cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is wider worse? QRS duration predicts cardiac mortality in patients with right bundle branch block.

Background: Increasing QRS duration may be of prognostic significance in patients with right bundle branch block (RBBB) and may assist in predicting overall cardiovascular risk. Methods: To test this hypothesis, we examined the Computerized Patient Records of patients with complete and persistent RBBB. Primary and secondary end points were all-cause and cardiac mortality. The effects of QRS duration on death rates were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model (P < 0.05). We identified 52,852 patients with EKGs and selected all those with diagnosis of RBBB (QRS ≥ 120 ms) between January 2000 and January 2004. Some patients had EKG records confirming RBBB since 1987. The QRS durations were categorized into four groups: 120–129, 130–139, 140–149, and ≥ 150 ms. Results: A total of 997 (1.9%) patients (mean age 68.9 ± 10 years) with RBBB were followed for 1–226 (median 45) months. All-cause mortality occurred in 344 (34.5%), cardiac deaths in 59 (5.9%), noncardiac in 191 (19.2%), and unknown causes in 94 (9.4%) patients. Mean left ventricular EF for cardiac patients was 38 ± 15%. In patients with cardiac deaths, QRS duration was associated with increased morality (P < 0.007). For every 10 ms increase in QRS duration, the risk of death rose by 26.6%. The effect of QRS duration on all cause mortality was not statistically significant (P < 0.43). Conclusion: Increasing QRS duration was an independent predictor of cardiac mortality in patients with RBBB, but had no influence on all-cause mortality. QRS duration has added prognostic information to the presence of right bundle branch block.
Offsetting operations via closed ball approximation

A general offsetting methodology that is capable of offsetting 2D/3D closed regions of any arbitrary shape is presented in the paper. Regular, closed and bounded objects are offset using an offsetting procedure that is based on closed ball expansions. Each point on the boundary is expanded to a closed ball to form the offset object. The closed ball expansions are approximated by squares (2D) or cubes (3D) in a spatially enumerated space where objects are represented by ordered cells. The methodology has been implemented and tested. Self intersection and other problems of offsetting are bypassed by this method as a result of finite small expansions. The offsetting algorithms are therefore simplified. Examples are presented and discussed.
Use of DMARDs and biologics during pregnancy and lactation in rheumatoid arthritis: what the rheumatologist needs to know

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease of synovial joints, can lead to chronic pain and structural joint damage, as well as other organ involvement, especially if not adequately controlled. Because it can affect women in their reproductive years, care of pregnant women with RA requires a delicate balance of maintaining disease control while limiting potential toxicity to the fetus and neonate. While most women experience a substantial improvement in disease activity during pregnancy, for some women their RA remains active. It can even manifest itself for the first time during pregnancy or early in the post-partum period. Optimizing disease control prior to conception is key, but utilizing disease-modifying treatments effectively and safely throughout pregnancy and lactation requires open dialogue and shared decision making. This review provides evidence-based recommendations for use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biologic response modifiers to guide rheumatologists in their care of pregnant and lactating women with RA and serves as a guide to counsel male patients with RA on family planning decisions.
Hypoalbuminemia in Delirium

The charts of 100 delirious patients seen by a psychiatric consultation service were reviewed. The most common chronic medical problems included diabetes and cardiovascular disease, while infections and trauma were the most common acute problems. The most frequent laboratory abnormality was hypoalbuminemia, appearing in 66% of those tested. Hypoalbuminemic patients were more likely to have a combination of medical problems, long hospital stays, and increased mortality, while patients with normal albumin were more likely to have drug toxicities and short hospital stays. While hypoalbuminemia develops because of many physiological processes, the data suggest that more attention should be paid to nutrition and serum transport capability in medical patients.
Abstract 4996: GTPase-activating protein IQGAP2 is a novel tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma

Highly homologous putative GTPase-activating proteins IQGAP1 and IQGAP2 are multidomain scaffolding proteins that juxtapose Rho GTPases Rac1 and Cdc42, Ca 2+ /calmodulin signals and cytoskeletal reorganization events. Previously, we found that IQGAP2 deficiency in mice leads to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), identifying IQGAP2 as a potential tumor suppressor gene (Schmidt VA, et al. MCB 2008; 28:1489-502). Moreover, mice deficient in both Iqgap1 and Iqgap2 genes displayed relative protection against HCC and enhanced long-term survival, indicating opposing roles for IQGAP2 and IQGAP1 in hepatic carcinogenesis. We hypothesized that diminished levels of hepatic IQGAP2 expression, along with subsequent upregulation of IQGAP1, may have a causative effect in the development of HCC in humans. To test this, we first evaluated mRNA transcript and protein expression in an array of liver samples from patients with HCC of different etiologies using qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC). qPCR TissueScan Array™ containing 23 individual cDNAs from patients with primary HCC of different stages and non-malignant adjacent tissue controls demonstrated decreased expression of IQGAP2 transcript in HCC tumors compared to normal tissue, and the magnitude of the decrease in expression correlated with progression of disease. The lowest IQGAP2 transcript expression was observed at the most advanced stage IV HCC, a 4-fold decrease compared to the non-malignant controls. At the protein level, lack of IQGAP2 expression was confirmed in 100% (36/36) of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human HCC livers studied by IHC. All samples also showed a significant overexpression of IQGAP1. Normal livers (13/13), cirrhotic livers (23/23), and benign hepatic adenomas (4/4) showed the reverse, i.e. a high level of IQGAP2 expression and very low levels of IQGAP1. Next, functional studies using RNAi technology showed that knockdown of IQGAP2 expression in HepG2 cells leads to a 50% increase in their migratory capacity, while IQGAP1 siRNA has the opposite effect. Finally, the gene expression profile of Iqgap2 −/− mouse liver using the Mouse Genome 430 2.0 Array chip (Affymetrix) identified 294 genes which were expressed differentially in Iqgap2 −/− HCC livers compared to age-matched disease-free wild-type controls (N=3 in each group). The differentially expressed genes (at least 2-fold change, p −/− mouse model to human disease and identify a novel IQGAP-dependent pathway regulating HCC development. Modulation of both IQGAP1 and IQGAP2 expression represents a new potential therapeutic strategy for liver cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4996.
Further Studies on Differentiation of Photosynthetic Properties in Sun and Shade Ecotypes of Solidago virgaurea

Measurements of the fraction of the incident light absorbed by diverse Solidago leaves revealed that differences in light harvesting capacity cannot explain the differences in efficiency of utilization of weak light in photosynthesis that have previously been shown to exist between sun and shade ecotypes when these have been grown in strong light and between identical clones of shade ecotypes when grown at different light intensities. Photosynthesis measurements at low and normal oxygen concentrations, provided no evidence that a different degree of inhibition of photo-synthetic CO2 uptake by atmospheric oxygen is responsible for the observed differences in photosynthetic efficiency, at low or high light intensities. These results support the conclusion that the markedly less efficient use of weak light by shaded habitat clones grown in strong as compared with weak light is caused primarily by damage to the photosystems, or to a site close to them. Measurements of Emerson enhancement and of light-induced absorbance changes provide some evidence that photoreaction II is more affected than I. Enzyme extracts prepared from clones native to an exposed habitat were found to contain considerably higher activities of carboxydismutase (ribulosc-l,5-diphos-phate carboxylase) than from clones native to a shaded habitat when the plants were previously grown at a moderately high light intensity. Exposed habitat clones apparently have a genetically determined, higher capacity to produce the carboxyla-tion enzyme than shaded habitat clones. The high degree of correlation found when the light-saturated rate of CO2 uptake in vivo of a number of individual Solidago leaves is plotted against the carboxydismutase activities found in the extracts of these same leaves suggests that low carboxydismutase activity is one of the intrinsic properties responsible for the low capacity for light-saturated photosynthesis of clones from shaded habitats. It is concluded from this and other investigations that differentiation between plants from habitats with contrasting light intensities, whether unrelated species or ecotypos of the same species, probably involves the capacity of several component steps of the photosynthetic process.
HIV infection, stressful life events, and intimate relationship power: the moderating role of community resources for black South African women.

Background: Black women in South Africa are vulnerable with limited power in intimate relationships. This study explored whether stressful life events and/or HIV infection were associated with relationship power and whether the impact was moderated by community resources. Method: One hundred four women living with HIV and 152 women not living with HIV participated in individual interviews. Results: Undesirable life changes were negatively associated with relationship control. HIV infection and women's knowledge of community resources were associated with mutual decision-making, while frequency of family use of community resources was negatively related to female dominated decisions. Women living with HIV perceived their male partners as less dominant when they perceived their community resources to be more helpful. Conclusions: Power in intimate relationships may enhance the quality and length of life for black South African women living with HIV. Knowledge of and perceived helpfulness of community resour...
Interstitial dendritic cells of the rat heart. Quantitative and ultrastructural changes in experimental myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND This study was undertaken to investigate the qualitative and quantitative changes that interstitial dendritic cells (IDC) of the heart undergo during the time course of experimental myocardial infarction. METHODS AND RESULTS Left coronary arterial ligations were performed in 43 rats that were killed 2, 4, 7, 14, and 21 days after surgery. Thirteen unoperated and 39 sham-operated rats were used as controls. Frozen sections were stained with monoclonal antibodies (OX 6 and W3/25) to identify and count IDC by light microscopy. Immunoelectron microscopy was also used to identify IDC. The number of IDC per mm2 of tissue section was calculated for all hearts. In hearts with myocardial infarction, IDC were counted in three areas: the center of the myocardial infarction, the border zone, and the noninfarcted left ventricle. In OX 6 antibody-stained preparations, the number of IDC per mm2 was 82 +/- 10 in the left ventricle of unoperated rats. Hearts with myocardial infarction showed marked increases in the numbers of IDC per mm2 in the border zone (796 +/- 79 at 7 days and 528 +/- 98 at 14 days). In the border zone, IDC often were associated with small clusters of T-helper lymphocytes, which reacted with W3/25 antibody (the rat homologue of human CD4). The center of the myocardial infarction showed an increase in IDC only on day 7 (120 +/- 18). By 21 days, IDC in the border zone were only slightly increased (159 +/- 15). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that IDC migrate to the myocardial infarction border zone. They participate in the activation of lymphocytes and in the initiation of immune responses and decrease in number as inflammation subsides and scarring develops.
Photon generation in forward-biased silicon p-n junctions

