cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of high light intensity on photoinhibition, oxyradicals and artemisinin content in Artemisia annua L.

Artemisia annua L. produces a compound called artemisinin that is a potent anti-malarial compound. However concentration of artemisinin within the plant is typically low (less than 0.8% of dry mass) and currently supply of the drug by the plant does not meet world demand. This investigation was carried out to determine whether high intensity light treatment would increase production of artemisinin in leaves of A. annua. Photoinhibition (14%) was induced in leaves of A. annua when they were subjected to 6 h of high-intensity light [2,000 μmol(photon) m-2 s−1]. Maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII showed a recovery of up to 95% within 24 h of light induced inhibition. During the light treatment, photochemical efficiency of PSII in leaves of the high-intensity light-treated plants was 38% lower than for those from leaves of plants subjected to a low-intensity-light treatment of 100 μmol(photon) m-2 s−1. Nonphotochemical quenching of excess excitation energy was 2.7 times higher for leaves treated with high-intensity light than for those irradiated with low-intensity light. Elevation in oxidative stress in irradiated leaves increased presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) including singlet oxygen, superoxide anions, and hydrogen peroxide. Importantly, the concentration of artemisinin in leaves was two-fold higher for leaves treated with high-intensity light, as compared to those treated with low-intensity light. These results indicate that A. annua responds to high irradiance through nonphotochemical dissipation of light energy yet is subject to photoinhibitory loss of photosynthetic capacity. It can be concluded that A. annua is capable of rapid recovery from photoinhibition caused by high light intensity. High light intensity also induced oxidative stress characterized by increased concentration of ROS which enhanced the content of artemisinin. Such a light treatment may be useful for the purpose of increasing artemisinin content in A. annua prior to harvest.
Survival work: the experience of the patient and the spouse involved in experimental treatment for cancer

The unpredictable course of cancer and its treatment and the ability to adjust to these uncertainties may influence the psychological stress experienced by the patient and family as well as their ability to engage in coping activities. This study describes the experiences of patients--and their spouses--involved in experimental therapy for advanced cancer, including their decision to enter a clinical trial and the processes that contributed to the patients' continuation of treatment.
Determining the effects of intraclass correlation on factorial experiments

This paper considers the effects of the presence of eqmi-correlation between observations in a k-way factorial experiment, A technique to provide unbiased F-tests is also constructed.
Multiple mating and repeated copulations: effects on male reproductive success in red flour beetles

In many insects, both sexes mate multiple times and females use stored sperm for fertilizations. While males frequently engage in two distinct behaviours, multiple mating (with different females) and repeated copulations (with the same female), the reproductive consequences of these behaviours for males have been quantified for only a few species. In this study, males of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, were found to be capable of mating with as many as seven different virgin females within 15 min. Across sequential copulations with virgin females, there was no decline in either male insemination success or average female progeny production over 48 h. However, when males copulated with previously mated females, there was a significant decline in male paternity success across sequential copulations, possibly due to male sperm depletion. In separate experiments, T. castaneum males were found to engage in two to six repeated copulations with the same, individually marked female. These repeated copulations did not increase male insemination success, short-term female fecundity, or male paternity success. Repeated copulations may possibly play a role in sperm defence. This study indicates that males may frequently engage in multiple matings, but these additional matings may lead to diminishing male reproductive returns.
Protein Phosphatase 2A and Neutral Sphingomyelinase 2 Regulate IRAK-1 Protein Ubiquitination and Degradation in Response to Interleukin-1β

The IL-1β signaling cascade is initiated by the phosphorylation of IL-1β receptor-associated kinase-1 (IRAK-1), followed by its ubiquitination and degradation. This paper investigates the regulation of IRAK-1 degradation in primary hepatocytes and in HEK cells overexpressing the IL-1β receptor. We provide evidence that protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is a negative regulator of the phosphorylation, Lys48-linked ubiquitination, and degradation of IRAK-1. PP2A catalytic activity increased within 30 min of stimulation with IL-1β. siRNA against PP2A catalytic subunit (PP2Ac) or treatment with pharmacological inhibitor, okadaic acid, enhanced IRAK-1 Lys48-linked ubiquitination and degradation. Direct interaction between PP2Ac and IRAK-1 was observed, suggesting that IRAK-1 might be a PP2A substrate. The mechanisms of PP2A activation by IL-1β involved neutral sphingomyelinase-2 (NSMase-2) and an accumulation of ceramide. Overexpression of NSMase-2 delayed IRAK-1 degradation in a PP2A-dependent manner, whereas NSMase-2 silencing had the opposite effect. The addition of sphingomyelinase, ceramide, or a proteasome inhibitor all led to retention of IRAK-1 at the cell membrane and to increased JNK phosphorylation. This study suggests that NSMase-2- and PP2A-dependent regulation of IRAK-1 degradation is a novel mechanism to fine tune the magnitude of IL-1β response.
Mammography at a crossroad. How do physicians reconcile conflicting study results with the biologic truths of breast cancer

