cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deconstructing the polymerase chain reaction: understanding and correcting bias associated with primer degeneracies and primer-template mismatches.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is sensitive to mismatches between primer and template, and mismatches can lead to inefficient amplification of targeted regions of DNA template. In PCRs in which a degenerate primer pool is employed, each primer can behave differently. Therefore, inefficiencies due to different primer melting temperatures within a degenerate primer pool, in addition to mismatches between primer binding sites and primers, can lead to a distortion of the true relative abundance of targets in the original DNA pool. A theoretical analysis indicated that a combination of primer-template and primer-amplicon interactions during PCR cycles 3–12 is potentially responsible for this distortion. To test this hypothesis, we developed a novel amplification strategy, entitled “Polymerase-exonuclease (PEX) PCR”, in which primer-template interactions and primer-amplicon interactions are separated. The PEX PCR method substantially and significantly improved the evenness of recovery of sequences from a mock community of known composition, and allowed for amplification of templates with introduced mismatches near the 3’ end of the primer annealing sites. When the PEX PCR method was applied to genomic DNA extracted from complex environmental samples, a significant shift in the observed microbial community was detected. Furthermore, the PEX PCR method provides a mechanism to identify which primers in a primer pool are annealing to target gDNA. Primer utilization patterns revealed that at high annealing temperatures in the PEX PCR method, perfect match annealing predominates, while at lower annealing temperatures, primers with up to four mismatches with templates can contribute substantially to amplification. The PEX PCR method is simple to perform, is limited to PCR mixes and a single exonuclease step which can be performed without reaction cleanup, and is recommended for reactions in which degenerate primer pools are used or when mismatches between primers and template are possible.
American Society for Testing and Materials

The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) is an independent organization devoted to the development of standards. Keywords: quality standards; safety; international; risk; hazards
Fine structure of bacteriophage-infected Myxococcus xanthus

Abstract The virulent bacteriophage MX-1 lytic cycle in vegetative cells of Myxococcus xanthus has been followed by fine structure studies of thin sections. Adsorption and much of the visible sequence of events in the synthesis of progeny phage particles occurs at or near the poles of infected cells. Cell morphology changes markedly during the latent period. The nuclear body changes form, aggregates of cytoplasmic components appear at the poles, and the cells gradually become spherical. Incomplete phage capsids appear to be closely associated with ribosomes. Free tails are not observed in the infected cells. It appears that tail synthesis occurs by addition of tail proteins to completed heads. Ribosomes were observed to be closely associated with the growing tails.
The Peculiar Story of United States vs. Miller

This article provides a comprehensive history and interpretation of United States vs. Miller, the only Supreme Court case construing the Second Amendment. It presents evidence Miller was a test case designed by the government to test the constitutionality of federal gun control. It shows the holding in Miller is narrower than generally assumed. It argues Miller adopts neither the individual nor the collective right theory of the Second Amendment. It suggests the Supreme Court's pragmatic, deferential approach in Miller remains appropriate.
Who receives outpatient monitoring during high-risk depression treatment periods?

OBJECTIVES: To examine the intensity of monitoring received by important patient subgroups during high-risk periods (the 12 weeks after psychiatric hospitalization and after new antidepressant starts). DESIGN: Retrospective secondary analysis of data from the Veterans Affairs (VA) National Registry for Depression using patients aged 65 and older receiving depression treatment from 1999 to 2004. SETTING: VA healthcare system. PARTICIPANTS: VA patients in depression treatment between April 1, 1999, and September 30, 2004, who had psychiatric inpatient stays (n 573,137) or new antidepressant starts (n 5421,536). MEASUREMENTS: The relationship between the number of outpatient visits for each group and patient characteristics in the 12-week period after psychiatric hospitalizations and antidepressant starts. RESULTS: The characteristic associated with significantly lower rates of monitoring for both high-risk treatment periods was aged 65 and older. White race and living in the south or northeast were also associated with significantly lower rates of monitoring after new antidepressant starts and inpatient stays, respectively. Substance abuse disorders were associated with greater monitoring after both types of depression events but did not seem to interact with other patient characteristics in determining levels of monitoring. CONCLUSION: VA patients who are older, white, and living in the south or northeast receive less-intensive monitoring during high-risk treatment periods for suicide. This is of concern, given that older patients appear to be at higher risk for suicide, particularly after inpatient stays, and may need particular attention during this time frame. Adapted interventions and proactive outreach may be needed that target this patient group. J Am Geriatr Soc 58:908–913, 2010.
Aromatic biosynthesis: XVI. Aromatization of prephenic acid to p-hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid, a step in tyrosine biosynthesis in Escherichia coli☆

