cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Non-radioactive detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis LCR products in a microtitre plate format.

Abstract As part of the development of the ligase chain reaction (LCR) into a tool which can be used by a wide variety of researchers, we have investigated several analytical detection systems for the products of this amplification reaction. While early work with this technology has used gel electrophoresis to separate the LCR probes from the ligated product, solid phase capture techniques are also applicable, particularly when one of the probes is modified with a 'hook' such as biotin, and the adjoining probe modified with a detectable label. In this study we report a comparison of eight different non-radioactive detection techniques and discuss the analytical sensitivity of each. Detection with laser scanning fluorescent gel electrophoresis remains the most sensitive, with the assay described herein capable of detecting 100 molecules of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis insertion element IS6110 in a background of 4 μg of unrelated DNA. This method was followed closely by solid-phase capture and chemiluminescence detection which gave a sensitivity of 1000 molecules of IS6110. Fluorescence detection was approximately 10-fold less sensitive than chemiluminescence detection, and absorbance detection was a further 10-fold less sensitive than fluorescence detection. However, absorbance detection even at this level can still be useful for systems where visual interpretation is desired.
Cytologic findings of malignant vascular neoplasms: a study of twenty-four cases.

Cytologic characterization of malignant vascular neoplasms (MVN) is difficult due to the wide range of differential diagnoses and sampling errors. The objective of this study was to identify criteria helpful in the cytologic diagnosis of MVN. The clinical presentation and cytomorphologic features of 22 angiosarcomas and two hemangioendotheliomas were analyzed. The criteria evaluated included cellularity, cellular arrangement, cell shape and size, pleomorphism, cytoplasmic borders, nuclear shape and number, chromatin pattern, nucleoli, background, and presence of angioformative structures. A previous history of MVN was noted in 18 of 24 patients. Specimens with epithelioid morphology were more cellular and pleomorphic and contained multinucleated cells. Specimens with spindle morphology were usually less cellular and less pleomorphic. Angioformative structures were identified in 11 of 24 cases. Awareness of features suggestive of MVN is necessary to raise the possibility of vascular origin, which can be confirmed with appropriate immunocytochemical studies.
Software metrics: Measuring the progress of software development

Abstract We develop guidelines and a new software metric called Real Time Incremental Metric (RTIM) for measuring the progress of software development. This metric is simple, easy to implement and validate and is cost effective. It is flexible, can be utilized in all phases of software development and can be incorporated with various analysis tools and expert systems. This paper will concentrate on measuring the progress of development in the requirements analysis and specifications phase.
Cracks and Pores: A Closer Look

Most pores and some cracks in several rocks, as directly viewed with a new technique, have a shape that suggests an origin early in the history of these rocks. Thus, behavior in the laboratory may be a reliable indication of behavior in the earth's crust, for electrical resistivity, permeability, or other properties that depend on microporosity.
Establishing a vascular access program

The traditional role of radiologists in venous access was limited to preliminary venous mapping, catheter relocation, and foreign body retrieval of fractured catheter fragments. The involvement of interventional radiology has expanded to include unconventional access and the establishment of a full service venous access program. The purpose of this article is to describe how a venous access program was instituted at the University of North Carolina and to advise those wishing to begin such a program at their institutions. A prerequisite for such a program is a genuine commitment on the parts of not only the interventional physicians but also interventional nurses and technologists. New approaches to patient preparation and adherence to sterile techniques must be learned by all staff. The importance of forward planning is also emphasized. The indications for central access have exploded and a venous access service will lead to increased procedural volumes which must not interfere with the other aspects of interventional service. The numbers of procedure rooms and staff may need to be modified. An access service will often easily justify an ultrasound unit to be located within the interventional suite. Before the benefits of an access service are reaped, referral patterns must be established. The most important features to referring clinicians are quality and timeliness of service. Same-day or next-day service is a strong inducement for busy clinicians under pressure from hospital and managed care.
Comparison of Phonon-Active and Infrared-Active Lattice Resonances for U Centers in Alkali Halides

We have previously published low temperature thermal conductivity data for KI doped with H- and D- ions.(1) In addition we have also discussed (1, 2) but not published, our data for H- and D-ions in KCl, KBr, and RbCl. Of these systems only the KI data exhibited a resonant phonon interaction. The data for KI with H-and D- ions exhibited a resonant dip on the high temperature side of the conductivity maximum at a temperature of about l8°K. Moreover, the position or shape of the dip did not depend on the dopant used, and the resonance is therefore mass independent. In this paper we will confine our attention chiefly to KI. A detailed account of all our thermal conductivity data and analysis by means of Green’s functions will be published separately in a more lengthy paper.
Stress birefringence patterns in molten polymers during the mold‐filling and cooling process

