cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
1087. Balloon Occlusion Catheter-Based Delivery of HDAd into the Nonhuman Primate Liver Results in Stable, High Level Transgene Expression with Minimal Toxicity

Helper-dependent adenoviral vectors (HDAds) hold tremendous potential for liver-directed gene therapy because they can mediate long-term transgene expression without chronic toxicity. However, due to a nonlinear dose-response, high doses are required to achieve efficient hepatic transduction resulting in dose-dependent acute toxicity. To overcome this important obstacle, we have developed a minimally invasive method to preferentially deliver low dose HDAd into the liver of 30 kg baboons to achieve efficient hepatic transduction. Briefly, a single sausage-shaped balloon occlusion catheter was percutaneously positioned in the inferior vena cava (IVC) of baboon 1 to occlude hepatic venous outflow (Fig. 1A). 1x1011 vp/kg of a HDAd expressing the baboon alpha-fetoprotein (bAFP) marker was injected directly into the occluded liver via a percutaneously placed hepatic artery (HA) catheter and left to dwell within the liver for 15 min before balloon deflation. As controls, 1x1011 vp/kg was administered to baboon 2 by peripheral intravenous injection and baboon 3 by HA injection without balloon occlusion. All procedures were uneventful, well tolerated, and following recovery from anesthesia, all three animals returned to their normal, active pre-injection states with no clinical manifestations of toxicity. Mild transaminitis was observed for all animals, peaking at 24 to 48 h post-vector but returning towards baseline the next day: For ALT, a 2.3, 1.1, and 1.4-fold increase over baseline were observed for baboons 1, 2 and 3, respectively. For AST, a 4.8, 1.6 and 2.8-fold increase were observed for baboons 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Importantly, serum bAFP levels increased 425-fold over baseline for baboon 1 (from 4.5 ng/ml at a baseline to 1914 ng/ml), while only a modest increase of 12-fold and 5.6-fold were observed for baboon 2 (from 9 ng/ml to 109 ng/ml) and baboon 3 (from 18 ng/ml to 103 ng/ml), respectively (Fig. 1B). To date, these bAFP levels have been sustained (at least 56 days). These results suggest that the therapeutic index of HDAd can be significantly improved by delivering the vector preferentially into the liver using a minimally invasive balloon occlusion catheter technique and may be a first step towards clinical application of HDAd for liver-directed gene therapy.
Fault Diagnosis in a Large Dynamic System: Experiments on a Training Simulator

Fault diagnosis performance of expert trainees was investigated using a low-fidelity marine powerplant simulator. Based on experimental data, the diagnostic process was divided into two stages: 1) hypothesis formation and 2) hypothesis evaluation. Hypotheses were formed based on feasible set of symptom-case pairs. Performance was related to the initial feasible set (IFS) and the transition strategy for stage-shifting. Subjects used either a breadth-depth strategy where a hypothesis was thoroughly checked after a broad search for hypotheses, or a balanced strategy where several hypotheses were formed quickly and maintained at the same time. Good IFS and breadth-depth strategy resulted in better performance that bad IFS and balanced strategy.
Changes in alcohol craving and consumption by phase of menstrual cycle in alcohol dependent women

The current study examines the menstrual cycle–alcohol relationship during 6 months of weekly outpatient sessions as part of a larger treatment outcome study for alcohol‐dependent females. Twelve premenopausal women in the clinical trial who were menstruating regularly and not on oral contraceptives kept a daily log of menstruation days, alcohol consumption and cravings. Three menstrual cycle phases were defined: menses, premenstrual, and “other.” Within subjects repeated measures analyses on the subsample of 12 women showed that, despite a lower average number of cravings, drinking frequency was higher in the premenstruum than the “other” phase in the first 3 months of treatment. In addition, according to a self‐report item on a measure given to 96 women in the larger study, 48 (69%) women under the age of 50 endorsed the premenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle as a drinking cue. Of these 48, 44% considered it a major drinking cue. These preliminary data support the value of continuing to investigate t...
A class of three-dimensional recursive parallelepiped masks

Abstract The theory of the linear hypothesis model, ANOVA, experimental designs, and robustized stochastic approximation minimum variance least squares (SAMVLS) are united and applied in a pattern recognition framework to edge element detection and enhancement of large arrays of three-dimensional pictorial data. New three-dimensional recursive parallelepiped masks (TDRPM) suitable for real-time parallel processing and detection of stationary and moving edge elements are developed from multiple pictures taken of a scene in unspecified noise. The TDPRM is implemented by SAMVLS as a 2 × 2 × k and by ANOVA as a 2 × 2 × 5 mask. The concept of relative sensitivity efficiency (RSE) is introduced to allow comparisons with larger two-dimensional masks. Computer simulations verify the theory and demonstrate the successful performance of TDPRM either as a stationary or a moving-edge detector.
Investigating the Folding Dynamics of RNA Pseudoknot Structural Motif via Massively Parallel Molecular Dynamics

