cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flow velocity waveforms of the ductus arteriosus in appropriate and small-for-gestational-age fetuses

OBJECTIVES To assess ductus arteriosus velocity waveforms in the appropriate and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses. STUDY DESIGN Ductus arteriosus flow velocity waveforms were obtained in 14 normal fetuses in a longitudinal study and in 139 normal fetuses in a cross-sectional study with pulsed and continuous Doppler ultrasonography. Ductus velocity waveforms were also determined in 25 SGA fetuses whose gestational age ranged between 20 and 34 weeks (mean +/- SD: 30 +/- 4.1 weeks). RESULTS Mathematical modeling demonstrated that the peak systolic velocity, lowest diastolic velocity, and mean velocity of the ductus arteriosus increased with advancing gestation in both the longitudinal and cross-sectional study, but considerable individual variability was seen in the longitudinal study. The pulsatility index did not change significantly. The ductal parameters were in the normal range in all the SGA fetuses. CONCLUSIONS The blood velocity of the ductus arteriosus increase with advancing gestation. Our results suggest that Doppler ultrasonographic study of the fetal ductus arteriosus, unlike Doppler study of the umbilical artery or middle cerebral artery, is not useful as an indicator of adverse fetal outcome.
Mass spectral analysis of complex lipids desorbed directly from lyophilized membranes and cells.

Abstract Three desorption ionization techniques — laser desorption, plasma desorption and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry — have been applied to lyophilized cells, membranes, lysed cells and various extracts. It has been shown that intact polar lipids are selectively desorbed from biological membranes by these methods and that their mass spectra provide “fingerprints” which reflect the unique biochemical composition of each class of cell or membrane.
Constrained reference mantle model

A dataset of updated normal mode eigenperiods is used to develop a new average upper mantle model. The starting model takes account of recent body wave and surface wave models and of constraints derived from different petrological models. Different parameterizations with or without anisotropy down to different depths are checked. Anisotropy seems to be required at least down to 200 km and preferably down to 400 km but with a smaller amplitude than in the preliminary reference Earth model (PREM). The new models provide velocity gradients down to 400 km in good agreement with finite strain trajectories. The S-wave velocity jump at 400 km is smaller than previously found from regional studies. If the S-wave and P-wave velocity jumps at the 400-km discontinuity are considered simultaneously, this discontinuity cannot be explained by an upper mantle composed mainly of olivine.
The Impact of Disinfected Treated Wastewater in a Raw‐Water Reservoir

During the 1995–97 drought, serious difficulties were experienced by Essex and Suffolk Water in obtaining sufficient water to meet demand. As an emergency measure, a consent to discharge up to 30 Ml/d of ultraviolet disinfected treated wastewater into a raw-water reservoir was obtained from the Environment Agency. Performance of the ultraviolet plant and results of monitoring are reported, reporting procedures are outlined, and the reaction of media and water consumers are described.
Adherence to Guidelines for Youths With Diabetes Mellitus

To describe demographic and clinical characteristics as- sociated with self-reported receipt of tests and measurements recom- mended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) for children and youths with diabetes.
Proterometra macrostoma (Digenea: Azygiidae) : variations in cercarial morphology and physiology

Snails, Elimia semicarinata, infected with Proterometra macrostoma were collected monthly in 1990 and 1991 from North Elkhorn Creek near Lexington, Kentucky, and kept on a 12:12 h light–dark cycle for 2 weeks. Cercariae emerging from snails were classified into 8 strains (I–VIII) based on differences in number and distribution of spined and spineless papillae on the tail. Cercariae also had unique patterns of emergence, swimming behaviour and infectivity in 4 species of sunfish. Of 513 infected snails collected in May, 339 had pure infections with the strain frequencies (% of 339): I, 46·6; II, 7·7; III, 12·1; IV, 8·8; V, 0·6; VI, 2·7; VII, 11·8; VIII, 9·7. In the multiple infections, 159 snails shed 2 strains, 14 shed 3, and 1 snail shed 4 strains simultaneously. A comparison of sunfish and parasite populations in Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan indicated that strain frequency in P. macrostoma is regulated by the species composition of the sunfish population.
Financial crisis in Malaysia: did FDI flows contribute to vulnerability?†

To date there has been greater awareness that the sudden interruption and reversal of capital flows can cause financial crisis. However for the most part it is thought that the volatility of capital flows applies predominantly to short-term flows and not longer-term capital flows such as FDI. The Malaysian experience of financial crisis challenges the conventional wisdom and has profound implications for other developing countries seeking to attract FDI flows as a source of long-term stable financing. Malaysia succumbed to crisis in spite of the fact that FDI flows accounted for the bulk of financial flows on average. This paper argues that FDI flows in Malaysia contributed to vulnerability to crisis by causing chronic current account deficits and was associated with a slowdown in export growth prior to the crisis. This suggests that when assessing a country's vulnerability to financial crisis, emphasis should not only be placed on the reversibility of flows but also on the macroeconomic impact of these flows. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Positional conservation and amino acids shape the correct diagnosis and population frequencies of benign and damaging personal amino acid mutations

