cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A comparison of nitrogen and energy determinations on fresh and oven-air dried cattle feces.

Summary Samples of fresh cow feces, obtained from 12 different animals, were subjected to analysis for total moisture (dry matter), nitrogen, and gross energy. These analyses were made both on the fresh and on the oven–air dried materials. Total moisture of the fresh feces was determined in three ways, and gross energy of the fresh feces was determined with the aid of two different primers, 95% ethyl alcohol and benzoic acid. Gross energy of the dried feces was determined without the use of any primer. The samples of fresh feces were dried in a forced-air oven for a period of 22 hr. at a temperature of 65° C. Small but consistent losses of nitrogen, average of 5.15%, occurred upon drying, as well as the liberation of 727mg. of carbon dioxide per 100g. of fresh feces. The average levels of the determinations of gross energy were 66.31, 71.17, and 71.24 Calories per 100g. of fresh feces for the ethyl alcohol, benzoic acid, and oven–air dry methods, respectively. The composite standard errors between duplicates for the energy determinations, expressed as Calories per 100g. of fresh feces, were 3.70, 2.17, and 0.22 for the ethyl alcohol, benzoic acid, and oven–air dry methods, respectively. Under the conditions of drying fresh cow feces employed in this experiment, only small losses of nitrogen occurred, and there was no loss of gross energy.
Real-time diagnostic imaging of tumors and metastases by use of a replication-competent herpes vector to facilitate minimally invasive oncological surgery

Current efforts on expanding minimally invasive techniques into the realm of oncological surgery are hindered by lack of accurate visualization of tumor margins and failure to detect micro metastases in real time. We used a systemic delivery of a herpes viral vector with cancer-selective infection and replication to precisely differentiate between normal and malignant tissue. NV1066 is a genetically modified, replication-competent herpes simplex virus carrying a transgene for enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP). We tested the potential of NV1066 in delineating tumor tissue in vitro and in vivo in a wide range of cancers and whether NV1066-induced GFP expression can detect small foci of tumors and metastases in in vivo models using an operating endoscope with fluorescent filters. Our findings indicate that NV1066 can be used for real-time intraoperative imaging and enhanced detection of early cancers and metastases. We demonstrate that a single dose of NV1066, administered either locally (intratumoral or intracavitary) or systemically, will detect loco-regional and distant disease throughout the body. Such cancer selectivity is confirmed in 110 types of cancer cells from 16 different primary organs. Fluorescence-aided minimally invasive endoscopy revealed microscopic tumor deposits unrecognized by conventional laparoscopy/thoracoscopy. Furthermore, NV1066 ability to transit and infect tumor and metastases is proven in syngenic and transplanted tumors in different animal models, both immunocompetent and immunodeficient. Cancer-selective GFP expression is confirmed by histology, immunohistochemistry, and qRT-PCR. These studies form the basis for real-time, intraoperative diagnostic imaging of tumor and metastases by minimally invasive endoscopic technology.
Adverse reactions to gadolinium contrast media: a review of 36 cases.

We investigated the frequency, manifestations, and severity of reactions to gadolinium contrast media in patients who underwent MR imaging at a single institution.We reviewed the quality assurance records of 21,000 patients to whom gadolinium contrast media were administered at our institution between January 1990 and October 1994. Of these patients, 36 had adverse reactions. All 36 patients were evaluated by a radiologist at the time of the adverse reaction, and a written report of the findings was completed immediately.We classified adverse reactions into four groups: mild nonallergic reactions (15 patients with nausea or vomiting), mild reactions resembling allergy (12 patients with hives, diffuse erythema, or skin irritation), moderate reactions resembling allergy (seven patients with respiratory symptoms), and life-threatening reactions resembling allergy (two patients with severe chest tightness, respiratory distress, and periorbital edema). Eleven of these 36 patients who had adverse reactions also...
The use of systemic antibiotics in the treatment of chronic wounds.

ABSTRACT: The role of microorganisms in the etiology and persistence of chronic wounds remains poorly understood. The chronic wound bed houses a complex microenvironment that typically includes more than one bacterial species. Difficulty lies in determining when the presence of bacteria impedes wound healing, thereby warranting intervention. Indications for antibiotic therapy and optimal treatment regimens are ill defined. The goal of this article is to describe the appropriate role of systemic antibiotics in the management of chronic wounds. A common sense approach will be offered based on six clinically pertinent questions: • Is infection present? • Are systemic antibiotics necessary? • Should treatment be enteral or parenteral? • What antibiotic or combination of antibiotics should be used? • What should be the duration of therapy? • What special circumstances are present (i.e., concomitant illnesses, potential drug–drug interactions) that can impact therapy?
Retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma: a light and electron microscopic study

Retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma arising in a spermatic blood vessel is described. In addition to typical leiomyosarcoma, areas of atypical histiocyte-like cells and storiform pattern bearing a close resemblance to malignant fibrous histiocytoma, were seen. Ultrastructurally, cells with features of smooth muscle, partially differentiated cells with marginal densities and basal lamina and histiocyte-like giant cells were present. Phagocytosis of inflammatory cells by tumour cells with marginal densities and an investment of basal lamina was observed. It is suggested that the precursor cell in this lesion was a primitive mesenchymal cell showing varying degrees of smooth muscle differentiation and giant cell formation.
Time-of-flight scattering and recoiling spectrometry. I. Structure of the W(211) surface.

