cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative Autofluorescence as a Clinical Tool for Expedited Differential Diagnosis of Retinal Degeneration

Homozygous and compound heterozygous mutations in ABCA4 are associated with multiple phenotypes, including bull’s-eye maculopathy (BEM).1 The BEM fundus patterning can also be conferred by other genes such as the retinitis pigmentosa guanosine triphosphatase regulator gene (RPGR), a gene that encodes a protein involved in trafficking to the outer segment.2 The carrier frequency of disease-causing mutations in ABCA4 is 1 in 20. Even after complete sequencing of the ABCA4 exons and adjacent intronic sequences in patients with a clinical diagnosis of Stargardt disease 1 (STGD1), 15% to 20% of cases still have only 1 identified disease-causing mutation and no mutations are found in 10% to 15% of individuals.3 Thus, the phenotypic and allelic variability of ABCA4-related disease remains a challenge. Due to reduced protein function, ABCA4 mutations trigger elevated accumulation of bisretinoid lipofuscin in retinal pigment epithelial cells. This increase is revealed in most but not all cases as augmented fundus autofluorescence (AF), the inherent AF of the retina that is emitted with 488-nm excitation.4 Using a standardized method for quantification of fluorescence intensities in fundus AF images (quantitative fundus AF[ qAF]), increased qAF levels have been observed in patients with STGD14 even at young ages and in fundus areas that qualitatively appear to be unaffected. Herein, we show that qAF is a clinical tool that may help in the management of inherited retinal diseases.
11 CALF REMOVAL IMPROVES CO-SYNCH + CONTROLLED INTERNAL DRUG-RELEASE PREGNANCY RATES IN BEEF COWS

Improving AI pregnancy rates in beef cattle will enhance the profitability of beef herds during these current times of increasing cost inputs by enhancing the quality of the calf crop. This experiment was aimed at determining the effect of calf removal (from CIDR removal to timed AI) during estrous cycle synchronization on AI pregnancy rates. This experiment was conduced at the Dixon Springs Research Station (Simpson, IL) during the fall 2007 breeding season. The beef cows used for this research project were crossbred Angus cows between 2 and 8 years of age that had calved in August to October of 2007. Cows were at least 45 days postpartum at the timed AI (November 2007). All cows were randomly divided into 1 of 2 treatment groups: cows in treatment group 1 (control group, n = 284) were allowed to keep their calves for the entire estrous cycle synchronization and AI program (except during brief times of treatment administration), whereas cows allotted to treatment group 2 (n = 258) had their calves removed at the time of CIDR implant removal/PGF2α treatment and returned following AI. The calves were maintained on creep feed out of sight and sound of their dams. All cows were synchronized by using the CO-Synch + CIDR protocol [CIDR (1.38 g) + GnRH (100 μg) on Day 0 and CIDR removal on Day 7 + PGF2α (25 mg)] and were inseminated at a predetermined time of 60 to 66 h post PGF2α with semen from proven bulls. At AI, cows also received an injection of GnRH (100 μg). All cows were pregnancy checked 50 to 65 days after timed AI via ultrasonography. Statistical comparisons were performed by using the chi-square test of SAS. The pregnancy rate for cows in the control treatment group was 47% (132 of 284) and was 57% (147 of 258) for the calf-removal treatment group. There was a significant increase in pregnancy rate in the treatment group (P < 0.02) that resulted in 10 more calves per 100 synchronized AI breedings. Although excellent facilities are needed to maintain calves away from their dams during this 60 to 66 h and there are additional costs for the feedings required for the calves, there is a savings in time (one calf separation from the cow is eliminated). In conclusion, removing the calves at the onset of estrous cycle synchronization can improve pregnancy rates to synchronized timed AI and can increase the ease of cattle handling during this process by reducing the number of calf removals during routine cow workings. Table 1.Pregnancy rates to single synchronized timed AI for control and calf removal treatment groups
A computational investigation of fuel mixing in a hypersonic scramjet

A parabolized, Navier-Stokes code, SHIP3D, is used to numerically investigate the mixing between air injection and hydrogen injection from a swept ramp injector configuration into either a mainstream low-enthalpy flow or a hypervelocity test flow. The mixing comparisons between air and hydrogen injection reveal the importance of matching injectant-to-mainstream mass flow ratios. In flows with the same injectant-to-mainstream dynamic pressure ratio, the mixing definition was altered for the air injection cases. Comparisons of the computed results indicate that the air injection cases overestimate the mixing performance associated with hydrogen injection simulation. A lifting length parameter, to account for the time a fluid particle transverses through the mixing region, is defined and used to establish a connection of injectant mixing in hypervelocity flows, based on nonreactive, low-enthalpy flows.
Adjunct mifepristone for cervical preparation prior to dilation and evacuation: a randomized trial.