As the cost of DNA sequencing drops, we are moving beyond one genome per species to one genome per individual to improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease by using personal genotypes. Computational methods are frequently applied to predict impairment of gene function by nonsynonymous mutations in individual genomes and single nucleotide polymorphisms (nSNPs) in populations. These computational tools are, however, known to fail 15%-40% of the time. We find that accurate discrimination between benign and deleterious mutations is strongly influenced by the long-term (among species) history of positions that harbor those mutations. Successful prediction of known disease-associated mutations (DAMs) is much higher for evolutionarily conserved positions and for original-mutant amino acid pairs that are rarely seen among species. Prediction accuracies for nSNPs show opposite patterns, forecasting impediments to building diagnostic tools aiming to simultaneously reduce both false-positive and false-negative errors. The relative allele frequencies of mutations diagnosed as benign and damaging are predicted by positional evolutionary rates. These allele frequencies are modulated by the relative preponderance of the mutant allele in the set of amino acids found at homologous sites in other species (evolutionarily permissible alleles [EPAs]). The nSNPs found in EPAs are biochemically less severe than those missing from EPAs across all allele frequency categories. Therefore, it is important to consider position evolutionary rates and EPAs when interpreting the consequences and population frequencies of human mutations. The impending sequencing of thousands of human and many more vertebrate genomes will lead to more accurate classifiers needed in real-world applications.
Genome-wide synteny through highly sensitive sequence alignment

Motivation: Comparative genomics heavily relies on alignments of large and often complex DNA sequences. From an engineering perspective, the problem here is to provide maximum sensitivity (to find all there is to find), specificity (to only find real homology) and speed (to accommodate the billions of base pairs of vertebrate genomes). Results: Satsuma addresses all three issues through novel strategies: (i) cross-correlation, implemented via fast Fourier transform; (ii) a match scoring scheme that eliminates almost all false hits; and (iii) an asynchronous ‘battleship’-like search that allows for aligning two entire fish genomes (470 and 217 Mb) in 120 CPU hours using 15 processors on a single machine. Availability: Satsuma is part of the Spines software package, implemented in C++ on Linux. The latest version of Spines can be freely downloaded under the LGPL license from http://www.broadinstitute.org/science/programs/genome-biology/spines/ Contact: grabherr@broadinstitute.org
Time factor in ovulation blockade in rats under differing lighting conditions.

Adult 4-day cyclic rats of the Charles River CD strain, illuminated daily from 6:00 to 18:00 E.S.T., were compared with similar rats illuminated from 5:00 to 19:00. Pentobarbital sodium (31.5 mg/kg ip) was injected at different times during the afternoon of the day of proestrus; its effectiveness in blocking ovulation was determined at autopsy the following morning. No difference was noted between animals of the 2 groups. Compared with the locally inbred Osborne-Mendel rats, CD rats show a longer “critical period,” beginning before 13:30 and lasting beyond 17:00 (Endocrinology 80: 790, 1967)
Quantification of photosynthetically active radiation inside sunlit growth chambers

Outdoor growth chambers allow plants to be grown under sunlight while other environmental variables such as air temperature and CO2 concentration are controlled. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) inside these sunlit chambers could differ from ambient levels due to attenuations and reflections by the glazing materials. This study identified diurnal patterns and distribution of PAR inside various types of sunlit growth chambers, including soil-plant-atmosphere-research (SPAR) units using single-point and line quantum sensors. In comparison with the ambient levels, higher PAR was measured when reflections from the adjacent walls overlapped at specific locations in the SPAR unit. Within the crop growing area located in the northern part of a SPAR unit, daily integrals of PAR were between 93% and 105% of the ambient PAR on a clear day. A gradient in daily PAR existed, increasing from south to north inside the chamber. On a cloudy day, PAR within the crop growing area was between 92% and 95% of ambient PAR. A mathematical model was developed to predict incident PAR inside sunlit chambers. This model accounted for solar geometry, direct and diffuse radiations, chamber geometry, and the optical properties of the glazing material. The model was capable of simulating the diurnal patterns of PAR inside various types of sunlit chambers. The model predicted that the mean daily PAR inside sunlit chambers of acrylic sheets would usually be within 5% of the ambient PAR. Spatial distribution of the predicted daily PAR ranged from 75% to 120% of ambient levels inside various types of sunlit chambers including SPAR and open-top chambers. Published by Elsevier B.V.
On the Use of Customized versus Standardized Performance Measures

Despite the influx of measures which can be customized to the demands of each business unit (e.g., customer satisfaction surveys and quality indices), many firms have been dogged in their reliance on standardized measures (e.g., conventional financial metrics) in performance evaluation. In this paper, we consider one justification: though customized measures may more accurately target the goals of a particular unit, standardized measures may offer more meaningful opportunities for relative performance evaluation. Standardized measures have a commonality in errors which is naturally absent among measures targeted to each circumstance. This commonality allows learning about one measure from another and, thus, the construction of more efficient proxies for unobservable employee inputs. The use of comparative evaluation schemes is not without its challenges, since it may induce unwanted coordination by those being evaluated. Even with such gaming concerns, standardized measures can still be preferred, but the...
Strategic Consistency of Exploration and Exploitation in Family Businesses

This study advances family business research by examining how the strategic consistency with which family businesses pursue exploration and exploitation initiatives affects performance. Using panel...
Yellow sugarcane aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) resistance mechanisms in selected sugarcane cultivars.