The value of routine mammography screening for breast cancer has been the subject of heated debate for much of the last decade. Ten years ago, a baseline mammogram was recommended for women at age 35, and annual mammograms were recommended after age 40. These guidelines were based on the results of mammography trials in Europe and the United States in which a 30% reduction in breast cancer deaths was seen among women who underwent screening.
773 MENINGITIS OUTBREAK - LABORATORY DIFFERENTIATION OF ETIOLOGY

This study considered which initial laboratory (lab.) tests are useful in differentiating bacterial from aseptic meningitis. Between July and October, 1977, 44 children (11 days to 17 yrs. of age) with meningitis were seen. Lab. data obtained included: absolute band count (ABC), absolute polymorphonuclear count (APC), CSF glucose/blood glucose (G/BG) ratio, CSF white blood count (WBC) and differential, and CSF lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH). Group I (7 pts., 1 pretreated) had bacteria cultured from CSF. Group II (37 pts., 0 pretreated) had sterile CSF and improved clinically without any antibiotic therapy or with only 48 hrs. of therapy pending culture reports. There was no significant difference between the APCs of the 2 groups. Group I had a higher mean ABC (p 60 in all Group I pts. and <60 in all Group II pts. In this outbreak of aseptic meningitis the measurement of LDH in CSF proved to be the only single test that reliably distinguished bacterial from aseptic disease.
THE RESPONSE OF HUMAN DENTAL PULP TO VARIOUS PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL AGENTS: A CORRELATED CLINICAL AND HISTOPATHOLOGIC STUDY.

Abstract Exposed pulpal tissue in fifty caries-free intact teeth was subjected to six different pulp-capping procedures. Histologic evaluations revealed that 8 weeks after treatment complete pulp healing was not evident following any procedure. Calcium hydroxide resulted in a connective tissue barrier around the area of exposure, whereas zinc oxide-eugenol produced a mild chronic inflammation. The use of Hyfrecator in the pulpal exposed area resulted in severe degenerative changes.
Fatigue and carnitine levels over multiple cycles of chemotherapy in children and adolescents.

Abstract Purpose Fatigue in childhood cancer is a pervasive and distressing symptom described as a “lack of energy”. Carnitine is a micronutrient used to transport long chain fatty acids into muscle mitochondria. Some chemotherapy drugs interfere with the carnitine network. Both carnitine and fatigue relate to physical energy and may be influenced by chemotherapy. Using a repeated measures design, change in carnitine levels and change in fatigue in childhood cancer patients receiving ifosfamide, cisplatin, or doxorubicin were examined over multiple chemotherapy cycles. The influence of carnitine levels on fatigue was evaluated. Methods and Sample Fifty-eight patients, between ages 3 and 18 years, within two months from diagnosis and receiving cisplatin, doxorubicin, and/or ifosfamide chemotherapy drugs, participated. Measurements included carnitine plasma levels and self-reported fatigue using established child or adolescent fatigue scales and were collected during the 2nd cycle of chemotherapy, and repeated on alternating cycles up to cycle 8. The Parent Fatigue Scale was used for children under age 7. Key Results Total and free carnitine levels did not change significantly for the group. Fatigue decreased significantly in children age 7–12 ( p = 0.04). Relationships between fatigue and carnitine were not significant. Conclusions Changes in carnitine plasma levels were not significant in this sample of patients. The carnitine levels remained within the reference values for children and were not associated with fatigue levels. School-age children may be more resilient to fatigue over the trajectory of treatment. Further research is needed into the biologic mechanisms of fatigue.
The transgenic Tg.AC mouse model for identification of chemical carcinogens

The Tg.AC (zetaglobin promoted v-Ha-ras) transgenic mouse is being evaluated as a short-term carcinogenicity bioassay. In order to harmonize the evaluation effort in diverse laboratories, an operational bioassay protocol has been established. Data, based principally on retrospective assay of known carcinogens or tumor promoters and non-carcinogens, are presented that support the operational protocol. The Laboratory of Environmental Carcinogenesis and Mutagenesis at the NIEHS has been evaluating transgenic rodent models for utility in differentiating carcinogens from non-carcinogens. Our main approach in this method development effort has been to retrospectively study responses of the models to chemicals of known rodent carcinogenic potential. To this end we have tested mainly chemicals that have been previously studied in chronic rat and/or mouse bioassays by the National Toxicology Program. Development of the data base and assessment of the utility of the models will be immeasurably aided by the availability of a standardized experimental protocol. The purpose of this communication is to present the elements of the Laboratory of Environmental Carcinogenesis and Mutagenesis Tg.AC mouse bioassay protocol and to show experimental results that led to the development of our study design.
F–F Spin—Spin Coupling in Perfluoro‐o‐Xylene