Abstract Prephenic dehydrogenase, a soluble enzyme from E. coli, catalyzes an aromatization reaction which converts prephenic acid (PPA) to p-hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid (HPP) with DPN as the oxidant. The absence of this reaction in tyrosine auxotrophs indicates that it is an obligatory step in tyrosine biosynthesis; furthermore, it is distinct from the aromatization reaction leading to phenylalanine. Partly purified prephenic dehydrogenase incubated with PPA under certain conditions yields p-hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid as the only phenolic product; with proper fortification this product is converted quantitatively to tyrosine. Under incubation conditions favoring DPNH stability, some p-hydroxyphenyllactic acid (HPL) is also formed, but this compound is a secondary product and not an intermediate in tyrosine formation. Prephenic dehydrogenase is rather unstable but is stabilized by the presence of PPA. The level of the enzyme in E. coli extracts is markedly altered by changes in thebacterial growth medium.
Interactive color image segmentation editor driven by active contour model

A new general-purpose color image segmentation editor (CISE) for the purpose of extracting a semantic object is designed, implemented and tested on a number of various natural scene images. Our editor integrates a deformable model and image statistics including intensity, color, gradient and texture. The editor starts with a coarse region segmentation which applies the Canny's operator followed by a low-complexity edge linking algorithm. This segmentation basically builds regions of smooth intensity by closing all dangling edges. Next, a topologically-based region labeling method makes full use of relationship among pixels and produces useful labeled image. Finally, to refine the extracted object of interest (O/sup 2/I), a deformable model based on energy minimization is applied by incorporating both the gradient and region criteria to the external constraint force. These processes are demonstrated through examples on natural scene color images. Experimental results suggest the efficiency and accuracy of the algorithm in its segmentation operations.
Renal 25-hydroxyvitamin D-1 alpha-hydroxylase activity and mitochondrial phosphate transport in Hyp mice

The Hyp mouse is a homologue of the X chromosome-linked human disease, familial hypophosphatemic rickets (FHR). In FHR, reduced renal tubular brush-border membrane transport of phosphate results in hypophosphatemia and rickets. Both humans with FHR and Hyp mice have abnormal regulation of 25-hydroxyvitamin D-1 alpha-hydroxylase (1 alpha-hydroxylase), a mitochondrial enzyme found in proximal renal tubular cell epithelia, the apparent site of defective brush-border membrane phosphate transport. No common pathophysiology for these defects has been demonstrated. We hypothesized that phosphate transport may be present in renal mitochondria from Hyp mice and that its regulation may be deranged in parallel with the mitochondrial 1 alpha-hydroxylase. Using inhibitor-stop techniques described for measurement of phosphate transport in liver mitochondria, we examined mitochondria in normal and Hyp mouse kidney and found them to be comparable. We performed manipulations known to alter 1 alpha-hydroxylase differentially in normal and Hyp mice, i.e., phosphorus deprivation and phosphorus loading, and found no effect on mitochondrial phosphate transport. We also subjected Hyp and normal mice to calcium and vitamin D deprivation; this maneuver resulted in no significant changes in mitochondrial phosphate transport in Hyp or normal mice but confirmed the earlier observation that 1 alpha-hydroxylase activity is stimulated to a greater degree in normal mice than Hyp mice after this diet. Furthermore, administration of 1,25-hydroxyvitamin D3 depresses 1 alpha-hydroxylase activity in mitochondria from both normal and Hyp mice but has no effect on mitochondrial phosphate transport. We conclude that the mechanism of abnormal vitamin D metabolism in Hyp mice is not related to a primary defect in renal mitochondrial phosphate transport.
Bush v. Gore, Federalism, and the Distrust of Politics

The Supreme Court's per curiam decision in Bush v. Gore, sparked a considerable amount of criticism and discussion. During this debate, many scholars have argued that the Court's decision was fundamentally incompatible with its previous federalism decisions. This article contends that this criticism is misplaced. It argues that while the per curiam opinion in Bush v. Gore decision embraced a novel and rather expansive understanding of equal protection that seems largely out of character for the Rehnquist Court, the Court's decision to intervene and resolve the election dispute was not inconsistent with its general approach to constitutional federalism. This article argues that the contention that the Bush v. Gore decision is inconsistent with the core aspects of the Rehnquist Court's federalism jurisprudence is overdrawn in two important respects. First, it argues that to describe the Rehnquist Court's federalism decisions solely in terms of their solicitude for states political autonomy or "respecting states' rights" is too simplistic. Secondly, it argues that the Bush v. Gore decision is fully consistent with previous federal jurisprudence decisions that the Court should resolve any questions of constitutional meaning.
Principal–Agent Issues in Real Estate Funds and Joint Ventures

