cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
When AI Gossips

The concept of AI Gossip is presented. It is analogous to the traditional understanding of a pernicious human failing. It is made more egregious by the technology of AI, internet, current privacy policies, and practices. The recognition by the technological community of its complacency is critical to realizing its damaging influence on human rights. A current example from the medical field is provided to facilitate the discussion and illustrate the seriousness of AI Gossip. Further study and model development is encouraged to support and facilitate the need to develop standards to address the implications and consequences to human rights and dignity.
Vortex Vein Occlusion

Retinal vein occlusion is a well-known clinical entity, but there is no corresponding detailed information about the clinical features of vortex vein occlusion, in man or in primates. There are some old studies dealing with experimental occlusion of vortex veins designed primarily to produce glaucoma [1–11], one study designed to produce retinal detachment [12], and others to study histopathological changes [13–15]. All the earlier studies were carried out in rabbits except for those by Adamiuk [1] and Macri [11] in cats, Muller [8] in the horse, Sachsenweger and Lukoff [12] in dogs, and Nishikawa et al. [15] in five Japanese macaque monkeys. Koster [9] described ocular signs of vortex vein occlusion in rabbits. To investigate the clinical features of vortex vein occlusion comprehensively, I [16] conducted an experimental study of vortex vein occlusion in 40 eyes of rhesus monkeys. All eyes had these examinations: external ocular, intraocular pressure, fundus, fluorescein fundus angiographic, and histopathological features or silicone rubber perfusion. Various vortex veins were occluded in different combinations, as shown in Table 27.1. The findings of the study are discussed in detail elsewhere [16], and following are the main features.
Groups of Isometries

In this chapter we describe the three basic geometries, elliptic, parabolic, and primarily hyperbolic, that are important for the theory of Kleinian groups. We then build some of the theory of discrete groups of isometries in these geometries. The major results are the construction of the Dirichlet and Ford regions, and the proof of Poincare’s polyhedron theorem.
BLOOD GLUCOSE (BG) CONCENTRATIONS AND CRANIAL ULTRASOUND SOUND (US) ABNORMALITIES IN LOW BIRTH WEIGHT (LBW) INFANTS

BLOOD GLUCOSE (BG) CONCENTRATIONS AND CRANIAL ULTRASOUND SOUND (US) ABNORMALITIES IN LOW BIRTH WEIGHT (LBW) INFANTS
Chapter 6 Aquaporins and water stress

Publisher Summary The increased occurrence of promiscuous aquaporins (AQP3, AQP9) in renal and hepatic tissues of the desert kangaroo rat at the apparent expense of water-selective aquaporins (AQP1, AQP4) provide support for a novel paradigm in water transport physiology. A promiscuous pore selectively defies a partial osmotic pressure that could give rise to volume-driven movement of the osmotic-inactive solute by an osmotic active osmolyte. In terms of thermodynamics, osmosis in conjunction with a leaky pore—that is, a common pore for solute and water—leads to the paradox of an uphill flow of water, because volume flow occurs in the absence or against osmotic gradients. The major aquaporins that are thought to be important for water transport in the kidney are aquaporins 1, 2, 3, and 4. Several studies have shown that the cellular location of AQP1 and AQP2 in the kidneys of mice closely resembles that seen in other species.
Competition at the Teller's Window?: Altered Antitrust Standards for Banks and Other Financial Institutions

Congressional and judicial attitudes towards the banking industry have reflected two, sometimes conflicting, goals-the maintenance of the solvency of financial institutions to protect the interests of depositors, other creditors and the economy at large; and the promotion of competition among these institutions and in the economy. The advancement of these goals has been reflected in the application of the antitrust laws to the industry. For the most part, the Sherman and Clayton Acts apply with the same force and scope to financial institutions as to other industries. In some cases, however, the goal of institutional protection is favored, and the antitrust laws are relaxed to a degree. As an example, the Bank Merger Act insulates banks to some extent from the full reach of section 7 of the Clayton Act, in the belief that certain mergers will strengthen the banks and will promote the financial well-being of the banks' customers and the community in which they operate. By contrast, in some other cases the goal of advancing competition is elevated, and banks are held to a higher antitrust standard than other industries. For example, certain conditional transactions - tying arrangements, reciprocal dealing or exclusive dealing arrangements - are tested by more stringent standards than those applied to other industries. This article will first provide an overview of the banking industry in the United States, with an examination of the different kinds of institutions and their services, and of the different types of banking regulations. An appreciation of the variegated nature of the banking industry will help in evaluating claims either for an antitrust exemption-total or partial-or for higher antitrust standards. The article will then consider three areas of antitrust law in which banks have been singled out for special treatment - mergers and acquisitions, interlocking directorates, and conditional transactions.
Physician-level variation in practice patterns in the VA healthcare system