RNA pseudoknots compose a three-dimensional structural motif that is present in the catalytic cores of some ribozymes, and are also capable of stimulating ribosomal frameshifts. Their complex topology and non-canonical hairpin-loop composition make pseudoknots an ideal structural motif with which to study the RNA folding process. Here we report our analysis of nearly 20,000 independent all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of the ribosomal frame-shifting pseudoknot of Luteovirus and the tmRNA pseudoknot from Aquifex aeolicus, which share global topology but have only ∼50% sequence similarity. Using the Folding@Home distributed computing network and a novel Pathway Enumeration sampling method, a cumulative sampling time of over 115 μs was achieved for each of these pseudoknots. K-means clustering identified 27 conformational microstates for each pseudoknot, which reached conformational equilibrium after ∼6 ns of ensemble sampling. Multiple folding metrics were used to identify 9 macrostates participating in the folding process, including previously undescribed misfolded and intermediate states. In agreement with our previous studies of tetraloop hairpins and tRNA, the similar folding behavior of these pseudoknots suggests that native state topology is a predominant factor in the RNA folding mechanism.
A decomposition theory for matroids. V. Testing of matrix total unimodularity

Abstract We present an O((m + n)3) algorithm for deciding total unimodularity of any real m × n matrix, i.e., for deciding whether or not every square submatrix of the given matrix has determinant 0 or ±1. The algorithm relies on the well-known reduction to the binary case, but from then on is quite different from any method we know of, in particular, from the prior algorithm by W. H. Cunningham and J. Edmonds (Decomposition of linear systems, in preparation) and the recent algorithm by R. E. Bixby, W. H. Cunningham, and A. Rajan (“A Decomposition Algorithm for Matroids,” Working Paper, Rice University 1986), which are of order O((m + n)5) and O((m + n)4.5 (log(m + n))0.5), respectively. The most difficult part of the algorithm, where regularity of a 3-connected, binary, nongraphic, and noncographic matroid must be decided, is handled by a search procedure that relies on the concept of induced decompositions of Parts III and IV. The efficacy of that search procedure crucially depends on asymmetries between certain circuit results and cocircuit results of graphs. In other settings these asymmetries can be quite annoying, but here they turn out to be most beneficial.
Comparison of Fluorometric Procedures for Assay of Amphetamine

Five methods for the fluorometric determination of amphetamine were examined. The acetylacetone—formaldehyde procedure for colorimetric analysis of amphetamine was modified, and its accuracy and precision compared favorably with those obtained with a fluorescamine procedure. Only these two methods were suitable for the trace analysis of amphetamine. The formaldehyde—sulfuric acid method is less sensitive and slightly inferior in precision to these two procedures. The native fluorescence method is simple but far less sensitive, and the 2,5-hexanedione method was unsuitable for the quantitative analysis of amphetamine.
Synthesis and Molecular Structure of a Perfluoroalkyl Complex of Platinum Containing a PCP Pincer Ligand

Treatment of (TMEDA)Pt(C3F7)Me (TMEDA = tetramethylethylenediamine) with 1,3-bis[(diphenylphosphino)methyl]benzene (PCPH) in mesitylene under reflux affords the first known pincer complex of a grou...
The Impact of Personality on the End of the Cold War: A Counterfactual Analysis

The end of the Cold War is examined with respect to the impact of Mikhail Gorbachev, Ronald Reagan, and their respective foreign secretaries. This discussion yields an approach to the systematic examination of counterfactual questions about the impact of political actors on historical outcomes.
Chimera Contemporary: The Enduring Art of the Composite Beast

The author examines the history of artists' depictions of fanciful organisms that are formed by combining parts of various species. Broadly tracing the progression of this pursuit from prehistory through the Ancient, Renaissance and Romantic Periods and up to the 20th century and contemporary genetic art, the article analyzes the seemingly consistent effort to render these forms simultaneously nonthreatening or vulnerable in attitude and visually realistic. The author asks whether this practice, which seems to stem from aesthetic concerns, is sufficiently critical in regards to current trends in genetic engineering.
Prevalence and causes of elevated serum aminotransferase levels in a population-based cohort of persons with chronic hepatitis B virus infection

Background & Aims Information delineating the possible causes for elevated serum aminotransferase activity among persons with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is limited. Methods We analysed data collected from a population-based cohort of persons with chronic HBV infection followed from 2001 to 2010 to determine the frequency and causes of elevated aminotransferase activity. Any elevation concurrent with an HBV DNA level ⩾2000IU/ml was attributed to immune active hepatitis B. Participant medical charts were reviewed by expert clinical staff to determine the presence of additional or alternative attributable causes. For each participant, a serum aminotransferase elevation could be attributed to more than one cause. Results Among 1090 persons with chronic HBV infection, the mean follow-up was 7.7years and the median age in 2001 was 39 (range 19–96) years; 634 (58.2%) had ⩾1 elevated aminotransferase level during follow-up and 438 (69.1%) of persons with ⩾1 elevation had at least one cause assigned for the elevation. The most common causes of aminotransferase elevations were immune active hepatitis B (48.4%), alcohol consumption (30.8%), and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (24.7%). Among participants with HBV DNA levels persistently less than 2000IU/ml, the most common causes were NAFLD or alcohol consumption. Conclusions In this population-based cohort of persons with chronic HBV infection, the prevalence of elevated aminotransferase activity was high and attributable to immune active chronic hepatitis B in approximately half of the cases; however, NAFLD or alcohol consumption were also common causes for enzyme elevations. These findings underscore the importance of monitoring HBV DNA levels, in addition to aminotransferase activity, among persons with chronic HBV infection so that appropriate interventions, including antiviral therapy, are utilised.
MR enterography of ileocolovesicular fistula in pediatric Crohn disease