The technique of time-of-flight scattering and recoiling spectrometry (TOF-SARS) with detection of both neutrals and ions is presented and the scattering technique is applied to structural analysis of the clean W(211) surface. The recoiling technique is applied to structural analysis of oxygen and hydrogen on this surface in the two papers (II and III) immediately following this one (I). This series of three papers emphasizes the ability to obtain direct ``real-space'' information on the relative positions of atoms in the surface region based on simple classical concepts. In this first paper, both backscattering (BS) and forward-scattering (FS) from a pulsed 4-keV ${\mathrm{Ar}}^{+}$ primary-ion beam are monitored as a function of polar beam incident angle \ensuremath{\alpha}, polar beam exit angle \ensuremath{\beta}, surface azimuthal angle \ensuremath{\delta}, and scattering angle \ensuremath{\theta} for clean W(211). Plots of BS intensities in (\ensuremath{\alpha},\ensuremath{\delta}) space provide scattering structural contour maps and three-dimensional scattering structural plots of the clean W(211) surface.
Escherichia coli lac repressor-lac operator interaction and the influence of allosteric effectors.

Abstract The wild type E. coli lac operator is embedded in a 35 base-pair DNA sequence containing extensive 2-fold symmetry, suggesting a symmetric repressor operator complex. However, deviations from strict 2-fold symmetry occur at the central base-pair and at three additional base-pairs. Using an operator fragment binding analysis we have determined: (a) a relative contribution each pair provides to the lac repressor- lac operator DNA complex, (b) the operator DNA length necessary for maximum binding to lac repressor; and (c) the contribution of the several non-symmetric base in the wild-type operator to the binding affinity. Since lac repressor- lac operator DNA interaction is reduced upon binding of the gratuitous inducer, isopropyl-β-D-galactoside (IPTG), the same DNA fragment binding analysis was performed with the low affinity form of lac repressor. In the presence of inducer, the affinity for the left half site of the wild-type lac operator is reduced without significant reduction on the right half of the operator. Conversely, the anti-inducer orthonitrophenylfucoside (ONPF) which stabilizes the lac repressor- lac operator complex increases the binding affinity, particularly to the right half of the operator.
Sentient nature and human economy: the ‘human’ science of early Nationalökonomie:

Over the course of the 18th century, scholarly examinations of animal nature and behavior rejected ‘mechanical’, overly deterministic hypotheses, suggesting instead that animal action proceeded from a psycho-physiological sentient capacity. Though the ultimate causes of this capacity appeared to elude explanation, they expressed themselves in behaviors that scholars described and analyzed. Interpretations of sentient, animal nature also bore on the contemporary understanding of human nature: like animals, human beings were also considered to possess a psycho-physiological nature that motivated them to act in order to satisfy their vital needs. Adopting this vision of human nature, early German political economists sought to construct a ‘human’ science, one that emphasized and explored the human interrelationship with the operations of the physical world, yet did not abandon the long-cherished belief in human distinctiveness within nature.
New therapies in the treatment of melanoma

Introduction: Therapies targeting immune checkpoints (CTLA-4) and the MAP kinase signaling pathway (RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK) have transformed the treatment of advanced melanoma in the past year. Agents aimed at other therapeutic targets of interest are being actively evaluated in the clinic. Areas covered: Areas of active therapeutic interest in melanoma include immunotherapy, molecularly targeted therapy and chemotherapy; combinations of these modalities are now under systematic exploration. Expert opinion: The evaluation of patients with melanoma now includes the molecular profiling of tumor mutations in the BRAF, as well as c-Kit, NRAS and other genes that have been discovered to be drivers of different subsets of the disease. The analysis of the host immunological response to melanoma is equally important, as a basis for the development of immunotherapies that have been of value to melanoma patients in the adjuvant arena, as well as for therapy of metastatic disease. The understanding of these two facets of t...
Large viruses and infected microeukaryotes in Ross Sea summer pack ice habitats

A variety of Ross Sea summer pack ice habitats between 66 and 75°S were examined for viruses ≥110 nm capsid diameter. Maximum abundances of these viruses likely to infect eukaryotes were 106–107 ml-1 brine in surface, interior, and bottom habitats and constituted up to 18% of the total (all sizes) viruses. There is abundant ultrastructural evidence for infection of a variety of microheterotrophs and some autotrophs. One station exhibited the classical characteristics of a lower latitude algal bloom with potential viral control. The blooming alga, Pyramimonas tychotreta Daugbjerg 2000, was infected, as were two abundant heterotrophs, Cryothecomonas spp. and an unidentified flagellate, that fed on P. tychotreta. Infections were observed in only one life history stage (multiflagellate cells) of P. tychotreta, suggesting a relationship among virus-induced lysis, life-history stages, physiology, and environmental factors regulating the life cycle. There is good evidence that diatoms are not a likely source of the large viruses, and viruses in general are not a major food source for ice microheterotrophs in summer.
Cost and efficacy analysis in the ESVEM trial: Implications for diagnosis and therapy for ventricular tachyarrhythmias