The F–F coupling constants between the ortho‐ring fluorines and the fluorines of the CF3 group were measured at different temperatures in perfluoro‐o‐xylene and some related compounds. The rotationally averaged coupling constants calculated by using the approximate dependence of the JFF upon the dihedral angle between the C–F bond of the CFX2 group and that of the 2‐fluorine atom are in good agreement with the observed values. Qualitative conclusions about the conformational behavior of two adjacent CF3 groups were supported by calculations of repulsion energies between the fluorine atoms in these groups using a simple van der Waals repulsive potential. It is proposed that the small temperature dependence of the JFF in the compounds studied is due to intermolecular interactions.
ALGICIDAL BACTERIA ACTIVE AGAINST GYMNODINIUM BREVE (DINOPHYCEAE). I. BACTERIAL ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF KILLING ACTIVITY1,3

Interactions between bacteria and species of harmful and/or toxic algae are potentially important factors affecting both the population dynamics and the toxicity of these algae. Recent reports of bacteria lethal to certain harmful algal bloom (HAB) species, coupled with a rapidly evolving interest in attempting to minimize the adverse effects of HABs through various prevention, control, and mitigation strategies, have focused attention on defining the role of algicidal bacteria in bloom termination. The aim of the present study was to determine whether algicidal bacteria active against Gymnodinium breve Davis, a dinoflagellate responsible for frequent and protracted red tides in the Gulf of Mexico, are present in the waters of the west Florida shelf. To date, we have isolated two bacterial strains from this region lethal to G. breve and have begun to characterize the algicidal activity of one of these strains, 41-DBG2. This bacterium, a yellow-pigmented, gram-negative rod, was isolated from waters containing no detectable G. breve cells, suggesting that such bacteria are part of the ambient microbial community and are not restricted to areas of high G. breve abundance. Strain 41-DBG2 produced a dissolved algicidal compound(s) that was released into the growth medium, and the algicide was effective against the four Gulf of Mexico G. breve isolates tested as well as a closely related HAB species that also occurs in this region, Gymnodinium mikimotoi Miyake et Kominami ex Oda. Nonetheless, data showing that a nontoxic isolate of Gymnodinium sanguineum Hirasaka from Florida Bay was not affected indicate that the algicidal activity of this bacterium does exhibit a degree of taxonomic specificity. Our efforts are currently being directed at resolving several critical issues, including the identity of the algicide(s), the mechanisms regulating its production and ability to discriminate between target algal species, and how the growth rate of 41-DBG2 is affected by the presence of G. breve cells. We have also proposed a conceptual model for interactions between algicidal bacteria and their target species to serve as a testable framework for ensuing field studies.
Full-Scale Accelerated Testing of Flexible Pavements Made of Coal Combustion Products

Increasing environmental concerns and diminishing landfill space coupled with the rising costs of natural resources consumed in road construction have encouraged researchers to investigate the use of recycled materials in pavement design. This investigation evaluated the performance of full-scale asphalt pavements made with recycled coal combustion products (CCPs) during accelerated pavement testing. Three instrumented pavement sections—two CCP sections and one conventional section—were constructed and tested at the Ohio accelerated pavement loading facility (APLF). All three pavement sections were subjected to the equivalent of 20 years of traffic on a typical state route in Ohio. To minimize the environmental effects, both ambient temperature and moisture were controlled throughout the loading period. Pavement response and performance and environmental conditions were monitored. Based on the data collected, the CCP base-subbase mixtures outperformed the control mix in terms of measured pavement response...
Product-Market Diversification and Market Power

This study examines relationships among diversification, market structure, and firm performance. Theory and empirical data are offered that argue that highly diversified firms have lower market pow...
Bäcklund transformation for the wave-wave scattering equations

Using the linear equations associated with the inverse scattering transform, the B\"acklund transformation equations for the wave-wave scattering problem are found. This again shows the exact correspondence between the equations of the inverse scattering transform and the equations for B\"acklund transformation.
Tourism as economic development for native people living in the shadow of a protected area: a North American case study.

Abstract This article is a case study about the economic feasibility of a tourist development project on the Havasupai Reservation in Northern Arizona, which borders the Grand Canyon National Park. The central issue addressed is the merits of promoting tourism as a means of economic development for a native population living in or next to a protected area. The case study supports many insights on tourist‐based development prevalent in the literature, particularly the importance of Havasupai control of tourist development. The case study also attests to the complexity of tourism as an economic development strategy, identifying some of the trade‐offs associated with tourism on that Havasupai Reservation. In so doing, the paper discusses the limitations of economic analysis, for many of these trade‐offs cannot be expressed in monetary terms. The major lesson of the case study, however, is that rigorous analytical economic analysis of individual development projects is essential. While economic analyses are s...
Reaching Out to International Students: A Focus-Group Approach to Developing Web Resources and Services

Librarians at the State University of New York at Buffalo implemented the Resources for International Students Web guide to support library outreach to a multicultural and multilingual audience. A focus group helped librarians to understand the needs of new international students and tailor Web resources accordingly. In addition to creating awareness of international student cultural challenges, this article presents focus-group guidelines to assist in the planning process of library services and resources.
Sol−Gel-Derived Gold Composite Electrodes

