cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Single and multiple molecular beacon probes for DNA hybridization studies on a silica glass surface

Surface immobilizable molecular beacons have been developed for DNA hybridization studies on a silica glass plate. Molecular beacons are a new class of oligonucleotide probes that have a loop-and-stem structure with a fluorophore and a quencher attached to the two ends of the stem. They only emit intense fluorescence when hybridize to their target molecules. This provides an excellent selectivity for the detection of DNA molecules. We have designed biotinylated molecular beacons which can be immobilized onto a solid surface. The molecular beacon is synthesized using DABCYL as the quencher and an optical stable dye, tetramethylrhodamine, as the fluorophore. Mass spectrometry is used to confirm the synthesized molecular beacon. The molecular beacons have been immobilized onto a silica surface through biotin-avidin binding. The surface immobilized molecular beacons have been used for the detection of target DNA with subnanomolar analytical sensitivity. have also immobilized two different molecular beacons on a silica surface in spatially resolved microscopic regions. The hybridization study of these two different molecular beacon probes has shown excellent selectivity for their target sequences. The newly designed molecular beacons are intended for DNA molecular interaction studies at an interface and for the development of ultrasensitive DNA sensors for a variety of applications including disease diagnosis, disease mechanism studies, new drug development, and in the investigation of molecular interactions between DNA molecules and other interesting biomolecules.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
THE RANDOM SPATIAL ECONOMY: AN EXPLORATION IN SETTLEMENT THEORY

HE spatial arrangement and spatial operation of human activities are very complex so that the development of the branch of our science concerned with their explanation is inevitably slow. The difficulties may be grouped under three heads: (1) spatial specification; (2) decision rules used to organize behavior; (3) expression of the logical consequences of the interrelations of the two factors above. In physical geography, progress is easier because invariant modes of conduct are easier to come by, and either very limited situations are handled or the phenomena dealt with may be massively and yet meaningfully aggregated so that in any event the spatial specification problem is simpler. This paper attempts to cut the Gordian knot posed by the complicated interrelations involved by asserting randomness of behavior and/or randomness of location and using probability theory as a language. As it turns out, the results of various models formulated resemble the real world. At first sight such findings may be bewildering but their reasonableness improves with acquaintance. This paper attempts to explain some features of settlement in the U.S.A. Clearly the large numbers of relevant variables have to be pruned and aggregated to the point where they are analytically tractable. Randomness is postulated as affording a convenient technique for investigating the overall properties of this field. Such a formulation is neutral as to rationality whether socially or economically oriented: every decision may be optimal from a particular point of view and yet the resulting actions as a whole may appear as random. Lack of information, social ties, and so on will change an economic optimizing solution but not the randomness formulation. Clearly such reasoning is useful only in particular contexts, especially in general location problems, and leaves more restricted, and more urgent, problems unanswered.
The Legs For Life Screening for Peripheral Vascular Disease: results of a prospective study designed to improve patient compliance with physician recommendations.

PURPOSE To determine how compliance with recommendations made by physicians during the 2000 Legs For Life® National Screening for Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) and Leg Pain is affected through the use of (i) simple and concise patient information and recommendation cards and (ii) a "targeted" postscreening follow-up plan. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients were initially screened for PVD by completion of the Legs For Life® Risk Factor Assessment form and determination of bilateral ankle/brachial indexes (ABIs). Each patient then met with an interventional radiologist or vascular surgeon. Patients with normal ABIs (>1.0 bilaterally) or mildly abnormal ABIs ( 0.90) were classified as having no risk and low risk, respectively. Patients with ABIs of 0.70–0.89 were classified as having moderate risk for PVD and patients with ABIs RESULTS A total of 185 patients were screened, 42 (23%) of whom were determined to be at moderate or high risk for PVD. Four months after the screening, 39 (93%) of these patients were available for follow-up. Twenty (51%) patients had received no further medical advice or treatment. Nineteen (49%) patients had pursued further medical care which included physician consultation ( n = 19; 100%), noninvasive Doppler evaluation ( n = 10; 26%), diagnostic arteriography ( n = 2; 5%), initiation of pharmacologic therapy for claudication ( n = 1; 3%), percutaneous intervention ( n = 1; 3%), or vascular surgery ( n = 1; 3%). Seventeen of 39 patients (44%) reported that claudication-type leg pain was still a concern and/or lifestyle-limiting problem. CONCLUSION Patients can be provided with problem-focused information and succinct physician recommendations at and soon after a screening for PVD, which can contribute to enhanced patient compliance. However, a host of personal, social, health, and physician-related issues still prevent a large percentage of patients from achieving relief of PVD-associated leg pain.
Sudden vs gradual onset of chronic fatigue syndrome differentiates individuals on cognitive and psychiatric measures

To examine the influence of mode of illness onset on psychiatric status and neuropsychological performance, 36 patients with CFS were divided into two groups: sudden vs gradual onset of symptoms. These two CFS subgroups were compared to each other and to sedentary healthy controls on standardized neuropsychological tests of attention/concentration, information processing efficiency, memory, and higher cortical functions. In addition, the distribution of comorbid Axis I psychiatric disease between the two CFS groups was examined. The rate of concurrent psychiatric disease was significantly greater in the CFS-gradual group relative to the CFS-sudden group. While both CFS groups showed a significant reduction in information processing ability relative to controls, impairment in memory was more severe in the CFS-sudden group. Because of the significant heterogeneity of the CFS population, the need for subgroup analysis is discussed.
Timing of intubation and ventilator-associated pneumonia following injury.