The motivations created by the use of incentive fees (or promoted interests) in private equity (real estate or otherwise) are examined through the lens of traditional principal/ agent problems. In general, in-the-money promotes tend to create conservative actions by the manager (or agent), and out-of-the-money promotes tend to create risky actions. These incentives are mitigated, however, by a number of factors, including the “moneyness” (the degree to which the promoted interest is in the money) of the promote, the dispersion of potential choices, concerns about future fund-raising efforts, and the changing shape of the manager’s utility curve over time (as the manager experiences other gains and losses). Because these incentive fees are intended to improve the alignment of interests between the principal and the agent, this article suggests that lowering both the investor’s preferred return and the manager’s promoted interest—in a manner that maintains the expected value of the promoted interest—improves that alignment of interests. Finally, this article also suggests that the use of indexed preferences, rather than a fixed percentage, ought to better serve investors.
Formulation and stability of a novel artificial sebum under conditions of storage and use

Materials in contact with liquids on the human skin surface may dissolve and permeate into skin. Release and permeation of chemicals in contact with skin is often estimated in vitro using artificial skin liquids, although sebum lipids are generally not included in these models. The purposes of this research were to develop a representative artificial sebum that contains the appropriate types of lipids at levels that match human values and quantitatively characterize the model to understand its utility for in vitro testing. Artificial sebum that consisted of 10 lipids at proportions that closely resembled human sebum was characterized using thin layer chromatography under a variety of storage and use conditions (dry and liquid, 4°C and 32°C, with and without vitamin E) for 28 days. Levels of sebum constituents maintained in solution and dry at 4°C were stable through the duration of the test period. Levels of all sebum lipids maintained dry at 32°C were stable in the presence of vitamin E; however, squalene oxidized rapidly in the absence of vitamin E. Liquids on the human skin surface consist of sebum and sweat with minor amounts of cellular debris and intercellular lipid from the stratum corneum. The relative importance of each component for release of chemicals from materials in contact with skin will depend upon the type of material (metal, organic, etc.). A model artificial sebum was formulated and characterized to aid researchers in understanding potential release of chemicals from materials in contact with skin and subsequent partitioning and absorption.
Efficient similarity queries via lossy compression

The generation of new databases and the amount of data on existing ones is growing exponentially. As a result, executing queries on large databases is becoming a timely and challenging task. With this in mind, we study the problem of compressing sequences in a database so that similarity queries can be performed efficiently on the compressed database. The fundamental limits of this problem characterize the tradeoff between compression rate and the reliability of the queries performed on the compressed data. While those asymptotic limits have been studied and characterized in past work, how to approach these limits in practice has remained largely unexplored. In this paper, we propose an approach to this task, based in part on existing lossy compression algorithms. Specifically, we consider queries of the form: “which sequences in the database are similar to a given sequence y?”. For the case where similarity between sequences is measured via Hamming distortion, we construct schemes whose performance is close to the fundamental limits. Furthermore, we test our scheme on a sample database of real DNA sequences, and show significant compression while still allowing highly reliable query answers.
Severity and timing of early thyroid deficiency as factors in the induction of learning disorders in rats

Abstract In Experiment 1 ( N = 277 rats), more extreme deficits in maze learning than heretofore shown appeared in the adult offspring of mothers exposed for 16 pre- and 16 postnatal days to thiouracil-treated mash diets in doses up to 0.3%; the same offspring also displayed deficits in single-alternation pattern learning and a modified operant discrimination task. Surprisingly small maze learning deficits, however, were found in the offspring of mothers which received thiouracil during the 16 postnatal days only, despite previous findings indicating that the postnatal half of the total 32-day perinatal period was the more critical in determining later learning impairments. Reconciliation was provided by Experiment 2 ( N = 54), in which the manipulation of a 0.2% thiouracil diet starting at birth or 3, 6, 10, or 15 days before birth indicated a lower age boundary of the critical period for the induction of maze learning deficit by thyroid deficiency at approximately the fetal age at which thyroid tissue becomes functional-around the 18th day of gestation.
Vitamin A metabolism and stemness

Comment on Hess et al, page [1648][1] Human hematopoietic stem cells with in vivo multilineage reconstitution potential can be isolated based on their high content of aldehyde dehydrogenase, without the need for recognition of cell surface markers. F unctional properties distinguishing
Experimental study of aerosol filtration by fibrous filters

Submicron aerosol filtration by fibrous filters has been studied experimentally employing a filter efficiency measuring technique based on the use of moderately monodisperse aerosols and an electrical aerosol detector. Using this technique, the filtration efficiencies of filters made of uniformly sized fibers have been measured by the use of particles in the 0.035–1.3 μm diameter range. Filter solidity has ranged from 0.0086 to 0.42. Filtration velocity has been varied between 1 and 300 cm/sec. The results of the measurement have been compared quantitatively with the available theories. It has been found that theories taking into account the interference effect of neighboring fibers are in reasonable agreement with the experiments. * This paper is based on the thesis of K. W. Lee in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. Degree at the University of Minnesota.
Origins and Development of the Conversational Argument Coding Scheme

