cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PERCIST measurements from prone and supine FDG-PET/CT of the breast are statistically identical

1196 Objectives: Supine is the standard position for whole-body PET acquisition. However, patients are scanned in the prone position during breast MRI, as this improves visibility of breast tissue and the axilla. With the emergence of PET/MRI scanners that integrate functional information from PET and morphological and kinetic information from MRI, it is of great interest to determine if the prognostic utility of prone PET is equivalent to supine. This study compared PERCIST measurements between prone and supine FDG-PET/CT in patients with locally advanced breast cancer, as well as the ability of each scan position to predict pathologic complete response (pCR). Methods: Forty-seven patients were enrolled and received up to six cycles of neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) prior to surgery. All patients provided written informed consent. FDG-PET/CT prone and supine scans were performed at: baseline (t0;n=46), after Cycle 2 (t2; n=10), or after all NAT (t3; n=19). Four metrics were measured, including the standardized uptake value (SUV) normalized to lean body mass (SUL): SUVmax, SUVpeak, SULmax, and SULpeak from regions of interest drawn over the primary tumor and the right hepatic lobe (background). For all metrics, PERCIST measurements were performed for each baseline image that had at least one corresponding post-baseline scan. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis for the prediction of pCR was performed for each PERCIST measurement using a logistic regression model that included age and tumor size as covariates; areas under the ROC curve (AUC) were subsequently calculated. A Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to evaluate statistically significant differences. Results: SUV and SUL metrics measured from prone data were statistically lower than the supine values (p<0.001). However, the prone and supine values were highly correlated, and a Bland Altman analysis revealed that the two measures were consistent. No statistically significant differences in SULmax or SULpeak were observed between PERCIST measurements from prone and supine images (Figure 1; p=0.61 and p=0.83, respectively). Similar results were observed for both SUV metrics. Additionally, no statistical differences, as seen with overlapping 95% confidence intervals, were observed in the AUC values for either SUV or SUL metric (Table 1). Conclusions: Prone SUV and SUL metrics were statistically different than supine metrics, yet the values were consistent. No significant differences in PERCIST measurements of SUV and SUL metrics were observed between scan positions. Additionally, AUCs between prone and supine data were not different at predicting pCR in patients with locally advanced breast cancer. Research Support. National Cancer Institute for funding U01 CA142565, 1U01 CA174706, P50 CA098131, P30 CA68485, CPRIT RR00015, and the Kleberg Foundation.
Revision of the Oriental Region genus Epicnemis Borgmeier (Diptera: Phoridae)

The Oriental Region phorid genus Epicnemis Borgmeier is revised, resulting in the recognition of 15 species, 10 of which are new to science: E. alus, chaweewanae, digitalis, disjunctus, dorsalis, latus, projectus, ratanae, setosus, and sinuosus. Only males are treated, as females are highly modified and cannot be associated with their males based on morphology alone.
Generalizing deep whole-brain segmentation for post-contrast MRI with transfer learning

Purpose: Generalizability is an important problem in deep neural networks, especially with variability of data acquisition in clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Recently, the spatially localized atlas network tiles (SLANT) can effectively segment whole brain, non-contrast T1w MRI with 132 volumetric labels. Transfer learning (TL) is a commonly used domain adaptation tool to update the neural network weights for local factors, yet risks degradation of performance on the original validation/test cohorts. Approach: We explore TL using unlabeled clinical data to address these concerns in the context of adapting SLANT to scanning protocol variations. We optimize whole-brain segmentation on heterogeneous clinical data by leveraging 480 unlabeled pairs of clinically acquired T1w MRI with and without intravenous contrast. We use labels generated on the pre-contrast image to train on the post-contrast image in a five-fold cross-validation framework. We further validated on a withheld test set of 29 paired scans over a different acquisition domain. Results: Using TL, we improve reproducibility across imaging pairs measured by the reproducibility Dice coefficient (rDSC) between the pre- and post-contrast image. We showed an increase over the original SLANT algorithm (rDSC 0.82 versus 0.72) and the FreeSurfer v6.0.1 segmentation pipeline (rDSC = 0.53). We demonstrate the impact of this work decreasing the root-mean-squared error of volumetric estimates of the hippocampus between paired images of the same subject by 67%. Conclusion: This work demonstrates a pipeline for unlabeled clinical data to translate algorithms optimized for research data to generalize toward heterogeneous clinical acquisitions.
Cyberstalking Perpetration Among Young Adults: An Assessment of the Effects of Low Self-Control and Moral Disengagement:

The current study sought to explain cyberstalking perpetration using low self-control and moral disengagement frameworks. Self-report survey data collected from a Mechanical Turk sample of 1,500 yo...
Natural variation in fertility is correlated with species-wide levels of divergence in Caenorhabditis elegans