The objective of this study was to determine whether there is enough variation in utilization of medical services which can be reliably attributed to primary care providers to justify practice profiling. A total of 221 primary care providers caring for 81,775 patients with a variety of medical conditions in eight Veterans Affairs medical centers and their associated clinics during calendar year 1999 were used for the study. After controlling for case-mix variation, the physician-level variation in utilization among providers who had at least 75 patients was evaluated. Adjusted Clinical Groups (ACGs) were used for case-mix adjustment. Physician effect was measured by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Patient-level utilization outcomes were total hospital bed days of care, laboratory costs, radiology costs, and pharmacy costs for each patient during calendar year 1999. The physician effect (ICC) ranged from .04 for bed days to .12 for laboratory costs. The reliabilities of the physician effect estimates computed using the Spearman-Brown prediction formula ranged from .75 for bed days to .91 for laboratory costs for providers with 75 or more patients. The profiling methodology reliably detected practice differences among providers in all utilization outcomes studied. However, the value of profiling as a means of improving quality of care or efficiency is yet untested.
The Top Ten Reasons Why Online Learning Can Beat Classroom Learning

I am an organizational behavior professor who researches, teaches, and consults in areas such as leadership, communications, change dynamics, and team building. My field is frequently described with the derogatory term "touchy-feely." Although I eschew this term, interpersonal contact is certainly a central dynamic of the field. Along comes the worldwide web which cannot be characterized as touchy-feely. The vernacular of the web is "virtual," "asynchronous," "emoticon," "hyperlink," and "bot." Consequently, for all of its wonderful benefits, most people do not associate the web with taking the place of experiences that have always had a human element. What I've discovered in the world of higher education, though, is that online learning has some tremendous advantages compared with classroom learning, particularly for working adults. Before going further, I should add that, like any good person working in the field of human behavior, I could deliver a masterful argument for why web-based learning and education is not as effective as classroom learning. I could rise higher over the lecturn and preach about the magical moment when student and professor make eye contact in mutual recognition of special learning that is taking place as the professor touches the hearts and minds of her students.
A Helminth Glycan Induces APC Maturation via Alternative NF-κB Activation Independent of IκBα Degradation

Activation of APCs via TLRs leads to activation of NF-kappaB, a key transcription factor in cells of the immune system most often associated with induction of Th1-type and proinflammatory responses. The neoglycoconjugate lacto-N-fucopentaose III (12-25 molecules)-dextran (LNFPIII-Dex) activates dendritic cells (DCs) via TLR4, as does LPS. However, unlike LPS, LNFPIII-Dex-activated cells induce Th2-type CD4+ T cell responses. This observation led us to ask whether LNFPIII-activated APCs were differentially activating NF-kappaB, and if so, could this partly account for how DCs mature in response to these two different pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). In this study, we show that LNFPIII-Dex stimulation of APCs induces rapid, but transient NF-kappaB translocation and activity in the nucleus, in comparison with the persistent activation induced by LPS. We then demonstrate that transient vs persistent NF-kappaB activation has important implications in the development of the APC phenotype, showing that the second wave of NF-kappaB translocation in response to LPS is required for production of the proinflammatory mediator NO. In contrast to LPS, LNFPIII-stimulated APCs that only transiently activate NF-kappaB do not induce degradation of the known IkappaB family members or production of NO. However, cells stimulated with LNFPIII rapidly accumulate p50, suggesting that an alternative p105 degradation-dependent mechanism is primarily responsible for NF-kappaB activation downstream of LNFPIII. Finally, we show that while NF-kappaB translocation in LNFPIII-stimulated APCs is transient, it is required for the development of the DC 2 phenotype, confirming a crucial and multifaceted role for NF-kappaB in innate immune responses.
Cutting edge: Foxj1 protects against autoimmunity and inhibits thymocyte egress.

Previous studies suggest that the forkhead transcription factor Foxj1 inhibits spontaneous autoimmunity in part by antagonizing NF-κB activation. To test this hypothesis, we ectopically expressed Foxj1 in the T cells of lupus-prone MRL/lpr mice by backcrossing a CD2-Foxj1 transgene against the MRL/lpr background. Strikingly, CD2-Foxj1-MRL/lpr animals showed a significant reduction in lymphadenopathy, pathogenic autoantibodies, and end-organ disease—but surprisingly, reversion of autoimmunity was not attributable to modulation of NF-κB. Instead, CD2-Foxj1 transgenic mice exhibited a peripheral T cell lymphopenia, associated with an accumulation of mature single-positive thymocytes. Transgenic thymocytes demonstrated unimpaired lymphoid organ entry in adoptive transfer studies but demonstrated impaired thymic exodus in response to CCL19, apparently independent of CCR7, S1P1, and NF-κB. These findings confirm the importance of Foxj1 in the regulation of T cell tolerance but furthermore suggest a novel and specific role for Foxj1 in regulating thymic egress.
Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor with a t(X;18).