Photons are generated by forward biasing a silicon p-n junction at 10-5∼ 10-4quantum efficiency through radiative recombination. At large distances from the forward-biased junction, leakage currents of magnitudes significant for some VLSI circuits can appear due to the substrate minority carriers generated by the photons. The effective decay length of the measured leakage current is about several hundred to one thousand micrometers. The effects of forward biasing an input node or a parasitic lateral bipolar transistor are, therefore, longer ranged than commonly assumed.
On probe interval graphs

Abstract Probe interval graphs have been introduced in the physical mapping and sequencing of DNA as a generalization of interval graphs. We prove that probe interval graphs are weakly triangulated, and hence are perfect, and characterize probe interval graphs by consecutive orders of their intrinsic cliques.
Cluster study of the neutron-scattering form factor for antiferromagnetic KNiF3 and NiO.

Motivated by difficulties in understanding the magnetism of the insulating parent of high-${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ supeconductors, we have studied the less covalent, and thus simpler, antiferromagnetic (AF) insulators NiO and ${\mathrm{KNiF}}_{3}$. We also consider the apparently covalent material ${\mathrm{La}}_{2}$${\mathrm{NiO}}_{4}$, which is closely related to the high-${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ superconductor parent ${\mathrm{La}}_{2}$${\mathrm{CuO}}_{4}$. Despite many studies of ${\mathrm{KNiF}}_{3}$ and NiO via cluster calculations, we found that a satisfactory ab initio cluster theory of the neutron form factor is lacking. We have carried out such a calculation in the unrestricted Hartree-Fock (UHF) approximation, taking the basic cluster as (${\mathrm{NiF}}_{6}$${)}^{4\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ and (${\mathrm{NiO}}_{6}$${)}^{10\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ for ${\mathrm{KNiF}}_{3}$ and NiO, respectively, treating the remaining lattice in the point-charge model. We show that correlation effects and Pauli repulsion corrections to the point charges are negligible in these cases. After correcting for the zero-point spin fluctuations, the UHF form factor agrees well with experiment in ${\mathrm{KNiF}}_{3}$, where the absolute value of the form factor is known for small scattering vectors q. The UHF calculations agree satisfactorily with the relative form factor data for NiO, which cover a large range of \ensuremath{\Vert}q\ensuremath{\Vert} (the absolute experimental values are not available); the agreement in shape includes the variations with q due to asphericity of the spin density. We also found that the UHF results on ${\mathrm{La}}_{2}$${\mathrm{NiO}}_{4}$, obtained by using similar methods, disagree sharply with experiment.
Financial Options from Regulating Real Estate for Habitat Conservation

This article offers an analysis of financial incentives for landowners, conservation bank managers, and land developers under habitat regulations for land use. A financial option theory approach is used with call and put options as contracts for habitat conservation and exchange. The market for habitat is modeled as a stochastic game to derive the option price on habitat that allows for arbitrage between land with and without permission to develop. This analysis applies to a variety of policies including transferable development rights, conservation, and mitigation banking to protect wetland and upland habitat and wildlife.
Neural basis of saccade target selection in frontal eye field during visual search

CONSPICUOUS visual features commonly attract gaze1,2, but how the brain selects targets for eye movements is not known. We investigated target selection in rhesus monkeys performing a visual search task3 by recording neurons in the frontal eye field, an area known to be responsible for generating purposive eye movements4,5. Neurons with combined visual- and eye movement-related activity were analysed. We found that the initial visual responses to search stimulus arrays were the same whether the target or a distractor was in the response field. We also found that the neural activity evolved to specify target location before the execution of eye movements, ultimately peaking when the target was in the response field and being suppressed when the target was beside but not distant from the response field. These results demonstrate a possible mechanism by which a desired target is fixated and inappropriate eye movements are prevented.
Quality Issues of Group Work and Leadership Emergence in E-Learning: Case Study:

This case study investigates the participant structure of leadership in online course environments and helps instructors design and facilitate high-quality lessons. Researchers used course experien...
Perceived parental support predicts enhanced late positive event-related brain potentials to parent faces.