The preparation, characterization, and analytical utility of sol-gel-derived gold composite electrodes is described. The new metal-ceramic electrodes are comprised of gold powder homogeneously dispersed in a modified silica matrix. They couple the favorable electron-transfer kinetics common to gold surfaces with the regeneration, bulk modification, and versatility features of sol-gel-derived composite materials. The voltammetric characteristics of the composite gold-silica electrodes are explored and compared with conventional gold electrodes. Sol-gel-derived gold biosensors have been prepared by incorporating an oxidase enzyme within the sol-gel gold solution. Analogous thick-film enzyme strips, based on a new screen-printable gold biogel ink, have also been fabricated. To our knowledge, the above represent the first examples of metal-ceramic sensing electrodes and of bulk modification of metallic working electrodes.
Imaging considerations of central nervous system manifestations in pediatric patients with neurofibromatosis type 1

CT and MRI were used in a prospective study of the central nervous system (CNS) manifestations in 41 consecutive children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1). Gadolinium-DTPA was used in 15 patients. MRI was more effective than CT in delimiting the extension of the optic pathway glioma and in evaluating associated cerebral malformations. MRI visualized lesions generally undetected by CT, in the form of iso- or hyperintense foci with respect to the cerebral cortex in T2-weighted sequences. Well-delimited lesions of high signal intensity were observed in the globus pallidus (22 cases), the internal capsule (6 cases), corpus callosum (2 cases), anterior commissure (1 case) and semioval center (2 cases). Poorly defined hyper- or isointense areas were also observed affecting the cerebellar white matter (21 cases) and brain stem (17 cases). None of these lesions showed Gadolinium-DTPA enhancement, and were of no clinical significance. MRI has displaced CT in the initial diagnosis of patients with NF-1. Periodic annual MRI controls are only justified in patients with MRI changes to evaluate the progression or stabilization of the lesions.
One- and two-dimensional divalent copper coordination polymers based on kinked organodiimine and long flexible aliphatic dicarboxylate ligands

Abstract Hydrothermal synthesis under acidic conditions has afforded a pair of divalent copper coordination polymers containing the kinked dipodal tethering organodiimine 4,4′-dipyridylamine (dpa) and flexible long-chain aliphatic dicarboxylate ligands. The new materials were characterized by single crystal X-ray structure determination, infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. [CuCl(suberate) 0.5 (dpa)] ( 1 ) manifests 1-D ladder-like motifs aggregated into 3-D through hydrogen bonding and copper-mediated supramolecular interactions. Extension of the aliphatic chain within the dicarboxylate ligand by one methylene unit resulted in {[Cu(azelate)(dpa)(H 2 O)] · 3H 2 O} ( 2 ), a (4,4) rhomboid grid 2-D coordination polymer encapsulating acyclic water molecule trimers.
Water Treatment Plant Staging Policy

Economics of treatment plant staging or capacity expansions is governed by the initial water demand rate, Q0; the anticipated demand growth rate, G; the discount rate, D; the cost of operation, maintenance, and repair (OMR); the useful plant life, T, as a function of the quality of design, construction, and OMR; the treatment plant load factor, Lf; the salvage value of the plant at the end of the project period; the efficiency of the plant-staging design, eta; and the length of the project period, Ts. Various staging policies are investigated to find an optimal policy. The desirability of adopting a staging policy is governed by the magnitude of percent savings that can be achieved by adopting this policy instead of a no-staging policy. A detailed analysis of the problem shows that the percent savings because of staging increase with an increase in Q, G, D, T, and eta;. A reduction in the plant load factor increases the total costs. Information about the effect of variation in the parameters should help the planner and designer to work out an economical schedule of treatment plant capacity expansions.
Telemachus: a mission for a polar view of solar activity

Abstract Telemachus is a polar solar-heliospheric mission described in the current NASA Sun–Earth Connections Roadmap (2003–2028). To continue the quest begun by Ulysses, Telemachus will be injected into a 0.2 AU × 2.5 AU solar polar orbit after gravitational encounters with Venus, Earth (twice) and Jupiter, followed by a maneuver at first perihelion. With an orbital period of 1.5 years, it will pass over the solar poles at a radial distance of 0.37 AU. The behavior of solar polar flows (heretofore unobservable) will provide critical boundary conditions on the transport of solar magnetic fields. Manifestations of the global flows and fields are the solar dynamo, formation of active regions, emission of the solar wind and the heliospheric magnetic field, launching of coronal mass ejections, eruption of solar flares, acceleration of solar energetic particles, and ultimately the dynamics of the entire heliosphere.
A twofold role for global energy gradients in marine biodiversity trends

