cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Compressed ultrafast photography and microscopy: Redefining the limit of passive ultrafast imaging (Conference Presentation)

High-speed imaging is an indispensable technology for blur-free observation of fast transient dynamics in virtually all areas including science, industry, defense, energy, and medicine. Unfortunately, the frame rates of conventional cameras are significantly constrained by their data transfer bandwidth and onboard storage. We demonstrate a two-dimensional dynamic imaging technique, compressed ultrafast photography (CUP), which can capture non-repetitive time-evolving events at up to 100 billion fps. Compared with existing ultrafast imaging techniques, CUP has a prominent advantage of measuring an x, y, t (x, y, spatial coordinates; t, time) scene with a single camera snapshot, thereby allowing observation of transient events occurring on a time scale down to tens of picoseconds. Thanks to the CUP technology, for the first time, the human can see light pulses on the fly. Because this technology advances the imaging frame rate by orders of magnitude, we now enter a new regime and open new visions. In this talk, I will discuss our recent effort to develop a second-generation CUP system and demonstrate its applications at scales from macroscopic to microscopic. For the first time, we imaged photonic Mach cones and captured “Sonic Boom” of light in action. Moreover, by adapting CUP for microscopy, we enabled two-dimensional fluorescence lifetime imaging at an unprecedented speed. The advantage of CUP recording is that even visually simple systems can be scientifically interesting when they are captured at such a high speed. Given CUP’s capability, we expect it to find widespread applications in both fundamental and applied sciences including biomedical research.
Elusive History: Fractured Archives, Politicized Orality, and Sensing the Postcolonial Past

Inspired by my experiences in archives and research fields in Northern Nigeria, this essay analyzes four overlapping phenomena: archival fragmentation, the politicization of data and research transactions, the proliferation of memoirs and other texts of self-representation, and the question of sensing the African past beyond the recognized oral, written, and ethnographic corpus. At once familiar and novel, these trends present both problems and possibilities for historians of postcolonial Africa, and need to be negotiated carefully. I propose, in preliminary terms, that a complementary methodology of what I call sensing is not only possible but necessary if we want to fully capture the pace and flavor of postcolonial African experiences. A partir de recherches d’archives et de terrain dans le Nord du Nigeria, cet essai analyse quatre phenomenes imbriques: la fragmentation des archives, la politisation des sources, la proliferation des memoires et autres textes autobiographiques, et, finalement, la difficulte a “ressentir” le passe africain par-dela des donnees orales, ecrites et ethnographiques. A la fois familieres et inedites, ces tendances sont autant de nouvelles contraintes que de possibilites originales pour les historiens de l’Afrique postcoloniale. Elles doivent etre exploitees avec precaution. La methode complementaire du “ressenti” que je definis provisoirement ici est non seulement possible mais necessaire a une pleine capture du rythme et de la saveur des experiences de l’Afrique postcoloniale.
An index formula for elliptic systems in the plane

An index formula is proved for elliptic systems of P.D.E.'s with boundary values in a simply connected region Q in the plane. Let A denote the elliptic operator and B the boundary operator. In an earlier paper by the author, the algebraic condition for the Fredholm property, i.e. the Lopatinskii condition, was reformulated as follows. On the boundary, a square matrix function A+ defined on the unit cotangent bundle of &Q was constructed from the principal symbols of the coefficients of the boundary operator and a spectral pair for the family of matrix polynomials associated with the principal symbol of the elliptic operator. The Lopatinskii condition is equivalent to the condition that the function A\+ have invertible values. In the present paper, the index of (A, B) is expressed in terms of the winding number of the determinant of A+
Strongly connected dominating sets in wireless sensor networks with unidirectional links

A Connected Dominating Set (CDS) can serve as a virtual backbone for a wireless sensor network since there is no fixed infrastructure or centralized management in wireless sensor networks. With the help of CDS, routing is easier and can adapt quickly to network topology changes. The CDS problem has been studied extensively in undirected graphs, especially in unit disk graphs, in which each sensor node has the same transmission range. However, in practice, the transmission ranges of all nodes are not necessarily to be equal. In this paper, we model a network as a disk graph where unidirectional links are considered and introduce the Strongly Connected Dominating Set (SCDS) problem in disk graphs. We propose two constant approximation algorithms for the SCDS problem and compare their performances through the theoretical analysis.
Rhetoric and the Republic: Politics, Civic Discourse, and Education in America, Mark Garrett Longaker: Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2007. 288 pages. $39.95 cloth

In 1834 the Richmond Whig declared with alarm that “the Republic has degenerated into a Democracy” (Sean Wilentz. The Rise of American Democracy. New York: Norton, 2005. 425). What they meant was t...
Coming of Age: The Current Situation of Asian American Children

(1999). Coming of Age: The Current Situation of Asian American Children. Amerasia Journal: Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 1-28.
Malignant myoblastoma vulvae.