Crohn disease, a form of chronic inflammatory bowel disease is characterized by discontinuous inflammatory lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, has a variety of behavioral patterns, including penetrating or fistulous disease. While magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) excellently depicts inflamed bowel segments, it can also be used to assess for a variety of Crohn-disease-related extraintestinal complications, including fistulae. We present the MRE findings of a complex ileocolovesicular fistula in a 14-year-old boy with Crohn disease, where the fistulous tract to the urinary bladder was best delineated on precontrast T1-W imaging because of the presence of fecal material.
Platinum NMR thermometry in high magnetic fields

Abstract A platinum nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) thermometer has been developed for use in high magnetic fields (10 T) at low dilution refrigerator temperatures (10 mK). The design consists of fine platinum wires cooled by a heat exchanger of pressed silver powder. Nuclear magnetic heat capacity, thermal and magnetic relaxation times and inhomogeneous line broadening are quantitatively addressed. A version of the thermometer that fits within a 1 mm diameter tube has been used to measure temperatures down to 7.9 mK in a dilute 3 He– 4 He solution in an 8 T field.
Aerobic and morphologic response of the rabbit cornea to topical cyclosporin

AbstractCyclosporin A is a fungal metabolite that has been found to suppress a number of T-lymphocyte functions. It is used to prevent rejection of high-risk corneal transplants and to treat autoimmune ocular diseases. This study compares in vivo measurements of aerobic activity before and after application of the cyclosporin A test solution. A micropolarographic system was used to quantify the differences between oxygen uptake before and after cyclosporin exposure. Six pre-exposure readings were taken to establish a baseline pre-exposure oxygen utilization rate. Cyclosporin A solutions of varying concentrations were then applied to the cornea. Postexposure measurements of oxygen utilization rates were then made at 1, 3, 5, 10, and 60 min.The data suggest that cyclosporin in concentrations of 1.7% or greater significantly depresses aerobic activity in the corneal epithelium. For example, the 2.15% solution decreased the oxygen uptake rate to 70% of pre-exposure values at 60 min. Gross morphologic changes ...
The DREAM Project—Results and plans

Abstract High-precision jet spectroscopy will be increasingly important in future high-energy accelerator experiments, particularly at a Linear e + e - Collider. DREAM, a novel type of calorimeter, appears to be well suited for this task. The key aspect of this detector is the simultaneous measurement of the scintillation light and the Cherenkov light generated in the shower development process. By comparing these two signals (which are provided by different types of optical fibers), the electromagnetic shower fraction can be measured event by event, both for single hadrons and for jets, and the effects of fluctuations in this fraction can be eliminated. As a result, the DREAM calorimeter has impressive performance characteristics. The application of the DREAM principles in homogeneous calorimeters, which has the potential of providing ultimate calorimeter performance, is also discussed.
RENAL STONE DISEASE IN AUTOSOMAL DOMINANT POLYCYSTIC KIDNEY DISEASE

Nephrolithiasis is an important manifestation of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), which occurs in approximately 20% of patients. It should always enter the differential diagnosis of flank pain in patients with ADPKD. The diagnosis is hindered by the distorted anatomy of the polycystic kidneys and the frequent occurrence of parenchymal and cyst wall calcifications, and requires demonstration of the relationship to the collecting system by intravenous urography and/or computed tomography. Computed tomography is the most sensitive imaging technique for detection of stones or calcifications, whereas intravenous urography is the most sensitive for visualization of the intrarenal collecting system. Precaliceal tubular ectasia can be detected in 15% of patients with ADPKD and nephrolithiasis, but this association may not be specific to ADPKD. The composition of the stones is most frequently uric acid and/or calcium oxalate. Metabolic factors are important in their pathogenesis. Distal acidification defects may be important in a few patients, while an abnormal transport of ammonium, low urine pH, and hypocitruria are the most common abnormalities. The treatment of nephrolithiasis in patients with ADPKD is not different from that in patients without ADPKD. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy and percutaneous nephrostolithotomy in patients with early disease and normal renal function are not contraindicated.
Bioactive Templates Fabricated by Low-Energy Electron Beam Lithography of Self-Assembled Monolayers