Explanations for major biodiversity patterns have not achieved a consensus, even for the latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG), but most relate to patterns of solar energy influx into Earth systems, and its effects on temperature (as biochemical activity rates are temperature sensitive) and photosynthesis (which drives nearly all of the productivity that fuels ecosystems). Marine systems break some of the confounding correlations among temperature, latitude and biodiversity that typify the terrestrial systems that have dominated theoretical discussions and large-scale analyses. High marine diversities occur not only in warm shallow seas where productivity may be either low or high, depending on regional features, but also in very cold deep-sea regions, indicating that diversity is promoted by stability in temperature and in trophic resources (nutrients and food items), and more specifically by their interaction, rather than by high mean values of either variable. The common association of high diversity with stable but low to moderate annual productivity suggests that ecological specialization underlies the similarly high diversities in the shallow tropics and deep sea. Recent work on shallow-marine bivalves is consistent with this view of decreasing specialization in less stable habitats. Lower diversities in shallow seas are associated with either high thermal seasonality (chiefly in temperate latitudes) or highly seasonal trophic supplies (at any latitude), which exclude species that are adapted to narrow ranges of those variables.
Surpassing Tradeoffs by Separation: Examples in Frequency Generation Circuits

We review three examples (two PLLs [Crowley, 1979; Woo et al.] and one on-chip transmission-line resonator [Andress and Ham, 2005] ) of design tradeoffs which can in fact be circumvented; the key in each case is that the parameters that seem to trade off with each other are actually separated in time or space. This paper is an attempt to present these designs in such a way that this common approach can hopefully be applied to other circuits.
The Continuous Glucose Monitoring System (CGMS) in type 1 diabetic children is the way to reduce hypoglycemic risk.

Background Diabetic children treated with intensive insulin therapy are showing a dangerous increase in severe hypoglycemic episodes. The Continuous Glucose Monitoring System (CGMS) allows glycemic profiles to be monitored over a 72-h period. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether this system is sufficiently sensitive to detect asymptomatic hypoglycemia, and to determine if its periodic application would help to minimize the hypoglycemic risk in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Methods Twenty-seven T1DM children (age range 6–13.1 years) were enrolled in the study. The sensor was inserted subcutaneously in each patient and the standard four or five registrations of capillary glycemia per day were performed. Eighteen patients continued in the study and the glucose sensor was again inserted after a 6-week interval. At the beginning and end of the study, fructosamine, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), median glycemia, number and duration of hypoglycemic events and insulin requirement were evaluated. Results A significantly higher number of asymptomatic hypoglycemic events was revealed by CGMS in comparison with the standard system (3.6 ± 2.3 vs 0.7 ± 0.9; p < 0.0001). In patients who continued in the study, insulin therapy adjustments reduced the incidence of hypoglycemic events (2.5 ± 1.7 vs 3.9 ± 2.2; p < 0.05). At the 6-week point, the fructosamine level was reduced (330 ± 30 vs 349 ± 24 µmol/l; p < 0.05). Conclusions The CGMS is a useful device not only for detecting unrecognized hypoglycemia, but also for modifying insulin therapy in order to reduce hypoglycemic events. The system appears to be useful in avoiding long exposure to hypoglycemia. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ultraviolet radiation and plants: burning questions

Plants use sunlight for photosynthesis and, as a consequence, are exposed to the ultraviolet (UV) radiation that is present in sunlight. UV radiation is generally divided into three classes: UV-C, UV-6, and UV-A. The UV-C region of the UV spectrum includes wavelengths below 280 nm; these highly energetic wavelengths are effectively absorbed by ozone in the stratosphere and, thus, are not present in sunlight at the earth’s surface. UV-C wavelengths will be removed from the light reaching the earth’s surface’so long as there is any ozone present (Caldwell et al., 1989). In contrast, UV radiation in the UV-B region, from 280 to 320 nm, does reach ground level. The UV-B portion of sunlight has received much attention in recent years because irradiation from this spectral region (especially 297 to 310 nm) will increase as the stratospheric ozone concentration decreases (Caldwell et al., 1989). Currently, ozone decreases result from chlorofluorocarbon contamination of the stratosphere (McFarland and Kaye, 1992). UV wavelengths from 320 to 390 nm, which make up the UV-A region of the spectrum, are not attenuated by ozone, so their fluence will be unaffected by ozone layer reduction. Like all living organisms, plants sense and respond to UV radiation, both the wavelengths present in sunlight (UV-A and UV-B) and the wavelengths below 280 nm (UV-C). AI1 types of UV radiation are known to damage various plant processes. Such damage can be classified into two categories: damage to DNA (which can cause heritable mutations) and damage to physiological processes. There has been much speculation about how increased UV radiation exposure will affect plants, but as yet, there are no definitive answers. In this review, I will discuss the kinds of damage that UV radiation can inflict on plants, the mechanisms plants use to perceive and respond to UV radiation, and the ecological relevance of UV light wavelengths that have been used in the experimental analysis of plant responses to UV radiation.
Comparative Performance of Value and Growth Stock Indexes

The authors demonstrate that a growth stock index generated higher returns than a value stock index when the overall stock market performed well. Alternately, the value stock index generated higher returns than the growth stock index when the overall stock market performed poorly. This article provides compelling evidence that the value premium is inversely related to the performance of the overall stock market. The authors believe that this simple relationship will help investors better understand the comparative performance of the two investment styles.
Prevention of cautery burns during transurethral resection of prostate