This article discusses the conceptual and methodological origins of the Conversational Argument Coding Scheme (CACS). The article first reviews the impulse for development of this content analysis scheme as part of structuration theory work in communication during the late 1970s and early 1980s, especially within the structuration approach to argument in group deliberations. We also position those conceptual efforts in the context of other scholarship at that time on argument in varied forms of social interaction. We next treat three theoretical perspectives on argument that undergird the CACS, including why and how they are integrated in it. Moreover, we note operational developments that occurred after initial formulation of the CACS and outcomes that are offered in the other articles in this issue. More precisely, we discuss and elaborate on various argument structures (i.e., different forms of completed arguments) and argument sequences (i.e., act-to-act patterns of argument behaviors). Finally, we co...
Veto Players and the Value of Political Control: A Theory With Evidence From Energy Privatization

We examine how veto players and the government’s valuation of political control of economic activity affect the likelihood of privatization. When the government ascribes a high value to political control, veto players impede privatization because they would have to be compensated for their losses. When the value of political control is low, the government prefers to privatize enterprises that become difficult to control with multiple veto players. We test the theory against data on energy privatizations in developing countries, 1988-2008. Oil prices offer a quantitative measure of the government’s valuation of controlling the energy sector. When oil prices are high, the government has a keen interest in controlling the energy sector. Accordingly, additional veto players reduce (increase) the likelihood of privatization in times of high (low) oil prices. Beyond illuminating the politics of privatization, the results inform debates on the role of veto players in government policy.
CO desorption and oxidation on CeO2-supported Rh: Evidence for two types of Rh sites

Previous co-adsorption studies of CO and oxygen on Rh single-crystal surfaces have shown that formation of CO{sub 2} is the dominant pathway during temperature-programmed desorption and that the reaction limits the competing pathway of CO and O{sub 2} desorption. The present work finds that this selectivity is altered on CeO{sub 2}-supported Rh islands. In addition to facile CO oxidation, a new CO adsorption state is found that is associated with the Rh but is observed only in the presence of both the CeO{sub 2} support and pre-adsorbed oxygen. This state is characterized by its low desorption temperature (140-250 K), well below the CO{sub 2} formation temperatures of 290 K ({beta}2) and 360 K ({beta}1), and by its IRAS frequency of 2100 cm-1, higher than observed for either CO adsorbed on the supported Rh islands (2057-2066 cm-1) or CO co-adsorbed with O on Rh islands (2074 cm-1). The data suggest that oxygen and subsequent CO exposure of CeO{sub 2} supported Rh creates atomically dispersed gem-dicarbonyl, Rh(CO){sub 2}, from the edge of Rh islands. As temperature increases, part of the dicarbonyl desorbs at low temperature, and the remainder is converted to CO{sub 2}. The low-temperature desorption pathway has a selectivity as highmore » as 46%, with the remaining CO oxidized to CO{sub 2}.« less
Resolution and Frequency Calibration Performance of Beckman IR-9 Infrared Spectrophotometer

Modifications affecting the resolution and frequency calibration capability of the Beckman IR-9 infrared spectrophotometer are described and discussed. Under favorable conditions these modifications enable the instrument to be calibrated with an absolute accuracy of 0.03 cm−1 or better; resolution is also improved so that spectral slitwidths may be reduced by approximately √2 over normal specifications. These results are illustrated with vibration-rotation spectra from NH3, CH4, and HBr.
Particle displacement in epithelial cell membranes of rat prostate and pancreas induced by routine low temperature fixation

When carried out at 4 degrees C in contrast to 37 degrees C, glutaraldehyde fixation for routine freeze-fracture specimen preparation results in displacement of membrane particles of epithelial cells of rat ventral prostate. Particle-free areas are observed in endoplasmic reticulum (ER), nuclear envelope, and Golgi membranes; particle aggregation is observed in lateral and basal portions of the plasma membrane. Multilamellar arrangement of lipids can be observed in some of the large particle-free areas. Thin section observation indicates that in the ER, particle-free areas coexist with segregation of cytoplasmic ground substance from the membrane surfaces. Particle-free patches are also observed in the ER membranes of pancreatic tissues fixed at 4 degrees C.
Quasi one-dimensional excitons in a quantum wire subjected to a magnetic field

Abstract We have calculated the binding energy and ‘length’ of a quasi one-dimensional exciton in a semiconductor quantum wire subjected to a magnetic field. The magnetic field causes these quantities to havenon-monotonicdependences on wire width. Below a critical width, the binding energy decreases with increasing wire width as usual, but above this critical width the opposite behavior is observed. This gives rise to a pronounced minimum in the binding energy. A similar behavior gives rise to a pronounced maximum in the exciton length. These features are explained by invoking the complementary roles of the electrostatic and magnetostatic confinement of the exciton.
Evaluating correctness criteria for transactions

We propose a metric to evaluate correctness criteria for transactions which measures the number of conflicts between transactions and the amount of concurrency a criterion allows. This metric is then used to evaluate several correctness criteria.
The relationship between the histological localization of alkaline phosphatase activity and appearance of lymphocytes in lymphocytic tissue of the embryonic and neonatal rabbit.

