cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ploidy variation among herbicide-resistant bermudagrass plants of cv. TifEagle transformed with the bar gene.

A protocol was developed for biolistic transformation of hybrid bermudagrass cv. TifEagle using the bar gene. TifEagle is an ultradwarf used exclusively on golf greens. Herbicide resistance should serve as a useful management tool, especially if methyl-bromide is unavailable for fumigation prior to plant establishment. Hybrid bermudagrass is completely sterile, which should limit the chance of gene escape via out-crossing. Sliced nodes were used to initiate embryogenic tissue cultures on MS medium supplemented with 1 mg/l 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 0.01 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (BA). Embryogenic tissue was bombarded with the bar gene, and herbicide-resistant tissue was selected in the dark on medium supplemented with 0.75 mg/l 2,4-D, 0.01 mg/l BA and 5–15 mg/l phosphinothricin (PPT). Resistant somatic embryos were induced to germinate in the light on MS medium supplemented with 0.13 mg/l 2,4-D and 0.5 mg/l BA. Plants were transferred to the greenhouse after rooting in the presence of 10–15 mg/l PPT and testing positive in a chlorophenol red assay. A total of 89 herbicide-resistant plants were recovered from at least nine independent events from six separate bombardments, although the number of independent transformation events was not confirmed for the entire group. Flow cytometry indicated that most of the plants (82/89) were hexaploid and that the remaining seven plants were triploid. The hexaploid plants were a darker green than the triploids or TifEagle control. Other variation, present only in the hexaploids, included an increased leaf width and length. Southern blot hybridization confirmed genomic integration of the bar gene in triploid and a subset of hexaploid herbicide-resistant plants. AFLP analysis did not indicate changes in DNA profiles using [33P] and a sample of 32 hexaploid plants recovered from a single bombardment. DNA profiles were very similar to that of the TifEagle control with a semi-automated fluorescence-based AFLP.
Lesions in the Dentate Hilum and CA2/CA3 Regions of the Rat Hippocampus Produce Cognitive Deficits That Correlate with Site-Specific Glial Activation

Thirty male rats pressed a lever three times (FR3) when a stimulus light (sD) was off to obtain sucrose pellets. They were then evenly divided into sham Controls versus groups lesioned bilaterally in the hippocampus by stereotaxic injection of ibotenic acid into the dentate hilum (HIL) or the CA2/CA3 region (CA2/3). On measures of recall of the FR3-sD task taken during the initial 30 min of a postlesion test session, the CA2/3 and especially the HIL groups showed significant (p< .05) impairments relative to the Controls. During an ensuing 30-min period, rats were reshaped to criterion, beginning at FR1, and no appreciable intergroup differences were noted on this schedule or at FR1-sD. At FR2-sD, the HIL but not the CA2/3 group showed some impairment relative to Controls. At FR3-sD, both the CA2/3 and HIL groups had impaired task performance. An immunocytochemical index of glial activation showed higher reactivity in CA2/3 or the dentate hilum among CA2/3 or HIL animals, respectively, that was associated with the degree to which they showed an FR3-sD performance deficit.
Influence of free-edge delaminations on the extension-twist coupling of elastically tailored composite laminates

A closed form solution is developed in order to analyze the influence of free-edge delaminations on elastically tailored composite laminates. The analysis is based upon a shear deformation theory and a sublaminate approach. The solution is applied to predict the influence of free-edge delamination on the behavior of a class of laminates exhibiting extension-twist coupling. Comparison of analytical predictions with test data from laminates with mid-plane and off mid-plane free edge delaminations is performed. The results indicate that free-edge delamination can have a significant influence on extension-twist coupling.
INFECTIOUS RNA SYNTHESIZED IN MONKEY KIDNEY TISSUE CULTURE CELLS INFECTED WITH POLIOVIRUS.

Abstract Monkey kidney tissue culture cells infected with type 1 poliovirus contain not only mature virions, but also a considerable amount of unbound or free viral RNA. The presence of such an RNA in virus harvests was shown by several methods such as: (1) facilitation and RNase sensitivity; (2) stability to elevated temperatures (52°); (3) stability of infection in presence of polio antiserum; and (4) chromatography on Sephadex G200. Furthermore the density of this free RNA was determined and compared with the density of RNA prepared from virions (phenol method). Both RNA's had a density of 1.63 g/ml in Cs 2 SO 4 , suggesting a single-stranded structure for the free viral RNA. The appearance of free viral RNA in the growth cycle of poliovirus was studied. The results indicated that maximum yield of free viral RNA was obtained approximately 10–15 hours after the maximal amount of virions was synthesized.
In vivo Laser Axotomy in C. elegans