Abstract Specific suggestions for the prevention of most transurethral resection burns are not difficult to implement. The elements of success include attention to simple details as well as broad principles of risk management, a broad hospital-based program, responsible nursing personnel, proper training of personnel, preventive monitoring of patients, postaccident investigation, and expert maintenance, testing, and design of equipment. Cautery burns must be differentiated from burns caused by antiseptic solutions and from ischemic pressure ulcers.
Discrete wavelet transform FPGA design using MatLab/Simulink

Design of current DSP applications using state-of-the art multi-million gates devices requires a broad foundation of the engineering shlls ranging from knowledge of hardware-efficient DSP algorithms to CAD design tools. The requirement of short time-to-market, however, requires to replace the traditional HDL based designs by a MatLab/Simulink based design flow. This not only allows the over 1 million MatLab users to design FPGAs but also to by-pass the hardware design engineer leading to a significant reduction in development time. Critical however with this design flow are: (1) quality-of-results, (2) sophistication of Simulink block library, (3) compile time, (4) cost and availability of development boards, and (5) cost, functionality, and ease-of-use of the FPGA vendor provided design tools.
Pectin activation of MAP kinase and gene expression is WAK2 dependent

The angiosperm extracellular matrix, or cell wall, is composed of a complex array of cellulose, hemicelluose, pectins and proteins, the modification and regulated synthesis of which are essential for cell growth and division. The wall associated kinases (WAKs) are receptor-like proteins that have an extracellular domain that bind pectins, the more flexible portion of the extracellular matrix, and are required for cell expansion as they have a role in regulating cellular solute concentrations. We show here that both recombinant WAK1 and WAK2 bind pectin in vitro. In protoplasts pectins activate, in a WAK2-dependent fashion, the transcription of vacuolar invertase, and a wak2 mutant alters the normal pectin regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinases. Microarray analysis shows that WAK2 is required for the pectin activation of numerous genes in protoplasts, many of which are involved in cell wall biogenesis. Thus, WAK2 plays a major role in signaling a diverse array of cellular events in response to pectin in the extracellular matrix.
Cure analysis of sheet molding compound in molds with substructures

The effects of material flow, heat transfer, part geometry, and curing agents on the cure of sheet molding compounds (SMC) in molds with substructures were analyzed both experimentally and numerically. It was found that heat transfer during mold filling has a profound effect on the cure pattern, especially for fastcure resins molded for parts with thin dimensions.
Effect of endurance exercise training on heart rate variability at rest in healthy young and older men

Heart rate variability (HRV) (SD of the RR interval), an index of parasympathetic tone, was measured at rest and during exercise in 13 healthy older men (age 60 to 82 years) and 11 healthy young men (age 24 to 32 years) before and after 6 months of aerobic exercise training. Before exercise training, the older subjects had a 47% lower HRV at rest compared with the young subjects (31 +/- 5 ms vs 58 +/- 4 ms, p = 0.0002). During peak exercise, the older subjects had less parasympathetic withdrawal than the young subjects (-45% vs -84%, p = 0.0001). Six months of intensive aerobic exercise training increased maximum oxygen consumption by 21% in the older group and 17% in the young group (analysis of variance: overall training effect, p = 0.0001; training effect in young vs old, p = NS). Training decreased the heart rate at rest in both the older (-9 beats/min) and the young groups (-5 beats/min, before vs after, p = 0.0001). Exercise training increased HRV at rest (p = 0.009) by 68% in the older subjects (31 +/- 5 ms to 52 +/- 8 ms) and by 17% in the young subjects (58 +/- 4 ms to 68 +/- 6 ms). Exercise training increases parasympathetic tone at rest in both the healthy older and young men, which may contribute to the reduction in mortality associated with regular exercise.
Use of internal consistency coefficients for estimating reliability of experimental task scores

Reliabilities of scores for experimental tasks are likely to differ from one study to another to the extent that the task stimuli change, the number of trials varies, the type of individuals taking the task changes, the administration conditions are altered, or the focal task variable differs. Given that reliabilities vary as a function of the design of these tasks and the characteristics of the individuals taking them, making inferences about the reliability of scores in an ongoing study based on reliability estimates from prior studies is precarious. Thus, it would be advantageous to estimate reliability based on data from the ongoing study. We argue that internal consistency estimates of reliability are underutilized for experimental task data and in many applications could provide this information using a single administration of a task. We discuss different methods for computing internal consistency estimates with a generalized coefficient alpha and the conditions under which these estimates are accurate. We illustrate use of these coefficients using data for three different tasks.
Women with Jagged Edges: Voices from a Culture of Substance Abuse

To illuminate the lives of women who are substance abusers, a life history study was conducted on 26 women in treatment for substance abuse. Data collection for this research, including "life line" exercises, focus groups, interviews with women and treatment counselors, and written segment exercises, was therapeutic. Themes of violence (rape and incest), abuse, male dominance, dependence, motherhood issues, and depression emerged as typical in their lives. The experiential sharing of many aspects of their life stories enabled the participants to reflect on their own patterns of drug dependency and view similarities and contradictions in the lives of other women who had abused drugs. It enabled them to gain insight into their own vulnerability to substance abuse and understand that such vulnerability in women is a synergistic phenomenon.
Detection of Blastomyces dermatitidis and Histoplasma capsulatum from culture isolates and clinical specimens by use of real-time PCR.