Various lymphocytic organs (thymus, spleen, appendix and lymph node) were removed from embryonic and neonatal rabbits between the eighteenth day of gestation and the tenth postnatal day. These tissues were studied morphologically and histochemically using a variety of procedures in order to determine the manner of lymphocyte formation in relation to the pattern of histochemical differentiation in these lymphocytic tissues. Of particular interest was the consistent development of alkaline phosphatase activity in non-thymic lymphocytic organs one to two days prior to the appearance of lymphocytes in these tissues. The regional development of alkaline phosphatase activity in these non-thymic lymphocytic organs corresponded with the sites of appearance of the first lymphocytes in these organs and with the regions of subsequent lymphocytic proliferation during the developmental stages of the spleen, lymph nodes and appendix of the rabbit. Specifically, alkaline phosphatase activity localized in the mesenchymal cells surrounding the developing arteries of the spleen, in the developing cortical region of the lymph nodes and in the lamina propria of the domed elevations of the appendix. In contrast, neither the thymus nor the surrounding connective tissue of the thymus exhibited demonstrable alkaline phosphatase activity during the early development of the thymus into a lymphocytic organ. Significantly, the first cells of the lymphocytic series to develop in the spleen, lymph nodes and appendix in the embryonic rabbit were of small or medium size in contrast with the thymus where lymphoblasts were the first recognizable cells of the lymphocytic series. These observations suggest that alkaline phosphatase is intimately associated with the development of lymphocytes in potential non-thymic lymphocytic organs. The mechanisms of alkaline phosphatase action, although not clear, may act to induce the in situ transformation of lymphocytes, provide a suitable environment for lymphopoiesis or serve as a chemotactic agent, attracting blood-borne lymphocytes to these regions.
Combined robust design and robust control of an electric DC motor

System performance can significantly benefit from optimally integrating the design and control of engineering systems. To improve the robustness properties of systems, the present article introduces an approach that combines robust design with robust control and investigates the coupling between them. However, the computational cost of improving this robustness can often be high due to the need to solve a resulting minimax design and control optimization problem. To reduce this cost, sequential and iterative strategies are proposed and compared to an all-in-one strategy for solving the minimax problem. These strategies are then illustrated for a case-study: Robust design and robust control of a DC motor. Results show that the resulting strategies can improve the robustness properties of the DC motor. In addition, the coupling strength between robust design and robust control tends to increase as the applied level of uncertainty increases.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Modeling the charging of geosynchronous and interplanetary spacecraft using Nascap-2k

Abstract Nascap-2k is the updated version of the NASCAP/GEO spacecraft charging analysis code. In addition to packaging the physical content of NASCAP/GEO in a modern way, Nascap-2k incorporates other plasma analysis codes (in particular, the DynaPAC code) in order to extend its applicability to a wide variety of plasma environments. Nascap-2k also includes an interactive Object Toolkit for defining spacecraft surface models for analysis. In this paper we focus on the tenuous plasma charging capabilities of the code, with application to DSCS-III (geosynchronous environment), STEREO (solar wind environment) and MESSENGER (solar wind environment near 0.4 AU).
Penicillin hydrolysis rate: Its effect on the kinetics of penicillin fermentation.

Abstract The influence of the penicillin hydrolysis rate and dilution rate or specific growth rate on the productivity of a penicillin fermentation is quantified. Comparison of the theoretical with the experimental data suggests that hydrolysis largely accounts for the apparent critical minimum growth rate necessary to maintain maximum productivity.
Efficacy of the small molecule inhibitor of Lipid II BAS00127538 against Acinetobacter baumannii

Objective To test the activity of a small molecule compound that targets Lipid II against Acinetobacter baumannii.
Purity Determination of Alprostadil by Micellar Electrokinetic Chromatography with Signal Enhancement Involving Field‐Amplified Sample Stacking and Extended Path Length Detection

Abstract Two related procedures based on micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) were developed and validated for purity determination of alprostadil. Alprostadil is the active ingredient in Caverject DCS, indicated for erectile dysfunction. The techniques of field‐amplified sample stacking and high sensitivity optical cell enhancement were used. For the former, the sample was injected for 20 s under vacuum followed by a sample buffer zone backout at −10 kV for 0.9 min. For the latter, which relies on extended path length detection via a capillary/z‐cell configuration, the sample was injected under vacuum for 5 s with no stacking of the sample zone. All process and degradation impurities were separated from the internal standard and from PGE1 except for 11‐epi‐PGE1, which appears as a shoulder on the front edge of the PGE1 peak. The precision for both techniques meets current validation expectations, generally below ±1%, always below ±2%. Linearity/recovery from 70–120% using reversed polarity elect...
Error estimates for Galerkin reduced-order models of the semi-discrete wave equation

