cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epidemiology of autosomal-dominant polycystic liver disease in Olmsted county.

Background & Aims Isolated autosomal-dominant polycystic liver disease (ADPLD) is generally considered a rare disease. However, the frequency of truncating mutations to ADPLD genes in large, population sequencing databases is 1:496. With the increasing use of abdominal imaging, incidental detection of hepatic cysts and ADPLD has become more frequent. The present study was performed to ascertain the incidence and point prevalence of ADPLD in Olmsted County, MN, USA, and how these are impacted by the increasing utilisation of abdominal imaging. Methods The Rochester Epidemiology Project and radiology databases of Mayo Clinic and Olmsted Medical Center were searched to identify all subjects meeting diagnostic criteria for definite, likely, or possible ADPLD. Annual incidence rates were calculated using incident cases during 1980–2016 as numerator, and age- and sex-specific estimates of the population of Olmsted County as denominator. Point prevalence was calculated using prevalence cases as numerator, and age- and sex-specific estimates of the population of Olmsted County on 1 January 2010 as denominator. Results The incidence rate and point prevalence of combined definite and likely ADPLD were 1.01 per 100,000 person-years and 9.5 per 100,000 population, respectively. Only 15 of 35 definite and likely incident ADPLD cases had received a diagnostic code, and only 8 had clinically significant hepatomegaly. The incidence rates were much higher when adding possible cases, mainly identified through radiology databases, particularly in recent years and in older patients because of the increased utilisation of imaging studies. Conclusions Clinically significant isolated ADPLD is a rare disease with a prevalence Lay summary Isolated autosomal-dominant polycystic liver disease (ADPLD) is generally considered a rare disease. However, we demonstrate that it is a relatively common disease, which is rarely (
Antibiotic Exposure Is Not Associated With Clearance of Bronchoalveolar Growth: Results From a Prospective Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia Study.

BACKGROUND Ventilator-associated pneumonia is poorly understood in trauma. Ventilated trauma patients can develop bacterial burden without symptoms; the factors that influence this are unknown. METHODS Injured adults ventilated for > 2 days were enrolled. Mini-bronchoalveolar lavage was performed for 14 days or until extubation. Semi-quantitative cultures were blinded from clinicians. All cultures with > 104 colony forming units (CFU) were assessed for antibiotic exposure (ABXE) and spectrum of coverage. mBAL CFU was assessed daily. RESULTS 60 patients were ventilated for 9 days (median). There were 75 with > 104 CFU. 46 had > 104 CFU and no ABXE on the sample day. 74% had clearance or a decrease (CoD) in CFU without ABXE. 29 had > 104 CFU and ABXE on the sample day. 19 had ABXE with pathogen coverage. 84% had CoD in CFU. 10 had ABXE with no spectrum of coverage. 1/10 had increased CFU and the remaining 9/10 CoD in CFU. The three groups were not statistically different on chi-squared analysis. CONCLUSION Clearance of pathogens on surveillance cultures was unaffected by ABXE.
Edge number results for piecewise-Linear knots

The minimal number of edges required to form a knot or link of type K is the edge number of K, and is denoted e(K). When knots are drawn with edges, they are appropriately called piecewise-linear or PL knots. This paper presents some edge number results for PL knots. Included are illustrations of and integer coordinates for the vertices of several prime PL knots.
Slack Resources, Innovation and Growth: Evidence from the US Energy Sector

Recent studies show that the US energy sector’s investment (particularly by the private sector) in technology development and innovation has been declining, lagging behind other sectors in the economy, and mainly focused on the fossil fuel-based areas related to the needs of the oil and gas industry. In this paper, we offer new insights on whether the U.S. energy sector has optimally managed the deployment of different types of slack (unused) resources in pursuing investment in R&D and new technologies vs. existing assets and core efficiencies. Using a multi-industry sample of technology-intensive firms provided by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), our results show that the energy sector’s slack resources and R&D investment profile were, on average, markedly different from those in other sectors. The energy sector did not pursue a balanced investment strategy by simultaneously exploiting existing assets and exploring new opportunities – being ambidextrous. Energy was the most “exploitative” and the least “explorative” sector with the highest (the lowest) average capital expenditures (R&D) intensities among the remaining sectors in the sample. The results also show that, in terms of longer-term profitability, the majority of other technology-intensive sectors have significantly outperformed the energy sector.
Introduction to Composite Materials Design

