cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A scanner-computer for determining the volumes of cardiac chambers from cinefluorographic films.

In the use of biplane cineroentgenographic and serial x-ray techniques for measurement of the volume of various cardiac chambers, mechanical and electronic adjuncts to facilitate tracing chamber boundaries and to carry out the necessary calculations were devised. The method for whicli the described instruments were developed requires the tracing of 2 simultaneously filmed images (35-mm film) recorded at a rate of 30 per sec. The tracing equipment is also described. A scanner is used to measure the diameters of the traced figures and to transmit the result to a photomultiplier tube which then transmits it to a computer. Counting is accomplished by a pulse generator situated between the photomultiplier tube and the computer. A multiplier accepts impulses from the photomultiplier tube in the scanner unit and multiplies the 2 image diameters. The result is transmitted to an accumulator, which sums and stores the results. After the final scan, a stop mark on the slotted paper signals the logic compartment, which, in turn, activates the printer. The scanner-computer was applied to calculation of left ventricular volumes in dogs and in man. (TCO)
Crystal engineering of an inclusion coordination polymer with cationic pocket-like structure and its property to form metal–organic nanofibers

Abstract The reaction of cobalt nitrate hexahydrate with 4,4′-bipyridine (BPY) under hydrothermal conditions produced a new cationic pocket-like coordination polymer built by mixed double-hydrogen-bonded and coordinated 4,4′-bipyridine rectangular-grid with inclusion species, and this material has been fabricated into metal–organic nanofibers by electrospinning.
Opportunities and challenges for high performance microprocessor designs and design automation

With end of an era of classical technology scaling and exponential frequency increases, high end microprocessor designs and design automation methodologies are at an inflection point. With power and current demands reaching breaking points, and significant challenges in application software stack, we are also reaching diminishing returns from simply adding more cores. In design methodologies for high end microprocessors, although chip physical design efficiency has seen tremendous improvements, strong indications are emerging for maturing of those gains as well. In order to continue the cost-performance scaling in systems in light of these maturing trends, we must innovate up the design stack, moving focus from technology and physical design implementation to new IP and methodologies at logic, architecture, and at the boundary of hardware and software, solving key bottlenecks through application acceleration. This new era of innovation, which moves the focus up the design stack presents new challenges and opportunities to the design and design automation communities. This talk will motivate these trends and focus on challenges for high performance microprocessor design and design automation in the years to come.
Platelet-derived growth factor-induced alterations in vinculin distribution in porcine vascular smooth muscle cells.

Exposure of porcine vascular smooth muscle cells to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF; 18–180 ng/ml) but not epidermal growth factor (EGF; 30ng/ml), somatomedin C (SmC; 30 ng/ml), or insulin (10 μM), results in a rapid, reversible, time- and concentration-dependent disapperance of vinculin staining in adhesion plaques; actin-containing stress fibers also become disrupted following exposure of cells to PDGF. Disapperance of vinculin staining from adhesion plaques is also caused by 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA; 200–400 nM), though the time course of the disapperance of vinculin staining under these conditions takes longer than in cells exposed to PDGF. The PDGF-induced removal of vinculin from adhesion plaques was inhibited in a concentration-dependent fashion by 8-(N, N-diethylamin) octy1–3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate (TMA-8; 0.25–4 μM) and leupepetin (2–300 μM), and by n-α-rosyl-L-lysine chloromethylketone (TLCK; 100 μM) and trifluoperazine (TFP; 2.5 μM). Addition of PDGF to vascular smooth muscle cells caused a rapid, tranient increase in cytosolic free calcium, from a basal resting level of 146 ± 6.9 nM (SEM, n=62) to 414 ± 34 nM (SEM, n=22) as determined using the calcium-sensitive indicator Fura-2 and Digitized Video Microscopy. This increase in cellular calcium preceded the disappearance of vinculin from adhesion plaques and was partially blocked by pretreatment of cells with TMB-8 but not leupeption. This rise in cytosolic free calcium was found to occur in ∼ 80% of the sample population and dispalyed both spatial and temporal subcellular heterogeneity. Exposure of cells to TPA (100 nM) did not result in a change in cytosolic free calcium. Both PDGF (20 ng/ml) and TPA (100 nM) caused cytosolic alkalinization which occurred after PDGF-induced disruption of vinculin from adhesion plaques, as determined using the pH-sensitive indicator BCECF and Digitized Video Microscopy. PDGF stimulated DNA synthesis and vinculin disruption in a similar dose-dependent fashion. Both could be inhibited by leupeptin or TMB-8. These results suggest that 1) exposure of vascular smooth muscle cells to PDGF is associated with the disruption of vinculin from adhesion plaques, 2) PDGF-induced vinculin disruption is regulated by an increase in cytosolic calcium (but not cytosolic alkalinization), and involves proteolysis; 3) activation of protein kinase C also causes vinculin removal from adhesion plaques but by a calcium-independent mechanism, and 4) the cellular response to PDGF-stimulated increases in cytosolic free calcium is heterogeneous. Our data also suggest that cytosolic vinculin distribution is a sensitive indicator of the response of vascular smooth muslce cells to PDGF.
Quantification of O-acetyl, N-acetyl and phosphate groups and determination of the extent of O-acetylation in bacterial vaccine polysaccharides by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with conductivity detection (HPAEC-CD)

