cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A resonant tunneling quantum-dot infrared photodetector

A novel device-resonant tunneling quantum-dot infrared photodetector-has been investigated theoretically and experimentally. In this device, the transport of dark current and photocurrent are separated by the incorporation of a double barrier resonant tunnel heterostructure with each quantum-dot layer of the device. The devices with In/sub 0.4/Ga/sub 0.6/As-GaAs quantum dots are grown by molecular beam epitaxy. We have characterized devices designed for /spl sim/6 /spl mu/m response, and the devices also exhibit a strong photoresponse peak at /spl sim/17 /spl mu/m at 300 K due to transitions from the dot excited states. The dark currents in the tunnel devices are almost two orders of magnitude smaller than those in conventional devices. Measured values of J/sub dark/ are 1.6/spl times/10/sup -8/ A/cm/sup 2/ at 80 K and 1.55 A/cm/sup 2/ at 300 K for 1-V applied bias. Measured values of peak responsivity and specific detectivity D/sup */ are 0.063 A/W and 2.4/spl times/10/sup 10/ cm/spl middot/Hz/sup 1/2//W, respectively, under a bias of 2 V, at 80 K for the 6-/spl mu/m response. For the 17-/spl mu/m response, the measured values of peak responsivity and detectivity at 300 K are 0.032 A/W and 8.6/spl times/10/sup 6/ cm/spl middot/Hz/sup 1/2//W under 1 V bias.
Axoneme β-Tubulin Sequence Determines Attachment of Outer Dynein Arms

Summary Axonemes of motile eukaryotic cilia and flagella have a conserved structure of nine doublet microtubules surrounding a central pair of microtubules. Outer and inner dynein arms on the doublets mediate axoneme motility [1]. Outer dynein arms (ODAs) attach to the doublets at specific interfaces [2–5]. However, the molecular contacts of ODA-associated proteins with tubulins of the doublet microtubules are not known. We report here that attachment of ODAs requires glycine 56 in the β-tubulin internal variable region (IVR). We show that in Drosophila spermatogenesis, a single amino acid change at this position results in sperm axonemes markedly deficient in ODAs. Moreover, we found that axonemal β-tubulins throughout the phylogeny have invariant glycine 56 and a strongly conserved IVR, whereas nonaxonemal β-tubulins vary widely in IVR sequences. Our data reveal a deeply conserved physical requirement for assembly of the macromolecular architecture of the motile axoneme. Amino acid 56 projects into the microtubule lumen [6]. Imaging studies of axonemes indicate that several proteins may interact with the doublet-microtubule lumen [3, 4, 7, 8]. This region of β-tubulin may determine the conformation necessary for correct attachment of ODAs, or there may be sequence-specific interaction between β-tubulin and a protein involved in ODA attachment or stabilization.
Comparison of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiographic examinations with the operative findings: prospective review of 1918 cases.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to prospectively compare the intraoperative transesophageal echocardiographic (IOTEE) findings with the operative findings in 1918 consecutive cardiac cases. Forty-eight discordant findings were found between the IOTEE and operative findings. Of the 48 discordant findings, most were related to valve pathology. Structural abnormalities that were missed by IOTEE included those of the aortic valve, 12 cases (25%), mitral valve, 13 cases (27%), and pulmonic and tricuspid valves, 5 cases (10%). Functional discrepancies occurred in 8% of cases. Overall, incidence of discrepant findings between IOTEE and operative findings was low (2.5%). This resulted in an alteration of the planned surgical procedure in a small number of cases (0.3%). (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 1999;12:237-40.)
Spectrophotometric Determination of Pyrantel in Pyrantel Pamoate Bulk Samples and Pharmaceutical Formulations

A spectrophotometric method for the determination of the pyrantel content of pyrantel pamoate bulk, oral suspension, and chewable tablets is described. This method involves the following sequence of steps: (a) dissolution of the sample in ammoniacal 1,4-dioxane solution; (b) removal of pamoic acid by precipitation with perchloric acid; (c) isolation of the pyrantel content by a twostage extraction procedure; and (d) measurement of the pyrantel content of the final extract by UV absorption spectrophotometry. This analytical procedure for pyrantel circumvents any interference from pamoic acid and the potential degradation products [i.e., (E)-N-(3-methylaminopropyl)-2-thiopheneacrylamide and the cisisomer of pyrantel] of this anthelmintic agent.
Inferring Phenotypic Properties from Single-Cell Characteristics

Flow cytometry provides multi-dimensional data at the single-cell level. Such data contain information about the cellular heterogeneity of bulk samples, making it possible to correlate single-cell features with phenotypic properties of bulk tissues. Predicting phenotypes from single-cell measurements is a difficult challenge that has not been extensively studied. The 6th Dialogue for Reverse Engineering Assessments and Methods (DREAM6) invited the research community to develop solutions to a computational challenge: classifying acute myeloid leukemia (AML) positive patients and healthy donors using flow cytometry data. DREAM6 provided flow cytometry data for 359 normal and AML samples, and the class labels for half of the samples. Researchers were asked to predict the class labels of the remaining half. This paper describes one solution that was constructed by combining three algorithms: spanning-tree progression analysis of density-normalized events (SPADE), earth mover’s distance, and a nearest-neighbor classifier called Relief. This solution was among the top-performing methods that achieved 100% prediction accuracy.
Knockdown of TNFR1 by the sense strand of an ICAM-1 siRNA: dissection of an off-target effect