An experimental study has been carried out to better understand the phenomenon of stress buildup during the mold-filling process in the injection molding operation. For the study, a rectangular mold with two glass windows was constructed, so that stress birefringence patterns of molten polymers flowing into the mold could be photographed with the aid of a polariscope. As a feeding system, a 1-in. extruder was used attached to the mold with a 2-ft length of stainless steel tubing having a relief valve. In this way, the injection pressure (and injection velocity) was carefully controlled to ensure that the glass windows would not be damaged. The development of stress birefringence patterns during the mold-filling process was recorded on a movie film. It was observed that, in isothermal operation, when flow stopped after the mold was filled, stresses relaxed immediately because of the very slow cooling of the mold by ambient air. However, it was observed that, as cooling proceeded, stresses were gradually built up again in the mold. It was possible, therefore, to determine the residual stress in the mold, which originates from the cooling process alone.
Nonlinear mixed effects modeling of time dependencies in drug-free ECG data from healthy volunteers

Purpose It may be important to understand time-dependencies in ECG data when developing models as a function of drug concentration in longitudinal studies. A model-based analysis was employed to explore and compare the dependence of RR, QT and QTcI (individual rate-corrected QT) on daytime temporal fluctuations. Methods Data were collected from normal, healthy volunteers (32 subjects, 4 occasions). Intercept (mean) and cosine (period, amplitude (A), mean (M) and offset (O)) models were fitted to RR, QT and QTcI data (NONMEM V, FOCE). Results The cosine model was superior to an intercept model for all endpoints. The final model included exponential inter-individual variance on M and O, additive on A. Selected parameter estimates (% SE) are listed below. (See Table) Inter-occasion variability (IOV) for model parameters was appreciable for all endpoints. Even after correcting for heart rate-dependency, QTcI modeling revealed IOV of 0.9% and 67% in M and A, respectively. Conclusion Time-dependency was not completely removed by heart rate correction and substantial IOV exists. This has direct implication when utilizing time-matched baseline adjustments for determining drug effect. Since it may be of interest to qualify QTc changes as small as 5 msec, uncontrolled variability in time-dependent QTcI and random IOV is of sufficient magnitude to potentially result in misinterpretation of drug-induced QT effects. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, P97–P97; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.371 Table 1. M (msec) A (msec) RR 904 (1.9) 59.5 (9.3) QT 374 (0.94) 10.3 (9.3) QTcI 386 (0.73) 3.9 (19)
Enhanced stimulus generalization of a food reinforced response to a CS for water

It was previously shown that the amount of stimulus generalization of a food reinforced instrumental response from a training stimulus to a generalization test stimulus is markedly increased if the test stimulus has been independently paired classically with food, and decreased if the test stimulus has been paired with active nonreinforcement. The present experiment showed similar transfer from classical to instrumental conditioning when a different reinforcer was used in classical conditioning than in instrumental conditioning.
Histology of cultured channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque)

Dissolved oxygen and un-ionized ammonia concentrations were monitored in 12 0.04 ha earthen ponds stocked with 10 000 channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus,/ha. Gill, liver and trunk kidney tissue samples were removed periodically for histological examination. Total ammonia and dissolved oxygen levels were in the ranges reported for catfish culture at this level of intensity. Average un-ionized ammonia nitrogen concentrations ranged from 20 to 67 μgh−1 and average daily maxima ranged from 63 to 183 μgh−1. Gill lesions characteristic of un-ionized ammonia exposure were common in fish from all ponds.
E.s.r. studies of halogenated pyrimidines in gamma-irradiated alkaline glasses.

SummaryThe reactions of mobile electrons (em−) and oxygen radical anions (O·−) with halogenated bases and nucleosides have been studied in γ-irradiated alkaline glasses by e.s.r. and specific halogen-ion electrode techniques. It is shown that electrons react with halogenated uracil bases (XUr where X = Cl Br I but not F) by dissociative electron attachment to form uracil-5-yl radicals (U·) and halogen anions. The relative rates of reaction of em− with XUr decrease in the sequence BrUr > ClUr > FUr > IUr. Thermal annealing studies carried out on U· in H2O and D2O matrices support the hypothesis that U· in H2O hydrates across the 5–6 double bond in the temperature region 135°–155°K, and deuterates to a much smaller extent in D2O at temperatures above 155°K. Studies on bromouridine and bromodeoxyuridine suggest that em− reacts with the base moieties to form U· type radicals which abstract H· from the sugar moieties of adjacent nucleosides.
Simulation of Self-heating HBTs Based on Isothermal Gummel-Poon Model

Based on the correlation between the electron and hole injection currents at the emitter junction, a simple dc model of self-heating HBTs has been developed by introducing three physically-based parameters into the isothermal Gummel-Poon model, which is easy to construct and implant to circuit simulators. Both the self-heating and the anbient temperature effects can be simulated accurately. The electrical and thermal parameters of HBTs can be evaluated from the extracted model parameters, and a novel method for separating the base current components has also be developed.
A well-intentioned query and the Halloween Problem

The author's description of the Halloween Problem demonstrates the role of cautionary tales in the history of computing. The Halloween Problem emerged in the context of structured query language optimization in relational database research. Normally, a query optimizer works by measuring system calls and paging requests and applying heuristics to the entire access path tree. Query optimization was one of the most challenging tasks facing System R researchers at IBM. These experiments with query optimization form the milieu in which the Halloween Problem emerged.
Direct and circadian control of sparrow behavior by light and dark.

