cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetics of protein a activation of mononuclear cells from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia — I. CLL B-cells are not intrinsically unresponsive to staphylococcal protein A

Abstract The response of lymphocyte subpopulations to staphylococcal Protein A (SPA) was studied in patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and normal volunteers. The kinetics of the proliferative response, optimal dose and sera requirements were determined. Of 92 experiments conducted in 60 patients, SPA induced peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) proliferation in 81.5% of cases studied. The mean proliferative response of CLL PBMC was significantly lower than normal PBMC, 5823 vs. 30,364 cpm. However, enriched CLL B-cells failed to respond to SPA compared to normal enriched B-cells, with mean cpm 444 vs. 6438 respectively. As PBMC from CLL consist of increased proportions of B-cells and decreased proportions of T-cells, enriched CLL B-cells were cultured at 1 : 1 ratio with autologous or allogeneic normal T-cell enriched fractions. CLL B-lymphocytes were stimulated by SPA when cultured in the presence of T-lymphocytes, indicating a T-helper defect in the B-CLL proliferative response to SPA, rather than an intrinsic inability of CLL B-cells to proliferate. These observations are of import for further studies of CLL B-lymphocyte function, cytogenetics, and establishment of CLL B-cell lines in culture.
Kondo effect in amorphous palladium-silicon alloys containing transition metals

Abstract A Kondo-type resistivity minimum has been found in amorphous palladium-silicon alloys containing Cr, Mn, Fe or Co. It has been also established that the resistivity minimum anomaly can coexist with ferromagnetism in some of the amorphous alloys studied.
A stress syndrome in the hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria

Abstract The hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria , shows a general response to environmental variation and infection. The molar ratio of free taurine to glycine in gill and mantle tissues climbs above 3, while α-amino acids and carbohydrates decrease. Subtle adjustments in the total pattern of free amino acids and fatty acids also occur, but these can be readily seen by changes in biochemical diversity and equitability. In an estuary long polluted with hydrocarbons, the calm population has a patchy distribution and a short life-span. These variations are attributed to a culmination of abnormal complications superimposed on natural responses to a seasonally changing environment. The process apparently starts after a tarlike irritant collects in epithelial tissue and eventually plugs the renal sac. This leads, indirectly, to invasion of shells by Polydora sp., a polychaete which is rarely found in hard clams. A syndrome with many facets soon becomes clear, but the situation can be identified and its results predicted by simply observing the responses of taurine and glycine in stressed and normal populations. When the molar ratio of taurine to glycine is less than 3, the population is normal; if it lies between 3 and 5, a chronic stress is indicated; and at values greater than 5 the situation is acute.
Complementation of a replication-defective mutant of equine herpesvirus type 1 by a cell line expressing the immediate-early protein.

Abstract Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) possesses a sole, diploid immediate-early (IE) gene that encodes a major regulatory protein of 1487 amino acids capable of modulating expression of both early and late EHV-1 promoters and capable of trans -repressing its own promoter. In this study, a rabbit kidney cell line (IE13.1) that constitutively expresses the EHV-1 IE protein was generated by cotransfection of rabbit kidney (RK-13) cells with the viral IE gene and a neomycin resistance marker. The IE protein expressed by this cell line was shown (1) to be expressed by and to localize to the nucleus of virtually all cells as demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence, (2) to be the full-size IE polypeptide as judged by Western immunoblot analyses with an anti-IE protein-specific antibody, and (3) to be functional as shown by the transactivation of two representative EHV-1 early promoters linked to the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene in transient transfection assays. The IE13.1 cell line was able to complement a recombinant virus in which both copies of the IE gene were replaced by insertion of the Escherichia coli lacZ gene. This IE deletion mutant, designated KyAΔIE, was not able to replicate in equine, rabbit, or mouse cells but was capable of replication in the IE13.1 cells that provided the IE protein in trans . Rescue of the KyAΔIE virus was achieved by recombination with a marker plasmid that harbors the wild-type IE gene, and the rescued virus (KyAΔIER) was able to grow on noncomplementary cells. Overall, these results offer direct evidence that the IE gene is essential for EHV-1 replication and provide reagents useful for the analysis of IE protein function.
Fracture separation of the olecranon ossification center in adults.