Life history traits underlie the fitness of organisms and are under strong natural selection in the face of environmental challenges. A new mutation that positively impacts a life history trait will likely increase in frequency and become fixed in a population (e.g. selective sweep). The identification of the beneficial alleles that underlie selective sweeps provides insights into the mechanisms that occurred during the evolution of species. In the global population of Caenorhabditis elegans, we previously identified selective sweeps that have drastically reduced chromosomal-scale genetic diversity in the species. Here, we measured the fertility (viable offspring) of a collection of wild C. elegans strains, including many recently isolated divergent strains from the Hawaiian islands and found that strains with larger swept genomic regions on multiple chromosomes have significantly higher fertility than strains that do not have evidence of the recent selective sweeps. We used genome-wide association (GWA) mapping to identify three quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying the fertility variation. Additionally, we mapped previous fertility data of wild C. elegans strains and C. elegans recombinant inbred advanced intercross lines (RIAILs) that were grown in various conditions and detected eight QTL across the genome using GWA and linkage mappings. These QTL show the genetic complexity of life history traits such as fertility across this species. Moreover, the haplotype structure in each GWA QTL region revealed correlations with recent selective sweeps in the C. elegans population. North American and European strains had significantly higher fertility than most strains from Hawaii, a hypothesized origin of the C. elegans species, suggesting that beneficial alleles that cause increased fertility could underlie the selective sweeps during the worldwide expansion of C. elegans.
Differentiating Participation: Identifying and Defining Civic Capacities Used by Latino Immigrants in Participatory Budgeting:

Participatory planning has faced challenges engaging predominantly Spanish-speaking immigrants beyond the bottom rungs of Arnstein’s ladder of citizen participation. Participating at any level of t...
The lasting impact of N.M. Fenneman’s works physiography of the western and eastern United States:

The publication of Fenneman’s two volumes on physiography: The Physiography of Western United States and the Physiography of Eastern United States, was the culmination of over 20 years of work towa...
Thermal Conductivity Measurements and Results

During the thermal conductivity measurements of the HgTe-based ternary melts, because the samples need to be hermetically contained inside a sealed fused silica ampoule the transient measurement by laser flash method was adopted. In most of the reports, measurements were performed to obtain thermal diffusivity first and then, thermal conductivity was calculated from the data of density and heat capacity. The density of the HgTe-based melts has been reported in Chap. 4 and the thermodynamic and phase diagram data, including the heat capacity, for the Hg–Cd–Te and Hg–Zn–Te ternary systems were obtained by assuming an associated solution model for the liquid phase as illustrated in Chap. 3. The detailed sample ampoule preparation, experimental setup and procedures for the thermal diffusivity measurements by laser flash method are presented. Then the thermal diffusivity measurements have been performed on both solids and melts of the pseudo-binaries of Hg1-xCdxTe, x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3, and Hg1-xZnxTe, for x = 0.10, 0.16, and 0.30. The corresponding thermal conductivity were then calculated. The data show similar trends for both systems. The thermal conductivity of the solid decreased gradually as temperature increased and reach a minimum at solidus temperature. The data of the melts show an almost linear dependence on temperature after the samples were heated above the liquidus temperatures. At a fixed temperature, the measured values of thermal diffusivity and conductivity decreased monotonically with x, the content of CdTe. The alternate approach for the measurement of thermal conductivity basically used the same laser flash method but analyzed the data differently by including the heat transfer between the sample melt and the fused silica cell. Based on the assumption that the temperature response of the sample melt, including the rapid rise and the slow fall, was controlled by the thermal diffusivity and conductivity of the sample and the fused silica cell, both thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity of the sample can be obtained by a computational fitting process. An analytical solution, using parametric values and graphical results from the numerical simulation of the transient heat transfer, was developed.
Structural and Functional Aspects of Social Relationships and Episodic Memory: Between-Person and Within-Person Associations in Middle-Aged and Older Adults.

OBJECTIVES A growing body of research has documented associations between social relationships and cognitive function, while findings are less clear regarding specific aspects of social relationships that are relevant to change in cognitive function. Furthermore, it is unclear whether associations differ at the between-person and within-person levels. METHOD The present study used 8-year longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine the role of structural (partnered/married, number of social network partners, and contact frequency) as well as functional (support, strain, and loneliness) aspects of social relationships for episodic memory at the between-person and within-person levels. Analyses are based on up to 3 waves of data from 19,297 participants (mean age at baseline = 66 years, SD = 10, range = 50-104; 58% women). Control variables include age at baseline, gender, education, functional health, and depressive symptoms. RESULTS Findings showed that at the between-person level, most structural and functional aspects were related to levels of memory performance, with participants with higher numbers of social network members, more frequent contact, and more positive experiences outperforming others. An exception was a higher number of family (child or relative) relationships. At the within-person level, on occasions where participants had a higher number of close family relationships than usual, had more social contact than usual, and felt less lonely than usual, they also showed higher than usual episodic memory performance. Finally, negative effects of social strain and loneliness on episodic memory performance at the between-person level were moderated by social network size, indicating that effects were more negative among individuals with larger social networks. DISCUSSION Both structural and functional aspects of social relationships contribute to between-person differences in levels and fluctuations of episodic memory performance. Ups and downs of relationships to relatives, social contact, and feelings of loneliness contribute to ups and downs of episodic memory. Potential mechanisms underlying these associations are discussed.
Identité locale et médiation républicaine dans Manon des sources de Marcel Pagnol

Les films de Pagnol sont generalement presentes comme des representations de la culture mediterraneenne dont l’authenticite repose souvent sur l’usage de stereotypes de l’identite locale. L’exemple...
Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation for Refractory Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (EROCA): Results of a Randomized Feasibility Trial of Expedited Out-of-Hospital Transport.