Abstract House sparrows, Passer domesticus , have perch-hopping activity (1) which was elicited by light (direct), and (2) which exhibited daily rhythms that were entrained by environmental light-dark cycles (circadian). When photoperiod was more than 14 hr, the sparrows' activity coincided with the light; when it was less than 14 hr, the birds were also active in the dark according to circadian predictions. Bimodality was dependent on photoperiod with the maximum incidence (75%) in LD16:8. Sparrows placed in LD1:11 (skeleton of 13:11) synchronized the onsets of their activity with the light beginning 8–18 hr after the time of the last L/D irrespective of when the birds experienced the first 1 hr light. Thirty-five percent of the sparrows advanced when they entrained to LD1:11 with the first pulse 8 hr after the last L/D; 76–87% of the sparrows delayed when they entrained to LD1:11 with the first pulse 2, 5 or 18 after the last L/D. Sparrows kept in exotic light-dark cycles (with periods of 10 min, 1.5 hr, 3.0 hr, 6.0 hr, 12 hr) were active in the light. Some birds displayed circadian rhythms superimposed on short period patterns. The period lengths of the circadian rhythms were shorter (22.8 hr) than in constant dark (24.2 hr). When sparrows subjected to LD1.5:1.5 or 36 hr of constant light were placed in constant dark, the phase of their activity onsets extrapolated to 15 hr after the last lights-off.
Mycobacterium bovis in California dairies: A case series of 2002–2013 outbreaks

From 2002 to 2013, bovine tuberculosis (bTB) caused by Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) has been detected on numerous dairies in California. In total, twelve herds had bTB detected and are included in the case series which describes these recent outbreaks and discusses potential pathways of introduction. Epidemiological investigations to determine the initial source of bTB in each herd included obtaining data on likely pathways of pathogen introduction. Pathways included purchasing cattle, use of heifer-raising operations, commingling of cattle at greater risk of exposure to infected cattle with cattle destined for California dairies, contact with infected wildlife, exposure to humans with bTB infections, community and neighboring herds and others. Epidemiologic and molecular typing data confirmed the source of infection in 3 herds and probable sources of infection in 2 herds. In the 7 remaining herds described in this case series an epidemiologic link to a source could not be determined and molecular typing results did not associate M. bovis isolates acquired from these herds with another specific U.S. herd or U.S.-born animal. Preventing new introductions of M. bovis onto California dairies will require rigorous epidemiologic investigation of all the potential pathways of introduction discussed here. The root cause(s) of bTB on California dairies is certainly multifactorial with complex interactions of herd management practices, importation of cattle at greater risk of exposure to infected cattle, and the potential of human M. bovis exposure. The extensive use of molecular typing has improved epidemiologists’ ability to narrow the scope of potential sources.
Trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid effects in two amphibian model systems

Abstract The induction of hapten-specific tolerance was investigated in two amphibia, Notophthalmus viridescens and Xenopus laevis . Responses to trinitrophenylated (TNP)-Ficoll and TNP-lipopolysaccharide (LPS), as well as to horse erythrocytes (HRBC) were examined in both species, following an intraperitoneal injection of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS). The less evolutionarily advanced newt, Notophthalmus , failed to respond to all three immunogens after TNBS administration. While Xenopus became completely tolerant upon challenge with TNP-Ficoll and partially tolerant with TNP-LPS, full capacity to respond to HRBC was retained. Therefore, specific tolerance was induced in Xenopus , but not in Notophthalmus . The tolerance with TNP-Ficoll in the toad, Xenopus , was short lived and return to responsiveness appeared to be related inversely to levels of TNP protein in the sera of TNBS-treated animals. The thymic dependence of this tolerance could not be determined, because adult thymectomy (ATx) abrogated the response to TNP-Ficoll in control nontolerized animals. Responses to TNP-LPS and HRBC were unaffected by ATx. These data, in conjunction with TNBS-induced differential tolerance to the TNP moiety, suggest carrier-dependent hapten-specific B-cell heterogeneity in the toad which differs in certain ways from that recently described for murine systems.
Experimental investigation of surrogates for jet and diesel fuels