Neurons communicate with other cells via axons and dendrites, slender membrane extensions that contain pre- or post-synaptic specializations. If a neuron is damaged by injury or disease, it may regenerate. Cell-intrinsic and extrinsic factors influence the ability of a neuron to regenerate and restore function. Recently, the nematode C. elegans has emerged as an excellent model organism to identify genes and signaling pathways that influence the regeneration of neurons(1-6). The main way to initiate neuronal regeneration in C. elegans is laser-mediated cutting, or axotomy. During axotomy, a fluorescently-labeled neuronal process is severed using high-energy pulses. Initially, neuronal regeneration in C. elegans was examined using an amplified femtosecond laser(5). However, subsequent regeneration studies have shown that a conventional pulsed laser can be used to accurately sever neurons in vivo and elicit a similar regenerative response(1,3,7). We present a protocol for performing in vivo laser axotomy in the worm using a MicroPoint pulsed laser, a turnkey system that is readily available and that has been widely used for targeted cell ablation. We describe aligning the laser, mounting the worms, cutting specific neurons, and assessing subsequent regeneration. The system provides the ability to cut large numbers of neurons in multiple worms during one experiment. Thus, laser axotomy as described herein is an efficient system for initiating and analyzing the process of regeneration.
African-American patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia

Abstract Fifteen African-American female patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia were matched to an equivalent sample of white patients. These agoraphobics were also compared to a sample of white simple phobics and African-American medically ill patients. While there were no significant differences between our African-American and white agoraphobics in terms of age of onset or symptom severity, as measured by self-rating and clinical rating scales, African-American patients reported having experienced significantly more parental losses and separations during childhood. In addition, four of the African-American agoraphobics, while none of the whites, had been psychiatrically hospitalized. Despite similar symptom severity, treatment outcome was poorer for African-American patients. These findings suggest that African-American patients with panic disorder who present for treatment in inner city areas may not be correctly diagnosed and may be more difficult to treat successfully.
Role of the sarcoplasmic reticulum in regulating the activity-dependent expression of the glycogen phosphorylase gene in contractile skeletal muscle cells.

Nerve-evoked contractile activity in skeletal muscle regulates transcript and protein levels of many metabolic genes in a coordinate fashion, including the muscle isozyme of glycogen phosphorylase (MGP). Cellular signaling mechanisms mediating the activity-dependent modulation of MGP transcript levels were investigated in a spontaneously contractile rat skeletal muscle cell line (Rmo). Mechanisms regulating MGP mRNA levels in Rmo myotubes were compared with those previously shown to modulate the gene encoding the alpha subunit of the acetylcholine receptor (alphaAChR). Reducing the resting membrane potential from -78 to -30 mV, either electrochemically (KCl) or by increasing Na(+) permeability (veratridine): (1) prevented activation of transverse tubules, (2) impeded calcium release by the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), and (3) blocked Rmo contractility. MGP mRNA levels decreased to 30% of control levels and alphaAChR levels increased to 350% following 24 h of depolarization. Differing mechanisms appear to mediate this voltage-dependent regulation of MGP and alphaAChR. Inhibition of SR calcium efflux selectively decreased MGP mRNA levels by 30-50% when using dantrolene, thapsigargin, or a dose of ryanodine shown to inactivate Ca(2+)-induced SR Ca(2+) release (CICR). By contrast, blockade of voltage sensors in transverse tubules with nifedipine, a dihydroaminopyridine (DHAP) antagonist, selectively increased alphaAChR mRNA levels by twofold. These data indicate that the voltage-dependent regulation of AChR gene expression differs from that modulating the MGP gene. KCl-induced depolarization and dantrolene both inhibit pulsatile SR Ca(2+) efflux in Rmo myotubes, but by differing mechanisms. Depolarization and dantrolene comparably reduced MGP mRNA levels and decreased MGP transcript stability from a t(1/2) of 24 h to 14.5 and 16 h, respectively. Reduced transcript stability can account for the observed reduction in mRNA levels of MGP in noncontractile Rmo myotubes and could be a significant regulatory mechanism in skeletal muscle that coordinates the activity-dependent expression of MGP with other glycogenolytic genes.
Brachial approach directional coronary atherectomy of a left coronary artery saphenous vein bypass graft

Directional coronary atherectomy (DCA) of a saphenous vein bypass graft to the left coronary artery was performed percutaneously from the brachial artery approach using a 7F endomyocardial biopsy sheath. Initial positioning was accomplished with a left bypass graft catheter inserted in the sheath. This technique permits use of smaller catheters than usual for DCA in patients in whom larger guides cannot be used. © 1993 Wiiey-Liss, Inc.
Performance of a prototype position sensitive towerless calorimeter

Abstract A program of studies on hard diffraction and very forward physics with CDF-II has been proposed, which foresees adding to CDF two very forward “MiniPlug” calorimeters designed to measure the energy and lateral position of both electromagnetic and hadronic showers. The MiniPlugs will consist of lead/liquid scintillator read out by wavelength-shifting fibers arranged in a pixel-type towerless geometry suitable for “calorimetric tracking”. We present here test-beam results obtained with a 28 radiation length prototype. For positrons in the range 5–120 GeV, the energy resolution was measured to be σ/E=18.1%/ E +0.6% and the position resolution 9.2 mm / E ; for charged pions in the range 10–230 GeV a position resolution of 23.9 mm / E was obtained.
Estimation of the cost of air-pollution-control regulation