Adhesive templates for biomolecule patterning were fabricated on silicon and gold by low-voltage (1 kV) electron beam lithography of an inert self-assembled monolayer, followed by backfilling the exposed regions with an amine-terminated monolayer. Amine-terminated monolayers selectively attached either the desired materials or linker molecules that subsequently bound other materials including antibodies. Lines (300 nm wide) of 20-nm polystyrene beads were formed on gold by exposing a mercaptohexadecanoic acid (MHDA) monolayer, then backfilling with cysteamine, and selectively attaching aldehyde-coated beads to the amines. Attachment density was found to vary sharply around a critical dose, making the technique useful for patterns such as gradients which require varying density. An optimal dose of 200 μC/cm2 was found for attaching fluorescent polystyrene spheres to MHDA−cysteamine templates. A cycling process was developed for aligning patterns of two or more kinds of polystyrene spheres. Biotin was tethe...
Thermomagnetic determination of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticle diameters for biomedical applications

Abstract The utility and promise of magnetic nanoparticles (MagNPs) for biomedicine rely heavily on accurate determination of the particle diameter attributes. While the average functional size and size distribution of the magnetic nanoparticles directly impact the implementation and optimization of nanobiotechnology applications in which they are employed, the determination of these attributes using electron microscopy techniques can be time-consuming and misrepresentative of the full nanoparticle population. In this work the average particle diameter and distribution of an ensemble of Fe 3 O 4 ferrimagnetic nanoparticles are determined solely from temperature-dependent magnetization measurements; the results compare favorably to those obtained from extensive electron microscopy observations. The attributes of a population of biocompatible Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles synthesized by a thermal decomposition method are obtained from quantitative evaluation of a model that incorporates the distribution of superparamagnetic blocking temperatures represented through thermomagnetization data. The average size and size distributions are determined from magnetization data via temperature-dependent zero-field-cooled magnetization. The current work is unique from existing approaches based on magnetic measurement for the characterization of a nanoparticle ensemble as it provides both the average particle size as well as the particle size distribution.
Toward universal sisterhood

Abstract Relatively little has been written about the women's internationalist movement which originated in the late nineteenth century and culminated in opposition to World War I. This article briefly sketches its growth during those years and suggests that the war, far from sundering the bonds between women, provided the opportunity for women to explore their common values and perspectives. In addition, it proposes alternatives and objectives for subsequent scholarly treatments of the topic.
Specific manipulative programming of lymphoid cells with RNA

T h e P h e n o m e n o n Early experiments in the transfer of specific immunity with viable lymphoid cells have stimulated numerous studies during the last two decades, focusing on the search and identification of the subcellular component(s) contained in or on presensitized lymphoid cells responsible for specific lymphoid cell conversions. In this regard, our laboratory has taken a special interest in the area of transfer of specific reactivity in immune systems, mainly focusing on hot-cold phenol extracts of ribonucleic acid (RNA) prepared from presensitized lymphoid cells. Ass~yable reactions have included tumor qell cytotoxicity in vitro (14), cell migration inhibition by specific antigen (13), lymphokine production (12), tumor immunotherapy (14), immunity in infectious diseases (9) and, presumably, antibody formation and/or idiotype expression in systems in vitro (2). RNA-converted cells react against various antigenic determinants that are associated with bacteria (9), fungi (12,13), tissue of normal or neoplastic origin (14), viruses (9), or protozoans (9). The validity and specificity of the RNA conversion phenomenon is also reinforced by the demonstrable transfer of cellular immunity to some esoteric, chemically defined immunogenic specificities that include e~ or e DNPoligolysines (I 1) or mono-(p-amino)-N-chloroacetyl-L-tyrosine (ARSNAT) (3). The experiments in programming immunologically competent lymphoid cells with RNA are deceptively simple. In reality, they are fraught with a myriad of technical problems that can easily influence the experimental results, not the least of which is the ubiquitous presence of RNase. One usually incubates mixtures of macrophages, T and/or B cells with RNA in vitro, washes the cells, and then exposes the converted cells to the original immunogen that was used to immunize the RNA donor animal. The amount of RNA used to accomplish these cellular conversions can range from as little as 12 i.tg in certain purified, isolated fractions, to nearly 500 I~g with whole, unfractionated quantities (8). In some experiments, RNA-converted cells can then be injected into syngeneic or allogeneic animals, which usually are challenged with the specific immunogen used to immunize the RNA donor.
Computer measurements of hippocampal fast activity in cats with chronically implanted electrodes.

Abstract An evoked potential technique was used for implanting bipolar electrodes to straddle the pyramidal cell layer of the dorsal hippocampus. The fast wave spontaneous activity recorded from awake cats was analyzed with computers. The salient features of this study were as follows: 1. 1. Further evidence was provided that hippocampal fast activity is a product of a dipole generator located in the pyramidal cell layer. 2. 2. Computer analysis of records taken during the performance of a simple behavioral food response revealed a dominant rhythm of about 15 to 20 c/sec. This dominant rhythm varied within a fairly narrow frequency range for any one cat, with the modal frequency highly dependent upon the individual cat. 3. 3. The fast waves could be detected in both hemispheres and appeared to propagate in an antero-medial to postero-lateral direction at a rate of less than 1 m/sec. 4. 4. Consistent frequency changes occurred in the dominant fast waves when recordings were taken under different behavioral conditions.
Flying Height Response to Mechanical Shock During Operation of a Magnetic Hard Disk Drive

