cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A two-stage microwave image reconstruction procedure for improved internal feature extraction.

We have developed a two-stage Gauss–Newton reconstruction process with an automatic procedure for determining the regularization parameter. The combination is utilized by our microwaveimaging system and has facilitated recovery of quantitatively improved images. The first stage employs a Levenberg–Marquardt regularization along with a spatial filtering technique for a few iterations to produce an intermediate image. In effect, the first set of iterative image reconstruction steps synthesizes a priori information from the measurement data versus actually requiring physical prior information on the interrogated object. Because of the interaction of the Levenberg–Marquardt regularization and spatial filtering at each iteration, the intermediate image produced from the first reconstruction stage represents an improvement in terms of the least squared error over the initial uniform guess; however, it has not completely converged in a least squared sense. The second stage involves using this distribution as a priori information in an iteratively regularized Gauss–Newton reconstruction with a weighted Euclidean distance penalty term. The penalized term restricts the final image to a vicinity (determined by the scale of the weighting parameter) about the intermediate image while allowing more flexibility in extracting internal object structures. The second stage makes use of an empirical Bayesian/random effects model that enables an optimal determination of the weighting parameter of the penalized term. The new approach demonstrates quantifiably improved images in simulation, phantom and in vivo experiments with particularly striking improvements with respect to the recovery of heterogeneities internal to large, high contrast scatterers such as encountered when imaging the human breast in a water-coupled configuration.
THE ANTIGENIC COMPLEX OF STREPTOCOCCUS HÆMOLYTICUS II. CHEMICAL AND IMMUNOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF THE PROTEIN FRACTIONS.

The chemical and immunological characteristics of the type-specific substance (M) of Streptococcus haemolyticus are considered. 1. A summary of the evidence for the protein nature of this substance follows: (a) It is precipiated by the usual protein precipitants such as, dilute alcohol, dilute acetic acid, and picric acid. (b) It contains 14 per cent protein nitrogen after considerable purification. (c) It is progressively destroyed by removal of the NH2 group by treatment with nitrous acid. (d) It is completely and readily digested by trypsin and by pepsin. 2. "Purified" extracts react in relatively high dilution with homologous antibacterial sera, but do not precipitate most heterologous antibacterial sera or sera potent in non-type-specific antibodies for the group reactive nucleoprotein P or for the species-specific probable carbohydrate C. Attempts to immunize rabbits with the type-specific protein have been unsuccessful, with simple salt solution extracts of streptococci as well as with purified solutions. This protein seems, therefore, to have the characteristics of a haptene. The type-specific substance (M) is contrasted with the so called nucleoprotein (P) which shows group relationships with nucleoproteins of related species and is the only fraction of hemolytic streptococcus extracts so far obtained which, after separation from the bacterial cell, is a true antigen leading to antibody production when injected into rabbits. The occurrence of another non-type-specific protein (Y) is suggested by occasional cross-reactions of purified M with certain antibacterial sera. Since it has not been separated from extracts containing the type-specific M, little is known of it either chemically or serologically. The cross-reaction disappears on tryptic or peptic digestion of the extract. The fact that such extracts do not show cross-reactions with anti-P sera is evidence that this non-type-specific protein is not P.
Analysis of correlated random effects: linear model with two random components

Linear regression models with two random components, one of which is time correlated, are analysed from a Bayesian viewpoint. The problem of making inferences about the parameters when the time correlated component is stationary is discussed. Necessary modificatiorLs needed for nonstationary and explosive models are indicated. The analysis is illustrated by a numerical example showing that the time series component of the data can exert a strong influence in determining the posterior distribution of the regression coefficients. Finally, the case of several linear models is considered and a possible application to seasonal series is indicated. 1. IN-rRODUCTION In this paper, we analyze from a Bayesian viewpoint the linear regression model with
Twinning in nanocrystalline metals

Twinning is a commonly observed deformation mode in lowsymmetry crystals such as hexagonal-close packed metals, but not in high-symmetry metals that possess many possible slip systems with lower critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) than the twinning stress. However, if the CRSS for slip can be increased to a level greater than the twinning stress, then twinning may be favored as a deformation mechanism even in cubic materials. Nanostructured metals present such a scenario. Following the observation of deformation twinning in nano-crystalline metals, even in high stacking fault energy metals such as aluminum, recently there has been signifi cant interest in studying twinning as a deformation mode in nanocrystalline face-centered cubic (fcc) metals. Another important breakthrough is the fabrication of fcc metals with nanotwinned structures using methods such as electro-deposition or sputter deposition. Nanoscale growth twins have also been observed in nanowires. Nanotwinned fcc metals made via sputtering can have twin boundary spacing as small as 2–4 nm and preferential alignment of {111} twin boundaries normal to the growth direction. These as-grown nanotwinned structures exhibit unusual properties as compared to nanocrystalline metals. Typically, in the equiaxed grain nanocrystalline metals with high-angle grain boundaries the increased strength is accompanied by a loss in ductility, thermal stability, and electrical conductivity. Twinning in Nanocrystalline Metals
Profiling of T helper cell-derived small RNAs reveals unique antisense transcripts and differential association of miRNAs with argonaute proteins 1 and 2