Physicians must now consider the likely cost of management decisions as well as the expected effects on patient outcome. Cost-ascertainment studies identify and contrast the cost of therapies, and cost-effectiveness analysis compares the additional cost of a therapy with its additional effect on survival and quality of life. This article reviews the principles of cost-ascertainment and cost-effectiveness analysis and then presents the cost of initial and follow-up care in Electrophysiologic Study Versus Electrocardiographic Monitoring (ESVEM) trial. Finally, the cost-effectiveness of therapy guided by electrophysiologic study or Holter monitoring and of sotalol versus other drugs is reviewed, and implications for future studies are discussed.
The Apollo 17 landing Site

Dr Lucchitta describes the geology of the Apollo 17 landing site in the Taurus–Littrow region of the Moon.
The photo-oxidation of 1,3-dichlorotetrafluoroacetone: mechanism of the reaction of CF2Cl with oxygen

Abstract The 313 nm photolysis of 1,3-dichlorotetrafluoroacetone in the presence of oxygen was investigated at 298 K. CF2O and CO2 were identified as the reaction products, and a mechanism is proposed to explain their formation. Evidence is obtained for the formation of CO2 by the reaction of CF2ClO radicals with CO.
TWO-DIMENSIONAL DYNAMICS OF TRACKED RAM AIR CUSHION VEHICLES WITH FIXED AND VARIABLE WINGLETS

A linearized model of pitch-heave dynamics of a Tracked Ram Air Cushion Vehicle is presented. This model is based on aerodynamic theory which has been verified by wind tunnel and towed model experiments. The ride quality and dynamic motions of the fixed winglet vehicle moving at 330 km/hr over a guideway described by roughness characteristics typical of highways is examined in terms of the rms values of vertical acceleration in the foremost and rearmost seats in the passenger cabin and gap variations at the leading and trailing edges of the vehicle. Optimal regulator theory is employed to design the active suspension system. Predicted rms values of vertical acceleration in one-third octave frequency bands are compared with vertical ISO Specifications. It is shown that marked improvements in ride quality can be obtained with either passive or active suspension systems.
Purification of Tetracene: Vapor Zone Refining and Eutectic Zone Melting

Abstract Impurities present intracene have been concentrated by vapor zone refining, and identified by chromatography and absorption and mass spectroscopy. They include anthracene, pyrene, methylpyrene, chrysene, 5,12-dihydrotetracene, 1,2-benzodiphenylene oxide, 1,2-benezodiphenylene sulfide, brasan, 2,3-benzofluorene, 4,5-iminophenanthrene and 5,12-tetracenequinone. Eutectic mixures of tetracene with 2-naphthoic acid have been zone melted, and numerous impurities were concentrated. Zone melting the eutectic with added 2,3-benzofluorene gave effective segregation of the latter. Zone melting the anthracene/benzoic acid eutectic with added carbazole showed that k eff for the latter is 0.6, which is considerably lower than the values measured for the anthracene/carbazole system alone.
Toward a Contingency Model of Leadership and Psychological Empowerment: When Should Self-Leadership Be Encouraged?

In this paper, we develop and present a contingency model of leadership and psychological empowerment that specifies the circumstances and situations under which follower self-leadership should be ...
Trypanin is a cytoskeletal linker protein and is required for cell motility in African trypanosomes

The cytoskeleton of eukaryotic cells is comprised of a complex network of distinct but interconnected filament systems that function in cell division, cell motility, and subcellular trafficking of proteins and organelles. A gap in our understanding of this dynamic network is the identification of proteins that connect subsets of cytoskeletal structures. We previously discovered a family of cytoskeleton-associated proteins that includes GAS11, a candidate human tumor suppressor upregulated in growth-arrested cells, and trypanin, a component of the flagellar cytoskeleton of African trypanosomes. Although these proteins are intimately associated with the cytoskeleton, their function has yet to be determined. Here we use double-stranded RNA interference to block trypanin expression in Trypanosoma brucei, and demonstrate that this protein is required for directional cell motility. Trypanin(−) mutants have an active flagellum, but are unable to coordinate flagellar beat. As a consequence, they spin and tumble uncontrollably, occasionally moving backward. Immunofluorescence experiments demonstrate that trypanin is located along the flagellum/flagellum attachment zone and electron microscopic analysis revealed that cytoskeletal connections between the flagellar apparatus and subpellicular cytoskeleton are destabilized in trypanin(−) mutants. These results indicate that trypanin functions as a cytoskeletal linker protein and offer insights into the mechanisms of flagellum-based cell motility.
VIII. The flicker photometer and the iris

(1913). VIII. The flicker photometer and the iris. The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science: Vol. 26, No. 151, pp. 180-183.
Computer aided classification of masses in ultrasonic mammography.