Abstract Objective The objective was to investigate mifepristone as a potential adjunct to cervical preparation for surgical abortion after 19 weeks of gestation, with the aim of improving procedure access, convenience and comfort. Methods This is a site-stratified, block-randomized, noninferiority trial of 50 women undergoing surgical abortion between 19 and 23 6/7 weeks of gestation randomized to receive either one set of osmotic dilators plus mifepristone the day prior to procedure (mifepristone group) or two sets of osmotic dilators (placed 18–24 h apart) in the 2 days prior to procedure (control group). All subjects received preprocedure misoprostol. Primary outcome was procedure time. Secondary outcomes included preoperative cervical dilation, ease of procedure, and side effects and pain experienced by subjects. Results Mean gestational age was similar between groups (20 weeks); more nulliparous subjects were randomized to the mifepristone group (46% vs. 12%, p=.009). Mean procedure times were similar: mifepristone group 11:52 (SD 5:29) vs. control group 10:56 (SD 5:08); difference in means − 56 s, with confidence interval (95% CI − 4:09 to + 2:16) not exceeding the 5-min difference we a priori defined as clinically significant. Preprocedure cervical dilation did not differ and was > 3 cm for the majority of subjects in both groups. There was no difference (p=.6) in ease of procedure reported by providers. Preoperative (postmisoprostol) pain and postoperative pain levels were greater with mifepristone (p = 0.02 and p= 0.04 respectively). Overall subject experience was not different (p=0.80), with most reporting a “better than expected” experience. Conclusions Mifepristone with one set of osmotic dilators and misoprostol did not result in longer procedure times or less cervical dilation than serial (two sets) of osmotic dilators and misoprostol, and has the potential to improve access to second trimester abortion without compromising safety. Implications Use of mifepristone for cervical preparation before surgical abortion after 19 weeks allows for fewer visits and fewer osmotic dilators without compromising cervical dilation or increasing procedure time.
Isoprenoid addition to Ras protein is the critical modification for its membrane association and transforming activity

Abstract We have introduced a variety of amino acid substitutions into carboxyl-terminal CA1A2X sequence (C = cysteine; A = aliphatic; X = any amino acid) of the oncogenic [Val12]Ki-Ras4B protein to identify the amino acids that permit Ras processing (isoprenylation, proteolysis, and carboxyl methylation), membrane association, and transformation in cultured mammalian cells. While all substitutions were tolerated at the A1 position, substitutions at A2 and X reduced transforming activity. The A2 residue was important for both isoprenylation and AAX proteolysis, whereas the X residue dictated the extent and specificity of isoprenoid modification only. Differences were observed between Ras processing in living cells and farnesylation efficiency in a cell-free system. Finally, one farnesylated mutant did not undergo either proteolysis or carboxyl methylation but still displayed efficient membrane association (approximately 50%) and transforming activity, indicating that farnesylation alone can support Ras transforming activity. Since both farnesylation and carboxyl methylation are critical for yeast a-factor biological activity, the three CAAX-signaled modifications may have different contributions to the function of different CAAX-containing proteins.
Lipids of cultured hepatoma cells: I. Effect of serum lipid levels on cell and media lipids

Minimal deviation hepatoma cells were cultured as monolayers to confluency in roller flasks containing modified Swim's medium, supplemented with decreasing amounts of serum, lipid-free serum, and lipid-free serum containing added fatty acids. Good cell growth was observed until serum levels fell below 5% of the medium. Media containing lipid-free serum or lipid-free serum plus linoleic or palmitic acids did not support good growth. Lipids were extracted from cells; media, obtained during the first and last half of the incubation period, resolved into neutral and phospholipid fractions; fatty acid composition of each fraction analyzed by gas liquid chromatography; and lipid class distributions compared by thin layer chromatography. The data showed that the media contained more neutral lipids and phospholipids after incubation than initially, indicating that minimal deviation hepatoma cells excreted lipids into the media. The class composition of the excreted lipids resembled that of the serum. A comparison of media, cells, and serum fatty acid compositions indicated that the lipids secreted into the media were of cellular origin. Although some differences were noted, in general, cells grown on the nine different media had the same ca. neutral lipid and phospholipid class and fatty acid compositions. In contrast, dramatic differences were observed in the class and fatty acid compositions of the serums from that of the cells and media. These results indicate that exogenous serum lipids had little influence on cellular class and fatty acid compositions of the minimal deviation hepatoma cells. This neoplasm did not contain detectable levels of glyceryl ether diesters, indicating that this compound is not characteristic of all tumors. Lipid class profiles and fatty acid compositions of cells grown on various media suggest that the minimal deviation hepatoma cells can synthesize most, if not all, neutral lipid and phosphoglyceride classes found in liver.
Impossible or merely difficult? Two grand challenges from a biologist's perspective.