Mechanisms of resistance to the yellow sugarcane aphid, Stpha flava (Forbes), were studied in six Louisiana sugarcane cultivars. The cultivar CP 72-356 was one of the most preferred by yellow sugarcane aphid. This cultivar expressed low levels of antibiosis but may exhibit a degree of physiological tolerance to yellow sugarcane aphid feeding based on chlorophyll fluorescence. Yellow sugarcane aphid also showed a preference for CP 72-370, but this cultivar had high levels of antibiosis and a physiological tolerance to feeding. The least preferred cultivar was CP 70-321; however, it had poor antibiosis and may suffer inhibition of photosynthesis. CP 65-357 showed moderate levels of antixenosis, antibiosis, and tolerance to yellow sugarcane aphid feeding. CP 74-383 and CP 76-331 were considered the most susceptible because they expressed low levels of antixenosis, antibiosis, and tolerance to yellow sugarcane aphid feeding. Leaf discoloration ratings were negatively correlated with chlorophyll fluorescence ( r = -0.27, df = 59, P = 0.04), suggesting that discoloration induced by aphids is not a good indicator of reduced photosynthesis.
Phosphatidylinositol Mannoside from Mycobacterium tuberculosis Binds α5β1 Integrin (VLA-5) on CD4+ T Cells and Induces Adhesion to Fibronectin

The pathological hallmark of the host response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the granuloma where T cells and macrophages interact with the extracellular matrix (ECM) to control the infection. Recruitment and retention of T cells within inflamed tissues depend on adhesion to the ECM. T cells use integrins to adhere to the ECM, and fibronectin (FN) is one of its major components. We have found that the major M. tuberculosis cell wall glycolipid, phosphatidylinositol mannoside (PIM), induces homotypic adhesion of human CD4+ T cells and T cell adhesion to immobilized FN. Treatment with EDTA and cytochalasin D prevented PIM-induced T cell adhesion. PIM-induced T cell adhesion to FN was blocked with mAbs against alpha5 integrin chain and with RGD-containing peptides. Alpha5beta1 (VLA-5) is one of two major FN receptors on T cells. PIM was found to bind directly to purified human VLA-5. Thus, PIM interacts directly with VLA-5 on CD4+ T lymphocytes, inducing activation of the integrin, and promoting adhesion to the ECM glycoprotein, FN. This is the first report of direct binding of a M. tuberculosis molecule to a receptor on human T cells resulting in a change in CD4+ T cell function.
Small-scale, semi-automated purification of eukaryotic proteins for structure determination

A simple approach that allows cost-effective automated purification of recombinant proteins in levels sufficient for functional characterization or structural studies is described. Studies with four human stem cell proteins, an engineered version of green fluorescent protein, and other proteins are included. The method combines an expression vector (pVP62K) that provides in vivo cleavage of an initial fusion protein, a factorial designed auto-induction medium that improves the performance of small-scale production, and rapid, automated metal affinity purification of His8-tagged proteins. For initial small-scale production screening, single colony transformants were grown overnight in 0.4 ml of auto-induction medium, produced proteins were purified using the Promega Maxwell 16, and purification results were analyzed by Caliper LC90 capillary electrophoresis. The yield of purified [U-15N]-His8-Tcl-1 was 7.5 μg/ml of culture medium, of purified [U-15N]-His8-GFP was 68 μg/ml, and of purified selenomethione-labeled AIA–GFP (His8 removed by treatment with TEV protease) was 172 μg/ml. The yield information obtained from a successful automated purification from 0.4 ml was used to inform the decision to scale-up for a second meso-scale (10–50 ml) cell growth and automated purification. 1H–15N NMR HSQC spectra of His8-Tcl-1 and of His8-GFP prepared from 50 ml cultures showed excellent chemical shift dispersion, consistent with well folded states in solution suitable for structure determination. Moreover, AIA–GFP obtained by proteolytic removal of the His8 tag was subjected to crystallization screening, and yielded crystals under several conditions. Single crystals were subsequently produced and optimized by the hanging drop method. The structure was solved by molecular replacement at a resolution of 1.7 A. This approach provides an efficient way to carry out several key target screening steps that are essential for successful operation of proteomics pipelines with eukaryotic proteins: examination of total expression, determination of proteolysis of fusion tags, quantification of the yield of purified protein, and suitability for structure determination.
(2S)‐N‐(2,3,4,5,6‐Pentafluorophenyl)‐2‐pyrrolidinecarboxamide