Hypothesis In an emergency medical system with established rapid-sequence intubation protocols, prehospital (PH) intubation of patients with trauma is not associated with a higher rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) than emergency department (ED) intubation. Design Retrospective observational cohort. Setting Level I trauma center. Patients Adult patients with trauma intubated in a PH or an ED setting from July 1, 2007, through July 31, 2008. Main Outcome Measures Diagnosis of VAP by means of bronchoscopic alveolar lavage or clinical assessment when bronchoscopic alveolar lavage was impossible. Secondary outcomes included time to VAP, length of hospitalization, and in-hospital mortality. Results Of 572 patients, 412 (72.0%) underwent PH intubation. The ED group was older than the PH group (mean ages, 46.4 vs 39.1 years; P P = .002). The mean (SD) lowest recorded ED systolic blood pressure was lower in the ED group (102.8 [1.9] vs 111.4 [1.2] mm Hg; P P = .94). There was no difference in the mean rate of VAP (30 [18.8%] vs 71 [17.2%]; P = .66) or mean time to diagnosis (8.1 [1.2] vs 7.8 [1.0] days; P = .89). Logistic regression analysis identified history of drug abuse, lowest recorded ED systolic blood pressure, and injury severity score as 3 independent factors predictive of VAP. Conclusions Prehospital intubation of patients with trauma is not associated with higher risk of VAP. Further investigation of intubation factors and the incidence and timing of aspiration is required to identify potentially modifiable factors to prevent VAP.
Optimal haplotype assembly with statistical pruning

Solving the haplotype assembly problem by optimizing the commonly used minimum error correction criterion is known to be NP-hard. For this reason, suboptimal heuristics are often used in practice. In this paper, we propose a novel method for optimal haplotype assembly that is based on depth-first branch-and-bound search of the solution space. Our scheme is inspired by the sphere decodng algorithms used heavily in the field of digital communications. Using the statistical information about errors in sequencing data, we constrain the search of the haplotype space and speedily find the optimal solution to the haplotype assembly problem. Theoretical analysis of the expected complexity of the algorithm shows that optimal haplotype assembly is practically feasible for haplotype blocks of moderate lengths typically obtained using present day high throughput sequencers. The scheme is then tested on 1000 Genomes Project experimental data to verify the efficacy of the proposed method.
Malnutrition and subsequent ischemic heart disease in former prisoners of war of world war II and the Korean conflict

The harsh treatment of former prisoners of war (POWs) of World War II and the Korean conflict resulted in severe malnutrition. Although rarely linked to specific long-term medical problems, a specific marker of malnutrition, self-reported lower limb edema (presumably due to a vitamin B deficiency) was associated with a three-fold increase in subsequent death attributed to ischemic heart disease (IHD) during the follow-up period from 1967 through 1975. Although there is at present no medical basis for linking edema, which is perhaps a marker for some unmeasured risk factor, to subsequent IHD, this finding may nonetheless have medical implications for the group of former POWs and other populations with severe dietary deficiency. It also suggests there may be a need to reexamine currently held theories on malnutrition and subsequent chronic disease.
Duality principle of time scales and inequalities

Here we adopt, develop further and use the principle of duality in time scales Caputo, [Time scales: from nabla calculus to delta calculus and vice versa via duality, arxiv: 0910.0085v1 [math.OC] 1 Oct. 2009]. Using this principle and based on a variety of important delta inequalities we produce the corresponding nabla ones. We give several applications.
Development of an empirical method relating crystal size distributions and FBRM measurements

Abstract The empirical model developed in the present work allows estimation of crystal size distributions from focused beam reflectance measurements (FBRM) of chord length distributions. The model is constructed from purposely varied crystal size distributions and the corresponding measured chord length distributions, which allows construction of a transformation matrix relating the two distributions. Experimental results show advantages over more complex phenomenological models, presumably because the transformation matrix implicitly embodies such phenomena. The ability of the model to address varying crystal concentration and selectively added size fractions is demonstrated with experimental results. Finally, the simplicity of the approach allows rapid (of order 0.1 s) estimation of crystal size distributions from FBRM, which is a promising outcome for potentially using the approach in an on-line control scheme.
Role of lipoxins, resolvins, and other bioactive lipids in colon and pancreatic cancer