Study objective Outcomes of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest depend on time to therapy initiation. We hypothesize that it would be feasible to select refractory out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients for expedited transport based on real-time estimates of the 911 call to the emergency department (ED) arrival interval, and for emergency physicians to rapidly initiate ECPR in eligible patients. Methods In a 2-tiered emergency medical service with an ECPR-capable primary destination hospital, adults with refractory shockable or witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were randomized 4:1 to expedited transport or standard care if the predicted 911 call to ED arrival interval was less than or equal to 30 minutes. The primary outcomes were the proportion of subjects with 911 call to ED arrival less than or equal to 30 minutes and ED arrival to ECPR flow less than or equal to 30 minutes. Results Of 151 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest 911 calls, 15 subjects (10%) were enrolled. Five of 12 subjects randomized to expedited transport had an ED arrival time of less than or equal to 30 minutes (overall mean 32.5 minutes [SD 7.1]), and 5 were eligible for and treated with ECPR. Three of 5 ECPR-treated subjects had flow initiated in less than or equal to 30 minutes of ED arrival (overall mean 32.4 minutes [SD 10.9]). No subject in either group survived with a good neurologic outcome. Conclusion The Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation for Refractory Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest trial did not meet predefined feasibility outcomes for selecting out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients for expedited transport and initiating ECPR in the ED. Additional research is needed to improve the accuracy of predicting the 911 call to ED arrival interval, optimize patient selection, and reduce the ED arrival to ECPR flow interval.
Recent advances in engineering microbial rhodopsins for optogenetics.

Protein engineering of microbial rhodopsins has been successful in generating variants with improved properties for applications in optogenetics. Members of this membrane protein family can act as both actuators and sensors of neuronal activity. Chimeragenesis, structure-guided mutagenesis, and directed evolution have proven effective strategies for tuning absorption wavelength, altering ion specificity and increasing fluorescence. These approaches facilitate the development of useful optogenetic tools and, in some cases, have yielded insights into rhodopsin structure–function relationships.
Liberalization of Trade in Banking Services: An International and European Perspective

The financial crisis struck with full force in the autumn of 2008. Very soon after the start of the crisis, culprits were sought. An important recurring argument was that liberalization of trade in banking services, as pursued at the European (within the EU) and international level (in the WTO), had seriously reduced the possibilities for governments to regulate and supervise the banking sector. This book examines the validity of this claim and considers how EU law and WTO law deal with the trade-off any policy-maker must make between stability and efficiency in the market for banking services. The book considers specifically the interaction between EU and WTO law because the EU is itself a Member of the WTO, next to its Member States. This implies that the EU must respect the obligations it undertook in the framework of the WTO when the EU determines its policy towards third-country banks.
In vitro evolution suggests multiple origins for the hammerhead ribozyme.

The hammerhead ribozyme was originally discovered in a group of RNAs associated with plant viruses, and has subsequently been identified in the genome of the newt (Notophthalamus viridescens)1,2, in schistosomes3 and in cave crickets (Dolichopoda species)4. The sporadic occurrence of this self-cleaving RNA motif in highly divergent organisms could be a consequence of the very early evolution of the hammerhead ribozyme4,5, with all extant examples being descended from a single ancestral progenitor. Alternatively, the hammerhead ribozyme may have evolved independently many times. To better understand the observed distribution of hammerhead ribozymes, we used in vitro selection to search an unbiased sample of random sequences for comparably active self-cleaving motifs. Here we show that, under near-physiological conditions, the hammerhead ribozyme motif is the most common (and thus the simplest) RNA structure capable of self-cleavage at biologically observed rates. Our results suggest that the evolutionary process may have been channelled, in nature as in the laboratory, towards repeated selection of the simplest solution to a biochemical problem.
Implementing byte-range locks using MPI one-sided communication

We present an algorithm for implementing byte-range locks using MPI passive-target one-sided communication. This algorithm is useful in any scenario in which multiple processes of a parallel program need to acquire exclusive access to a range of bytes. One application of this algorithm is for implementing MPI-IO’s atomic-access mode in the absence of atomicity guarantees from the underlying file system. Another application is for implementing data sieving, a technique for optimizing noncontiguous writes by doing an atomic read-modify-write of a large, contiguous block of data. This byte-range locking algorithm can be used instead of POSIX fcntl file locks on file systems that do not support fcntl locks, on file systems where fcntl locks are unreliable, and on file systems where fcntl locks perform poorly. Our performance results demonstrate that the algorithm has low overhead and significantly outperforms fcntl locks on NFS file systems on a Linux cluster and on a Sun SMP.
Studies on dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide ubiquinone reductase. I. Assay of ubiquinone reductase activity in submitochondrial particles and extracts.