This study examined event-related brain potentials in college students viewing facial pictures of their parents, celebrities, and strangers in the context of a guessing task. A temporal principal component analysis of data obtained from midline electrode sites was used to extract a component reflecting the mid- to late-positive deflection observed between 200 and 500 ms following stimulus onset. Parent faces elicited enhanced positivity compared to celebrity and stranger faces suggesting greater attention allocation to parent faces. In addition, greater perceived parental support predicted larger factor scores to parent faces relative to non-parent faces. Greater perceived negative interaction with parent, however, attenuated this relationship.
Optimal rate allocation for joint compression and classification in JPEG 2000

We present a framework for optimal rate allocation to image subbands to minimize the distortion in the joint compression and classification of JPEG2000-compressed images. The distortion due to compression is defined as a weighted linear combination of the mean-square error (MSE) and the loss in the Bhattacharyya distance (BD) between the class-conditional distributions of the classes. Lossy compression with JPEG2000 is accomplished via deadzone uniform quantization of wavelet subbands. Neglecting the effect of the deadzone, expressions are derived for the distortion in the case of two classes with generalized Gaussian distributions (GGDs), based on the high-rate analysis of Poor. In this regime, the distortion function takes the form of a weighted MSE (WMSE) function, which can be minimized using reverse water-filling. We present experimental results based on synthetic data to evaluate the efficacy of the proposed rate allocation scheme. The results indicate that by varying the weight factor balancing the MSE and the Bhattacharyya distance, we can control the trade-off between these two terms in the distortion function.
Radiation grafting — state-of-the-art

Abstract Radiation grafting is now a process more than 35 years old. In spite of an enermous amount of ingenious research, it has still not led to any large scale commercial exploitation. The same could be said, however, about the various chemical methods of graft copolymerization. Hopeful signs are beginning to appear and some of these possibilities will be discussed. The successful development of new applications of graft copolymers will be the clue to how the whole field develops. Three standard methods of grafting were developed early in the field and are still the main techniques available. These are the mutual (simulataneous), the preirradiation (consecutive), and the peroxide methods. The present status of each and the more modern developments and variations will be discussed in some detail. Although the kinetics of graft copolymerization point towards the lower dose rate gamma radiation sources, there are interesting possibilities with the use of electron beam processing. There is considerable interest, for example, in surface modification with grafting. In this respect, photo-grafting will complete with electron beam processing as it does with radiation curing. Methods of increasing the radiation yields and reducing the formation of homopolymer will also be emphasized. In the past several years, with all methods of grafting including radiation, there has been increased emphasis on applications. This may be regarded as a healthy sign in this fascinating technique.
Influence of airplane configuration on sonic- boom characteristics

Dependence of sonic boom overpressures on supersonic aircraft configurations and design aspects to minimize boom
Google and the “Twisted Cyber Spy” Affair: US–Chinese Communication in an Age of Globalization

The “twisted cyber spy” affair began in 2010, when Google was attacked by Chinese cyber-warriors charged with stealing Google's intellectual property, planting viruses in its computers, and hacking the accounts of Chinese human rights activists. In the ensuing international embroglio, the US mainstream press, corporate leaders, and White House deployed what I call the rhetoric of belligerent humanitarianism to try to shame the Chinese while making a case for global free markets, unfettered speech, and emerging democracy. That rhetorical strategy carries heavy baggage, however, as it tends to insult the international community, exalt neo-liberal capitalism, sound paternalistic, and feel missionary. Belligerent humanitarianism sounds prudent, however, when compared to the rhetorical strategy of the US military–industrial complex, which marshals the rhetoric of warhawk hysteria to escalate threats into crises and political questions into armed inevitabilities. To counter these two rhetorical strategies, this...
Private Visions, Public Culture: The Making of the Alamo

in 1836. However, unlike Gettysburg, the Alamo did not become a site of public culture soon after the battle. Instead, the physical structures of this former Spanish mission, already in ruins at the time of the battle, were used as a grain facility for the U.S. Quartermaster's Depot, a supply store, and a whiskey house, to name several of its functions after 1836. It was not until the late 1890s that
Activation of renal signaling pathways in db/db mice with type 2 diabetes.

Activation of renal signaling pathways in db/db mice with type 2 diabetes . Background Altered regulation of signaling pathways may contribute to the pathogenesis of renal disease. We examined renal cortical signaling pathways in type 2 diabetes. Methods The status of renal cortical signaling pathways was examined in control and db/db mice with type 2 diabetes in the early phase of diabetic nephropathy associated with renal matrix expansion and albuminuria. Results Tyrosine phosphorylation of renal cortical proteins was increased in diabetic mice. Renal cortical activities of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) in antiphosphotyrosine immunoprecipitates, Akt (PKB), and ERK1/2-type mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activities were significantly augmented sixfold ( P P P P P P P Conclusions These studies demonstrate that a variety of receptor signaling pathways are activated in the renal cortex of mice with type 2 diabetes, and suggest a role for augmented insulin receptor activity in nephropathy of type 2 diabetes.
Advanced Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) Line Imaging Devices