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) initiates local inflammation by triggering endothelial cells (EC) to express adhesion molecules for leukocytes such as intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1 or CD54). A prior study identified siRNA molecules that reduce ICAM-1 expression in cultured human umbilical vein EC (HUVEC). One of these, ISIS 121736, unexpectedly inhibits TNF-mediated up-regulation of additional molecules on EC, including E-selectin (CD62E), VCAM-1 (CD106) and HLA-A,B,C. 736 siRNA transfection was not toxic for EC nor was there any evidence of an interferon response. 736 Transfection of EC blocked multiple early TNF-related signaling events, including activation of NF-κB. IL-1 activation of these same pathways was not inhibited. A unifying explanation is that 736 siRNA specifically reduced expression of mRNA encoding tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1) as well as TNFR1 surface expression. A sequence with high identity to the 736 antisense strand (17 of 19 bases) is present within the 3′UTR of human TNFR1 mRNA. An EGFP construct incorporating the 3′UTR of TNFR1 was silenced by 736 siRNA and this effect was lost by mutagenesis of this complementary sequence. Chemical modification and mismatches within the sense strand of 736 also inhibited silencing activity. In summary, an siRNA molecule selected to target ICAM-1 through its antisense strand exhibited broad anti-TNF activities. We show that this off-target effect is mediated by siRNA knockdown of TNFR1 via its sense strand. This may be the first example in which the off-target effect of an siRNA is actually responsible for the anticipated effect by acting to reduce expression of a protein (TNFR1) that normally regulates expression of the intended target (ICAM-1).
Modulation-doped InGaAsP quantum well laser and modulator

An number of parameters, such as gain, modulation response, linewidth enhancement factor and relative intensity noise in modulation-doped InGaAsP quantum well (QW) laser emitting at 1.55 μm have been theoretically investigated. The results indicate that the relaxation oscillation frequency for p-type modulation doped QW laser is enhanced by a factor of more than 2 compared to that for undoped MQW lasers. The linewidth enhancement factor of p-type modulation doped QW laser is reduced to ½ of that of undoped MQW laser and the relative intensity noise (RIN) is reduced by a factor of > 10 dB compared to that for undoped MQW lasers.
Ground Water and Underground Gas Storage

Much underground gas storage depends on the presence of ground water for its effectiveness. Many of the techniques of the geohydrologist are useful in exploration, design, and development of underground storage fields for natural gas. Both local and regional geologic and hydrologic conditions are pertinent to gas storage effectiveness. Behavior of water in aquifers and their caprock zones can be used to predict behavior with gas. Leakage has been common in underground gas storage. Conflict between the public interest in gas storage and water resource development as both are expanded in the future is to be anticipated. There are many problems yet remaining in the development of underground gas storage to insure the complete effectiveness of design and operation.
Expression of glial antigens in mouse astrocytes: Species differences and regulation in vitro

Expression of developmentally regulated antigens was used to characterize glial cells in cultures from embryonic mouse cerebral cortex. Over 90% of the cells had a flat morphology, and about 50% of these flat cells also expressed the ganglioside GD3. Up to 40% of all the GD3 expressing cells also expressed A2B5 antigen. Flat cells expressing either glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), or GD3 or both were present at all times in vitro. These three populations of flat cells could not be further distinguished on the basis of NG2 or fibronectin expression, or with respect to their responses to the mitogens FGF-2, PDGF, or EGF. The glial cultures also contain a small number ( ∼5%) of process bearing cells with the morphological and immunocytochemical characteristics of oligodendrocyte precursors. The expression of GD3 by flat cells changed with time in culture as the fraction of flat cells expressing only GD3 declined and the fraction of cells expressing GFAP (with or without GD3) increased. The data are consistent with those flat cells expressing only GD3 being astrocyte precursors. Furthermore, between 1 and 3 weeks in vitro GD3/GFAP cells lose GD3 while retaining GFAP. Cells expressing only GFAP could be induced to express GD3 and A2B5 by treatment with FGF-2. The widespread and regulated expression of GD3 and A2B5 by murine glia is different from the restricted pattern of expression previously reported for these antigens in rat brain cell cultures. These results demonstrate that expression of GD3 and A2B5 by murine astrocytes depends on both culture age and extracellular signals and that these gangliosides are not markers for cell lineage in the mouse. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Analysis of Breathing Patterns in a Prospective Population of Term Infants Does Not Predict Susceptibility to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Oscillatory patterns in ventilation have been seen in term and premature infants and are indicative of the stability of the respiratory blood gas feedback control system. Apneas are related to these patterns and apnea duration is correlated with pattern characteristics. In our study breathing patterns were analyzed in recordings from 10 term infants who subsequently died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and 10 control infants matched for birth wt, gestational age, and postnatal age. Subjects were drawn from a prospectively studied population of 9856 infants. Breath-by-breath minute ventilation was estimated in each of these 24-h recordings and oscillatory patterns were detected using a comb of digital bandpass filters. Confidence limits on the filter output and a bad data flag for rejection of data during gross body movements or crying insured that only significant patterns in ventilation were evaluated. Pattern prevalence and amplitude were compared in three frequency regimes: 6- to 87-s cycle times, 6- to 28-s cycle times, and 28- to 87-s cycle times. There was no significant difference between the SIDS and the control infants in any of these pattern comparisons (paired t and Wilcoxon paired rank sum tests, p less than 0.05). In light of the normal breathing patterns found in the SIDS infants, it is unlikely that susceptibility to SIDS is distinguished, at the time of these recordings, by instability of the respiratory blood gas feedback control system.
Further Thoughts on “Paternal” Involvement