RNA interference mediated through antisense transcripts is a fundamentally important mechanism regulating gene expression that remains incompletely understood. Here, we have used next-generation sequencing to determine from mouse CD4+ T cells the functional implications of antisense transcripts binding to argonaute (AGO) proteins that mediate RNA interference and post-transcriptional gene silencing. This effort identified 90 new microRNAs (miRNAs) and six endogenous hairpin RNA-derived small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) mapping to distinct introns. Unexpectedly, 69 miRNAs were expressed as non-canonical isomiRs as the dominant AGO-binding transcript, with extensive 3′ terminal nucleotide modifications. Furthermore, differential expression analysis between AGO1- and AGO2-bound miRNAs suggested preferential binding of isomiRs ending with 3′ adenine residues to AGO1 and 3′ uridine residues to AGO2. Analysis of the putative targets of all miRNAs suggested a striking preference for regulating transcription and transcription factors with additional evidence of a functional division of labor between AGO proteins in this regard. We further provide evidence that multiple mitochondrial genomic loci serve as the source of endogenous cis-natural antisense transcripts. These findings imply diversity in AGO protein function based on differential miRNA binding and indicate that RNA interference-based gene regulation is more complex than previously recognized.
Textural and Ultrastructural Changes in Carrot Tissue as Affected by Blanching and Freezing

The impact of blanching and freezing conditions on firmness retention and ultrastructural changes in the cell wall and middle lamella of carrot tissues were studied. Freezing caused extensive degradation of cell wall pectins as evident from the rapid loss in tissue firmness. High-temperature short-time blanching (100 °C, 0.58 min.; 90 °C, 2.12 min.) retained firmer texture than low temperature long time blanching (80 °C, 11.64 min.; 70 °C, 71.1 min.). Freezing at rapid rates of -4.5 °C/min and -2.4 °C/min showed less softening than slow rates of -0.19 °C/min and -0.05 °C/min. Softening was further enhanced in blanched-frozen carrots. Severe structural damage due to growing we crystats and substantat loss of pectic material were seen at slower freezing rates.
A fault diagnostic method for equipment failures

ABSTRACT Equipment availability is the most significant factor in the productivity of many mines and processing plants. Machine breakdowns are not only expensive in terms of production losses but also important in meeting production schedules. In the case of an equipment breakdown, a large portion of the downtime is spent in locating the fault. For this reason, it is felt that an automated method is needed to assist the operator in the diagnostic process. In this paper, a diagnostic procedure is developed by modelling the partially known or imprecise relations and poorly defined variables found in a diagnostic environment. A diagnostic algorithm which relates the possible causes of a failure to their respective symptoms through fuzzy logic paths is presented. Application of the algorithm is illustrated by a simple example.
Expression, purification, and biochemical characterization of the antiinflammatory tristetraprolin: a zinc-dependent mRNA binding protein affected by posttranslational modifications.

Tristetraprolin (TTP) is a hyperphosphorylated protein that destabilizes mRNA by binding to an AU-rich element (ARE). Mice deficient in TTP develop a severe inflammatory syndrome. The biochemical properties of TTP have not been adequately characterized, due to the difficulties in protein purification and lack of a high-titer antiserum. Full-length human TTP was expressed in human HEK293 cells and purified to at least 70% homogeneity. The purified protein was free of endogenous ARE binding activity, and was used for investigating its size, zinc dependency, and binding kinetics for tumor necrosis factor α mRNA ARE. A high-titer rabbit antiserum was raised against the MBP−hTTP fusion protein expressed in Escherichia coli. Cellular localization studies of the transfected cells indicated that approximately 80% of the expressed TTP was in the cytosol, with 20% in the nuclei. TTP from both locations bound to the ARE and formed similar complexes. The purified TTP was shown to be intact by N-terminal His-tag purif...
Probing the mechanisms of DEAD-box proteins as general RNA chaperones: the C-terminal domain of CYT-19 mediates general recognition of RNA.