Medicinal chemistry is a unique discipline straddling the interface of several sciences, including synthetic organic and inorganic chemistry, pharmacology, drug metabolism and distribution, toxicology, and systems and computational biology.1 Ultimately, medicinal chemistry “..is concerned with the invention, discovery, design, identification and preparation of biologically active compounds... (and) the interpretation of their mode of action at the molecular level ...”1 (emphasis mine). Here I will propose what might be considered to be “grand challenges” for medicinal chemistry based on the foregoing, made feasible from recent technological and conceptual breakthroughs.
Surface remeshing in arbitrary codimensions

We present a method for remeshing surfaces that is both general and efficient. Existing efficient methods are restrictive in the type of remeshings they produce, while methods that are able to produce general types of remeshings are generally based on iteration, which prevents them from producing remeshes at interactive rates. In our method, the input surface is directly mapped to an arbitrary (possibly high-dimensional) range space, and uniformly remeshed in this space. Because the mesh is uniform in the range space, all the quantities encoded in the mapping are bounded, resulting in a mesh that is simultaneously adapted to all criteria encoded in the map, and thus we can obtain remeshings of arbitrary characteristics. Because the core operation is a uniform remeshing of a surface embedded in range space, and this operation is direct and local, this remeshing is efficient and can run at interactive rates.
A double-focusing double-collecting mass spectrometer for light stable isotope ratio analysis

Abstract Modification of a Dupont 21–491 double-focusing mass spectrometer for carbon dioxide isotope ratio analysis has resulted in a decrease in the mass-44 tailing by approximately 50-fold and an increase in signal-to-noise ratio. Consequently, tailing corrections have been made negligible.
RELATIONSHIP OF SELECTED BEEF CARCASS TRAITS WITH MEAT PALATABILITY

Relationships among selected carcass traits and cooked meat palatability were studied on 240 carcasses obtained from steers of different biological types produced under a wide range of feeding regimes. Breed type of steer or feeding regime had little or no effect on correlations among taste panel (TP) scores for tenderness, juiciness, flavor and general acceptability. Treatments also had little effect on nonsignificant (P > 0.05) correlations of conformation, lean color, lean texture and final maturity with TP traits. Late maturing breeds of steers and steers fed on low energy regimes were rated more youthful than early maturing breeds of steers, and steers fed on high energy regimes. Marbling, percentage of longissimus muscle (LM) fat, quality grade and adjusted fat thickness independently accounted for 2–3% of the variation in TP tenderness and 6–8% of the variation in TP acceptability. Regression analyses indicate that an increase of 30 units in marbling (scored: low Choice = 10; average Choice = 11; high Choice = 12; etc.) would have been required to make a one-unit increase in TP tenderness (scored 1 through 7). No evidence of quadratic effects was observed for TP traits regressed on marbling or percentage LM fat.
Scavenging of ‘Dissolved’ Organic Matter from Sea-water with Hydrated Metal Oxides

IN an effort to recover the ‘dissolved’* organic matter from large volumes of sea-water by a simple and widely applicable process, co-precipitation experiments with hydrated metal oxides were undertaken using natural sea-water.
Detection of breast abnormalities using a prototype resonance electrical impedance spectroscopy system: A preliminary study

Electrical impedance spectroscopy has been investigated with but limited success as an adjunct procedure to mammography and as a possible pre-screening tool to stratify risk for having or developing breast cancer in younger women. In this study, the authors explored a new resonance frequency based [resonance electrical impedance spectroscopy (REIS)] approach to identify breasts that may have highly suspicious abnormalities that had been recommended for biopsies. The authors assembled a prototype REIS system generating multifrequency electrical sweeps ranging from 100 to 4100 kHz every 12 s. Using only two probes, one in contact with the nipple and the other with the outer breast skin surface 60 mm away, a paired transmission signal detection system is generated. The authors recruited 150 women between 30 and 50 years old to participate in this study. REIS measurements were performed on both breasts. Of these women 58 had been scheduled for a breast biopsy and 13 had been recalled for additional imaging procedures due to suspicious findings. The remaining 79 women had negative screening examinations. Eight REIS output signals at and around the resonance frequency were computed for each breast and the subtracted signals between the left and right breasts were used in a simple jackknifing method to select an optimal feature set to be inputted into a multi-feature based artificial neural network (ANN) that aims to predict whether a woman's breast had been determined as abnormal (warranting a biopsy) or not. The classification performance was evaluated using a leave-one-case-out method and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis. The study shows that REIS examination is easy to perform, short in duration, and acceptable to all participants in terms of comfort level and there is no indication of sensation of an electrical current during the measurements. Six REIS difference features were selected as input signals to the ANN. The area under the ROC curve (A(z)) was 0.707 +/- 0.033 for classifying between biopsy cases and non-biopsy (including recalled and screening negative) and the performance (A(z)) increased to 0.746 +/- 0.033 after excluding recalled but negative cases. At 95% specificity, the sensitivity levels were approximately 20.5% and 30.4% in the two data sets tested. The results suggest that differences in REIS signals between two breasts measured in and around the tissue resonance frequency can be used to identify at least some of the women with suspicious abnormalities warranting biopsy with high specificity.
On the center of a Hecke algebra

Abstract The center of a group algebra of a finite group and the center of a Hecke algebra for this group are related closely.
Invasive bladder cancer following cardiac transplantation