Abstract An unusual malignant vulvar tumor has been deseribed which we feel is a pleomorphic myoblastoma. In its recurrence and metastasis the neoplasm exhibited transitions to an angioblastic type of growth. Such metaplasia can be satisfactorily explained on a theory of origin from an ancestry of pluripotent mesenchymal cells. Five other vulvar myoblastomas which came to our attention were all of the uniform cell type and all proved to be benign.
Low dietary magnesium increases supraventricular ectopy

BACKGROUND Magnesium has been suggested to be beneficial in counteracting all phases of the processes that lead to ischemic heart disease, including terminal events such as arrhythmia and sudden death. OBJECTIVE We tested the hypothesis that an intake of magnesium considerably below the recommended dietary allowance can produce chemical and physiologic evidence of depletion. DESIGN Twenty-two postmenopausal women were maintained in a metabolic unit and ate a diet of conventional foods containing less than one-half of or more than the recommended dietary allowance for magnesium (320 mg/d). Dietary assignments were random and double blind in a crossover design. Magnesium concentrations were measured by spectroscopy and ion-specific electrolyte analysis, and Holter electrocardiograms lasting approximate 21 h were recorded. RESULTS Magnesium concentrations in erythrocytes, serum (total and ultrafilterable), and urine were significantly lower when dietary magnesium was lower. Holter monitors showed a significant increase in both supraventricular and supraventricular plus ventricular beats when the dietary magnesium concentration was low. Hypomagnesemia, hypocalcemia, and hypokalemia were not found. CONCLUSIONS The magnesium requirement was defined with the use of biochemical and electrophysiologic criteria. The recommended dietary allowance of 320 mg/d seems correct; 130 mg is too little. Persons who live in soft water areas, who use diuretics, or who are predisposed to magnesium loss or ectopic beats may require more dietary magnesium than would others.
Correlation of Serum l-Phenylalanine-Sensitive Alkaline Phosphatase, Derived From Intestine, with the Abo Blood Group of Cirrhotics

Summary Serum levels of l-phenylalanine-sensitive alkaline phosphatase (LPSAP) were determined in 139 patients with hepatic cirrhosis. A significant correlation exists between the ABO blood type and the ratio of LPSAP to total alkaline phosphatase. Higher mean levels of total alkaline phosphatase were found in patients with blood type O than in patients with type A, and these elevations were due in large part to higher mean levels of the l-phenylalanine-sensitive isoenzyme. The intestinal origin of a major portion of LPSAP is suggested by starch gel electrophoresis of serum which revealed a slowmoving band which was inhibited by l-phenylalanine and which migrated to the location of purified intestinal alkaline phosphatase. The findings support a genetic mechanism controlling the serum levels of l-phenylalanine-sensitive alkaline phosphatase, and in turn total alkaline phosphatase, and contribute to a more precise interpretation of the significance of hyperphosphatasemia.
Characterization of Marine Temperate Phage-Host Systems Isolated from Mamala Bay, Oahu, Hawaii

Direct viral enumeration techniques have revealed high levels of viral particles in many regions and many habitats of the marine environment (3, 10, 28–30). Moreover, viruses have been found to contribute significantly to the mortality of bacterioplankton and phytoplankton, indicating that they are important in microbial ecosystems (10). However, direct observations of viruses yield little information concerning the infectivity of the viruses, their genetic diversity, or their ability to enter into lysogenic interactions with their hosts. It is the last issue that we have become interested in over the past several years. There is recent evidence that lysogeny is a common occurrence in the marine environment. When a series of diverse marine environments were examined for prophage induction by using mitomycin C and UV radiation, up to 38% of the bacterial population contained inducible prophage (17). Examination of 88 random marine bacterial isolates indicated that more than 40% of these isolates contained inducible prophage or defective phagelike particles (16). Of nearly 300 marine phage isolates tested, 29 were identified as temperate phage isolates by Moebus (22). Hidaka and Shirahama (13) have also described isolation of a temperate phage from marine mud in Kagoshima Bay, Japan. We were interested in isolating marine temperate phage-host systems to study lysogeny in the marine environment, as well as the potential for phage-mediated gene transfer (transduction) in the marine environment. The interactions between marine viruses and their hosts may significantly influence the genetic diversity and composition of marine microbial communities. We attempted to isolate several temperate phage-host systems from water samples from Mamala Bay, Oahu, Hawaii; our goal was to establish transduction systems with indigenous marine bacterial hosts and bacteriophages. The characteristics of these phage-host systems are described here.
2‐n‐Butyl‐2‐methylcyclohexanone

2-n-Butyl-2-methylcyclohexanone reactant: 123 g. (1.10 moles) of 2-methylcyclohexanone reactant: 81.4 g. (1.10 moles) of ethyl formate intermediate: Sodio-2-formyl-6-methylcyclohexanone reactant: 28.2 g. (0.21 mole) of n-butyl bromide product: 2-n-butyl-2-methylcyclohexanone byproduct: 2-formyl-6-n-butyl-6-methylcyclohexanone product: 2,2-Dimethylcyclohexanone product: 2-benzyl-2-methylcyclohexanone Keywords: acylation; alkylation, C-alkylation; cleavage, ketonic; ethyl formate; potassium amide, preparation of; ammonia; potassium
Pharmacological characterization of supersensitivity to naltrexone in squirrel monkeys