[(2S)-N-(2,3,4,5,6-Pentafluorophenyl)-2-pyrrolidinecarboxamide] [1021188-17-9] C11H9F5N2O (MW 280.19) InChI = 1S/C11H9F5N2O/c12-5-6(13)8(15)10(9(16)7(5)14)18-11(19)4-2-1-3-17-4/h4,17H,1-3H2,(H,18,19)/t4-/m0/s1 InChIKey = QACVCVKUWCBPRE-BYPYZUCNSA-N Physical Data: mp 82–84 °C; = (36.46 (c = 0.5, EtOH). Solubility: soluble in H2O, alcohol, THF, HMPA, and most organic solvents. Form supplied in: crystalline. Preparative method: prepared in three steps from commercially available Boc-protected l-proline (1). The Boc derivative 3 was synthesized from 1 via the formation of a mixed anhydride with ethyl chloroformate, followed by treatment with pentafluoroaniline (2). Deprotection (eq 1) then gives pentafluorophenyl prolinamide (4).1 (1) Handling, Storage, and Precautions: storage in a cool, dry, and ventilated place is recommended.
Prostaglandin F2α Overcomes Blockade of Episodic LH Secretion with Testosterone, Melengestrol Acetate or Asprin in Bulls

Three experiments were conducted to identify inhibitors of episodic LII release, and to determine whether prostaglandin F2a (PGF2 a) overcomes blockade of LII release in bulls. In the first experiment, episodic secretion of LU and testosterone occurred in each of four bulls during a 12-h control period. Infusion of testosterone (2.5 mg/h) into a jugular vein to cause blood testosterone concentrations (6 to 10 ng/mI) equivalent to the maximum normally found completely blocked episodic LU release. Administration of PGF2O (30 mg, sc), 13 h after the start of the testosterone infusion caused release of LU in all four bulls; a second injection of PGF2 a at 24 h after beginning of testosterone caused less LH release. When gonadotropin-releasing hormone was given to the same bulls at 32 h of testosterone infusion, a synchronous 6- to 8-fold increase of plasma LH occurred in each bull. In the second experiment, melengestrol acetate (MGA, .5 mg fed twice daily) completely blocked episodic release of LH and testosterone, but administration of PGF2 a overcame this blockade in four bulls. Administration of LH to these bulls caused a surge of testosteroneequivalent to that in four bulls which were not given MGA, so MGA did not inhibit the action of LU on testes. In the final experiment with another four bulls, oral administration of aspirin (150 g every 4 h) suppressed episodic release of LH and testosterone, and administration of exogenous PGF2a caused increased blood LH and testosterone in the face of aspirin blockade. Thus, testosterone, MGA and aspirin each abolish episodic release of LH in bulls, and these effects may be overcome by administration of PGF2a. These results support the hypothesis that prostaglandin normally may participate in induction of episodic LU release in bulls, and that testosterone may exert negative feedback on LU secretion in bulls by inhibiting prostaglandininduced release of LH.
The exploration of supramolecular interactions stemming from the [UO2(NCS)4(H2O)]2− tecton and substituted pyridinium cations

The synthesis and crystal structures of eight compounds containing the anionic uranyl isothiocyanate tecton [UO2(NCS)4(H2O)]2−, charge balanced by substituted pyridinium cations (4XpyH: X = Cl, Br, I, SCN, CH3, NH2, N(CH3)2) are reported. Hydrogen bonding interactions between coordinated water molecules and the non-coordinated sulfur atoms (O–H2⋯S) of the adjoining tectons facilitate the formation of infinite ‘pseudo’ chains of inorganic tectons. The substituted pyridinium cations were paired with these fixed uranyl isothiocyanate tectons due to their ability to sustain multiple intermolecular interactions with the sulfur atoms of the uranyl tectons, thus promoting assembly. The variation of the substituent group bound to the organic cations allowed for the resulting non-covalent interactions to be systematically assessed in order to determine their relative effects upon packing. Additionally, respective acceptor–donor pairings as well as the relative strengths of the halogen, pseudohalogen [C–X⋯A (X = Cl, Br, I, SCN and A = O, S)] and hydrogen bonding [R–H⋯A (R = N, C and A = O, S, π)] interactions were investigated. The acceptor–donor relationships emulated hard–soft pairings and consequently increased in strength as a function of this trend.
Asymmetric non-mean-square error criteria

In the theory of linear prediction and/or filtering, it is well known that the optimum linear device obtained using the minimum mean-square error criterion is also optimum for a much wider class of symmetric error criteria if the input process is Gaussian. This result is extended here to include nonsymmetric error criteria as well as the case of nonstationary Gaussian inputs. A simple direct proof is given which exploits the fact that the probability density function of the error is known explicitly. The method consists of showing that the expected value of the generalized error weighting function \phi(\epsilon) is a monotonic (nondecreasing) function of the mean-squared error.
On the practical importance of asymptotic optimality in certain heuristic algorithms

This article presents an informal discussion of the issue of asymptotic optimality of heuristics from the viewpoint of the operations research practitioner. It is suggested that certain heuristics belonging to the above class are likely to perform questionably in practice, with regard both to relative error and to computational tractability. Possible explanations of this phenomenon are offered and suggestions for further research toward a better understanding of this problem are presented.
HgCdTe Surface Cleanup and Etch Using a Remote Hydrogen Plasma