Abstract Mitochondrial particles prepared by exposing mitochondria to sonic oscillation catalyzed the oxidation of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide by ubiquinone-6, ubiquinone-10, the lower homologues of ubiquinone, and menadione. Ubiquinone-6 reduction activity was inhibited completely by rotenone and by amytal. Menadione reduction was also inhibited, but only partially, suggesting multiple sites of interaction of menadione with the respiratory chain. The extraction of a soluble reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide ubiquinone reductase from mitochondrial particles is described. The assay conditions for measuring the reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide ubiquinone reductase activity of particulate and soluble preparations are described in detail. The assay, which is carried out in a heterogeneous system containing ubiquinone in suspension, is sensitive to a variety of factors.
Smart health vital signs from the smart home

Dr. Skubic will describe interdisciplinary research in the Center for Eldercare and Rehabilitation Technology at the University of Missouri. Longitudinal research studies with inhome sensing systems have shown that the sensors offer new vital signs for detecting early signs of illness and functional decline. This talk will focus on in-home gait and balance as vital signs for monitoring health status. Dr. Skubic will discuss the significance of gait in tracking cognitive and physical health problems and will illustrate the capture of gait through different Smart Home sensor modalities (vision, radar, and depth images). Gait and fall alerts will be included, with case studies shown from senior homes. The talk will also include a discussion of the strategies used in this work to address research challenges such as collecting data, validating algorithms, and correlating gait parameters to health status. Finally, Dr. Skubic will discuss one approach to Closing the Loop in the form of an interactive interface to facilitate remote physical therapy.
Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Renal Pelvis: Management

Upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma (UUTTCC) accounts for approximately 5% of all urothelial tumors. Surgical therapy remains the standard of care for patients with localized disease based on tumor stage and grade. Surgical options for treatment range from minimally invasive procedures, such as ureteroscopy, and laparoscopic nephroureterectomy to open radical nephroureterectomy. Surveillance with cystoscopy and cytology following surgical management is essential as currently there are no variables that consistently predict which patients are destined to develop intravesical and/or contralateral upper tract recurrences. Extrapolating from traditional bladder TCC, both regional lymphadenectomy as well as neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy are likely to be beneficial for this cohort of patients. Management of patients with advanced UUTTCC should follow current guidelines utilized for patients with bladder TCC.
Effects of Theophylline on Nocturnal Sleep and Daytime Sleepiness/Alertness

To study the short-term effects of theophylline on sleep and wakefulness, 24 healthy men and women, aged 21 to 35 years, received each of three doses, 0, 3, and 6 mg/kg, of theophylline double-blind in a Latin Square design, administered to 12 subjects at 9 AM and to the other 12 at 11 PM. After the daytime administration, sleep latency was tested at 10 AM, 12 NOON, 2 PM, and 4 PM and divided attention and auditory vigilance performance were tested at 10:30 AM and 2:30 PM. After the nighttime administration, a standard 8-h polysomnogram was collected. On a separate day all subjects received a single 6-mg/kg dose at 9 AM and blood samples were drawn at 8:30 and 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM, 2:30 PM, and 4:30 PM. The serum theophylline levels for the 6-mg/kg dose peaked at 11.0 μg/mL and declined to 8.1 μg/mL by 4:30 PM. In the daytime administration, daytime mean sleep latency was increased by both doses and performance was improved by the high dose but not the low dose. In the nighttime administration, nocturnal sleep onset was delayed and total wake time was increased by the high dose but not the low dose. The low dose increased the amount of light stage 1 sleep without producing wakefulness. (CHEST 1995; 108:382-87)
The random coil → β transition of copolymers of L‐lysine and L‐valine: Potentiometric titration and circular dichroism studies

A series of copolymers of L-lysine and L-valine [poly(L-lysinefL-valine100-f)] containing 0–13% L-valine have been studied, in 0.10M KF solution, using potentiometric titration and circular dichroism spectroscopy. Incorporation of increasing amounts of valine into the copolymers favors β-sheet formation over α-helix formation at high pH and room temperature. The titrations were analyzed using the method of Zimm and Rice and the partial free energy (ΔG0cβ) for the coil-to-β-sheet transition for valine is estimated at 900 cal/mole at 25°C. From the temperature dependence of the free energy, the partial enthalpy, ΔH0cβ, and entropy, ΔS0cβ, of the transition for valine is estimated to be 854 cal/mole and 6.0 e.u., respectively. The corresponding partial thermodynamic parameters for L-lysine are in agreement with published results. The fraction of β-sheet versus pH has been calculated for poly(L-lysine86.8L-valine13.2) at 25.0°C using the titration data; data obtained from circular dichroism spectroscopy for the same copolymer are in good accord. It is concluded from these results that L-valine is a very strong β-sheet forming amino acid. Furthermore, these results indicate that the Zimm–Rice method is applicable to transitions between the coil and β-sheet states for a polypeptide containing two different residues.
Myeloperoxidase and Plaque Vulnerability