Iatrogenic immunosuppression following renal transplantation has been associated with the development and progression of multiple neoplasms, including transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). We present the first report of invasive TCC of the bladder managed with radical cystectomy in a cardiac transplant recipient. The short survival of this patient, despite organ-confined disease at the time of cystectomy, illustrates the necessity of early diagnosis and aggressive treatment of malignancy following organ transplantation.
Virus-specific antibody, in the absence of T cells, mediates demyelination in mice infected with a neurotropic coronavirus

Mice infected with mouse hepatitis virus strain JHM develop an inflammatory demyelinating disease in the central nervous system with many similarities to human multiple sclerosis. The mouse disease is primarily immune-mediated because demyelination is not detected in JHM-infected mice lacking T or B cells but does occur after transfer of JHM-specific T cells. Although less is known about the ability of antibodies to mediate demyelination, the presence of oligoclonally expanded B cells and high concentrations of antibodies (against self or infectious agents) in the central nervous system of many multiple sclerosis patients suggests that antibodies may also contribute to myelin destruction. Here, we show that anti-JHM antibodies, in the absence of T or B cells, caused demyelination in JHM-infected mice. Anti-JHM antibody was detected adjacent to areas of demyelination, consistent with a direct interaction between antibody and infected cells. Demyelination was reduced by 85 to 90% in infected RAG1 −/− mice lacking normal expression of activating Fc receptors (FcRγ −/− ) and by ∼76% when complement was depleted by treatment with cobra venom factor. These data demonstrate that JHM-specific antibodies are sufficient to cause demyelination and that myelin destruction in the presence of anti-virus antibodies results from a combination of complement- and Fc receptor-dependent mechanisms.
Risk factors for development of bacterial meningitis among children with occult bacteremia.

To identify risk factors for the development of bacterial meningitis, we comparedclinical characteristics in children with occult bacteremia who did and those who did not subsequently develop bacterial meningitis. The estimates of risk were adjusted for the possible confounding effects of other characteristics by using logistic regression. Of 310 children (median age 15 months) who had occult bacteremia with Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae type b, or Neisseria meningitidis at either Yale-New Haven Hospital or Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, bacterial meningitis, subsequently developed in 22 (7%). Compared with the risk associated with occult bacteremia with S. pneumoniae , the adjusted relative risk for bacterial meningitis was 85.6 (P N. meningitidis and H. influenzae type b, respectively. By contrast, the adjusted relative risk associated with a lumbar puncture at the initial visit was only 1.2 (P=0.78). The development of bacterial meningitis in children with occult bacteremia is strongly associated with the species of bacteria that causes the infection, but not with a lumbar puncture or with other clinical characteristics identifiable at the initial visit.
Highly tunable metal–organic frameworks with open metal centers

We report the synthesis and characterization of porphyrin containing metal–organic frameworks that show high metal tunability without altering the framework topology.
Overview: Epidemiology, indications, goals, extent, and nature of work-up

Each year in the United States, it is estimated that there will be 42,000 new cases of rectal cancer and 8,500 deaths.1,2 Some patients present with an incurable rectal cancer but more often death follows development of recurrent rectal cancer after failed curative-intent therapy. Knowledge of the natural history of rectal cancer and limitations of treatment options coupled with sound clinical judgment and compassion are essential prerequisites for the clinician providing palliative care.
Structure of the Rad50·Mre11 DNA Repair Complex fromSaccharomyces cerevisiae by Electron Microscopy

The RAD50 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of several genes required for recombinational repair of double-strand DNA breaks during vegetative growth and for initiation of meiotic recombination. Rad50 forms a complex with two other proteins, Mre11 and Xrs2, and this complex is involved in double-strand break formation and processing. Rad50 has limited sequence homology to the structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) family of proteins and shares the same domain structure as SMCs: N- and C-terminal globular domains separated by two long coiled-coils. However, a notable difference is the much smaller non-coil hinge region between the two coiled-coils. We report here a structural analysis of full-length S. cerevisiae Rad50, alone and in a complex with yeast Mre11 by electron microscopy. Our results confirm that yeast Rad50 does have the same antiparallel coiled-coil structure as SMC proteins, but with no detectable globular hinge domain. However, the molecule is still able to bend sharply in the middle to bring the two catalytic domains together, indicating that the small hinge domain is flexible. We also demonstrate that Mre11 binds as a dimer between the catalytic domains of Rad50, bringing the nuclease activities of Mre11 in close proximity to the ATPase and DNA binding activities of Rad50.
Regression with dummy variables

Introduction Creating Dummy Variables Using Dummy Variables as Regressors Assessing Group Differences in Effects Alternative Coding Schemes for Dummy Variables Special Topics in the Use of Dummy Variables Conclusions
Suppressive activity of mefloquine in sporozoite-induced human malaria.

