cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Who Gains from M&A? The Effect of Industry Life Cycle on Post-M&A Innovation Performance

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are popular strategies for firms seeking innovations, but previous studies show contradicting results about the effect of M&A on post-M&A innovation performance. I ar...
A Mutation in the Drosophila melanogaster eve Stripe 2 Minimal Enhancer Is Buffered by Flanking Sequences.

Author(s): Lopez-Rivera, Francheska; Foster Rhoades, Olivia K; Vincent, Ben J; Pym, Edward CG; Bragdon, Meghan DJ; Estrada, Javier; DePace, Angela H; Wunderlich, Zeba | Abstract: Enhancers are DNA sequences composed of transcription factor binding sites that drive complex patterns of gene expression in space and time. Until recently, studying enhancers in their genomic context was technically challenging. Therefore, minimal enhancers, the shortest pieces of DNA that can drive an expression pattern that resembles a gene's endogenous pattern, are often used to study features of enhancer function. However, evidence suggests that some enhancers require sequences outside the minimal enhancer to maintain function under environmental perturbations. We hypothesized that these additional sequences also prevent misexpression caused by a transcription factor binding site mutation within a minimal enhancer. Using the Drosophila melanogaster eve n-skipped stripe 2 enhancer as a case study, we tested the effect of a Giant binding site mutation (gt-2) on the expression patterns driven by minimal and extended enhancer reporter constructs. We found that, in contrast to the misexpression caused by the gt-2 binding site deletion in the minimal enhancer, the same gt-2 binding site deletion in the extended enhancer did not have an effect on expression. The buffering of expression levels, but not expression pattern, is partially explained by an additional Giant binding site outside the minimal enhancer. Deleting the gt-2 binding site in the endogenous locus had no significant effect on stripe 2 expression. Our results indicate that rules derived from mutating enhancer reporter constructs may not represent what occurs in the endogenous context.
How do dietary interventions affect serum urate and gout

An important question for patients and providers is whether and to what extent dietary interventions, diet supplements or weight loss can help to prevent incident gout or manage existing gout. Evidence is emerging, but randomized trials are still needed to fill this important knowledge gap.
‘This is my body’: Christian wisdom on dying in an age of denial

Over thirty years ago, I (1988) argued for moral and religious ways of dying in face of medicalized and psychologised death. But impediments to dying as a spiritual process have not gone away; if a...
Deflating Parental Rights

Perhaps the greatest determinant of individual and societal welfare is who raises children and with what degree of discretion. Philosophers have endeavored in myriad ways to provide normative justification for ascribing a right to be a legal parent and to possess particular legal powers as a parent. This Article shows why they fail and offers an alternative theoretical framework for delimiting parental rights. The prevailing tendency in philosophical writing on the topic is to begin with observations and intuitions specific to parent-child relationships. Against that tendency, this Article demonstrates the need to begin with principles at a high level of generality, covering a broad range of human relationships. This yields a much more limited moral right in connection with parenthood than do accounts that fail to generalize.
An Empirical Study of Extrapolation in Text Generation with Scalar Control.

We conduct an empirical evaluation of extrapolation performance when conditioning on scalar control inputs like desired output length, desired edit from an input sentence, and desired sentiment across three text generation tasks. Specifically, we examine a zero-shot setting where models are asked to generalize to ranges of control values not seen during training. We focus on evaluating popular embedding methods for scalar inputs, including both learnable and sinusoidal embeddings, as well as simpler approaches. Surprisingly, our findings indicate that the simplest strategy of using scalar inputs directly, without further encoding, most reliably allows for successful extrapolation.
Respiratory failure caused by cardiac dysfunction triggered by bronchiolitis.

A 3-month-old female weighing 3.6 kg, with trisomy 21, who had undergone pulmonary artery banding for atrioventricular septal defect 2.5 months prior to the presentation was referred to our hospital because of nasal discharge and cough for 3 days and wheezing and decreased feeding for 1 day before
Big cells and lu factorization in reductive monoids

It is well known that an invertible matrix admits a factorization as a product of a lower triangular matrix L and an upper triangular matrix U if and only if all the principal minors of the matrix are non-zero. The corresponding problem for singular matrices is much more subtle. We study this problem in the general setting of a reductive monoid and obtain a solution in terms of the Bruhat-Chevalley order. In the process we obtain a decomposition of the big cell B-B of a reductive monoid, where B and B- are opposite Borel subgroups of the unit group.
Tailoring the Composition of Self-Reinforced Silicon Nitride Ceramics to Enhance Mechanical Behavior