The design and operation of a new high speed family of CCD line imaging devices are pre-sented in this paper. The devices, CCD 133 and CCD 143, contain 1024 and 2048 photosites on 13 μm centers respectively. They are second generation devices having an overall improved performance compared with the first generation devices (CCD 121 and CCD 131) including higher sensitivity, enhanced blue response and lower dark signal. The devices also incorpo-rate on-chip clock driver circuitry so that only two external clocks are required for their operation. Excellent performance has been obtained with up to 20 MHz data rate. The devices are designed for page scanning applications including high speed facsimile, optical character recognition, and other imaging systems which require high resolution, high sensitivity, and high speed.© (1979) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Vibrational structure of the S2 (1Bu) excited state of diphenyloctatetraene observed by femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy

Abstract Femtosecond time-resolved stimulated Raman spectroscopy (FSRS) is used to study the vibrational structure and dynamics of the S 2 state of diphenyloctatetraene. Strong vibrational features at 1184, 1259 and 1578 cm −1 whose linewidths are determined by the S 2 electronic lifetime are observed at early times after photoexcitation at 397 nm. Kinetic analysis of the integrated Raman intensities as well as the transient absorption reveals an exponential decay of the S 2 state on the order of 100 fs. These results demonstrate the ability of FSRS to study the vibrational structure of excited state and chemical reaction dynamics on the femtosecond timescale.
Introduction of antibody into viable cells using electroporation.

Conditions for labelling an intracellular antigen, p21ras, using electroporation to introduce a fluorescent antibody, are described. Following labelling, cells were evaluated for p21ras associated fluorescence by flow cytometry. Electroporation, sorting, and cell handling parameters were varied to determine optimal conditions for cell viability. Cells were best held in serum containing growth medium both before and after electroporation, while antibody introduction during the electroporation phase was most efficient when carried out in a balanced saline solution. For maximum efficiency of antibody internalization, the antibody needed to be present during electroporation, and medium needed to be replaced several times in the first few hours after electroporation to ensure good cell survival.
Direct observation of the nanocomplex surface reorganization of antifouling silicones containing a highly mobile PEO-silane amphiphile

While nanocomplexity derived from surface reorganization in aqueous biofouling environments is known to give rise to antifouling behavior, quantification of this process is limited. In this work, the surface of an antifouling polymer matrix - a silicone modified with a highly mobile PEO-silane amphiphile - was characterized while undergoing dynamic surface reorganization in aqueous solution via off-resonance tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) and while monitoring surface changes at a rate >25 μm2 min-1. Utilizing multimodal analysis during incubation in aqueous solution and surface force spectroscopic mapping before and after incubation, we directly observed the nanoscopically complex surface of the matrix and its five distinct stages of surface reorganization. Pre- and post-incubation nanomechanical mapping revealed a marked increase in Young's modulus and surface area, as well as increased adhesion and dissipative properties for the post-incubated surface. The observed topographic and viscoelastic changes are explained in terms of surface-air and surface-water interactions. These findings are compared to the bulk matrix reordering observed by immersion dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and enhanced protein resistance with increased submersion times as determined by confocal microscopy.
Internal-loss-limited maximum operating temperature and characteristic temperature of quantum dot laser

Carrier-density-dependent internal optical loss sets an upper limit for operating temperatures and considerably reduces the characteristic temperature of a quantum dot laser. Such internal loss also constrains the shallowest potential well depth and the smallest tolerable size of a quantum dot at which the lasing can be attained. At the maximum operating temperature or when any parameter of the structure is equal to its critical tolerable value, the characteristic temperature drops to zero.
Direct binding of nuclear membrane protein MAN1 to emerin in vitro and two modes of binding to barrier-to-autointegration factor.

Abstract MAN1 is a vertebrate nuclear inner membrane protein that inhibits Smad signaling downstream of transforming growth factor β. MAN1 has an exposed LEM domain-containing N-terminal region (“MAN1-N”), two transmembrane domains, and an exposed C-terminal domain (“MAN1-C”). Many regions of human MAN1 are homologous to emerin, a LEM domain nuclear protein, loss of which causes Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD). To test the hypothesis that MAN1 function might overlap with emerin, we tested different polypeptide fragments of MAN1 for binding to selected partners of emerin. Our findings support this hypothesis. Blot overlay assays and co-immunoprecipitation studies showed that MAN1-C binds the transcription regulators GCL, Btf, and barrier-to-autointegration factor (BAF). BAF binding to this region, which has no LEM domain, was notable. Sequence alignments identified a potential BAF-binding motif, characterized by the conserved residues Ser-Arg-Val, in MAN1-C and two other BAF-binding proteins. The other region, MAN1-N, bound directly to BAF, lamin A, and lamin B1, supporting functional overlap with emerin. Unexpectedly, three independent assays showed that MAN1-N also bound directly to emerin. Proposed MAN1-emerin complexes are discussed in the context of EDMD disease mechanisms and potential in vivo functions.
Beta-Galactosidase: Review of Recent Research Related to Technological Application, Nutritional Concerns, and Immobilization