(2007). Further Thoughts on “Paternal” Involvement. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy: Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 99-101.
Remembering Ann: A Personal Reflection on Disability in the Christian Tradition

The article reflects on the significance of Disability in the Christian Tradition in light of the experience of a 43 year relationship with someone who had multiple sclerosis and was eventually totally disabled and mentally impaired.
Mathematical cosmos: why numbers rule

To discover what the universe is really made of we need to strip away our intuitive notions of reality, says cosmologist Max Tegmark
Experimental and numerical simulation of Martian neutron distributions

Abstract Measurements of the gamma-ray and neutron distributions produced by cosmic-ray bombardment of planetary surfaces can provide important information about water content and near-surface elemental compositions. Accurate interpretation of such measurements depends heavily on comparisons with radiation-transport calculations, which involve not only the soil composition but also assumptions about (1) particle types and energy distributions of cosmic rays, (2) interaction mechanisms for high-energy protons and neutrons, (3) neutron transport at low energies, and (4) production of prompt gamma rays and radionuclides in proton- and neutron-induced reactions. The present experiment simulates the planetary situation by directing a beam of 800 MeV protons onto a large container of Martian-like sand. Measurements were made of (1) the spatial distributions for protons and neutrons inside the container via activation foils and (2) the energy spectrum for neutron leakage out of the container via time of flight. Several configurations of the target were used to represent different Martian surfaces. The measured neutron-energy spectra are in good agreement with calculations made using a computer code that couples medium-energy neutron production to low-energy neutron transport, and the measured spatial distributions match those predicted using calculated fluxes and known cross sections for radionuclide production. The analyses include discussions of soil water content, finite-size effects, and the implications for data from possible planetary missions.
Revolution Motors in Cell for Transportation of Lengthy Chromosome without Coiling or Torque

Double-stranded DNA translocation is essential for biological processes including cell entry, viral genome packaging, cell mitosis, bacterial binary fission, DNA replication, DNA repair, homologous recombination, and Holliday junction resolution1. These motions are accomplished by biomotors utilizing energy from nucleotide hydrolysis. Biomotors were once classified into linear and rotational motors. For a long history, it has been popularly believed that viral dsDNA-packaging apparatuses are pentameric rotation motors. Recently, a third class of revolution motor has been discovered (see animations http://nanobio.uky.edu/movie.html)2-7. By analogy, the Earth rotates around its own axis every 24 hours, but revolves around Sun every 365 days. We will present biophysical and biochemical data to elucidate the force generation mechanism of the one-way traffic of revolution motors using phi29 as a model, and how revolution and rotation motors could be simply distinguished by motor channel size and chirality2-7. Due to the length of chromosomes, the induction of DNA supercoiling by biomotors would be a major issue. The revolution mechanism rendered dsDNA void of coiling and torque for translocation of the lengthy helical chromosome, thus with more efficient for the conversion of chemical energy to physical motion.References1. Schwartz, C. et al., & Guo, P. Virology 2013, 443, 20.2. Schwartz, C. et al., & Guo, P. Virology 2013, 443, 28.3. Zhao, Z. et al., & Guo, P. ACS Nano 2013, 7, 4082.4. Guo, P. et al. Virology 2013, 446, 133.5. Guo, P. Biophysical Journal 2014, 106, 1837.6. Guo, P. et al. Biotechnology Advances 2014, 32, 853.7. De-Donatis, G. et al., & Guo, P. Cell Biosci 2014, 4, 30.
The role of social support in compliance and other health behaviors for African Americans with chronic illnesses.

Social support plays a positive role in compliance and other health behaviors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of social support in compliance and other health behaviors for patients with sickle cell disease and diabetes. Subjects consisted of 49 patients with sickle cell disease and 78 patients with diabetes attending outpatient clinics at an urban hospital. Subjects were given questionnaires, which assessed their appointment-keeping behavior, adherence to health activities, and social support. The results indicated that social support was significantly associated with appointment-keeping behavior and adherence to health activities in both the sickle cell and diabetic sample. Implications of the study findings for improving compliance by increasing social support are discussed.
Social security as an economic stabilization program

This paper analyzes the stabilizing properties of an unfunded social security system in an over-lapping generations model with cyclical equilibria. This provides a welfare rationale for a social security system independent of the windfall gained by the first generation, or social insurance arguments. An unfunded social security system redirects intergenerational resource transfers from private savings, which are subject to endogenous fluctuations, towards a public system with an implicit rate of return of unity. In an economy with a cycle of order 2, a planner with a limit-of-means social welfare function will completely stabilize the economy.
On Privatisation and Property Rights: Should China Go Down the Road of Outright Privatisation?