Abstract The low and intermediate temperature reactivities of 2:1:1 n -decane: n -butylcyclohexane: n -butylbenzene and 1:1:1 n -decane: n -butylcyclohexane: n -butylbenzene were examined as possible surrogates for jet and diesel fuel, respectively. The hydrocarbons and the proportions were chosen as they match the average composition of the real fuels. The candidate surrogates and the real fuels were oxidized in a pressurized flow reactor at temperatures of 600–800 K, pressure of 0.8 MPa, and equivalence ratio of 0.30. The three-component mixtures were significantly more reactive than the real fuels. The difficulties of tuning both properties and behavior of the surrogates to the real fuels are discussed. Surrogate fuels that maintain the molecular weight of the real fuels but with reduced reactivity may require the addition of a heavy iso -paraffin.
Effect of primary phase feline immunodeficiency virus infection on cats with chronic toxoplasmosis

The effect of primary phase feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection on clinical signs, hematological values, Toxoplasma gondii oocyst shedding, T. gondii-specific serology, T. gondii-specific cell-mediated immune responses, non-specific cell-mediated immune responses, and lymphocyte subpopulations from cats with experimentally induced chronic toxoplasmosis was studied. No significant clinical or hematologic abnormalities were noted following inoculation with FIV. T. gondii-specific IgM was significantly increased, concanavalin A, T. gondii tachyzoite antigen and T. gondii secretory antigen induction of lymphocyte transformation were significantly suppressed, and CD4+ cell numbers were significantly decreased following inoculation with FIV. The changes were attributed to FIV effects on the immune system and resultant activated toxoplasmosis.
Structural parameters governing activity of Pluronic triblock copolymers in hyperthermia cancer therapy.

Purpose: To identify specific Pluronic triblock copolymer structural properties which are critical to its function as a sensitiser in hyperthermia treatment of experimental colorectal adenocarcinom...
Amplification of HMG-CoA reductase production enhances carotenoid accumulation in Neurospora crassa.

Abstract Neurospora crassa, a filamentous fungus, naturally produces the carotenoids lycopene and neurosporaxanthin. To increase the carbon flux through the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway, the 1658-bp region of the HMG1 gene encoding the catalytic domain (cHMG1) of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was expressed in N. crassa under control of the strong, constitutive glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD) promoter and the inducible alcohol dehydrogenase (alcA) promoter. Overexpressing cHMG1 under control of the GPD promoter increased lycopene and neurosporaxanthin production 6- and 1.5-fold, respectively, relative to the wild-type strain. Overexpression of cHMG1 under control of the alcA promoter increased production of lycopene and neurosporaxanthin 3- and 2-fold, respectively.
Microscopic origin of magnetism and magnetic interactions in ferropnictides

One year after their initial discovery, two schools of thought have crystallized regarding the electronic structure and magnetic properties of ferropnictide systems. One postulates that these are itinerant weakly correlated metallic systems that become magnetic by virtue of spin-Peierls-type transition due to near nesting between the hole and the electron Fermi-surface pockets. The other argues that these materials are strongly or at least moderately correlated and the electrons are considerably localized and close to a Mott-Hubbard transition, with the local magnetic moments interacting via short-range superexchange. In this Rapid Communication we argue that neither picture is fully correct. The systems are moderately correlated but with correlations driven by Hund's rule coupling rather than by the on-site Hubbard repulsion. The iron moments are largely local, driven by Hund's intra-atomic exchange. Superexchange is not operative, and the interactions between the Fe moments are considerably long range and driven mostly by one-electron energies of all occupied states.
Phosphorylation of cell surface receptors: a mechanism for regulating signal transduction pathways.

Introduction SPECIFIC receptors, located in the plasma membranes of cells, are crucially involved in mediating the acute and chronic effects of a wide variety of hormones, drugs, growth factors, antigens, and other ligands. Some membrane receptors are involved in transporting various important molecules into the cell by a process known as receptor-mediated endocytosis. An important insight which has emerged from recent research is that both the function and subcellular distribution of many such receptors are dynamically regulated. Phosphorylation/dephosphorylation represents perhaps the most intensively studied reversible covalent modification of enzymes which is known to have regulatory significance (1, 2). Considerably more is known about the kinases than the phosphatases. Only recently has it begun to be appreciated that the function of noncatalytic proteins, such as receptors, may also be regulated in this way. We review here the important plasma membrane receptor systems thus far studied whose functi...
BCCIP as a prognostic marker for radiotherapy of laryngeal cancer.

Abstract Background Recent studies have shown that BCCIP (BRCA2 and CDKN1A interacting protein) is essential for maintaining the transactivation activity of wild type p53. We analyzed the expression of BCCIP and p53 in a cohort of laryngeal cancer treated with radiotherapy and assessed whether BCCIP and p53, alone or in combination, would correlate with local control and overall survival. Methods One hundred twenty-three patients treated between 1975 and 2000 for early stage (stages I and II) squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx were included in the study. Treatment consisted of radiation therapy (RT) with standard fields and fractionation to a median dose of 66Gy. Tissue was collected from pre-RT biopsies and constructed in a tissue microarray, and BCCIP expression and p53 expression were determined using immunohistochemistry. Results Loss of expression of BCCIP in combination with normal p53 (negative p53 staining) was associated with local recurrence (RR 2.04; 95% CI 0.99–4.56, p =0.05) and poor overall survival (RR 2.09; 95% CI 1.21–4.00, p =0.008) compared to patients who did express BCCIP. Expression of BCCIP or p53 alone was not found to be independently associated with benefits in local control or overall survival. Conclusions This study provides clinical evidence that BCCIP contributes to outcomes in patients with laryngeal cancer treated with RT. This benefit may be a result of increased radiosensitivity in patients who have functional BCCIP and p53. These data may be used to identify sub-groups of laryngeal cancer patients who are more likely to be cured with radiotherapy.
Ultraviolet night airglow of venus.