The O-acetyl groups in meningococcal A and typhoid Vi polysaccharides (PSs) are functional immunogenic epitopes in humans. To quantify and determine the extent of O-acetylation in these and other bacterial vaccine PSs, anion-exchange HPLC methods have been developed for quantification of O-acetyl, N-acetyl, and phosphate groups in the PSs after these groups were hydrolyzed into anions. The O-acetylation in meningococcal A, C, Y and W-135, pneumococcal 9 V and 18C and typhoid Vi PSs were analyzed. The O-acetyl group was selectively released from a PS as acetate by mild alkaline hydrolysis in 10 or 20 mM NaOH at 37 degrees C until maximum release. The acetate in the hydrolysate was then quantified by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with conductivity detection (HPAEC-CD) after removal of the PS by filtration with a 10,000 molecular-weight-cut-off membrane. Since the extent of O-acetylation on the PSs depends on bacterial species, strains and growth conditions, the N-acetyl group of amino-sugars, phosphate or monosaccharide components of the PSs were also quantified using HPAEC with conductivity or amperometry detection to determine the molar ratios of the O-acetyl group to these components. The average numbers of O-acetyl molecules in one PS repeating unit of the PSs were obtained from the molar ratios. Besides the O-acetyl determination, the pyruvate component in non-O-acetylated pneumococcal type 4 PS was analyzed by the HPAEC method. The HPAEC method can quantify the O-acetyl content in 0.2 microg of the meningococcal C PS and has a sensitivity at least 10 times higher than that of the colorimetric Hestrin assay. The method can be used for routine analysis of O-acetylation of PSs for quality control of vaccine PSs.
Enzyme immunoassay for the detection of pneumococcal C polysaccharide in sputum of patients with presumptive pneumococcal pneumonia

Abstract A need exists for more sensitive and specific laboratory methods for the rapid detection of antigens of Streptococcus pneumoniae in body fluids of patients with invasive pneumococcal disease. We evaluated a prototype enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for the detection of pneumococcal C polysaccharide (PnC) in the sputum of patients with presumptive pneumococcal pneumonia. Patients with radiographically confirmed pneumonia had sputum samples collected within a 24-h period of the radiograph. PnC was detected in the sputum samples by EIA. The presence of antigen in sputum was compared to the isolation of pneumococci from sputum by the hospital laboratory. From 35 patients with pneumonia, samples from 12 patients who were culture positive for S. pneumoniae, were all positive by EIA (sensitivity, 100%). Eighteen samples from 23 patients that were culture-negative, were negative by EIA (specificity, 78·2%). Of the five samples that were culture-negative, but EIA-positive, two had documented antibiotic therapy before sputum collection. Sputum samples from patients with pneunonia that grew S. pneumoniae had higher optical density values than samples from patients without pneumonia. These results suggest that the PnC EIA may distinguish between sputa from patients with presumptive pneumococcal pneumonia and those who are carriers of pneumococci.
Information Flow and Analysis: Theory, Simulation, and Experiments. I. Basic Theoretical and Conceptual Development.

This series of articles describes research which has been underway at The Ohio State University in an effort to develop a fundamental and general theory of information flow and analysis. More specifically, the research attempts to (1) identify and quantify important variables and parameters in the information flow process; (2) establish relationships among these variables; (3) apply the theory to practical situations and to examine the resulting implications; and (4) develop models, both simulation and experimental, to utilize and validate the theory. The basis for our work treats information as data of value in decision-making. This, in turn, leads to a powerful model of a Generalized Information System. We have now made considerable progress and have developed the basic elements comprising a generalized theory. In particular, we have been able to establish quantitative definitions for and relationships among: quantity of information, value of information, effectiveness of information, decision-maker effectiveness, decision-maker performance, and other terms. By dealing with “average” decision-makers, we establish unique relationships for specific decision situations. Typical relationships and curves are presented in the articles. We describe a flexible, sophisticated simulation model which permits the examination of the interrelationship between information and decision-making for a wide variety of different situations. We present detailed simulation results for two specific examples-a typical farmer and a mathematical example. We describe prototype experiments which place human decision-makers in an interactive decision-making situation. We are able to obtain data on their decision-making behavior in the light of our conceptual model. Preliminary analysis of the data is described.
Can’t Take the Heat: High Temperature Depletes Bacterial Endosymbionts of Ants