The DEAD-box protein CYT-19 functions in the folding of several group I introns in vivo and a diverse set of group I and group II RNAs in vitro. Recent work using the Tetrahymena group I ribozyme demonstrated that CYT-19 possesses a second RNA-binding site, distinct from the unwinding active site, which enhances unwinding activity by binding nonspecifically to the adjacent RNA structure. Here, we probe the region of CYT-19 responsible for that binding by constructing a C-terminal truncation variant that lacks 49 amino acids and terminates at a domain boundary, as defined by limited proteolysis. This truncated protein unwinds a six-base-pair duplex, formed between the oligonucleotide substrate of the Tetrahymena ribozyme and an oligonucleotide corresponding to the internal guide sequence of the ribozyme, with near-wild-type efficiency. However, the truncated protein is activated much less than the wild-type protein when the duplex is covalently linked to the ribozyme or single-stranded or double-stranded e...
Ground reaction forces during stair locomotion in pregnant fallers and non-fallers

BACKGROUND: More than 27% of pregnant women fall. Approximately 40% of falls occur during staircase locomotion. The purpose of this study was to examine ground reaction forces in pregnant fallers, pregnant non-fallers, and non-pregnant controls to determine if pregnant fallers display alterations to ground reaction forces that increase their risk of falling on stairs. METHODS: Fifteen pregnant fallers and 14 pregnant non-fallers participated during their second and third trimesters. Forty non-pregnant women served as controls. Subjects ascended and descended a four-step staircase. A force plate in the second stair collected ground reaction forces. Ascent and descent velocities were assessed. In the statistics, group (pregnant faller, pregnant non-faller, control) and subject were independent variables. Stance time and ascent/descent velocity were analyzed with an ANOVA. Mediolateral center of pressure excursion was analyzed with an analysis of covariance. Ground reaction forces were categorized into anterioposterior, mediolateral, and vertical forces and normalized to the subject's bodyweight. A multivariate analysis of covariance was used to compare between groups and subjects for each force category, with velocity as the covariate (α=0.05). FINDINGS: Pregnant fallers had an increased anterioposterior braking impulse (P INTERPRETATION: These alterations are likely related to a strategy used by pregnant fallers to increase stability during staircase locomotion. Language: en
DWI predicts future progression to Alzheimer disease in amnestic mild cognitive impairment

The authors assessed whether measures of hippocampal water diffusivity at baseline can predict future progression to Alzheimer disease (AD) in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). Higher baseline hippocampal diffusivity was associated with a greater risk of progression to AD in aMCI (p = 0.002). Magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging may help identify patients with aMCI who will progress to AD as well as or better than structural MRI measures of hippocampal atrophy.
Suppression of norepinephrine appearance rate in plasma by diazepam in humans

Studies demonstrating benzodiazepine-induced reductions in plasma norepinephrine (NE) have assumed that changes in circulating plasma NE closely parallel changes in sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity and that benzodiazepines suppress SNS outflow. However, decreases in plasma NE could also result from increased removal of NE from plasma via neuronal uptake or tissue metabolism. This study used a tritiated norepinephrine ([3H] NE) isotope dilution technique for measurement of plasma NE kinetics to determine if the fall in plasma NE induced by a single dose of diazepam orally administered to eight psychiatrically-healthy volunteers was due to a fall in plasma NE appearance rate or an increase in plasma NE removal. Diazepam decreased plasma NE appearance, but not clearance, and also decreased plasma epinephrine and mean arterial pressure, memory performance and alertness. Plasma levels of diazepam were correlated with drug effects on memory and alertness but not cardiovascular or SNS effects.
Differential phosphorylation of LZ+/LZ- MYPT1 isoforms by PKGIα: implication for vascular reactivity

Background MLC phosphatase is a trimeric enzyme composed of a catalytic subunit, a 20-kDa subunit of unknown function, and a myosin targeting subunit (MYPT1). During NO stimulation, PKGIa mediated phosphorylation of MYPT1 increases MLC phosphatase activity, which produces a decrease in force. Further, alternative splicing of a 3’ exon produces two MYPT1 isoforms, which differ by the presence or absence of a leucine zipper (LZ); a LZ+ MYPT1 isoform is required for PKGIa induced smooth muscle relaxation.
Donating behavior: if time is money, which to give? A preliminary analysis

Purpose – There appears to be a puzzle associated with the observation that individuals both donate and volunteer to charity. If the purpose of a giving individual is to maximize the effect of his/her donation, then he/she should give as effectively as possible. This implies that an individual should donate either time or money but not both. Yet, simultaneous volunteering and donating money is extremely common. Indeed, it may be viewed as the rule rather than the exception. This paper aims to offer a solution to this puzzle.Design/methodology/approach – This theoretical paper models giving behavior by individuals and takes into account the disutility of volunteer and income related work.Findings – By modeling the difference between an individual's volunteer and income‐related work, it can be understood why individuals' giving behavior of donating money and volunteering.Research limitations/implications – Future research should test these findings empirically.Originality/value – Theoretical contribution to...
Are Knowledge Claims Indexical

David Lewis, Stewart Cohen, and Keith DeRose have proposed that sentences of the form “S knows P” are indexical, and therefore differ in truth value from one context to another.1 On their indexical contextualism, the truth value of “S knows P” is determined by whether S meets the epistemic standards of the speaker’s context. I will not be concerned with relational forms of contextualism, according to which the truth value of “S knows P” is determined by the standards of the subject S’s context, regardless of the standards applying to the speaker making the knowledge claim. Relational contextualism is a form of normative relativism. Indexical contextualism is a semantic theory. When the subject is the speaker, as when “S” is the first person pronoun “I,” the two forms of contextualism coincide. But otherwise, they diverge. I critically examine the principal arguments for indexicalism, detail linguistic evidence against it, and suggest a pragmatic alternative.
Application of the Rayleigh-Schrödinger perturbation theory to the hydrogen atom