Traumatic disruption of an incompletely fused olecra non physis in adults has been reported on only one occasion by O'Donoghue in 1942, while stress frac tures of the olecranon physis have been well-recog nized and reported.A series of three adult males with traumatic disruption of an incompletely fused olecranon physis was studied. Two were competing in football at the time of the injury, while a third patient sustained the injury during a fall. All of our patients were former throwing athletes and all sustained a direct blow to the dominant elbow at the time of the fracture.In our study, as well as O'Donoghue's reported case, sclerotic fracture margins were noted. Open reduction, internal fixation (ORIF) required and subsequent fibrous union occurred. Two patients chose bone grafting and returned to competitive athletics, while the third patient functioned well at a sedentary level with a fibrous union.These cases suggest a high incidence of fibrous union following ORIF. Primary bone grafting is recomme...
A comprehensive scattering parameter based, de-embedding procedure for silicon devices at mm-wave frequency and beyond

This paper describes how to characterize the pad structure embedding silicon devices directly in terms of scattering parameters. The new procedure accounts for distributed effects associated with the structure itself (e.g. the so-called dangling source leg effect) and other coupling effects. The proposed approach is key to extending device characterization into the mm-wave range. The procedure makes use of standard structures typically available on silicon tiles without calling for measurements of additional structures. Further, it does not rely on an equivalent circuit of the structure for its characterization. The procedure is demonstrated by measurements of structures available on the Tower-Jazz semiconductor SBC13 SiGe BiCMOS process. Results acquired over the broad range of frequencies from 2 to 50GHz will be presented and discussed.
Choosing a Range for the Amount of Smoothing in Nonparametric Regression

Abstract Most nonparametric regression estimates smooth the observed data in the process of generating a suitable estimate. The resulting curve estimate is sensitive to the amount of smoothing introduced, and it is important to examine the estimate over a range of smoothing choices. An objective way to specify such a range is to estimate the optimal value of the smoothing parameter (bandwidth) with respect to some loss function and then report a confidence interval for this parameter estimate. This interval suggests examining three regression estimates: an undersmoothed curve evaluated at the lower endpoint of the confidence interval, an oversmoothed curve evaluated at the upper endpoint, and also an optimal curve chosen by the data-based method. This article describes two strategies for constructing such confidence intervals using asymptotic approximations and simulation techniques. Suppose that data are observed from the model Yk = f(tk ) + ek (1 ≤ k ≤ n), where f is a function that is twice differentia...
Change mechanisms in cognitive therapy of a simple phobia: Logical analysis and empirical hypothesis testing

The effectiveness of two hypothesized change mechanisms in cognitive therapy was investigated: logical analysis and empirical hypothesis testing. Thirty-eight spider phobics, as determined by performance on a behavioral avoidance test, were randomly assigned to either one of these two conditions or to a no-treatment control condition. Subjects participated in three group sessions. Outcome phobia questionnaire data suggested that both mechanisms produced desirable changes in a short period of time, with stronger evidence that logical analysis was superior to the control. Outcome from the behavior avoidance test and self-efficacy ratings failed to reach statistical significance but the trends were in the direction of positive change. Results are discussed in terms of the tripartite response dessynchrony hypothesis. Suggestions for future process research in cognitive therapy are provided.
Pediatricians' weight assessment and obesity management practices

Clinician adherence to obesity screening guidelines from United States health agencies remains suboptimal. This study explored how personal and career demographics influence pediatricians' weight assessment and management practices. A web-based survey was distributed to U.S. pediatricians. Respondents were asked to identify the weight status of photographed children and about their weight assessment and management practices. Associations between career and personal demographic variables and pediatricians' weight perceptions, weight assessment and management practices were evaluated using univariate and multivariate modeling. 3,633 pediatric medical providers correctly identified the weight status of children at a median rate of 58%. The majority of pediatric clinicians were white, female, and of normal weight status with more than 10 years clinical experience. Experienced pediatric medical providers were less likely than younger colleagues to correctly identify the weight status of pictured children and were also less likely to know and use BMI criteria for assessing weight status. General pediatricians were more likely than subspecialty practitioners to provide diverse interventions for weight management. Non-white and Hispanic general practitioners were more likely than counterparts to consider cultural approaches to weight management. Pediatricians' perceptions of children's weight and their weight assessment and management practices are influenced by career and personal characteristics. Objective criteria and clinical guidelines should be uniformly applied by pediatricians to screen for and manage pediatric obesity.
A bioreducible linear poly(β-amino ester) for siRNA delivery

Described here is the synthesis and characterization of a novel, bioreducible linear poly(β-amino ester) designed to condense siRNA into nanoparticles and efficiently release it upon entering the cytoplasm. Delivery of siRNA using this polymer achieved near-complete knockdown of a fluorescent marker gene in primary human glioblastoma cells with no cytotoxicity.
Photodissociation of Noble Metal-Doped Carbon Clusters