Abstract Mefloquine hydrochloride [WR 142,490; α-(2-piperidyl)-2,8-bis(trifluoromethyl)-4-quinolinemethanol hydrochloride] was tested for suppressive effect on sporozoite-induced malaria in nonimmune volunteers living in an area where malaria is not naturally transmitted. Single doses of 250 mg were given at weekly intervals, 500 mg at intervals of 2 weeks and 1,000 mg at intervals of 4 weeks, to men bitten by 10 to 15 mosquitoes heavily infected with a chloroquine- and pyrimethamine-resistant strain of Plasmodium falciparum. None of the individuals so treated developed infections during the period of drug delivery or during the follow-up period of 60 days. Doses of 250 or 500 mg produced no adverse reactions; mild epigastric discomfort occurred in all three men given 1,000 mg. Sporozoite-induced P. vivax infections were suppressed by single doses of 250 mg of mefloquine given at weekly intervals, but malaria developed after completion of the course. At treatment intervals longer than 1 week, vivax malaria was not suppressed.
Community Socioeconomic Status Is Associated With Carotid Artery Atherosclerosis in Untreated, Hypertensive Men

Background Individuals of low socioeconomic status (SES) are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease relative to persons of more advantaged social position. Recent evidence suggests that community SES (variation in the material and social resources of communities) also predicts incident cardiovascular disease, and may do so independently of individual level SES. In this study we examined whether community SES is similarly associated with preclinical vascular disease, as measured by carotid artery ultrasonography. Methods Subjects were 230 untreated hypertensive men without history of coronary heart disease, residing in and around Pittsburgh, PA (80% white, 20% African-American; mean age, 56 years). Community SES was defined by levels of income, economic disadvantage (eg, poverty, unemployment), housing costs, and educational attainment in the US Census tract of residence for each subject. A composite community SES score was calculated for each subject as the average of all extracted census measures. Individual SES was estimated from subjects’ years of education and current annual income. Results Regression analyses accounting for traditional risk factors showed community disadvantage to be associated with greater intima–medial thickness (b = 0.02, P P P Conclusions Irrespective of one’s own income or educational attainment, untreated hypertensive men living in poorer communities are more likely to exhibit preclinical atherosclerosis than residents of more affluent areas.
On “Estimating carbon budgets for U.S. ecosystems”

In a recent Eos article, Potter et al. [2006] describe an approach to developing terrestrial biogenic carbon budgets at regional to continental scales. Their primary scaling tool is the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford (CASA) model, and spatially explicit inputs include climate as well as vegetation type and vegetation greenness (from satellite imagery). Net primary production (NPP) is simulated with a light use efficiency approach, and heterotrophic respiration (Rh) is based on turnover rates of several litter and soil carbon pools. This approach is well-suited to characterizing the response of net ecosystem production (NEPNPP-Rh, as in the work by Lovett et al. [2006]) to interannual variation in climate, but it is worth pointing out that it largely misses the effects of forest management on NEE These management effects have a significant influence on the absolute carbon exchange with the atmosphere, and on the kind of carbon accounting needed for carbon dioxide emissions inventories.
Neural correlates of auditory recognition memory in the primate dorsal temporal pole

Temporal pole (TP) cortex is associated with higher-order sensory perception and/or recognition memory, as human patients with damage in this region show impaired performance during some tasks requiring recognition memory (Olson et al. 2007). The underlying mechanisms of TP processing are largely based on examination of the visual nervous system in humans and monkeys, while little is known about neuronal activity patterns in the auditory portion of this region, dorsal TP (dTP; Poremba et al. 2003). The present study examines single-unit activity of dTP in rhesus monkeys performing a delayed matching-to-sample task utilizing auditory stimuli, wherein two sounds are determined to be the same or different. Neurons of dTP encode several task-relevant events during the delayed matching-to-sample task, and encoding of auditory cues in this region is associated with accurate recognition performance. Population activity in dTP shows a match suppression mechanism to identical, repeated sound stimuli similar to that observed in the visual object identification pathway located ventral to dTP (Desimone 1996; Nakamura and Kubota 1996). However, in contrast to sustained visual delay-related activity in nearby analogous regions, auditory delay-related activity in dTP is transient and limited. Neurons in dTP respond selectively to different sound stimuli and often change their sound response preferences between experimental contexts. Current findings suggest a significant role for dTP in auditory recognition memory similar in many respects to the visual nervous system, while delay memory firing patterns are not prominent, which may relate to monkeys' shorter forgetting thresholds for auditory vs. visual objects.
Gender Differences in Fire Fighter Job Stressors and Symptoms of Stress

This study described gender differences in fire fighter appraisal of job stressors and symptoms of stess. A sample of 670 male and 41 female fire fighters responded to an anonymous mail survey consisting of three standardized and investigator-developed questionnaires. Male and female fire fighter respondents were more similar than different on both job stressor and symptoms of stress measures. Five job stressors were ranked the most "bothersome" by both males and females during the last 10 shifts worked. These were: sleep disturbance, wage/benefit concerns, job skill concerns, sub-standard equipment, and safety concerns. Of these five job stress factors, only one gender difference was noted. Female fire fighters reported significantly higher scores than males on job skill concerns. Job discrimination reported by female respondents was significantly higher than for males (t = 3.51, p < .0001) even though it was not ranked among the five most stressful factors. Partial correlations computed between job stre...
Use of the hypoxic cell sensitizer etanidazole (SR-2508) with intravenous melphalan and prednisone in the treatment of multiple myeloma: a pharmacokinetic study.