A complementary experimental and numerical study of fly height response to applied mechanical shock during disk drive operation is reported in this paper. Numerical predictions of dynamic fly height response at the slider close point, due to measured drive component response to externally applied mechanical shocks, are plotted versus time and versus input shock, and are compared with the disk glide avalanche height. HDI contact pressure, as predicted using the Greenwood-Williamson contact model, is also plotted versus amplitude and sense of the externally applied mechanical shocks. The effects of measured disk motion on fly height response to operational shock are described, and are shown to be significant. It is concluded that design changes that modify disk response can be a efficacious path for the disk drive designer to improve fly height response to operational shock.
Co-Production, Polycentricity, and Value Heterogeneity: The Ostroms’ Public Choice Institutionalism Revisited

Revisiting the theory of institutional hybridity and diversity developed by Vincent and Elinor Ostrom to cope with the challenge of the “neither states nor markets” institutional domain, this article reconstructs the Ostromian system along the “value heterogeneity–co-production–polycentricity” axis. It articulates the elements of a theory of value heterogeneity and of the fuzzy boundaries between private and public. It rebuilds the model of co-production, clarifying the ambiguity surrounding a key technical public choice theoretical assumption, and it demonstrates (a) why it should not be confused with the Alchian-Demsetz team production model and (b) how co-production engenders a type of market failure that has been neglected so far. In light of this analysis, the article reconsiders polycentricity, the capstone of the Ostromian system, explaining why polycentricity may be seen as a solution both to this co-production market failure problem and to the problems of social choice in conditions of deep heterogeneity. It also discusses further normative corollaries.
The maturation of anadromous female Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., stocked in a small pond in urban St John's, Newfoundland, Canada

Anadromous Atlantic salmon swim-up fry were stocked into a small pond (surface area 4.0 ha; maximum depth 3.6 m; mean depth 1.9m) in urban St John's, Newfoundland, Canada. The outlet from the pond was placed underground about 15 years ago. The growth rate of young salmon in this pond was two to five times as fast as in populations in insular Newfoundland. Females matured after a size at which they should have smolted and emigrated to sea. Growth, fecundity, and egg size of transplanted females are compared with those of the donor stock and with those reported for populations of landlocked salmon in insular Newfoundland. The evolutionary implications of the study are discussed.
Commentary on the Article by King: Good to Go or Disqualified? Interrelated but Distinct Tasks, Challenges, and Tools in Pilot Selection

King's article provides a much-needed clarification of the related, but distinct, psychological assessment tasks that are involved in selecting professional pilots. King distinguishes between asses...
Antibiotic Carry-over in Cell Cultures of Herpes Simplex Virus

Schneierson and Shore1 reported that herpes simplex virus grown in cell culture was capable of inhibiting the growth of certain strains of bacteria. In a preliminary investigation in this laboratory, attempts to confirm the findings of Schneierson and Shore were successful. This investigation was then expanded to include testing the virus suspensions collected from different cell lines against a wide range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms representing 15 species. In the course of the assays it was noted that the activity of the virus suspension against test organisms produced a sensitivity pattern similar to that of streptomycin or penicillin. It was noted, however, that this antibacterial activity of the virus culture was lost following serial passage through cells cultivated in antibiotic-free medium. In an attempt to explain the loss of antibacterial activity, the hypothesis was formulated that the antibacterial activity might result from antibiotics carried over from the original inoculum. The purpose of this report is to present the results arising from the testing of this hypothesis.
A Correlation Mapping Method to Eliminate the Peak-Locking Effect in PIV Analysis

“Peak-locking” causes deterministic mean measurement bias in most of the existing cross-correlation based algorithms for PIV data analysis. This phenomenon is inherent to the typical smooth curve-fitting through discrete correlation values which are used to obtain the sub-pixel accuracy in velocity. In this paper we introduce a new algorithm/method for obtaining the sub-pixel accuracy, which eliminates the peak-locking effect. We refer to this procedure as “correlation mapping method”. In an ideal case, the second exposure (image 2) in a PIV measurement can be regarded as a mapping of the first exposure (image 1) where the mapping rules are affected by displacement, deformation, out of plane motion, etc. The correlation mapping method is based on shifting of image 1 by certain sub-pixel value, thus generating a virtual image (2′), whose gray level can be expressed in terms of the original image and the sub-pixel displacement. Thus, the correlation map of images 1 and 2′ is also a function of the intensity distribution in image 1 and the displacement. This correlation map is matched with the measured correlation map of images 1 and 2, providing a system of equations, one for discrete point in the correlation map with the sub-pixel values as unknowns. Solving these equations for each point in the vicinity of the correlation peak generates a series of sub-pixel displacements. Least square fitting is then used to determine the sub-pixel displacement with minimal difference between the real and virtual correlation values. This method is applied to several experimental and synthetic flow image pairs. In most cases the results show substantial improvements in sub-pixel accuracy in comparison to other algorithms and it eliminates the peak locking bias.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Rapid Isothermal Processing (RIP) Of Advanced Electronic Materials