Effects of naltrexone and of other drugs in decreasing rates of schedule-controlled responding were studied in squirrel monkeys treated weekly with naltrexone while responding under fixed-ratio schedules of either food presentation (FP) or stimulus-shock termination (SST). By the 5th week of treatment, sensitivity to the rate-decreasing effects of naltrexone had increased 32-fold in FP monkeys (supersensitivity) but had not changed in SST monkeys; continued weekly injections of naltrexone did not change the effects of naltrexone further in either group. FP monkeys were more sensitive than SST monkeys to the rate-decreasing effects of other opioid antagonists and mixed agonist-antagonists; however, for some compounds (e.g., MR 2266) differences between groups did not exceed differences reported in nonsensitized monkeys responding under similar schedule conditions. Differences in sensitivity between FP and SST monkeys appeared to be stereospecific; FP monkeys were 28 times more sensitive than SST monkeys to (-)-cyclazocine, but equally sensitive to (+)-cyclazocine. Sensitivity to opioid agonists and to some nonopioids varied by less than 3-fold between groups and doses of lithium that decreased responding in FP monkeys had no effect in SST monkeys. Neither acute nor repeated injections of morphine altered the sensitivity of FP or SST monkeys to naltrexone; however, morphine attenuated the rate-decreasing effects of naltrexone in FP monkeys, and naltrexone reversed the rate-decreasing effects of morphine in all monkeys. Super-sensitivity to opioid antagonists in squirrel monkeys is behaviorally and pharmacologically selective as well as stereospecific. Although other effects of antagonists might contribute to supersensitivity, opioid antagonistic action appears to be one important component of supersensitivity and cross-supersensitivity among opioid antagonists.
Sleep disturbance and neurobehavioral performance among postpartum women.

Study objectives Sleep disturbances cause neurobehavioral performance and daytime functioning impairments. Postpartum women experience high levels of sleep disturbance. Thus, the study objective was to describe and explore the relation between neurobehavioral performance and sleep among women during the early postpartum period. Design Longitudinal field-based study. Participants There were 70 primiparous women and nine nulliparous women in a control group. Interventions None. Methods and results During their first 12 postpartum weeks, 70 primiparous women wore continuous wrist actigraphy to objectively monitor their sleep. Each morning they self-administered the psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) to index their neurobehavioral performance. Nine nulliparous women in a control group underwent the same protocol for 12 continuous weeks. Postpartum PVT mean reciprocal (1/RT) reaction time did not differ from that of women in the control group at postpartum week 2, but then worsened over time. Postpartum slowest 10% 1/RT PVT reaction time was significantly worse than that of women in the control group at all weeks. Despite improvements in postpartum sleep, neurobehavioral performance continued to worsen from week 2 through the end of the study. Across the first 12 postpartum weeks, PVT measures were more frequently associated with percent sleep compared with total sleep time, highlighting the deleterious consequences of sleep disruption on maternal daytime functioning throughout the early postpartum period. Conclusions Worsened maternal neurobehavioral performance across the first 12 postpartum weeks may have been influenced by the cumulative effects of sleep disturbance. These results can inform future work to identify the particular sleep profiles that could be primary intervention targets to improve daytime functioning among postpartum women, and indicate need for further research on the effectiveness of family leave policies. The time when postpartum women return to control-level daytime functioning is unknown.
Near-infrared Raman Microspectroscopy Detects High-risk Human Papillomaviruses.

BACKGROUND: Detecting human papillomaviruses (HPVs) infection in cervical cells is an exceedingly important part of the clinical management of cervical dysplasia. Current guidelines in women's health outline the need for both the Papanicolaou test as well as high-risk HPV testing. Testing for HPV is expensive, is time-consuming, and requires experienced technicians. METHODS: Two sets of near-infrared Raman microspectroscopy experiments were conducted using a Raman confocal microscope system. First, Raman spectra were acquired from four different cell culture lines, two positive for HPV (HeLa, SiHa), one negative for HPV, but malignant (C33A), and one normal, HPV-negative line (NHEK). The three malignant lines were all derived from cervical cells. Second, Raman spectra were acquired from deidentified patient samples that were previously tested for the presence of high-risk HPV. RESULTS: The spectra from the cell culture lines and the patient samples contained many statistically significant differences. Using sparse multinomial logistic regression to classify the data led to classification accuracies of 89% to 97% for the cell culture samples and 98.5% for the patient samples. CONCLUSIONS: Raman micro-spectroscopy can be used to detect HPV and differentiate among specific HPV strains. This technique may provide health providers with a new method for quickly testing cell samples for the presence of HPV.
Semen-Derived Enhancer of Viral Infection (SEVI) Binds Bacteria, Enhances Bacterial Phagocytosis by Macrophages, and Can Protect against Vaginal Infection by a Sexually Transmitted Bacterial Pathogen

The semen-derived enhancer of viral infection (SEVI) is a positively charged amyloid fibril that is derived from a self-assembling proteolytic cleavage fragment of prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP(248-286)). SEVI efficiently facilitates HIV-1 infection in vitro, but its normal physiologic function remains unknown. In light of the fact that other amyloidogenic peptides have been shown to possess direct antibacterial activity, we investigated whether SEVI could inhibit bacterial growth. Neither SEVI fibrils nor the unassembled PAP(248-286) peptide had significant direct antibacterial activity in vitro. However, SEVI fibrils bound to both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Neisseria gonorrhoeae) bacteria, in a charge-dependent fashion. Furthermore, SEVI fibrils but not the monomeric PAP(248-286) peptide promoted bacterial aggregation and enhanced the phagocytosis of bacteria by primary human macrophages. SEVI also enhanced binding of bacteria to macrophages and the subsequent release of bacterially induced proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α], interleukin-6 [IL-6], and IL-1β). Finally, SEVI fibrils inhibited murine vaginal colonization with Neisseria gonorrhoeae. These findings demonstrate that SEVI has indirect antimicrobial activity and that this activity is dependent on both the cationic charge and the fibrillar nature of SEVI.
Comparative effects of atropine and Pro-Banthine on the stimulated human stomach