Introduction Basic Concepts The Design Process Composites Design Methods Design for Reliability Fracture Mechanics Materials Fiber Reinforcements Fiber-Matrix Compatibility Fiber Forms Matrix Materials Thermoset Matrices Thermoplastic Matrices Creep, Temperature, and Moisture Corrosion Resistance Flammability Manufacturing Processes Hand Lay-up Pre-preg Lay-up Bag Molding Autoclave Processing Compression Molding Resin Transfer Molding Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding Pultrusion Filament Winding Micro-mechanics Basic Concepts Stiffness Moisture and Thermal Expansion Strength Ply Mechanics Coordinate Systems Stress and Strain Stress-Strain Equations Off-axis Stiffness Macro-mechanics Plate Stiffness and Compliance Computation of Stresses Common Laminate Types Laminate Moduli Design Using Carpet Plots Hygro-thermal Stresses (*) Strength Lamina Failure Criteria Laminate First Ply Failure Laminate Strength Strength Design Using Carpet Plots Stress Concentrations (*) Damage Continuum Damage Mechanics Longitudinal Tensile Damage Longitudinal Compression Damage Transverse Tension and In-plane Shear Fabric-reinforced Composites Weave Pattern Description Analysis Tow Properties Element Stiffness and Constitutive Relationship Laminate Properties Failure Analysis Woven Fabrics with Gap Twill and Satin Randomly Oriented Reinforcement Beams Preliminary Design Thin Walled Beams Plates and Stiffened Panels Plate Bending Plate Buckling Stiffened Panels Shells Shells of Revolution Cylindrical Shells with General Loading Strengthening of Reinforced Concrete Strengthening Design Materials Flexural Strengthening of RC Beams Shear Strengthening Beam-column Appendices Bibliography
On an Eigenvalue Problem for Some Nonlinear Transformations of Multi-dimensional Arrays

It is shown that certain transformations of multi-dimensional arrays posses unique positive solutions. These transformations are composed of linear components defined in terms of Stieltjes matrices, and semi-linear components similar to u → ku 3. In particular, the analysis of the linear components extends some results of the Perron-Frobenius theory to multi-dimensional arrays.
Managing technical professionals: why technical managers need people management skills

IN my previous articles, I wrote about communication and interpersonal skills, dealing with difficult employees and giving employee feedback. These basic skill sets apply not only to technical managers, but also to all managers who in some way control the activities of others. Managers function in two capacities: 1) managing activities, and 2) managing interpersonal relations. If the manager does not possess the appropriate skill sets, both the manager and the professional specialists will be limited in meeting organizational expectations.
MO-DE-304-02: Diagnostic Workforce Subcommittee Status and Direction

The Abt study of medical physicist work values for radiation oncology physics services, Round IV is completed. It supersedes the Abt III study of 2008. The 2015 Abt study measured qualified medical physicist (QMP) work associated with routine radiation oncology procedures as well as some special procedures. As before, a work model was created to allow the medical physicist to defend QMP work based on both routine and special procedures service mix. The work model can be used to develop a cost justification report for setting charges for radiation oncology physics services. The Abt study Round IV was designed to empower the medical physicist to negotiate a service or employment contract with providers based on measured national QMP workforce and staffing data. For a variety of reasons, the diagnostic imaging contingent of AAPM has had a more difficult time trying estimate workforce requirements than their therapy counterparts. Over the past several years, the Diagnostic Work and Workforce Study Subcommittee (DWWSS) has collected survey data from AAPM members, but the data have been very difficult to interpret. The DWWSS has reached out to include more AAPM volunteers to create a more full and accurate representation of actual clinical practice models on the subcommittee. Though much work remains, through hours of discussion and brainstorming, the DWWSS has somewhat of a clear path forward. This talk will provide attendees with an update on the efforts of the subcommittee. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the new information documented in the Abt studies. 2. Understand how to use the Abt studies to justify medical physicist staffing. 3. Learn relevant historical information on imaging physicist workforce. 4. Understand the process of the DWWSS in 2014. 5. Understand the intended path forward for the DWWSS.
Pathogenesis of the Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome

Endothelial and/or platelet activation likely initiates thrombus formation. Whether antiphospholipid antibody (aPL) is an activator, a toxic response, or a protective response is not clear, nor is it certain whether aPL is germ-line encoded or antigen-driven. The pregnancy model is particularly informative. Alternative hypotheses about thrombogenicity which relegate aPL to the role of bystander have not yet been excluded.
Precomputed wave simulation for real-time sound propagation of dynamic sources in complex scenes

We present a method for real-time sound propagation that captures all wave effects, including diffraction and reverberation, for multiple moving sources and a moving listener in a complex, static 3D scene. It performs an offline numerical simulation over the scene and then applies a novel technique to extract and compactly encode the perceptually salient information in the resulting acoustic responses. Each response is automatically broken into two phases: early reflections (ER) and late reverberation (LR), via a threshold on the temporal density of arriving wavefronts. The LR is simulated and stored in the frequency domain, once per room in the scene. The ER accounts for more detailed spatial variation, by recording a set of peak delays/amplitudes in the time domain and a residual frequency response sampled in octave frequency bands, at each source/receiver point pair in a 5D grid. An efficient run-time uses this precomputed representation to perform binaural sound rendering based on frequency-domain convolution. Our system demonstrates realistic, wave-based acoustic effects in real time, including diffraction low-passing behind obstructions, sound focusing, hollow reverberation in empty rooms, sound diffusion in fully-furnished rooms, and realistic late reverberation.
Discrete two-terminal single nanocluster quantum optoelectronic logic operations at room temperature