Members of the ant tribe Camponotini have coevolved with Blochmannia, an obligate intracellular bacterial mutualist. This endosymbiont lives within host bacteriocyte cells that line the ant midgut, undergoes maternal transmission from host queens to offspring, and contributes to host nutrition via nitrogen recycling and nutrient biosynthesis. While elevated temperature has been shown to disrupt obligate bacterial mutualists of some insects, its impact on the ant-Blochmannia partnership is less clear. Here, we test the effect of heat on the density of Blochmannia in two related Camponotus species in the lab. Transcriptionally active Blochmannia were quantified using RT-qPCR as the ratio of Blochmannia 16S rRNA to ant host elongation factor 1-α transcripts. Our results showed that 4 weeks of heat treatment depleted active Blochmannia by >99 % in minor workers and unmated queens. However, complete elimination of Blochmannia transcripts rarely occurred, even after 16 weeks of heat treatment. Possible mechanisms of observed thermal sensitivity may include extreme AT-richness and related features of Blochmannia genomes, as well as host stress responses. Broadly, the observed depletion of an essential microbial mutualist in heat-treated ants is analogous to the loss of zooanthellae during coral bleaching. While the ecological relevance of Blochmannia's thermal sensitivity is uncertain, our results argue that symbiont dynamics should be part of models predicting how ants and other animals will respond and adapt to a warming climate.
An intermediate-layer lithography method for generating multiple microstructures made of different conducting polymers

An intermediate-layer lithography (ILL) method has been developed in this work to generate multiple microstructures of different conducting polymers on the same substrate. Previous and current efforts in developing conducting polymer microsystems mainly focus on generating a device of a single function. When multiple micropatterns of different conducting polymers are produced on the same substrate, many microsystems of multiple functions can be envisioned. However, existing techniques present significant technical challenges of degradation, low throughput, low resolution, depth of field, and/or residual layer in producing conducting polymer microstructures. To circumvent these challenges, the ILL method has been explored to generate multiple micropatterns of different conducting polymers in a parallel manner. In this method, conducting polymer materials and a non-conducting polymer intermediate layer are first coated on a substrate, and are then patterned through a mold insertion at a raised temperature. In this work, the ILL has been used to successfully pattern three types of commonly used conducting polymers on the same substrate under a single mold insertion, and simulation has been conducted to gain a good understanding of the molding process. Due to distinctive advantages of simplicity, low cost and high throughput, the ILL has promising applications in fabricating micropatterns for polymer-based microsystems.
Optimal replacement policies for a multicomponent reliability system

This paper studies a discrete time, infinite horizon, dynamic programming model for the replacement of components in a binary coherent system. Under quite general conditions, we show that it is optimal to follow a critical component policy (CCP), i.e., a policy specified by a critical component set and the rule: Replace a component if and only if it is failed and in the critical component set. We also discuss the problem of computing such policies.
The Socioecology of Network Scaling Ratios in the Multilevel Society of Hamadryas Baboons (Papio hamadryas hamadryas)

Multilevel or modular societies characterize a range of mammalian taxa, allowing social groups to fission and fuse in response to ecological factors. The modular society of hamadryas baboons has previously been shown to consist of 4 levels: troop, band, clan, and one-male unit (OMU). A recent study by Hill et al. (Biology Letters 4:748–751, 2008) revealed a mean scaling ratio across successive levels of multilevel societies of ca. 3; this was consistent across elephants, orca, geladas, and hamadryas baboons. Here we reanalyze the scaling ratio for hamadryas baboons with previously unavailable data from Filoha. Our analysis revealed a mean scaling ratio for hamadryas of 3.28 without data on the hamadryas clan layer of organization at Filoha, but a ratio of 6.17 with these data included. This discrepancy is due to the large clan and band sizes at Filoha yielding a larger than average gap between the OMU and the clan. Further analysis revealed subsets of OMUs within clans, suggesting a 5th level of society in this population. When this 5th layer of social structure is included in the analysis, the scaling ratio at Filoha is consistent with that of other hamadryas populations and other taxa. These results suggest that a consistent mammalian scaling ratio can be used to detect previously hidden levels of organization within societies and to predict their sizes in taxa for which detailed behavioral data are not available.
Fabrication of Nanorod Arrays for Organic Solar Cell Applications

We report on a novel use of nanorod arrays for organic based solar cell devices. A metal foil with copper nanorods attached to the surface was developed by electrodepositing copper from a copper sulfate solution into an anodic alumina oxide (AAO) template that had been coated with a metal on one side. The AAO membrane was dissolved in NaOH leaving behind an aligned array of copper nanorods. This nanorod array was evaluated to explore the possibility of increasing the power conversion efficiency of organic solar cells. Nanorod array characteristics were investigated by focus ion beam, scanning electron microscopy, and x-ray diffraction spectroscopy. A solar cell device was made by applying a polymer layer of poly(2-methoxy-5-(3', 7'-dimethyloctyloxy)-1, 4-phenylene-vinylene) (MDMO-PPV) mixed with 6, 6 phentl-C61-butyl acid-methylester (PCBM) onto the copper nanorod array and sandwiching it with a film of poly(3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrene-sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) applied onto a indium tin oxide coated glass substrate.
Vitamin D and depression: is there a relationship in young women?