Rapid isothermal processing (RIP) based on incoherent sources of light has emerged as a major semiconductor processing technique. In this paper, new results on the use of in-situ RIP for the solid phase epitaxial growth of II A fluorides, annealing of phosphosilicate glass on Si substrates, RIP assisted MOCVD of Y-Ba-Cu-O as well as unexplored areas and directions for future research are presented.
High performance spatial light modulators for terahertz applications

Abstract We demonstrate large-contrast, low-crosstalk, low-power, and broadband spatial light modulators (SLMs) for operation at terahertz (THz) frequencies. The electro-thermally activated SLMs rely on the insulator–metal-phase transition of two VO2 thin films deposited on opposite sides of a sapphire substrate. We validated the effectiveness of our approach by fabricating and testing 2×2 pixel SLM prototypes. Record high amplitude modulation depth of 96%, −30 dB pixel-to-pixel crosstalk and precise THz transmission control was determined for the fabricated SLMs over a broad range of THz frequencies. Raster scanning THz transmission revealed excellent pixel uniformity with very large on/off contrast. These attributes are fundamental for high-contrast THz imaging and spectroscopy applications.
Comparison of Heavy Labeled (SIL) Peptide versus SILAC Protein Internal Standards for LC-MS/MS Quantification of Hepatic Drug Transporters

We studied the precision of quantification of organic anion-transporting polypeptide 1B1 (OATP1B1), OATP1B3, OATP2B1, and P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in human livers by surrogate peptide based LC-MS/MS approach using two different internal standards: stable isotope labeled peptide (SIL) versus stable isotope labeled protein (SILAC). The SIL peptides were procured commercially and the SILAC proteins were generated in-house by labeling arginine and/or lysine residues in cells expressing these transporters. Liver tissue (n = 20) was homogenized and the membrane fraction was isolated. The membranes were trypsin digested and the peptides were analyzed using LC-MS/MS under optimized conditions. The precision in the quantification of proteins in three independently trypsin digested samples from each liver was calculated as the standard deviation of the log transformed protein concentration. The precision of the SIL internal standard method was either slightly (P < 0.05, paired t-test) better than that of the SILAC method (OATP1B1, OATP1B3, and P-gp) or not different (OATP2B1). Trypsin digestion, as measured by the response of the labeled peptide derived from the SILAC protein, was consistent across liver samples. These results indicate that when maximum trypsin digestion is ensured, the SIL internal standard method can be used with confidence for quantification of drug transporters.
Solid-Solution Partitioning of Metals in Contaminated Soils: Dependence on pH, Total Metal Burden, and Organic Matter

Environmental risk assessment of metals depends to a great extent on modeling the fate and the mobility of metals based on soil−liquid partitioning coefficients. A large variability is observed among the reported values that could be used to predict metal mobility and bioavailability. To evaluate this, soil−liquid partitioning coefficients (Kd) for many elements but especially for the metals cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc were compiled from over 70 studies of various origins collected from the literature. The relationships between the reported values are explored relative to variations in soil solution pH, soil organic matter (SOM), and concentrations of total soil metal. The results of multiple linear regressions show that Kd values are best predicted using empirical linear regressions with pH (with R 2 values of 0.29−0.58) or with pH and either the log of SOM or the log of total metal and with resulting R 2 values of 0.42−0.76. A semi-mechanistic model based on the competitive adsorption of met...
Design of a pulsed single-mode dye laser.

A complete equation is formulated that describes the spectral linewidth of a dye laser provided by the cavity of the prism–grating–mirror combination. It is the consolidation of previously published work. Thermal stability of the dye laser frequency is also discussed.
GIS and Public Health

Ellen K. Cromley and Sara L. McLafferty, eds. New York, NY: Guilford Publications, 2002. xx and 340 pp., maps, tables, diags., refs., and index. $45.00 cloth (ISBN 1-57230-707-2).
Microbiology of Textile Fibres VI. Relative Humidity over Certain Aqueous Solutions of Glycerol at 25° C:

A dew point apparatus was devised for measuring the humidity over aqueous solutions of non-volatile substances. Preliminary experiments proved that results obtained with the instrument were reproducible and that it could be used to make dependable measurements of the relative humidity over such solutions in the range of from 70% to 90% at 25° C.Dew point determinations were made on a series of glycerol solutions having aqueous tensions corresponding to from 70% to 95% relative humidity at 25° C. The experimental data are critically compared with previously published figures.
253 RESPONSE TO RAPID VOLUME EXPANSION DURING THE POSTNATAL PERIOD

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that the postnatal diuresis observed in healthy neonates during the second hour of life is due to an expansion of their extracellular volume (ECV) as a result of manual or spontaneous placental blood transfusion (Strauss, J., Daniel, S., and James, L.S., Pediatrics, In Press). Seven healthy infants were infused with isotonic glucose during the third or fourth hour of life. Plasma and urine were analyzed for osmolality, inulin and para-amino hippuric acid in order to estimate osmolal and free water clearances as well as glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma flow (RPF). Despite individual variation in initial values and in response, glucose infusion caused a prompt diuresis which was accompanied by an increase in GFR and RPF but no consistent change in urine osmolality. The response was of short duration and the fraction of exogenous load excreted was less than 5% in five out of 7 infants. This study indicates that during the first few hours of postnatal life, the kidney of the newborn infant is capable of responding to water load as that of the older newborn. It can also be concluded that the transient postnatal diuresis observed in these infants could be partly due to the expansion of ECV by placental blood transfusion.
The process and consequences of reporting child maltreatment: A brief overview for professionals in the mental health field