Noble metal carbide cluster cations (MC(n)(+), M = Cu, Au) are produced by laser vaporization in a pulsed molecular beam and detected with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Copper favors the formation of carbides with an odd number of carbon atoms, while gold shows marked drops in ion intensity after clusters with 3, 6, 9, and 12 carbons. These clusters are mass selected and photodissociated at 355 nm. Copper carbides with an odd number of carbons fragment by eliminating the metal from the cluster; for the small species it is eliminated as Cu(+) and for the larger species it is lost as neutral Cu. Copper carbides with an even number of carbons also lose the metal, but in addition to this they eliminate neutral C(3). This even-odd alternation, with the even clusters having mixed fragments, holds true for clusters as large as CuC(30)(+). No loss of C(2) is observed for even the largest clusters studied, indicating that fullerene formation does not occur. The gold carbide photodissociation data closely parallel that of copper, with even clusters losing primarily C(3) and odd ones losing gold. Comparisons to known carbon cluster ionization potentials give some insight into the structures of carbon photofragments. DFT calculations performed on CuC(3-11)(+) allow comparisons of the energetics of isomers likely present in our experiment, and metal-carbon dissociation energies help explain the even-odd alternation in the fragmentation channels. The simplest picture of these metal-doped carbides consistent with all the data is that the small species have linear chain structures with the metal attached at the end, whereas the larger species have cyclic structures with the metal attached externally to a single carbon.
The role of myocardial perfusion imaging in special populations: Women, diabetics, and heart failure

Cardiovascular disease and its manifestations remain a major worldwide public health problem. Despite significant advances in diagnosis and treatment, coronary artery disease remains the leading cause of death of men and women in the developed world. Early and accurate diagnosis of coronary artery disease is crucial if men and women are to have improved outcomes. The continuous and dramatic growth in the field of nuclear cardiology during the past 2 decades has accounted for its central role in the clinical evaluation of patients with known or suspected coronary heart disease. The development of electrocardiogram-gated single photon emission tomography has facilitated the expansion of nuclear cardiology studies from the evaluation of myocardial perfusion alone to the evaluation of both perfusion and ventricular function data in a single study. Myocardial perfusion imaging with electrocardiogram-gated single photon emission tomography, with its ability to provide information about the physiologic significance of coronary stenosis, left ventricular function, and risk assessment of patients with coronary artery disease, is ideally suited for the diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of the patient who is at high to intermediate risk for ischemic heart disease.
Silver-coated joints of aluminum conductors

THE EXPANDING facilities for the production of aluminum, coupled with its advantages of light weight and low cost, indicate strongly that aluminum will occupy a position of increasing importance in the electrical industry. To meet the high standards of performance being maintained with electrical joints in modern switch gear, a new process has been developed for the silver plating of aluminum. By replacing the aluminum surface in the contact area with a silver surface, the detrimental effects of the much discussed aluminum-oxide surface film can be eliminated. In this manner the admirable bulk characteristics of aluminum and the established excellence of silver surfaces as electric contacts can be combined in a reliable bus or connection bar.
Simulating a relative environmental effect of glyphosate-resistant soybeans

Abstract Great controversy surrounds the potential environmental effects of genetically modified crops (GMOs). Of the GM crops currently in commercial use, glyphosate-resistant (GR) soybeans have probably received the most attention from both proponents and opponents of GMOs. GR soybeans are an example of an input-substituting technological innovation. Adoption is a private decision, based on the adopter's assessment of private costs and benefits, but may also have external effects. Measuring and valuing these effects completely is not possible today. Environmental indicators are attempts to find more easily measured proxies for the external effects. We present an environmental indicator based on a standardized, well-known acute mammalian toxicity measure, the LD50 dose for rats. We use this indicator to compare an environmental effect of the use of GR genetically modified soybeans to the use of non-modified soybeans for over 1400 US Midwest farms. This indicator is superior to previous indicators used to assess environmental effects of GR soybeans that rely on adding up volumes of different herbicides. The indicator allows for consistent aggregation of a specific environmental effect across many different pesticides. Furthermore, the methodology can be used to compare environmental effects for many other types of technology choices since values are mandated for all pesticides. Our simulation results suggest that GR soybean seed technology is more environmentally friendly than non-GR technology for all farms in the dimension of acute mammalian toxicity. The effect is generally more pronounced in the South where a longer growing season makes overall weed pressure more serious and presents soybean growers with a greater variety of weed species.
The Golgi apparatus of spinal cord motor neurons in transgenic mice expressing mutant Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase becomes fragmented in early, preclinical stages of the disease

Dominant mutations of the SOD1 gene encoding Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase have been found in members of certain families with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). To better understand the contribution of SOD1 mutations in the pathogenesis of familial ALS, we developed transgenic mice expressing one of the mutations found in familial ALS. These animals display clinical and pathological features closely resembling human ALS. Early changes observed in these animals were intra-axonal and dendritic vacuoles due to dilatation of the endoplasmic reticulum and vacuolar degeneration of mitochondria. We have reported that the Golgi apparatus of spinal cord motor neurons in patients with sporadic ALS is fragmented and atrophic. In this study we show that spinal cord motor neurons of transgenic mice for an SOD1 mutation display a lesion of the Golgi apparatus identical to that found in humans with sporadic ALS. In these mice, the stacks of the cisternae of the fragmented Golgi apparatus are shorter than in the normal organelle, and there is a reduction in Golgi-associated vesicles and adjacent cisternae of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Furthermore, the fragmentation of the Golgi apparatus occurs in an early, presymptomatic stage and usually precedes the development of the vacuolar changes. Transgenic mice overexpressing the wild-type human superoxide dismutase are normal. In familial ALS, an early lesion of the Golgi apparatus of motor neurons may have adverse functional effects, because newly synthesized proteins destined for fast axoplasmic transport pass through the Golgi apparatus.
Small bowel obstruction after nephrectomy for Wilms' tumor. A report of the National Wilms' Tumor Study-3.