Fierce debate is ongoing in China concerning the appropriate role for the private sector in the current stage of reform and enterprise restructuring. There are many economists, both within China and without, who argue that China should now increase both the scale and pace of privatisation and reduce the barriers to private sector involvement in the remaining large-sized State-Owned Enterprises as a matter of urgency. This paper argues, however, that on both theoretical and empirical grounds, wholesale privatisation in China should not be adopted, that ‘fuzzy’ property rights have served China well in the last twenty years of reform and that the appropriate boundary between the public and private sectors should be drawn pragmatically and on a case-by-case basis.
Rational Work and Basic Assumption Life in a Psychotherapy Group for Preschool Victims of Abuse: A Case Study

Through a case study of a psychotherapy group with physically and sexually abused preschool children, this paper portrays the operation of rational work and basic assumption group life in child group psychotherapy. The paper argues two points contrary to assumptions of more adult-oriented writers: 1) children do engage in work group behavior, but in forms determined by developmental capacities, and 2) developmentally appropriate and defensive basic assumption group behaviors must be distinguished from one another. After describing the group, the paper articulates conditions necessary for implementing this theoretical perspective. Clinical vignettes are then presented as examples of both work group and basic assumption group functioning. Emphasis is placed on how this group treatment can assist a return to normal developmental lines.
Determination of the Crystal Structures of D 2 by Neutron Diffraction

Previous neutron diffraction studies1,2 of solid D2 have suffered from various difficulties but the basic problem has been one of preparing fine-grained powder specimens with no preferred orientation. The technique used in the present study was to inject D2 gas, with para concentration3,4 of 2, 29, and 96%, into boiling liquid He contained in a Ti-Zr cell as shown in Fig. 1. The cell material had a zero coherent cross section for neutron scattering and therefore contributed no peaks to the diffraction patterns. The filling procedure assured that D2 bulk powder of random orientation would be formed in a structureless medium. The packing fraction of the D2 was raised to about 0.5 by lightly tamping the powdered slurry in the cell with a screen plunger. Liquid He remained in the interstices of the sample and provided thermostatic cooling in the range 1.5–4°K without contributing significantly to the diffraction pattern. By boiling away the liquid He, the sample temperature could be raised to 10°K. Samples of H2 could not be prepared by this technique since solid H2 floats on the surface of liquid He.
Towards Queering Food Studies: Foodways, Heteronormativity, and Hungry Women in Chicana Lesbian Writing

As the nascent field of food studies takes shape, insights from queer studies have the potential to enrich our understandings of the interrelationships among food, gender, and sexuality. The project of queering food studies invites us to consider how food practices and beliefs reinforce and resist heterosexual gender ideologies. In this article, I analyze foodways in recent Chicana lesbian literature, examining writings that illustrate the cultural endurance of heteronormative constructions of gender even as they demonstrate how these beliefs are disrupted, destabilized, and transformed in queer literary kitchens. Poetry and essays by Chicana lesbians challenge dominant models of Chicana culinary roles by emphasizing women's efforts to satisfy their physical and sexual appetites.In particular, Carla Trujillo's 2003 novel, What Night Brings, highlights the figure of the hungry lesbian as a provocative counterpoint to the literary image of the Chicana as cook. Literature by Chicana lesbians not only invites...
The influence of microcracking on the mechanical behavior of cement based materials

Abstract Quantitative acoustic emission techniques were applied to basic problems of microfracture in cement based materials. Acoustic emissions in cement based materials result from microcracks and other dynamic phenomena in the fracture process zone. The goals of this research program were to characterize microcracking in various cement based materials, to track the evolution of damage in those materials, and to examine the relationships to overall mechanical behavior. Characterizations of the microcracks showed a dependence on the degree of inhomogeneity in the material. Fine-grained materials showed different microfracture characteristics than coarse-grained materials. Microcracks were characterized according to their fracture mode. The fine-grained materials tested showed primarily mixed-mode microfracture, whereas the coarse-grained materials showed primarily mode II (shear) microfracture. It is experimentally shown that there exists a relationship between the microcrack characteristics established through quantitative acoustic emission analysis and the overall fracture toughness of the material.
Biochemical relationships in the neuronal sphingolipidoses.