Studies have shown that seeding allows for greater control of the microstructure of self-reinforced beta-silicon nitride based ceramics, which when combined with tailoring of the sintering additives can results in significant improvements in fracture toughness and strength. Similar behavior was noted in alpha-SiAlONs. In beta-Si3N4 ceramics in which alumina serves as one of the additives, the larger elongated reinforcing grains result from the epitaxial deposition of Si6-zAlzOzN8-z layers on the Si3N4 core. Structural models show that the bond strength of the interface between the SiAlON and the amorphous intergranular film increases as the Al and O contents of the SiAlON increase. This is consistent with experiments that revealed interfacial debonding was promoted when the z-value of the SiAlON epitaxial layer was reduced. Compositional tailoring that leads to enhanced interfacial debonding and an increase in the fracture toughness.
Lebenswelt Structures of Galilean Physics: The Case of Galileo’s Pendulum

The aim of this paper is to give a self-reflective account of the building of Galileo's pendulum in order to discover what were the practical contingencies of building and using the pendulum for demonstrating the law of isochronism. In doing this, the unique Lebenswelt structures of “Galilean physics” are explicated through the ethnomethodological concepts developed by Harold Garfinkel. The presupposition is that the practical logic of “Galilean physics” is embedded in the instruments themselves. In building the pendulum and recovering its original use, “Galilean physics” becomes for ethnomethodologists a first-hand practical discovery. This is not a reconstruction of the mind of the historical Galileo but, rather, an explication of Galileo's practical perspective on the instrument as an intersubjective and interchangeable standpoint available for ethnomethodological analysis. This enables us to study historical facts from the standpoint of the practical logic of the original practice with a pedagogical eye for the instructive reproducibility of science.
The Effect of Ordering on Radiation-Induced Segregation in Austenitic Iron- and Nickel-Base Alloys

Comparison of radiation-induced segregation (RIS) measurements from austenitic iron- and nickel-base alloys with calculations using the Perks vacancy-driven RIS model have shown that chromium segregates slower and iron segregates faster than expected from high temperature diffusion measurements. The effect is more pronounced in nickel-base alloys. The segregation process is affected by short range ordering forces and the ordering is strongest in nickel-base alloys. Since nickel enriches and chromium depletes in all iron-chromium-nickel alloys under irradiation, a tendency to form nickel-chromium pairs reduces the chromium segregation, especially in nickel-base alloys. In this work, Perks` model is altered to include ordering energies, and the calculated RIS is compared to segregation measurements from iron-chromium-nickel alloys irradiated with 3.2 MeV protons. A single set of ordering energies, an attractive potential between nickel and chromium and a repulsive potential between nickel and iron are used for each alloy. Calculations that do not include ordering overpredict the chromium depletion by up to 4 at% in iron-base alloys and 8 at% in nickel-base alloys. Calculations that include the ordering reduce the difference between model predicted and measured chromium concentrations to less than 2 at% for most iron- and nickel-base alloys.
Recent hiatus caused by decadal shift in Indo-Pacific heating

Recent modeling studies have proposed different scenarios to explain the slowdown in surface temperature warming in the most recent decade. Some of these studies seem to support the idea of internal variability and/or rearrangement of heat between the surface and the ocean interior. Others suggest that radiative forcing might also play a role. Our examination of observational data over the past two decades shows some significant differences when compared to model results from reanalyses and provides the most definitive explanation of how the heat was redistributed. We find that cooling in the top 100-meter layer of the Pacific Ocean was mainly compensated for by warming in the 100- to 300-meter layer of the Indian and Pacific Oceans in the past decade since 2003.
Cross‐Border Higher Education: Global and Local Tensions Within Competition and Economic Development

In this chapter, the authors explore various types of cross-border higher education, considering equity and quality issues within these developments. With a particular focus on international branch campuses, the authors discuss the ways in which global competition for knowledge and economic development interact with tensions at the local level.
Comparison of random‐donor platelet concentrates prepared from whole blood units and platelets prepared from single‐donor apheresis collections