Unresolved inflammation, due to insufficient production of proresolving anti-inflammatory lipid mediators, can lead to an increased risk of tumorigenesis and tumor cell invasiveness. Various bioactive lipids, particularly those formed by cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) enzymes, have been well established as therapeutic targets for many epithelial cancers. Emerging studies suggest that there is a role for anti-inflammatory bioactive lipids and their mediators during the resolution phase of inflammation. These proresolving bioactive lipids, including lipoxins (LXs) and resolvins (RVs), have potent anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties. The molecular signaling pathways controlling generation and degradation of the proresolving mediators LXs and RVs are now being elucidated, and the component molecules may serve as new targets for regulation of inflammation and inflammation-associated cancers like colon and pancreatic cancers. This review will highlight the recent advances in our understanding of how these bioactive lipids and proresolving mediators may function with various immune cells and cytokines in inhibiting tumor cell proliferation and progression and invasiveness of colon and pancreatic cancers.
Radar Terrain Return at Near-Vertical Incidence

Measurements have demonstrated that, with occasional exceptions, radar return from the ground is largely due to area scatter, even at angles of incidence near the vertical. An expression is derived here for a power superposition integral expressing the mean pulse envelope for the pulse returned from the ground to a radar. This integral is the convolution of the transmitted pulse form in power units with a function which includes effects of antenna pattern, ground properties, and distance. This function is generalized to include the effects of specular reflection and large isolated scatterers, as well as the more prevalent area scatter. While beam-width-limited illumination always results in inverse-square altitude variation for area scatter, it is shown that the variation with altitude for pulse-length-limited illumination varies from inverse-square to inverse-cube, and is a function of altitude as well as of ground properties and antenna pattern. Mean returned pulses are presented for various grounds and antenna orientations.
The Chemical Degradation of Ester Lubricants

Gel permeation chromatography is shown to be a valuable technique for analysis of the oxidation and thermal degradation products of various types of esters. Esters potentially useful as synthetic lubricant basestocks, such as tridecyl pelargonate (a mono-ester), di-2-ethylhexyl sebacate (a diester) and trimethylolpropane triheptanoate (a neopentyl polyolester) form products of up to 50 000 molecular weight when oxidized at high temperatures. The oxidation products have been separated by molecular weight using preparative gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and then have been analyzed spectrographically. The polymeric products of oxidation show similar chemical bond structure for the various types of esters studied. The importance of oxygen and metal catalysis on product formation is demonstrated. The influence of steel surfaces on the products of oxidation suggests a tribochemical reaction resulting in the ultimate formation of a “friction polymer.” Presented at the 33rd Annual Meeting in Dearborn, Michig...
Low-energy excitations in amorphous films of silicon and germanium

We present measurements of internal friction and shear modulus of amorphous Si $(a\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Si})$ and amorphous Ge $(a\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Ge})$ films on double-paddle oscillators at 5500 Hz from 0.5 K up to room temperature. The temperature- independent plateau in internal friction below 10 K, which is common to all amorphous solids, also exists in these films. However, its magnitude is smaller than found for all other amorphous solids studied to date. Furthermore, it depends critically on the deposition methods. For $a\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Si}$ films, it decreases in the sequence of electron-beam evaporation, sputtering, self-ion implantation, and hot-wire chemical-vapor deposition (HWCVD). Annealing can also reduce the internal friction of the amorphous films considerably. Hydrogenated $a\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Si}$ with 1 at.% H prepared by HWCVD leads to an internal friction more than two orders of magnitude smaller than observed for all other amorphous solids. The internal friction increases after the hydrogen is removed by effusion. Our results are compared with earlier measurements on $a\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Si}$ and $a\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Ge}$ films, none of which had the sensitivity achieved here. The variability of the low-energy tunneling states in the $a\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Si}$ and $a\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Ge}$ films may be a consequence of the tetrahedrally bonded covalent continuous random network. The perfection of this network, however, depends critically on the preparation conditions, with hydrogen incorporation playing a particularly important role.
Cardiovascular, pulmonary, and cancer rehabilitation. 1. Cardiac rehabilitation

This self-directed learning module highlights assessment and therapeutic options in the rehabilitation of cardiac patients and other rehabilitation patients with cardiac diseases. It is part of the chapter on cardiovascular, pulmonary, and cancer rehabilitation in the Self-Directed Physiatric Education Program for practitioners and trainees in physical medicine and rehabilitation. New advances covered in this article include the management of patients who have undergone cardiac surgery, including transplantation, and gender differences in evaluation, therapy, and outcome.
Reactions of dicalcium phosphate dihydrate with fluoride solutions.

The final reaction products of dicalcium phosphate dihydrate and fluoride are either fluorapatite (FAP), calcium fluoride (CaF2), or a mixture of both, depending on the initial F/Ca ratio. A method is presented to estimate the FAP/CaF2 ratio in the final reaction product from the initial F/Ca ratio.
Decay of dipolar order in diamagnetic and paramagnetic proteins and protein gels.