SUMMARY Out of a complex and difficult classification of a group of neurodegenerative disorders there is emerging what appears at first sight to be an equally difficult and complex chemical classification. This, in contrast to the former, can be supported by precise chemical and, in several instances, enzymic analysis and the diagnosis in these cases is unequivocal. It is probable that more chemically specific diseases are yet to be defined in this group of patients; meanwhile even the most obvious and classical clinical diagnosis should be supported by chemical studies, for without these new variants will continue to be overlooked. RESUME Relations biochimiques dans les dyslipoidoses a sphingomyeline A partir d'une classification clinique complexe et difficile d'un groupe d'affections neuro-degeneratives, il apparait les premiers signes d'une classification chimique egalement difficile et complexe. Cette derniere classification beneficie pourtant d'une analyse chimique precise, et dans certains cas d'une analyse enzymatique, rendant le diagnostic indiscutable. 11 est probable que des maladies plus specifiques au point de vue chimique devront etre decrites dans ce groups d'affections. Meme les diagnostics clinquesn les plus evidents et les plus classiques devront etre confirmes par des analyses cliniques car faute de quoi, de nouvelles variantes symptomatiques continueront a passer inapercues. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Biochemische Beziehungen der Neuronalen Sphingolipidose Von der umfassenden und schwierigen Klassifizierung einer Gruppe neurodegenerativer Erkrankungen weicht die chemische Klassifizierung ab, die auf den ersten Blick ebenso schwierig und umfassend erscheint. Sie kann jedoch, im Gegensatz zu den anderen, durch genaue chemische und gelegentlich enzymatische Bestimmungen gestutzt werden, und die Diagnose ist in diesen Fallen unwiderruflich. Wahrscheinlich mussen noch viele chemisch spezifischen Erkrankungen in dieser Patientengruppe definiert werden; in der Zwischenzeit sollten auch die klarsten und klassischen klinischen Diagnosen durch chemische Unter-suchungen gestiitzt werden, da ansonsten neue Moglichkeiten weiterhin ubersehen werden. RESUMEN Relaciones bioquimicas en las esfingolipidosis neuronales De una compleja y dificil clasificacion de un grupo de enfermedades neurodegenerativas, surge lo que aparece a primera vista como una clasificacion quimica igualmente dificil y compleja. Sin embargo esta ultima en contraste con la primera, puede ser apoyada por analisis precisos quimicos y en ciertos casos enzimaticos, lo que hace inequivoco el diagnostico de los mismos. Es probable que en este grupo de pacientes todavia deban definirse mas enfermedades quimicamente especificas; entretanto incluso los diagnosticos clinicos mas obvios y clasicos deberian ser apoyados por estudios quimicos, pues de lo contrario podran ser pasadas por alto nuevas variantes de estas enfermedades.
A Chemosterilant Feeder for Insects

Construction details for a chemosterilant feeder to sterilize large numbers of insects are presented. Laboratory evaluations with fall armyworm moths, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), indicate that mating, oviposition, and egg hatch are greatly reduced. Biossay and gas chromatographic analyses indicate that tepa persists in the wick and reservior of the feeder for 2 and 4 days, respectively.
1395 HORMONES AND SURFACTANT SYNTHESIS IN EXPLANTS OF HUMAN FETAL LUNG

To further study the effects of glucocorticoids and thyroid hormones in fetal lung, we cultured human lung (16-22wk) for 4-8d as explants in serum-free Waymouth's medium with 95% air/5% CO2. Effects of dexamethasone (Dex, 10 nM) and T3 (2 nM) on phosphatidylcholine (PC) synthesis varied with precursor (Table). The additive hormonal effect occurred over a range of choline concentrations, did not alter the distribution of label among acid-soluble precursors, and correlated with tissue saturated PC content. Dex, but not T3, altered the distribution of precursor among phospholipids; compared to controls, glycerol incorporated more into PG (13.5 vs 4.9%) and less into PI (13.1 vs 18.9%), and acetate incorporated more into PC (81.5 vs 73.1%) and less into sphingomyelin (2.1 vs 6.3%). By electron microscopy, epithelial cells of treated explants showed less glycogen, many mo amellar bodies, and proliferation of microvilli. We conclude that low concentrations of glucocorticoids and thyroid hormone stimulate surfactant production in fetal lung in the absence of serum or other hormones. The two hormones appear to act at different biochemical sites to produce a synergistic response.
Effect of sequential NSAID therapy on the upper gastrointestinal tract in dogs

It is unknown whether overlapping or sequential use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) results in an increased risk for gastrointestinal (GI) ulceration. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the GI effects of various combinations of an injectable NSAID followed by an oral NSAID, a scenario often employed clinically for management of the pre- and post-operative canine patient. Six healthy Walker hounds received four treatment regimens in a randomized, cross-over design with a 2 week washout period between each treatment week: carprofen (4 mg kg–1, SQ) followed by placebo (PO, q24 × 4 days); placebo (SQ) followed by deracoxib (3–4 mg kg–1, PO, q24 × 4 days); carprofen (4 mg kg–1, SQ) followed by carprofen (4 mg kg–1, PO, q24 × 4 days); carprofen (4 mg kg–1, SQ) followed by deracoxib (3–4 mg kg–1, PO, q24 ×4 days). Weekly bloodwork (CBC, biochemistry panel, fecal evaluation, fecal occult blood) and daily clinical scoring (TPR, vomiting, diarrhea, appetite) were obtained. GI endoscopy was performed on days –2, 1, 2, 5, and 11 days post treatment of each treatment period and lesions scored using a previously reported 6-point scale. Data was analyzed using a mixed anova for repeated measures. There were no significant differences in clinical or clinicopathologic data between groups. Within the carprofen-carprofen and carprofen-deracoxib groups, lesions worsened by Day 5 (1 day after last oral dose) for the fundic and antral regions (p < 0.05). Fundic, antral and lesser curvature lesions improved by Day 5 in the carprofen-placebo group and lesser curvature lesions improved in the placebo-deracoxib group (p < 0.05). No significant within-group differences were noted for the esophagus, cardia or duodenum. The small number of dogs precludes general conclusions about the safety of sequential NSAID use, but these results suggest that a larger scale study is warranted.
K-Net Recursion in Perlean Hierarchical Structure