BACKGROUND: The use of fresh platelets results in better posttransfusion recovery and survival than does the use of platelets that have been stored before transfusion. Activation of platelets during preparation and storage may be one of the factors responsible for a number of storage-related changes in platelet membrane proteins. Blood centers commonly prepare platelet concentrates from both multiple units of whole blood and single-donor plateletpheresis collections. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Seventeen plateletpheresis concentrates, anticoagulated with ACD, were compared to platelets prepared from whole blood from the same donor that was anticoagulated with CPDA-1 (random- donor platelets). After preparation, plateletpheresis and random-donor platelets were stored in plastic storage bags at 22 degrees C for 5 days. Platelet surface glycoproteins were examined by flow cytometry after platelets were fixed in dilute plasma with 1-percent formaldehyde and stained with fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled monoclonal antibodies CD42b (anti-glycoprotein [GP]lb), CD41a (anti-GPllb/llla), and CD62 (anti-P-selectin). RESULTS: The binding of anti-CD42b was greater in plateletpheresis concentrates than in random-donor platelets on Days 3 and 5 (p < 0.01) of storage; binding of anti-CD62 was greater in the random-donor concentrates (p < 0.01) on Days 3 and 5. Plateletpheresis concentrate aggregation responses were greater on Day 5 (p < 0.01). To determine if the type of anticoagulant and the method of mixture with blood contributed to these changes, 10 samples were split into aliquots and prepared in two separate ways: One group of samples was prepared by allowing anticoagulant (ACD) and blood to flow into the tube at a rate of 3 microL per second, and the other group of samples was prepared by allowing blood to flow into tubes containing a measured amount of CPDA-1. The first samples bound more anti-CD42b than the second samples (p < 0.01). The second group of samples contained significantly more microvesicles that bound anti-CD41a than did the first group (p < 0.01). Samples prepared by the first method but anticoagulated with CPDA-1 contained more microvesicles but had the same amount of anti-CD42b binding as did similarly prepared samples anticoagulated with ACD (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Platelet concentrates prepared from single units of whole blood and anticoagulated with CPDA- 1 bind less anti-CD42b and more anti-CD62 than do platelets obtained by apheresis. These differences may be attributed to platelet sedimentation and the transient exposure of some of the platelets in the blood that is first collected during whole-blood donation to high concentrations of anticoagulant.
An extension of Plackett's differential equation for the multivariate normal density

Let $f({\bf x},{\bf y};B)$, with $x,y$ in $R^m $, and B a nonsingular real $m \times m$ matrix, be a function of the form \[ f = ( 2\pi )^{m/ 2} | \det B |^{1/2} \exp \left( - \frac{1}{2}x' B^{ - 1} y \right). \] It is shown that f satisfies a partial differential equation which represents a generalization of Plackett’s equation in the case where B is positive definite, that is, where f is a normal density in m dimensions.
Vulnerable Areas on the Surface of the Tarsus and Pretarsus of the Grasshopper (Acrididae, Orthoptera); with Special Reference to the Arolium

Ten or twelve years ago, while studying the effects of dyes on the eggs of the grasshopper, Melanoplus differentialis , the present writer, in an idle moment, immersed a living adult of this species in one of the stains which happened to be on hand—just which one has been forgotten—and left it there for some time. Later, when the animal was removed and washed, the under surface of each arolium was found to be brightly colored; but no other part of the surface of the animal had stained. This seemed interesting and worth further study. Microscopic sections of the arolia were made and found to contain some unusual structures; but other work in progress seemed more pressing and nothing more was done with this at the time.
Is the performance of firms following seasoned equity issues anomalous

Abstract The hypothesis that negative abnormal returns following an equity issue are anomalous assumes the use of the correct benchmark. The alternative hypothesis assumes that an incorrect benchmark has been used or that benchmarks change following an issue. We evaluate these assumptions by examining the performance of SEO firms during periods when there was no issue activity. Results indicate that SEO firms experience positive abnormal returns away from the issue window and that positive performance is most pronounced for small SEO firms. These and other results are inconsistent with the alternative hypothesis.
An evolutionarily conserved palindrome in the Drosophila Gld promoter directs tissue-specific expression

A conserved palindromic sequence (Gpal) in the promoter region of the Drosophila Gld directs expression of a heterologous reporter gene in transgenic flies to the anterior spiracular glands of third instar larvae and to the ejaculatory bulb of adult males. The Gld gene is normally expressed at high levels in the anterior spiracular glands but is not expressed in the ejaculatory bulb of Drosophila melanogaster. However, Gld promoters from other Drosophila species contain the Gpal element and express glucose dehydrogenase (GLD) in the adult male ejaculatory bulb. A gene fusion composed of the D. melanogaster Gld promoter and the lacZ gene is expressed in the anterior spiracular glands of transgenic larvae. Mutations of the Gpal sequence element in this gene fusion block expression of beta-galactosidase in the anterior spiracular gland. Together these experiments demonstrate that Gpal is necessary and sufficient for tissue-specific expression in the anterior spiracular glands. Based upon the tissue distribution and function of GLD, it is speculated that expression of GLD in the anterior spiracular glands represents the ancestral state and that GLD expression in other tissues arose as a fortuitous consequence of a shared combinatorial regulatory network.
Heuristic algorithms for assigning Hispanic ethnicity.