Galerkin reduced-order models for the semi-discrete wave equation, that preserve the second-order structure, are studied. Error bounds for the full state variables are derived in the continuous setting (when the whole trajectory is known) and in the discrete setting when the Newmark average-acceleration scheme is used on the second-order semi-discrete equation. When the approximating subspace is constructed using the proper orthogonal decomposition, the error estimates are proportional to the sums of the neglected singular values. Numerical experiments illustrate the theoretical results.
PACS and CR implementation in a level I trauma center emergency department

Implementation of a picture archive and communication system (PACS) at a large teaching hospital is an expensive and daunting endeavor. The approach taken at the University of Alabama Hospitals has been to assemble an institution-wide system through focused integration of smaller mini-PACS. Recently a mini-PACS using Computed Radiography (CR) has been placed in the Emergency Department (ED) of a Level I Trauma Center completely replacing conventional screen-film radiography. This area of the hospital produces approximately 250 images per day and provides many challenging requirements: the need for rapid radiography; providing good image quality for difficult examinations with potentially uncooperative patients; reproduction of lost films to maintain availability of images to multiple consulting teams; and frequently unknown patient demographics. The PACS includes both vendor-supplied and in-house developed devices for image storage, distribution, and display. Digital images are produced using two photostimulable phosphor CR systems. Currently, all radiographic examinations are acquired digitally with production of a hard copy film as well as electronic distribution via the PACS. Interpretation of images is done primarily via hard copy with a goal of transition to soft copy interpretation. This paper discusses the functional requirements of the PACS and solutions to workflow issues arising in the ED.
Robust volumetric change detection using mutual information with 3D fractals

We discuss a robust method for quantifying change of multi-temporal remote sensing point data in the presence of affine registration errors. Three dimensional image processing algorithms can be used to extract and model an electronic module, consisting of a self-contained assembly of electronic components and circuitry, using an ultrasound scanning sensor. Mutual information (MI) is an effective measure of change. We propose a multi-resolution 3D fractal algorithm which is a novel extension to MI or regional mutual information (RMI). Our method is called fractal mutual information (FMI). This extension efficiently takes neighborhood fractal patterns of corresponding voxels (3D pixels) into account. The goal of this system is to quantify the change in a module due to tampering and provide a method for quantitative and qualitative change detection and analysis.
Social signals regulate gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons in the green treefrog

Animals coordinate their physiological state with external cues to appropriately time reproduction. These external cues exert effects through influences on the gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons (GnRH), at the apex of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad (HPG) axis. In green treefrogs, mating calls are important regulators of reproductive behavior and physiology. Reception of mating calls causes an increase in androgen levels, and androgens promote the production of mating calls, demonstrating a mutual influence between the communication and endocrine systems. In order to investigate the central nervous system correlates of social regulation of the HPG axis in green treefrogs, we exposed males to a mating chorus or a control stimulus (tones), counted the resulting number of septo-preoptic GnRH-immunoreactive cells (GnRH-ir), and measured changes in plasma androgens. We found that reception of the mating chorus caused an increase in the number of GnRH-ir cells. As previously shown, we also found that the reception of the mating chorus resulted in higher androgen levels, suggesting that the higher GnRH-ir cell number represents increased GnRH production and release. We suggest that mating calls are an important supplementary cue that promotes GnRH production and release within the context of GnRH regulation by seasonal cues. Previous studies have proposed a neuroanatomical link between the anuran auditory system and GnRH neurons. Our results demonstrate a functional role for this proposed sensory-endocrine circuit, and show for the first time an influence of acoustic signals on GnRH neurons.
Algebra-geometric techniques for C3 systems

The purpose of this talk is to present a brief overview of work in mathematical systems theory which is directly applicable to the study and analysis of large complicated systems such as the so-called C3 systems. The material presented in this talk is based on joint work with Professor P. Krishnaprasad and various graduate students at Case Institute of Technology. I refer the reader to [1] for a full technical development of the systems theoretic concepts of this presentation. I acknowledge that this written material has been freely adopted from [l] and that Professor Krishnaprasad bears no responsibility for conceptual errors induced by this adaptation. In any physical system it is customary to develop a model of the system about some equilibrium point or some fixed trajectory. For simplicity we assume that we are modeling about an equilibrium point. Almost any useful such model can take into account small variations in system parameters. And, for routine control problems the ability to handle such small variations is usually adequate. However, few control problems are in practice routine and one often finds that the possibility of large excursions of parameters makes a totally automatic control system unacceptable to practitioners. Such problems in avionics has motivated us to consider continuous families of models that explicitly include critical parameters. In particular, the problem of developing reliable avionic systems leads one in a natural way to study families of systems. Control engineers have always implicitly been aware of families of systems. Our main contribution has been in the development of techniques to directly study such systems. Whereas for a fixed linear system the well-established techniques of linear algebra and differential equations generally suffice for a detailed study, we find that the more esoteric (but not more difficult) fields of differential geometry and topology and algebraic geometry play a key role in any such study of families of linear systems. For more complicated systems, such as C3 systems, obviously one cannot describe a mathematical model that completely mimics the system--nor would one want to. Instead, as is always done, one models portions of the system, or makes aggregated models that can be studied with known techniques. This talk will focus on such possible models for simplified C3 systems.
Ontology in Cognitive Perspective