The night airglow spectrum of Venus in the ultraviolet is dominated by the V-prime = 0 progressions of the gamma and delta bands of nitric oxide. The bands are produced by two-body radiative recombination of nitrogen and oxygen atoms. Since the source of these atoms is in the dayside thermosphere, the night airglow is a tracer of the day-to-night thermospheric circulation. The airglow is brightest at equatorial latitudes and at longitudes on the morning side of the antisolar meridian.
Clinical Outcomes Analysis of Conservative and Surgical Treatment of Patients With Clinical Indications of Prearthritic, Intra‐articular Hip Disorders

Objective To describe outcomes of the conservative treatment of patients who had the clinical presentation of a prearthritic, intra-articular hip disorder, including acetabular labral tears, developmental hip dysplasia, and femoroacetabular impingement. Design Prospective observational clinical outcomes study. Setting Outpatient orthopedic clinic at a tertiary university hospital. Patients Patients presenting with prearthritic, intra-articular hip disorders were recruited. Fifty-eight consecutive patients were enrolled; 6 were lost to follow-up, and 52 subjects completed the study. Methods Patients were recruited on the basis of symptoms, distribution of pain, and the findings of a physical examination. Radiographic measurements of the hip were obtained for all subjects to describe the presence or absence and extent of deformity and/or osteoarthritis. All subjects completed a directed course of conservative treatment. After 3 months of conservative care, subjects with continued limitations, reduction of symptoms with a diagnostic intra-articular hip injection, and a surgically amenable lesion found on a magnetic resonance arthrogram proceeded to surgery. Main Outcome Measurements Numeric Pain Score (0-10), Short Form-12, Modified Harris Hip Score, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, Nonarthritic Hip Score, Baecke Questionnaire of Habitual Activity, and patient choice to have surgery. Results Fifty-eight patients (9 men and 49 women) with a mean age of 35 ± 11 years (range, 18-50 years) enrolled in the study. Fifty-two subjects completed the study. Twenty-three subjects (44%) reported satisfaction with conservative care. Twenty-nine subjects (56%) chose to have surgery. Both groups demonstrated equally significant improvement ( P value ranges: P = .03 to P = .0001) in all outcome measures from baseline to 1-year follow-up. Subjects who chose surgery had higher baseline activity scores compared with the conservative treatment group ( P = .02). Conclusion All subjects with signs and symptoms of prearthritic, intra-articular hip disorders who were treated with conservative treatment alone and with conservative treatment followed by surgery demonstrated significant improvement in pain and functioning from baseline to 1 year. Forty-four percent of patients improved with conservative care alone, and 56% chose to have surgery after receiving conservative care. Persons with more active lifestyles were more likely to choose surgery. These data suggest that a trial of conservative management for persons with prearthritic, intra-articular hip disorders should be considered before engaging in surgical intervention.
ELECTROMAGNETIC COUPLING IN FREQUENCY AND TIME-DOMAIN INDUCED-POLARIZATION SURVEYS OVER A MULTILAYERED EARTH

Electromagnetic coupling responses in frequency and time‐domain induced‐polarization measurements over a multilayered earth are evaluated. For collinear dipole‐dipole and pole‐dipole configurations over a dissipative layered subsurface, the percent frequency effects of electromagnetic coupling are seen to be as high as 60 percent for large L2(σ1f) values, where L is the length of the receiving dipole, σ1 is the conductivity of the top layer of the half‐space, and f is the higher frequency of excitation used. In both frequency and time‐domain analyses, the distinctive effects of layering compared to that of a homogeneous half‐space response are shown for different electrode configurations, layer geometry, and electrical parameters of the subsurface. The pole‐dipole configuration of electrodes, in general, exhibits higher coupling compared to the dipole‐dipole configuration. In time‐domain measurements, the late off‐time transient decays reflect almost entirely the normal polarizability of the layered subsu...
Low divergence electrically pumped circular-grating surface-emitting DBR laser on an InGaAs/GaAs structure

The Letter reports the fabrication and low divergence operation of an electrically pumped circular grating surface emitting DBR laser on an InGaAs/GaAs SQW structure. A threshold current below 85 mA, output power of more than 20 mW and a divergence of less than 1° FWHM were obtained.
Germline PKHD1 mutations are protective against colorectal cancer

The autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) gene, PKHD1, has been implicated in the genesis or growth of colorectal adenocarcinoma, as a high level of somatic mutations was found in colorectal tumor tissue. To determine whether carriers of a single PKHD1 mutation are at increased risk of colorectal carcinoma, we assessed the prevalence of the commonest European mutation, T36M. First, we assayed a European cohort of ARPKD patients and found T36M was responsible for 13.1% of mutations. We then investigated two European cohorts with colorectal adenocarcinoma versus two control cohorts of similar age and gender. Screening for the most common PKHD1 mutation, T36M, we detected 15:3,603 (0.42%) controls versus 1:3,767 (0.027%) colorectal cancer individuals, indicating that heterozygous PKHD1 mutations are not a risk factor and are protective (p = 0.0002). We also show that the carriage rate for PKHD1 mutations in the European population is higher than previous accepted at 3.2% (1:31 genomes).
Effects of Aging and Anatomic Location on Gene Expression in Human Retina

Objective: To determine the effects of age and topographic location on gene expression in human neural retina. Methods: Macular and peripheral neural retina RNA were isolated from human donor eyes for DNA microarray and quantitative RT-PCR analyses. Results: Total RNA integrity from human donors was preserved. Hierarchical clustering analysis demonstrates that the gene expression profiles of young, old, macula and peripheral retina cluster into four distinct groups. Genes which are highly expressed in macular, peripheral, young or old retina were identified, including inhibitors of Wnt Signaling Pathway (DKK1, FZD10 and SFRP2) which are preferably expressed in the periphery. Conclusions: The transcriptome of the human retina is affected by age and topographic location. Wnt pathway inhibitors in the periphery may maintain peripheral retinal cells in an undifferentiated state. Understanding the effects of age and topographic location on gene expression may lead to the development of new therapeutic interventions for age-related eye diseases.
Microsystems Microprocessor Networks

The phenomenal growth of the microprocessor business over the last two years has been well covered in the technical literature. Extrapolating from this growth, typical predictions of future trends have suggested that by 1980, microprocessor complexity will increase five to ten times while the speed of the chip will triple.1It seems reasonable to expect this performance at approximately today's microprocessor prices. If instruction set efficiency is assumed to show a direct correspondence with chip complexity, these chips can be expected to be 15 to 30 times as capable in a given application.
BIDIRECTIONAL TESTS ON PARTIALLY RESTRAINED, COMPOSITE BEAM-TO-COLUMN CONNECTIONS

Partially restrained connections and their interaction with the floor slab have received recent attention due to numerous failures of welded steel moment frames during the 1994 Northridge and 1995 Kobe earthquakes. After the earthquakes, it was apparent that the ''simple'' connections, including the slab, served as a ''backup'' structural system after the full moment connections failed. These connections significantly influenced the behavior of the lateral load resisting system. This paper reports on the results of a unique, full-scale bidirectional test on a composite connection. The connection behaved very well up to a uniaxial drift of about 2%. After that drift level, composite action began to deteriorate and the connection strength and stiffness declined. The results indicate that two previously unreported failure modes may need to be considered in the design of composite buildings if large cyclic bidirectional forces are present. One is a ''punch through'' of the column web due to the force transfer from the ''pinned'' side of the connection. The other is the formation of a concrete wedge as a result of the large bearing forces between the slab and steel column flange. As a result of this observation, a suggestion that the full depth of the slab be maintained for a region 150 mm ~6 in.! around the joint has been incorporated in the commentary to Part II of the 2002 AISC Seismic Specification.
Passivated gel electrophoresis of charged nanospheres by light-scattering video tracking.

Gel electrophoresis (gel–EP) has been used for decades to separate charged biopolymers, such as DNA, RNA, and proteins, yet propagation of other charged colloidal objects, such as nanoparticles, during gel–EP has been studied comparatively little. Simply introducing anionic nanoparticles, such as sulfate–stabilized polystyrene nanospheres, in standard large-pore agarose gels commonly used for biomolecules does not automatically ensure propagation or size-separation because attractive interactions can exist between the gel and the nanoparticles. Whereas altering the surfaces of the nanoparticles is a possible solution, here, by contrast, we show that treating a common type I–A low-electroendoosmosis agarose gel with a passivation agent, such as poly-(ethyleneglycol), enables charged nanoparticles to propagate through large-pore passivated gels in a highly reproducible manner. Moreover, by taking advantage of the significant optical scattering from the nanoparticles, which is not easily measurable for biopolymers, relative to scattering from the gel, we perform real-time, light-scattering, video-tracking gel–EP. Continuous optical measurements of the propagation of bands of uniformly sized nanospheres in passivated gels provides the propagation distance, L, and velocity, v, as a function of time for different sphere radii, electric field strengths, gel concentrations, and passivation agent concentrations. The steady-state particle velocities vary linearly with applied electric field strength, E, for small E, but these velocities become non-linear for larger E, suggesting that strongly driven nanoparticles can become elastically trapped in the smaller pores of the gel, which act like blind holes, in a manner that thermal fluctuations cannot overcome. Based on this assumption, we introduce a simple model that fits the measured v(E) in both linear and non-linear regimes over a relevant range of applied voltages.
All-Optical Electrical Chirped Pulse Generation with Tunable Chirp Rate based on a Nonlinearly Chirped Fiber Bragg Grating