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to define the incidence and etiology of small bowel obstruction (SBO) after nephrectomy for Wilms' tumor. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Intestinal obstruction is one of the most common postoperative complications after nephrectomy for nephroblastoma. However, few reports have evaluated risk factors for SBO. Radiation therapy has been associated with increased intestinal complications in some adult cancer patients, but this has not been reported in children undergoing cancer surgery. METHODS: Postoperative SBO occurred in 131 of 1,910 children (6.9%) enrolled in the Third National Wilms' Tumor Study (NWTS). The etiology of the SBO was bowel adhesions in 104 cases, intussusception in 17, internal hernia in 2, and uncertain in the remaining 8 children. RESULTS: The factors found to be of potential importance in explaining the incidence of SBO were higher local tumor stage, extrarenal intravascular involvement, and en bloc resection of other organs at the time of nephrectomy. The incidence of postoperative SBO was not increased in children who received postoperative radiation therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Although the overall incidence of SBO after nephrectomy for Wilms' tumor is comparable to that after other major abdominal operations in children, it can be responsible for significant morbidity. There were 4 children among the 1,910 patients with infectious complications of SBO, which contributed to their death.
Testing the neutral mutation hypothesis by distribution of single locus heterozygosity.

ONE of the most controversial issues in population genetics at present is whether the widespread protein variation in natural populations is maintained by some form of balancing selection1–3 or merely represents the drifting polymorphism of neutral or nearly neutral mutations4–6. By the neutral mutation hypothesis the level of genetic variability in an equilibrium population is determined by mutation rate, v, and effective population size, Ne. If we use the infinite allele model, in which new mutations are assumed to be always different from the pre-existing alleles in the population, the average heterozygosity per locus is given bywhereM = 4Nev (ref. 7).
Is the utility of prostate-specific antigen velocity for prostate cancer detection affected by age?

OBJECTIVE To determine whether prostate-specific antigen velocity (PSAV) is useful for prostate cancer detection in men from different age groups, and whether the same PSAV thresholds can reasonably be applied to all men aged ≥40 years. PATIENTS AND METHODS From a large prostate cancer screening study, 13 615 men had data on age and a calculable PSAV. We used statistical analysis to examine the ability of PSAV to predict prostate cancer risk in each age decade. RESULTS For men of all ages, the median PSAV was 0.6–0.7 ng/mL/year in men with prostate cancer, and 0–0.1 ng/mL/year in men with no prostate cancer (P < 0.005 for all). On receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the area under the curve was 0.800, 0.697, 0.693, and 0.668 for predicting prostate cancer risk using PSAV for men aged 40–49, 50–59, 60–69 and ≥70 years, respectively. In the multivariate model controlling for race, family history, and the total PSA level, both PSA and PSAV were significant independent predictors of prostate cancer risk in men of all ages. CONCLUSIONS The PSAV is significantly higher in men of all ages with prostate cancer compared with men with no prostate cancer; although on ROC analysis it performed the best in young men. Interestingly, the median PSAV in men with prostate cancer was <0.75 ng/mL/year regardless of age, suggesting that this threshold may be too high. Overall, this data confirms that PSAV is a useful tool for prostate cancer detection for men aged ≥40 years.
Adobe Premiere Pro Scrum Adoption: How an Agile Approach Enabled Success in a Hyper-competitive Landscape

Adobe Premiere Pro began an agile adoption in 2008, and has had gains in product quality, team work-life balance, and market fitness and responsiveness. This paper describes how an agile mindset has helped Premiere Pro make significant gains in market share and perception, improved quality, and created a sustainable pace of development for team members.
An error bound for sensor fusion with application to Doppler frequency based emitter location

This note provides an error bound on an estimate resulting from a simple fusion scheme combining individual estimates based on measurements of different sensing mechanisms. An important benefit of the bound is that it requires only knowledge of the individual sensor covariances rather than the complete inter-sensor covariance structure. An example drawn from a previous paper is presented to assess the benefit to the accuracy of emitter location using a Doppler sensor for which the error bound is applied to the estimate of a set of local states entering the Doppler sensor model as parameters.
Controversies: Carcinoma of the tonsil