Abstract We describe an ankle tumor arising in a 16-year-old girl. The tumor demonstrated histology typical of a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST), but exhibited a variant form of the (X;18) translocation associated with synovial sarcoma. Immunohistochemical stains were positive for vimentin, CD57, collagen type IV, and Bcl-2. Routine and molecular cytogenetic studies showed an unbalanced 3-way chromosomal translocation that involved chromosomes X, 18, and 1. Electron microscopic findings were noncontributory. This unusual tumor raises the following questions and possibilities: (1) As the t(X;18) suggests, could this tumor be a monophasic synovial sarcoma with the histologic features of an MPNST? (2) Or, as the histology suggests, is this tumor an MPNST that has a t(X;18)? (3) Finally, could MPNST histology, a t(X;18), and no defining immunohistochemical or electron microscopic features represent an as yet unrecognized part of a spectrum that spans from synovial sarcoma to MPNST or other spi...
Disruption of Rhodopsin Dimerization with Synthetic Peptides Targeting an Interaction Interface

Although homo- and heterodimerizations of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are well documented, GPCR monomers are able to assemble in different ways, thus causing variations in the interactive interface between receptor monomers among different GPCRs. Moreover, the functional consequences of this phenomenon, which remain to be clarified, could be specific for different GPCRs. Synthetic peptides derived from transmembrane (TM) domains can interact with a full-length GPCR, blocking dimer formation and affecting its function. Here we used peptides corresponding to TM helices of bovine rhodopsin (Rho) to investigate the Rho dimer interface and functional consequences of its disruption. Incubation of Rho with TM1, TM2, TM4, and TM5 peptides in rod outer segment (ROS) membranes shifted the resulting detergent-solubilized protein migration through a gel filtration column toward smaller molecular masses with a reduced propensity for dimer formation in a cross-linking reaction. Binding of these TM peptides to Rho was characterized by both mass spectrometry and a label-free assay from which dissociation constants were calculated. A BRET (bioluminescence resonance energy transfer) assay revealed that the physical interaction between Rho molecules expressed in membranes of living cells was blocked by the same four TM peptides identified in our in vitro experiments. Although disruption of the Rho dimer/oligomer had no effect on the rates of G protein activation, binding of Gt to the activated receptor stabilized the dimer. However, TM peptide-induced disruption of dimer/oligomer decreased receptor stability, suggesting that Rho supramolecular organization could be essential for ROS stabilization and receptor trafficking.
A Composition Theorem for Parity Kill Number

In this work, we study the parity complexity measures pCmin[f] and PDT[f]. Pcmin[f] is the parity kill number of f, the fewest number of parities on the input variables one has to fix in order to "kill" f, i.e. To make it constant. PDT[f] is the depth of the shortest emph{parity decision tree} which computes f. These complexity measures have in recent years become increasingly important in the fields of communication complexity [1], [2], [3], [4] and pseudorandomness [5], [6], [7]. Our main result is a composition theorem for pCmin. The k-th power of f, denoted f^{circ k}, is the function which results from composing f with itself k times. We prove that if f is not a parity function, then pCmin[f^{circ k}] geq Omega(Cmin[f]^{k}). In other words, the parity kill number of f is essentially super multiplicative in the normal kill number of f (also known as the minimum certificate complexity). As an application of our composition theorem, we show lower bounds on the parity complexity measures of sort^{circ k} and HI^{circ k}. Here sort is the sort function due to Ambainis [8], and HI is Kushilevitz's hemi-icosahedron function [9]. In doing so, we disprove a conjecture of Montanaro and Osborne [2] which had applications to communication complexity and computational learning theory. In addition, we give new lower bounds for conjectures of [2], [3] and [4].
Modulation of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Photoluminescence by Hydrogel Swelling

We demonstrate the use of hydrogel swelling as a mechanism to reversibly induce solvatochromic shifting in single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) near-infrared emission within a biocompatible hydrogel. The optical sensor reports the degree of the swelled state and glucose concentration when apo-glucose oxidase is used to cross-link the hydrogel. Photoluminescence emission maxima from dispersed nanotubes in a poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogel shift as cross-linking is increased, with a maximum of −48 meV for the (6,5) nanotube. The Raman tangential mode also red shifts up to 17 cm−1, indicative of nanotube lattice strain equivalent to an effective hydrostatic pressure of 3 GPa. While the electronic band gaps of SWNTs are known to either increase or decrease with uniaxial strain or lattice deformation depending on chiral vector, we show that the mechanism of detection is counterintuitively non-strain-dependent. Instead, the data are well-described by a model that accounts for changes in dielectric screening of the...
Influence of freshwater flow, ocean exchange, and seasonal cycles on phytoplankton – nutrient dynamics in a temporarily open estuary

Abstract Mecox Bay is a shallow, closed embayment, located on the south shore of Long Island, NY, which has an inlet that is periodically opened by natural and anthropogenic processes, allowing for tidal exchange with the coastal Atlantic Ocean. The aim of this study was to characterize the phytoplankton community and water chemistry of Mecox Bay, while assessing the impact of inlet openings and freshwater flow on these characteristics. Results indicated that groundwater and tributaries entering Mecox were an important source of nitrogen (N) to the bay, being enriched in dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN = 140 ± 20 μM). Inlet openings yielded increased salinity and chlorophyll a levels, but decreased depths and diatom densities in Mecox Bay. Other parameters, such as nutrient concentrations (N, P), pico- and nanophytoplankton densities, and the nutrient limitation of phytoplankton communities were more strongly influenced by seasonal changes associated with temperature. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratios decreased from above 100 during winter to below one during summer, as concentrations of DIN and freshwater flow rates in Mecox Bay declined and DIP levels concurrently increased. In concert with changes in the nutrient regime, field experiments indicated that growth rates of the phytoplankton community in Mecox Bay shifted from P-limited during winter and spring to N-limited during summer and fall. Finally, the abundance of phytoplankton (mean annual chlorophyll a concentration ∼10 μg L−1) and the temporarily closed nature of Mecox Bay may both contribute toward enhanced secondary productivity of resident shellfish populations.
Bayesian variable selection for gene expression modeling with regulatory motif binding sites in neuroinflammatory events.