Klumpenhouwer networks, or K-nets, are graphic representations of the intervallic relationships among elements of a set.1 Theorist David Lewin has suggested that K-nets may be applicable to Perle cycles, entities referred to by George Perle in his theory of twelve-tone tonality as cyclic sets. These entities are created through the alternation of inversionally related interval cycles. The present study seeks to broaden the applicability of K-nets in Perle’s theory by exploring their recursive nature at varying levels of structure.
A single-treatment method to stop smoking using ancillary self-hypnosis

Abstract This report discusses the first 615 patient-mokera who have been treated with a single 45-minute session of psychotherapy reinforced by hypnosis. Technique of treatment, including rationale of approach, induction procedure, assessment of hypnotizability, and training instructions to stop smoking are presented in detail. & month follow-up study results are discussed. Of 271 (44%) patients who returned a questionnaire, 121 (20%) hard-core smokers (who had repeatedly tried and failed to stop smoking before) were able to stop for a t least 6 months. Another 120 (20%) persons reduced their smoking to varying degrees. These results of a l-session treatment compare favorably with, and often are significantly better than, other longer-term methods reported in the literature. They suggest that every habitual smoker who is motivated to stop be exposed to the impact of this procedure, or its equivalent, so that at least 1 of 5 smokers can be salvaged.
Comparison of shape-based and stroke-based methods for segmenting handwritten Chinese characters

The segmentation of handwritten Chinese text into Chinese characters is an important preprocessing step to the offline Chinese character recognition. It is also a very difficult task due to so many Chinese characters and their handwritten structures can be very complex. Many researchers have developed various algorithms during the past decade by Darning Shi, R. I. Damper, S. R. Gunn (2003), L.Y. Tseng, C.T. Chuang (1997), L.Y. Tseng, R.C. Chen (1997), Feng Lin, Xiaoou Tang (2002), Han Zhang, Chao Lu (2004), S.Y. Zhao, Z.R. Chi, P.F. Shi and Q. Wang (2001). In this paper, we compare two of the existing algorithms. The first one is spatial shape-based algorithm proposed by Han Zhang, Chao Lu (2004), which segments the character strings into radicals, not dealing with stroke identification. The second algorithm is stroke-based by L.Y. Tseng, C.T. Chuang (1997), L.Y. Tseng, R.C. Chen (1997), Feng Lin, Xiaoou Tang (2002), which traces each stroke and draws the stroke-bounding box, then merges the boxes by a set of rules. Based on the algorithms presented by L.Y. Tseng, C.T. Chuang (1997), L.Y. Tseng, R.C. Chen (1997), Feng Lin, Xiaoou Tang (2002), Han Zhang, Chao Lu (2004), we wrote C++ programs for time complexity, accuracy performance comparisons using different handwritten Chinese character texts. Our experimental result shows that the spatial shape-based algorithm by Han Zhang, Chao Lu (2004) is faster and more accurate.
γ-Aminobutyric Acid B Receptor Mediated Inhibition of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Neurons Is Suppressed by Kisspeptin-G Protein-Coupled Receptor 54 Signaling

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is one of the most important neurotransmitters that regulate the excitability of GnRH neurons. Numerous studies have shown that GABA activates Cl− currents in GnRH neurons, and these effects are antagonized by GABAA receptor antagonists. The GABAB receptor is a heterodimer composed of GABAB R1 and R2, and although both subunits have been localized in GnRH neurons, nothing is known about the cellular signaling of this Gαi,o-coupled receptor in GnRH neurons. Using whole-cell recordings from mouse enhanced green fluorescent protein-GnRH neurons, we found that the GABAB receptor agonist baclofen hyperpolarized GnRH neurons through activation of an inwardly rectifying K+ current in a concentration-dependent manner. The effects of baclofen were antagonized by the selective GABAB receptor antagonist CGP 52432 with a Ki (inhibitory constant) of 85 nm. Furthermore, in the presence of the GABAA receptor antagonist picrotoxin, GABA hyperpolarized GnRH neurons in a similar manner. Treatment...
Estimating an Evaluation Utilization Model Using Conjoint Measurement and Analysis