Sudden cardiac death remains the leading cause of mortality in industrialized societies, outpacing all cancer related deaths combined. The majority of sudden cardiac deaths arise from acute myocardial infarction secondary to intracoronary artery thromboses. Remarkably, the culprit lesions involved are typically not flow-limiting stenoses,1,2 but rather inflamed lipid-laden lesions.3,4 Whereas plaque fissuring or rupture, which exposes the intensely prothrombogenic lipid core, occurs in a majority of cases, fully 40% of intracoronary artery thromboses arise at sites of superficial erosions, where endothelial cell (EC) loss and denudation occurs.3 The mechanisms responsible for plaque vulnerability leading to acute coronary artery thrombosis remain poorly understood. Mounting evidence, however, points toward a critical role for inflammatory processes.5–8 Macrophages serve as the dominant cell type in the immediate site of both plaque ruptures and superficial erosions in subjects who experience acute coronary thrombosis,8 and recent clinical investigations reveal important associations between leukocytes,9,10 their enzymes,11–13 and their activation,14,15 in subjects with unstable angina and acute coronary syndromes. In this issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology , Sugiyama and colleagues significantly extend our knowledge of potential pathophysiologic inflammatory processes within vulnerable atheroma.16 Using a combination of biochemical, cellular, and immunohistologic studies, they describe unifying mechanistic links between the activity of the leukocyte enzyme myeloperoxidase (MPO) and two cardinal features of vulnerable plaque: EC loss/denudation and development of a prothrombotic phenotype. See page 1309 First identified within human atherosclerotic plaque nearly a decade ago,17 MPO has emerged as an important potential participant in the atherosclerotic process. MPO, a member of the heme peroxidase superfamily, generates reactive oxidants and diffusible radical species as part of its normal function in innate host defenses.18 A unique activity of MPO is its ability to use the halide chloride as cosubstrate …
A theoretical investigation of tautomeric equilibria and proton transfer in isolated and monohydrated cytosine and isocytosine molecules

Abstract The results of an ab initio post Hartree–Fock (HF) comparable study of the relative stabilities and mechanisms of intramolecular proton transfer in isolated and monohydrated cytosine and isocytosine molecules are reported. The geometries of local minima and transition states were optimized without symmetry restrictions by the gradient procedure at the HF and MP2 levels of theory and were verified by energy second derivative calculations. The standard 6-31G(d) basis set was used. The single point calculations have been performed at the MP4(SDQ)/6-31G(d,p)//MP2/6-31G(d) and MP2/6-311++G(d,p)//MP2/6-31G(d) approximations. The post HF ab initio theory predicts different distributions of the tautomers for cytosine and isocytosine both in the gas phase and in polar media (Onsager's self-consistent reaction field model). The interactions with one water molecule change the order of relative stability of cytosine and isocytosine tautomers to those corresponding to the experimentally measured relative stabilities in polar solutions. Ab initio calculations predict the heights of the proton transfer barriers for monohydrated nucleic bases to be approximately three times lower compared with non-water-assisted processes.
Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome with hepatoblastoma

We report a two-year old male patient, with Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, phenylketonuria and hepatoblastoma. The patient, GP, was the first child of a 35-year old gravida 2 para 0-0-1-0 mother. The mother has mitral valve prolapse and left conductive hearing loss secondary to abnormal ossicles. Prenatal triple marker screen indicated an increased risk for Down syndrome. Amniocentesis was declined. Fetal sonograms suspected a Dandy-Walker variant with no hydrocephalus and severe IUGR. Delivery was at thirty-two weeks gestation by emergency Cesarean section for pre-term labor and vaginal bleeding secondary to subchorionic hematoma. Apgar scores were 6/8; birth weight was 1282 g (75th centile; corrected for gestation), birth length was 38 cm (5th centile,), and OFC was 27 centimeters (5th centile; corrected). The umbilical cord had three vessels and was thick. A large PDA was diagnosed. He required a ventilator and phototherapy. EKG was abnormal with right axis deviation. Genetics consult revealed a prominent nose, pencil-like eyebrows, low-set ears, hypoplastic nipples, undescended testes, broad first digits and angulated thumbs. Hypotonia was noted. The impression was Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome. Indomethacin reduced the PDA. Newborn metabolic screening at 6 days of age showed a phenylalanine level of 8 mg/dl. Follow up level was 62.2 mg/dl at 15 days of age. He was diagnosed with classic PKU. Neopterin, biopterin and dihydropteridine reductase levels were normal. Karyotype was 46, XY. Ophthalmalogic evaluation was normal. Cranial sonograms showed no posterior fossa abnormality. MRI scan showed increased signal on the periventricular and subcortical white matter. The finding was considered nonspecific and possibly consistent with prematurity. Renal sonogram showed slightly small kidneys with mild left hydronephrosis. At two years of age GP presented with chronic constipation and feeding difficulties as well as low grade fevers and an enlarged liver. A surgical biopsy showed hepatoblastoma. Although a variety of rare tumors have been reported in individuals with Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, this is the first report of hepatoblastoma in this condition.
Enterococcal mechanisms of resistance against cell wall-active agents