Multiple transcription factors (TFs) coordinately control transcriptional regulation of genes in eukaryotes. Although numerous computational methods focus on the identification of individual TF-binding sites (TFBSs), very few consider the interdependence among these sites. In this article, we studied the relationship between TFBSs and microarray gene expression levels using both family-wise and member-specific motifs, under various combination of regression models with Bayesian variable selection, as well as motif scoring and sharing conditions, in order to account for the coordination complexity of transcription regulation. We proposed a three-step approach to model the relationship. In the first step, we preprocessed microarray data and usedp-values and expression ratios to preselect upregulated and down-regulated genes. The second step aimed to identify and score individual TFBSs within DNA sequence of each gene. A method based on the degree of similarity and the number of TFBSs was employed to calculate the score of each TFBS in each gene sequence. In the last step, linear regression and probit regression were used to build a predictive model of gene expression outcomes using these TFBSs as predictors. Given a certain number of predictors to be used, a full search of all possible predictor sets is usually combinatorially prohibitive. Therefore, this article considered the Bayesian variable selection for prediction using either of the regression models. The Bayesian variable selection applied in the context of gene selection, missing value estimation, and regulatory motif identification. In our modeling, the regressor was approximated as a linear combination of the TFBSs and a Gibbs sampler was employed to find the strongest TFBSs. We applied these regression models with the Bayesian variable selection on spinal cord injury gene expression data set. These TFs demonstrated intricate regulatory roles either as a family or as individual members in neuroinflammatory events. Our an alysis can be applied to create plausible hypotheses for combinatorial regulation by TFBSs and avoiding false-positive candidates in the modeling process at the same time. Such a systematic approach provides the possibility to dissect transcription regulation, from a more comprehensive perspective, through which phenotypical events at cellular and tissue levels are moved forward by molecular events at gene transcription and translation levels.
Evaluating and Validating a New Pedestrian Exposure to Risk Metric

The ultimate goal of the Pedestrian Exposure to Risk project is to more effectively allocate resources to improve pedestrian safety, based on crash statistics, as well as to more effectively evaluate trends and impacts of safety improvements. In order to accomplish this goal, it is essential to have information not only on the number of pedestrian fatalities but also on the relative exposure of the pedestrians at risk. In the case of calculating meaningful pedestrian crash rates, the numerator (number of pedestrian fatalities) is easy to determine. However, a generally useful denominator has not been as easy to ascertain. Several metrics to evaluate pedestrian exposure to risk have been proposed. Although these previously proposed metrics all have advantages and disadvantages, none has the relevance and generalizability of the denominator used for motor vehicle crashes (million vehicle miles traveled). The purpose of this study was to identify, test, and validate the use of million pedestrian feet travele...
The violence of gendering: Castration images in Angela Carter's The magic toyshop, The passion of new Eve, and “Peter and the Wolf”

(1996). The violence of gendering: Castration images in Angela Carter's The magic toyshop, The passion of new Eve, and “Peter and the Wolf”. Women's Studies: Vol. 25, No. 6, pp. 549-570.
Topography of serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus that send axon collaterals to the rat prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens

Diverse physiological actions have been reported for 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT, serotonin) in the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and the nucleus accumbens (Acb) suggesting that the 5-HT innervation of these forebrain areas may be derived from different populations of neurons. We examined this possibility by mapping the distribution of 5-HT-immunoreactive (ir) and non-5-HT-ir neurons containing retrograde labeling following injections of different tracers into both these target regions. The analysis was focused in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) of the midbrain, since 5-HT pathways to the MPFC and Acb primarily originate from this area. Volume microinjections of the fluorescent retrograde tracer, Fluoro-Gold (FG), were placed into the MPFC and microinjections of cholera toxin B subunit coupled to 15 nm gold particles (CT-Au) were placed into the Acb of the same animal. Sections through the DRN containing retrogradely labeled neurons were further processed for immunofluorescent localization of 5-HT using a rhodamine marker. Neurons retrogradely labeled from the Acb were greater in number overall than those projecting to the MPFC. In addition, Acb-projecting neurons extended into the lateral wings of the DRN, whereas MPFC-projecting neurons were more restricted to the midline. Both groups of retrogradely labeled neurons, however, were more numerous in the caudal aspect of the dorsal raphe nucleus and were scattered amongst 5-HT immunoreactive perikarya. Of 783 +/- 69 CT-Au labeled cells, 15% also contained the FG label and 11% contained FG and 5-HT immunoreactivity. Of 613 +/- 48 FG labeled cells, 24% also contained the CT-Au label and 21% were also immunoreactive to 5-HT. The results suggest a more prominent input to the Acb from both 5-HT-ir and non-5-HT-ir neurons in the caudal aspect of the DRN and further indicate that while most 5-HT-ir and non-5-HT-ir neurons project differentially to both forebrain regions, a few cells also show collateralization to the MPFC and Acb. Such collateralization of single serotonergic neurons to divergent targets may integrate cognitive and motor activities in response to pharmacological manipulations of ascending serotonergic pathways.
Evaluating the Financial Performance of Business Method Patent Owners

Business method patents provide legal protection for the patent owner as well as other possible advantages, but for the most part IS academicians have not examined their effects. In an effort to understand the potential for business method patents to create competitive advantage, this study compares the financial performance of business method patent owners to the performance of their nearest competitors and industries. Although limited in its findings, this study helps to demarcate important issues for future research.
Stages of regulated exocytosis.