Magnetic relaxation in solids may be complicated by the creation and loss of dipolar order at finite rates. In tissues the molecular and spin dynamics may be significantly different because of the relatively high concentration of water. We have applied a modified Jeneer-Broekaert pulse sequence to measure dipolar relaxation rates in both dry and hydrated protein systems that may serve as magnetic models for tissue. In lyophilized and dry serum albumin, the dipolar relaxation time, T(1D) is on the order of 1 ms and is consistent with earlier reports. When hydrated by deuterium oxide, the dipolar relaxation times measured were on the order of tens of microseconds. When paramagnetic centers are included in the protein, the Jeneer-Broekaert echo decay times became the order of the decay time for transverse magnetization, i.e., the order of 10 micros or less. In the hydrated or paramagnetic systems, the dipolar relaxation times are too short to require inclusion in the quantitative analysis of magnetization transfer experiments.
Benzene in consumer products.

Benzene (considered to have bone marrow toxicity and leukemogenic properties) has been detected in domestic paint strippers. An experiment was conducted in a two-car garage, simulating typical consumer exposure. The technique is described in detail. The data clearly indicated atmospheric concentrations in excess of OSHA standards. -- AATA
The Nudix Hydrolase CDP-Chase, a CDP-Choline Pyrophosphatase, Is an Asymmetric Dimer with Two Distinct Enzymatic Activities

A Nudix enzyme from Bacillus cereus (NCBI RefSeq accession no. NP_831800) catalyzes the hydrolysis of CDP-choline to produce CMP and phosphocholine. Here, we show that in addition, the enzyme has a 3'→5' RNA exonuclease activity. The structure of the free enzyme, determined to a 1.8-A resolution, shows that the enzyme is an asymmetric dimer. Each monomer consists of two domains, an N-terminal helical domain and a C-terminal Nudix domain. The N-terminal domain is placed relative to the C-terminal domain such as to result in an overall asymmetric arrangement with two distinct catalytic sites: one with an "enclosed" Nudix pyrophosphatase site and the other with a more open, less-defined cavity. Residues that may be important for determining the asymmetry are conserved among a group of uncharacterized Nudix enzymes from Gram-positive bacteria. Our data support a model where CDP-choline hydrolysis is catalyzed by the enclosed Nudix site and RNA exonuclease activity is catalyzed by the open site. CDP-Chase is the first identified member of a novel Nudix family in which structural asymmetry has a profound effect on the recognition of substrates.
Pharmacokinetics of cinacalcet hydrochloride when administered with ketoconazole

Background and objective The calcimimetic cinacalcet hydrochloride (cinacalcet) is used for treatment of patients with chronic kidney disease with secondary hyperparathyroidism, a population that commonly receives multiple concurrent medications. Cinacalcet is eliminated primarily via oxidative metabolism mediated, in part, through cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4. Thus, the potential for an inhibitor of CYP3A4 to alter the pharmacokinetics of cinacalcet is of clinical importance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of cinacalcet during treatment with a potent CYP3A4 inhibitor, ketoconazole.
Research into gentle alternatives to whistleblowing: A call for participants in a research project

We disparage those who engage in scientific misconduct, but what do we do about it? We know that whistleblowing usually results in serious harm to the whistleblower. Caught off guard by the sudden knowledge that a student or colleague has breached scientific ethics, do we sadly do nothing, thinking that discretion is the better part of valor? Or do we find a way to guide the person back to ethical conduct without creating all manner of destruction to ourselves and others? Have you ever observed a colleague or student committing a breach of research ethics? Perhaps it was as serious as making up data or claiming as one’s own ideas taken from the work of someone else (a professor claiming a student’s work; a grant reviewer “lifting” ideas from a proposal). Or perhaps it was as simple, and perhaps naive, using the wrong statistic to troll for significance, or making up hypotheses to fit the data. Perhaps a student of yours engaged in an overly coercive approach to recruiting subjects. Or perhaps a well-known person stole your ideas or data. You get the idea: there are innumerable variations of research misconduct. Did you curb your impulse to tell someone in authority lest you start the academic equivalent of World War III? Did you or others attempt to deter the ignoble researcher from committing misconduct? Mindful of the delicacy of confrontation or going to an authority, did you take a more subtle, or more collegial approach? What did you do and why? How did it work out? Do you believe you succeeded or failed to prevent scientific misconduct? Why do you think your approach worked out as it did? Would you like to know what others have done in similar situations? Would you like to have an online guide suggesting approaches you might take, depending on such factors as the power differential between you and the miscreant, the nature of the misconduct, and whether you observed it directly or were told about it by someone else? Two colleagues (Gerald Koocher and Patricia Keith-Spiegel) and I are studying “gentle alternatives to whistleblowing.” In Part I of the project, we seek to learn the kinds and frequency of scientific misconduct scientists have observed and the frequency with which they do something about it. We will conduct that research via an online survey of scientists who currently hold certain NIH research grants. In Part II, the part described below, we will interview researchers who have an informative account to share about their experience(s) of seeking a “gentler” approach to deterring scientific misconduct. The purpose of this work is to produce an online manual describing effective and ineffective strategies.
Leaf-wax n-alkanes record the plant–water environment at leaf flush