1. The effects of atropine and Pro-Banthine on gastric secretory function were studied in healthy human subjects following parenterally administered histamine, reserpine, caffeine and insulin. 2. Both atropine and Pro-Banthine inhibited parietal cell secretion following all four stimulatory agents. This inhibition was much more complete in the caffeine and insulin studies. 3. The effective inhibition of the caffeine response might be attributed to its lack of potency as a gastric stimulatory agent. The marked suppression of insulin-induced hypersecretion is more clearly related to interference with its mechanism of action. 4. It appears that reserpine, like histamine, does not exert its effect primarily through the parasympathetic nervous system.
Indefinites in Verb Phrase Ellipsis

The purpose of this squib is to show that verb phrase ellipsis data elucidate the semantics of indefinites noun phrases in ways not described previously. Specifically, ellipsis data are shown to provide counterexamples to the thesis (formulated in Fodor and Sag 1982) that all indefinites that appear to be nonlocally scoped existential quantifiers actually denote individuals. Ellipsis data also reveal that these counterexamples are of two kinds. In some cases, the indefinite may be analyzed as nonquantificational, through reference to a function (as in the theory proposed in Kratzer 1998). But in other cases, the indefinite resists such treatment and indeed appears to introduce nonlocal existential quantification. The squib thereby vindicates conclusions drawn in previous literature from related observations regarding the interaction of indefinites with quantifiers (Farkas 1981, Chiercha 20014, Schwarz 2001). It moreover examines potential evidence from ellipsis for the existence of individual-denoting indefinites, but argues that in this case the evidence is inconclusive
Sporulation of Amblyospora californica (Microspora: Amblyosporidae) in autogenous female Culex tarsalis

Sporulation of Amblyospora parasites in adult female mosquitoes is usually synchronized with the host's ovarian development which is initiated after a blood meal. The high percentage of sporulation in non-blood-fed autogenous Culex tarsalis supports the hypothesis that sporulation is stimulated by some host reproductive event (possibly hormonal) rather than by blood meal components.
Importance of kinetics and thermodynamics to the electron-capture detector

Abstract The kinetic model for the electron-capture detector (ECD) has been reviewed. Emphasis was placed on the agreement between thermodynamic and kinetic data obtained from the ECD and independent data obtained by other techniques. During the past five years, sufficient kinetic and thermodynamic data have been obtained to establish clearly the validity of the ECD model for non-dissociative electron capture and for exothermic dissociative electron attachment. In addition, new ECD data have been obtained for a kinetic mechanism of dissociative electron capture, which had been postulated but had not been demonstrated. This mechanism provides values for rate constants which have heretofore never been measured. All of the mechanisms have been illustrated by the use of Morse potential energy curves. A direct correspondence was shown to exist between the gas-phase mechanisms and mechanisms in solution observed with electrochemical techniques. As a result, fundamental kinetic and thermodynamic data can be obtained from the solution data. Correlations have been given which permit the calculation of electron affinities from half-wave reduction potentials.
High resolution holographic contour generation with white light reconstruction

Abstract An inexpensive, easy to use contouring scheme is described, which makes use of the simplicity of single beam reflection holograms. The contours may be viewed in white light and provide the researcher with an accurate three dimensional record of the shape of an object. Contour spacings from 0.44 mm to 2.8 μm have been achieved. A photographic processing scheme is described, which greatly increases the brightness of this type of hologram, making it useful for larger diffusely reflecting objects.
SINGLE-CRYSTAL 31P NMR AND X-RAY DIFFRACTION STUDY OF A MOLYBDENUM PHOSPHINE COMPLEX : (5-METHYLDIBENZOPHOSPHOLE)PENTACARBONYLMOLYBDENUM(0)

The molecular structure of (5-methyldibenzophosphole)pentacarbonylmolybdenum(0), 1, has been determined by X-ray crystallography. The crystal is monoclinic C2/c, Z = 8, with unit cell dimensions of...
Behavioral audiogram and masked thresholds of the megachiropteran echolocating bat,Rousettus

1. A behavioral auditory threshold obtained by operant conditioning of the megachiropteran bat,Rousettus aegyptiacus, is described. 2. The auditory threshold in quiet has a maximum sensitivity between 8 and 10 kHz, separated by an 8 to 10 dB rise from a second more sharply tuned peak at 20 kHz (Fig. 2). The minimum mean threshold is 44 dB SPL at 10 kHz. No response was obtained to sounds below 1 kHz or above 30 kHz. 3. The amount of masking produced by the presence of broad band noise with a spectrum level of 31.7 dB SPL varies between a minimum at 2 kHz of 10.1 dB and a maximum at 20 kHz of 21.9 dB (Fig. 2). 4. The critical ratio is smallest (29 dB) at 8 kHz. It increases gradually at higher frequencies in a manner similar to other mammals studied, but is unusual in rising very steeply at lower frequencies (Fig. 3). 5. The masked threshold at 12 kHz increases only about 11 dB when the stimulus duration is decreased from 250 ms to 2 ms (Fig. 4). 6. The acoustic orientation ofRousettus is discussed in relation to these psychophysical data.
Simulation of thin film grain structures—I. Grain growth stagnation