Abstract Purpose: A study was undertaken adding the alkylating agent sensitizer etanidazole to intravenous melphalan and oral prednisone for patients with multiple myeloma. This study explored the toxicity profile of these agents when given together and assessed the ability to attain adequate serum levels of etanidazole to permit sensitization to occur. Methods and Materials: Etanidazole was administered intravenously in two doses of 3 g/m 2 and 5 g/m 2 90 min apart immediately prior to the administration of intravenous melphalan and oral prednisone for three consecutive cycles (total dose 24 g/m 2 ). Patients received three additional cycles without etanidazole, allowing a comparison of hematologic toxicity from melphalan with and without etanidazole. Results: Hematologic toxicity was moderate (Grade 3 or 4), but severity was similar during cycles with and without etanidazole. Only one etanidazole. Only one patient developed a Grade 1 peripheral neuropathy questionably related to etanidazole. Most patients had etanidazole levels of ≥ 70 ug/ml for 7 h, a level felt to be necessary for sensitization to occur. Conclusion: Etanidazole, administered as described, results in adequate serum levels for potential alkylating agent sensitization, without significant toxicity.
Analytic form of the plutonium work integral

Abstract The computer program “MACSYMA” has been used to obtain the algebraic form of the plutonium work integral. The equation is useful for estimating the minimum work which must be expended when dissolved plutonium is oxidized at constant acidity.
Viral otitis media.

Acute otitis media (AOM) and viral upper respiratory tract infections (URIs) represent the two most common diseases affecting the human population, and account for substantial patient morbidity and health care costs. Epidemiologic and experimental studies suggest that URIs play a causal role in the pathogenesis of AOM. Specifically, viruses can either invade the middle ear (ME) space and invoke an inflammatory response that culminates in ME effusion formation and consequent symptoms, or URIs might cause eustachian-tube dysfunction, resulting in negative ME pressures and subsequent ME effusion (hydrops ex vacuo theory). The events responsible for the inflammatory response of the human ME following viral exposure have not been well characterized. Although many prophylactic and therapeutic interventions have been evaluated for the treatment of AOM, the information on virusspecific interventions is sparse. In this article, the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of viral otitis media are reviewed.
Medical aspects of the development of scurvy: past and present

Scurvy is caused by the lack of vitamin C, typically due to dietary deficiency, but often exacerbated by diseases or conditions that increase the destruction of the vitamin. Although vitamin C has many cellular and biochemical functions, it is best known as an antioxidant and for its ability to enhance the synthesis of collagen that is necessary for bones, cartilage, ligaments, tendons and blood vessels. Nevertheless, many of the early symptoms of scurvy such as fatigue, listlessness, apathy, depressed mood and even psychiatric disturbances may be caused by the need for the vitamin in the synthesis of brain neurotransmitters and key metabolic intermediates. As scurvy progresses in humans in the absence of intake after two to three months, physical signs of collagen deficiency become manifest, including inflammation and bleeding of hair follicles and more extensive bleeding under the skin. These are followed by inflammation of the gums – leading to the eventual loosening and loss of teeth – and finally by ...
Distribution and variability of song types in the wood thrush

Compared to the song of other oscine species, wood thrush song shows little macro-geographical variation: 1) Most song types defined for a local population are widespread over the geographical range, 2) the relative abundances of different song types are similar in samples taken from different locations, and 3) a given song type is no more variable in structure over the geographical range than within a local population. Wood thrush song also shows little microgeographical variation. The degree of song type sharing does not vary as a function of the distance between males in a local population. Song remains stable over time in a local population, as indicated by a similarity in the relative abundances of song types in samples taken 14 years apart. Regarding the distribution of song types among repertoires, 1) Different combinations of song types within repertoires occur no more or less often than expected by chance, 2) different versions of a single song type are distributed at random among repertoires, 3) large repertoires do not contain a greater proportion of rare (unclassified) songs than small repertoires, and 4) rare songs are not clustered in the repertoires of certain individuals.
Estimation of Genetic Trends and Correlations for Jersey Cattle

Abstract Genetic correlations were estimated between sire evaluations for 14 type traits, 4 production traits, and stayability to 36, 48, 60, and 72 mo of age from type information and 469,460 lactation records on daughters of 3789 Jersey sires. Most correlated genetically with stayability were production traits with estimates that ranged from .44 to 1.01. Of the stayability measures, stayability at 48 mo of age had the highest correlation with production and other stayability measures. Modified Contemporary Comparison and Northeast Artificial Insemination Sire Comparison sire evaluations on daughter records had correlations of .77 and .71 for milk and fat. The Northeast Artificial Insemination Sire Comparison was correlated with stayability whereas the Modified Contemporary Comparison was correlated with type evaluations. Estimates of yearly genetic means indicate substantial improvement in recent years for production and stayability. Animals freshening from 1969 to 1977 have improved 290 kg of milk, 10.5 kg of fat, and 1.3, 4.0, 4.5, and 3.1 units of stayability for 36-, 48-, 60-, and 72-mo stayability because of improved sires only. This is an annual improvement due to sires of 36 kg of milk, 1.3 kg of fat, and .2, .6, .8, and .6 units of stayability.
Solubilization of a parathyroid hormone receptor from bovine kidney cortex plasma membranes.