Frequency compounding was recently investigated for computer aided classification of masses in ultrasonicB-mode images as benign or malignant. The classification was performed using the normalized parameters of the Nakagami distribution at a single region of interest at the site of the mass. A combination of normalized Nakagami parameters from two different images of a mass was undertaken to improve the performance of classification. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that such an approach resulted in an area of 0.83 under the ROC curve. The aim of the work described in this paper is to see whether a feature describing the characteristic of the boundary can be extracted and combined with the Nakagami parameter to further improve the performance of classification. The combination of the features has been performed using a weighted summation. Results indicate a 10% improvement in specificity at a sensitivity of 96% after combining the information at the site and at the boundary. Moreover, the technique requires minimal clinical intervention and has a performance that reaches that of the trained radiologist. It is hence suggested that this technique may be utilized in practice to characterize breast masses.
The Seeking of Noetic Goals Test (SONG): A complementary scale to the Purpose in Life Test (PIL).

A new attitude scale to measure the strength of motivation to find meaning in life is herein developed to complement the Purpose in Life Test (PIL), which measures the degree to which meaning has been found. Both instruments were designed from the orientation of Frankl's logotherapy, which holds the “will to meaning” to be the strongest human motivation. Ss were: Group 1 “abnormal,” 128 logotherapy patients, 30 methadone patients, 262 alcoholics; Group 2 “normal,” 19 seminary students, 64 mixed college students, 123 female college freshmen. (Subgroup fractionations were studied independently.) Results support a predicted moderate negative correlation with the PIL and statistically significant construct validity in separating normal from abnormal populations. PIL - SONG combinations in the prediction of therapeutic outcome support the usefulness of the SONG as a supplementary instrument. The predicted differences are small, but in the expected direction.
Effects of pulse shaping in laser spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance

Pulsed excitation fields are routinely used in most laser and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. In the NMR case, constant amplitude (rectangular) pulses have traditionally been used; in laser spectroscopy the exact pulse shape is often unknown or changes from shot to shot. This article is an overview of the effects of radio-frequency and laser pulse shapes and the instrumental requirements for pulse shaping. NMR applications to selective excitation, solvent suppression, elimination of phase roll, and reduced power dissipation are discussed, as are optical applications to soliton generation, velocity selective excitation, and quantitative population transfer.
Mechanistic insights into achievement of cardiac allograft long-term survival by treatment with immature dendritic cells and sub-dose sirolimus.

Background Administration of immature dendritic cells (DC) prolongs but does not result in indefinite allograft survival. We attempted to achieve this goal by adding a sub-therapeutic dose of immunosuppression. Methods DC propagated from B10 ( H-2 b ) mouse bone marrow (BM) were transfected with nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB)-binding-site-specific oligodeoxyribonucleotide (ODN). The allostimulatory activity of transfected and normal DC were examined in mixed-lymphocyte reaction (MLR) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) assays in vitro, and their influence on allograft survival by systemic administration of DC in vivo. Results Transfection of DC with NF-κB ODN resulted in complete abrogation of NF-κB activity and inhibition of co-stimulation. Allogeneic (C3H, H-2 k ) T cells stimulated by ODN DC demonstrated impairment in MLR and CTL activity. Administration of ODN DC significantly prolonged B10 allograft survival. In contrast to cyclosporine, which failed to enhance the effect of ODN DC, a combination of ODN DC with sirolimus at 6 mg/kg/day for 6 days achieved long-term survival in all allografts. This was associated with low CTL activity of either graft-infiltrating cells or splenic T cells and increased TUNEL-positive cells in T-cell areas of recipient mesenteric lymph nodes. Analysis of transcription factor nuclear translocation with Cellomics indicated that stimulation with ODN DC showed inhibited T-cell nuclear translocation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (Stat)1 and Stat3, extracellular signal–related kinase (ERK) and activating transcription factor (ATF)-2, but not NF-κB and P38, compared with mature DC. The selective inhibition was enhanced by sirolimus, but not cyclosporine. Conclusions Sirolimus enhances immature DC tolerogenicity by induction of T-cell apoptosis, and promotes immature DC-induced inhibition of Stat1, ERK and ATF-2 activation.
Pathological Preoccupation with Video Games

Controversy continues concerning the harmfulness of video game use by children. The author encountered clearly pathological preoccupation with video games in a preadolescent. The child had stolen, forged checks, and skipped school to continue using video games. He and his mother were physically abused by his father. Placement of the child in a residential treatment center with martial and family therapy resulted in resolution of the patient's pathological use of video games. Language: en
Going Forward Laterally: Transmembrane Passage of Hydrophobic Molecules through Protein Channel Walls