Abstract Rayleigh-Schrodinger variational perturbation theory is applied to the hydrogen-like atom with a perturbation proportional to 1/ r . It is rigorously shown that the exact eigenfunction is obtained by direct summation of the perturbation expansion through infinite order.
Opening the window into brain development in children more widely with magnetic resonance imaging.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has afforded a remarkable view of brain development in children. Far from a unidimensional imaging format, MRI comprises a broad array of imaging techniques that may be used noninvasively to study development of the child’s brain. Initially, MRI provided valuable information on the developmental progression of myelination throughout infancy and childhood.1,2 More recently, fetal and postnatal neuroanatomic imaging has extended our understanding of both cerebral sulcation and gyration.3 Diffusion tensor imaging, a technique that measures the mobility of water in tissue, has been used to demonstrate changes in both white mater and gray matter that accompany brain maturation in premature infants, term infants, and children.4–6 Volumetric MRI has revealed new and important features of brain development not only during early childhood … Reprint requests to (M.J.R.) Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Radiology, Developmental Neuroimaging Laboratory, Pavillion 154, Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115. E-mail:michael.rivkin{at}tch.harvard.edu
Text retrieval conference (TREC) genomics pre-track workshop

The goal of this workshop is to allow individuals interested in the Text Retrieval Conference (TREC, trec.nist.gov) Genomics Pre-Track to come together to discuss common goals and interests for the pre-track. The workshop will be designed to generate a plan for developing a common set of tasks, databases, and evaluation measures for the pre-track. The morning will be devoted to presentations by attendees, with the topics to be covered determined by selection by the program committee. The afternoon will be geared towards developing a plan for the pre-track, with the structure based on the number of attendees (i.e., if attendance is large, we will break into small groups).
Q&A: Cancer: Clues from cell metabolism

Interest in the abnormal metabolism exhibited by cancer cells has been reawakened by the discovery of oncogenic mutations in metabolic enzymes, and by tools that monitor metabolism in living cells. Existing and emerging therapies aim to target this abnormal metabolism in various ways.
Hydrogen content and annealing of memory quality silicon-oxynitride films

Optical measurements have been made to investigate the effects of post-deposition heating to 950° in vacuum on 750°-CVD silicon-nitride films which contain approximately 5 atomic percent oxygen. The refractive index and thick-ness, determined ellipsometrically at 5461 A for 600 A films, were unchanged by annealing within the experimental uncertainties of the measurements. Annealing, however, caused a shift of the absorption edge toward higher energy, a decrease in the etch rate, a cracking of 4500 A films on thick-Si substrates, and an increase in the peak absorption for the SiN band. These effects are interpreted as atomic reordering and densification of the films. The absence of any significant change in refractive index or in the posi-tion of the SiN band upon annealing implies that the oxygen content is unaffected by annealing. Multiple internal reflection measurements show a large hydrogen concentration (~ 7 atomic percent) initially bound to N or to Si in the films. The most striking effect of annealing is on the SiH centers which are annealed out by one hour at 900°C, and a 20 percent reduction is observed for the NH centers. Preliminary electrical measurements indicate an increase in conductance for films annealed at 800 and 850°C; and for the same applied voltage, dielectric failure is observed after annealing at 950°C. Exposure of dangling silicon and nitrogen bonds which were initially-decorated with hydrogen is suggested to explain the higher conductance after annealing.
The natural history of macular pseudoholes

Purpose To report the natural history of macular pseudoholes with regard to ophthalmoscopic appearance and visual acuity. Methods Thirty-six eyes of 34 patients with macular pseudoholes who were followed up for 1 year or longer were retrospectively evaluated to compare the initial ophthalmoscopic appearance and visual acuity with the most recent follow-up appearance and visual acuity. Results Mean visual acuity at initial examination was 20/32 (median, 20/30); mean follow-up visual acuity was 20/32 (median, 20/30). Fourteen eyes (39%) had identical initial and final visual acuities, and 30 eyes (83%) had final visual acuity within 2 lines on the visual acuity chart from their initial examination. Four eyes had improved visual acuity of more than 2 lines, and two eyes lost more than 2 lines of visual acuity. Thirty-one eyes had adequate initial and follow-up photographs allowing comparison of macular appearance. Twenty-three (74%) of the 31 eyes showed a definitive change in macular appearance. Conclusions Visual acuity in patients with macular pseudoholes tended to remain stable. However, the macular appearance changed in 74% of eyes.
Prolegomenon to a future humanities policy