Leaf-wax n-alkanes 2H/1H ratios are widely used as a proxy in climate reconstruction. Although the broad nature of the relationship between n-alkanes δ2H values and climate is appreciated, the quantitative details of the proxy remain elusive. To examine these details under natural environmental conditions, we studied a riparian broadleaf angiosperm species, Populus angustifolia, growing on water with a constant δ2H value and monitored the δ2H values of leaf-wax n-alkanes and of stem, leaf, stream, and atmospheric waters throughout the entire growing season. Here we found the δ2H values of leaf-wax n-alkanes recorded only a 2-wk period during leaf flush and did not vary for the 19 weeks thereafter when leaves remained active. We found δ2H values of leaf-wax n-alkanes of P. angustifolia record conditions earlier in the season rather than fully integrating the entire growing season. Using these data, we modeled precipitation δ2H values during the time of wax synthesis. We observed that the isotope ratios of this precipitation generally were 2H-enriched compared with mean annual precipitation. This model provides a mechanistic basis of the often-observed 2H-enrichment from the expected fractionation values in studies of broadleaf angiosperm leaf-wax δ2H. In addition, these findings may have implications for the spatial and temporal uses of n-alkane δ2H values in paleoapplications; when both plant community and growth form are known, this study allows the isolation of the precipitation dynamics of individual periods of the growing season.
Time-Lapse Imaging in Polar Environments

Although the drivers of climate change and its consequences in polar regions are becoming better understood [Holland and Bitz, 2003] and well monitored [Serreze et al., 2002; Doran et al., 2002b], measuring the responses of polar landscapes to changing climate boundary conditions is challenging: Polar landscapes typically respond slowly to warming but abruptly to melting [Gooseff et al., 2011].
Defect site nucleation of microbubbles as a source of dynamic light scattering at the growing ice-water interface

Abstract The average dynamic light scattering intensity at the surface of ice growing into its melt has been correlated with the defect density from the bulk solid of single ice crystals. Both the intensity, assumed to be sourced in diffusing microbubbles, and the defect density decrease with subsequent sample purification by zone refinement, while the average bubble size increases. We propose that heterogeneous microbubble nucleation within the available surface defects on ice might explain this correlation.
Negative ion mass analysis of swarm experiments: sulphur hexafluoride

Abstract Negative ions with masses in the range from 0 to 20 a.m.u produced by electron swarm interactions with sulphur hexafluoride at room temperature have been recorded as a function of E/P from 0 to 700 V cm −1 torr −1 ( P = 0 to 1 torr). The SF 6 − current increases with decreasing E/P and is the dominant ion below E/P ≈ 100 V cm −1 torr −1 . The prominent peak in the SF 5 − production occurs at E/P ≈ 100 V cm −1 torr −1 . A second process producing SF 5 − is detected at low similar to the SF 6 − current. The observation of a second process at low energies confirms the recent electron beam observations of Brion. The production of F − is seen to increase rapidly above E/P ≈ 40 V cm −1 torr −1 , whereas F 2 − and SF 4 − steadily increase above 400 cm −1 with increasing E/P . When the electron swarm approaches discharge conditions, and under actual discharge conditions, the SF 7 − ion (possibly the cluster ion F − · SF 6 ) was observed.
Effects of Marijuana on the Lung and its Defenses against Infection and Cancer

Habitual marijuana use may lead to the following effects on the lung: (1) acute and chronic bronchitis; (2) extensive microscopic abnormalities in the cells lining the bronchial passages, some of which may be pre-malignant; (3) overexpression of molecular markers of progression to lung cancer in bronchial tissue; (4) abnormally increased accumulation of inflammatory cells (alveolar macrophages) in the lung; and (5) impairment in the function of these immune-effector cells (reduced ability to kill micro-organisms and tumour cells) and in their ability to produce protective inflammatory cytokines. Clinically, the major pulmonary consequences that may ensue from regular marijuana use are pulmonary infections and respiratory cancer. Infections of the lung are more likely in marijuana users due to a combination of smoking-related damage to the ciliated cells in the bronchial passages (the lung's first line of defense against inhaled micro-organisms) and marijuana-related impairment in the function of alveolar ...
Effects of α-adrenergic agonist on neobladder water and electrolyte transport

Abstract Objective. Nocturnal urinary incontinence and nocturia are problematic for patients with continent neobladders. Clonidine, an a2-adrenergic agonist, increases water absorption across rabbit ileum; human intestine contains a substantial density of α 2 -adrenergic receptors. We studied the effect of neobladder clonidine instillation and catheterization (to reduce urine-bowel contact time) on nocturnal water and electrolyte reabsorption. Methods. A total of 8 patients with Indiana neobladders constructed after radical cystectomy were studied at a mean of 11.3 months postoperatively under standardized diet and fluid intake. Results. Topical clonidine or catheterization failed to alter nocturnal urine volume, freewater clearance, or absolute excretions of electrolytes in Indiana neobladders; however, the absolute excretion of urine urea nitrogen and osmoles was significantly increased in the catheterized urine collections compared with the baseline urine collections (paired t -test, p = 0.0022 and 0.0091, respectively). Conclusions. Bowel comprising neobladders loses its capacity to significantly alter urinary electrolyte composition by prolonged contact, which may explain the rarity of significant acid-base disturbances in patients with continent neobladders. Unfortunately, topical clonidine does not diminish nocturnal urine volumes, but increased excretion of urea and osmoles with overnight neobladder catheterization may prove beneficial in patients who suffer azotemia or hyperosmolarity.
High-frequency vibrational modes at stepped Pt(111) surfaces