Although it has been more than three decades since the Child Abuse Prevention Act was passed, mandating professionals to identify suspected cases of child maltreatment to protect children, professionals remain hesitant in their reporting of this severe problem. One of the primary reasons professionals fail to report child maltreatment is unfamiliarity with the reporting process. Indeed, most professionals are inadequately trained to diplomatically make these reports, and some fail to report because they fear negative consequences for themselves, the alleged victim, and victim's family. Failing to report child maltreatment is associated with greater risk of future child maltreatment; therefore, this paper reviews child abuse and neglect reporting procedures, while emphasizing consequences that may occur for all involved parties. Methods of preventing negative consequences in this process are underscored, including recommendations for future research in this area.
The formation of excited carbon ions in He+ + CO collisions

Abstract The dissociation of CO to the 4f 2 F o state of C + is observed by its emission in low energy (100 eV to 1 keV) collisions with He + .
Paraneoplastic opsoclonus/myoclonus B cells, T cells, both, or neither?

Most paraneoplastic syndromes are believed to be immune mediated.1 The hypothesis is that when antigens normally restricted to the nervous system are expressed in a non-nervous system cancer, the immune system recognizes the neural antigen in the cancer as foreign and mounts an immune attack. The immune response has the dual effect of slowing the growth of (or in rare instances, eliminating) the cancer and damaging that portion of the nervous system that also expresses the antigen.2 The evidence for immune mediation of paraneoplastic syndromes is unequivocal in Lambert–Eaton myasthe-nic syndrome (LEMS; small cell lung cancer) and myasthenia gravis (thymoma). However, for those disorders involving the CNS, including childhood paraneoplastic opsoclonus/myoclonus (POM) associated with neuroblastoma, the evidence is less clear. In some CNS paraneoplastic syndromes, one can identify high-titer antibodies that react with the nervous system and the causal cancer. One example is the anti-Ri antibody found in adults with POM associated with several different cancers.3 Unfortunately, this is not the case in neuroblastoma-associated POM. Prodigious efforts to …
Three-bit representation of three-dimensional range data.

Our previous research has shown that 3D range data sizes can be substantially reduced if they are converted into regular 2D images using the Holoimage technique. Yet, this technique requires all 24 bits of a standard image to represent one 3D point, making it impossible for a regular 2D image to carry 2D texture information as well. This paper proposes an approach to represent 3D range data with 3 bits, further reducing the data size. We demonstrate that more than an 8.2∶1 compression ratio can be achieved with compression root-mean-square error of only 0.34%. Moreover, we can use another bit to represent a black-and-white 2D texture, and thus both 3D data and 2D texture images can be stored into an 8 bit grayscale image. Both simulation and experiments are presented to verify the performance of the proposed technique.
Godwinian Moments: From the Enlightenment to Romanticism; The Letters of William Godwin, Vol. I 1778–1797

Godwinian Moments: From the Enlightenment to Romanticism, edited by Robert M. Maniquis and Victoria Myers, Toronto, U of Toronto P in Association with the UCLA Center for Seventeenth- and Eighteent...
Rhizosphere bacteria and their use to increase plant productivity: A review

Abstract Rhizosphere bacteria influence plant growth through several mechanisms. Beneficial interactions are often difficult to identify and isolate for study, and therefore favorable effects on plant productivity are not easily described in quantitative terms. Major beneficial activities of soil bacteria include solubilization of minerals, fixation of nitrogen, production of growth-promoting hormones and competitive suppression of pathogens. Most recent research to improve crop responses has emphasized the study of nitrogen-fixing bacteria indigenous to rhizospheres of cereal crops and other grasses. The amount of nitrogen available to crops from fixation by these organisms is significant under some circumstances, but efforts to control and increase fixation activity have not been consistently successful. Despite considerable research, inoculation experiments frequently fail to improve rates of nitrogen fixation. However, substantial progress has been achieved in understanding mechanisms involved in plant—bacterial interactions, and in defining conditions which control them. Also, recent studies show clearly that bacterial inoculation can be highly beneficial even when nitrogen fixation is not affected. Further research is needed to develop new and effective methods for suppressing growth of competing microorganisms, and promoting dominance of those most useful to plants. Environmental manipulation may not be sufficient to achieve this objective. Genetic development of both plant and bacterial lines which enhance desired interactions is likely to be the most productive research effort for the future.
A GAS-EXCHANGE STUDY OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND ISOPRENE EMISSION IN QUERCUS RUBRA L.