It would be folly to set up a program under which research in the natural sciences and medicine was expanded at the cost of the social sciences, humanities, and other studies so essential to national well-being. Vannevar Bush, Science-The Endless Frontier (1945) The relationship between science and society today is a troubled one. The first, more academic part of the trouble occurs in the literature of policy journals, while the second has engaged a wider audience including scientists, decision makers, and the general public. The first concerns science policy research, the second concerns science policy writ large. In the first case, a contextual movement has taken root that increasingly competes with a process-oriented type of research. In the second case, the federally funded research community has come under increased societal pressure to show the relevance of the $132 billion slice of the federal budget devoted to research and development. Daniel Sarewitz, for example, argues that the question to be asked in science policy is not "How much money should we spend on RD Lasswell and McDougal, 1992). …
Mechanisms of tumor necrosis factor α antagonist-induced lupus in a murine model.

Objective Tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) antagonists are effective for treating rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases, but their use can be complicated by the development of lupus-like phenomena. This study was undertaken to investigate the role of TNFα in a murine model of lupus. Methods Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR-7) ligand–driven lupus was induced by injection of pristane into C57BL/6 (B6) mice deficient in TNFα (TNFα−/−) or TNFα-intact B6 mice as wild-type controls. Autoantibody and type I interferon (IFN) production was measured in each group of mice, and the effects of the presence or absence of TNFα on type I IFN–producing plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDCs), Ly-6Chigh monocytes, and TNFα-producing neutrophils were determined. Results TNFα−/− mice did not spontaneously develop autoantibodies or clinical manifestations of lupus, suggesting that TNFα deficiency alone is insufficient to cause lupus. Although the levels of type I IFN were comparable between untreated TNFα−/− and wild-type control mice, untreated TNFα−/− mice had increased circulating levels of PDCs and PDC-like cells, which enhanced the potential for production of type I IFN. When treated with pristane, TNFα−/− mice developed more severe lupus compared to pristane-treated controls, characterized by increased levels of anti-Sm/RNP autoantibodies, type I IFN, PDCs, and peritoneal inflammatory (Ly-6Chigh) monocytes. In pristane-treated TNFα−/− mice, the numbers of neutrophils, a cell type that promotes resolution of inflammation, were decreased considerably, whereas the responses of inflammatory monocytes and PDCs and the production of type I IFN were increased and prolonged. Conclusion Low levels of TNFα will increase the number of circulating PDCs in mice, thereby enhancing the potential to produce type I IFN. However, this does not necessarily lead to type I IFN production or autoimmunity unless there is concomitant exposure to endogenous TLR-7 ligands, which are released from dead cells following pristane treatment. In humans, the rate of clearance of dead cells, along with the levels of TNFα, may influence who will develop lupus following treatment with TNFα inhibitors.
Cation and anion diffusion in the amorphous phase of the polymer electrolyte (PEO) 8LiCF3SO3

Abstract Pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR measurements of the cation and anion diffusion coefficients are reported for the amorphous phase of the poly(ethylene) oxide-lithium triflate [(PEO)8LiCF3SO3] complex in the temperature range 428–448K. These diffusion data, which allow unambiguous determination of the cation (t+) and anion (t−) transport numbers for this amorphous electrolyte, show that both kinds of ions are mobile in the amorphous complex, with t+ ranging from 0.34 at 428K to 0.41 at 448K. We also report some a.c. conductivity results performed on the same polymer complex and over the same temperature range (428–448K) as used in the diffusion measurements. Consistency between the conductivity and diffusion results has been achieved by invoking an “effective conductivity” derived with the aid of a phenomenological model which considers the two ionic fluxes relative to a “solvent” (the PEO polymer).
Formation of ultracold polar molecules in a single quantum state

We compute the formation rate of a polar molecule, LiH, into the lowest triplet electronic state, a {sup 3{Sigma}+}, via population of the intermediate excited electronic state, b {sup 3{Pi}}, followed by radiative decay. We find large formation rates into the single rovibrational bound state (v=0,J=0) of the a {sup 3{Sigma}+}, which can be explained by the unusually large overlap of its wave function with those of the two upper-most bound levels of the b {sup 3{Pi}}. With conservative parameters, we estimate that over 10{sup 4} molecules/s could be produced in the single rovibrational level of the a {sup 3{Sigma}+} state. We also discuss scattering properties of LiH triplet molecules and their relevance to ultracold chemical reactions.
On the Nature of Default Case

This paper presents arguments that Universal Grammar includes a notion of “default case” different from that which has generally been assumed in the literature. It comprises the case forms used to spell out nominals that do not receive a case specification by assignment or other syntactic means. As such, it does not interact with the Case Filter, which is argued to be a purely syntactic constraint as opposed to a morphophonological one. It is shown that diverse phenomena in the distribution of pronouns in English can be parsimoniously treated using default case, and further that English can thereby be assimilated to “richer” case languages such as German, rather than being analyzed with arbitrary language-particular rules. A sampling of phenomena from other languages demonstrates that evidence for default case is widespread, and moreover, that crosslinguistic differences in case patterns can often be reduced to the choice of a default case.
Chiropractic management of a patient with lumbar spinal stenosis