Estimates of hydrocarbon pollution control costs under the alternative regulatory approaches of individual source or process standards, plant standards, and regionally marketable permits are presented. The estimates are obtained from data supplied by the DuPont Company based on a 1976 in-house engineering study. The estimation procedure is unique in that the data are based on uniform percentage control across sources while the estimated cost equations allow variable control at each source. The cost simulations show that considerable cost savings are available from allowing firms more flexibility in meeting a given environmental standard. The effect of plant relocation and monopoly in the pollution permit market are also investigated.
Intravenous tolerization with type II collagen induces interleukin-4-and interleukin-10-producing CD4+ T cells.

SUMMARY Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) is an experimental model of T cells were responsible for down-regulation of disease.9 autoimmune arthritis that has many clinical and pathological Production of suppressive cytokines by antigen-specific regu- similarities to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). CIA is induced by latory cells was reported following feeding with low doses of immunization of susceptible animals with type II collagen CII during oral tolerance.10 These data suggest that secretion (CII ) and can be prevented by administering CII as a tolerogen of suppressive cytokines may play an important role in toleriz- prior to immunization. Several routes of administration of CII ation. Our present study was undertaken to investigate the are eVective in suppressing arthritis, including intravenous mechanism responsible for the suppression of CIA following (i.v.), oral, intraperitoneal, or nasal.1-7 Potential mechanisms i.v. administration of CII. We determined the pattern of underlying the induction of tolerance include physical elimin- cytokines secreted following i.v. tolerization with CII and ation (clonal deletion), functional inactivation (clonal anergy), identified the phenotypes of the T cells producing those or induction of the regulatory cells that produce suppressive cytokines. Using T-cell receptor transgenic mice, we established cytokines. We have previously shown that i.v. administration that CII-specific T cells were induced to produce T helper 2 of antigen in the CIA model induces regulatory T cells, and ( Th2) cytokines. that the suppression of arthritis can be transferred to naive animals by CD4+ cells isolated from spleen of tolerized
Safety of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy after trauma laparotomy.

Abstract Background Trauma patients frequently require long-term enteral access because of injuries to the head, neck, or gastrointestinal tract. Noninvasive methods for gastrostomy placement include percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) and percutaneous radiographic gastrostomy (PRG). In patients with recent trauma laparotomy, PEG placement is felt to be relatively contraindicated because of the concerns about altered anatomy. We hypothesize that there is no increased rate of complications related to PEG placement in patients with trauma laparotomy compared with those without laparotomy provided that basic safety principles are followed. Materials and methods This retrospective study evaluates all percutaneous gastrostomies (both PEG and PRG) placed in trauma patients admitted at a level I trauma center between January 1, 2007 and March 30, 2010. The electronic medical records of the 354 patients were reviewed through 30 days after procedure, and patients were further subdivided by the history of laparotomy. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher exact test or two-tailed t -test, as appropriate. Results In patients with no prior trauma laparotomy, successful PEG placement occurred in 92.2% of patients, the remainder underwent PRG placement. Of patients with prior trauma laparotomy, 82.4% had successful PEG placement. Two percent of attempted PEG placements failed in patients with no previous trauma laparotomy, whereas 11.8% failed in patients with recent trauma laparotomy. The overall complication rate was 2.0%, with no recorded complications in patients with trauma laparotomy before PEG placement. Conclusions These data suggest that surgeons should not consider recent trauma laparotomy a contraindication to PEG placement.
Statistically significant performance results of a mine detector and fusion algorithm from an x-band high-resolution SAR

Current mine detection research indicates that no single sensor or single look from a sensor will detect mines/minefields in a real-time manner at a performance level suitable for a forward maneuver unit. Hence, the integrated development of detectors and fusion algorithms are of primary importance. A problem in this development process has been the evaluation of these algorithms with relatively small data sets, leading to anecdotal and frequently over trained results. These anecdotal results are often unreliable and conflicting among various sensors and algorithms. Consequently, the physical phenomena that ought to be exploited and the performance benefits of this exploitation are often ambiguous. The Army RDECOM CERDEC Night Vision Laboratory and Electron Sensors Directorate has collected large amounts of multisensor data such that statistically significant evaluations of detection and fusion algorithms can be obtained. Even with these large data sets care must be taken in algorithm design and data processing to achieve statistically significant performance results for combined detectors and fusion algorithms. This paper discusses statistically significant detection and combined multilook fusion results for the Ellipse Detector (ED) and the Piecewise Level Fusion Algorithm (PLFA). These statistically significant performance results are characterized by ROC curves that have been obtained through processing this multilook data for the high resolution SAR data of the Veridian X-Band radar. We discuss the implications of these results on mine detection and the importance of statistical significance, sample size, ground truth, and algorithm design in performance evaluation.
On the integration of algebraic functions: computing the logarithmic part