Background:Depression is emerging as a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in young adults. New biological assessment strategies such as biological markers are needed to more accurately assess...
Influences on Reinvention During the Diffusion of Innovations

This study considers how states change policy innovations as they diffuse. This process, known as reinvention, has been the subject of recent innova tion diffusion research (Mooney and Lee 1995; Gl...
Vessel Damage Cost Differentials: Bulk, Container and Tanker Accidents

This paper investigates whether there are accident vessel damage cost differentials among container, tanker and bulk vessels. Tobit estimates of accident vessel damage cost equations suggest that vessel damage cost differentials exist for container versus bulk and tanker versus bulk vessel accidents, but not for container versus tanker vessel accidents. The vessel damage cost per vessel gross ton of a container (tanker) accident is $33.37 ($18.37) less than that of a bulk accident, all else held constant. The damage cost differentials are associated with fire/explosion accidents and human and environmental accident causes. The accident vessel damage cost differentials found in this paper may be compared with vessel hull insurance rates for investigating whether the latter reflect the former. Also, such comparisons may reveal whether there is cross-subsidisation among vessel hull insurance payees.
Modeling of electrokinetic transport in silica nanofluidic channels.

Abstract We present a theoretical and numerical modeling study of the multiphysicochemical process in electrokinetic transport in silica nanochannels. The electrochemical boundary condition is solved by considering both the chemical equilibrium on solid–liquid interfaces and the salt concentration enrichment caused by the double layer interaction. The transport behavior is modeled numerically by solving the governing equations using the lattice Poisson–Boltzmann method. The framework is validated by good agreements with the experimental data for all range of ionic concentrations. The modeling results suggest that when the double layers interact, the bulk salt concentration enrichment results in the saturation of conductances for low ionic concentrations. Both the streaming conductance and the electrical conductance are enhanced by the double layer interaction, and such enhancements diminish when the channel size is larger than 10 times of the Debye length. The streaming conductance increases with pH almost linearly when pH
Moral reasoning in the “real world”

College of Education University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon O ne of the more important questions for those who are pragmatically inclined concerns the relationship between theoretical constructs and the daily course of our lives. The pragmatist would argue that unless he or she can find some evidence to support the "existence" of a construct the theory upon which it is based is not worth pursuing. While not arguing for such an extreme position I have felt some sympathy for its cause over time. In developing an understanding of theories of moral development my reaction was to check each theory against experience. How adequate was the theory in describing life as I experienced it phenomenologically? On reflection this describes how Kohlberg's theory of moral development was first drawn to my attention. Kohlberg admits, however, that his theory deals with only a part of that which we call morality (albeit the most important part). This paper represents an attempt to articulate some developing thoughts about how other areas of morality ought to be considered in conjunction with reasoning. Specifically it refers to moral behavior and affect, and how they may influence the reasoning process when an individual is no longer dealing with hypothetical issues.
Electromagnetic Emission From Visual Display Units: A Non-Hazard

An analysis of the electromagnetic emissions of an IBM Model 32772 visual display unit showed no hazardous levels in any portion of the spectrum. The actual level of emission was measured throughout the spectrum from low frequency radio waves through x-radiation, extending from 10 KHz through 10 GHz, then 0.2 to 10 μm, and from 5 to over 40 keV. In many parts of the spectrum, the level of emission was below the sensitivity of available instrumentation. In the radio frequency range, including the microwave region, measurements were also made on black and white and color television sets for the purpose of comparison.© (1980) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
PRACTICING FAITH: NEGOTIATING IDENTITY AND DIFFERENCE IN A RELIGIOUSLY PLURALISTIC WORLD

Abstract The concept of “practice” has become a central category of social analysis across a variety of disciplines. While religious educators have begun to recognize the critical role of practices in faith formation, less attention has been given to their role in education for responsible religious pluralism. Based on conversations between Catholic and Jewish educators, this article argues, first, that educating for authentic religious identity and for responsible pluralism are intrinsically related, not antagonistic or mutually exclusive concerns. Second, it argues that “practices” as rooted in and expressive of particular religious traditions are not only critical to nurturing and sustaining particular religious identities, but that as expressions of shared human goods, they also function as a meeting ground for participants from different traditions to explore the “boundaries” that differentiate as well as the “bonds” that connect us in relationship with one another.
Single-stage versus 2-stage sleeve gastrectomy as a conversion after failed adjustable gastric banding: 30-day outcomes

Background Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is being performed as a conversion after adjustable gastric banding (AGB), often in a single stage. However, some argue that it should be performed in 2 stages to improve safety. Few studies compare complications between 1-stage and 2-stage procedures. Our aim is to compare the 30-day complication rates among these two groups.
Does readiness to change predict reduced crack use in human immunodeficiency virus prevention