Summary It is clear that enterococcal mechanisms of resistance against cell wall-active agents have become increasingly important. These mechanisms are complex and most likely related to the stringent response and dormancy. Neither newer investigational antimicrobial agents such as fluoroquinolones nor older agents such as tetracyclines, alone or in combination, have been shown to be effective substitutes for the combination of a penicillin and an aminoglycoside against enterococci. This current lack of alternative therapy reemphasizes the importance of enterococcal mechanisms of resistance against cell wall-active agents.
Assessment of diabetic control by measurement of urinary glycopeptides.

The relationship between improvement in diabetic control and changes in levels of glycosylated urinary peptides was investigated. Eight poorly controlled Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients were studied as optimal metabolic control was achieved. Mean daily blood glucose values and weekly haemoglobin A1 levels were determined simultaneously. Urinary glycosylated peptide levels fell 50% in 15 days, compared with 23 days for haemoglobin A1. Levels of glycosylated urinary peptides were sensitive to increased mean blood glucose concentrations of 9.72 mmol/l and increased linearly up to 20.0 mmol/l (r=0.98) when compared with mean blood glucose levels obtained 8–9 days earlier. A similar correlation was found with haemoglobin A1 levels. Levels of glycosylated urinary peptides before and after optimal control were compared, and a decrease of 40% was observed (pre-control: 269±44 μmol/day, optimal control: 162±45 μmol/day, mean±SEM). The lag time between the fall in mean blood glucose level and the parallel fall in glycosylated urinary peptides was 8–9 days, suggesting that measurement of these compounds may become a useful clinical laboratory technique for monitoring short-term integrated glycaemia in diabetic patients.
The Food of Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill) Fry from Different Subsections of Lawrence Creek, Wisconsin

Abstract Brook trout fry in Lawrence Creek consumed more chironomids, simuliids, and ephemeropterans than trichopterans or amphipods during their first 6 months of life. Diets of fry from different sections of the stream were similar. Fry captured from upstream sections were consistently longer (5 to 12 mm) than those taken from downstream sections. This differential is explained on a basis of preferential upstream migration of larger fry during the period of the study.
Vibration-based damage assessment utilizing state space geometry changes: local attractor variance ratio

A novel feature extracted from a nonlinear time series is presented within the context of vibration-based damage detection in a system. An eight-degree-of-freedom spring-mass-damper `structure' is considered with damage incurred by a stiffness degradation in one spring. The system is excited with a chaotic input, and by tuning the Lyapunov exponents of the chaotic excitation to the dominant eigenvalue of the structure the dimensionality of the entire system is effectively controlled. Both the input and output are viewed in state space as geometric objects, and the effect of the damage is shown to alter the geometric properties of the corresponding attractors at a local level, which may be captured in construction of the feature. The utility of the feature is compared with that of a number of modal-based features and shown to be superior in resolving capability and in robustness.
A study of the icy tails of the distant comets

Properties are studied of the icy grain model for the tails of comets Baade 1955 VI and Haro-Chavira 1956 I, which have large perihelion distances. The general profiles and orientations of the tails are compared with a set of synchrones, or theoretical trajectories of particles ejected from a cometary nucleus at given instants of time. Several features observed in these comets are shown to be explained by the icy grain model, including jet activity in the coma and no appreciable broadening of the tail with increasing distance from the nucleus. It is demonstrated that the transition region between 2 and 3 AU, where water snow begins to experience rapid evaporation, has a significant effect on the dynamics of icy tails. It is suggested that the icy grains constituting these cometary tails may carry fine particles of meteoric dust which are released when the grains begin to disintegrate by evaporation.
Bounded point derivations on certain Banach algebras

Let now X be a compact set in the z-plane. Denote by R,(X) the algebra of all rational functions having no poles on X. Let R(X) be the closure of R,(X) in the uniform norm on X. R(X) is then a Banach algebra in this norm. It is well known that the homomorphisms of R(X) into the scalars are all of the formf-+f( x ), w h ere x is some point in X. We identify the point x with the homomorphism it induces. Fix x in X. It is easy to verify that there exists a bounded point derivation at x if and only if
NOAA-11 AVHRR visible and near-IR inflight calibration

An inflight calibration method for NOAA-11 AVHRR visible and near-infrared bands using desert reflectance is discussed. The results show a decrease in sensor systems response of 22 percent and 32 percent for the visible and near-infrared bands, respectively, relative to the published preflight calibration. The relative accuracy of the present calibration to the calibration of NOAA-9, published elsewhere, is + or - 3 percent. The absolute accuracy is around + or - 6 percent. An approximate correction to the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ratio suggests that an increase of 0.06 is required.
Male transgenic glycine receptor α1 (S267Q) mutant mice display a hyperekplexia-like increase in acoustic startle responses