We compared several techniques for assigning Hispanic ethnicity to records in data systems where this information may be missing, variously making use of country of origin, surname, race, and county of residence. We considered an algorithm in use by the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR), a variation of this developed by the authors, a “fast and frugal” algorithm developed with the aid of recursive partitioning methods, and conventional logistic regression. With the exception of logistic regression, each approach was rule-based: if specific criteria were met, an ethnicity assignment was made; otherwise, the next criterion was considered, until all records were assigned. We evaluated the algorithms on a sample of over 500,000 female clients from the New York State Cancer Services Program for whom self-reported Hispanic ethnicity was known. We found that all approaches yielded similarly high accuracy, sensitivity, and positive predictive value in all parts of the state, from areas with very low to very high Hispanic populations. An advantage of the fast and frugal method is that it consists of a small number of easily remembered steps.
Legacy of the topographical engineers: Textual and cartographic records of western exploration, 1819–1860

Abstract This article identifies and discusses the major guides to the textual and cartographic documents relating to exploring expeditions by the Topographical Engineers.
Work in progress: Analysis of change in engineering construct knowledge

Interview transcripts from students (grades 2–4) were examined to measure change in understanding of engineering constructs using a coding scheme that is in development. The participants were students of teachers from a large, urban school-district that participated in two summer teacher professional development (TPD) engineering education academies and received continued support from a university center devoted to P-12 engineering education. To analyze the interviews, the overarching themes were broken into eight constructs that were points of focus during the TPD. Sample results show change in all mean scores. The inter-coder reliability for this iteration of scheme development was 91.3%. Scored level of understanding of the constructs (on a scale of 0–3) produced 75% agreement. The coding scheme continues to be refined in an effort to provide a form of evaluation of TPD and teacher effectiveness that identifies weaknesses in curriculum design and implementation.
Depletion-Mediated Red Blood Cell Aggregation in Polymer Solutions

Polymer-induced red blood cell (RBC) aggregation is of current basic science and clinical interest, and a depletion-mediated model for this phenomenon has been suggested; to date, however, analytical approaches to this model are lacking. An approach is thus described for calculating the interaction energy between RBC in polymer solutions. The model combines electrostatic repulsion due to RBC surface charge with osmotic attractive forces due to polymer depletion near the RBC surface. The effects of polymer concentration and polymer physicochemical properties on depletion layer thickness and on polymer penetration into the RBC glycocalyx are considered for 40 to 500 kDa dextran and for 18 to 35 kDa poly (ethylene glycol). The calculated results are in excellent agreement with literature data for cell-cell affinities and with RBC aggregation-polymer concentration relations. These findings thus lend strong support to depletion interactions as the basis for polymer-induced RBC aggregation and suggest the usefulness of this approach for exploring interactions between macromolecules and the RBC glycocalyx.
Dynamic scheduling of automated guided vehicles for a certain class of systems

Abstract Many contemporary manufacturing facilities employ automated guided vehicles (AGVs) for material handling. These vehicles are independently addressable and centrally controlled. In this paper we develop analytical results about the design and operation of certain types of AGV systems and some associated production planning and scheduling problems. Specifically, we analyze the assignment of part types to machines, the sequencing of jobs on each machine, the determination of the AGV fleet size, and the scheduling/dispatching of the AGVs. Given the high capital cost involved in automation, our primary objective is to maximize machine utilization. For a given level of service, we will minimize the AGV travel time. It is shown that by exploiting the special structure exhibited by many systems found in practice, polynomial time algorithms can provide full machine utilization under realistic conditions.
Isothermal capillary column gas chromatography of trimethylsilyl disaccharides

Abstract The relative retention times of seventeen trimethylsilyl disaccharides (cellobiose, gentiobiose, isomaltose, kojibiose, lactose, lactulose, laminaribiose, maltose, maltulose, melibiose, nigerose, palatinose, sophorose, sucrose, αα-trehalose, turanose and xylobiose) on a fused-silica capillary column coated with SE-54 are reported. Equilibrium anomeric compositions of fourteen of these disaccharides in pyridine are also given. Isothermal operation at 240°C allowed complete quantitation of the mixture.
A combined OH/acetone planar laser-induced fluorescence imaging technique for visualizing combusting flows

A combined OH/acetone planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) imaging technique that provides simultaneous visualizations of regions of unburned fuel and of combustion in a reacting flow is described. OH marks the location of chemical reaction and of combustion products, and acetone vapor, which is seeded into the fuel stream, marks unburned fuel. A single pulse from an ultraviolet laser is used to simultaneously excite both the OH and acetone, and the fluorescence from each is detected on separate cameras. Acetone spectroscopy and chemistry are reviewed to provide a basis for interpreting acetone fluorescence signals in high-temperature combusting environments. The imaging technique is applied to two nonpremixed turbulent reacting flows to assess the utility of the technique for visualizing the instantaneous flow structure and to illustrate the dependence of the interpretation of the acetone PLIF images on the flow conditions.
Modulation of sperm tail protein tyrosine phosphorylation by pentoxifylline and its correlation with hyperactivated motility