Summary Preparation of a soluble extract of bovine kidney cortex plasma membranes with Triton X-100 is described. Interaction of this extract with tritiated parathyroid hormone was detected using three distinct binding assays: gel filtration chromatography, precipitation of bound hormone with polyethylene glycol, and adsorption of free hormone with microfine silica. The binding of parathyroid hormone to the component(s) in the extract was highly specific and sensitive to competition by purified native parathyroid hormone and synthetic (1–34) bovine parathyroid hormone. Inactivation of the tritiated parathyroid hormone by oxidation led to loss of its binding activity.
Ache at the settlement: Contrasts between farming and foraging

The Northern Ache comprise a small continuously interacting population with a shared community history. Full-time hunter-gatherers until recently, they now divide their time between mobile foraging and settled farming. Here we describe adult time allocation at the settlement and contrast it with our previous descriptions of time allocation during foraging periods. We report that at the settlement men and women work fewer hours each day than they do in the forest, people eat less, women do more work apart from their children, and men invest more in direct parental care. Explanations for differences in time allocation between foragers and farmers should apply to the variation in work effort, production goals, division of labor, and parenting strategies reported here, and conversely.
Evidence for glutamic acid as a possible neurotransmitter between the mesencephalic nucleus cuneiformis and the medullary nucleus raphe magnus in the lightly anesthetized rat.

Abstract Previous anatomic and behavioral studies have provided evidence for a strong projection from the mesencephalic nucleus cuneiformis (NCF) to the medullary nucleus raphe magnus (NRM), an area mediating control of a descending pain inhibitory system. Moreover, physiologic experiments in the deeply anesthetized rat have shown that this projection is predominantly excitatory and, at least partially, cholinergic. Recently Fields and coworkers have described 3 physiologically defined classes of neurons in the NRM: the off-, on-, and neutral cells, which exhibit an abrupt pause, increase, or no change in activity, respectively, just prior to the occurrence of the nocifensive tailflick (TF) reflex. The off-cells have been hypothesized as part of a negative feedback system influencing pain transmission at the spinal level. In this study we have examined the interaction between the NCF and neurons in the NRM that were classified as off-, on-, or neutral cells. In addition, since many NCF neurons are glutamatergic, we have examined the possible role of glutamate in the interaction between NCF and NRM. In the lightly anesthetized rat, low-intensity electrical stimulation of NCF excited 53% of NRM neurons at short latencies (mean onset, 3.9 ms), while 20% of NRM neurons were inhibited. Cells of all 3 NRM classes (off-, on-, and neutral) were predominantly excited, an effect which could be blocked by the broad-spectrum excitatory amino acid antagonist kynurenic acid in 36% of cells tested. Pharmacological stimulation of NCF with glutamic acid induced mixed effects, as 34% of NRM cells were excited while 37% were inhibited. Again, there was no significant difference in the response patterns of the three NRM cell classes. Kynurenic acid microinjected into NRM was effective in blocking 50% of the excitatory responses tested. These results indicate that in the lightly anesthetized rat, electrical or pharmacological stimulation of NCF can activate a descending modulatory system of antinociception that includes a glutamatergic projection to NRM, and this interaction appears to operate without differentially activating a particular neuronal subpopulation within the NRM.
AIDS Prevention Programs and Sexual Behaviour Among Secondary School Adolescents in Delta State, Nigeria

Context: For the most part, adolescents are informed about HIV, its means of transmission and its method of prevention, but a large proportion of them still engage in patterns of sexual behaviour that may expose them to contracting HIV infection Objective: To examine the pattern of sexual behaviour of Nigerian adolescents and its possible determinants, so as to identify areas requiring emphasis in existing HIV/AIDS prevention programs Design, Setting and Subjects:A questionnaire survey was carried out on 516 adolescent secondary school pupils in five urban centres in Delta State, Nigeria to obtain socio-economic and demographic data, and information about the level of HIV awareness, methods of prevention and sexual behaviour. Results: Nearly all (94%) of the adolescents had heard about HIV/AIDS and knew that it is sexually transmitted. Despite this, 69% of them were sexually active at the time of the survey, and about one-third had multiple sexual partners, with less than 20% using condoms. Moreover, over half had engaged in casual sex in the preceding 12 months. Poverty and family instability were significantly associated with risky sexual behaviour. Conclusion: Informing and educating young people about HIV/AIDS does not seem to be sufficient to motivate them to change their sexual behaviour. Consequently, AIDS prevention programs should place greater emphasis on encouraging abstinence, fidelity, reducing the number of sexual partners, the use of condoms, and economic empowerment of adolescents. Key Words: HIV, AIDS, Sexual Behaviour, Adolescent, Prevention. [Trop J Obstet Gynaecol, 2003, 20: 16-19]
Qualitative spatial understanding and reactive control for autonomous robots