Abstract A computer simulation of grain growth in two dimensions has been used to model microstructural evolution in thin films. In particular, we have modelled the effects of grain-boundary grooving at the free surface of a film by introducing a stagnation condition on grain-boundary migration. This stagnation results in a lognormal grain-size distribution, which is similar to experimentally observed distributions.
Cellular behavior on TiO2 nanonodular structures in a micro-to-nanoscale hierarchy model

Biological tissues involve hierarchical organizations of structures and components. We created a micropit-and-nanonodule hybrid topography of TiO(2) by applying a recently reported nanonodular self-assembly technique on acid-etch-created micropit titanium surfaces. The size of the nanonodules was controllable by changing the assembly time. The created micro-nano-hybrid surface rendered a greater surface area and roughness, and extensive geographical undercut on the existing micropit surface and resembled the surface morphology of biomineralized matrices. Rat bone marrow-derived osteoblasts were cultured on titanium disks with either micropits alone, micropits with 100-nm nodules, micropits with 300-nm nodules, or micropits with 500-nm nodules. The addition of nanonodules to micropits selectively promoted osteoblast but not fibroblast function. Unlike the reported advantages of microfeatures that promote osteoblast differentiation but inhibit its proliferation, micro-nano-hybrid topography substantially enhanced both. We also demonstrated that these biological effects were most pronounced when the nanonodules were tailored to a diameter of 300nm within the micropits. An implant biomechanical test in a rat femur model revealed that the strength of bone-titanium integration was more than three times greater for the implants with micropits and 300-nm nanonodules than the implants with micropits alone. These results suggest the establishment of functionalized nano-in-microtitanium surfaces for improved osteoconductivity, and may provide a biomimetic micro-to-nanoscale hierarchical model to study the nanofeatures of biomaterials.
Coagulation factor XIII: a useful polymorphic genetic marker.

The plasmas of two groups of subjects were examined for blood coagulation Factor XIII-A (FXIII-A, F13A) by electrophoresis in agarose using a Tris-EDTA-borate buffer to separate the common variants, F13A*1, F13A*2, and F13A*3. Dimeric subunits were visualized in UV light as monodansyl cadaverine bound to casein at the position of the transglutaminase activity representing F13A. One test group consisted of 307 members of three large Caucasian families. The other consisted of 148 consecutive patients whose plasmas had been sent to the clinical laboratory for determination of prothrombin time. Segregation analysis and father-to-son transmission confirmed that F13A is inherited as an autosomal co-dominant trait. The allelic frequencies in the random sample were F13A*1=0.82 and F13A*2=0.18. This sample included both blacks and whites, and the gene frequencies were not significantly different in the two races. The gene frequencies among the unrelated spouses of the three white families were A*1=0.75, A*2=0.24, A*3=0.01. Genetic equilibrium was present in both groups.
Dexrazoxane's protection of jejunal crypt cells in the jejunum of C3Hf/Kam mice from doxorubicin-induced toxicity

Dexrazoxane (DEX) is used clinically to reduce doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. Because DEX inhibits anthracycline-induced toxicity, we set out to investigate DEX's ability to reduce the incidence and severity of gastrointestinal toxicity associated with anthracycline administration in C3Hf/Kam mice. Doxorubicin and idarubicin, two commonly used anthracyclines, were each examined in combination with DEX. A jejunal crypt survival assay demonstrated that DEX increased crypt survival from 40% (doxorubicin 22.5 mg/kg) to 63% at a DEX/doxorubucin dose ratio of 10:1 (P<0.05). When doxorubicin was increased to a dose of 27.5 mg/kg, crypt survival increased from 18% to 40% at a DEX:Dox ratio of 5:1 (P<0.05). At ratios of 10:1 and 20:1, DEX had no protective effect on idarubicin-induced crypt cell toxicity. Our findings support the use of DEX to prevent or ameliorate mucositis in patients receiving anthracycline-based therapy and the use of DEX with high-dose doxorubicin to treat refractory disease.
A pilot study to predict high cost patients in the pre-operative setting