Ontology cannot be left to the natural sciences, if only because it deals also with hypothetical and fictional objects. It pivots about proto-categorical issues relating to the features of objects of any and all kinds. This brings into its range issues that test the limits of knowledge by asking questions that are inherently unanswerable (for example: “What is an instance of an occurrence that no one ever mentions?”). And it raises issues of norms and values that science (in its usual configuration) does not address.
Studies on human dental plaque. 3. Variation of protein constituents among individuals.

. Separate plaque samples (collected from 13 patients who had experienced caries and various degrees of periodontal disease) were each dispersed in 1 ml of distilled water, homogenized and lyophilized. Each lyophilisate was extracted in 1 ml of buffered saline, concentrated and analyzed. Enzyme activity studies revealed amylase in all plaque samples. Lysozyme was present occasionally. By radial immunodiffusion, IgG and IgA were shown to be in plaque extracts of some patients. Immunofluorescence examination of the sediments of individual plaque samples revealed that IgG and IgA occurred frequently. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis patterns of the extracts of plaque from different individuals exhibited marked variability despite some zones of similarity. Peptide maps of the dialysable material of the individual plaque extracts were remarkably similar.
Local energy transfer and nonlocal interactions in homogeneous, isotropic turbulence

Detailed computations were made of energy transfer among the scales of motion in incompressible turbulent fields at low Reynolds numbers generated by direct numerical simulations. It was observed that although the transfer resulted from triad interactions that were nonlocal in k space, the energy always transferred locally. The energy transfer calculated from the eddy‐damped quasinormal Markovian (EDQNM) theory of turbulence at low Reynolds numbers is in excellent agreement with the results of the numerical simulations. At high Reynolds numbers the EDQNM theory predicts the same transfer mechanism in the inertial range that is observed at low Reynolds numbers, i.e., predominantly local transfer caused by nonlocal triads. The weaker, nonlocal energy transfer is from large to small scales at high Reynolds numbers and from small to large scales at low Reynolds numbers.
993 MARROW TRANSPLANTATION (BMT) FROM A HETEROZYGOUS CARRIER DONOR IN CHRONIC GRANULOMATOUS DISEASE (CGD)

993 MARROW TRANSPLANTATION (BMT) FROM A HETEROZYGOUS CARRIER DONOR IN CHRONIC GRANULOMATOUS DISEASE (CGD)
Diminished A-cell secretion in the early phase of type I diabetes mellitus

The A-cell function in “true pre-type I diabetes” or in early phase of type I diabetes has not been reported. We studied A-cell reserve in response to intravenous arginine infusion in six individuals characterized by type I diabetes-associated immunologic defects and absent first-phase insulin secretory response to intravenous glucose prior to development of diabetes. The peak glucagon response in these patients was markedly impaired (153 ± 39 pg/mL, mean ± SEM) compared to a group of 23 normal, healthy controls (301 ± 18; P < 0.01) and a group of 11 healthy, discordant monozygotic twins of type I diabetic patients (250 ± 25, P < 0.05). The glucagon concentrations in response to oral glucose were completely suppressed to undetectable levels in three of the patients studied. In view of the well-known observations of (1) insulitis in the prediabetic phase in man and in experimental models of type I diabetes and (2) anti-islet cytoplasmic antibodies directed against all islet cells, our observations suggest an impairment of A-cells during the evolution of type I diabetes.
Calpain as a therapeutic target in traumatic brain injury

The family of calcium-activated neutral proteases, calpains, appears to play a key role in neuropathologic events following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Neuronal calpain activation has been observed within minutes to hours after either contusive or diffuse brain trauma in animals, suggesting that calpains are an early mediator of neuronal damage. Whereas transient calpain activation triggers numerous cell signaling and remodeling events involved in normal physiological processes, the sustained calpain activation produced by trauma is associated with neuron death and axonal degeneration in multiple models of TBI. Nonetheless, the causal relationship between calpain activation and neuronal death is not fully understood. Much remains to be learned regarding the endogenous regulatory mechanisms for controlling calpain activity, the roles of different calpain isoforms, and the in vivo substrates affected by calpain. Detection of stable proteolytic fragments of the submembrane cytoskeletal protein αII-spectrin specific for cleavage by calpains has been the most widely used marker of calpain activation in models of TBI. More recently, these protein fragments have been detected in the cerebrospinal fluid after TBI, driving interest in their potential utility as TBI-associated biomarkers. Post-traumatic inhibition of calpains, either direct or indirect through targets related to intracellular calcium regulation, is associated with attenuation of functional and behavioral deficits, axonal pathology, and cell death in animal models of TBI. This review focuses on the current state of knowledge of the role of calpains in TBI-induced neuropathology and effectiveness of calpain as a therapeutic target in the acute post-traumatic period.
Utilizing vibration to promote microstructural homogeneity during floating-zone crystal growth processing