Although the experts acknowledge that there is no conclusive evidence linking secondhand smoke to head and neck cancer, a recent report by the Environmental Protection Agency classifies secondhand smoke as a group A carcinogen. There is strong evidence linking it to carcinoma of the lung. Whereas you may not be able to tell your patient that the same cause and effect is present for head and neck cancer, it is the editor's belief that this will one day be proven. Three experts agreed to treat this patient with surgery followed by full-course radiotherapy, although the surgical approaches differed. They included a marginal mandibulectomy, radical neck dissection, and plating of the remaining mandible (Dr. Strome) and a composite resection (Drs. Ward and Johnson). For reconstruction, options included a modified FAMM flap or a split-thickness skin graft (Dr. Strome), tongue flap or pectoralis major myocutaneous flap (Dr. Ward), or a split-thickness skin graft (Dr. Johnson). One consultant suggested resecting the neck mass and treating the primary tumor and neck with radiotherapy. A dental consultation is in order prior to radiotherapy (Dr. Goepfert). With regard to this woman's mental status, all the experts called for counseling. The husband should be included in the discussions (Dr. Strome and Ward) and consideration should be given to the Women's Right Advocacy Group (Dr. Johnson).
Reversible oxygenation of protoheme-imidazole complex in aqueous solution (1, 2)

Abstract Solutions of protohemin in aqueous buffer containing imidazole were reduced and exposed to carbon monoxide forming the carbon monoxide-imidazole complex similar to that in carboxyhemoglobin. This complex is stable for long periods in the presence of low pressures of oxygen and thus the standard flash photolysis methods can be used to determine rates of combination of the heme-imidazole complex with oxygen. Combination rates for both carbon monoxide and oxygen are faster than any on rates for hemoglobin and oxygen dissociation rates are also faster. But the equilibrium constant for binding of this isolated site is larger than that for hemoglobin.
Magnetic resonance imaging of inducible E-selectin expression in human endothelial cell culture

Covalent conjugates of the cross-linked iron oxide nanoparticles (CLIO) and high-affinity (K(d)(app) = 8.5 nM) anti-human E-selectin (CD62E) F(ab')(2) fragments were prepared and tested in vitro to establish feasibility of endothelial proinflammatory marker magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The conjugates were obtained by using thiol-disulfide exchange reaction between 3-(2-pyridyl)propionyl-CLIO and S-acetylthioacetate-modified F(ab')(2) fragments. The purified CLIO-F(ab')(2) conjugates (average hydrodynamic diameter 40.6 nm) were used in experiments with the live human endothelial umbilical vein cells (HUVEC). Cells treated with IL-1 beta expressed E-selectin and showed a 100-200 times higher binding of CLIO particles (83-104 ng iron/million cells) than control cells. The binding resulted in a high superparamagnetism of HUVEC with the transverse water proton relaxation time (T2) decrease to 30-40 ms in cell precipitates. Cells did not bind/internalize CLIO-F(ab')(2) conjugates prepared using a control fragment or nonconjugated iron oxide particles before or after treatment with IL-1 beta. MR imaging of cells showed a highly specific T2-weighted signal darkening associated with cells treated with IL-1 beta and incubated with anti-E selectin. Demonstration of MR imaging of E-selectin expression justifies further development of MR-targeted agents for monitoring tumor vascular endothelial proliferation, angiogenesis, and atherosclerosis.
Physicians as Gatekeepers

There is sharp contention between cost-ignoring and cost-constrained views of medical practice — and both positions have adherents among physicians. Levinsky argues the traditional view: "Physicians are required to do everything that they believe may benefit each patient without regard to costs or other societal considerations.... When practicing medicine, doctors cannot serve two masters.... The doctor's master must be the patient." 1 Hiatt adds that "it is essential that society protect [physicians] from conflicts in this realm."2 On the other hand, Eddy asserts that the rising costs of medical care are profoundly changing the requirements of medical decision making. In his . . .
After-dinner speech: Nottingham NMR recollections

The author notes a concentration of recent NMR-related anniversaries, including the 200th anniversary of the birth of George Green (1793) in Nottingham, the 150th anniversary of the birth of Boltzmann (1844), the 50th anniversary of the discovery of EPR by Zavoisky (1944), the 50th anniversary of the discovery of NMR (1945–1946). He describes how 30 years ago (1963) he introduced NMR to the Physics Department of Nottingham University, where he was joined by P. S. Allen, S. Clough, W. Derbyshire, and P. Mansfield, who over a 20-year period founded a highly successful school of NMR research. He emphasizes the need to explain NMR applications in a comprehensible manner to the general public and he looks forward to new future developments of NMR in medicine.
Influence of moisture stress and induced resistance in ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa Dougl. Ex. Laws on the pine sawfly, Neodiprion autumnalis Smith

Abstract Plant moisture stress is artificially maintained for ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws, seedlings using polyethylene glycol. Stressed seedlings produce significantly lower amounts of needle nitrogen, phenols, and tannins than non-stressed seedlings. Field tests reveal that previously damaged foliage is a significantly poorer food source for the pine sawfly, Neodiprion autumnalis Smith (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae), than non-damaged foliage. Field studies further indicate that the effect of induction by defoliation is more important than the effect of stress level. These results are discussed in terms of their potential impact on future studies on preferential selection by herbivores of stressed host plants.
Welfare reform and insurance coverage during the pregnancy period: implications for preconception and interconception care.