Readily formed at nanoscale break junctions, arrays of individual spatially isolated, strongly electroluminescent Ag2–Ag8 nanoclusters perform complex logic operations within individual two-terminal nanoscale optoelectronics devices. Simultaneous electrical excitation of discrete room-temperature nanocluster energy levels directly yields AND, OR, NOT, XOR, and even full addition logic operations with either individual nanoclusters or nanocluster pairs as the active medium between only two electrodes. Imaged in parallel, noncontact electroluminescent readout obviates the need for electrically isolating individual features. This gated, pulsed, two-terminal device operation will likely drive future nano and molecular electronics advances without complicated nanofabrication.
Seasonal sex allocation by common grackles? Comment.

or differential mortality by sex in 2004-2006, unlike the ones I studied in 1976 and 1977 in Michigan (Howe 1976, 1977). In theory, heterogametic female birds can control primary sex of offspring through nonrandom meiosis, as well as that of older nestlings through manipulation of parental care. The Michigan study reported contingent female control of sex ratio during the season, presumably through nonrandom meiosis, and male-biased late broods likely reflecting differential mortality of males as part of an adaptive brood reduction strategy when food was scarce. Maddox and Weatherhead (2009) broaden understanding of sex-ratio adjustment, and its absence, in this bird. The larger issues of contingency in ecology in general and sex-ratio adjustment in particular that have come to light in recent decades deserve more emphasis than their report offers. The data from the Michigan study are what they are (Howe 1976, 1977). Sexual dimorphism by fledging led to a prediction that sex ratios near independence should be skewed in favor of the smaller females, assuming males were more costly to rear than females ?80% of male living mass (sensu Fisher 1930). Skew in favor of female fledglings was suggestive in 1976 and 1977 in clutches of five, and the data for both years pooled differed from 50:50 with a two-tailed test (P = 0.024; Table 2 of Howe 1977). A seasonal skew of sex ratio of 12-day embryos in large clutches, with nests in early and mid April mostly female and those in late April and early May mostly male, was entirely unexpected (Fig. 1 of Howe 1977). Two-tailed Pearson correlations using the angular transformation were just or almost statisti
Weighted Dirichlet spaces of harmonic functions on the real hyperbolic ball

Let &#x1d539; n denote the unit ball in ℝ n , n ≥ 2, with boundary S, and let τ, ∇ h and Δ h denote the volume measure, gradient and Laplacian with respect to the hyperbolic metric on &#x1d539; n . In the article we consider the weighted Dirichlet space &#x1d49f;γ and Hardy space ℋ p , p ≥ 1, of hyperbolic harmonic functions on &#x1d539; n for which D γ(f) and ‖ f ‖ p are finite, where and One of the main results of the article is the following theorem. THEOREM Let f be a hyperbolic harmonic function on &#x1d539; n . (a) If f ∈ &#x1d49f;γ for some γ, (n − 3) < γ ≤ (n − 1) (0 < γ ≤ 1 when n = 2), then f ∈ ℋ p for all p, 0 < p ≤ 2(n − 1)/γ, with where C 1 is a positive constant independent of f. (b) If f ∈ ℋ p for some p, 1 < p ≤ 2, then f ∈ &#x1d49f;γ for all γ ≥ 2(n − 1)/p with where C 2 is a positive constant independent of f. In this article, we also prove two results concerning the integrability of |∇ h f | of eigenfunctions f of Δ h with nonnegative eigenvalues and prove the Littlewood–Paley inequalities for hyperbolic harmonic functions on &#x1d539; n .
Separation in oscillating laminar boundary-layer flows

The results of an experimental investigation of separation in oscillating laminar boundary layers is reported. Instantaneous velocity profiles obtained with multiple hot-wire anemometer arrays reveal that the onset of wake formation is preceded by the initial vanishing of shear at the wall, or reverse flow, throughout the entire cycle of oscillation. Correlation of the experimental data indicates that the frequency, Reynolds number and dynamic history of the boundary layer are the dominant parameters and oscillation amplitude has a negligible effect on separation-point displacement.
Burrow extension with a proboscis: mechanics of burrowing by the glycerid Hemipodus simplex

Burrowing marine infauna are morphologically diverse and ecologically important as ecosystem engineers. The polychaetes Nereis virens and Cirriformia moorei extend their burrows by crack propagation. Nereis virens does so by everting its pharynx and C. moorei, lacking an eversible pharynx or proboscis, uses its hydrostatic skeleton to expand its anterior. Both behaviors apply stress to the burrow wall that is amplified at the tip of the crack, which extends by fracture. That two species with such distinct morphologies and life histories both burrow by fracturing sediment suggests that this mechanism may be widespread among burrowers. We tested this hypothesis with the glycerid polychaete Hemipodus simplex, which has an eversible proboscis that is much longer and everts more rapidly than the pharynx of N. virens. When the proboscis is fully everted, the tip flares out wider than the rest of the proboscis, creating a shape and applying a stress distribution similar to that of N. virens and resulting in relatively large forces near the tip of the crack. These forces are larger than necessary to extend the crack by fracture and are surprisingly uncorrelated with the resulting stress amplification at the crack tip, which is also larger than necessary to extend the burrow by fracture. These large forces may plastically deform the mud, allowing the worm to build a semi-permanent burrow. Our results illustrate that similar mechanisms of burrowing are used by morphologically different burrowers.
Pollination of Opuntia lindheimeri and related species.