Dry passivation of HgCdTe with ZnS or CdTe using physical or chemical vapor deposition can be improved by incorporating an in situ plasma cleanup of the HgCdTe surface prior to the deposition. Contamination at the HgCdTe/ dielectric interface from ambient oxide and hydrocarbon residues may lead to fixed charge in capacitor or diode device structures. In addition, the oxides of HgCdTe are known to be thermally unstable. Removal of the surface contamination layer is advantageous for producing a consistent and electrically reliable interface. We describe the interaction of a remotely generated H2 or H2/Ar plasma (2.45 GHz, 600W) with HgCdTe, using ex-situ and in-situ ellipsometry, and atomic force microscopy. This work represents the first effort to characterize a low damage HgCdTe surface cleanup process which is compatible with vacuum in-situ passivation.
Reproductive Maturity of Cherry Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Managed and Natural Habitats

We studied the timing of reproductive maturity of cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cingulata (Loew), a key pest of sweet and tart cherries in the eastern United States. To determine when cherry fruit fly females become reproductively mature in managed and natural habitats, we deployed traps in sweet and tart cherry orchards and nearby stands of the ancestral host tree, black cherry. Flies were removed from the traps and females were dissected to determine the presence of fully developed eggs. We found that capture of reproductively mature female flies occurred earlier in orchards that are not sprayed with insecticides than in sprayed orchards or in black cherry tree sites. In addition, the gap between the flights of immature and mature females in unmanaged sweet or tart cherry orchards was shorter than in managed orchards or black cherry tree sites. We also determined fruit color, size, and skin hardness to characterize the progression of fruit maturity. We found that fruit became mature earlier in sweet and tart cherry orchards than in black cherry tree sites. This study indicates that the timing of female reproductive maturity is plastic and varies among cherry fruit fly populations present in distinct habitats. Variation in the timing of reproductive maturity is related to the fruit maturity period of distinct host plant species and to orchard management.
Stimulation of heterotrophic microplankton production by resuspended marine sediments

Resuspended material experimentally derived from natural marine sediments and added to dark microcosms containing natural seawater stimulated the suspended microheterotrophs (bacteria and protozoa) to attain 2.6 times the biovolume of controls after 32 hours. Free bacteria benefited most from the stimulus, both numerically and volumetrically. Attached suspended bacteria also increased in number during the first 64 hours of the experiment; particles remaining in suspension became more densely packed with bacteria. This increased microbial production may be an important source of high-quality biomass for consumers in the nearshore zone, depending on the frequency, duration, and intensity of resuspension events in a given region.
Laminin-like immunoreactivity in the snail helisoma : involvement of a ~ 300 kD extracellular matrix protein in promoting outgrowth from identified neurons

Polyclonal antibodies directed against laminin (LM), and against the A and B chains of reduced LM were used to identify antigenically related proteins in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the snail Helisoma trivolvis. Immunofluorescence of snail central ganglionic rings using either the anti-LM or anti-B chain antibodies labeled the ECM within ganglionic sheaths as well as basal laminae surrounding the ganglia. Both the anti-LM and anti-B chain antibodies recognized a prominent, approximately 300-kD protein on immunoblots of a snail central ganglion preparation enriched in ECM components. The anti-A chain antibody failed to label any structures in sections of snail ganglia or to recognize any proteins on immunoblots of ganglionic ECM. A polyclonal antibody was raised against the approximately 300-kD snail protein. Immunofluorescence of snail ganglia with the anti- approximately 300-kD antibody gave a distribution of labeled structures comparable to that obtained with the anti-LM antibody. Immunofluorescent labeling of sections of snail muscle and salivary gland with the anti- approximately 300-kD antibody revealed a distribution of reactive protein characteristic of an ECM component. Probing immunoblots of ganglionic ECM with the anti- approximately 300-kD antibody revealed the recognition of the same approximately 300-kD protein as identified by the anti-LM antibodies. Media conditioned by Helisoma central ganglionic rings (CM) contains an unidentified neurite outgrowth promoting factor (NOPF). Immunoblots of CM probed with the anti-B chain and anti- approximately 300-kD antibodies reveal the recognition of a soluble approximately 300-kD protein similar to the approximately 300-kD protein identified in snail ECM. The ganglionic ECM preparation containing the approximately 300-kD protein supported outgrowth from cultured snail buccal neurons B5, and addition of anti- approximately 300-kD Fab fragments to CM abolished its outgrowth promoting activity. These results suggest that the approximately 300-kD ECM protein may be the NOPF in CM and/or functions in promoting neurite outgrowth.
Release of mechanical tension triggers apoptosis of human fibroblasts in a model of regressing granulation tissue.