Abstract: We first provide an algorithm to compute the logarithmic part of an integral of an algebraic function. The algorithm finds closed-form solutions that have been difficult to compute by other means. We then provide an algorithm to compute the logarithmic part of a function lying in a transcendental elementary extension. We are able to fully justify the algorithms using techniques of Grobner bases, differential algebra, and algebraic geometry. We first provide an algorithm to compute the logarithmic part of an integral of an algebraic function. The algorithm finds closed-form solutions that have been difficult to compute by other means. We then provide an algorithm to compute the logarithmic part of a function lying in a transcendental elementary extension. We are able to fully justify the algorithms using techniques of Grobner bases, differential algebra, and algebraic geometry.
The relative amounts of stars and interstellar matter in the local Milky Way

This paper considers the balance between star formation and mass loss from evolved stars in the region within 1 kpc of the sun. There is considerably more mass in stars than in the interstellar medium, and more material is being incorporated into new stars than is being returned by evolved stars. In the simplest interpretation of the data, it appears that unless there is some infall of new interstellar gas, the era of substantial star formation out of interstellar gas will be over in a few (perhaps 3) billion years.
Transcatheter cryotherapy for the treatment of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias in children: a single center experience.

Introduction Transcatheter cryotherapy is an emerging technology for the treatment of children with supraventricular tachyarrhythmias. Limited data exist regarding the use of cryoablation therapy in children. We report a single center’s experience with transcatheter cryoablation in the pediatric population.
Molecular Epidemiology of Ceftiofur-Resistant Escherichia coli Isolates from Dairy Calves

Healthy calves (n 96, 1 to 9 weeks old) from a dairy herd in central Pennsylvania were examined each month over a five-month period for fecal shedding of ceftiofur-resistant gram-negative bacteria. Ceftiofurresistant Escherichia coli isolates (n 122) were characterized by antimicrobial resistance (disk diffusion and MIC), serotype, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis subtypes, beta-lactamase genes, and virulence genes. Antibiotic disk diffusion assays showed that the isolates were resistant to ampicillin (100%), ceftiofur (100%), chloramphenicol (94%), florfenicol (93%), gentamicin (89%), spectinomycin (72%), tetracycline (98%), ticarcillin (99%), and ticarcillin-clavulanic acid (99%). All isolates were multidrug resistant and displayed elevated MICs. The E. coli isolates belonged to 42 serotypes, of which O8:H25 was the predominant serotype (49.2%). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis classified the E. coli isolates into 27 profiles. Cluster analysis showed that 77 isolates (63.1%) belonged to one unique group. The prevalence of pathogenic E. coli was low (8%). A total of 117 ceftiofur-resistant E. coli isolates (96%) possessed the blaCMY2 gene. Based on phenotypic and genotypic characterization, the ceftiofur-resistant E. coli isolates belonged to 59 clonal types. There was no significant relationship between calf age and clonal type. The findings of this study revealed that healthy dairy calves were rapidly colonized by antibiotic-resistant strains of E. coli shortly after birth. The high prevalence of multidrugresistant nonpathogenic E. coli in calves could be a significant source of resistance genes to other bacteria that share the same environment. Antibiotic use for preventing disease and promoting growth of healthy animals is an integral part of livestock production in the United States. Fifty years after the initial approval of antibiotic-medicated feeds for livestock to improve overall health and increase productivity, the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals to maintain current levels of production is met with ever-increasing controversy (1). In the last few years,
Using Systems Engineering for Automotive Advanced Development

This paper describes the Systems Engineering process used to develop new automotive products and shows how the process is driven by the automotive industry business issues. A history of Systems Engineering at General Motors is outlined, the role of the Systems Engineer in one of the advanced development group described, and future plans for improving the Systems Engineering process are discussed.
The cross section for production of the 3s state of atomic hydrogen in dissociative excitation of H2 by electrons

Abstract Several measurements have been made by various authors on the relative contribution to the Balmer-α emission of the 3s state of hydrogen atoms resulting from the dissociative excitation of H 2 by electrons in the energy range 20 to 500 eV. These measurements, however, are mutually inconsistent except between two measurements, one of the decay of an equilibrium population of the 3s, 3p and 3d states, and the other based on analysis of a short electron-pulse technique. We have used the equilibrium method coupled with a time-delayed-observation technique to measure the contribution of the 3s state of hydrogen atoms. Our experimental results agree with those found previously by means of the short electron-pulse technique as well as with other determinations at 50 and 110 eV, thus confirming that less than 20% of the hydrogen atoms formed in the n = 3 energy level are formed in the 3s state.
INSAR: indoor navigation system using augmented reality