The large, yellow, bowl-shaped flowers ofOpuntia lindheimeri, O. discata, O. phaeacantha major, andO. compressa in Texas are visited by various species of beetles and bees. The beetles and small bees (Perdita, Dialictus) are pollen thieves. The pollinators are the medium-sized and larger bees (Melissodes, Diadasia, Lithurge, Megachile, Agapostemon, etc.). Different species of theOpuntia lindheimeri group have the same pollination system and there is no evidence of any floral isolation between them. The pollination system of these species ofOpuntia in Texas is essentially the same as that ofEchinocereus fasciculatus andFerocactus wislizeni in Arizona.
Amyloidosis of the alimentary canal: radiologic-pathologic correlation of CT findings.

Background: The purpose of the study was to describe the computed tomographic (CT) findings of the alimentary canal and mesentery in amyloid infiltration of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and to correlate the CT findings with histologic extent and distribution and with amyloid subtype.
Optimistic reporting in the property- casualty insurance industry*

Abstract This paper examines the response of managers of property-casualty insures to the differential costs and benefits of understanding the liability for outstanding claim losses. The primary hypothesis is that the incentive to underestimate the liability is a decreasing function of the insurer's actual financial position. Empirical tests suggest that managers of financially weak insurers bias downward their estimates of claim loss reserves relative to other insurers after controlling for exogenous economic factors. Evidence also reveals that managers of insurers ‘close’ to receiving regulatory attention understate reserve estimates to an even larger degree.
Pattern formation in the vertebrate nervous system

In recent years, the classical approaches of experimental embryology have been used in combination with more modern techniques to investigate aspects of neurogenesis. This combination has advanced our knowledge of several areas of neuronal development, including the lineages of neuronal precursors, the segmentation of the nervous system, and the patterning of the neural tube.
Comparison of Postprandial Responses to a High-Fat Meal in Hypertriglyceridemic Men and Women before and after Treatment with Fenofibrate in the Genetics and Lipid Lowering Drugs and Diet Network (GOLDN) Study.

Context. The fenofibrate effect on the subclass size distribution of lipoproteins before and after a high-fat challenge is not well studied. Objective. To characterize the baseline and post-prandial response (PPL) to a high-fat challenge following fenofibrate therapy, on changes in LDL, HDL, and VLDL particle subclasses, number, and size in 271 hypertriglyceridemic participants. Methods. Participants from the Genetics of Lipid Lowering Drugs and Diet Network (GOLDN) study who conducted PPL studies both before and after three weeks of fenofibrate (160 mg/d) treatment were analyzed. Particle size distributions were determined using nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, and lipid determinations were measured at fasting (0 hr), 3.5 hours, and 6 hours after ingestion of a standardized high-fat meal. Analyses were stratified by gender. Changes in particle subclass distributions were assessed using repeated measures analysis of variance adjusted for pedigree. Results. Before PPL, fenofibrate in men (adjusted for age, field center, smoking status, diabetes, and weight circumference) lowered fasting and postprandial VLDL primarily due to reductions in postprandial levels of large and medium VLDL particles (9 SE
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin Attribution Theory and Evaluations of Older Men among College Students, their Parents, and Grandparents

Subjects sampled from three age groups read one of eight narrative descriptions portraying a man as active or inactive regarding achievement related activities, active or inactive regarding social activities, and young or old. Evaluative attributions to each were measured with a semantic differential scale. Results supported predictions generated by attribution theory and the activity model of aging. It appears that attribution theory can be useful in explaining why attitudes toward the elderly are less positive than those toward the young.
QMD: exploiting flash for energy efficient disk arrays

Energy consumption for computing devices in general and for data centers in particular is receiving increasingly high attention, both because of the increasing ubiquity of computing and also because of increasing energy prices. In this work, we propose QMD (Quasi Mirrored Disks) that exploit flash as a write buffer to complement RAID systems consisting of hard disks. QMD along with partial on-line mirrors, are a first step towards energy proportionality which is seen as the "holy grail" of energy-efficient system design. QMD exhibits significant energy savings of up 31%, as per our evaluation study using real workloads.
Direct differentiation method for response sensitivity analysis of structures in fire