We have investigated the signals which affect the rate of isoprene emission from photosynthesizing leaves of red oak (Quercus rubra L.) using analytical gas-exchange techniques, chlorophyll-fluorescence measurements, and inhibitor feeding. Isoprene emission increased with increasing photon flux density at low CO2 but much less so at high CO2 partial pressure. Photosynthetic CO2 assimilation exhibited the opposite behavior. In CO2-free air, isoprene emission was reduced; above 500 μbar CO2 partial pressure, isoprene emission was also reduced. The high-CO2 effect appeared to be related to low ATP levels which can occur during feedback-limited photosynthesis. At high temperature, which can prevent feedback limitations, isoprene emission remained high as CO2 partial pressure was increased. After exposing the leaves to darkness, isoprene emission declined over 15 min, while photosynthesis stopped within 2 min. Adding far-red light to stimulate cyclic photo-phosphorylation during the post-illumination period stimulated isoprene emission. These analyses lead us to propose that the rate of isoprene emission is regulated by ATP. Analysis of transients indicated that isoprene emission is also related to photosynthetic carbon metabolism. Inhibitor feeding indicated that 3-phosphoglyceric acid and 1,3-bisphosphoglyceric acid are possible candidates for the link between photosynthetic carbon metabolism and the regulation of isoprene emission. Given the ATP dependence, we suggest that the concentration of 1,3-bisphosphoglyceric acid may exert control over the rate of isoprene emission from oak leaves.
Electrocochleography: a review of recording approaches, clinical applications, and new findings in adults and children.

Abstract Research related to expanding and improving the clinical use of electrocochleography (ECochG) has been ongoing for 25 yr at the University of Kansas Medical Center. This article presents highlights of findings from our laboratory during this period that have contributed to current ECochG recording approaches and clinical applications. A review of new data related to improving the sensitivity of ECochG in the diagnosis of Meniere's disease, the use of an ear canal recording approach for improving auditory brain stem response testing in newborns, and technical aspects related to recording the cochlear microphonic in newborns also will be presented.
MACROECONOMIC NEWS AND STOCK MARKET CALENDAR AND WEATHER ANOMALIES

An analysis of six stock market calendar and weather anomalies from 1980 to 2003 shows that (1) returns on trading days in which macroeconomic announcements were made generate the anomalies and (2) five of the six anomalies are not present at all on the trading days in which such announcements were not made (more than 60% of the sample). The results suggest that the market response to macroeconomic news, not psychological or institutional factors, is the main source of calendar and weather anomalies.
Outcomes of Angioplasty vs Thrombolysis by Hospital Angioplasty Volume

concluded that pa-tients treated at hospitals that performed more than 16 pri-mary angioplasty procedures per year (93.5% of the proce-dures in the study) had lower in-hospital mortality rates withprimary angioplasty than with thrombolytic therapy. Severalother National Registry of Myocardial Infarction publicationshave also focused on primary angioplasty.
Biological Revascularization and the Interventional Molecular Cardiologist Bypass for the Next Generation

Although there has been no formal proclamation of this fact, we have entered the third era of treatment of ischemic disease. Until the latter part of the 20th century, pharmacological therapy was the sole means that physicians had to alleviate ischemic symptoms in patients with coronary and peripheral ischemia. The advent of mechanical revascularization revolutionized the care of these patients during the past 25 years, prolonging life and improving function beyond what had been possible with optimal medical management. Recently, the concept that new blood vessels could be grown to enhance tissue perfusion, barely a footnote in the cardiovascular literature 10 years ago, is now achieving widespread acceptance. “How,” not “whether,” is now the prevailing question. Biological revascularization, the third era in the treatment of ischemic disease, is now within our reach.1 See p 3097 Early investigations into the realm of therapeutic angiogenesis focused on the ability to augment perfusion of ischemic tissue by the administration of single angiogenic cytokines, either as fully formed proteins or as gene therapy. The use of single agents, although teleologically unlikely to result in an optimal effect, reflected both a practical reality and the need to discern the mechanisms resulting from these early attempts to modify a complex process. Much was learned from these pioneering laboratory and clinical studies. Of note, the very term angiogenesis, classically used to describe the expansion of existing vasculature by sprouting and migration of endothelial cells from parent vessels, has now often been replaced by the more generic “neovascularization” to indicate the now established participation of adult progenitor or stem cells resulting in vasculogenesis as well (we will use these terms interchangeably in this review). Seminal observations about the existence and participation of adult stem cells in new vessel formation2 were a direct result of these early …
Individual- and Community- Level Determinants of Public Attitudes Toward Nonprofit Organizations

It is often suggested that nonprofit organizations positively impact our local communities. Studies, however, have consistently shown that the distribution of these organizations varies considerably from one community to the next. These differences have led some scholars to begin raising serious concern about the degree of "charitable equity" across communities. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore how the makeup of a community's nonprofit sector affects the views of those who potentially depend on nonprofit services. Specifically, using data from a countywide survey of public attitudes toward nonprofits in southern California (N = 1,002), we examined whether differences in the distribution of nonprofits affected individuals' confidence in nonprofit performance as well as their awareness of what nonprofit organizations even are. Findings indicated that nonprofit density was strongly related to awareness of the sector, while awareness was, in turn, strongly related to confidence in nonprofit performance.