The work involves integrating two paradigms for robust robotic systems: reactive control and qualitative spatial reasoning. The objective is to produce autonomous robots which can freely wander about, without harming themselves, while creating and improving maps of their environment which can then be used for navigation and planning. Reactive control provides a basic framework for developing and organizing behaviors for autonomous exploration and navigation. Qualitative spatial understanding provides an underlying representation and learning mechanism which will let the robot form spatial memories without requiring complicated object recognition or precise determination of environmental locations. The overall goal is to advance both areas of study for robotics as pertains to planning, learning, and real-time control. >
A New Measure of Economic Distance

This paper defines a new measure of economic distance. Using consistent cross-country data, we estimate local unit costs for 35 sectors in 39 countries. The distance between two countries is the largest percentage difference in unit costs among all sectors. If all goods are traded, this distance is the uniform ad valorem tariff that shuts down bilateral trade. The network induced by the closest 10% of these distances has a large component with two clusters, one corresponding to the advanced economies and another to the emerging economies. China, India, and several other countries are isolated components, indicating that their unit costs are idiosyncratic. We also introduce a new measure of revealed comparative advantage. (JEL Codes: F1 )
Genetic analysis of salt tolerance during vegetative growth in tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.

Breeding for salt tolerance in tomato has been impeded by insufficient knowledge of the genetic control of tolerance. The genetic basis of salt tolerance during vegetative growth was investigated by growing a salt-tolerant (PI174263) and a salt-sensitive tomato cultivar (UCT5) and their F1, F2 and backcross progeny in saline solutions with electrical conductivity of 0.5 (control) and 20 dS/m (salt-stress). The relative salt-tolerance of each generation was determined as the percentage of growth (i.e. dry matter production) under salt-stress relative to growth under control conditions. In all generations, shoot growth was significantly reduced by salt stress. The reduction was largest in UCT5 (56.1%) and smallest in the F1 (27.4%), followed by PI174263 (32.3%). Analysis of the absolute and relative growth under salt-stress indicated that genes contributing to vigour might be different from genes conferring tolerance. Generation means analyses of the absolute and relative growth indicated that the majority of the genetic variation among generations were due to simple (additive and dominance) genetic effects; nonallelic interactions, although significant, were far less important. Partitioning of the total genetic variance by weighted least-square regression analysis and variance component analysis indicated that 88% or more of the variation was due to additive genetic effects. A moderate estimate of narrow sense heritability (0.49 ± 0.09) was obtained for shoot DW under salt-stress treatment. The results indicate that tomato salt-tolerance during vegetative growth can be improved by breeding and selection.
A comparative study of three random password generators

This paper compares three random password generation schemes, describing and analyzing each. It also reports the results of a small study testing the quality of the passwords generated by the schemes. Qualities discussed include security, memorability, and user affinity. Improvements to the schemes and experiment are suggested.
Simultaneous optimization of topology and geometry of flow networks

We consider a problem of minimizing a pressure drop due to a flow of a fluid or gas through an interconnected system of pipes. We show that simultaneous optimization of pipe diameters and nodal positions (topology and geometry optimization) results for fluid networks in a better optimization strategy than traditionally used ground-structure approach (topology optimization only), as opposed to the linear truss case. We also show how the results for linear flow networks can be easily carried out to nonlinear transient and turbulent cases. Stating the optimality conditions for the latter types of flow, we give an alternative derivation of generalized Murray’s law, which is well-known in physiology. We illustrate our theoretical findings with numerical examples.
Using DNA Barcodes to Identify Bird Species Involved in Birdstrikes

Abstract We determined effectiveness of using mitochondrial DNA barcodes (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 [CO1]) to identify bird–aircraft collision (birdstrike) cases that lacked sufficient feather evidence for morphological diagnosis. From September through December 2006, 821 samples from birdstrike events occurring in the United States were submitted for DNA analysis. We successfully amplified a CO1 DNA barcode product from 554 (67.5%) of the samples; 267 (32.5%) did not contain viable DNA and depended on morphological methods (microscopy) for Order or Family level identification. We deemed 19 cases inconclusive either because the DNA barcode recovered from the sample did not meet our 98% match criteria when compared to the Barcode of Life Database (BoLD) or because the DNA barcode matched to a set of ≥2 closely related species with overlapping barcodes, preventing complete species identification. Age of the sample (≤6 months) did not affect DNA viability, but initial condition of the sample and the col...