The conjoint approach to measurement and analysis is demonstrated in this article through a test of an evaluation utilizationprocess-model that includes two endogenous variables (predicted participation and predicted instrumental utilization). Conjoint measurement involves having respondents rate attribute profiles that are analogous to concepts based on cells in a factorial analysis of variance. Such multidimensional ratings result in ecologically valid measurements because respondents examine and react to wholes, rather than to single unidimensional items as in traditional survey research. Statistically, conjoint analysis is a "decompositional" technique in which respondents’ overall reactions to profiles (hypothetical situations) are decomposed to determine how much importance is given to attributes (variables used in the profiles) and to levels of the attributes. Applications of conjoint analysis are by far most common in the area of marketing research, and, to the present author’s knowledge, no applications of conjoint analysis have appeared in the program evaluation literature (cf. Green and Srinivasan 1978, 1990; Wittink and Cattin 1989). It is contended here that conjoint analysis offers a promising new technique that evaluators may use in evaluating programs and products and in testing theoretical as well as applied evaluation models. The purpose of this article is to introduce conjoint measurement and analysis, examine the strengths and weaknesses of the method, and demonstrate the usefulness of conjoint analysis through the testing of an evaluation utilization process-model.
Study of Machining-Induced Microstructure Variations of Nanostructured/Ultrafine-Grained Copper Using XRD

Various methods for the production of bulk nanostructured (NS)/ultrafine-grained (UFG) materials have been developed, including equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE), a form of severe plastic deformation. Using an ECAE NS/UFG copper bar as an example, this study has investigated machining-induced workpiece microstructure variation using X-ray diffraction. It has been found that (1) under gentle cutting conditions, there was a 10% increase in the median grain size compared with unmachined ECAE NS/UFG copper bars. Increases in the arithmetic-, area-, and volume-weighted grain sizes were found to be 10%, 8%, and 8%, respectively, and (2) an average 27% drop in the dislocation density was observed between the machined and unmachined ECAE copper bars. The dislocation density was shown to have the most reduction (―39%) at the outer radius of the machined ECAE bar where more heat and/or higher pressure were experienced.
Hospital Water as a Source of Mycobacterium avium Complex Isolates in Respiratory Specimens

The clinical significance of recovery of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) organisms from respiratory specimens is poorly understood. One hundred sixty-one respiratory MAC isolates from 131 patients at Grady Memorial Hospital (Atlanta) and 13 MAC isolates from the hospital's hot water system were examined. Of the 131 patients, 35 (27%) had MAC disease, and 96 (73%) did not; 94 (72%) were human immunodeficiency virus infected. Ten different clusters were identified by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Patients without MAC disease were significantly more likely to have clustered isolates than were patients with MAC disease. Of 110 MAC isolates recovered from patients without MAC disease, 72 (65%) were part of a single large cluster that contained isolates recovered from the hospital's hot water system; 13 (25%) of 51 isolates from patients with MAC disease were also in this cluster. We conclude that acquisition of MAC from institutional water systems leads to substantial MAC disease but that most patients with MAC recovered from respiratory specimens have only transient colonization by MAC.
Sleep disturbances in pediatric dialysis patients

Sleep disorders are common in adult dialysis patients, with a prevalence of 60%-80%. To date, sleep disturbances have not been assessed in the pediatric dialysis population. Therefore, the objective of this study is to describe the prevalence of sleep disturbance symptoms in a pediatric dialysis population. We conducted a telephone- or clinic-based interview of 21 children (aged 6-20 years) and their parents in our academic tertiary pediatric dialysis center with questionnaires that assessed four symptom domains of sleep disorders: (1) sleep-disordered breathing, (2) restless leg syndrome or period limb movements (RLS/PLMs), (3) excessive daytime sleepiness, and (4) inadequate sleep time. The presence of a "sleep disturbance" was defined by positive responses in any of the four symptom domains. Overall, 18 (86%) of the children undergoing dialysis [mean age (SD) 14.2 years (1.1), gender (M/F) 11/10] endorsed sleep disturbance symptoms: sleep-disordered breathing (46%), RLS/PLMs (29%), and excessive daytime sleepiness (60%). We conclude that sleep disturbances are very common in pediatric dialysis patients, but may be underrecognized. Given the adverse neurocognitive and physiological outcomes associated with poor sleep, it is important for practitioners caring for children on dialysis to anticipate and screen for treatable sleep conditions.
Productivity gradients cause positive diversity–invasibility relationships in microbial communities

Models predict that community invasibility generally declines with species diversity, a prediction confirmed by small-scale experiments. Large-scale observations and experiments, however, find that diverse communities tend to be more heavily invaded than simple communities. One hypothesis states that large-scale environmental heterogeneity, which similarly influences native and invasive species, can cause a positive correlation between diversity and invasibility, overriding the local negative effects of diversity on invasibility. We tested this hypothesis using aquatic microbial communities consisting of protists and rotifers consuming bacteria and nanoflagellates. We constructed a productivity gradient to simulate large-scale environmental heterogeneity, started communities with the same number of species along this gradient, and subjected equilibrial communities to invasion by non-resident consumer species. Both invaders and most resident species increased their abundances with resource enrichment, resulting in a positive correlation between diversity and invasibility. Intraspecific interference competition within resident species and the positive effect of enrichment on the number of available resources probably accounted for the higher invasibility with enrichment. Our results provide direct experimental evidence that environmental heterogeneity in productivity can cause a positive diversity‐invasibility relationship.
Coping Across the Transition to Adolescence Evidence of Interindividual Consistency and Mean-Level Change