This study examines crack cocaine (crack) use, readiness to change, and gender in a sample of 923 men and women randomized to standard human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) education (standard intervention [SI]) or peer-delivered intervention (enhanced intervention [EI]). Four levels of crack use characterized frequency of use in the past 30 days; readiness was assessed on three levels (precontemplation, contemplation, and preparation/action). Differences between intervention groups on crack use and readiness by gender were examined from baseline to 3-month follow-up. Overall, participants reduced their crack use from baseline, with those in the EI showing greater improvement than those in the SI. A small proportion of participants improved readiness; those who improved were more likely to improve their crack use. No significant gender differences were found. These findings suggest that the readiness construct does not fully capture the dynamics of change among out-of-treatment crack users. Further research is needed to fully comprehend the dynamics of change among this group.
Thermal effects of ridge subduction

Abstract The temperature structure of a subduction zone during subduction of an oceanic spreading ridge has been calculated by a finite-difference procedure. The plates preceding and following the ridge crest into the trench had convergence rates of 90 and 20 mm/yr, respectively, corresponding to a spreading half-rate for the ridge of 35 mm/yr and to the velocity balance for a simple three-plate model of ridge subduction. Abrupt temperature increases in the range 50–500°C occur at shallow locations(≤35km) in the outer 40 km of the arc-trench gap within a few million years of the time that the ridge crest enters the trench. Geological manifestations of these changes could include anomalous near-trench magmatism (gabbroic or granitic), termination of high-pressure metamorphism, enhancement of low-pressure metamorphism, and generation of hydrocarbons. Along the slab-wedge interface the depth of dehydration of hydrous phases in the subducted oceanic crust rapidly migrates upward as the ridge approaches. Consequently, substantial volumes of water may be released at depths of 50–75 km just before the ridge crest is subducted, and relatively shallow dehydration(
Novel Copolymers of Styrene. 14. Ring-disubstituted Methyl 2-Cyano-3-Phenyl-2-Propenoates

Electrophilic trisubstituted ethylenes, ring-disubstituted methyl 2-cyano-3-phenyl-2-propenoates, RPhCH˭C(CN)CO2CH3, where R is 2,5-dichloro, 3,5-dichloro, 2,3-difluoro, 3-chloro-2-fluoro, 3-chloro-4-fluoro, 4-chloro-3-fluoro, 2-chloro-5-nitro, and 2-chloro-6-nitro were prepared and copolymerized with styrene. The monomers were synthesized by the piperidine catalyzed Knoevenagel condensation of ring-disubstituted benzaldehydes and methyl cyanoacetate, and characterized by CHN analysis, IR, 1H and 13C-NMR. All the ethylenes were copolymerized with styrene (M1) in solution with radical initiation (ABCN) at 70°C. The compositions of the copolymers were calculated from nitrogen analysis and the structures were analyzed by IR, 1H and 13C-NMR. The order of relative reactivity (1/r1) for the monomers is 4-Cl-3-F (4.87) > 2,3-F2 (4.49) > 3-Cl-4-F (3.50) > 3-Cl-2-F (2.96) > 2-Cl-5-NO2 (2.02) > 2,5-Cl2 (1.54) > 2-Cl-6-NO2 (1.00) > 3,5-Cl2 (0.41). Relatively high Tg of the copolymers in comparison with that of polys...
Reducing Impacts of Double-Crested Cormorants to Natural Resources in Central New York: A Review of a Collaborative Research, Management, and Monitoring Program

Abstract. Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) have used central New York waters for breeding and stopover habitats during migration since 1984. In response to public concern over Oneida Lake, the United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation initiated an integrated research, management and monitoring program aimed at mitigating cormorant impacts to fisheries and other natural resources in 1998. The history of this program was reviewed and efforts to reduce negative impacts of the Double-crested Cormorant population in central New York described. Management was successful, as demonstrated by a substantial decrease in cormorant use of Oneida Lake during spring, summer and fall seasons, and the apparent recovery of certain sportfish populations. Research identified cormorant movement patterns within and among water bodies and documented cormorant responses to hazing and other management techniques. The cormorant managem...
Development of improved standard electrical equipment components through industry — AEC cooperation

Research programs often require conventional electrical equipment components of exceptional performance characteristics. These are generally obtained by awarding a research and development contract. To avoid the usual difficulties of R&D contracts (high cost, delay, proprietary rights, patents, etc.) the Electronics Engineering Department of the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory achieves such high-performance units by competitive, fixed-price purchase of several experimental components produced according to specified improvements in design or fabrication.
Carbohydrate consumption and esophageal cancer:an ecological assessment.