Despite its unique features of spatial organization, Ca^2^+ regulation and speed, neurotransmitter secretion is a paradigm for studies of membrane fusion because it shares homologous proteins and common mechanisms with constitutive exocytosis in all eukaryotic cells.Recent advances have expanded knowledge of the number of gene products required for neurosecretion, and a current major challenge is to determine their mechanisms of action and the stages at which they function in the multistep exocytic pathway.This review discusses progress in this direction from in vivo and in vitro studies that have characterized roles for specific proteins in post-docking steps proximal to membrane fusion.
Susceptibility of Metarhizium spp. and other entomopathogenic fungi to dodine-based selective media

Abstract The fungicide dodine has been widely used in selective media to isolate entomopathogenic fungi (EF) from contaminating microorganisms, primarily bacteria and non-entomopathogenic fungi. In order to isolate the fungus Metarhizium acridum from soil for grasshopper and Mormon cricket control in the western USA, the susceptibility of M. acridum was compared with two Metarhizium spp. and other EF species. The isolates were inoculated onto mycological media with concentrations of dodine ranging from 0.0001 to 0.03% active ingredient (A.I.). In addition, susceptibilities of five Metarhizium spp. isolates to two sources of dodine, Syllit® commercial fungicide (65% A.I.) and Sigma® reagent grade (99% A.I.), were compared using Czapek agar medium. Responses to the two dodine sources were virtually identical. Accordingly, subsequent experiments used the less expensive Syllit dodine. Three media [Czapek, potato dextrose agar plus yeast extract (PDAY) and oatmeal agar] were evaluated for appropriateness as th...
Effects of a Wide Range of Temperatures on the Development of Galleria mellonella and Its Specific Baculovirus

The rates of development of larvae and pupae of the waxmoth, Galleria mellonella , and its nuclear polyhedrosis virus ( Baculovirus ) were determined over a range of temperature from 18°–40°C. Larvae did not undergo significant development at 18°C and virus disease was slowed but not inhibited. At 40°C, both larval development and virus disease were stopped. Upon return to a lower temperature, larvae resumed development but the degree of disease development depended upon the time of exposure to the high temperature.
Adolescents reasons for and experience after discontinuation of the long-acting contraceptives Depo-Provera and Norplant.

Purpose: The objectives of this study were to examine the reasons for discontinuation of the long-acting contraceptives Depo-Provera and Norplant in adolescents, and to assess the adolescents' experience after discontinuation of the methods. Methods: A total of 35 adolescents (gynecologic age 4.7 ± 0.3 years, and body mass index (BMI) 24.2 ± 0.61 who discontinued Depo-Provera, and 31 adolescents (gynecologic age 3.4 ± 0.3 years, BMI 24.1 ± 0.9) who discontinued Norplant ® were periodically assessed during use of the methods and up to 12 months after discontinuation. Results: The most common reasons for discontinuation of both Norplant (after 21.8 ± 1.6 months of use) and Depo-Provera (9.2 + 0.9 months of use) were irregular menstrual bleeding (64%), weight gain (41%), and increased headaches (30%). Resumption of menstrual regularity and dysmenorrhea was noted sooner after discontinuation of Norplant, compared with Depo-Provera. The increase in BMI noted at discontinuation of DepoProvera (1.1, P = .0005) and Norplant (1.3, P = .03) persisted up to 6 months after discontinuation of either method (0.6, P = .01 post-Depo-Provera discontinuation; and 0.9, P = 0.02 post-Norplant discontinuation). Only 62% of the adolescents reported no break in contraceptive practice. The condom was the most popular method (37%) after discontinuation of Depo-Provera, and oral contraceptive (39%) after discontinuation of Norplant. The cumulative conception proportion reached 0.93 at 12 months after discontinuation of Norplant, and was significantly higher ( P = .01) compared with the cumulative proportion of conception after discontinuation of DepoProvera ( P = .50). Conclusions: Health care providers should aggressively manage physical problems associated with Depo-Provera and Norplant use, and expedite the transition to a new contraceptive method to minimize the high pregnancy rate observed after discontinuation of these methods in adolescents.
Lactate dehydrogenase release assay from Vero cells to distinguish verotoxin producing Escherichia coli from non-verotoxin producing strains.