Indoor navigation applications for mobile devices are being more common and needed for people who want to find inside building destinations. Many indoor navigation applications utilize different technologies, such as Wi-Fi fingerprinting, have been suggested. Most of these applications use a fixed background map and pre-calculated paths to lead the user to their destinations. Users of these systems need general map reading skills and understanding how specifically indoor maps work. In addition, these system types need to implement complex and accurate calculations to determine routing paths before navigation starts - which could be affected by unstable Wi-Fi signals. In this paper, we suggest INSAR or Indoor Navigation System Using Augmented Reality, which utilizes Wi-Fi fingerprinting, augmented reality (AR), and digital compass technologies in an integrated Android-based app. Specifically, we used a Wi-Fi fingerprinting method to determine user position, augmented reality to display real-time navigation information, and a compass to determine destination direction. Additionally, digital compass use to read the destination direction of each reference point (RP) helps direct the users "on the fly" thus reducing potential Wi-Fi signal instability effects.
Storage CRT Display Terminals: Evolution and Trends

Storage-tube display technology and costs will continue to attract new users and new applications, especially where very high information density is needed.
Comparing performance of Morbidity and Mortality Conference and National Surgical Quality Improvement Program for detection of complications after urologic surgery.

Abstract Objectives The detection of postoperative complications is a necessary quality-of-care endeavor. Despite its historical role, the Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) Conference depends on voluntary reporting and may be an insufficient mechanism for comprehensive complication surveillance. In response to this concern, we compared the concordance between complications voluntarily reported at the M&M Conference and those identified prospectively by the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP). Methods For a single calendar year (2004), we compiled a comprehensive list of complications that were either identified and voluntarily entered into our department’s electronic M&M Conference database and/or identified prospectively (from an explicit sample of cases) by a trained research associate-based NSQIP protocol. For analytic purposes, we treated NSQIP as the reference standard for the detection of complications. We then determined the sensitivity of the M&M Conference for the identification of complications at a patient and event level. Logistic regression modeling was used to evaluate for an association between complication category (ie, organ system affected) and detection by the M&M Conference. Results The NSQIP detected 347 complications in 176 patients. Using this reference standard, the patient-level and event-level sensitivity of the M&M Conference was 25% (44 of 176) and 14% (47 of 347), respectively. The sensitivity of the M&M Conference varied by NSQIP complication category ( P = 0.08). Circulatory events were 11 times more likely to be reported at the M&M Conference than urinary complications (odds ratio 11.3, 95% confidence interval 2.4 to 53.7). Conclusions Compared with the NSQIP, the M&M Conference has a low (but variable) sensitivity for the detection of postoperative complications. Therefore, despite its limitations, the NSQIP may provide a better foundation for urologic quality improvement endeavors.
On the theory of relaxation processes

A general procedure is given for finding the equation of motion of the density matrix of a system in contact with a thermal bath, as for example a nuclear spin system weakly coupled to a crystal lattice. The thermal bath is treated both classically and quantum mechanically, and the theory is similar to, and a generalization of, conventional theories of time proportional transition probabilities. Relaxation of the system by the thermal bath is expressed by a linear matrix operator, and it is stressed that elements of this operator can be regarded as secular or nonsecular perturbations on the equation of motion and can be treated accordingly. When the motion of the system is slow compared to that of the thermal bath, the equation of motion can be expressed in an operator form which is independent of representation. If the system has a time-dependent Hamiltonian which varies slowly compared to the motion of the thermal bath, the same equation of motion is obeyed and the system is relaxed by the bath toward a Boltzmann distribution with respect to its instantaneous Hamiltonian. If the time variation of the Hamiltonian is more rapid, higher order corrections to the equation of motion must be applied. The theory is applied to spin-lattice relaxation of a coupled nuclear spin system in a metal, for arbitrary externally applied fixed magnetic field.
Verification of system level model transformations

This paper presents Model Algebra (MA), a formalism for representing SoC designs at system level. We define the objects and composition rules of MA and show how system level models can be represented as expressions in this formalism. The formalism is applied to a system level design methodology, where design decisions are used to gradually transform the functional specification model of the system to a transaction level model with components and communication structure. Each transformation is represented as a manipulation of a model algebraic expression, and proven for correctness using the laws of model algebra. These laws are based on the well defined execution semantics and notion of functional equivalence for MA models. Our approach promises significant savings in the verification of system level models because only the first model needs to be verified using conventional techniques. All transformations of this model, derived using MA laws, are proven to be functionally equivalent.
Prevalence and ethnic differences in gallbladder disease in the United States.

Abstract Background & Aims: Gallbladder disease is one of the most common conditions in the United States, but its true prevalence is unknown. A national population-based survey was performed to determine the age, sex, and ethnic distribution of gallbladder disease in the United States. Methods: The third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) conducted gallbladder ultrasonography among a representative U.S. sample of more than 14,000 persons. The diagnosis of gallbladder disease by detection of gallstones or cholecystectomy was made with excellent reproducibility. Results: An estimated 6.3 million men and 14.2 million women aged 20–74 years had gallbladder disease. Age-standardized prevalence was similar for non-Hispanic white (8.6%) and Mexican American (8.9%) men, and both were higher than non-Hispanic black men (5.3%). These relationships persisted with multivariate adjustment. Among women, age-adjusted prevalence was highest for Mexican Americans (26.7%) followed by non-Hispanic whites (16.6%) and non-Hispanic blacks (13.9%). Among women, multivariate adjustment reduced the risk of gallbladder disease for both Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic blacks compared with non-Hispanic whites. Conclusions: More than 20 million persons have gallbladder disease in the United States. Ethnic differences in gallbladder disease prevalence differed according to sex and were only partly explained by known risk factors. GASTROENTEROLOGY 1999;117:632-639
Justification and the growth of error