Abstract The carbohydrase β -galactosidase is reviewed. A brief discussion of enzyme sources, isolation, purification, and assay techniques is presented. Potential commercial applications of lactose hydrolyzed products are described. Various immobilized lactase systems are described in chronological order, and recent applications are discussed. Because of the increased interest in this research, some nutritional concerns are discussed also.
Effect on ovulation rate of passive immunisation of mares against inhibin

Summary Fifteen light-horse mares were monitored daily by palpation and ultrasonography for one oestrous cycle and then randomly divided into two treatment groups. Five mares were treated with 2 litres of normal ovariectomised mare plasma (OVX) on Day 10 after ovulation and 10 mares received 2 litres anti-inhibin plasma (a-INH) beginning on Day 10 after ovulation. Mares receiving OVX plasma all had single ovulations after treatment, while 5 of the 10 mares receiving a-INH plasma had multiple ovulations (mean 1.6 ± 0.2, range 1–3). No significant effect of a-INH plasma treatment was detected in plasma concentrations of FSH, oestradiol or progesterone. These results demonstrate that passive immunisation of mares with a-INH plasma can induce multiple ovulations, and thus eliminate the need for daily gonadotrophin treatment or a prolonged series of active inoculations against inhibin.
Dynamic programming solution to the batching problem in just-in-time flow-shops

Mixed-model manufacturing systems are widely used by companies, in order to meet the customers' demand for a variety of products, in an efficient way. This paper is concerned with a special class of mixed-model manufacturing systems: flow-shops. In a flow-shop, each product has to be processed by a number of machines, following a common route. We study the production smoothing problem under presence of non-zero setup and processing times which also vary among the products. We split the master problem into two sub-problems which are concerned with determining the batch sizes and production sequences, respectively. We develop a dynamic programming procedure to solve the batching problem, and suggest using an existing method from the current literature to solve the sequencing problem. We conduct a computational study and show that our solution approach is effective in meeting the JIT goals and efficient in its computational requirements.
NANOSTRUCTURING SOLID SURFACES WITH FEMTOSECOND LASER IRRADIATIONS FOR APPLICATIONS

Pulsed laser-assisted etching is a simple but effective method for fabricating small regular structures directly onto a surface. We have successfully fabricated submicro- or nano-meter sized spikes on a solid surface immersed in liquids with femtosecond laser pulse irradiations. This method is applicable to different metals such as stainless steel, copper, titanium, cobalt, as well as different semiconductors, such as Si and GaAs. The femtosecond laser method is much faster than other methods. We can control the experimental conditions to design and fabricate nanostructures in different materials and on the surfaces with different morphologies. Here, we discuss the nanostructures formation with femtosecond pulse laser irradiations, and introduce our results of the nanostructure for applications in sensing, biology and artificial photosynthesis. The femtosecond laser irradiation technique can efficiently integrate metal, semiconductor and polymer nanostructures in various small devices to leverage the expertise in other research fields and applications.
Microvolt T-wave alternans during atrial and ventricular pacing.

Introduction: Assessment of microvolt T-wave alternans (MTWA) by the spectral analysis (SA) method requires the heart rate to be stable within a certain range. This can be achieved by ventricular pacing (VP). We compared MTWA during short-term VP versus atrial pacing (AP). Methods: Patients presenting for evaluation of risk of sudden cardiac death underwent an invasive electrophysiologic study. The concordance of results of MTWA-VP with MTWA-AP was evaluated, as well as the specificity, sensitivity, negative, and positive predictive values of MTWA-VP versus MTWA-AP. The maximum recorded amplitude of MTWA (MValt) in concordant positive results, as well as noise levels in all, were compared in both pacing modes. Results: We studied 42 consecutive patients, of whom 31 completed both tests (32 by AP, 40 by VP). Compared to AP, VP—MTWA SA had a sensitivity of 93%, specificity of 71%, negative predictive value of 92%, and positive predictive value of 72%. The results were concordant in 25 patients (80%, κ= 0.62, P < 0.001). The noise level was significantly higher during VP than AP (1.4 ± 0.8 vs 1± 0.8, P< 0.01), and there was a trend toward a higher amplitude of TWA by VP (10.7 ± 5.3 vs 7.8 ± 3.9, P = 0.058). Conclusions: MTWA SA is more likely to be completed during VP than AP. Overall there was concordance between both tests. VP generates higher amplitudes and noise, and a higher percentage of nonnegative results.
Platelet MAO in borderline personality disorder