Abstract The Vero cell assay presently used for virulence testing of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) requires at least 48–96 h where cytotoxicity effects are examined under a microscope. Here, a complimentary rapid assay was developed that measures endogenous lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release from Vero or HEp-2 cells as an indicator of cytotoxicity. Toxin preparations from 24 VTEC strains induced 36–89% LDH from Vero cells and 15–62% LDH from HEp-2 cells in 12–16 h. A verotoxin-positive but enterohemolysin negative strain also showed a similar cytotoxicity effect. In contrast, three VT-negative strains caused only 13–16% LDH from Vero cells and 1–7% LDH from HEp-2 cells. Five presumptive E. coli isolates from naturally contaminated food and clinical sources did not induce significant LDH release from either cell lines. PCR analysis confirmed the presence of vt 1 or v t 2 genes in E. coli showing positive LDH values. Similarly, RiboPrinter ® analysis confirmed and identified the test strains as E. coli except for two meat isolates, which were identified as Hafnia alvei . Cytopathic effects of toxin preparations from VTEC revealed severe lysis, vacuole formation and death in Vero cells and multiple vacuoles and cell elongation in HEp-2 cells. The colorimetric cytotoxicity assay described here can provide quantitative data for determining the virulence potential of verotoxigenic E. coli in 12–16 h.
Acute administration of α-mmethyl-para-tyrosine alters levels of norepinephrine transporter mRNA in the rat brainstem

This study investigated whether rat norepinephrine transporter (NET) mRNA levels would be altered by alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (alpha-MPT), a tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor. While NE levels decreased at 1 and 3 days but recovered at 7 days after alpha-MPT, NET mRNA levels decreased at 3 and 7 days but not at 1 day after alpha-MPT. The results indicate that acute treatment with alpha-MPT led to a delayed time response in its effects on NET mRNA and NE levels in the rat brain.
High Spectral Irradiance White-Light Continuum Z-scan

We generate high energy, high spatial quality supercontinua in Krypton gas for Z-scan measurements of nonlinear absorption spectra and the dispersion of nonlinear refraction in optical materials throughout the visible. This eliminates the need for tunable sources (e.g., optical parametric devices) for nonlinear measurements.
Should we screen for occupational lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography?

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the potential value of screening for occupational lung cancer through the use of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT). Methods: A literature review of Medline was conducted to assess: 1) screening studies of occupational lung cancer that used LDCT; 2) screening studies of nonoccupational lung cancer that used LDCT; and 3) position papers of medical professional societies and nongovernmental health organizations that have addressed the value of screening for lung cancer with LDCT. Results: No screening studies of occupational lung cancer with LDCT were uncovered; however, numerous observational and population-based studies have addressed the value of screening for lung cancer among cigarette smokers. Results of these studies are difficult to interpret in light of numerous biases associated with these types of studies. No randomized, controlled studies on screening for lung cancer have been published at this time. No professional, governmental, or nonprofit health organization recommends screening asymptomatic people at risk of lung cancer with LDCT at this time. Conclusion: In the absence of randomized, controlled studies that can address biases commonly encountered in observational and population-based studies, it is unclear whether LDCT reduces mortality from lung cancer. The National Cancer Institute is sponsoring a randomized, controlled study of over 50,000 current and former smokers with the results expected in 2009.
Stability and formation of NiAl 3 under ion irradiation

Compound samples of NiAl 3 as well as Ni 23 Al 77 multilayered samples have been irradiated by either Xe or Ne ions to doses of 2 × 10 15 Xe ions/cm 2 and 1.3 × 10 6 Ne ions/cm 2 at temperatures of 100 K, 300 K, and 373 K. In the case of compound irradiation, NiAl 3 stability appears to be determined by regrowth kinetics and increased with lighter irradiating ion mass and higher irradiation temperature. The formation of NiAl 3 by ion mixing Ni/Al multilayers was not affected by irradiating ion mass and appears to be limited by nucleation.
Eigenfrequencies of the three dimensional euler-bernoulli beam system with dissipative joints

In this paper, we will compute the transfer matrices to find the eigenfrequencies for the vibrations of the general non-collinear Euler-Bernoulli or Timoshenko beam structure with dissipative joints. We will allow the structure to be three dimensional, and thus we must consider all types of vibrations simultaneously, including longitudinal and torsional vibrations. The general structure considered will consist of any number of beams joined end to end to form a chain. Many different kinds of dampers are allowed, even within the same structure. We also will allow different materials within the structure as well as different beam widths. We then will show that asymptotic estimates can be used to find the eigenfrequencies approximately.
A parallel processing solution to the adaptive Kalman filtering problem with vector measurements

Abstract The adaptive Kalman filtering problem with vector measurements is considered. A computational algorithm is derived which gives estimates of the state of a linear dynamic system driven by additive white Gaussian noise with unknown covariance Q and observed by a linear function of the state contaminated by additive white Gaussian noise with unknown covariance R . The computational algorithm is inherently parallel in nature and it is noted that the algorithm should be implemented in a special purpose parallel processing digital computer made up of a number of filters similar to steady state Kalman filters each with a different gain. It is shown that the estimates of the state and the estimates of the unknown covariances Q and R can be made arbitrarily close to the optimal nonlinear Bayesian estimates by an appropriate choice for the number of parallel paths in the computer. When the filtering algorithm is implemented in a parallel processing computer the total processing time for state estimation in the unknown noise environment is only slightly increased over that required for a steady state Kalman filter. A numerical example with a five dimensional state and two dimensional measurement vector is presented.
Sorghum Phytochrome B Inhibits Flowering in Long Days by Activating Expression of SbPRR37 and SbGHD7, Repressors of SbEHD1, SbCN8 and SbCN12