Abstract Objective: To assess the effect of pentoxifylline on human sperm functions that are crucial to fertilization. Design: Prospective, controlled study. Setting: Academic tertiary care institute. Patient(s): Healthy male sperm donors. Intervention(s): The effects of pentoxifylline (3.6 mM) on hyperactivated motility, sperm binding to the zona pellucida, and sperm protein tyrosine phosphorylation were evaluated. Main Outcome Measure(s): Hyperactivated motility was assessed by computer-assisted motion analysis, and tight binding of sperm to homologous zonae pellucidae was examined using the hemizona assay. Sperm protein phosphorylation was evaluated using indirect immunofluorescence with an antibody to phosphotyrosine (PY20). Result(s): Pentoxifylline significantly stimulated hyperactivated motility at 1 hour and 4 hours; it also significantly increased sperm binding to the zona pellucida and enhanced sperm tail tyrosine phosphorylation at 4 hours under capacitating conditions. There was a statistically significant correlation between hyperactivated motility and sperm tail protein phosphorylation. Conclusion(s): Pentoxifylline stimulates sperm functions that are essential to achieving fertilization under in vitro conditions in sperm obtained from fertile men. The enhancement of hyperactivated motility is associated with the stimulation of sperm tail tyrosine phosphorylation, suggesting a causal relation and the involvement of a modulatory effect after cyclic adenosine monophosphate–dependent phosphorylation of intermediate proteins.
Use of endoanal ultrasound in patients with rectovaginal fistulas.

PURPOSE: The purpose of our study was to define the role of endoanal ultrasound in the evaluation and management of patients with rectovaginal fistula. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of all patients with rectovaginal fistula who were evaluated by endoanal ultrasound at Barnes-Jewish Hospital at Washington University from 1992 to 1997. RESULTS: Twenty-five females underwent endoanal ultrasound before rectovaginal fistula repair. Mean age was 34 years. Rectovaginal fistulas were caused by obstetric trauma (19 patients; 76 percent), cryptoglandular disease (5 patients; 20 percent), and Crohn's disease (1 patient; 4 percent). Previous rectovaginal fistula repair had been performed in ten patients (40 percent). A history of anal incontinence was present in ten patients (40 percent). Rectovaginal fistula location was above (15 patients), at (7 patients), or below (3 patients) the dentate line. Rectovaginal fistula size was 5 mm (6 patients; 24 percent). Anal manometry revealed decreased sphincter pressures (resting or squeeze) in 12 patients (48 percent). Pudendal nerve latency was abnormal in three patients (9 percent). Endoanal ultrasound identified the rectovaginal fistula in 7 patients (28 percent) and an anterior sphincter defect in 23 patients (92 percent). At surgery sphincter injuries were identified in 23 patients (92 percent). Treatment was either sliding flap repair with anal sphincter reconstruction (22 patients; 88 percent) or sliding flap repair alone (3 patients; 12 percent). Repair of the rectovaginal fistula was successful in 23 patients (92 percent). Complications occurred in 11 patients (44 percent): two recurrent rectovaginal fistulas, five infections, two skin separations, one ectropion, and one hematoma. The two patients with recurrent rectovaginal fistula had prior repairs, and both were subsequently repaired successfully. Of the 11 patients with preoperative anal incontinence, 6 patients (54 percent) were continent and 2 (18 percent) improved after surgery. Cause, size, location, and previous repair of fistula had no effect on final outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Noncontrast endoanal ultrasound was not useful in imaging rectovaginal fistulas and cannot be recommended as a diagnostic or screening tool for the identification of a rectovaginal fistula. However, we recommend that endoanal ultrasound be performed preoperatively in all patients with known rectovaginal fistulas to identify and map occult sphincter defects. Concomitant anal sphincter reconstruction should be considered strongly in patients with rectovaginal fistula and an endoanal ultrasound-documented sphincter defect.
Kairos and Informative Assessment: Rethinking the Formative/Summative Distinction in Nebraska

In this article, the author argues that educational policymaking, teaching, and assessment are most effective and ethical when they are carried out with attention to local contexts. He explores this concept through a consideration of Nebraska's unique School-based, Teacher-led Assessment and Reporting System (STARS), which created a statewide policy framework that honored local teaching and assessments, including classroom assessments. The conceptual linchpin of STARS was a rethinking of the traditional distinction between formative and summative assessments and fostering of adaptive leadership at all levels of the system, most important, the classroom level. Using the concept of kairos to describe appropriateness for the occasion at hand, the author discusses the ways in which STARS offered an alternative to high-stakes standardized testing. Moreover, he argues that this approach holds important lessons for those who wish to understand the power of informative assessment, even in an educational world tha...
Integral equations for hadronic correlation functions

Abstract A reasonable extension of the Feynman Hadron-Liquid analogy at the microscopic level is offered, based on a class of models for hadron production, and integral equations between inclusive and exclusive correlation functions are derived. The simplest of them is solved to predict the two-pion exclusive correlation, given the recent ISR inclusive data, and it is succesfully applied to problems where duality and isospin play an important role.
The effects of sampling site on the two-dimensional echo-Doppler determination of cardiac output