It is widely thought that in fallible reasoning potential error necessarily increases with every additional step, whether inferences or premises, in the same way that the probability of a lengthening conjunction shrinks. However, this has the absurd consequence that consulting an expert, proof-checking, filling gaps in proofs, and gathering more evidence for a given conclusion necessarily make us worse off, since they also add more steps. I will argue that the self-help steps listed here are of a distinctive type, involving composition rather than conjunction. Error grows differently over composition than over conjunction, I argue, and this dissolves the apparent paradox.
Marketing the Entrepreneurial Artist in the Innovation Age: Aesthetic Labor, Artistic Subjectivity, and the Creative Industries

This article analyzes marketing seminars for visual artists and arts organizations that I attended as part of my ethnographic field research about artistic subjectivity and aesthetic labor in the California Bay Area. The marketing seminars, along with the concomitant rise of statistical data on the creative industries, reflect and generate contemporary trends that focus on crafting the visual artist as innovative entrepreneur. These entrepreneurial artists are expected to fundraise and promote their projects and to demonstrate high levels of professionalism and market savvy. While artists in the West since the 18th century have been engaged in these types of activities, finding ways to earn a living and support their artmaking practices through forms of self-promotion and distribution, today the emphasis has shifted to more explicitly capitalistic modes. This crafting of the ideal entrepreneurial artist mirrors broader patterns of neoliberal orientations – for example, privatization, free trade, and decreased social services. Specifically, these patterns can be detected as visual artists have become responsible for micro-fundraising through their personal networks, promoting their own “brand,” selling their artwork directly to the public, and as artists have been encouraged by funders to collaborate with social service agencies as forms of socially engaged practices. These expectations of entrepreneurialism serve to generate additional labor for artists.
What’s in a Name? Terms Preferred by Service Recipients

In a large (n = 1,827) multi-site study examining effectiveness of consumer operated service programs as an adjunct to traditional mental health services, we examined individuals' preferred term describing their status as service recipients, and we applied logistic regression to examine whether preference varied by gender, race or diagnosis. Preferred terms were client (39%), patient (22%), consumer (16%), survivor (11%), other (11%) and ex-patient (1%), varying by site. Controlling for site, preferences did not vary by gender, race, or diagnosis. The lack of consensus suggests clinicians, researchers, program administrators, and policymakers should be sensitive to individuals' preferences.
Mechanism of activation of human neutrophil gelatinase B. Discriminating between the role of Ca2+ in activation and catalysis.

Abstract Gelatinase B is a Zn- and Ca-dependent endopeptidase that is secreted from cells as an inactive pro-enzyme. The enzyme can be activated in vitro by organomercurial compounds and by trypsin. The role of Ca in autoproteolytic processing initiated by 4-aminophenylmercuric acetate and trypsin and in catalytic activity of the activated enzyme was investigated by zymography and by kinetic analysis. Treatment of unglycosylated 57.5-kDa pro-gelatinase B with 4-aminophenylmercuric acetate (1 mM) in the absence of Ca generated a 49-kDa inactive intermediate (E′), whereas a 41.5-kDa active species (E″) was generated in the presence of Ca (5 mM). Upon addition of Ca to the reaction mixture of Ca-depleted E′ or E″ at 37°C, E′ showed a lag period in generation of the product as a function of time, but E″ presented an immediate activity. The appearance of enzymatic activity of E′ correlated with the generation of the E″ species. NH2-terminal sequence analyses showed that E′ and E″ had the same NH2 termini, i.e. Met-75, suggesting that Ca-dependent removal of COOH terminus of E′ is required for activation of the enzyme. Treatment of pro-gelatinase B with trypsin in the absence of Ca, led to degradation of the enzyme. In the presence of Ca, trypsin processed the pro-enzyme to a 40-kDa active species. In contrast to E″, this active species did not require Ca for activity. The Ca dependence of E″ activity was also abolished by treatment of the enzyme with trypsin. NH2-terminal sequence analysis indicated that amino acid residues 75-87 had been removed from the NH2 terminus of E″ by trypsin, suggesting that these residues are responsible for the Ca-dependent activity of the enzyme. Removal of Ca and catalytic Zn inhibited the activities of both E″ and trypsin-treated E″. In the absence of Ca, either Zn, Co, Mn, or Cd was able to restore the activity of trypsin-treated E″. None of the divalent cations tested however, was able to stimulate the activity of E″ in the absence of Ca. These experiments further suggest that binding of Ca to E″ or removal of the NH2-terminal residues of the enzyme by trypsin induces a conformational change in the protein and makes the active site of the enzyme accessible to various metal ions rendering the enzyme active.
ATO3 encoding a putative outward ammonium transporter is an RTG-independent retrograde responsive gene regulated by GCN4 and the Ssy1-Ptr3-Ssy5 amino acid sensor system.