Abstract Response sensitivity is an important quantity in structural reliability calculations, parameter importance studies, and design optimization. In the response sensitivity analysis of structures at ambient temperature, prior research has shown that the direct differentiation method provides improved accuracy and efficiency in comparison to the finite difference method. The direct differentiation method is extended here to the analysis of structures in fire, in which parameters exist in the fire, thermal and structural domains. Analytical expressions for the response sensitivities are derived for nonlinear heat transfer and structural finite elements, with specific consideration for the interdependencies between the physical domains. Numerical analyses were conducted for a steel beam exposed to natural fire conditions. Comparisons between the finite difference and direct differentiation methods demonstrate that the proposed formulations offer much promise for assessing response gradients of fire-exposed structures in a robust and computationally efficient manner.
A comparison of patient satisfaction and objective assessment of neurosensory function after trigeminal nerve repair

Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare objective and subjective assessments of neurosensory function after trigeminal nerve repair. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study using a sample of patients who underwent surgical repair of trigeminal nerve injuries. The primary study variables were categorized as objective or subjective. The objective variable was the change in neurosensory examination between preoperative and 1-year postoperative visits. Neurosensory status was measured using an ordinal scale ranging from anesthetic (0) to normal (4). Subjective variables included patient satisfaction with the nerve repair and patient assessment of injury-related oral dysfunction. Demographic, anatomic, and operative variables were also collected. Appropriate univariate and bivariate statistics were computed. Results The sample was composed of 19 patients (14 female, 17 Caucasian) who had trigeminal nerve repair (17 lingual, 2 inferior alveolar). The mean duration between injury and repair was 4.5 ± 2.3 months; between repair and postoperative assessment was 11.9 ± 0.9 months. The mean change in neurosensory status was 1.3 ± 1.0 levels. The majority of patients (63.1%) rated their satisfaction with the outcome of treatment as “good” to “excellent.” There was a statistically significant correlation between change in neurosensory status and patient satisfaction (rho = 0.86; P Conclusion There is evidence of a strong correlation between improvement in the neurosensory examination following trigeminal nerve repair and patient satisfaction with the surgical outcome 1-year postoperatively. Patients who experience greater neurosensory improvement also report lower frequencies of related oral dysfunction.
Proteomics in Tumor Progression and Metastasis

With the ultimate goal of systematically identifying and characterizing proteins within an organism, the field of proteomics has generated much excitement in the past few years. Coupled with mass spectrometry, various quantitative and functional techniques are now available that allow for large-scale analyses of proteins implicated in cancer. New techniques are just now being applied to identifying the temporal changes in protein levels associated with tumor development. This review will focus on the use and promise of proteomic technologies as they apply to the study of tumor progression and metastasis.
Inverse-FORM modelling for initial seismic retrofit design

The concept of performance-based seismic design (PBSD) has been explored by researchers for over a decade and the implementation stage is at the cusp of beginning. One important aspect of this early implementation stage is to examine existing analysis and design concepts that can serve as linkages to help improve and speed up implementation by integrating directly into the PBSD philosophy. To date, structural reliability has served as the cornerstone for load and resistance factor design (LRFD) code calibration and to some extent it could provide for some level of PBSD code calibration. This paper presents a summary of the results of a numerical study to examine the application of the inverse first order reliability method (I-FORM) for preliminary design of a base isolation system within the context of PBSD. In other words, it is given that a target structural reliability level is required for a particular structure, how does one select the properties (i.e., design) of the base isolation system to ensure the desired reliability level to all possible earthquakes? This is accomplished herein by decoupling the earthquake demand from the structural concept using a method known as the environmental contour procedure which is essentially I-FORM. The earthquake is described in terms of magnitude, site-to-source distance, and an uncertainty parameter that lumps both aleatory and epistemic uncertainties using readily available earthquake data. A ground motion attenuation function provides the link between the earthquake demand description and the structural concept in the form of spectral acceleration as a function of natural period. An illustrative example for a hypothetical building located in Los Angeles, CA having a fundamental period of vibration of 0.4s prior to retrofit is presented. In this example, the stiffness of a laminated rubber bearing isolation system is the design variable of interest.
Monkey retinal pigment epithelial cells in vitro synthesize, secrete, and degrade insulin‐like growth factor binding proteins

Cultured monkey retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells rapidly secrete large amounts of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGF-BPs). IGF-II tracer binding activity in conditioned media is two to three times greater than that of IGF-I. Under reducing SDS-PAGE conditions, 125I-IGF affinity-crosslinked binding protein (BP) is visualized as a broad band between 36 +/- 2.9 and 49 +/- 3.3 kDa. Because the electrophoretic mobility of the crosslinked BP is increased under non-reducing conditions (33-45 kDa), intramolecular sulfhydryl bonding may be present. Frequently, the radiographic band representing affinity-crosslinked binding protein exhibits a complex pattern of non-uniform densities that suggests structural or functional IGF-BP micro-heterogeneity. IGF-BPs synthesized by RPE also exhibit heterogeneity with respect to the absence or presence of oligosaccharide side chains. In particular, the larger, but not the mid-sized or smaller IGF-BPs exhibit side chains linked to the core protein with N-glycosidic linkage. None of the crosslinked IGF-BPs exhibit O-linked side chains. Long-term (12, 24, 48 hr) conditioning studies revealed that IGF-BP fails to accumulate in culture media beyond 12 hr, but that replacement of conditioned media with fresh media allows a second period of binding protein accumulation. Other short-term (12 hr) experiments indicate that, in fresh medium, the levels of IGF-BP increase during the first 6-8 hr and then remain stable. To examine the processes contributing to these steady state levels of IGF-BP, aliquots of 8-hr conditioned medium were removed from the cells and either frozen on dry ice or incubated at 37 degrees C for 16 hr. Importantly, it was found that incubation at 37 degrees C resulted in a near total loss of binding activity. This is the first report of IGF-BP degrading activity in a cell culture system. These findings indicate that 1) primate RPE cells rapidly secrete a complex mixture of N-glycosylated and non-glycosylated IGF-BPs, and 2) the steady state levels of secreted IGF-BP are tightly regulated at least in part through a concomitant IGF-BP inactivating activity. Cultured RPE cells may be of utility in examining the mechanisms of IGF-BP synthesis, secretion, and degradation at the cellular level.
Characterization of an ultramicro CIRCLE cell and its use in aqueous flow injection analysis with infrared detection