We show that vibrational modes with frequencies above the maximum in the bulk can occur at the steps of the Pt(332) or 6(111) x (111) surface, as observed by Ibach and Bruchmann, if the largest force constants are increased by approx.30--40 percent at the steps. The calculations are done by applying the recursion method within clusters of thousands of atoms, with a rotationally invariant first- and second-neighbor bond-angle model for the interatomic forces.
HIV-Infected Patients

High-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (SCT) or allogeneic SCT can lead to durable remissions in patients with hematologic malignancies. In the mid-1980s the first studies demonstrating the use of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) for autologous transplantation instead of bone marrow (BM) were performed. Subsequently, PBSC have largely supplanted BM, and are, in part, the reason for the decline in procedural related toxicity of autologous SCT [1]. In the allogeneic setting, the use of reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC), and better graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis has reduced treatment-related mortality (TRM). Initial transplant studies were limited to younger patients and those without significant infections such as HIV. However, there have been advances in HIV care. For example, the advent of protease inhibitor-based highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and improved infection prophylaxis have greatly improved survival in HIV-infected patients. This has led to the paradigm of HIV as a ‘‘chronic condition’’ akin to diabetes that should not preclude autologous transplant. Furthermore, now that the toxicity of autologous and allogeneic transplant decreased, transplant is feasible in older patients, and, therefore, arbitrary age cutoffs may exclude patients from a potentially curative procedure. Other methods of risk stratification such as the comorbidity index can provide a more accurate assessment of transplant-related risk and help in the determination of appropriate conditioning regimens. Herein we review the data on SCT in these ‘‘vulnerable’’ patients, that is, those with HIV infection and elderly patients, and we will also discuss the use of the comorbidity index and how it can aid in the decision-making process for patients by optimizing
Invariant imbedding, iterative linearization, and multistage countercurrent processes: III. Estimation and the overdetermined system

In the design of distillation processes, it is frequently necessary to obtain a specified purity of certain product from a given feed mixture by the use of an existing column. The only variable within the designer's control is the reflux ratio. This design problem cannot be solved easily by existing computational methods. In general a trial-and-error approach is used. To avoid this difficulty, this problem is solved as an estimation problem by the use of the quasilinerization approach. To show the effectiveness of this approach, several problems are solved. In general, a four-digit accuracy is obtained in four iterations with very approximate initial approximations. Furthermore, this approach can treat the overdetermined system in a straightforward manner by the use of least squares criterion and minimization. Only the cases with constant total flow rates of the vapor and liquid streams within each section of the column are considered. The relative volatilities are also taken to be constant throughoutthe column.
Memory in the Infant.

Abstract An interstimulus familiarization technique which combined several important features of previous interstimulus familiarization methods was developed to explore infant retention for visual stimuli. Infants in the age range from 3 to 6 months demonstrated differential fixation time to novel and familiar targets. Novel targets commanded significantly more attention on both immediate and delayed tests of stimulus recognition.
Parenting stress, depression, and parenting in grandmothers raising their grandchildren

Abstract The association among parenting stress, depression, and parenting was examined in 82 grandmothers raising their grandchildren. Results showed that parenting stress had a significant effect on depression, and depression had a significant effect on inconsistent parenting practices. Implications of these findings for professionals working with grandmothers raising their grandchildren are discussed.
Realistic Expectations: Constructing a Mission-Based Evaluation Model for Community Corrections Programs

Correctional practitioners have long argued that evaluators focus too heavily on recidivism measures and thus understate the value of their programs. The author asserts that the impact of community corrections programs can be more comprehensively evaluated when evaluation plans include measures that assess whether program goals, objectives, and overall mission were met. Therefore, the intent of this article is to offer a model for evaluating community corrections programs based on what they promised to do in their mission statements. Justification for the model, conceptual framework, and an example of how to use the model are discussed below.
The ideal vaccine.

The ideal vaccine is discussed under three headings. 1. The major requirements of the vaccine. This includes primarlly safety and efficacy and a number of other desirable features if the vaccine is to control a disease of global importance. These include cost, easy administration (e.g. orally), thermal stability, multivalency and long-lived immunlty 2. The nature and persistence of the immune responses which, as judged by model systems, are probably generated by the most effective viral vaccines in current human usage. 3. Approaches for developing future ‘simplified” vaccines with similar levels of safety and efficacy so that these objectives are achieved.
Status of lattice gauge theory

Abstract I review recent results in lattice gauge theory which pertain to the physics of high temperature QCD and quark matter. Topics covered include: the transition temperature in the pure gauge theory, scaling and finite temperature behavior in QCD with quarks, problems with non-zero chemical potential, the Debye length in the high temperature plasma, and quantities relevant to thermodynamics and hydrodynamics in relativistic heavy ion collisions.
Racial/ethnic disparities in survival among men diagnosed with prostate cancer in Texas.