Low levels of platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity are reported to be associated with sensation seeking and impulsive behavioral traits in normais, and are postulated as biologic markers of vulnerability to psychopathology in the population at large. Increased rates of suicide attempts are found in psychiatric patients and in nonpatient volunteers with low levels of platelet MAO, and in the family histories of low MAO normals (Fowler et al 1980; Murphy et al 1977; Buchsbaum et al 1976; Haier et al 1980; Coursey et al 1980; Oxenstierna et al 1986). Low platelet MAO activity is not specific for any single diagnosis but has been associated with chronic schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, and alcoholism, raising the question of a possible association of low platelet MAO with depressive ~ d schizotypa| symptoms. We propose the borderline personality disorder as a relevant clinical model for testing the relationship between platelet MAO and impulsive, affective, and schizotypal psychopathology. Borderline personality disorder is defined by symptoms of affective dyscontrol and impulsive temperament, which are presumed to be biologically mediated and result in frequent impulsive and suicidal behaviors. Patients ~ith borderline disorder have high
Effects of red-backed salamanders on ecosystem functions.

Ecosystems provide a vast array of services for human societies, but understanding how various organisms contribute to the functions that maintain these services remains an important ecological challenge. Predators can affect ecosystem functions through a combination of top-down trophic cascades and bottom-up effects on nutrient dynamics. As the most abundant vertebrate predator in many eastern US forests, woodland salamanders (Plethodon spp.) likely affect ecosystems functions. We examined the effects of red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) on a variety of forest ecosystem functions using a combined approach of large-scale salamander removals (314-m2 plots) and small-scale enclosures (2 m2) where we explicitly manipulated salamander density (0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4 m−2). In these experiments, we measured the rates of litter and wood decomposition, potential nitrogen mineralization and nitrification rates, acorn germination, and foliar insect damage on red oak seedlings. Across both experimental venues, we found no significant effect of red-backed salamanders on any of the ecosystem functions. We also found no effect of salamanders on intraguild predator abundance (carabid beetles, centipedes, spiders). Our study adds to the already conflicting evidence on effects of red-backed salamander and other amphibians on terrestrial ecosystem functions. It appears likely that the impact of terrestrial amphibians on ecosystem functions is context dependent. Future research would benefit from explicitly examining terrestrial amphibian effects on ecosystem functions under a variety of environmental conditions and in different forest types.
Punched‐card computation of isostatic and topographic reductions

Isostatic reductions for gravity stations can be made with the aid of punched-card methods. A discussion of the precision that is needed and of the results that can be obtained is included. The method may be applied to a large volume of data with a saving in time and cost.
The Eden System: A Technical Review

The Eden project is a five year experiment in designing, building, and using an "integrated distributed" computing system. We are attempting to combine the benefits of integration and distribution by supporting an object based style of programming on top of a node machine/local network hardware base. Our experimental hypothesis is that such an architecture will provide an environment conducive to building distributed applications.
Schrödinger cat states in a Josephson junction

A proposal for the generation of a Schr\"odinger-cat-type state is made in the context Josephson junctions. The Bloch state description of the BCS state is used along with the pseudospin algebra description of the tunneling process. The cat state consists of a superposition of Bloch states associated with dc Josephson currents flowing in opposite directions across the junction. The states can be detected by the observation of interference fringes in the probability distribution of the eigenvalues of the Josephson current operator.
OSPF-based hybrid approach for scalable dissemination of QoS parameters

Current link-state routing protocols (e.g., OSPF) use flooding to disseminate link-state information throughout the network. Despite its simplicity and reliability, flooding incurs unnecessary communication and processing overheads in control plane since nodes may receive multiple copies of the same advertisement. These overheads become significant in protocols that support quality-of-service (QoS) routing, where links are associated with dynamic metrics (e.g., available bandwidth) that need to be advertised frequently. The overheads can be significantly reduced using tree-based broadcasting approaches. Although a number of such approaches have been proposed in the literature, they have not been used in real networks because of their complexity and/or unreliability. In this paper, we propose a hybrid link-state dissemination approach that combines the best features of flooding and tree-based broadcasting. Our approach is particularly suited for the dissemination of "dynamic" link metrics (e.g., available bandwidth), which are often used in QoS-based path selection and traffic engineering. In our approach, topological changes andfirst-time LSAs (link-state advertisements) are flooded, whereas refresh LSAs (the ones that provide updated information on the dynamic metrics) are sent using tree-based broadcasting. The broadcast trees in our approach are constructed dynamically during the flooding of the first-time LSA, without the need for the complex algorithms of previously proposed tree-based approaches. Two versions of the proposed scheme are provided; one being more suitable for quasi-static topologies (i.e., link failure rate is low) while the other is aimed at highly dynamic networks. We show how both versions can be integrated into the OSPF protocol. We further provide a working implementation of both versions, obtained after modifying Moy's OSPF source code [OSPF: Complete Implementation (with CD-ROM), Addison Wesley, Reading, MA, 2000]. We contrast the communications and processing overheads of our scheme with those of flooding and pure tree-based broadcasting, using both analysis and simulations. Our results indicate that the hybrid approach has a significantly lower overhead than flooding; yet it enjoys the simplicity, reliability, and fast convergence of flooding.
Differentiation of the serotype b and species‐specific antigens of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans recognized by monoclonal antibodies