In this paper, a novel approach to optically generating chirped electrical pulses with tunable chirp rate using a tunable nonlinearly chirped fiber Bragg grating (NL-CFBG) is proposed and analyzed. In the approach, a femtosecond pulse is spectrally filtered by two tunable optical filters, with the two filtered pulses applied to the NL-CFBG, to introduce different dispersions. The chirped optical pulses are then applied to a high-speed photodetector (PD). The beating of the two optical pulses leads to the generation of a linearly chirped electrical pulse with a tunable chirp rate by tuning the center wavelength of one of the tunable optical filter. The NL-CFBG used in the proposed system is produced using a new technique based on strain-gradient beam tuning. A mathematical model to describe the chirped electrical pulse generation is developed, which is verified by numerical simulations.
Prevention of Legionella infections in a bone marrow transplant unit: multifaceted approach to decontamination of a water system.

Objective To evaluate measures intended to reduce Legionella infections in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Design Ongoing clinical and microbiological surveillance for Legionella colonization or infection was undertaken. All neutropenic patients with pulmonary infiltrates and fever unresponsive to broad-spectrum antibiotics were tested for Legionella organisms. Setting A 505-bed medical-surgical hospital with a designated BMT unit. Patients Two hundred twenty-five patients underwent BMT; 201 were treated on a new BMT unit. The incidence of Legionella infections was compared to that seen in an estimated 150 neutropenic patients treated on other units. Intervention A combined approach to decontamination of a hospital water supply was assessed. This included heating, particulate filtration, ultraviolet sterilization, and monthly pulse hyperchlorination of water supplied to the BMT unit. The incidence of Legionella infections was assessed on the BMT unit and compared with the frequency elsewhere in the hospital. Results There were only three cases of Legionella pneumonia among 201 patients undergoing transplantation on a new BMT unit. In contrast, 33 cases of Legionella infections were detected from approximately 150 patients treated on general medical floors. Conclusion A multifaceted approach to decontamination of a hospital water system led to a marked reduction in Legionella infections.
MOPS: an infrastructure for examining security properties of software

We describe a formal approach for finding bugs in security-relevant software and verifying their absence. The idea is as follows: we identify rules of safe programming practice, encode them as safety properties, and verify whether these properties are obeyed. Because manual verification is too expensive, we have built a program analysis tool to automate this process. Our program analysis models the program to be verified as a pushdown automaton, represents the security property as a finite state automaton, and uses model checking techniques to identify whether any state violating the desired security goal is reachable in the program. The major advantages of this approach are that it is sound in verifying the absence of certain classes of vulnerabilities, that it is fully interprocedural, and that it is efficient and scalable. Experience suggests that this approach will be useful in finding a wide range of security vulnerabilities in large programs efficiently.
Ordering and parameterizing scattered 3D data for B-spline surface approximation

Surface representation is intrinsic to many applications in medical imaging, computer vision, and computer graphics. We present a method that is based on surface modeling by B-spline. The B-spline constructs a smooth surface that best fits a set of scattered unordered 3D range data points obtained from either a structured light system (a range finder), or from point coordinates on the external contours of a set of surface sections, as for example in histological coronal brain sections. B-spline stands as of one the most efficient surface representations. It possesses many properties such as boundedness, continuity, local shape controllability, and invariance to affine transformations that makes it very suitable and attractive for surface representation. Despite its attractive properties, however, B-spline has not been widely applied for representing a 3D scattered nonordered data set. This may be due to the problem in finding an ordering and a choice for the topological parameters of the B-spline that lead to a physically meaningful surface parameterization based on the scattered data set. The parameters needed for the B-spline surface construction, as well as finding the ordering of the data points, are calculated based on the geodesics of the surface extended Gaussian map. The set of control points is analytically calculated by solving a minimum mean square error problem for best surface fitting. For a noise immune modeling, we elect to use an approximating rather than an interpolating B-spline. We also examine ways of making the B-spline fitting technique robust to local deformation and noise.
Transient Enhanced IL-2R Signaling Early during Priming Rapidly Amplifies Development of Functional CD8+ T Effector-Memory Cells