Objectives: To discuss the case of a patient with severe, multilevel central canal stenosis who was managed conservatively with flexion-distraction manipulation; to introduce a cautious approach to the application of treatment, which can reduce the risk of adverse effects and might make an apprehensive doctor more comfortable treating this condition; and to propose a theoretic mechanism for relief of symptoms through use of chiropractic manipulation. Clinical Features: A 78-year-old man had low back pain and severe bilateral leg pains. Objective findings were minimal, yet magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated severe degenerative lumbar stenosis at L3-L4 and L4-L5 and to a lesser degree at L2-L3. Intervention and Outcome: Flexion-distraction manipulation of the lumbar spine was performed. Incremental increases in traction forces were applied as the patient responded positively to care. He experienced a decrease in the frequency and intensity of his leg symptoms and a resolution of his low back pain. These improvements were maintained at a 5-month follow-up visit. Conclusion: Successful management of symptoms either caused by or complicated by lumbar spinal stenosis is presented. Manipulation of the spine shows promise for relief of symptoms through improving spinal biomechanics. Further study in the form of a randomized clinical trial is warranted. (J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2001;24:300-4)
New approach to a generalized fractional integral

Abstract The paper presents a new fractional integration, which generalizes the Riemann–Liouville and Hadamard fractional integrals into a single form. Conditions are given for such a fractional integration operator to be bounded in an extended Lebesgue measurable space. Semigroup property for the above operator is also proved. We give a general definition of the fractional derivatives and give some examples.
Foot Laterality During Childhood: A Review

Recent reports suggest that footedness warrants consideration as a potentially useful measure of specific aspects of neuropsychological functioning. However, very few data are available concerning its developmental characteristics. This paper presents a review of studies describing the trichotomous distribution of foot laterality spanning the childhood years (ages 3- to 11). When compared to handedness characteristics in the same population, it was noted that right-side dominance (foot preference) was not as pronounced, and about twice as many exhibit no dominant limb (i.e., mixed). The predictable pattern of increasing right-sidedness with advancing age found in handedness was not obvious for foot laterality over this period of time. The mixed-footed phenomenon is addressed using the basic tenets of Annett's Right-Shift hypothesis and the unique cultural factors associated with foot behavior. Applied implications of these observations for neuropsychological assessment and motor skill instruction are discussed.
Comparison of SIVmac239(352-382) and SIVsmmPBj41(360-390) enterotoxic synthetic peptides.

Abstract To characterize the active domain of the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) surface unit (SU) enterotoxin, peptides corresponding to the V3 loop of SIVmac239 (SIVmac) and SIVsmmPBj41 (SIVpbj) were synthesized and examined for enterotoxic activity, α-helical structure, and interaction(s) with model membranes. SIVmac and SIVpbj induced a dose-dependent diarrhea in 6–8-day-old mouse pups similar to full-length SU. The peptides mobilized [Ca 2+ ] i in HT-29 cells with distinct oscillations and elevated inositol triphosphate levels. Circular dichroism analyses showed the peptides were predominantly random coil in buffer, but increased in α-helical content when placed in a hydrophobic environment or with cholesterol-containing membrane vesicles that are rich in anionic phospholipids. None of the peptides underwent significant secondary structural changes in the presence of neutral vesicles indicating ionic interactions were important. These data show that the SIV SU enterotoxic domain localizes in part to the V3 loop region and interacts with anionic membrane domains on the host cell surface.
Hepatic cytochrome P450 2E1 activity in nondiabetic patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in animal models, but its role in the pathogenesis of human NASH is unclear. Therefore, we measured hepatic CYP2E1 activity and its correlates in a cohort of nondiabetic patients with NASH (NDN) and controls to explore its role in the pathogenesis of human NASH. Hepatic CYP2E1 activity was assessed using the oral clearance (CL(PO)) of chlorzoxazone (CHZ) in 20 NDN and 17 age, gender, and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls. The relationship between hepatic CYP2E1 activity and demographic and anthropometric variables; fasting levels of insulin, glucose, lipids, and beta-OH butyrate; insulin resistance; and nocturnal hypoxemia was assessed. Furthermore, expression of CYP2E1 in the peripheral lymphocytes was assessed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The CL(PO) of CHZ was significantly (P =.03) greater in NDN (41 +/- 12 L/h) compared with controls (33 +/- 16 L/h). Lymphocyte CYP2E1 messenger RNA was significantly higher in NDN compared with controls (11.5 x 10(3) +/- 10 x 10(3) vs. 2.6 x 10(3) +/- 1.2 x 10(3) molecules/microg total RNA, respectively, P <.001). On univariate analysis, BMI, respiratory quotient, high-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, insulin, insulin resistance, hypoxemia, and beta-OH butyrate significantly correlated with hepatic CYP2E1 activity. However, on stepwise regression analysis, only nocturnal hypoxemia (r = 0.50, P =.009) and beta-OH butyrate (r = 0.37, P =.04) were independent predictors of hepatic CYP2E1 activity. In conclusion, hepatic CYP2E1 activity and lymphocyte CYP2E1 expression are enhanced in NDN. The significant correlations noted between CYP2E1 and hypoxemia and beta-OH butyrate suggest that these factors play a role in increased CYP2E1 activity that is seen in patients with NASH.
Radiographic demonstration of giant cardiac false aneurysm