BACKGROUND To the authors’ knowledge, few studies to date have examined racial differences in prostate cancer survival while controlling for socioeconomic status (SES). No such studies have examined this association in Texas, a large state with significant ethnic and racial diversity. The objective of this analysis was to determine whether racial disparities in survival for men diagnosed with prostate cancer in Texas from 1995 through 2002 remained after adjusting for SES, rural residence, and stage of disease.
Isolation of monochromosomal hybrids following fusion of human diploid fibroblast-derived microcells with mouse A9 cells.

Rodent × human hybrids containing single human chromosomes are valuable tools in the study of human genetics. Using a retrovirus carrying the neomycin gene, we generated a neomycin-resistant (neo
There’s an entranet in your future

Presents the concept of “entranets”, entrepreneurial partnerships enabled by computer networking. Compares the concept to the Japanese keiretsu model. Discusses the expanding role of technology in day‐to‐day business dealings. Presents case studies of successful employment of the entranet concept. Recommends actions for capturing the full benefits of the concept and the technologies.
PROC, PROCR and PROS1 polymorphisms, plasma anticoagulant phenotypes, and risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality in older adults: the Cardiovascular Health Study.

Summary. Background and objectives: Genes encoding protein C anticoagulant pathways are candidates for atherothrombotic and other aging-related disorders. Methods: Using a tagSNP approach, and data from the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), we assessed associations of common polymorphisms of PROC, PROS1 and PROCR with: (i) plasma protein C, soluble protein C endothelial receptor (sEPCR) and protein S levels measured in a subsample of 336 participants at study entry; and (ii) risk of incident clinical outcomes [coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and mortality] in 4547 participants during follow-up. Secondarily, we explored associations between plasma protein C, protein S and sEPCR levels and other candidate genes involved in thrombosis, inflammation, and aging. Results: The PROCR Ser219Gly polymorphism (rs867186) was strongly associated with higher sEPCR levels, explaining 75% of the phenotypic variation. The PROCR Ser219Gly variant was also associated with higher levels of circulating protein C antigen. An IL10 polymorphism was associated with higher free protein S levels. The minor alleles of PROC rs2069901 and PROS1 rs4857343 were weakly associated with lower protein C and free protein S levels, respectively. There was no association between PROCR Ser219Gly and risk of CHD, stroke, or mortality. The minor allele of another common PROCR tagSNP, rs2069948, was associated with lymphoid PROCR mRNA expression and with increased risk of incident stroke and all-cause mortality, and decreased healthy survival during follow-up. Conclusions: A common PROCR variant may be associated with decreased healthy survival in older adults. Additional studies are warranted to establish the role of PROCR variants in ischemic and aging-related disorders.
Determination of the neutron and photon spectra of a clinical fast neutron beam

A simple technique to determine the neutron and photon spectra of a clinical fast neutron beam is described. This technique involves making narrow beam attenuation measurements with a pair of ionization chambers and an iterative fitting program to analyze the data. A method is also described for determining the first-guess neutron spectrum for input into the iterative program. The results of the analysis yield spectra suitable for use in dose calculation algorithms and dosimetry protocols. Presented here is the first-known published photon spectrum from a clinical machine.
Customizable frequency selective filter banks for robust dynamic frequency analysis

We describe a method for application-specific customization of dynamic phasors, intended for use in wide-area monitoring and control of electric power networks. In particular, we propose frequency-selective customization for accurate tracking of time-variant harmonic content under both steady-state (nearly-periodic) and transient operating conditions. Our approach relies on a recently introduced family of generalized dynamic phasors obtained via a so-called Phasor Bank transform. We provide an explicit compact characterization of the optimally-robust reconstruction stage of this transform, which can be used with any (customized) choice of its analysis stage. Since the phasor bank transform allows causal delay-free perfect reconstruction of any input waveform, it is perfectly suited for (closed-loop) control applications.
Myocardial Cell and Sarcomere Lengths in the Normal Dog Heart