ABSTRACT Blastomyces dermatitidis and Histoplasma capsulatum are dimorphic fungi that often cause self-limited respiratory infections. However, they may also cause severe disseminated disease, depending on the level of the exposure to the organism and the host immune status. In addition, patients with infections caused by these fungi may have very similar clinical presentations. Although microbiologic culture is a standard method for detecting these pathogens, their recovery may require days to weeks, and the manipulation of cultures presents a significant safety hazard to laboratory personnel. Therefore, the goal of this study was to design a rapid, real-time PCR assay to detect and differentiate B. dermatitidis and H. capsulatum from culture isolates and directly from clinical specimens. Primers and fluorescence resonance energy transfer hybridization probes were designed to target the histidine kinase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase genes of B. dermatitidis and H. capsulatum, respectively. The analytical sensitivity of the assay was determined to be 100 copies/μl for both fungi. From culture isolates, the assay demonstrated 100% specificity and 100% sensitivity for B. dermatitidis and 100% specificity and 94% sensitivity for H. capsulatum. Detection directly from 797 clinical specimens demonstrated specificities and sensitivities of 99% and 86% for B. dermatitidis and 100% and 73% for H. capsulatum compared with the results for culture. This real-time PCR assay provides a rapid method for the detection of B. dermatitidis and H. capsulatum from culture isolates and directly from clinical specimens.
Large-scale RACE approach for proactive experimental definition of C. elegans ORFeome

Although a highly accurate sequence of the Caenorhabditis elegans genome has been available for 10 years, the exact transcript structures of many of its protein-coding genes remain unsettled. Approximately two-thirds of the ORFeome has been verified reactively by amplifying and cloning computationally predicted transcript models; still a full third of the ORFeome remains experimentally unverified. To fully identify the protein-coding potential of the worm genome including transcripts that may not satisfy existing heuristics for gene prediction, we developed a computational and experimental platform adapting rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) for large-scale structural transcript annotation. We interrogated 2000 unverified protein-coding genes using this platform. We obtained RACE data for approximately two-thirds of the examined transcripts and reconstructed ORF and transcript models for close to 1000 of these. We defined untranslated regions, identified new exons, and redefined previously annotated exons. Our results show that as much as 20% of the C. elegans genome may be incorrectly annotated. Many annotation errors could be corrected proactively with our large-scale RACE platform.
Simulation of the front-end of a MEMS based ultra narrow band tomographic imaging system

This paper describes a simulation architecture used to simulate an ultra narrow band radar tomographic imaging (UNBRaTI) system. The work is being performed at Rochester Institute of Technology. The paper lays the groundwork for an effort to develop a systems level approach for the simulation and analysis of an UNBRaTI system using traditional radio frequency (RF) components as well as micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) based components. The utility of the approach is its ability to apply sound systems engineering principles and techniques to compare and contrast traditional RF components with MEMS based components and their effects on system level performance. The simulation has been architected for ease of scalability in order to analyze basic to complex system configurations.
A SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM: RICHARD FEVEREL AND THE ACTRESS IN THE HOUSE

When ripton Thompson, Richard Feverel's best friend and the everyboy foil for Richard's extraordinary and systematic development, is caught hiding a pornographic book in a dark corner of his law desk, Sir Austin Feverel smugly interprets the boy's moral lapse as proof of the superiority of his own Scientific Humanist System. Ripton's father reacts somewhat differently: humiliated in front of Sir Austin, he closes the book with the violence he would like to visit upon his son's body. This scene, which provides the first epigraph above, is emblematic of what I will discuss in terms of George Meredith's 1859 novel, The Ordeal of Richard Feverel: A History of a Father and Son, We can, in fact, read "The Unmasking of Master Ripton," the chapter in which the transgression occurs, as indicative of the novel's tangled gender and sexual politics. Like Richard Feverel, this scene at least initially appears to be exclusively about men: the unmasking of one, the humiliation of another, the triumph of a third. But the fulcrum for these male power relationships is in fact the represented body of a woman. Fetishized and commodified, Miss Random can be seen as an archetypal female figure in a novel where woman is the ultimate commodity fetish, the goods in a male system of exchange. As we witness during Master Thompson's ordeal - when Ripton struggles unsuccessfully to keep Miss Random out of his father's clutches - male reputation and social position among other men is a matter of being able to hang on to the goods. What complicates matters, however, is that the object of exchange does not always remain stable. Women can be, well, random.
Framework for thermodynamic constraints on sustainability