In an in vitro model of granulation tissue, early passage human diploid fibroblasts under mechanical tension showed little or no apoptosis. Release of mechanical tension triggered an apoptotic response that occurred within 3-6 h and reached a plateau by 24 h. The percentage of apoptotic cells (approximately 15%) remained constant up to 7 days, and after 3 days, total cell number declined. Identification of mechanical unloading as a stimulus for apoptosis, without application of pharmacologic or genetic intervention, is a novel observation that permits us to model similar events that occur during wound healing. Studies on the mechanism regulating apoptosis under these conditions established that the apoptotic response does not require differentiation of cells into myofibroblasts but is governed by a combination of mechanical tension and growth factors in the collagen matrix.
Augmentation of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism of human placental tissues of first-trimester pregnancy by cigarette smoke exposure

OBJECTIVE: Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons are important components of cigarette smoke. The toxicity of polynuclear hydrocarbons depends on their metabolic biotransformation by tissues. This study was performed to assess the effects of cigarette smoke exposure on polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism in the human placental tissues of first-trimester pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: The expression of essential enzymes that metabolize polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and regulate toxic metabolism, aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase, epoxide hydrolase, and glutathione S-transferase, were determined by immunocytochemical staining of the specific enzymes in first-trimester placental samples from both smoker and nonsmoker donors. The overall polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism by such tissues was quantitated by a radiometric assay with benzo[a]pyrene substrate in placental villi tissues and also in isolated trophoblast cells or in cultured trophoblast cells in the presence of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon agent. RESULTS: Immunocytochemical staining revealed that aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase was localized on trophoblast cells of first-trimester placentas from smoker donors. Epoxide hydrolase was present in stromal and trophoblast cells, and glutathione S-transferase (π) was present in trophoblast cells of both nonsmoker and smoker subjects. In addition, the overall metabolism of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon xenobiotics in such tissues (8 to 11 weeks) of donors who smoked cigarettes was observed to be increased compared with that of nonsmokers by radiometric assay of metabolic products. The increased polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism from such exposure was also shown in isolated and purified trophoblast cells of first-trimester placental villi and in culture of such trophoblast cells of nonsmoker donors with polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon by the same assay procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, contrary to previous assumptions, these data demonstrate that cigarette smoke exposure increases the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism of placentas even during the early stages of pregnancy. Augmented polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism may produce genotoxic metabolites deleterious to conceptus development.
Isolated pelvic perfusion: plasma pharmacokinetics depend primarily on drug dosage and not the type of drug

Comparison of the pharmacokinetics of four drugs with the isolated pelvic perfusion protocol showed linear relationships between drug dosage and two isolated pelvic plasma parameters, mean AUC (pelvic exposure, μM min) and the mean maximum pelvic drug level (μM). It appears that the pharmacokinetics are sufficiently defined as to predict plasma distribution curves for an additional drug with this protocol. Recent FDA approval of oxaliplatin allowed an evaluation of this premise. Linearity of drug dosage with maximum drug levels and exposure (AUC) in the isolated pelvic plasma yields initial estimates of these parameters for additional drugs. Use of an empirical, four-compartment pharmacokinetic model (Wanebo and Belliveau in Cancer Chemother. Pharmacol. 43:427, 1999) allowed the generation of predictive plasma distribution curves. These curves were established by optimizing the initial estimates of maximum drug levels and exposure along with estimates of two additional parameters (half-life of pelvic clearance and pelvic to systemic exposure ratio) from experimental data of the four drugs pharmacokinetically characterized. Calculated plasma distribution curves for oxaliplatin matched the experimental curves from the first three patients receiving oxaliplatin therapy, given the experimental ranges of pharmacokinetic parameters seen with the initial four drugs. These results give an overall picture for the plasma pharmacokinetics during the isolation period for the isolated pelvic perfusion protocol. Enough experimental data have been accumulated for five drugs to establish a simple pharmacokinetic model (Wanebo and Belliveau in Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 43:427, 1999) and interdrug relationships (i.e., this report) which can be used to predict reasonable plasma distribution curves for additional drugs with this protocol.
Evolutionary Aspects of the Use of Predator Odors in Antipredator Behaviors of Lumholtz’s Tree-Kangaroos (Dendrolagus lumholtzi)

In multi-predator systems with different predator ‘archetypes’, prey have an advantage when applying ‘archetype’-specific responses. However, antipredator responses can be lost or modified during times of ‘relaxed predation selection’. As a consequence, prey may become vulnerable when novel predators are introduced into their environments. This study investigates whether the Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo (LTK) (Dendrolagus lumholtzi), an arboreal folivore marsupial of rainforests in North Queensland, Australia, (1) recognizes odor cues from arboreal and terrestrial predators, (2) exhibits archetype-specific antipredator responses to them, and (3) is able to transmit archetype-specific antipredator responses to novel predators of similar archetype. Five captive LTKs were exposed to lavender oil as neutral odor, fecal material from an extant arboreal predator, the amethystine python (Morelia amethystine), from two novel terrestrial predators, the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) and the dingo (Canis lupus dingo), and a control odor (water). All subjects showed an increase in durations and frequencies of vigilance, and a decrease in the duration of comfort behaviors when exposed to the fecal material compared to the control odor, but not when the neutral odor was presented. This suggests that the presented fecal material is associated with predatory threats. Subjects increased duration and frequency of their movements in trials with fecal material from a python and a dingo, but not in trials with fecal material from a dog or the neutral odor which indicates that tree-kangaroos do not respond differently to arboreal and terrestrial predators. This conclusion is discussed with respect to the relatively recent descent of tree-kangaroos from rock-wallabies at a time when its ancient terrestrial predators became extinct, and with respect to reported fatalities of tree-kangaroos when encountering domestic dogs or dingoes.
Balancing Thromboprophylaxis and Bleeding in Total Joint Arthroplasty: Impact of Eliminating Enoxaparin and Predonation and Implementing Pneumatic Compression and Tranexamic Acid