OBJECTIVES: The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma is on the rise in the United States. In this ecological study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program (1973-2001) and national food consumption data (1909-1997), we evaluated the correlation between secular trends of dietary macronutrient intakes and esophageal cancer rates. METHODS: Linear regressions were performed to assess the correlation between age-adjusted incidence rates of esophageal cancers and nutrients. RESULTS: The increase in esophageal adenocarcinoma was found to be strongly correlated with the rise in carbohydrate intake (P < 0.0001). The decline in squamous cell carcinoma rates was negatively correlated with carbohydrate intake in the univariate model (P < 0.0001), but this correlation disappeared when adjusted for other nutrients. Correlations of esophageal adenocarcinoma to percentage of calories from corn syrup, representing refined carbohydrates, were statistically significant in the univariate model (P < 0.0001), but decreased in significance in the multivariate model (P = 0.0118). We also found a significant correlation between obesity and esophageal adenocarcinoma (P < 0.0001) during the same time period. CONCLUSION: Our ecological evaluation suggests that high carbohydrate intake and obesity can account for at least some of the rise in esophageal adenocarcinoma. Within-population studies are needed to clarify these trends.
Correlates and Consequences of Spanking and Verbal Punishment for Low-Income White, African American, and Mexican American Toddlers

This study examined the prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of spanking and verbal punishment in 2,573 low-income White, African American, and Mexican American toddlers at ages 1, 2, and 3. Both spanking and verbal punishment varied by maternal race/ethnicity. Child fussiness at age 1 predicted spanking and verbal punishment at all 3 ages. Cross-lagged path analyses indicated that spanking (but not verbal punishment) at age 1 predicted child aggressive behavior problems at age 2 and lower Bayley mental development scores at age 3. Neither child aggressive behavior problems nor Bayley scores predicted later spanking or verbal punishment. In some instances, maternal race/ethnicity and/or emotional responsiveness moderated the effects of spanking and verbal punishment on child outcomes.
The Role of the Local Immune Response in the Pathogenesis of Peptic Ulcer Formation

Mucosal immune responses are designed to provide local protection against infection, without inducing excessive amounts of inflammation that would alter epithelial integrity or function. It has become clear that the epithelium not only serves as a barrier to exclude pathogens, but also initiates host responses to infection. Gastric epithelial cells infected with Helicobacter pylori can respond within hours to produce inflammatory mediators that recruit and activate neutrophils. The gastric epithelium can also be recognized by local T-cells, resulting in their activation and ability to induce epithelial damage. During infection with H. pylori, there is a remarkable increase in the level of local IgG antibodies, which may also recognize and damage the epithelium. Thus, activated neutrophils, T-cells and auto-antibodies may contribute to a weakened epithelial barrier that allows luminal acid and other factors to contribute to peptic ulceration. The epithelium appears to play a key role in the initiation of the local inflammatory and immune responses that may contribute to the more serious sequelae associated with H. pylori infection.
Liver damage from cocaine in mice

Abstract Four daily injections of 20 mg per kg cocaine hydrochloride into B6AF1/J mice produced focal necrosis of liver parenchymal cells in the midzonal region. Massive liver damage and marked elevation of serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase was observed after a single injection of 50 mg per kg cocaine-HC1. This damage led to increased sleep time after pentobarbital, and a decreased rate of pentobarbital metabolism in vivo .
An equivalence relation between correspondence analysis and classical metric multidimensional scaling for the recovery of Euclidean distances

A theorem is proved showing that a special variant of correspondence analysis (CA), like classical two-way metric multidimensional scaling (MMDS), recovers Euclidean distances (asymptotically, as a certain constant grows large) exactly, and in fact yields solutions equivalent up to a similarity transformation to MMDS, even in the case of ‘noisy’ data. Specifically, a slight modification of a use of CA for analysis of proximity data proposed independently by Gifi and by Weller & Romney, which depends on a certain additive constant, k, which should be ‘large’, is shown, as ∞, to result in an R-dimensional solution equivalent, up to a scale factor, to that obtained by a certain form of MMDS. It is conjectured that this asymptotic result may account for the apparent success of the closely related ‘Gifi/Weller/Romney’ CA procedure in recovering multidimensional structure underlying proximity data.
Inference for case-control studies when exposure status is both informatively missing and misclassified.

In case-control studies, it is common for a categorical exposure variable to be misclassified. It is also common for exposure status to be informatively missing for some individuals, in that the probability of missingness may be related to exposure. Procedures for addressing the bias due to misclassification via validation data have been extensively studied, and related methods have been proposed for dealing with informative missingness based on supplemental sampling of some of those with missing data. In this paper, we introduce study designs and analytic procedures for dealing with both problems simultaneously in a 2x2 analysis. Results based on convergence in probability illustrate that the combined effects of missingness and misclassification, even when the latter is non-differential, can lead to naive exposure odds ratio estimates that are inflated or on the wrong side of the null. The motivating example comes from a case-control study of the association between low birth weight and the diagnosis of breast cancer later in life, where self-reported birth weight for some women is supplemented by accurate information from birth certificates.
Nitrogen and Phosphorus Concentrations and Export from an Ozark Plateau Catchment in the United States