Respiratory deficient yeast cells such as ρo petites activate an inter-organelle signaling pathway called retrograde regulation. This results in changes in the expression of a subset of nuclear genes leading to major reconfigurations of metabolism that enable cells to adapt to the respiratory deficient state. Previous studies have focused on the role of three positive regulatory factors in the retrograde pathway, Rtg1p, Rtg2p, and Rtg3p, which are essential for both basal and elevated expressions of some, but not all, retrograde responsive genes. Here we characterize the retrograde regulation of one of those genes, ATO3, whose elevated expression in ρo petites is largely independent of RTG gene function. ATO3 encodes a member of the YaaH family of proteins that is a putative outward ammonium transporter. We show that Ato3p-green fluorescent protein is preferentially localized to the plasma membrane of mother cells. ρo petites express more Ato3p-green fluorescent protein in their plasma membrane than do ρ+ cells, consistent with the elevated level of ATO3 transcripts in ρo cells. We find that ATO3 expression has two levels of control, both of which are connected to amino acid sensing and regulation. The first involves GCN4, which is required for the bulk of ATO3 expression. The second involves the Ssy1-Ptr3-Ssy5 amino acid sensor system, which is preferentially required for elevated ATO3 expression in ρo cells. We propose that ATO3 is induced in ρo cells to eliminate the excess ammonia that arises because of a potential defect in ammonia assimilation in those cells.
Investigating the American Time Use Survey from an exposure modeling perspective

This paper describes an evaluation of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ American Time Use Survey (ATUS) for potential use in modeling human exposures to environmental pollutants. The ATUS is a large, on-going, cross-sectional survey of where Americans spend time and what activities they undertake in those locations. The data are reported as a series of sequential activities over a 24-h time period — a “diary day” — starting at 0400 hours. Between 12,000 and 13,000 surveys are obtained each year and the Bureau has plans to continue ATUS for the foreseeable future. The ATUS already has about 73,000 diary days of data, more than twice as many as that which currently exists in the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) “Consolidated Human Activity Database” (CHAD) that the Agency uses for exposure modeling purposes. There are limitations for using ATUS in modeling human exposures to environmental pollutants. The ATUS does not report the location for a number of activities regarded as “personal.” For 2006, personal activities with missing location information totaled 572 min/day, on average, for survey participants: about 40% of their day. Another limitation is that ATUS does not distinguish between indoor and outdoor activities at home, two of the traditional locational demarcations used in human exposure modeling. This lack of information affects exposure estimates to both indoor and outdoor air pollutants and potentially affects non-dietary ingestion estimates for children, which can vary widely depending on whether or not a child is indoors. Finally, a detailed analysis of the work travel activity in a subsample from ATUS 2006 indicates that the coding scheme is not fully consistent with a CHAD-based exposure modeling approach. For ATUS respondents in this subsample who reported work as an activity, roughly 48% of their days were missing work travel at one or both ends of the work shift or reported within work-shift travel inconsistently. An extensive effort would be needed to recode work travel data from ATUS for EPA's exposure modeling purposes.
Primary Stenting in Femoropopliteal Occlusive Disease – What Is the Appropriate Role? –

Endovascular treatment of femoropopliteal occlusive disease is challenging and often limited by its unique anatomic, hemodynamic and biomechanical constraints. Despite technical improvement, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty alone is not adequate to provide satisfactory long-term patency. Several randomized controlled trials have shown that primary nitinol stenting can provide a better short-term radiological patency in intermediate lesion, but the results were often limited by intrinsic stent complications, particularly in-stent restenosis. Solutions to long lesions have been more elusive. To date, many novel technologies have been developed with a goal of improving stent design for this specific environment. Interwoven stents are made to provide a higher radial strength and kink resistance. Covered stents are designed to prevent the ingrowth of intimal hyperplasia, which is the main cause of restenosis in bare metal stent. Drug-eluting stents have shown improved patency in clinical trials. Bioabsorbable stents, combining biological agents and mechanical scaffold, provide temporary vascular support while reducing implant-related vascular inflammation in the long term. New developments in balloon angioplasty, such as drug elution, provide a challenge to stenting in this arena. Although these technologies look promising, a uniform reporting system and large-scale comparative studies with longer follow-up are needed to evaluate their clinical effectiveness in the future.
Chebyshev acceleration techniques for solving nonsymmetric eigenvalue problems

Abstract : The present paper deals with the problem of computing a few of the eigenvalues with largest (or smallest) real parts, of a large sparse nonsymmetric matrix. We present a general acceleration technique based on Chebyshev polynomials and discuss its practical application to Arnoldi's method and the subspace iteration method. The resulting algorithms are compared with the classical ones in a few experiments which exhibit a sharp superiority of the Arnoldi-Chebyshev approach.
Entanglement evolution of one-dimensional spin systems in external magnetic fields

