoplasm did not. When membranes were dissolved in detergents and reaggregated by dialysis in the presence of Mg2+, the lipid-protein complex thus formed was toxic. Lipids extracted from membranes with chloroform-methanol did not kill mice. Protein-rich fractions (obtained by reaggregation plus acetone washes or ammonium sulfate precipitation of dissolved membranes) were also not toxic. No qualitative differences in proteins from three toxic isolates and three nontoxic laboratory strains of M. fermentans were detectable by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The toxic factor contained in reaggregated membranes was heat-stable but sensitive to Pronase, trypsin, and lipase.
Cross-Sectional Tem Studies of Barium Strontium Titanate Deposited on Silicon by Pulsed Laser Ablation

Barium strontium titanate films were deposited onto silicon substrates using pulsed laser ablation deposition. The films were characterized using conventional and high resolution cross-sectional TEM. It was found that the grains were columnar with an average width of approximately 23 nm. An amorphous interfacial layer formed between the Si and BST in all cases. The interfacial layer thickness increased as the sample exposure to O2 increased. TiSi2 was also observed in all the films, although its location at the interface was not directly verified. There are no systematic effects of O2 overpressure on either the film thickness or film microstructure. However, the film which was fabricated with the greatest exposure to O2 may contain TixOy, and contains more equiaxed grains than the other samples. An interfacial layer was also observed at the Au-Pd/BST interface in a metal/ferroelectric/silicon capacitor. The significance of the results is the observation that BST may never come in direct contact with either capacitor electrode, which may explain why the fatigue behavior and electrical characteristics of ferroelectric capacitors depend so strongly on the interfaces.
Serum leptin levels, hormone levels, and hot flashes in midlife women.

Objective To examine the associations between serum leptin levels, sex steroid hormone levels, and hot flashes in normal weight and obese midlife women. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting University clinic. Patient(s) 201 Caucasian, nonsmoking women aged 45 to 54 years with a body mass index of 2 or ≥30 kg/m 2 . Intervention(s) Questionnaire, fasting blood samples. Main Outcome Measure(s) Serum leptin and sex steroid hormone levels. Result(s) Correlation and regression models were performed to examine associations between leptin levels, hormone levels, and hot flashes. Leptin levels were associated with BMI, with "ever experiencing hot flashes" (questionnaire), with hot flashes within the last 30 days, and with duration of hot flashes (>1 year, P =.03). Leptin was positively correlated with testosterone, free testosterone index, and free estrogen index and inversely associated with levels of sex hormone–binding globulin. In women with a body mass index ≥30 kg/m 2 , leptin levels no longer correlated with testosterone levels. Conclusion(s) Serum leptin levels are associated with the occurrence and duration of hot flashes in midlife women; however, no correlation was found between leptin and serum estradiol.
A new technique for vernier pointing of a beam-waveguide antenna

This paper presents a new and simple approach for the Ka-band vernier pointing of a 34 m beam-waveguide (BWG) antenna (also applicable to a 70 m antenna). In this study, rotation of a BWG flat mirror, located at the elevation axis, is used to scan the beam instead of using the very large tipping structure of the antenna. The rotation of a BWG flat minor at another location is also investigated. The advantages of scanning the drastically smaller mirror with a less precise mechanism will be discussed. RF performance predictions will be presented. >
Affinity functions: recognizing essential parameters in fuzzy connectedness based image segmentation