Light signaling by phytochrome B in long days inhibits flowering in sorghum by increasing expression of the long day floral repressors PSEUDORESPONSE REGULATOR PROTEIN (SbPRR37, Ma1) and GRAIN NUMBER, PLANT HEIGHT AND HEADING DATE 7 (SbGHD7, Ma6). SbPRR37 and SbGHD7 RNA abundance peaks in the morning and in the evening of long days through coordinate regulation by light and output from the circadian clock. 58 M, a phytochrome B deficient (phyB-1, ma3R) genotype, flowered ∼60 days earlier than 100 M (PHYB, Ma3) in long days and ∼11 days earlier in short days. Populations derived from 58 M (Ma1, ma3R, Ma5, ma6) and R.07007 (Ma1, Ma3, ma5, Ma6) varied in flowering time due to QTL aligned to PHYB/phyB-1 (Ma3), Ma5, and GHD7/ghd7-1 (Ma6). PHYC was proposed as a candidate gene for Ma5 based on alignment and allelic variation. PHYB and Ma5 (PHYC) were epistatic to Ma1 and Ma6 and progeny recessive for either gene flowered early in long days. Light signaling mediated by PhyB was required for high expression of the floral repressors SbPRR37 and SbGHD7 during the evening of long days. In 100 M (PHYB) the floral activators SbEHD1, SbCN8 and SbCN12 were repressed in long days and de-repressed in short days. In 58 M (phyB-1) these genes were highly expressed in long and short days. Furthermore, SbCN15, the ortholog of rice Hd3a (FT), is expressed at low levels in 100 M but at high levels in 58 M (phyB-1) regardless of day length, indicating that PhyB regulation of SbCN15 expression may modify flowering time in a photoperiod-insensitive manner.
Gastric tube placement in young children.

In this study, the internal position of a nasogastric/orogastric tube was determined in 72 children, prior to an abdominal radiograph, by measuring CO2 and pH and bilirubin of tube aspirate. Fifteen of the 72 tubes (20.8%) were incorrectly placed on radiograph. Using the suggested adult cutoff of pH 5, pH of aspirate correctly predicted misplacement outside the stomach in 7/28 (25%) of children and correctly predicted correct placement in the stomach in 34 of 40 children (85%). Using the suggested adult cutoff of bilirubin > or = 5 mg/dL, bilirubin monitoring failed to identify either of two incorrectly placed tubes. In this study, using an algorithm of assuming stomach placement if the pH of aspirate is 5 would have resulted in 92% accuracy. Alternatively, obtaining an abdominal radiograph would result in nearly 100% accuracy.
Radiation Reciprocity in a Scattering Medium: An Experimental Study

It is pointed out that the reciprocity principle may hold approximately even when Compton effect is the predominant radiation interaction. Rough calculations supporting this view are reported. Experiments in which the integral absorbed dose Σ is determined in slab-like water phantoms exposed to collimated sources are described. The exposure rate E at the positions previously occupied by the sources when the phantoms are filled with radioactive material is measured in separate experiments, and the ratio Σ/E is shown to be sufficiently independent of the geometry to permit use of the principle in clinical work. The application of this result in rotation therapy and whole-body irradiation is pointed out.
A Robust Deterministic Model Describing the Bomb Radiocarbon Signal for Use in Fish Age Validation

Abstract The bomb radiocarbon chronometer has become a standard tool for assessing the accuracy of otolith-based fish age estimates. Use of the chronometer depends upon the increase in 14C that occurred due to the atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons in the middle of the 20th century. In previous analyses, a variety of ad hoc methods have been used to compare test chronologies with reference chronologies. This paper proposes a deterministic coupled-functions model that describes bomb radiocarbon chronologies and standardizes and facilitates comparisons within and across species. In this model, a Gaussian pulse of radiocarbon over time is assumed, and dispersion and dilution are described by continuous exponential decay. The model simplifies to the product of a cumulative normal function and an exponential function; despite its simplicity, the model approximates the observed changes in oceanic radiocarbon quite well. It also allows for statistical testing of the timing of increase between different time ...
The Manchurian Candidate (1962): An Interview with David Amram

For a course in film music analysis, part of the University of Southern California’s Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television Program curriculum, I required my composer students to analyze a film score, preferably one of their own choosing. In addition to finding a copy of the score, if extant, students were also to research what the composers themselves thought about what they had written that might yield both insights about the music and its role in a film. If living, and wherever possible, I encouraged a student to interview the film composer whose score they were studying, and in some instances, I conducted the interview together with the student. One student, Peter Bloesch, was fascinated by the main theme of David Amram’s score for John Frankenheimer’s political intrigue-suspense thriller, the critically acclaimed The Manchurian Candidate (1962). Peter had transcribed the theme by ear as heard in the main title, since the whereabouts of the score itself was unknown at the time. He wanted to know Amram’s thoughts about the theme, its style, and how it related to the score in the film as a whole. We interviewed Amram by phone November 6, 1990, just 10 ten days before his 60th birthday. In addition to talking about Manchurian Candidate, the composer was very forthcoming with his own views on a variety of musical topics, including his own philosophy of music and aesthetics, especially as relates to composing film music. The transcript that follows has been edited and revised for publication here by Amram and myself.
The atomic model theorem and type omitting