Welfare reform has had far-reaching consequences for unmarried women and their children, including effects on their health insurance status. Those who would be receiving cash assistance absent welfare reform may have lower rates of health insurance if they failed to enroll separately for Medicaid (whose rules did not tighten over this time period), or if the new employment they entered did not provide health insurance. Administrative difficulties involved in accessing Medicaid separately from cash welfare may also have been a factor in the short run. Our research uses data from a large and nationally representative household survey that tracks the same individuals over time, the Survey of Income and Program Participation, to examine the effect of welfare reform (AFDC waivers and TANF implementation) on the health insurance status of unmarried mothers with High School completion or less (the population whose health insurance we expect would be affected by the welfare reform, or the “treatment group”) in the time period surrounding a particularly important life event, pregnancy. We look at the effects of these policies over the time period 1990-1999, as well as over the time period 1990-2003, to explore the short run vs. long run impact. Our “control group”, those who should not be affected by welfare reform itself but are expected to be affected by other national or state events that are happening contemporaneously, consists of married mothers with High School completion or less; the insurance experience of these women is used to control for the other forces that might otherwise lead us to attribute too little or too large an effect to welfare reform. Given the importance of access to health care at all points in the period surrounding and during pregnancy, we look at how welfare reform has affected insurance status before conception, during pregnancy, and after the birth of the child. We find that the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) waivers of the 1990s as well as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families implementation have decreased access to Medicaid health insurance, increased access to employer health insurance, and led to a decrease in overall insurance, depending on the point in pregnancy considered and the time period of the study, with the largest effects found in coverage after the birth of a child. These findings have particular implications for the increasing emphasis on preconception and interconception care as a strategy to improve women's and infant's health.
Commentary—Health & Behavior Codes: Great Idea, Questionable Outcome

Operating a successful pediatric psychology service in a hospital setting requires attention to three primary domains of professional practice: the clinical, operational, and financial (Kessler, 2008). Even an optimally provided service in the clinical and operational domains is unlikely to be sustainable if not also financially viable. One major challenge to financial viability is that overhead expenses charged to pediatric psychology services are typically similar to charges made to medical services, which receive considerably more money per unit of service and thus generate significantly more revenue. This disparity in income potential has contributed to placing considerable financial pressure and time demands on providers of hospital-based pediatric psychology services. The financial challenges associated with the successful practice of pediatric psychology in hospital settings highlights the importance of optimizing billing practices as a necessary component of sustainable practice. Providing behavioral health services to patients with primary medical conditions has been demonstrated as an an important aspect of medical care, but can only become a standard of care when psychologists are adequately compensated for providing the service. In this commentary, we briefly review the potential economic benefits of using Health and Behavior (H&B) codes, describe the use of these codes in our practice, and discuss current pragmatic barriers and problems associated with their use.
Numerical case studies for constructing robustly stable dynamic systems

The author describes the underlying theorem which makes it possible to construct the most extended set of admissible parameter variations for a class of robustly stable dynamic systems described in either a matrix or a polynomial form. >
The effect of limited network bandwidth and its utilization by latency hiding techniques in large-scale shared memory systems

Addresses the use of two latency hiding techniques, prefetching and weak consistency, for large-scale shared memory multiprocessors with compiler-controlled cache coherence management and the interaction of latency hiding techniques and network bandwidth. The performance effect of latency hiding is evaluated and compared varying the network channel bandwidth. The interaction of reads, writes and prefetches, given a limited bandwidth, is studied, and an approach to better network bandwidth utilization by limiting the number of outstanding requests in each node is investigated. Increasing network (channel) bandwidth helps both prefetching and non-prefetching systems, with the initial 2/spl times/ increase in bandwidth giving the most improvement. The use of prefetching can deliver a much larger improvement than increasing network bandwidth for a 128-processor system for some benchmarks, even with the minimal bandwidth. Controlling bandwidth utilization is shown to be important when prefetch and write request rates are high.
Progress away from evidence based medicine to discovery of dynamic principles of disease and its treatment

Background: Medical science in the form of “evidence based medicine” demands when measuring any object that object be isolated from others, from context, from the method of measurement and from the observer. Linear non changing relations amongst variables are thus defined which allow prediction based on probabilities and define information from the resulting statistic. Method and Result: It was hypothesized that information of a non statistical nature could be sought in the individual patient. Fuzzy logic and the geometry of fuzzy theory were considered as viable methods for discovery of the process of disease and response to treatment. The result is that variables of interest are allowed to intermingle with others, their context, and the dynamic of these interactions is measured in such a way that the measurer and the measured coexist in each instant. Conclusion: Isolation as a principle of scientific measurement need not be a requirement for attainment of medical knowledge.
Rapidly-Deployable Mesh Network Testbed