Regular phospholipid bilayers do not pose efficient barriers for the transport of hydrophobic molecules. The outer membrane (OM) surrounding Gram-negative bacteria is a nontypical, asymmetric bilayer with an outer layer of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The sugar molecules of the LPS layer prevent spontaneous diffusion of hydrophobic molecules across the OM. As regular OM channels such as porins do not allow passage of hydrophobic molecules, specialized OM transport proteins are required for their uptake. Such proteins, exemplified by channels of the FadL family, transport their substrates according to a lateral diffusion mechanism. Here, substrates diffuse from the lumen of the beta-barrel laterally into the OM, through a stable opening in the wall of the barrel. In this way, the lipopolysaccharide barrier is bypassed and, by depositing the substrates into the OM, a driving force for uptake is provided. Lateral diffusion through protein channel walls also occurs in alpha-helical inner membrane proteins, and could represent a widespread mechanism for proteins that transport and interact with hydrophobic substrates.
A variational formulation for the finite element analysis of the vibratory and acoustical response of high speed machinery

Abstract The principle of virtual velocities is employed herein to develop a variational theorem for determining the vibratory and acoustical response of high speed mechanisms immersed in a perfect fluid (air). Both the solid and fluid media are modeled as continua and the basic functional expression is generalized by using Lagrange multipliers to incorporate field equations, boundary conditions and a kinematic constraint on the intetface region between the two types of continua. The resulting mixed variational equation of motion then provides the basis for finite element analyses of these acousto-mechanical systems by mixed and displacement (velocity) formulations.
Automatic Medical Image Annotation and Retrieval using SEMI-SECC

The demand for automatically annotating and retrieving medical images is growing faster than ever. In this paper, we present a novel medical image retrieval method based on SEMI-supervised Semantic Error-Correcting output Codes (SEMI-SEC). The experimental results on IMAGECLEF 2005 [1] annotation data set clearly show the strength and the promise of the presented methods.
Pregnancy Implications of Full-Time Employment in Military Wives

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the influence of full-time occupation on pregnancy outcome in a low-risk group of dependent wives of active-duty servicemen. Two hundred forty-five dependent wives worked full time (>37.5 h/week) and 1,021 dependent wives did not work during the pregnancy. All of the patients were cared for by the same group of physicians and nurse midwives over the 19-month study interval. The main outcomes measured included the route of delivery, 5-min Apgar scores, maternal transport to a tertiary care facility, preterm labor, preeclampsia/eclampsia, hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets (HELLP) syndrome, intrauterine growth retardation, fetal demise, and abruptio placenta. Significantly more working women underwent operative vaginal delivery [odds ratio = 2.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2–4.2; P < 0.02], were transferred to a tertiary care facility (odds ratio = 2.9, 95% CI 1.3-6.4; P < 0.008) for preterm labor unresponsive to tocolytic therapy, and deli...
Reliability, Validity, and Clinical Utility of the Executive Function Performance Test: A Measure of Executive Function in a Sample of People With Stroke

This study examined the reliability and validity of the Executive Function Performance Test (EFPT). The EFPT assesses executive function deficits in the performance of real-world tasks. It uses a structured cueing and scoring system to assess higher-level cognitive functions, specifically initiation, organization, sequencing safety and judgment, and task completion. Seventy-three participants with mild to moderate stroke and 22 age- and education-matched controls completed the 4 EFPT tasks (cooking, using the telephone, managing medications, and paying bills). Significant differences were found between participants with mild and moderate stroke and healthy control participants. The EFPT can help occupational therapists determine the level of support needed by people with cognitive impairments to perform complex instrumental tasks. Objective information derived from this assessment is an essential part of the process of determining whether the person can live independently and helping families understand how to support the performance of their family members at home.
Spontaneous Mutational Correlations for Life-History, Morphological and Behavioral Characters in Caenorhabditis elegans

The pattern of mutational covariance among traits plays a central, but largely untested, role in many theories in evolutionary genetics. Here we estimate the pattern of phenotypic, environmental, and mutational correlations for a set of life-history, behavioral, and morphological traits using 67 self-fertilizing lines of Caenorhabditis elegans, each having independently experienced an average of 370 generations of spontaneous mutation accumulation. Bivariate relationships of mutational effects indicate the existence of extensive pleiotropy. We find that mutations may tend to produce manifold effects on suites of functionally related traits; however, our data do not support the idea of completely parcelated pleiotropy, in which functional units are separately affected by mutations. Positive net phenotypic and mutational correlations are common for life-history traits, with environmental correlations being comparatively smaller and of the same sign for most pairs of traits. Observed mutational correlations are shown to be higher than those produced by the chance accumulation of nonpleiotropic mutations in the same lines.
cDNA array analysis of Japanese quail lines divergently selected for four-week body weight