Much is known concerning the cellular and molecular basis for CD8+ T memory immune responses. Nevertheless, conditions that selectively support memory generation have remained elusive. In this study, we show that an immunization regimen that delivers TCR signals through a defined antigenic peptide, inflammatory signals through LPS, and growth and differentiation signals through the IL-2R initially favors Ag-specific CD8+ T cells to develop rapidly and substantially into T effector-memory cells by TCR transgenic OVA-specific OT-I CD8+ T cells. Amplified CD8+ T memory development depends upon a critical frequency of Ag-specific T cells and direct responsiveness to IL-2. A homologous prime-boost immunization protocol with transiently enhanced IL-2R signaling in normal mice led to persistent polyclonal Ag-specific CD8+ T cells that supported protective immunity to Listeria monocytogenes. These results identify a general approach for amplified T memory development that may be useful to optimize vaccines aimed at generating robust cell-mediated immunity.
Regulating the disposal of cigarette butts as toxic hazardous waste

The trillions of cigarette butts generated each year throughout the world pose a significant challenge for disposal regulations, primarily because there are millions of points of disposal, along with the necessity to segregate, collect and dispose of the butts in a safe manner, and cigarette butts are toxic, hazardous waste. There are some hazardous waste laws, such as those covering used tyres and automobile batteries, in which the retailer is responsible for the proper disposal of the waste, but most post-consumer waste disposal is the responsibility of the consumer. Concepts such as extended producer responsibility (EPR) are being used for some post-consumer waste to pass the responsibility and cost for recycling or disposal to the manufacturer of the product. In total, 32 states in the US have passed EPR laws covering auto switches, batteries, carpet, cell phones, electronics, fluorescent lighting, mercury thermostats, paint and pesticide containers, and these could be models for cigarette waste legislation. A broader concept of producer stewardship includes EPR, but adds the consumer and the retailer into the regulation. The State of Maine considered a comprehensive product stewardship law in 2010 that is a much better model than EPR. By using either EPR or the Maine model, the tobacco industry will be required to cover the cost of collecting and disposing of cigarette butt waste. Additional requirements included in the Maine model are needed for consumers and businesses to complete the network that will be necessary to maximise the segregation and collection of cigarette butts to protect the environment.
Gender differences in the relational health of youth participating in a social competency program

This study is designed to explore the effects of previous participation in Open Circle: Social Competency Program (SCP) on the relational health of 153 Caucasian middle school students who reported having recent and consecutive exposure to the program in elementary school. SCP is designed to foster social skills among children that enable them to communicate better, work out conflicts, and build stronger relationships. Our study shows a consistent pattern of evidence that sustained participation in SCP during elementary school encourages the development of quality relationships with peer friends, mentors, and communities among boys as they start into their middle school years. This pattern is not as consistent among girls, who tend to develop relationships of relatively high quality (e.g., those characterized by authenticity, mutual engagement, empowerment, and the ability to deal with differences within the relationship in a way that fosters growth) even in the absence of or minimal participation in SCP. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Linear systolic array for least-squares estimation

The use of square-root-free linear systolic array structure to perform the QR decomposition needed in the solution of least-squares (LS) problems is proposed. A form of the Kalman filter algorithm is applied to perform the recursive LS estimation. Compared with the conventional triangular systolic array structure for LS estimation, the linear array has the advantage of requiring less area and being simpler for VLSI implementation. >
Secure self-adaptive framework for distributed smart home sensor network

Sensor based assisted living application requires secure and high quality of service (QoS). In this paper, the proposed nature inspired threshold based intruder alert promises both secure communication and optimal resource exploitation. The three primary concerns of smart home application are, low bit error rate (BER), minimal distance, packet loss ratio (PLR) and speed of alert. The simulated application performance is based on prioritizing incoming user traffic and system requirements.
Angiotensin II-Induced Aldosterone Synthesis Is Potentiated by Epidermal Growth Factor*

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a potent mitogen and has effects in several endocrine systems. We examined the effects of EGF on basal and angiotensin II (All)-induced aldosterone synthesis in freshly isolated rat and cultured human adrenal glomerulosa cells. EGF alone caused a significant increase in basal aldosterone synthesis in both the rat and human cells. In addition, EGF caused a significant increase in Allinduced aldosterone secretion in both rat and cultured human cells during short and long term incubations. Further, we observed that the effect of EGF was highly specific to All since it did not alter either potassium (8.7 mM) or ACTH (10-10 M) mediated increases in aldosterone synthesis. We also investigated possible mechanisms of action of EGF. Since earlier studies showed that the lipoxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid plays a key role in mediating All-induced aldosterone synthesis, we studied the effect of lipoxygenase inhibition in EGF action. We observed that the nonselective lipoxygenas...
Redirected touching: The effect of warping space on task performance

Passive haptic feedback in virtual environments is compelling, but changes to virtual objects require changes to associated real objects. Recent work suggests that by leveraging visual dominance, virtual space can be warped to map a variety of virtual objects onto a single real object. However, it is unknown whether users can interact with a warped virtual space as effectively as with an unwarped one. We present a study in which we measured task performance using the Fitts'-law-based ISO 9241-9 multidirectional tapping task. With a few caveats, results suggest that for certain tasks, warped virtual objects are no worse than unwarped virtual objects. We also present preliminary exploratory data on how well people can detect discrepancies due to space-warping.