The goal of this study was to examine various forms of coping across the transition to adolescence, with a focus on interindividual (correlational) consistency of coping and mean-level changes in c...
Securing electronic medical records using attribute-based encryption on mobile devices

We provide a design and implementation of self-protecting electronic medical records (EMRs) using attribute-based encryption on mobile devices. Our system allows healthcare organizations to export EMRs to locations outside of their trust boundary. In contrast to previous approaches, our solution is designed to maintain EMR availability even when providers are offline, i.e., where network connectivity is not available. To balance the needs of emergency care and patient privacy, our system is designed to provide fine-grained encryption and is able to protect individual items within an EMR, where each encrypted item may have its own access control policy. We implemented a prototype system using a new key- and ciphertext-policy attribute-based encryption library that we developed. Our implementation, which includes an iPhone app for storing and managing EMRs offline, allows for flexible and automated policy generation. An evaluation of our design shows that our ABE library performs well, has acceptable storage requirements, and is practical and usable on modern smartphones.
Obesity and cardiac performance

Abstract In association with consistent increases in stroke volume and a high incidence of systemic and/or pulmonary arterial hypertension, the cardiac work of very obese patients at rest was considerably greater than that predicted for normotensive subjects at ideal body weight. Although this change was effected chiefly by increased left ventricular work, and the latter was roughly correlated with the amount of excess body weight, variable increases in right ventricular work resulted in a lack of correlation between total cardiac work and the amount of excess weight. Though pulmonary hypertension secondary to an increase in left ventricular filling pressure usually occurred in the very obese patients of this series under conditions of moderate exercise, the increment in cardiac output per unit increment in oxygen consumption with exercise was within normal limits. Because of the need to move excess body weight, at any given level of activity the cardiac workload was considerably greater for the obese subjects than for individuals at ideal body weight. Cardiac enlargement and increased heart weight were found quite regularly in very obese subjects, increasing in rough proportion to the amount of excess body weight. The increased heart weight was due to muscular hypertrophy involving the left ventricle or both the left and right ventricles. Neither fatty infiltration of the myocardium nor isolated right ventricular hypertrophy was observed. Cardiac failure occurred in 8 per cent of the extremely obese patients in this series, involving a high cardiac output and left ventricular or biventricular insufficiency. It has been proposed that myocardial hypertrophy and failure derive from the increased cardiac workload present at rest and during exercise. Heart failure due to obesity generally responded well to bed rest, digitalis, diuretics, dietary sodium restriction and measures usually effective in managing heart failure due to other causes. Effective long term therapy necessarily involved weight reduction.
Larrabee Sets the Precedent

Forensic Neuropsychology: A Scientific Approach . Glenn Larrabee (Ed.). 2005. New York: Oxford University Press, 479 pp., $68.50. As a practitioner of the art and as an instructor for a course in “neuropsychology and the law,” I can assure you that all of my students will be assigned Larrabee's Forensic Neuropsychology in coming semesters. The editor and his co-authors have assembled a thoughtful and comprehensive introduction to a rapidly evolving area of science and practice. The unique contributions that neuropsychological assessment and an understanding of brain-behavior relationships can provide are fast becoming the rule, rather than the exception, in civil, criminal, and, sometimes, even probate litigation.
Agricultural Ethics and Multifunctionality Are Unavoidable

My purpose here is to help all agriculturalists, but especially researchers, feel comfortable using ethics in handling the multiple and often conflicting demands that sectors of the public press on agriculture. For three or four decades, pressures have been brought to bear upon farming and those who
Neuronal plasticity and cellular immunity: shared molecular mechanisms

It is becoming evident that neurons express an unusual number of molecules that were originally thought to be specific to immune functions. One such molecule, class I major histocompatibility complex, is required in the activity-dependent refinement and plasticity of connections in the developing and adult central nervous system, demonstrating that molecules can perform critical roles in both systems. Recent studies reveal striking parallels between cellular signaling mechanisms in the immune and nervous systems that may provide unexpected insights into the development, function, and diseases of both systems.
A hypothesis-based approach for identifying the binding specificity of regulatory proteins from chromatin immunoprecipitation data

Motivation: Genome-wide chromatin-immunoprecipitation (ChIP-chip) detects binding of transcriptional regulators to DNA in vivo at low resolution. Motif discovery algorithms can be used to discover sequence patterns in the bound regions that may be recognized by the immunoprecipitated protein. However, the discovered motifs often do not agree with the binding specificity of the protein, when it is known. Results: We present a powerful approach to analyzing ChIP-chip data, called THEME, that tests hypotheses concerning the sequence specificity of a protein. Hypotheses are refined using constrained local optimization. Cross-validation provides a principled standard for selecting the optimal weighting of the hypothesis and the ChIP-chip data and for choosing the best refined hypothesis. We demonstrate how to derive hypotheses for proteins from 36 domain families. Using THEME together with these hypotheses, we analyze ChIP-chip datasets for 14 human and mouse proteins. In all the cases the identified motifs are consistent with the published data with regard to the binding specificity of the proteins. Availability: THEME is freely available for download. Contact: fraenkel-admin@mit.edu Supplementary information: http://fraenkel.mit.edu/THEME