Abstract In 1993–1995, the Beaver Lake Basin contained about 2000 poultry houses producing about 200 000 Mg yr−1 of poultry litter, and 8000 and 4000 Mg yr−1 of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), respectively. Most of the poultry litter was land applied as a fertiliser to meet forage N requirements, making it susceptible to transport from the landscape during episodic precipitation events. Nitrogen and P concentrations were measured in four sub-watersheds of Beaver Lake, a reservoir on the White River in Arkansas, USA, to assess possible relationships between pasture land use and stream nutrient concentrations and export. Surface water samples were collected 17 times annually for 2 years from ten total stream sites within the four watersheds. Samples were analysed for soluble reactive P (SRP), total P (TP), ammonium-N (NH4-N), nitrate-N (NO3-N), total Kjeldhal N (TKN) and total N (TN). Discharge was measured at four gauged stream stations, and nutrient export was calculated using the US Geological Survey ESTIMATOR software and non-biased re-transformation from log space. Stream SRP, NO3-N and TN concentrations (geometric-mean) increased linearly with per cent of pasture in watersheds, whereas N and P export coefficients increased exponentially with pasture land use. Nutrient export (kg yr−1) increased with basin size, but nutrient yield (kg km−2 yr−1) decreased with basin size. Nutrient yield was from three times to over 10 times greater than nutrient yields observed in regional undeveloped streams and the average of the Hydrologic Benchmark Network of the US Geological Survey. It is apparent that pasturelands in this basin affect stream nutrient concentrations and export to Beaver Lake and its tributaries. This investigation emphasises the need to carefully manage poultry litter because small losses of nutrients compared to the total amount of nutrients produced in a basin may still impact stream nutrient concentrations and export.
1-Soliton solution of Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation with power law nonlinearity

This paper obtains the 1-soliton solution of the Kadomtsev-Petviasvili equation with power law nonlinearity using the solitary wave ansatz. An exact soliton solution is obtained and a couple of conserved quantities are also computed.
Tissue Transglutaminase Does Not Contribute to the Formation of Mutant Huntingtin Aggregates

The cause of Huntington's disease (HD) is a pathological expansion of the polyglutamine domain within the NH2-terminal region of huntingtin. Neuronal intranuclear inclusions and cytoplasmic aggregates composed of the mutant huntingtin within certain neuronal populations are a characteristic hallmark of HD. Because in vitro expanded polyglutamine repeats are glutaminyl-donor substrates of tissue transglutaminase (tTG), it has been hypothesized that tTG may contribute to the formation of these aggregates in HD. Therefore, it is of fundamental importance to establish whether tTG plays a significant role in the formation of mutant huntingtin aggregates in the cell. Human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells were stably transfected with truncated NH2-terminal huntingtin constructs containing 18 (wild type) or 82 (mutant) glutamines. In the cells expressing the mutant truncated huntingtin construct, numerous SDS-resistant aggregates were present in the cytoplasm and nucleus. Even though numerous aggregates were present in the mutant huntingtin-expressing cells, tTG did not coprecipitate with mutant truncated huntingtin. Further, tTG was totally excluded from the aggregates, and significantly increasing tTG expression had no effect on the number of aggregates or their intracellular localization (cytoplasm or nucleus). When a YFP-tagged mutant truncated huntingtin construct was transiently transfected into cells that express no detectable tTG due to stable transfection with a tTG antisense construct, there was extensive aggregate formation. These findings clearly demonstrate that tTG is not required for aggregate formation, and does not facilitate the process of aggregate formation. Therefore, in HD, as well as in other polyglutamine diseases, tTG is unlikely to play a role in the formation of aggregates.
Plasmonics-based design: combining surface-enhanced Raman and IR spectroscopies into the same structure

Plasmonic nanostructures are useful for providing high-intensity fields at metal surfaces for surface enhanced spectroscopies. Plasmon hybridization principles are used to design substrates that enhance both Raman and infrared absorption spectroscopy on the same structure.
Afterword: Omni-Local Classical Receptions

This afterword reviews the articles in this special issue on classical receptions in Eastern and Central Europe in light of debates about the cultural identity of classical reception studies and the dominant role that European classical receptions play in this field. I argue that the focus on Eastern and Central Europe draws our attention to different versions of and very different orientations within Europe, and thereby contributes to a decentred model of European classical receptions. This decentred model is more attuned to a cosmopolitan, comparative approach to classical reception studies in which the translatability and cultural mobility of Greek and Roman works are omni-local, rather than universal.
An Indoor and Outdoor, Multimodal, Multispectral and Multi-Illuminant Database for Face Recognition

In this effort, we describe a face database obtained by using an involved acquisition system for the collection of multimodal and multispectral image data under various illumination conditions. The database of facial images may aid in exploring new avenues in face recognition, especially when involving multi-band visible and thermal information. The database has applications in experimentation with human identification, authentication, and face modeling. We describe the abilities of the acquisition system wherein the imaging sensors, system considerations and registration are discussed. For each data record in the database, we have twenty five images spanning the visible spectrum, one visible RGB/monochromatic image, one thermal image and the spectral distribution of the illumination of the scene. The complete dataset has so far 2624 face images and the corresponding illumination information for each data record. Moreover, we present a multispectral data fusion approach for illumination adjustment. The database will be made public to the research community for perusal towards illumination invariant face related research.
New doxycycline-inducible transgenic lines in Xenopus.