Introduction: The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) previously demonstrated that certain clinical variables predict surgical mortality and morbidity. We examined whether these clinical variables could also predict the cost of care in the private sector. Methods: All 1,008 patients enrolled into the NSQIP at our institution between October 2001 and June 2002 were tracked for cost incurred by the health system using our internal cost accounting database. The original data collection of clinical data and outcomes was via a trained nurse reviewer through direct chart review and patient interview. A model for predicting cost was created via multiple linear regression systematically testing 44 preoperative variables against log-transformed cost. This model was then recalculated using the statistically significant variables from the initial model with the inclusion of a variable denoting occurrence of a complication. Testing was also performed to fit the model to only those without post-operative complications as well as those that survived. Results: While 31 variables were significant when tested separately, after considering interaction, a single model was derived from the 15 statistically significant (p < 0.05) preoperative variables predicted 65% of the variation in hospital costs (adjusted R2 = 0.650). Top predictors of increased costs included: operation requiring inpatient stay, high ASA classification, low albumin, use of general anesthesia, high surgical complexity, and high BUN. Though complications were significantly correlated with increased costs, including whether complications actually occurred only improved the best overall model’s predictive capability by an additional 2% of the variation in costs for the entire population (adjusted R2 = 0.669). Testing the model’s output in the subset of patients that avoided complications yielded an R2 of 0.438. Conclusions: High cost patients can be predicted in the preoperative setting. These factors predicted higher costs even cases that did not have complications as viewed after the fact. It may be feasible to create benchmarking studies that “risk-adjust” costs as they relate to specific patient populations, which will allow for comparisons across institutions of cost-effectiveness. Institutions treating higher risk patients should seek increased reimbursement for these populations in order to match costs with revenues.
Optimal adaptive control of linear systems with unknown measurement subsystems

Abstract For the quadratic cost, adaptive stochastic control problem with linear plant and measurement models excited by white Gaussian noise, and with unknown time invariant model parameters in the measurement subsystem, the optimal stochastic control is obtained. It is shown that separation between estimation and control holds in this case. The controller is shown to be linear and deterministic, while the estimator is shown to consist of a bank of known nonlinear functions of model conditional, causal, mean-square state-vector estimates. The estimator can again be partitioned into a bank of linear, model conditional, optimal, nonadaptive estimates, one for each admissible value of unknown parameter vector θ, and a nonlinear bank of a posteriori model probabilities which incorporate the adaptive nature of the optimal adaptive control. The results are presented both for continuous-time and discrete-time systems. A special case of the above problem is also discussed. It is the case of joint detection and control.
Lenin, Hegel and Western Marxism: A critical study

(1997). Lenin, Hegel and Western Marxism: A critical study. History of European Ideas: Vol. 23, No. 2-4, pp. 137-141.
Computing isogeny covariant differential modular forms

We present the computation modulo p 2 and explicit formulas for the unique isogeny covariant differential modular form of order one and weight X-p-1,-p called f jet , an isogeny covariant differential modular form of order two and weight X -p2-p,-1,-1 denoted by f jet h jet , and an isogeny covariant differential modular form h jet of order two and weight X 1-p2,0,-1 .
THE SIMPLE ANALYTICS OF HABIT FORMATION

This paper simplifies and extends the literature on habit‐forming consumption. When addictive and nonaddictive goods are consumed, complements may become substitutes and normal nonaddictive goods may become inferior. Alternatively, when all goods are equally addictive, consumers favor goods with stable prices. Implications for product promotion and public policy are discussed.
Clinical evaluation and preliminary studies on the use of an artificial pancreatic beta cell in juvenile diabetes mellitus

A newly developed artificial pancreatic beta cell is described and its use in five children with diabetesmellitus is evaluated. This device can be programmed to bring the blood glucose concentration rapidly to a preselected level and normalize glucose tolerance in juvenile diabetic patients with markedly different insulin requirements. It is portable, can be operated by one person, and has been used to regulate the blood glucose concentration before, during, and after surgery requiring general anesthesia. The potential value of the device as an investigational tool is shown by demonstrating that regulation of the blood glucose concentration with insulin for seven to 24 hours does not alter circulating glucagon concentrations in the juvenile diabetic patients studied.
Siliceous nanoplankton I. Newly discovered cysts from the Gulf of Alaska

Siliceous nanoplankton in the size range 2.5 to 5.5 μm and of a type hitherto undescribed are reported from Eastern Subarctic water samples. Nine distinct cell types were recognizable, each possessing an unusual tetrahedral symmetry, resulting from the arrangement of 8 siliceous plates. Since the cells were abundant (maximum concentration of about 7×105 cells 1-1) and were distributed over a wide oceanic area (136° to 149°W), they could well play an important role in the food web in Subarctic seas. Similar cells were found simultaneously in Antarctic waters (see following paper: Silver et al., 1980), where they were as abundant and widespread as in the Subarctic. Evidence that the siliceous forms are likely a cyst stage and that they may be part of the life cycle of species of siliceous oceanic choanoflagellates is presented.
Accidents and surgical emergencies in a population of mentally retarded children.