Fuzzy connectedness (FC) constitutes an important class of image segmentation schemas. Although affinity functions represent the core aspect (main variability parameter) of FC algorithms, they have not been studied systematically in the literature. In this paper, we present a thorough study to fill this gap. Our analysis is based on the notion of equivalent affinities: if any two equivalent affinities are used in the same FC schema to produce two versions of the algorithm, then these algorithms are equivalent in the sense that they lead to identical segmentations. We give a complete characterization of the affinity equivalence and show that many natural definitions of affinity functions and their parameters used in the literature are redundant in the sense that different definitions and values of such parameters lead to equivalent affinities. We also show that two main affinity types - homogeneity based and object feature based - are equivalent, respectively, to the difference quotient of the intensity function and Rosenfeld's degree of connectivity. In addition, we demonstrate that any segmentation obtained via relative fuzzy connectedness (RFC) algorithm can be viewed as segmentation obtained via absolute fuzzy connectedness (AFC) algorithm with an automatic and adaptive threshold detection. We finish with an analysis of possible ways of combining different component affinities that result in non equivalent affinities.
RAD51C germline mutations in breast and ovarian cancer cases from high-risk families.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 are the most well-known breast cancer susceptibility genes. Additional genes involved in DNA repair have been identified as predisposing to breast cancer. One such gene, RAD51C, is essential for homologous recombination repair. Several likely pathogenic RAD51C mutations have been identified in BRCA1- and BRCA2-negative breast and ovarian cancer families. We performed complete sequencing of RAD51C in germline DNA of 286 female breast and/or ovarian cancer cases with a family history of breast and ovarian cancers, who had previously tested negative for mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2. We screened 133 breast cancer cases, 119 ovarian cancer cases, and 34 with both breast and ovarian cancers. Fifteen DNA sequence variants were identified; including four intronic, one 5′ UTR, one promoter, three synonymous, and six non-synonymous variants. None were truncating. The in-silico SIFT and Polyphen programs were used to predict possible pathogenicity of the six non-synonomous variants based on sequence conservation. G153D and T287A were predicted to be likely pathogenic. Two additional variants, A126T and R214C alter amino acids in important domains of the protein such that they could be pathogenic. Two-hybrid screening and immunoblot analyses were performed to assess the functionality of these four non-synonomous variants in yeast. The RAD51C-G153D protein displayed no detectable interaction with either XRCC3 or RAD51B, and RAD51C-R214C displayed significantly decreased interaction with both XRCC3 and RAD51B (p<0.001). Immunoblots of RAD51C-Gal4 activation domain fusion peptides showed protein levels of RAD51C-G153D and RAD51C-R214C that were 50% and 60% of the wild-type, respectively. Based on these data, the RAD51C-G153D variant is likely to be pathogenic, while the RAD51C- R214C variant is hypomorphic of uncertain pathogenicity. These results provide further support that RAD51C is a rare breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility gene.
The nucleotide sequence of genes involved in the leucine biosynthetic pathway of Clostridium pasteurianum

A 2.2 kb SphI/ClaI fragment of the Clostridium pasteurianum chromosome has previously been cloned and shown to complement leuB401 and leuC171 mutations in Escherichia coli. The nucleotide sequence of this fragment has been determined (2327 bp) and carries three open reading frames. The products of translation of these reading frames display significant homologies with the alpha-isopropylmalate isomerase subunit (leuD) gene of Salmonella typhimurium, the beta-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase (leuB) genes of several organisms, and the dihydroxyacid dehydrase (ilvD) gene of E. coli.
Frequency selective surfaces combining slot and strip arrays in a stratified medium

It is demonstrated that metallic strip arrays can be used to load the slot arrays in a frequency selective surface to compensate for the variation in incident angles. Unlike previous structures which are made up of either strip or slot arrays only, the structure considered consists of both strip and slot arrays in the same frequency selective surface. Combining strip and slot arrays in a frequency selective surface provides additional parameters to control its performance. The transmission coefficients for two closely spaced slot arrays located in free space are obtained. The resonant frequency and bandwidth vary for different incident angles. To reduce this variation, a strip array is inserted between the slot arrays. Finally, results for arrays embedded in dielectric slabs are shown. >
The Theory Deficit in Accounting

Accountants in all sectors of the accounting community – teachers, researchers, auditors, financial statement preparers, and standards setters – are handicapped by a lack of suitable accounting theories and a reluctance to use those that are available. These assertions are addressed from several directions. First, a definition and set of criteria of a good theory are proposed. Then, we consider theory in several other fields to provide some orientation. A classification scheme for accounting theories is proposed using the concepts of voice and domain. Fourteen candidates for theory status in the broad area of accounting are suggested and the apparent success of each in “the market place” is noted. The most common weaknesses appear to be failure to specify a limited domain and lack of importance of the apparent domain to significant numbers of accountants. Suggestions are made for contributions that theory could make to accounting education, research, standards setting, and the preparation of financial reports. The paper ends with a plea for work on accounting theories.