Decades of divergent selection for 4-wk BW has produced 3 lines of growth-selected Japanese quail. P line quail have been selected for >110 generations for 4-wk posthatch BW and are nearly 3-fold larger than the randomly bred control C line. The H line has been selected for high 4-wk BW for 52 generations and the L line has been selected for low 4-wk BW for 54 generations. To identify differentially expressed genes that may play a role in defining the differences in these lines, a DNA array containing 4,704 random anonymous cDNA clones from 8-d C line embryos was screened using isotopically-labeled cDNA from the different quail lines. Array analysis yielded 3 differentially expressed cDNA clones that were confirmed by Northern blot analysis. The 35-kD quail EB1 protein, previously unidentified, was shown to have elevated transcripts in the L line and decreased transcripts in the H and P lines, compared with the C line. It was also widely expressed in embryonic and adult tissues by BLASTN analysis of chicken expressed sequence tag (EST) libraries. Two other cDNA clones are novel sequences expressed at higher levels in the L line and at lower levels in the H and P lines, one of which was more selectively expressed in embryos and adult tissues by BLASTN analysis. These limited findings suggest that anonymous cDNA array analysis is a productive means to identify differentially expressed genes in growth-selected poultry.
Thinking Globally, Acting Locally: Harnessing the Immune System to Deal with Recalcitrant Pathogens

Traditional approaches to harnessing the immune system to confront infectious diseases depend on vaccines, which have generally proven highly effective, but for many infections these either are not available or are of limited effectiveness. Although antibiotic therapy has been extremely successful in reducing the burden of bacterial disease, the emergence of resistance among several important pathogens threatens to undermine this accomplishment, and despite some successes chemotherapeutic treatments for viral, fungal, and parasitic infections are more limited. Understanding the mechanisms whereby pathogens manipulate the immune system to favor their survival, or exploit weaknesses in host immunity, can lead to novel approaches for the treatment of infections by redirecting host immune responses against the pathogen. Such treatments may be most effectively applied at the mucosal locations which are frequently the sites of initial infection and may also suggest new approaches for vaccine development.
Genetic associations of periodic limb movements of sleep in the elderly for the MrOS sleep study

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movements of sleep in a population cohort of elderly individuals. Methods Single-nucleotide polymorphisms previously associated with periodic limb movements of sleep or restless legs syndrome were analyzed in 2356 white male participants in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Sleep Study cohort. The associations between single-nucleotide polymorphisms and polysomnographically measured periodic limb movement index ≥15 were examined with logistic regression adjusted for age, ancestry markers, and periodic limb movements of sleep risk factors. Results Of the men in this cohort, 61% had a periodic limb movement index ≥15. Significant associations were observed between a periodic limb movement index ≥15 and the number of risk alleles for the two BTBD9 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (rs9357271[T], odds ratio [OR] = 1.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20–1.58; and rs3923809[A], OR = 1.43, 95% CI 1.26–1.63), one of the MEIS1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (rs2300478[G], OR = 1.31, 95% CI 1.14–1.51) and the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 5 (MAP2K5)/Ski family transcriptional corepressor 1 (SKOR1) single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs1026732[G], OR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.02–1.31). In a multivariable model controlling for each of the two MEIS1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms, the rs6710341[A] single-nucleotide polymorphism became a significant risk allele (OR = 1.59, 95% CI 1.26–2.00). Conclusions Our findings confirm an association between the BTBD9, MEIS1, and MAP2K5/SKOR1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms and periodic limb movements of sleep in an elderly cohort not selected for the presence of restless legs syndrome.
Comparison of different drying and storage methods on quantifiable concentrations of fecal steroids in the cheetah

Fecal steroid analysis is a powerful tool that can provide important information on the health, physiology, and reproductive status of nondomestic species. However, studying free-ranging animals requires that feces be stored and transported from the collection site to the laboratory in a manner that prevents degradation or alteration of steroid metabolites. To determine the effects of different handling and storage methods on fecal steroids, 30 fresh fecal samples from five captive cheetahs were collected, thoroughly mixed, separated into aliquots, and processed (stored or dried) under different conditions. Concentrations of gonadal and adrenal steroid hormones were analyzed in feces stored frozen at –20°C or at room temperature in 95% ethanol. Both frozen and ethanol-stored aliquots were desiccated using a lyophilizer, solar oven, or conventional oven. The steroid values from aliquots stored and desiccated using the different methods were compared to those obtained using the optimal storage method of freezing at –20°C and desiccating in a lyophilizer (control). Concentrations of corticoid, estrogen, progestagen, and androgen metabolites in fecal extracts were quantified by radioimmunoassay. Androgen metabolite concentrations were not significantly affected (P > 0.05) by storage or drying methods. Fecal samples stored at room temperature in ethanol and lyophilized also had steroid concentrations that did not differ (P > 0.05) from controls. However, the concentrations of corticoid and estrogen metabolites were significantly lower (P < 0.05), and progestagen metabolites were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in samples desiccated in solar and conventional ovens without regard to storage method. These results suggest that storage of fecal samples at room temperature in ethanol is the best alternative to freezing for subsequent analysis of steroid hormone concentrations. Differences in measured concentrations of hormones in oven-desiccated samples could be due to hormone degradation or shifts in the immunodominant metabolite. Therefore, validation of storage and processing techniques should be included in the development of any new fecal steroid analysis methodology. Zoo Biol 21:215–222, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Establishment and Calibration of a Tread Wear Test Course