Summary The incidence of casualties in an institution for mentally retarded children is shown to be about three times as great as in the normal Danish child population. The circumstances concerned are analysed by means of a retrospective investigation to elucidate the mechanisms involved and the contributory factors. The investigation reveals that there is a definite relationship between the degree of mental handicap and the underlying disease (e.g. epilepsy and/or cerebral paresis, mon-golism etc.) and the incidence of casualties. Other types of incapacity such as motor handicap, anaesthesia, defective sight or hearing and other physical disease (e.g. hydrocephalus) may predispose to accidents. Some children are undoubtedly more accident-prone than others and the cause may be found in their disease (most frequently epilepsy) while, in others, purposeless motor activity and the inability to learn from experience combined with severe or profound mental retardation appear to be responsible. Phases of accident-proneness may be associated with the acquiring of new skills. Some prophylactic measures are suggested which should be considered when new institutions are planned. A broad spectrum of somatic, developmental, handicap, environmental, emotional and mental factors interplay in the production of accidents in mentally retarded patients. Attempts should be made to analyse the mechanism of every accident so that appropriate prophylactic measures can be undertaken.
Analysis of Laminar Flow and Heat Transfer in the Entrance Region of an Internally Finned Concentric Circular Annular Duct

The concentric circular annular duct is a common geometry in many fluid flow and heat transfer devices. For the purpose of heat transfer augmentation, fins are often employed in the annular region, and such finned ducts find wide application in compact heat exchangers (5, 6). The analysis of flow and heat transfer in this geometry is, therefore, quite important from an engineering standpoint. For fully developed conditions, the problem has already been analyzed (7-10). However, no results are available for the developing flow in the entrance region. It is with this latter problem that the present paper is concerned.
Terephthalic acid in Sprague-Dawley rats as a hypolipidemic agent.

Terephthalic acid at 20 mg/kg/day in lowered serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels in rats. The cholesterol content was lowered in the lipoprotein fractions. The effects of the agents on de novo lipid synthesis showed that similar enzymes were affected in rat liver and small intestinal mucosa cells as when compared to in vitro tissue culture cells from rats and humans, e.g. reduction of acyl CoA cholesterol acyl transferase and elevation of neutral cholesterol ester hydrolase activities suggest that net cholesterol esters deposition in foam cells should be reduced and plaque growth should be slowed. The suppression of LDL receptor binding and degradation by the drug suggest that less apoB lipoproteins are taken up by peripheral tissues. The elevated HDL receptor binding and internalization in the liver suggest that the drug accelerates cholesterol return to the liver. Additional studies show that cholesterol and bile acid secretion in the bile is elevated. However, the bile acids secreted are not lithogenic. Acute toxicity studies show that the agent appears to be safe in rodents. Two observations of increased serum alkaline phosphophatase levels and increased liver vacuolation suggest some alteration of hepatic cell morphology, which requires further investigation. Terephthalsaure als Lipidsenker in Sprague-Dawley-Ratten 20 mg/kg/d Terephthalsaure senkten Serum-Cholesterol und den Triglycerid-Spiegel bei Ratten. Der Cholesterol-Gehalt der Lipoproteinfraktionen wurde gesenkt. Der Einflus der Terephthalsaure auf die de novo Lipidsynthese zeigte, das ahnliche Enzyme der Rattenleber und der Mucosazellen des Dunndarmes beeinflust wurden wie bei in vitro-Zellkulturen aus Ratten - oder menschlichem Gewebe. So deutet z.B. die Verminderung der Acyl-CoA-Cholesterol Acyltransferase und die Erhohung der neutralen Cholesterolester-Hydrolase-Aktivitat darauf hin, das die netto-Cholesterolester-Ablagerung in Schaumzellen reduziert und das Plaque-Wachstum verlangsamt sein sollte. Die Unterdruckung der LDL-Rezeptor-Bindung und der Abbau durch den Wirkstoff weisen darauf hin, das weniger apoB Lipoproteine durch das periphere Gewebe aufgenommen werden. Erhohte LDL-Rezeptor-Bindung und die Einlagerung in die Leber sind ein Hinweis auf eine beschleunigte Wiederaufnahme des Cholesterols in die Leber. Zusatzliche Untersuchungen ergaben, das Cholesterol und die Gallensauresekrektion in der Galle erhoht sind, aber die ausgeschiedenen Gallensauren gehoren nicht zum lithogenen Typ. Studien zur akuten Toxizitat zeigten, das Terephthalsaure fur Nager nicht gefahrlich ist. Zwei Falle von erhohter alkalischer Serumphosphatase und erhohter Lebervakuolisierung weisen auf Veranderungen der hepatischen Zellmorphologie hin, die weitere Untersuchungen notig machen.
SATB1 family protein expressed during early erythroid differentiation modifies globin gene expression

Special AT-rich binding protein 1 (SATB1) nuclear protein, expressed predominantly in T cells, regulates genes through targeting chromatin remodeling during T-cell maturation. Here we show SATB1 family protein induction during early human adult erythroid progenitor cell differentiation concomitant with ϵ -globin expression. Erythroid differentiation of human erythroleukemia K562 cells by hemin simultaneously increases γ -globin and down-regulates SATB1 family protein and ϵ -globin gene expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation using anti-SATB1 anti-body shows selective binding in vivo in the β -globin cluster to the hypersensitive site 2 (HS2) in the locus control region (LCR) and to the ϵ -globin promoter. SATB1 overexpression increases ϵ -globin and decreases γ -globin gene expression accompanied by histone hyperacetylation and hypomethylation in chromatin from the ϵ -globin promoter and HS2, and histone hypoacetylation and hypermethylation associated with the γ -globin promoter. In K562 cells SATB1 family protein forms a complex with CREB-binding protein (CBP) important in transcriptional activation. In cotransfection experiments, increase in ϵ-promoter activity by SATB1 was amplified by CBP and blocked by E1A, a CBP inhibitor. Our results suggest that SATB1 can up-regulate the ϵ -globin gene by interaction with specific sites in the β -globin cluster and imply that SATB1 family protein expressed in the erythroid progenitor cells may have a role in globin gene expression during early erythroid differentiation. (Blood. 2005;105:3330-3339)
A Systemic Network Triggered by Human Cytomegalovirus Entry