Abstract An ultramicro cylindrical internal reflectance (CIRCLE) cell with an internal volume of 1.75 μl, which is used with an IR-PLAN infrared microscope, is described. The path length and reflectance parameters of the cell have been determined and compared to those of the micro CIRCLE cell. The path length of the cell is 3.43 × 10 −4 cm, which is approximately 44% shorter than that of the micro cell. The cell's utility is tested by means of a previously described flow injection analysis system to measure succinylcholine in aqueous solution. The detection limit for the ultramicro CIRCLE cell is approximately 3 ppt, which is an order of magnitude higher than that of the micro CIRCLE cell.
The T-box-encoding Dorsocross genes function in amnioserosa development and the patterning of the dorsolateral germ band downstream of Dpp

Dpp signals are responsible for establishing a variety of cell identities in dorsal and lateral areas of the early Drosophila embryo, including the extra-embryonic amnioserosa as well as different ectodermal and mesodermal cell types. Although we have a reasonably clear picture of how Dpp signaling activity is modulated spatially and temporally during these processes, a better understanding of how these signals are executed requires the identification and characterization of a collection of downstream genes that uniquely respond to these signals. In the present study, we describe three novel genes, Dorsocross1, Dorsocross2 and Dorsocross3, which are expressed downstream of Dpp in the presumptive and definitive amnioserosa, dorsal ectoderm and dorsal mesoderm. We show that these genes are good candidates for being direct targets of the Dpp signaling cascade. Dorsocross expression in the dorsal ectoderm and mesoderm is metameric and requires a combination of Dpp and Wingless signals. In addition, a transverse stripe of expression in dorsoanterior areas of early embryos is independent of Dpp. The Dorsocross genes encode closely related proteins of the T-box domain family of transcription factors. All three genes are arranged in a gene cluster, are expressed in identical patterns in embryos, and appear to be genetically redundant. By generating mutants with a loss of all three Dorsocross genes, we demonstrate that Dorsocross gene activity is crucial for the completion of differentiation, cell proliferation arrest, and survival of amnioserosa cells. In addition, we show that the Dorsocross genes are required for normal patterning of the dorsolateral ectoderm and, in particular, the repression of wingless and the ladybird homeobox genes within this area of the germ band. These findings extend our knowledge of the regulatory pathways during amnioserosa development and the patterning of the dorsolateral embryonic germ band in response to Dpp signals.
Effect of anatomic region on immunofluorescence diagnosis of bullous pemphigoid

Forty-six patients with clinical and histologic criteria of bullous pemphigoid, and on whom direct immunofluorescence testing had been done, were analyzed by anatomic region of the lesions and by the region from which the immunofluorescence biopsy specimens were taken. One third of immunofluorescence tests from the lower extremities were negative, compared with only 3% from all other areas. The possible reasons for this result are discussed. The lower extremity should probably be avoided as a biopsy site for immunofluorescence in bullous pemphigoid.
Demand revelation and tâtonnement auctions

Abstract The tâtonnement process is inherently a price taking process. An auctioneer calls out a price and traders respond with a quantity signal. This tâtonnement (groping) process contrasts with a double auction (continuous bid-ask) process that utilizes price signals. Do traders in this institution fully reveal quantity or do they underreveal affecting price, quantity, and efficiency? In the experiments reported here, traders playing against a fully revealing automaton systematically attempt to manipulate price by underrevealing quantity bid or offered.
Physicochemical controls on initiation and evolution of desiccation cracks in sand–bentonite mixtures: X-ray CT imaging and stochastic modeling