This article explores concepts and methods to characterize long-term limits on the capacity of technology to deliver energy services based on thermodynamics, or more generally, physical laws. Carnot's law, for example, places an upper limit in the ability of a heat engine to deliver useful work. The framework developed starts with characterizing different energy services deemed necessary for a sustainable society: food/water, shelter, mobility and information/ communication. Scenarios can be developed which scope the degree of these services demanded in the future for a given level of lifestyle. The minimum energy inputs required to deliver these energy services can be estimated using physical law limits on the capacity of processes to harness energy and transform into services. The utility of this approach only applies if energy supply is constrained. This is a reasonable assumption if one assumes that risk mitigation limits consideration of energy sources to those currently useable (e.g. no fusion power). The bounding of technological progress requires assumptions of how energy sources are converted and used, denoted here as technology paths. While the limits for different technology paths are not estimated quantitatively in this article, I postulate that reasonably tightly constrained paths for food, shelter and mobility result in non-trivial energy demand even in the thermodynamic limit. More work is needed to explore how different assumption for technology paths and scenarios for human needs constrain future delivery of services.
The effect of rotavirus vaccine on diarrhoea mortality

Background Approximately 39% of the global diarrhoea deaths in children aged 5 years may be attributable to rotavirus infection. Two rotavirus vaccines were recently introduced to the market, with evidence of efficacy in the USA, Europe and Latin America. We sought to estimate the effectiveness of these vaccines against rotavirus morbidity and mortality. Methods We conducted a systematic review of published efficacy and effectiveness trials of rotavirus vaccines. Study descriptors and outcome measures were abstracted into standardized tables and the quality of each study was graded. We performed meta-analyses for any outcome with two or more data points, and used child health epidemiology reference group (CHERG) Rules for Evidence Review to estimate the effect of the vaccine on rotavirus mortality. Results We identified six papers for abstraction, reporting results from four studies. No studies reported diarrhoea or rotavirus deaths, but all studies showed reductions in hospitalizations due to rotavirus or diarrhoea of any aetiology, severe and any rotavirus infections and diarrhoea episodes of any aetiology in children who received rotavirus vaccine compared with placebo. Effectiveness against very severe rotavirus infection best approximated effectiveness against the fraction of diarrhoea deaths attributable to rotavirus, and was estimated to be 74% (95% confidence interval: 35–90%). Conclusions Rotavirus vaccines are efficacious against rotavirus morbidity and mortality and have the potential to substantially reduce child mortality in low-income countries if implemented appropriately.
Learning from group support system use: potential changes in subsequent meeting behavior

Utilises a cross-sectional survey design to compare the differences between group support system (GSS)-influenced manual meetings and non-GSS manual meetings. The research employed a quasiexperimental field study. The responses of GSS participants of a TeamFocus facility were compared to a control group who had not been exposed to the technology. Perceptual quantitative data on five composite meeting behaviors and other moderator and control variables were collected through surveys. Individual interviews were held to triangulate the survey data and add depth to the assessment of group differences. Measures of meeting behaviors were based on individual-level recall and attitudinal data. The data was used to test five hypotheses about GSS applied behaviors. Results showed that the two groups were different and that the GSS group rated their subsequent non-GSS meetings as more productive and satisfying than those of the control group. >
Visna Virus-Induced Activation of MAPK Is Required for Virus Replication and Correlates with Virus-Induced Neuropathology

It is well accepted that viruses require access to specific intracellular environments in order to proliferate or, minimally, to secure future proliferative potential as latent reservoirs. Hence, identification of essential virus-cell interactions should both refine current models of virus replication and proffer alternative targets for therapeutic intervention. In the present study, we examined the activation states of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), ERK-1/2, in primary cells susceptible to visna virus and report that virus infection induces and sustains activation of the ERK/MAPK pathway. Treatment of infected cells with PD98059, a specific inhibitor of the ERK/MAPK pathway, abolishes visna virus replication, as evidenced by extremely low levels of Gag protein expression and reverse transcriptase activity in culture supernatants. In addition, although visna virus-induced activation of MAPK is detectable within 15 min, early events of viral replication (i.e., reverse transcription, integration, and transcription) are largely unaffected by PD98059. Interestingly, further examination demonstrated that treatment with PD98059 results in decreased cytoplasmic expression of gag and env, but not rev, mRNA, highly suggestive of an ERK/MAPK-dependent defect in Rev function. In vivo analysis of ERK-1/2 activation in brains derived from visna virus-infected sheep demonstrates a strong correlation between ERK/MAPK activation and virus-associated encephalitis. Moreover, double-labeling experiments revealed that activation of MAPK occurs not only in cells classically infected by visna virus (i.e., macrophages and microglia), but also in astrocytes, cells not considered to be major targets of visna virus replication, suggesting that activation of the ERK/MAPK pathway may contribute to the virus-induced processes leading to neurodegenerative pathology.
Chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura: the pediatrician's dilemma.

(1990). Chronic Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura: The Pediatrician's Dilemma. Pediatric Hematology and Oncology: Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 115-118.