Abstract Background Venous thromboembolic disease (VTED) after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) poses substantial risk. Pharmacologic prophylaxis against VTED can cause bleeding, transfusion, and associated complications. The ActiveCare+SFT is a portable, intermittent pneumatic compression device (IPCD), providing equivalent VTED prophylaxis to pharmacologic agents without associated bleeding. Tranexamic acid (TXA) is an antifibrinolytic that reduces blood loss after THA and TKA. Our objective was to measure blood transfusion and VTED after eliminating enoxaparin, introducing an IPCD, eliminating autologous blood transfusion, and administering TXA during primary TKA and THA. Methods Four consecutive cohorts of THA and TKA patients were studied. Group A, the historical control, received enoxaparin VTED prophylaxis. Group B received IPCD VTED prophylaxis. Group C received IPCD VTED prophylaxis along with TXA (1 g intravenous at incision and closure). Groups A, B, and C predonated 1 unit of autologous blood. Group D received IPCD VTED prophylaxis, TXA as above, but did not donate blood preoperatively. Results Seventeen of 50 patients (34%) in Group A, 7 of 47 (14.9%) patients in Group B, 4 of 43 (9.3%) patients in Group C, and 0 of 46 patients in Group D received transfusions. There were no major symptomatic VTED events. Conclusion Using an IPCD and TXA and discontinuing enoxaparin and preoperative autologous blood donation eliminated blood transfusion in primary THA and TKA without any increase in VTED. Using an IPCD instead of enoxaparin, adding TXA, and eliminating preoperative autologous donation each had an incremental dose response effect. This protocol provides effective VTED prophylaxis equivalent to pharmacologic methods and eliminates transfusion risk in the primary THA and TKA population.
HAXPES at the Dawn of the Synchrotron Radiation Age

Some of the earliest X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy (XPS) studies with high-energy X-rays took place in the 1970s as a way of demonstrating the feasibility of using synchrotron radiation from a multi-GeV storage ring to study materials. These developments took place at the SPEAR storage ring at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center and showed that synchrotron radiation could be tamed but that the technologies of the time would not allow hard X-ray photoemission to become a tool for routine experiments. However, soft X-rays did fulfill that promise and dominated the XPS research for the next several decades with important contributions to the study of surfaces and interfaces. With the advent of second and particularly third generation synchrotron sources, XPS with high-energy X-rays has become a practical tool for the study of bulk properties and buried interfaces. The development of these techniques will be discussed as will the need for both hard and soft X-rays to provide complimentary details on bulk and surface properties of materials.
Contaminants in sludge: implications for management policies and land application

Policies on sludge (or biosolids) management vary widely, particularly when decisions must be made on what to do with the final product. This paper examines the two principal rationales with which such decisions are made, and through which scientific knowledge is included in the process. These rationales are risk analysis (risk assessment and management), and the criterion of sustainability . Both are found to be potentially arbitrary due to the difficulty in defining the individual constituents necessary to relate environmental phenomena to environmental policy. To place the difficulties in a practical context, this paper presents research results from three recent projects concerned with contaminants in sludge (phosphorus, flocculant polymers, and polymer-surfactant aggregates), and uses the findings to exemplify the dilemma encountered in policy making. A path forward is proposed.
Reverse Genetics Approaches for Cloning RIL-1, a Major Locus Involved in Susceptibility to Leukemia

The mechanism by which fractionated-x-irradiation (FXI) induces leukemia has been much debated. Kaplan and Brown (1952) first showed that fractionated doses of x-irradiation can cause leukemia in mice. Gross (1958) , and Lieberman and Kaplan (1959) , subsequently reported the transfer of neoplasia by radiation-induced leukemia virus, RadLV, obtained from FXI-induced leukemias. However, despite the identification of type-C ENA particles in FXI-induced leukemias and the demonstration that such particles can, when injected into young mice, cause lymphomas, several investigators have taken exception with the concept of a viral etiology for FXI-induced leukemia (Ihle et al., 1976, 1976a, 1978; Haran-Ghera 1977; Pazmino et al., 1978; Mayer and Dorsch-Hasler 1982) . The etiological mechanism(s) of this disease however remains unclear.
Modeling Los Angeles Water Leaks Using Different Measures of Temperature

Abstract Los Angeles, California, is facing record drought conditions. As a result, there is interest in all things related to building and maintaining water capabilities. Leaks in the infrastructure can lead to costly losses of water resources. Accordingly, attention increasingly is being devoted to water leak management. Using data available through the City of Los Angeles’ open data movement, the number of leaks is analyzed in order to study both the impact of temperature and whether the number of leaks is decreasing over time. Three different approaches for modeling the number of leaks, including regression, time series, and neural networks, are compared.
Use of Mass or Molar Reflux-to-Feed Ratios In Distillation Single-End Control Structures