We investigate the complexity of several classical model theoretic theorems about prime and atomic models and omitting types. Some are provable in RCA0, others are equivalent to ACA0. One, that every atomic theory has an atomic model, is not provable in RCA0 but is incomparable with WKL0, more than 1 conservative over RCA0 and strictly weaker than all the combinatorial principles of Hirschfeldt and Shore [2007] that are not 1 conservative over RCA0. A priority argument with Shore blocking shows that it is also 1 -conservative over B 2. We also provide a theorem provable by a finite injury priority argument that is conservative over I 1 but implies I 2 over B 2, and a type omitting theorem that is equivalent to the principle that for every X there is a set that is hyperimmune relative to X. Finally, we give a version of the atomic model theorem that is equivalent to the principle that for every X there is a set that is not recursive in X, and is thus in a sense the weakest possible natural principle not true in the !-model consisting of the recursive sets.
Probe-transmission spectrum of a blue-detuned optical lattice.

The probe-transmission spectrum of a one-dimensional optical lattice is calculated. The optical lattice consists of atoms that are cooled by a pair of counterpropagating, linearly polarized fields, whose frequency \ensuremath{\omega} is detuned to the blue side of an atomic transition. A weak probe field of frequency ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\omega}}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ is assumed to be propagating in the same direction as one of the cooling fields. It is shown that, owing to the existence of dark and gray states in the lattice, the probe-transmission spectrum exhibits interesting features that are qualitatively different from those of a ``normal'' optical lattice with red-detuned cooling fields. Examples of these features include subrecoil linewidths and reversed absorption-amplification sidebands. It is shown that by monitoring the magnitudes of resonance signals in the spectrum, one can gain information on the evolution of the dark-state population in the lattice.
Studies of the mechanism of stimulus-sensitive myoclonus in man☆

Abstract Clinical and graphic observations of movement, muscular contraction and cerebral electrical activity in relation to a variety of stimuli in a patient with myoclonus-epilepsy are reported. The condition was myoclonus-epilepsy of the Unverricht-Lundborg type due to diffuse neuronal lipoidosis (cerebromacular degeneration). A stimulus evoked appropriately localized cerebral electrical disturbances and a localized myoclonus. With repetition of stimulus these spread progressively to produce the myoclonic convulsion. The clinical course and cerebral electrical concomitants of the transition from myoclonus to seizure are described. Both in response to a single stimulus and in the development of widespread myoclonus resulting from repetitive stimuli the slow wave component of the evoked cortical potential played a prominent part. The cortical spikes in receptor areas were not directly associated with the myoclonic muscular twitch. Diffuse cortical sharp spikes appeared late in the development of a seizure and were then directly related to muscular contractions. This final stage in the seizure is identical with other types of cortical tonic-clonic epileptic discharge, and was preceded by a build-up of the slow wave component of the earlier myoclonic phase. It is postulated that a breakdown in synaptic resistance due to diffuse neuronal disease, particularly in subcortical structures, is responsible for the phenomenon of myoclonus.
Phase I dose escalation study of docetaxel with filgrastim support in patients with advanced solid tumors

Docetaxel has demonstrated activity in a broad range of solid tumors. Phase I trials have shown 100 mg/m2 every 21 d to be the recommended dose. This phase I trial was designed to define the dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of docetaxel with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) support in patients with advanced solid tumors.
A regenerative link in the ionic fluxes through the weaver potassium channel underlies the pathophysiology of the mutation

The homozygous weaver mouse displays neuronal degeneration in several brain regions. Previous experiments in heterologous expression systems showed that the G protein-gated inward rectifier K+ channel (GIRK2) bearing the weaver pore-region GYG-to-SYG mutation (i) is not activated by G(beta gamma) subunits, but instead shows constitutive activation, and (ii) is no longer a K+-selective channel but conducts Na+ as well. The present experiments on weaverGIRK2 (wv-GIRK2) expressed in Xenopus oocytes show that the level of constitutive activation depends on Intracellular Na+ concentration. In particular, manipulations that decrease intracellular Na+ produce a component of Na+-permeable current activated via a G protein pathway. Therefore, constitutive activation may not arise because the weaver mutation directly alters the gating transitions of the channel protein. Instead, there may be a regenerative cycle of Na+ influx through the wvGIRK2 channel, leading to additional Na+ activation. We also show that the wvGIRK2 channel is permeable to Ca2+, providing an additional mechanism for the degeneration that characterizes the weaver phenotype. We further demonstrate that the GIRK4 channel bearing the analogous weaver mutation has properties similar to those of the wvGIRK2 channel, providing a glimpse of the selective pressures that have maintained the GYG sequence in nearly all known K+ channels.