Cardiac output was measured by two-dimensional echocardiographic Doppler technique in 55 adult patients in the intensive care unit. Doppler cardiac output determinations were measured from four sites (suprasternal long axis of the ascending aorta, suprasternal long axis of the descending aortic, apical left ventricular outflow tract, and parasternal long axis of the main pulmonary artery) and were compared to cardiac output determined by thermodilution for a total of 101 observations (r = 0.84). Mean cardiac output was 5.3 L/min (range 1.8 to 9.5 L/min) by Doppler technique and 5.1 L/min (range 1.6 to 8.9 L/min) as measured by thermodilution. Correlation of Doppler cardiac output with thermodilution cardiac output gave r values of 0.85, 0.83, 0.90, and 0.81 from the ascending aorta, descending aorta, left ventricular outflow tract, and pulmonary artery, respectively. Averaging of data in patients in whom more than one determination was possible resulted in improved correlation (r = 0.94). Thus, cardiac output can be measured with reasonable accuracy by Doppler from a variety of sampling sites and averaging of data from more than one site may improve these results.
Gene complementation in the T lymphocyte proliferative response to poly(Glu56Lys35Phe9)n. Functional evidence for a restriction element coded for by both the I-A and I-E subregions.

The T lymphocyte proliferative response to poly(Glu56Lys35Phe9)n (GLΦ) is under the control of two immune response genes, Ir-GLΦ-β and Ir-GLΦ-α, mapping in the I-A and I-E/C subregions of the major histocompatibility complex, respectively. Previous studies have demonstrated that in order to generate a response to GLΦ, both gene products must be expressed in the antigen-presenting cell (APC) but that neither responder allele has to be present in the responding T lymphocyte, provided that the T cell has matured in a responder environment. These results suggested that both gene products function as restricting elements in GLΦ presentation by APC. In this report, we provide further evidence for this model from experiments designed to test histocompatibility restrictions in antigen presentation at the I-E/C subregion. Genetic identity at the I-A subregion between T cells and APC was required for GLΦ presentation. To assess the requirements at I-E/C, B10. A(5R) T cells (I-Ab, I-Ek) primed to GLΦ were stimulated in vitro with GLΦ-pulsed spleen cells from F1 hybrids between C57BL/10 (B10: I-Ab, I-Eb) which made the cells compatible at I-A, and a variety of B10 congenics bearing other H-2 haplotypes. Although none of the parental spleen cells could present GLΦ to B10.A(5R) T cells, spleen cells from F1 hybrids between B10 and strains possessing H-2I of k, d, p and r presented GLΦ, whereas hybrids with strains possessing H-2I of f, q and s failed to present. This pattern of complementation for GLΦ presentation could not be explained on the basis of the responder status of the I-E/C donating parental haplotypes nor by invoking inhibitory stimuli from mixed lymphocyte reactions induced by the Fl APC. Rather, the pattern correlated with the presence of the serologic marker Ia.7 coded for by the I-E subregion of the complementing parental haplotype and the possession of an I-E-encoded a chain which has been shown by peptide mapping to be very similar in strains bearing the k, d, p and r haplotypes. These results suggest that the restriction element involved in the presentation of GLΦ to B10.A(5R) T cells is composed of a β chain encoded in I-Ab and an a chain encoded in I-E for which the allelic products of the k, d, p and r haplotypes are functionally equivalent. This correlation between structure and function represents the strongest evidence so far that Ia antigen-bearing molecules are the Ir gene products.
A prospective study of the polymerase chain reaction for detection of herpes simplex virus in cerebrospinal fluid submitted to the Clinical Virology Laboratory

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was prospectively performed with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 51 patients whose CSF was available for analysis and was submitted for viral culture and/or herpes simplex virus (HSV) serology and 20 patients whose CSF was submitted exclusively to the Clinical Biochemistry Laboratory. Primers were used that flanked a 92 bp segment of the HSV DNA polymerase gene (35 cycles). Amplified products were electrophoresed on agarose gel, blotted onto nylon membrane, and probed with a 32P-labelled sequence internal to the primers. For nested PCR, 1 μl of PCR product was amplified for an additional 35 cycles before electrophoresis and Southern blot analysis. Review of the clinical records revealed that 15 patients had central nervous system (CNS) infections. Specific HSV DNA sequences were detected in CSF specimens of three of the individuals [PCR(2), nested PCR(1)]. Two of these patients had disseminated HSV infection including encephalitis and one patient had aseptic meningitis. The diagnoses of the 12 patients with CNS infection who did not have HSV DNA detected in CSF included encephalitis [varicella-zoster virus (1), cytomegalovirus (1), Mycoplasma pneumoniae (1)], meningitis [Neisseria meningitidis (1), Coccidioides immitis (1), Enterovirus (1), aseptic meningitis (1)], varicella-zoster radiculitis (2), human immuno-deficiency virus dementia (2), and transverse myelitis due to Epstein-Barr virus (1). Importantly, HSV DNA was also not detected in the CSF of the 36 patients who did not have CNS infection and 20 samples submitted exclusively to the Clinical Biochemistry Laboratory. Our findings demonstrate the utility of PCR as a rapid, non-invasive method for the routine laboratory diagnosis of CNS infection due to HSV.
Performance Test And Quality Control Of A Digital Radiography System