Abstract The shrink-swell behavior of active clays in response to changes in physicochemical conditions creates great challenges for construction of geotechnical barriers for hazardous waste isolation, and is of significant importance for management of agricultural and natural resources. Initiation and evolution of desiccation cracks in active clays are strongly dependent on physicochemical initial and boundary conditions. To investigate effects of bentonite content (20, 40, 60%), pore fluid chemistry (0.05 and 0.5 M NaCl) and drying rates (40 and 60 °C) on cracking behavior, well-controlled dehydration experiments were conducted and X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) was applied to visualize and quantify geometrical features of evolving crack networks. A stochastic model based on the Fokker-Plank equation was adopted to describe the evolution of crack aperture distributions (CAD) and to assess the impact of physicochemical factors on cracking behavior. Analyses of crack porosity and crack specific surface area showed that both clay content and temperature had larger impact on cracking than pore fluid concentration. More cracks formed at high bentonite contents (40 and 60%) and at high drying rate (60 °C). The drift, diffusion and source terms derived from stochastic analysis indicated that evaporative demand had greater influence on the dynamics of the CAD than solution chemistry.
Micro-photonic interconnects: characteristics, possibilities and limitations

Photonic interconnects have the long-term potential to reduce latency and crosstalk while increasing signalling bandwidth. This tutorial-style presentation for non-experts will provide a simple overview of photonics as it relates to the interconnect problem. We will touch upon the challenges faced by on-chip and chip-to-chip communications that motivate micro-photonic (optical) interconnects, and provide an introduction to the basics of optics. Topics such as the system impact of optical interconnects, impact on cache, chip-to- chip communication and global clock distribution will be examined. Practical feasibility issues and limitations related to power, speed, and technology hurdles will be evaluated. The talk will conclude with a look at some fascinating recent developments that bode well for the future of micro-photonic interconnects.
The Role of Practical Reason in an Empirically Informed Moral Theory

Empirical research paints a dismal portrayal of the role of reason in morality. It suggests that reason plays no substantive role in how we make moral judgments or are motivated to act on them. This paper explores how it is that an empirically oriented philosopher, committed to methodological naturalism, ought to respond to the skeptical challenge presented by this research. While many think taking this challenge seriously requires revising, sometimes dramatically, how we think about moral agency, this paper will defend the opposite reaction. Contrary to what recent discussions lead us to expect, practical reason is not simply a philosophical fiction lacking empirical roots. Empirical research does not exclude the possibility that practical reason can play a substantive role; rather, there is evidence that it can help us both to determine our first personal moral judgments and to motivate us to act on them.
U50,488: a kappa-selective agent with poor affinity for mu1 opiate binding sites.

Although a number of potent kappa ligands have been reported, virtually all also label mu receptors with very high affinity. In contrast, we found that U50,488 is highly selective for kappa sites (Ki 12 nM) when compared to both morphine-selective (mu2) or delta receptors (both Ki values > 500 nM) confirming earlier reports. However, these reports did not examine interactions with mu1 receptors. In marked distinction to all other kappa-active agents examined which typically compete mu1 binding with Ki values under 1 nM, U50,488 competed mu1 binding quite poorly (Ki 370 nM). Thus, U50,488 is a highly selective kappa agent with very poor affinity for both subtypes of mu and delta receptors.
Differential Effects on HIV-1 Gene Regulation by EBV in T Lymphocytic and Promonocytic Cells Transduced to Express Recombinant Human CR2 (CD21)

A panel of human hematopoietic cell lines was genetically engineered to express recombinant complement receptor 2 (CR2 or CD21), which is also the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) receptor. The panel was composed of SupT1, J1.1, and U1.HIV cells. The latter is a promonocytic cell line, whereas the other two are T lymphocytic cell lines. J1.1 and U1.HIV cells are latently infected by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). These three cell lines were transduced with a murine leukemia virus (MLV)-based retroviral vector system. CR2 was efficiently and consistently expressed on the cell membranes, conferring enhanced susceptibility to EBV infection. The efficient expression of recombinant CR2 in cell lines of hematopoietic origin allowed for study of the interaction between EBV infection and HIV-1 gene regulation in suitable cell-culture models. The effects of EBV and HIV-1 coinfection results were cell-type dependent. In the two T lymphocytic cell lines, HIV-1 expression was rapidly and persistently down-regulated by EBV. Conversely, in the promonocytic cell line U1.HIV-CR2, HIV-1 expression was transiently enhanced by EBV. The EBV and HIV-1 coinfection result in U1.HIV-CR2 cells is potentially important, as the activation of HIV-1 gene expression in monocyte-like cells may play a crucial role in the mechanism of CD4+ T cell depletion by apoptosis. Therefore, the U1.HIV-CR2 cell line may represent a useful cell-culture system to study the synergism between EBV and HIV-1 in inducing apoptosis in primary CD4+ T cells.
Marriage, widowhood, and health-care use

Despite suggestive evidence, there has been no adequately powered systematic study of the ways in which marital status influences health care consumption. Using a novel data set of 609,016 newly diagnosed, seriously ill elderly individuals in the USA, and employing hierarchical linear models, we look at differences in the experience of hospitalization as a function of marital status. We find that the married consistently use higher quality hospitals and have shorter lengths of stay. On the other hand, the married and the widowed appear to receive similar quality care once they are in the hospital. Marital status thus has a substantial impact on the health care obtained by the elderly. We suggest that these patterns are most consistent with spouses exerting their benefits by functioning as higher-order decision-makers than as home health assistants.
Further studies on the effect of sources of vitamin D in the diet of the chicken on storage of the antirachitic factor.