This paper describes a wireless mesh network testbed for research in rapid deployment and autoconfiguration of mesh nodes. Motivated by the needs of first responders and military personnel arriving to an incident area, we developed and tested an automated deployment algorithm that indicates when a mesh node needs to be deployed as the coverage area grows. Conventional radios can experience severe coverage limitations inside structures such as hi-rise buildings, subterranean buildings, caves, and underground mines. The approach examined here is to deploy wireless relays that extend coverage through multihop communication using a deployment algorithm that employs physical layer measurements. A flexible platform based on IEEE 802.11 radios has been implemented and tested in a subterranean laboratory complex where conventional public safety radios have no coverage. Applications tested include two-way voice, data, and location information. This paper describes the testbed, presents experimental results, and recommends areas for further study and development in rapidly-deployable multihop networks.
Pathogenicity of porcine intestinal spirochetes in gnotobiotic pigs

Twelve intestinal spirochete strains of porcine origin were characterized on the basis of their phenotypic properties, by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis, and by pathogenicity testing in gnotobiotic pigs. The spirochetes used included two strains of Serpulina hyodysenteriae (B204 and P18A), two strains of Serpulina innocens (B256 and 4/71), one strain from the proposed new genus and species "Anguillina coli" (P43/6/78), and seven non-S. hyodysenteriae strains recently isolated from United Kingdom pig herds with a history of nonspecific diarrhea and typhlocolitis. By multilocus enzyme electrophoresis, five of these were identified as S. innocens, one was identified as an unspecified Serpulina sp., and one was identified as "A. coli." S. hyodysenteriae B204 and P18A, "A. coli" P43/6/78 and 2/7, and three (22/7, P280/1, and 14/5) of the five S. innocens field isolates induced mucoid feces and typhlocolitis in gnotobiotic pigs. None of the other spirochetes produced clinical signs or large intestinal pathology in this model. The "A. coli" strains induced a more watery diarrhea, with lesions present more proximally in the large intestine, than did the other pathogenic spirochetes. S. innocens 22/7 was also tested for pathogenicity in hysterotomy-derived pigs that had previously been artificially colonized with a spirochete-free intestinal flora and shown to be susceptible to swine dysentery. Despite effective colonization, strain 22/7 did not produce any disease, nor was there any exacerbation of large intestinal pathology or clinical signs when pigs with an experimentally induced existing colitis caused by Yersinia pseudotuberculosis were superinfected with strain 22/7. Certain non-S. hyodysenteriae spirochetes are therefore capable of inducing disease in gnotobiotic pigs, but their role as primary or opportunistic pathogens in conventional pigs remains equivocal.
Modeling of direct tunneling current through interfacial oxide and high-K gate stacks

Abstract In this paper, we present a computationally efficient model to calculate the direct tunneling current from an inverted p-type (1 0 0) Si substrate through interfacial SiO2 and high-K gate stacks. This model consists of quantum mechanical calculations for the inversion layer charge density and a modified WKB approximation for the transmission probability. The modeled direct tunneling currents agree well with a self-consistent model and experimental data. For the same effective oxide thickness (EOT) of 2 nm, the direct tunneling current of a HfO2 high-K dielectric (6.4 nm, Kf=25) overlaying a 1 nm thermal oxide is reduced by four orders of magnitude compared with a pure SiO2 film at low gate voltages. The effects of interfacial oxide thickness, dielectric constant and barrier height on the direct tunneling current have also been studied as a function of gate voltages.
Reconfiguration of chemical reactor networks using a hierarchical agent-based system

Controlling reactors in distributed manufacturing processes producing different grades of a product requires intelligent reconfiguration strategies. Agent-based approaches are ideal for such cases, since they can provide flexible, robust, and emergent solutions during dynamically changing process conditions. A hierarchical, agent-based system with local and global control agents is developed to control networks of interconnected chemical reactors. This paper proposes a multi- layered, multiagent framework based on a decentralized approach for the supervision of grade transitions in autocatalytic reactor networks. The values for the manipulated variables are chosen to give the least disturbance to the system. The case studies show that the approach is successful in controlling the reactor network and being able to keep the desired grade even after the need of shutting down some of the reactors.
Vitamin A and Embryonic Development: An Overview