Abstract Mechanical vibration of amplitude in the range of 10–20 μm and frequency in the range of 1.0–1.5 kHz was applied during floating-zone processing to improve the homogeneity of NaNO 3 -18% wt% Ba(NO 3 ) 2 eutectics. Previously, it had been shown in a half-zone that controlled vibration induces a flow which streams away from the vibrating end wall along the zone surface, returning through the bulk. On superposing this controlled surface streaming on the thermocapillary convection (TC) in a float-zone, a quasi-stagnant region was observed in front of the growth interface. Temperature measurements in the zone under normal and vibrational growth conditions verify that vibration essentially eliminates radial temperature gradients ahead of the growth interface. Accordingly, the microstructural segregation is also eliminated. The radial uniformity of solidification structures and the observation of a flat interface shape during processing provide clear evidence for suppressing thermocapillary convection through vibration. By examining and comparing microstructures obtained from different growth conditions, it is further established that it is the temperature gradient change that promotes structural uniformity. These mechanisms and the influence of vibration parameters on the solidification structures are discussed.
Hydrogen complexed EP (E ′ d ) centers and EP / H 2 interactions: implications for EP structure

Abstract Using electron spin resonance, we report the first observation of a hydrogen complexed EP center. These EP/H defects are generated by conversion of EP centers in the presence of H2 at room temperature. By comparing EP/H centers with E′γ/H centers, we unveil the first strong evidence that EP centers do not have a delocalized structure.
Bacillary angiomatosis: presentation of six patients, some with unusual features.

Summary Bacillary angiomatosis (BA) is an unusual systemic vascular proliferation seen predominantly in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. These vascular lesions are probably due to infection with a Bartonella species, most often B. henselae and. in some patients, B. quintana. BA is treatable and often curable, but without therapy, may be life-threatening. Clinically, the lesions, when superficial, are said to often resemble pyogenic granulomas, appearing polypoid histologically with an epidermal collarette. We now report six patients, three of whom showed lesions of BA morphologically and histologically distinct from the other patients reported to date. Two patients' lesions appeared clinically as violaceous plaques and tumours resembling Kaposi's sarcoma; one of them had lesions histologically reminiscent of a papular angiokeratoma; and the other had lesions histologically suggestive of a combination of Kaposi's sarcoma and BA. Another patient presented with soft subcutaneous nodules which histologically showed extensive acute inflammation characteristic of an acute abscess, but which also displayed proliferating dilated small blood vessels with bulbous endothelial cells adjacent to numerous bacteria and also containing them. The Grocott-methenamine silver stain and the Warthin-Starry stain showed the organisms to better advantage in lesions of all six patients, although bacteria were also evident with the haematoxylin and eosin. periodic acid-Schiff and alcian blue stains.
Determination of the standard deviation on multiplication based on count distributions

The multiplication M of a multiplying object can be determined by analyzing the arrival times of thermal neutrons in detectors such as helium tubes. A source emitting neutrons randomly will lead to neutron inter arrival times obeying Poisson process statistics. By observing how the inter arrival times of detected counts differ from Poisson statistics, one can assess properties of the neutron source such as the source intensity and multiplication. While the method of analyzing the inter arrival times of neutrons using count distributions to determine characteristics of the source has been used for a long time, the treatment of the errors on the determined quantities multiplication M and source strength S have not yet been adequately treated. This object of this report is to assess these errors.
Is There a Relationship Between Parental Self-Reported Psychopathology and Symptom Severity in Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa?

The current study aimed to screen for indications of psychopathology displayed by the parents of adolescents diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa (AN), and examine the relationship between severity of adolescent eating disorder symptoms and parental psychopathology. Sixty female adolescents diagnosed with DSM-IV-TR AN (restricting-type and binge-purge-type) were administered the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) and parents completed the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R). As compared to established non-patient norms, both fathers and mothers of adolescents with AN reported greater levels of obsessive compulsive behaviors, hostility, depression, and anxiety as measured by the SCL-90-R. In addition, duration of AN was positively associated with hostility scores in fathers, and global EDE scores were associated with hostility in mothers. While parental scores on the SCL-90 were elevated as compared to community samples, results of this study do not support a direct influence of parental psychopathology on s...
Computer and information science and engineering: one discipline, many specialties

Mathematics is no longer the only foundation for computing and information research and education in academia.