Many distillation columns use single-end control structures in which one temperature (or composition) is controlled while the other control degree of freedom holds either the reflux ratio or the reflux-to-feed ratio constant. In most chemical processes, flow rates are determined from pressure drops over orifice plates. This means that the flow signal reflects the mass flow rate since density affects pressure drop. In computer simulations, flow rates can be studied in either molar or mass units. This paper considers the issue of using mass or molar flow ratios in single-end control structures. Results illustrate that using molar ratios can improve product quality in some systems. The practical question of how to estimate molar flow rates from plant measurements is addressed.
Countertrade: A Review and Discussion

The exchange of goods for other goods rather than for money is on the upswing. This paper reviews the types of countertrade and the impact it has on multinational firms and developing countries. The importance of countertrade and some of its disadvantages are discussed. Marketing management strategies are suggested for implementation of countertrade.
Transrectal ultrasonography in stage A prostate cancer: detection of residual tumor after transurethral resection of prostate.

AbstractTo evaluate the ability of transrectal ultrasonography to detect residual cancer in the prostate gland after transurethral resection in patients with stage A cancer, we studied 38 patients with stage A disease (11 stage A1 and 27 stage A2) in whom transrectal ultrasonography was done at least 3 weeks after resection. Each patient underwent radical prostatectomy, and residual cancer was present in 97% of the specimens (peripheral zone cancer in 95% and transition zone cancer in 61%). At sonography we identified hypoechoic areas suggestive of cancer in 10 patients (26%). In the pathological specimen residual cancer was present at the hypoechoic area in 8 of these cases (positive predictive value 80%). In a retrospective review of the sonograms we identified 25 hypoechoic lesions greater than 5mm. in diameter, including 15 that corresponded to cancer in the radical prostatectomy specimens (positive predictive value 60%). Granulomas due to the transurethral resection were found in 92% of the radical p...
Marc Augé: Non-Places

[I]ntelligence of space is less subverted by current upheavals (for soils and territories still exist, not just in the reality of facts on the ground, but even more in that of individual and collective awareness and imagination) than complicated by the spatial overabundance of the present. Auge, Non-Places [W]e live in a world we have not yet learned to look at. We have to relearn to think about space. Auge, Non-Places The cover of the American edition of The System of Objects is illustrated with the chromium-plated grille of an American car of the 1960s, a behemoth vehicle that French filmmakers of the New Wave enjoyed inserting into the cityscapes of their films of the same decade. Taken from a neo-Pop painting, the cover signals to today's reader an affinity between the objects that called their culture into question and, in what followed, the hyperreal painters whose works displaying everyday objects in glaring clarity now seem, in view of what we see in “high def” and “blu-ray” television, to be diffusely mottled pastels. The surface effects of digital clarity that Baudrillard studied through a political lens seem remarkably close to what we witness on the televisual screens everywhere in our midst. What they display seems far from the mess and smudge of everyday life, unless, of course, we see them as the refuge of an artificial optical paradise. Such would seem to be the gap between an anthropologist's view of contemporary surface effects and what Baudrillard made of them in his spatial fictions. It is worth peering into the gap by way of what Marc Auge sees in the landmarks of France, especially of Paris, the city that for him is both an object of love and of close and protracted study. The Anthropologist-Painter of Postmodern Life An anthropologist in the tradition of Levi-Strauss who reflects on anthropological spaces and subjectivity in traditional societies, Auge is marked by early preoccupations with the “space of others” that led him to do fieldwork on the Alladian peninsula of the Ivory Coast. After remarking how the palm oil industry contributed to the alteration of indigenous cultures, he returned to France to study new forms of relation and the new anthropological spaces in the urban environment of his childhood, adolescence and, now, later life.
Preparing the Manuscript

Writing and publishing a paper always takes more time than originally estimated. Definite instructions are not available on when and in what order the different sections of a paper should be written. The most recommended strategy is to formulate a plan for the paper and start assembling its essential parts as the research progresses and develop a schedule of who (if there are coauthors) does what and when. Be clear about the scope of the paper and the message to be delivered, and consider the requirements and norms of the journal to which the paper is planned to be submitted. Preparing a first draft, revising it repeatedly, and getting it reviewed by colleagues are the time-tested steps followed in preparing a research paper.
Knowing About Racial Stereotypes Versus Believing Them

Despite post-racial rhetoric, stereotypes remain salient for American youth. We surveyed 150 elementary and middle schoolers in Northern California and conducted case studies of 12 students. Findin...
Skin Color and Intelligence in African Americans: A Reanalysis of Lynn's Data

Finding a modest yet statistically significant correlation between skin tone and vocabulary test scores among African Americans, Lynn (2002) concludes that “intelligence in African Americans is significantly determined by the proportion of Caucasian genes” (p. 365). In this reanalysis of Lynn's data, I demonstrate that his bivariate association disappears once childhood environmental factors are considered. Therefore, a genetic link between skin color and intelligence among African Americans cannot be supported in his data. Investigators seeking to establish a genetic connection between racial ancestry and intelligence must move beyond simple bivariate results to address the confounding influence of environmental conditions that affect cognitive development.