The performance of a digital radiography system is characterized by the spatial resolution limit, the pixel contrast signal-to-noise ratio, the contrast detail curves, and the rendition of contrast signal. The importance and measurement of each of these characteristics are discussed. An equation for contrast detail curves based on noise analysis and threshold detection theory is derived to predict and interpret the low contrast performance of a digital radiography system. A phantom designed and constructed for law contrast performance is described.
Applications of a Low Noise Potentiostat in Electrochemical Measurements

Measurements on two electrochemical systems, copper in copper sulfate and aluminum in boric acid/tetraborate buffer, have been carried out by recording the amplitude spectrum of the fluctuations in the current density. For these measurements, a low noise potentiostat developed and built at NBS was employed. In the case of copper, the current spectra are found to be the deterministic response of the electrode to the noise voltage generated by the potentiostat. The electrode characteristics for charge‐transfer and for diffusion could be obtained from the impedance plots derived from the measurements when the level of the applied signal was of the order of 10−7V. In the case of aluminum, the deterministic response observed in the absence of pitting gave way to random fluctuations in the current in conditions leading to pitting. It is shown that the onset of pit formation can be detected from noise measurements. The significance of the information obtained in electrochemical noise measurements is briefly discussed.
Protein Export Across the E. coli Outer Membrane by the Autotrantransporter EspP

Autotransporters are outer membrane proteins produced by Gram-negative bacteria that are involved in virulence and consist of two domains, an N-terminal “passenger domain” and a C-terminal “β-domain”. Passenger domains are secreted to the cell surface while β-domains are predicted to form β-barrel structures in the outer membrane. In some autotransporters, the secreted passenger domain is released from the β-domain by proteolytic cleavage. Using X-ray crystallography, we solved the 2.7 A structure of the post-cleavage state of the β-domain of EspP, an autotransporter produced by E. coli O157:H7. The structure consists of a 12-stranded β-barrel with the passenger / β-domain cleavage junction located inside the barrel pore, approximately mid-way between the extracellular and periplasmic surfaces of the outer membrane. The structure reveals an unprecedented intra-barrel cleavage mechanism and suggests that two conformational changes occur in the β-domain after cleavage, one conferring increased stability on the β-domain and another restricting access to the barrel pore. The location of the cleavage site within the beta barrel has implications for secretion of the passenger domain across the outer membrane.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Efficient numerical simulation of an electrothermal de-icer pad

In this paper, a new approach to calculate the transient thermal behavior of an iced electrothermal de-icer pad was developed. The method of splines was used to obtain the temperature distribution within the layered pad. Splines were used in order to create a tridiagonal system of equations that could be directly solved by Gauss elimination. The Stefan problem was solved using the enthalpy method along with a recent implicit technique. Only one to three iterations were needed to locate the melt front during any time step. Computational times were shown to be greatly reduced over those of an existing one dimensional procedure without any reduction in accuracy; the curent technique was more than 10 times faster.
Nonionizing electromagnetic wave effects in biological materials and systems

Electromagnetic waves from the lower radio frequencies up through the optical spectrum can generate a myriad of effects and responses in biological specimens. Some of these effects can be harmful to man at high radiation intensities, producing burns, cataracts, chemical changes, etc. Biological effects have been reported at lower radiation intensities, but it is not now known if low-level effects are harmful. Even behavioral changes have been reported. Most of the effects are not harmful under controlled conditions, and can thereby be used for therapeutic purposes and to make useful diagnostic measurements. The problem of microwave penetration into the body with resultant internal power absorption is approached from both the theoretical and the experimental viewpoints. The results are discussed in terms of therapeutic warming of tissues and possible hazards caused by internal "hot spots." The absorption and scattering effects of light in biological tissues are reviewed. Molecular absorption peaks in the optical spectrum are useful for making molecular concentration measurements by spectroscopy. Much of the related work in the literature is summarized, some new results are presented, and several useful applications of wave energy and medical instruments are discussed.
The encyclopaedia Iranica and the encyclopedic tradition

(1998). The encyclopaedia Iranica and the encyclopedic tradition. Iranian Studies: Vol. 31, No. 3-4, pp. 377-387.
Nicotinic modulation of therapeutic response in vitro and in vivo