Vitamin A is an essential micronutrient throughout the life cycle. Its active form, retinoic acid via retinoid receptors, is involved in signal transduction pathways regulating development. Both the lack and excess of vitamin A during embryonic development result in congenital malformations. Approaches to examine the function of vitamin A in embryonic development have included treatment with excess retinoids and the use of retinoid receptor knock-out mice, which have provided important insights into the complexity of the retinoid signaling system. A recently explored model is the retinoid ligand knock-out, i.e., the vitamin A-deficient embryo. Early development can be successfully examined in the vitamin A-deficient avian embryo, in which bioactive retinoids can rescue the deficient genotype as well as phenotype. In this model it has been possible to unequivocally link the physiological function of vitamin A to development of heart, embryonal circulatory and central nervous systems and the regulation of heart asymmetry. Several developmental genes regulated by endogenous vitamin A during early embryogenesis have been identified. Retinoid receptors and their endogenous ligands, the vitamin A-active forms, are present in the early embryo. It is the developmentally regulated biogeneration of the vitamin A-active forms via distinct spatio-temporal metabolic pathways that is critically linked to the initiation of retinoid signal transduction during embryonic development.
Practical animation of compressible flow for shock waves and related phenomena

We propose a practical approach to integrating shock wave dynamics into traditional smoke simulations. Previous methods either simplify away the compressible component of the flow and are unable to capture shock fronts or use a prohibitively expensive explicit method that limits the time step of the simulation long after the relevant shock waves and rarefactions have left the domain. Instead, we employ a semi-implicit formulation of Euler's equations, which allows us to take time steps on the order of the fluid velocity (ignoring the more stringent acoustic wave-speed restrictions) and avoids the expensive characteristic decomposition typically required of compressible flow solvers. We also propose an extension to Euler's equations to model combustion of fuel in explosions. The flow is two-way coupled with rigid and deformable solid bodies, treating the solid-fluid interface effects implicitly in a projection step by enforcing a velocity boundary condition on the fluid and integrating pressure forces along the solid surface. As we handle the acoustic fluid effects implicitly, we can artificially drive the sound speed c of the fluid to ∞ without going unstable or driving the time step to zero. This permits the fluid to transition from compressible flow to the far more tractable incompressible flow regime once the interesting compressible flow phenomena (such as shocks) have left the domain of interest, and allows the use of state-of-the-art smoke simulation techniques.
Snf1 Kinase Connects Nutritional Pathways Controlling Meiosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Glucose inhibits meiosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae at three different steps (IME1 transcription, IME2 transcription, and entry into late stages of meiosis). Because many of the regulatory effects of glucose in yeast are mediated through the inhibition of Snf1 kinase, a component of the glucose repression pathway, we determined the role of SNF1 in regulating meiosis. Deleting SNF1 repressed meiosis at the same three steps that were inhibited by glucose, suggesting that glucose blocks meiosis by inhibiting Snf1. For example, the snf1Δ mutant completely failed to induce IME1 transcripts in sporulation medium. Furthermore, even when this block was bypassed by expression of IME1 from a multicopy plasmid, IME2 transcription and meiotic initiation occurred at only 10 to 20% of the levels seen in wild-type cells. The addition of glucose did not further inhibit IME2 transcription, suggesting that Snf1 is the primary mediator of glucose controls on IME2 expression. Finally, in snf1Δ cells in which both blocks on meiotic initiation were bypassed, early stages of meiosis (DNA replication and commitment to recombination) occurred, but later stages (chromosome segregation and spore formation) did not, suggesting that Snf1 controls later stages of meiosis independently from the two controls on meiotic initiation. Because Snf1 is known to activate the expression of genes required for acetate metabolism, it may also serve to connect glucose and acetate controls on meiotic differentiation.
Membrane lipids have multiple effects on interfacial catalysis by a phosphatidic acid-preferring phospholipase A1 from bovine testis.

We previously purified a cytosolic phospholipase A1 that could catalyze the preferential hydrolysis of phosphatidic acid in mixed-micelle assays. Here we studied the enzyme's interactions with unilamellar lipid membranes and examined effects of the lipids on enzyme binding, stability, and catalysis. A major finding was that membrane lipids could influence the stability, activity, and specificity of the enzyme under conditions where enzyme binding to the membranes was likely to be saturated. Thus, the enzyme was unstable at 37 °C in the absence of membranes but bound to membranes that contained anionic phosphoglycerides and could be stabilized by these membranes in the presence of albumin. The overall activity of the bound enzyme toward membrane phosphoglycerides, assayed in the presence of albumin, increased when phosphatidylethanolamine was substituted for phosphatidylcholine. Furthermore, the enzyme's catalytic preference for phosphatidic acid increased when cholesterol and diacylglycerol were included in the membranes, sn-1-stearoyl-2-arachidonoylphosphatidylethanolamine was substituted for sn-1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylethanolamine, and the concentration of phosphatidic acid was increased from 0 to 10 mol % of the total membrane phosphoglycerides. Finally, changes in the relative contents of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine in the membranes influenced the enzyme's catalytic preference for different molecular species of phosphatidic acid. These results provide the first available information about the enzyme's ability to interact with membranes and identify conditions that yield high enzyme activity toward membrane-associated phosphatidic acid.