Virus entry is a multistep process that triggers various cellular pathways that interconnect into a complex network; yet the molecular complexity of this network remains largely elusive. Here, by employing systems biology approaches, we reveal a systemic virus-entry network initiated by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), a widespread opportunistic pathogen. This network contains ten functional modules (i.e., groups of proteins) that coordinately respond to HCMV entry. Functional modules activated (up- and downregulated) in this network dramatically decline shortly within 25 minutes post infection. While modules annotated as receptor system, ion transport, and immune response are continuously activated during the entire process of HCMV entry, those annotated for cell adhesion and skeletal movement are specifically activated during viral early attachment. The up-regulated network contains various functional modules, such as cell surface receptors, skeletal development, endocytosis, ion transport, and chromatin remodeling. Interestingly, macromolecule metabolism and chromatin remodeling module predominates this over-expressed system, suggesting that the fundamental nuclear process modulation is one of the most important events in HCMV entry. The entire up-regulated network is primarily controlled by multiple elements like SLC10A1. Thus, virus entry triggers multiple cellular processes especially nuclear processes to facilitate its entry.
Recommendations for pregnant employee interaction with patients having communicable infectious diseases.

The transmission of communicable infectious diseases from hospitalized patients to health care providers is a well-documented phenomenon. This occurrence is of particular concern when the health care worker is a pregnant female and there is worry about the development of a congenital infection or transmission of infection at the time of delivery. Infection control practitioners and Employee Health Service personnel are often consulted by pregnant hospital employees who are concerned about interacting with patients having communicable infectious diseases, and appropriate advice is sough. Since it has often been necessary in the past to consult numerous resources in order to respond to these issues, we have compiled recommendations that can serve as a reference to help ICPs and Employee Health Service personnel deal with these situations.
Expression, nucleotide sequence and mutational analysis of two open reading frames in the nif gene region of Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120

A 1.8 kb transcript corresponding to a region of the Anabaena 7120 chromosome 4 kb downstream of the nifHDK operon appears 12–18 h after heterocyst induction. The DNA corresponding to this transcript was sequenced and found to contain two open reading frames, designated ORF 1 and ORF 2. Two polypeptides, of 30 kDa and 13 kDa, encoded by these ORFs were expressed in Escherichia coli. An apparent start site for the transcript, detected by S1 nuclease protection, was located 42 bp upstream of the ATG start codon of ORF 1. ORF 2 shows strong sequence similarity to ORF 6 in the nif gene region of Azotobacter vinelandii. ORF 1 was interrupted using a 1.4 kb neomycin resistance cassette and the resulting mutant grew very slowly on medium lacking combined nitrogen. The mutant had 45% of wild-type acetylene reduction activity, which could be complemented by a 2.8 kb EcoRI fragment of wild-type Anabaena DNA containing only ORF 1 and ORF 2. Thus, one or both of these ORFs is required for efficient nitrogen fixation in Anabaena.
On the shape of spectra for non-self-adjoint periodic Schrödinger operators

The spectra of the Schrodinger operators with periodic potentials are studied. When the potential is real and periodic, the spectrum consists of, at most, countably many line segments (energy bands) on the real line, while when the potential is complex and periodic, the spectrum consists of, at most, countably many analytic arcs in the complex plane. In some recent papers, such operators with complex -symmetric periodic potentials have been studied. In particular, the authors argued that some energy bands would appear and disappear under perturbations. Here, we show that the appearance and disappearance of such energy bands imply existence of nonreal spectra. This is a consequence of a more general result, describing the local shape of the spectrum.
Forbidden Lines of np^q Ions. II. Line Intensities

Ground state forbidden transitions of np(q) ions of C, N, O, Ne, Mg, Si, S, and Fe can provide important information on the state of cosmic ionized gases. The line intensities of 95 transitions of these ions have been tabulated, including those used to calculate the line ratios as well as other strong lines of the ions in the ground state terms in the same temperature and density ranges treated previously. These data can be used for calculations of the absolute line intensities if the ionic abundances are known. These calculations are important for studies of the solar transition region, ionized nebulae, circumstellar nebulae such as found in symbiotic stars, supernova remnants, interstellar bubbles produced by stellar winds, and emission regions in active galactic nuclei.
Slow-time SAR signal processing for UWB OFDM radar system

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signals, commonly used for a variety of purposes in modern communication systems, are considered from the radar perspective. An experimental system configured as ultrawideband (UWB) software-defined radar (SDR) has been assembled and tested in the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) mode at Miami University. Phase history — necessary for slow-time processing of SAR signals — was previously extracted from a single sub-carrier of OFDM pulses; in this paper we examine a more robust solution of phase history estimation using all subcarriers. The results of the estimation are compared with the ideal single-frequency phase history reconstruction. Simulation examples of cross-range recoveries in noise using both methods are provided and discussed. It is shown that the proposed novel method of slow-time OFDM SAR signal processing is, indeed, a promising technique for multicarrier UWB systems.