Abstract Glycine receptors (GlyR) are ligand-gated ion channels that inhibit neurotransmission in the spinal cord and brainstem, and mutations in GlyR can cause the human disease hyperekplexia, which is characterized by elevated startle responses. Recently, the GlyR α 1 S267Q mutation was shown to disrupt normal GlyR function, and knock-in mice harboring this mutation displayed profoundly increased acoustic startle responses and reduced glycine-stimulated the chloride flux [Findlay, G.S., Phelan, R., Roberts, M.T., Homanics, G.E., Bergeson, S.E., Lopreato, G.F., Mihic, S.J., Blednov, Y.A., Harris, R.A. 2003. Glycine receptor knock-in mice and hyperekplexia: comparisons with the null mutant. J Neurosci 23, 8051–8059.]. In this study, a transgenic mouse model expressing this S267Q mutation was evaluated using similar techniques to determine if these mice are similarly affected. Male transgenic mice displayed increased acoustic startle responses. However, decreases in glycine-stimulated strychnine-sensitive radioactive chloride ( 36 Cl − ) uptake were not observed in spinal cord and brainstem synaptoneurosomes from transgenic mice. No changes in habituation or prepulse inhibition of startle responses or spontaneous locomotion in response to taurine were observed as a result of presence of the transgene. Consistent with previous studies using immunoblotting and strychnine binding [Findlay, G.S., Wick, M.J., Mascia, M.P., Wallace, D., Miller, G.W., Harris, R.A., Blednov, Y.A. 2002. Transgenic expression of a mutant glycine receptor decreases alcohol sensitivity of mice. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 300, 526–534.], the glycine-stimulated strychnine-sensitive chloride flux of cortical microsacs in transgenic mice confirmed the ectopic expression of transgenic GlyR. These results support both the idea that transgenic expression of the S267Q mutation produces a less dramatic phenotype as compared to the knock-in mouse model as well as the idea that the in vivo acoustic startle test (as compared to the in vitro chloride flux assay) is particularly sensitive to disruptions in GlyR function.
HPLC DETERMINATION OF GINSENOSIDES CONTENT IN GINSENG DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS USING ULTRAVIOLET DETECTION

ABSTRACT A total of 21 ginseng products, including Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) and North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) in the form of powdered roots, capsules, liquid extracts, caplets, tablets, and softgels, etc., were analyzed for ginsenoside content by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet detection at 203 nm. The present method was validated for linearity, sensitivity, reproducibility, and recovery. Two methods of extraction for powdered ginseng root samples were compared by employing (1) sonication with methanol (3 × 30 min) and (2) extraction with 30% methanol (50°C, 30 min), with the former yielding a higher efficiency for the extraction of ginsenosides from powdered ginseng roots. Analysis of 21 ginseng products revealed that the ginsenoside content in Asian ginseng (P. ginseng) is generally lower than that in North American ginseng (P. quinquefolius). The comparability of ginsenosides profiles might help to identify the origin of the ginseng.
Excited-state entanglement and thermal mutual information in random spin chains

Entanglement properties of excited eigenstates (or of thermal mixed states) are difficult to study with conventional analytical methods. We approach this problem for random spin chains using a recently developed real-space renormalization group technique for excited states (``RSRG-X''). For the random XX and quantum Ising chains, which have logarithmic divergences in the entanglement entropy of their (infinite-randomness) critical ground states, we show that the entanglement entropy of excited eigenstates retains a logarithmic divergence while the mutual information of thermal mixed states does not. However, in the XX case the coefficient of the logarithmic divergence extends from the universal ground-state value to a universal interval due to the degeneracy of excited eigenstates. These models are noninteracting in the sense of having free-fermion representations, allowing strong numerical checks of our analytical predictions.
The role of family experiences and ADHD in the early development of oppositional defiant disorder.

Objective The present study examined the role of family experiences in the early development and maintenance of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms in preschool-age children with behavior problems. Method Participants were 199 3-year-old children with behavior problems who took part in 4 annual child and family assessments. Results Children with behavior problems who were exposed to overreactive parenting practices, maternal depression, marital conflict, and lower family income tended to have more ODD symptoms 3 years later. Moreover, initial changes in paternal overreactivity and changes in maternal depression corresponded to initial changes in ODD symptoms. Children who met criteria for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder at 6 years of age were less likely to show improvement in ODD symptoms from 3 to 6 years of age, and they were more likely to have been exposed to negative parenting practices, marital conflict, and parental depression during the preschool years. Maternal depression and overreactivity mediated the relation between early hyperactivity and later ODD symptoms. Conclusions Results point to the importance of early family functioning in the development of ODD.
An analysis of cloud radiation forcing as calculated from ERBE, AVHRR and Nimbus-7 ERB and cloud data