We study the dynamics of entanglement for a one-dimensional spin system, where spins are coupled through nearest-neighbor exchange interaction and subject to different external magnetic fields. First we examine the system size effect on the entanglement with three different external magnetic fields changing with time t: an exponential function e{sup [-Kt]} and two periodic sin[Kt] and cos[Kt] functions, where K is a control parameter. We have found that the entanglement fluctuates shortly after a disturbance by an external magnetic field when the system size is small. For larger system size, the entanglement reaches a stable state for a long time before it fluctuates. However, this fluctuation of entanglement disappears when the system size goes to infinity. We also show that in a periodic external magnetic field, the nearest-neighbor entanglement displays a periodic structure with a period related to that of the magnetic field. Moreover, changing the direction of the magnetic field will destroy the concurrence in the system.
Exercise and hypercholesterolemia produce disparate shifts in coronary PKC expression.

Introduction Sedentary lifestyle and high-fat, high-cholesterol diets are each associated with elevated risk for coronary heart disease (CHD); however, the mechanisms by which they increase risk are unclear. Specific PKC isoforms have been implicated in the development of CHD, regulation of coronary vasoreactivity, as well as exercise-induced cardioprotection. Thus, diet and physical inactivity may increase CHD risk by altering coronary protein kinase C (PKC) isoform profiles. Purpose To determine whether coronary PKC isoform profiles are altered in a model of early CHD and whether exercise can prevent these changes. Methods Male and female Yucatan miniature swine were either fed a normal (NF) or high-fat (HF) diet (8 vs 46% kilocalories from fat) and remained sedentary (Sed) or were treadmill-trained (Ex) at 75% of; VO2max (6 mph, 60 min) for 16 wk. Groups were as follows: NFSed (N=8/N=7), NFEx (N=8/N=7), HFSed (N=8/N=7), and HFEx (N=8/N=7). Western blotting was performed on right coronary conduit artery (CCA) segments (>1 mm I.D.) to measure total protein levels of PKC-alpha, -betaI, -betaII, -delta, -epsilon, and -zeta. Results HF diet increased total cholesterol by more than sixfold with no increase in triglycerides. Hypercholesterolemia increased PKC-betaII and -epsilon protein levels in CCA of both male and female pig; Ex had no effect on this response. Ex-induced increases in PKC-betaI, PKC-delta, and PKC-zeta were observed in HF male pigs. Female pigs had higher baseline amounts of PKC-alpha (25%), PKC-betaI (33%), PKC-betaII (39%), and PKC-epsilon (29%), whereas male pigs had higher amounts of PKC-delta (308%). Further analyses revealed a direct relationship between androgens and PKC-delta levels. Conclusion Hypercholesterolemia and exercise exert disparate effects on coronary PKC expression. Observed sex differences in PKC protein profiles may also contribute to altered cardiovascular risk patterns in males versus females.
Optimum design in the presence of parametric uncertainty

A new class of optimal design problems that incorporates environmental uncertainty is formulated and related to worst-case design, minimax objective design, and game theory. A numerical solution technique is developed and applied to a weapon allocation problem, a structural design problem with an infinite family of load conditions, and a vibration isolator design problem with a band of excitation frequencies.
Optimal energy-bandwidth allocation for energy harvesting interference networks

We develop optimal energy-bandwidth allocation algorithm for the energy harvesting transmitters in interference networks. We assume that both the channel gain and the harvested energy are known for K slots as a priori, and the battery capacity is finite. The problem is formulated as a convex optimization problem withO(NK) constraints, making it hard to solve efficiently with a generic convex solver. To efficiently obtain the optimal energy-bandwidth allocation for each transmitter in each time slot, an iterative algorithm is proposed based on solving two subproblems with efficient algorithms, that has an overall complexity of O(NK). Moreover, the numerical results show that the proposed iterative algorithm achieves the optimal performance, providing a significant improvement as compared to some naive allocation policies.
Renal cell carcinoma in young andold patients Comparison of prognostic pathologic variables (cell type, tumor grade and stage, and DNA ploidy pattern) and their impact on disease outcome

A group of 41 young patients (age less than or equal to 40 years; mean, 35.7 years) and a group of 34 old patients (age greater than or equal to 80 years; mean, 82.4 years) who underwent operation for renal cell carcinoma between 1970 and 1986 were compared. Sex, grade, and DNA ploidy pattern distributions were similar between the groups. Granular cell and papillary cancers with lower stages at presentation were more common among the young. In patients with high-stage disease, 73 percent of the older group but none of the younger had DNA diploid tumors. Low-stage clear cell carcinoma caused cancer death only in the young. Stage I nondiploid clear cell carcinomas were associated with death (33%) only in the young. Overall, death rates seem similar for both groups but among the young most (63%) occurred with low-stage disease and a nondiploid pattern only; among the old, 88 percent occurred with high-stage disease and independent of DNA ploidy pattern.