The serotype b antigens have been reported to be associated with lipopolysaccharide. Using murine monoclonal antibodies specific for either a serotype b antigen or the Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans species, the relationship of the two epitopes to lipopolysaccharide was determined. Both the species-specific and serotype b-specific monoclonal antibodies bound to whole cells, vesicles and conventionally isolated lipopolysaccharide and polysaccharide material derived from A. actinomycetemcomitans culture supernatants. Serotype b-specific monoclonal antibodies bound to the polysaccharide of acid-hydrolyzed lipopolysaccharide. Species-specific monoclonal antibodies bound to both the polysaccharide and the lipid A fraction of lipopolysaccharide after acid hydrolysis. Polymyxin b partially inhibited the binding of the species-specific monoclonal antibodies to lipopolysaccharide and had no effect on the binding of the serotype b-specific monoclonal antibodies to lipopolysaccharide. Lipopolysaccharide from whole bacteria and polysaccharide material isolated from culture supernatants were separated by gel filtration chromatography in deoxycholate into fractions that contained serotype b antigen, both serotype b and species-specific antigens, or species-specific antigen. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting analysis of the fractions revealed that the serotype b antigen was on a high-molecular-weight polysaccharide material. The species-specific antigen was on a ladder of lower-molecular-weight polysaccharides identical to the blot pattern of lipopolysaccharide molecules separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and stained with silver stain. Chemical analysis of the polysaccharide containing serotype b antigen revealed 85% ribose, 11% glucose, and no lipid. Chemical content of the species-specific antigenic material revealed a composition typical of lipopolysaccharide. Immunoelectron microscopy using the species- or serotype b-specific monoclonal antibodies confirmed the biochemical and immunological characterization of the two antigens, showing that the species-specific epitopes were on the surface of the A. actinomycetemcomitans cell membrane and the serotype b-specific epitopes on the amorphous material extending from the cell surface. The data indicated that the serotype b antigen, detected by the antibody, was separable from lipopolysaccharide and was an A. actinomycetemcomitans capsular material. The species-specific antigen, being more conserved than the serotype antigen, was on all the lipopolysaccharide molecular species.
Synchronizing Diachronic Uncertainty

Diachronic uncertainty, uncertainty about where an agent falls in time, poses interesting conceptual difficulties. Although the agent is uncertain about where she falls in time, this uncertainty can only obtain at a particular moment in time. We resolve this conceptual tension by providing a transformation from models with diachronic uncertainty relations into "equivalent" models with only synchronic uncertainty relations. The former are interpreted as capturing the causal structure of a situation, while the latter are interpreted as capturing its epistemic structure. The models are equivalent in the sense that agents pass through the same information sets in the same order, In this paper, we investigate how such a transformation may be used to define an appropriate notion of equivalence, which we call epistemic equivalence. Although our project is motivated by problems which have arisen in a variety of disciplines, especially philosophy and game theory, our formal development takes place within the general and flexible framework provided by epistemic temporal logic.
The logic of reduction: The case of gravitation

The reduction from Einstein's to Newton's gravitation theories (and intermediate steps) is used to exemplify reduction in physical theories. Both dimensionless and dimensional reduction are presented, and the advantages and disadvantages of each are pointed out. It is concluded that neither a completely reductionist nor a completely antireductionist view can be maintained. Only the mathematical structure is strictly reducible. The interpretation (the model, the central concepts) of the superseded theory T′ can at best only partially be derived directly from the superseding theory T; it is severely constrained by the mathematical structure, and it can involve qualitatively different central terms that cannot be logically related between T and T′.
A computer assisted school bus routing strategy: A case study

Abstract The effect of routing changes on the efficiency of suburban-rural pupil transportation systems is demonstrated in a case study of a suburban-rural county in Virginia. A computer assisted routing method was used that included manual route design and computer aided route evaluation. Various policy options affecting routing were identified and new routes were developed. The recommended routes represented a 17% reduction in the number of routes required, a 19% reduction in the number of buses required, and a 57% reduction in the total number of vacant seats. While the computer assisted method used produced a more efficient routing structure, the process of manual route design was still slow and tedious. Techniques such as interactive computer graphics appear to be suited to the school bus routing problem and their use should be explored.
Return of feature-based cost modeling

Feature Based Cost Modeling is thought of as a relative new approach to cost modeling, but feature based cost modeling had considerable development in the 1950's. Considerable work was published in the 1950's by Boeing on cost for various casting processes--sand casting, die casting, investment casting and permanent mold casting--as a function of a single casting feature, casting volume. Additional approaches to feature based cost modeling have been made, and this work is a review of previous works and a proposed integrated model to feature based cost modeling.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.