Tobacco use significantly increases the risk of developing cancer. Moreover, there is growing evidence that tobacco use decreases survival in cancer patients. Nicotine, a systemically available component of tobacco, is associated with tumor promotion and decreased apoptosis in cell culture; however, the role of nicotine on response to radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in vivo has not been evaluated. Our study evaluated the effects of nicotine administration on cancer cell survival in cell culture and mouse models. Nicotine increased survival in two cell lines following RT in vitro. Nicotine administration in mice during fractionated RT or CRT increased xenograft regrowth as compared to RT or CRT alone. Nicotine increased hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) expression in tumor xenografts without altering expression of carbonic-anhydrase, a clinical marker of tumor hypoxia. The effects of nicotine on HIF-1α expression were transient, returning to baseline levels within 2-3 days after nicotine removal. Further mechanistic studies indicated that inhibition of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) prevented nicotine-mediated increases in HIF-1α expression as well as the prosurvival effects of nicotine on RT. These findings imply that during tobacco use, nicotine may function as a systemic agent through acute and reversible regulation of HIF-1α expression and a decreased therapeutic response.
Influence of Turbulence, Orientation, and Site Configuration on the Response of Buildings to Extreme Wind

Atmospheric turbulence results from the vertical movement of air, together with flow disturbances around surface obstacles which make low- and moderate-level winds extremely irregular. Recent advancements in wind engineering have led to the construction of new facilities for testing residential homes at relatively high Reynolds numbers. However, the generation of a fully developed turbulence in these facilities is challenging. The author proposed techniques for the testing of residential buildings and architectural features in flows that lack fully developed turbulence. While these methods are effective for small structures, the extension of the approach for large and flexible structures is not possible yet. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of turbulence in the response of tall buildings to extreme winds. In addition, the paper presents a detailed analysis to investigate the influence of upstream terrain conditions, wind direction angle (orientation), and the interference effect from the surrounding on the response of high-rise buildings. The methodology presented can be followed to help decision makers to choose among innovative solutions like aerodynamic mitigation, structural member size adjustment, and/or damping enhancement, with an objective to improve the resiliency and the serviceability of buildings.
Trapping, Detection, and Mass Measurement of Individual Ions in a Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometer

A fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometer has been used to trap individual multiply charged ions of several high molecular weight polymers, including poly(ethylene oxide), sodium poly(styrene sulfonate), and the protein bovine serum albumin. Detection of these ions is performed with the nondestructive method distinctive of FTICR, which also allows remeasurement of the same ion or ion population over several hours. For the determination of the charge states (and hence the masses) of individual ions, a new scheme was developed on the basis of the observation of the stepwise m/z shifts that results from charge exchange reactions or adduction of a substance of known mass. A novel technique for mass determination of individual ions has been made possible with the observation of cyclotron frequency shifts during the time-domain acquisition period. This time-resolved ion correlation (TRIC) technique allows reactant and product ions to be correlated with confidence and provides the basis for simultaneously studying a moderate number of ions. In this work, a range of observations related to the detection and measurement of individual ions is presented, as are examples of mass determinations of individual ions performed by utilizing the TRIC technique. 47 refs., 9 figs., 2 tabs.
Variables Discriminating Individuals who Seek Orthodontic Treatment

Overall, these results support the view that dental-facial esthetics and self-perceptions of occlusal appearance, as well as attitudes toward malocclusion and orthodontic treatment, are important factors in the individual's decision to obtain orthodontic treatment. The data indicate that psychosocial variables not directly related to occlusal problems and treatment, do not add significantly to the description of differences between those who seek treatment and those who do not. While these analyses did not include a number of variables--such as socioeconomic factors or attitudes of significant others--which may also be important in predicting individual response to malocclusion, they do suggest strongly that psychosocial factors directly related to need for treatment are probably most productively assessed in terms of self-perceptions of occlusal appearance and attitudes regarding dental malrelations and their treatment.
The Use of a Wechsler Subtest Ratio as an Index of Brain Damage in Children

An index of brain damage adapted from an adult neuropsychological assessment key was applied to the WISC scores of 40 brain-damaged and control children. Using the existing adult cut-off points, 30 out of 40 nine- to fourteen-year-old children were correctly classified as brain-damaged or control on the basis of 4 WISC performance test scores. This rate of correct classification was highly significant (p < .01).
The effect of some composite structures on the thermal resistance of substrates and integrated circuit chips

An exact three-dimensional solution to the differential equation for steady-state heat transfer in composite media has been derived. Detailed results for 0.050-in-square chips mounted on 1- and 2-in-square substrates show that the thermal resistance of alumina substrates may be expected to increase by as much as 80 percent upon application of a glaze to the surface. The thermal resistances of beam lead chips varying in size from 0.050-to 0.150-in square are determined for chip-substrate interface distances from 0.0005 to 0.002 in, both with and without a thermal conducting compound as the interface media.