A 52-year-old man with New York Heart Association grade III-IV heart failure had previously undergone aortic valve replacement on three separate occasions. Most recently he had been treated with homograft aortic root replacement. Over the last few years progressive heart failure had gradually developed, along with a slowly enlarging subxyphoid pulsatile mass with skin breakdown and recurrent seropurulent discharge. A chest computed tomography scan demonstrated a homograft root replacement with a calcified wall (black arrow) and a large mediastinal mass with a calcified wall (white arrows; Fig 1). After intravenous contrast injection, there was partial filling of the mediastinal mass. We suspected an infected aortic false aneurysm. At cardiac catheterization, injecting contrast into the ascending aorta did not demonstrate any leak, and the homograft valve was only minimally regurgitant. Coronary angiography documented no significant coronary artery disease. To identify the origin of the false aneurysm we performed left ventriculography supported by digital subtraction imaging. After injecting contrast into the left ventricle the subvalvular anastomotic leak was demonstrated (arrows; Fig 2), and subsequent frames documented opacification of the entire false aneurysm cavity. Redo aortic root replacement was accomplished by insertion of a new homograft. Initially the patient did well, but 2 months later he died after the false aneurysm recurred. Address reprint requests to Dr Merrill, Department of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 2986 The Vanderbilt Clinic, 1301 22nd Ave South, Nashville, TN 37232-5734; e-mail: walter.merrill@surgery.mc.vanderbilt.edu. Fig 1. Fig 2.
Speech Recognition in noise in children with cochlear implants while listening in bilateral, bimodal, and FM-system arrangements.

Purpose Speech recognition performance in noise was examined in children with cochlear implants (CIs) when using (a) a second CI (bilateral group), (b) a hearing aid (HA) on the nonimplant ear (bimodal group), and (c) a frequency modulation (FM) system on 1 or both sides. Method While always maintaining use of the first CI, 2 groups participated in 6 conditions each using various listening arrangements with the second CI, HA, or FM system. Speech-in-noise thresholds were determined using simple phrases, classroom noise, and a method-of-limits approach. Results No group differences were detected across any conditions. In the no-FM-system conditions, no significant benefit of bilateral or bimodal input was found relative to a single CI. In the FM-system conditions, thresholds were significantly lower (up to 20 dB) relative to all other conditions when FM-system input was provided to the first-implanted side or to both sides simultaneously. Conclusions Children’s speech-in-noise thresholds did not improve wh...
Video views and reviews: gastrulation and the fashioning of animal embryos.

Even the most naive student readily understands that following fertilization, a single-celled egg must undergo multiple rounds of cell division to become a multicellular organism. In contrast, it is not obvious how the embryonic mass of cells resulting from cleavage becomes transformed into a multilayered, functionally complex, and, in many instances, bilaterally symmetrical embryo. This transformation is so universal among animal embryos that developmental biologists refer to the process with a single term: ‘‘gastrulation.’’ Dramatic changes in embryonic complexity accompany gastrulation. The process is all the more impressive for the relative rapidity of its passage and for its pivotal role in bringing about subsequent morphogenetic events in the life history of an animal. Indeed, as one developmental biologist has remarked, ‘‘It is not birth, marriage, or death, but gastrulation which is truly the most important time in your
President Eisenhower, Economic Policy, and the 1960 Presidential Election

This article examines economic policy in the Eisenhower years and the president's role in the 1960 election. I measure the impact of changes in fiscal policy on real GNP and show that policy in 1959 was unusually contractionary and cannot be dismissed as merely evidence of Eisenhower's fiscal conservatism.
Warfarin and Celecoxib Interaction

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of increased international normalized ratio (INR) in a patient receiving warfarin and celecoxib.CASE SUMMARY:A 73-year-old white woman with hypothyroidism and heart failure was admitted to the hospital with increased orthopnea, dyspnea on exertion, and hemoptysis. On laboratory evaluation, she was noted to have an increased INR. The only reported change in her medications was the addition of celecoxib approximately five weeks before admission. Her INR had previously been stable. After discontinuation of warfarin and celecoxib, fresh frozen plasma and vitamin K were administered to normalize INR. The patient was not rechallenged.DISCUSSION:Warfarin is an oral anticoagulant with numerous reports of drug interactions. It is possible that other drug therapies or disease states may have contributed to the elevation in INR; however, the observed increase in INR occurred five weeks after beginning celecoxib therapy. The Food and Drug Administration has issued a notice about the possibi...
Selecting Appropriate Animal Models and Experimental Designs for Endocrine Disruptor Research and Testing Studies