The purpose of this study was to measure myocardial cell and sarcomere lengths at the bases and apices of the right (RV) and left ventricle (LV) of 4 normal canine hearts. The RV and LV were simultaneously fixed with glutaraldehyde at zero transmural pressure. Sections of trabeculae carneae were taken from the 1 cm cut at the bases (free wall) of the RV and LV. They were further fixed with osmium tetroxide, embedded in Epon 812, sectioned at ½ to 1 µ and stained with azure II and methylene blue. Measured from photomicrographs (X 1,000) taken with the phase microscope, mean cell length was 70.9 µ±1.49 (SEM); no statistical difference existed between the cell lengths at the bases and apices of the RV and LV. From adjacent tissue, the measurements of sarcomere lengths made from photomicrographs (phase microscope, oil immersion lens, enlarged to X 4,000) were not statistically different from those made with the electron microscope (P>0.9). The sarcomere lengths at the LV base were the shortest-2.16 µ±0.002 (SEM), followed by the LV apex, 2.28 µ±0.005 (SEM); RV base, 2.41 µ±0.006 (SEM); and RV apex, 2.46 µ±0.003 (SEM). These variations in sarcomere length show the importance of specifying the site of sampling of myocardial tissue. The sarcomere lengths were related inversely to the thickness of the ventricular wall. This observation may be considered the structural reflection of the lesser distensibility of the left base as compared with the right apex, and may be simply the manifestation of the fact that the left base contains more muscle fibers.
Reassessing Medical Risk in Living Kidney Donors

The short- and long-term effects of unilateral nephrectomy on living donors have been important considerations for 60 years. Short-term risk is well established (0.03% mortality and,1% riskofmajormorbidity), butcharacterization oflong-term riskis evolving. Relative to the general population, risk of mortality, ESRD, hypertension, proteinuria, and cardiovascular disease is comparable or lower. However, new studiescomparingpreviousdonorswithequallyhealthycontrolsindicateincreased risk of metabolic derangements (particularly involving calcium homeostasis), renal failure, and possibly, mortality. We discuss how these results should be interpreted and their influence on the practice of living donor kidney transplantation.
Tolerance of Benznidazole in a United States Chagas Disease Clinic

The US-based Center of Excellence for Chagas Disease performed an observational study on the safety and tolerance of benznidazole 5 mg/kg/day for 60 days in 30 adults with chronic Chagas disease. The side-effect profile was suboptimal, including 5 cases of debilitating neuropathy and an unusually high angioedema rate.
ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION ALTERS NITROGEN TRANSFORMATIONS IN A PONDEROSA PINE-BUNCHGRASS ECOSYSTEM

Ponderosa pine-bunchgrass ecosystems of the western United States were altered following Euro-American settlement as grazing and fire suppression facilitated pine invasion of grassy openings. Pine invasion changed stand structure and fire regimes, mo- tivating restoration through forest thinning and prescribed burning. To determine effects of restoration on soil nitrogen (N) transformations, we replicated (0.25-ha plots) the fol- lowing experimental restoration treatments within a ponderosa pine-bunchgrass community near Flagstaff, Arizona: (1) partial restoration—thinning to presettlement conditions, (2) complete restoration—removal of trees and forest floor to presettlement conditions, native grass litter addition, and a prescribed burn, and (3) control. Within treatments, we stratified sampling to assess effects of canopy cover on N transformations. Forest floor net N min- eralization and nitrification were similar among treatments on an areal basis, but higher in restoration treatments on a mass basis. In the mineral soil (0-15 cm), restoration treatments had 2-3 times greater annual net N mineralization and 3-5 times greater annual net nitri- fication than the control. Gross N transformation measurements indicate that elevated net N mineralization may be due to increased gross N mineralization, while elevated net ni- trification may be due to decreased microbial immobilization of nitrate. Net N transfor- mation rates beneath relict grassy openings were twice those beneath postsettlement pines. These short-term (1 yr) results suggest that ecological restoration increases N transformation rates and that prescribed burning may not be necessary to restore N cycling processes. 15 N; N mineralization; nitrification; northern Arizona; Pinus ponderosa Laws.; pon- derosa pine-bunchgrass communities; prescribed burning; restoration ecology; tree thinning.
Padlock probe-mediated qRT-PCR for DNA computing answer determination

Padlock probe-mediated quantitative real time PCR (PLP-qRT-PCR) was adapted to quantify the abundance of sequential 10mer DNA sequences for use in DNA computing to identify optimal answers of traveling salesman problems. The protocol involves: (i) hybridization of a linear PLP with a target DNA sequence; (ii) PLP circularization through enzymatic ligation; and (iii) qRT-PCR amplification of the circularized PLP after removal of non-circularized templates. The linear PLP was designed to consist of two 10-mer sequence-detection arms at the 5? and 3? ends separated by a core sequence composed of universal PCR primers, and a qRT-PCR reporter binding site. Circularization of each PLP molecule is dependent upon hybridization with target sequence and high-fidelity ligation. Thus, the number of PLP circularized is determined by the abundance of target in solution. The amplification efficiency of the PLP was 98.7% within a 0.2 pg---20 ng linear detection range between thermal cycle threshold (Ct value) and target content. The Ct values derived from multiplex qRT-PCR upon three targets did not differ significantly from those obtained with singleplex assays. The protocol provides a highly sensitive and efficient means for the simultaneous quantification of multiple short nucleic acid sequences that has a wide range of applications in biotechnology.
Factors Affecting Student Tolerance for Free-Roaming Cats

The management of free-roaming domestic cats is a controversial and challenging issue for animal welfare organizations and government agencies. In this article, we used a previously validated conce...