Abstract APREVIOUS paper (1933) reports the results of a study to determine the effect of the quantity and source of vitamin D in the diet of the chicken on the storage of the antirachitic factor in egg yolk. The data obtained indicated that utilization of the vitamin D of cod liver oil at high levels was poor in comparison with that for viosterol of approximately the same potency. Since the oil content of the cod liver oil diet was necessarily high the question was raised as to whether the fat content per se or some specific substance in the oil itself was responsible. It seemed possible that the fat of the cod liver oil might have an influence upon the utilization of the vitamin D similar to that of mineral oil upon vitamin A metabolism. The study reported here was undertaken to answer this question. Data were also obtained for determining . . .
A fundamental theorem for the model reduction of nonlinear systems

A simple, but fundamental, theorem is given on the extent to which a nonlinear system model can have its order reduced. Essentially, the result is that the order, or the dimension of the state space representation, cannot be reduced to, or below, the dimension of the system's attractor. Several examples are given to illustrate this point. The result is especially applicable to higher order systems such as the infinite dimensional systems arising from the modeling of distributed parameter systems.
Impacts on biodiversity and species changes in the lower Great Lakes

The Great Lakes basin ecosystem evolved after the retreat of the last ice sheet, about 10 000 years ago. Today, the complex of species present in the Great Lakes and much of the visible landscape bears little resemblance to that found some 400 years ago. Rather, the effects of various aspects of human development have caused major changes in the natural biodiversity. Lessons learned in the lower Great Lakes are applicable to many lakes around the world that have undergone agricultural, industrial and urban development in their drainage basins and have become managed, artificial ecosystems.
Van Hove excitons and high-Tc superconductivity VII: Gap equation with pair breaking

Abstract Detailed calculations are presented for the superconducting gap and critical temperature of a van Hove superconductor. The calculations are modified to account for a number of complicating factors, including interlayer coupling, strong coupling, and depairing effects due to real phonon scattering and spin scattering. The calculations are compared to experimental data on the isotope effect, spin-lattice relaxation time T 1 , and magnetic penetration depth, and satisfactory agreement is found. Power law corrections, particularly in T 1 , are suggestive of a gap zero.
Inhibition of cAMP accumulation by intracellular calcium mobilization in C6-2B cells stably transfected with substance K receptor cDNA.

Abstract C6-2B rat glioma cells were stably transfected with substance K receptor cDNA and used to study interactions between cAMP and Ca2+ signaling pathways. Activation of the newly expressed receptors by substance K increased the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration, as monitored by single-cell fura-2 imaging, and markedly inhibited agonist-stimulated cAMP accumulation. Blockade of intracellular Ca2+ mobilization abolished the substance K receptor-mediated inhibition of isoproterenol-induced cAMP production. Phosphodiesterase inhibitors, down-regulation or inhibition of protein kinase C, and pertussis toxin failed to prevent substance K-induced inhibition of agonist-stimulated cAMP accumulation. An increased intracellular Ca2+ concentration caused by either calcium ionophores or activation of endogenous bradykinin receptors was found to markedly reduce cAMP production in wild-type cells. These results demonstrate that elevated intracellular Ca2+ concentration can negatively modulate agonist-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in C6-2B glioma cells.
Prey-lithium aversions. I: coyotes and wolves.

Captive coyotes were fed rabbit flesh treated with lithium chloride (LiCl) and captive wolves were fed similarly treated sheep flesh. One or two treatments inhibited predatory attack upon the living prey, but left the appetite for alternative prey unaffected. A caged cougar refused to eat deer meat after one meal of venison laced with LiCl. Sheep flavored baits and sheep carcasses laced with LiCl, distributed on a 3000 acre sheep ranch in southeastern Washington, were consumed by feral coyotes. A comparison of this year's sheep losses with the rancher's past records suggested a 30–60% reduction in sheep killed by coyotes following this application of taste aversion conditioning in the field.
The Nature and Organization of Filaments in the Oral Apparatus of Tetrahymena1

. Filaments in the oral apparatus of Tetrahymena appear similar, but not identical, to the intermediate filaments of multicellular organisms. The mean diameter of filaments measured in the present study was 16.4 nm, but the range of variation was much greater than has been reported for intermediate filaments. The organization of filaments within the oral apparatus has been studied by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy and immunogold localization at the electron microscopical level using antiserum raised in rabbits against the major subunit protein of the oral filaments (87K). The filaments were found to be organized into cables, networks, and chambers or cages which encase the basal bodies. At the highest level of organization, the filaments connect into a rigid framework capable of maintaining the overall architecture in the absence of microtubules. Like intermediate filaments, the oral filaments are insoluble at high ionic strength, have evolutionarily non-conservative subunit proteins, are probably non-contractile, and serve to stabilize persistent cellular architecture.