Abstract Longwave cloud radiative forcing, defined as the cloud free flux minus the average flux has been calculated using radiation budget data from NOAA operational satellites, ERBE (Earth Radiation Budget Experiment) and Nimbus-7 cloud and radiation budget observations. Each satellite data set has unique characteristics and different analysis procedures were used for obtaining the cloud forcing from each set. Longwave cloud forcing was computed globally on a 2.5° latitude/longitude grid. An intercomparison of results indicates that the estimates of cloud forcing, while showing some differences, exhibit a high degree of consistency in both magnitude and spatial distribution. This suggests that we can obtain a reasonably accurate depiction of spatial and temporal variability of the longwave cloud forcing suitable for climate studies. A method for calculating cloud forcing anomalies from anomalies in outgoing longwave radiation, available from NOAA operational satellites, is proposed.
Noncommutative Enumeration in Graded Posets

We define a noncommutative algebra of flag-enumeration functionals on graded posets and show it to be isomorphic to the free associative algebra on countably many generators. Restricted to Eulerian posets, this ring has a particularly appealing presentation with kernel generated by Euler relations. A consequence is that even on Eulerian posets, the algebra is free, with generators corresponding to odd jumps in flags. In this context, the coefficients of the cd-index provide a graded basis.
Rational development of a HIV-1 gene therapy vector

Background HIV-1 provides an attractive option as the basis for gene transfer vectors due to its ability to stably transduce non-cycling cell populations. In order to fully utilise the promise of HIV-1 as a vector it is important that the effects of viral cis sequence elements on vector function are carefully delineated. Methods In this study we have systematically evaluated the effect of various cis elements from the HIV-1 YU-2 genome that have been implicated as either affecting vector performance, or HIV-1 replication, on the efficiency of vector production (titre and infectivity). As a measure of the relative safety of vectors their propensity to inadvertently transfer the gagpol gene to transduced cells was assessed. Results Sequences that were found to increase vector titre were from the 5′ end of the gag gene, from the 5′ and 3′ ends of the env gene, from immediately upstream of the polypurine tract, and the central polypurine tract. The substitution of the HIV-1 RRE with heterologous RNA transport elements, or the deletion of the RRE, resulted in greatly reduced vector titres. RNA analysis suggested that the role of the Rev/RRE system extends beyond simply acting as an RNA nuclear export signal. The relative safety of different vector designs was compared and an optimal construct selected. Conclusions Based on our results we have constructed a vector that is both more efficient, and has better safety characteristics, than the widely used pHR′ HIV-1 vector construct. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The reverse cholesterol transport pathway improves understanding of genetic networks for fat deposition and muscle growth in beef cattle.

In the present study, thirteen genes involved in the reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) pathway were investigated for their associations with three fat depositions, eight fatty acid compositions and two growth-related phenotypes in a Wagyu x Limousin reference population, including 6 F1 bulls, 113 F1 dams, and 246 F2 progeny. A total of 37 amplicons were used to screen single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on 6 F1 bulls. Among 36 SNPs detected in 11 of these 13 genes, 19 were selected for genotyping by the Sequenom assay design on all F2 progeny. Single-marker analysis revealed seven SNPs in ATP binding cassette A1, apolipoproteins A1, B and E, phospholipid transfer protein and paraoxinase 1 genes significantly associated with nine phenotypes (P<0.05). Previously, we reported genetic networks associated with 19 complex phenotypes based on a total of 138 genetic polymorphisms derived from 71 known functional genes. Therefore, after Bonferroni correction, these significant (adjusted P<0.05) and suggestive (adjusted P<0.10) associations were then used to identify genetic networks related to the RCT pathway. Multiple-marker analysis suggested possible genetic networks involving the RCT pathway for kidney-pelvic-heart fat percentage, rib-eye area, and subcutaneous fat depth phenotypes with markers derived from paraoxinase 1, apolipoproteins A1 and E, respectively. The present study confirmed that genes involved in cholesterol homeostasis are useful targets for investigating obesity in humans as well as for improving meat quality phenotypes in a livestock production.
Effects of compliance boundary location on contaminant detection networks in aquifers

Groundwater monitoring networks were derived for 15 alternative compliance boundaries, located from 10 to 150 meters downgradient of a landfill. For each compliance boundary, a mass transport model was used to define the linear monitoring transect, perpendicular to groundwater flow, requiring the fewest detection wells. The distance (dt) to the optimal monitoring transect was consistently 0.40 to 0.75 times the distance to the compliance boundary (dc). Compliance boundaries located near a landfill provide capability for early detection, but also require a substantial number of closely spaced wells. As dc increases, the minimum number of wells (No) required along the optimal transect decreases. However, the rate of decrease (No/dc) is progressively smaller in the downgradient direction. And there is a value for dc, in this example 70 meters, beyond which the decrease in No is negligible.
On understanding the connections between classroom research and teacher change

(1987). On understanding the connections between classroom research and teacher change. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 26, Understanding Instruction, pp. 3-7.