We have characterized two new transgenic Xenopus lines enabling transgene expression using the Tet-On inducible system. An inducer line expresses the doxycycline- (Dox-) activated transcription factor rtTA under control of the ubiquitous promoter CMV. A responder line enables Dox-inducible expression of a dominant positive thyroid hormone receptor via a tetracycline responsive transgenic promoter (TRE). Dox-induced expression of transgenic GFP mRNA was detectable after 3 hours and increased up to 10- to 50-fold by 2 days depending on dose of Dox. Induced GFP mRNA expression returned to uninduced levels within 3 days upon Dox removal. Treatment of rtTA inducer and TRE responder double transgenic animals with Dox caused acceleration of metamorphic changes in thyroid hormone-response gene expression and morphology. These transgenic lines will be made available through the new Xenopus Stock Center and will serve as valuable tools for genetic analysis of development and metamorphosis.
Role of Astrocytes in Central Nervous System Trauma

In the blink of an eye, the life of a person who sustains a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) often changes forever. This chapter discusses the epidemiology of SCI and TBI followed by an overview of the key elements known to contribute to the pathophysiology. Next, astrocytic physiology thought to be involved in the acute post-injury phase is discussed, with particular focus on the mechanisms of protection.
First steps: bovine genomics in historical perspective

The vision of Morris Soller was instrumental in launching the field of bovine genomics. This study is a review of the early years of bovine gene mapping leading up to the sequencing and assembly of the bovine genome in 2009. A historical perspective of parasexual, linkage and physical mapping is provided with a focus on the contribution of these maps to the eventual assignment and orientation of genes and sequence to cattle chromosomes.
Disk shape and its effect on flyability

The static spacing loss of slider-disk interface is investigated through careful characterization of disk shape for disks of different form factors with different peak-to-valley flatness values. Measured radial profiles are normalized and found to be confined within a relatively narrow region. The representation of these shapes is reduced to a simple set of quadratic equations. Static flyability models associated with the disk radial slope (crown effect) and radial curvature (camber effect) are presented. Spacing loss is calculated for a negative pressure pico-slider and a positive pressure catamaran nano-slider. Results show that slider geometries and crown/camber sensitivity, as well as disk flatness and shape, all affect static slider-disk spacing loss. The analysis is focused on the effect of disk shape on the static spacing loss and its relationship to slider design.
Complete morphologies of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons in the mouse

The human brain is made up of roughly 80 to 100 billion neurons, organized into extensive networks. Each neuron consists of a number of components: a cell body, which contains the nucleus; numerous short protrusions from the cell body called dendrites; and a long thin structure called an axon that carries the electrical signals generated in the cell body and the dendrites to the next neuron in the network. One of the most studied networks in the human brain is the basal forebrain network, which is made up of large neurons that communicate with one another using a chemical transmitter called acetylcholine. This network has a key role in cognition, and its neurons are among the first to degenerate in Alzheimer's disease. However, relatively little is known about the structure of these ‘cholinergic’ neurons because their large size makes them difficult to study using standard techniques. Now, Wu et al. have visualized, for the first time, the complete 3D structure of cholinergic neurons in the mouse forebrain. The mice in question had been genetically modified so that only ten or so of their many thousands of cholinergic neurons expressed a distinctive ‘marker’ protein. This made it possible to distinguish these neurons from surrounding brain tissue in order to visualize their structures. The resulting pictures clearly illustrate the neurons' complexity, with individual axons in adult mice displaying up to 1000 branches. Measurements showed that each cholinergic axon in the mouse brain is roughly 30 centimeters long, even though the brain itself is less than 2 centimeters from front to back. Based on measurements by other researchers, Wu et al. calculated that the axons of single cholinergic neurons in the human brain are about 100 meters long on average. The extreme length and complex branching structure of cholinergic forebrain neurons helps to explain why each neuron is able to modulate the activity of many others in the network. It could also explain their vulnerability to degeneration, as the need to transport materials over such long distances may limit the ability of these neurons to respond to damage.
Evaluating preference effects in partially unblinded, randomized clinical trials

The ability of randomized, clinical trials (RCTs) to produce unbiased estimates of an intervention's specific (i.e., innate pharmacologic or physiologic) effect rests on at least two assumptions. First, other prognostic effects (such as disease severity or the psychologic effects of treatment) are assumed to be evenly distributed across treatment groups, and second, it is assumed that these other effects do not interact with the intervention's specific effect. This essay shows how the effect of patients' preferences for treatments may interact with an intervention's specific effect to bias the trial's results. Earlier mathematical descriptions of how preference effects may produce bias in nonblinded trials are extended to the case of (presumably) blinded RCTs. The extent to which preference effects may confer bias in partially unblinded placebo-controlled vs. active-controlled drug trials are considered. Finally, methods for estimating preference effects in partially unblinded RCTs are provided. It is concluded that investigators could use these methods to quantify potential preference effects in partially unblinded RCTs, and thereby more accurately estimate the specific effects of treatments.