Abstract The authors describe the process by which they designed and calibrated a course for the evaluation of the tread life of passenger car tires. Their method of design consisted of running specific radial, belted bias, and bias tires, called course monitoring tires, over a route and measuring the rate of wear on each construction. The course was then modified to increase or decrease the rates of wear until a desired result was obtained. The results of a test following the tread life evaluation are reported. The test was run using prototype course monitoring and other commercial tires. A second test was run using samples of course monitoring tires from specially purchased lots. The primary purpose of this test was to measure the variability of tires within each lot.
Load balancing of complex stochastic tasks using stochastic majorization

The authors consider the static load balancing problem of assigning several large tasks to a (smaller) system of homogeneous processors, where a task's structure is modeled as a branching process, and all tasks are assumed to have stochastically identical behavior. They show how the theory of majorization can be used to obtain a partial order among possible task assignment. The power of this approach may be summarized as follows: a simple comparison between assignments creates an ordering between them that holds for a variety of objective functions as well as for several statistics such as the mean and variance. This partial ordering is particularly useful when heterogeneous constraints are placed on the numbers of tasks that one may assign to the processors. The results show that if the vector of numbers of tasks assigned to each processor under one mapping is majorized by that of another mapping, then the former mapping is better than the latter with respect to a large number of objective functions. In particular, it is shown how measurements of finishing time, resource utilization, and reliability are all captured by the theory. >
Cigarette side-stream smoke lung and bladder carcinogenesis: inducing mutagenic acrolein-DNA adducts, inhibiting DNA repair and enhancing anchorage-independent-growth cell transformation

Second-hand smoke (SHS) is associated with 20-30% of cigarette-smoke related diseases, including cancer. Majority of SHS (>80%) originates from side-stream smoke (SSS). Compared to mainstream smoke, SSS contains more tumorigenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and acrolein (Acr). We assessed SSS-induced benzo(a)pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE)- and cyclic propano-deoxyguanosine (PdG) adducts in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), lung, heart, liver, and bladder-mucosa from mice exposed to SSS for 16 weeks. In SSS exposed mice, Acr-dG adducts were the major type of PdG adducts formed in BAL (p < 0.001), lung (p < 0.05), and bladder mucosa (p < 0.001), with no significant accumulation of Acr-dG adducts in heart or liver. SSS exposure did not enhance BPDE-DNA adduct formation in any of these tissues. SSS exposure reduced nucleotide excision repair (p < 0.01) and base excision repair (p < 0.001) in lung tissue. The levels of DNA repair proteins, XPC and hOGG1, in lung tissues of exposed mice were significantly (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05) lower than the levels in lung tissues of control mice. We found that Acr can transform human bronchial epithelial and urothelial cells in vitro. We propose that induction of mutagenic Acr-DNA adducts, inhibition of DNA repair, and induction of cell transformation are three mechanisms by which SHS induces lung and bladder cancers.
Non-volatile Memory Devices Based on Chalcogenide Materials

Chalcogenides based non-volatile memory is a promising type of non-volatile memory that display several advantages over the currently wide spread flash memory. This paper reviews the theory, fabrication and operation of two types of chalcogenide based non-volatile memories, i.e. phase change memory (PCM) and programmable metallization cell (PMC).
Coagulation and sedimentation in lakes, reservoirs and water treatment plants

Coagulation and sedimentation occur naturally in all lakes and reservoirs and, by design, in water treatment plants using surface supplies. Important factors that affect water quality in lakes and reservoirs include nutrient loading, areal hydraulic loading, and detention time together with the concentrations of land-derived (pedogenic) natural organic matter and hardness in waters entering the lake or reservoir. These, in turn, have important effects on the design and operation of potable water treatment systems. It is difficult and expensive to use the good physics to compensate for poor chemistry in water treatment plant design. There are many interesting and useful similarities among the physical and chemical characteristics of lakes, reservoirs, and water treatment plants.
A Theoretical Model of Pulmonary Surfactant Multilayer Collapse under Oscillating Area Conditions.