Evidence that chemicals in the environment may cause developmental and reproductive abnormalities in fish and wildlife by disrupting normal endocrine functions has increased concern about potential adverse human health effects from such chemicals. US laws have now been enacted that require the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and validate a screening program to identify chemicals in food and water with potential endocrine-disrupting activity. EPA subsequently proposed an Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program that uses in vitro and in vivo test systems to identify chemicals that may adversely affect humans and ecologically important animal species. However, the endocrine system can be readily modulated by many experimental factors, including diet and the genetic background of the selected animal strain or stock. It is therefore desirable to minimize or avoid factors that cause or contribute to experimental variation in endocrine disruptor research and testing studies. Standard laboratory animal diets contain high and variable levels of phytoestrogens, which can modulate physiologic and behavioral responses similar to both endogenous estrogen as well as exogenous estrogenic chemicals. Other studies have determined that some commonly used outbred mice and rats are less responsive to estrogenic substances than certain inbred mouse and rat strains for various estrogen-sensitive endpoints. It is therefore critical to select appropriate biological models and diets for endocrine disruptor studies that provide optimal sensitivity and specificity to accomplish the research or testing objectives. An introduction is provided to 11 other papers in this issue that review these and other important laboratory animal experimental design considerations in greater detail, and that review laboratory animal and in vitro models currently being used or evaluated for endocrine disruptor research and testing. Selection of appropriate animal models and experimental design parameters for endocrine disruptor research and testing will minimize confounding experimental variables, increase the likelihood of replicable experimental results, and contribute to more reliable and relevant test systems.
The Changing Relationship Between Fertility Expectations and Educational Expectations: Adolescents in the 1970s Versus the 1980s

This article examines the relationship between young women’s fertility expectations and educational expectations in late adolescence and at the outset of adulthood. Given progressive macro-level changes in the United States beginning in the 1960s, we compare the expectation patterns of youth from two cohorts using data from the National Longitudinal Surveys. We find that the relationship between education and fertility expectations is statistically negligible for those born in the height of the baby boom (1950s) and yet statistically positive for those born at the tail end of the baby boom (1960s). The crux of the change, however, is not driven by an increase in those who pair high educational expectations with normative or above-norm fertility expectations but rather an increase in young women who pair modest educational ambitions with low fertility expectations.
Polynomial Time Low-Density Parity-Check Codes With Rates Very Close to the Capacity of the $q$ -ary Random Deletion Channel for Large $q$

We demonstrate polynomial-time deletion codes based on the verification-based decoding paradigm that come arbitrarily close to capacity. The random deletion channel takes n symbols from a q-ary alphabet, and each symbol is deleted independently with probability p. Taking advantage of recent improvements on the results of Luby and Mitzenmacher for verification-based decoding by Shokrollahi and Wang, we show how to design for any epsi>0 and sufficiently large n and q deletion codes with the following properties: the rate is (1-p)(1-epsi), the failure probability is nO(1/epsi2)/q, and the computational complexity for encoding and decoding is nO(1/epsi2)log q. We also extend these schemes to obtain the same results even if the undeleted symbols are also transposed arbitrarily, and if a sufficiently small number of random symbols are inserted
Electrophysiologic Effects of Adenosine in Patients With Supraventricular Tachycardia

Background—We correlated the electrophysiologic (EP) effects of adenosine with tachycardia mechanisms in patients with supraventricular tachycardias (SVT). Methods and Results—Adenosine was administered to 229 patients with SVTs during EP study: atrioventricular (AV) reentry (AVRT; n=59), typical atrioventricular node reentry (AVNRT; n=82), atypical AVNRT (n=13), permanent junctional reciprocating tachycardia (PJRT; n=12), atrial tachycardia (AT; n=53), and inappropriate sinus tachycardia (IST; n=10). There was no difference in incidence of tachycardia termination at the AV node in AVRT (85%) versus AVNRT (86%) after adenosine, but patients with AVRT showed increases in the ventriculoatrial (VA) intervals (13%) compared with typical AVNRT (0%), P<0.005. Changes in atrial, AV, or VA intervals after adenosine did not predict the mode of termination of long R-P tachycardias. For patients with AT, there was no correlation with location of the atrial focus and adenosine response. AV block after adenosine was o...
Stability of Quantized and Delayed Bilateral Teleoperators

In this paper we address the issue of quantization in delayed bilateral teleoperators via input-to-state stability concepts and the small-gain theorem. An ultimate bound is established on the tracking error between the master and slave positions and the final velocities, based on the available resolution for quantization and magnitudes of external forces acting on both robots. A characterization of possible environments that would provide such bounded external forces is given.