Monolayers of adsorbed pulmonary surfactant collapse under compression and respread to the interface when the area expands. These mechanisms contribute to the large area hysteresis seen experimentally in a pulsating bubble surfactometer. This paper presents an analytical model which adds monolayer collapse and respreading to the more standard transport processes (diffusion, adsorption, and desorption). The model is robust and can mimic a large range of responses, from that of an insoluble monolayer to the large area hysteresis indicative of collapse and respreading. Our model suggests that multilayer dynamics are necessary to mimic the ultralow surface tensions of pulmonary surfactant.
Framework for the Conceptual Decomposition of Unmanned Aircraft Propulsion Systems

Propulsion for the aircraft segment in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) is provided not only by widely used propulsion technologies such as reciprocating piston engines and jet and prop turbine engines, but also by electric motors running off some combination of batteries, solar cells, and fuel cells. These disparate propulsion technologies pose a challenge to researchers and regulators in comparing systems, determining equivalent levels of safety, developing performance and safety requirements, etc. In the systems view of UAS propulsion presented here, the propulsion system is decomposed into five subsystems: (1) An energy source; (2) An energy transformer; (3) A powerplant; (4) A propulsion effecter; and (5) A control effecter. For example, a UAS employing an avgas fueled reciprocating piston engine would have petroleum distillates for its energy source, combustion as its energy transformer, the piston/crankshaft as its powerplant, a propeller as its propulsion effecter, and control of the flow of fuel, air, and electricity as its control effecter; a proton exchange membrane fuel cell driven UAS would have the hydrogen as its energy source, the fuel cell unit as its energy transformer, an electric motor as its powerplant, a propeller as its propulsion effecter, and control of applied voltage and current as its control effecter. The system framework is exploited in a technology survey of existing UAS propulsion systems that presents representative examples of the various propulsion technologies and compares the way in which the different generic subsystems are instantiated as the propulsion systems of various aircraft. The advantages and disadvantages of the propulsion technologies are discussed, as is the manner in which the systems framework facilitates comparison among different propulsion technologies and the way it may facilitate development of regulations appropriate for UAS. The ability of the framework to describe not only extant technologies, but also developing propulsion technologies such as fuel cells, micro jets, ultracapacitors, etc., is explained, and supported with key examples.
Frontiers in research on biodiversity and disease

Global losses of biodiversity have galvanised efforts to understand how changes to communities affect ecological processes, including transmission of infectious pathogens. Here, we review recent research on diversity–disease relationships and identify future priorities. Growing evidence from experimental, observational and modelling studies indicates that biodiversity changes alter infection for a range of pathogens and through diverse mechanisms. Drawing upon lessons from the community ecology of free-living organisms, we illustrate how recent advances from biodiversity research generally can provide necessary theoretical foundations, inform experimental designs, and guide future research at the interface between infectious disease risk and changing ecological communities. Dilution effects are expected when ecological communities are nested and interactions between the pathogen and the most competent host group(s) persist or increase as biodiversity declines. To move beyond polarising debates about the generality of diversity effects and develop a predictive framework, we emphasise the need to identify how the effects of diversity vary with temporal and spatial scale, to explore how realistic patterns of community assembly affect transmission, and to use experimental studies to consider mechanisms beyond simple changes in host richness, including shifts in trophic structure, functional diversity and symbiont composition.
Implementation and assessment of high-resolution numerical methods in TRACE

Abstract The 1st-order upwind differencing numerical scheme is widely employed to discretize the convective terms of the two-phase flow transport equations in reactor systems analysis codes such as TRACE and RELAP. While very robust and efficient, 1st-order upwinding leads to excessive numerical diffusion. Standard 2nd-order numerical methods (e.g., Lax–Wendroff and Beam–Warming) can effectively reduce numerical diffusion but often produce spurious oscillations for steep gradients. To overcome the difficulties with the standard higher-order schemes, high-resolution schemes such as nonlinear flux limiters have been developed and successfully applied in numerical simulation of fluid-flow problems in recent years. The present work contains a detailed study on the implementation and assessment of six nonlinear flux limiters in TRACE. These flux limiters selected are MUSCL, Van Leer (VL), OSPRE, Van Albada (VA), ENO, and Van Albada 2 (VA2). The assessment is focused on numerical stability, convergence, and accuracy of the flux limiters and their applicability for boiling water reactor (BWR) stability analysis. It is found that VA and MUSCL work best among of the six flux limiters. Both of them not only have better numerical accuracy than the 1st-order upwind scheme but also preserve great robustness and efficiency.
Sol → gel → glass: II. Physical and structural evolution during constant heating rate experiments

Abstract Porous, multicomponent gels were converted to dense glasses at temperatures less than 700°C and at heating rates ranging from 0.5 to 40°C/min. The results of shrinkage, weight loss and differential scanning calorimetry experiments were used to elucidate mechanisms responsible for gel densification. We propose that: (1) capillary contraction, (2) condensation polymerization, (3) structural relaxation, and (4) viscous sintering are the principal gel densification mechanisms. Condensation-polymerization and structural relaxation result in skeletal densification, the magnitude of which closely accounts for all the observed shrinkage between 150 and 525°C. Viscous sintering is the predominant shrinkage mechanism above 525°C. Due to the complex interdependency of the densification mechanisms, the kinetics of gel densification depend strongly on thermal history and, therefore, general constant heating rate analyses are inappropriate for deriving meaningful kinetic information regarding the gel → glass conversion.