cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Never, once, and repeated illness: a geometric view for insights and interpretations

Background: Medical/health researchers depend on data evidence for knowledge discovery. At times, data analysis to capture the data evidence is overwhelming and the process becomes too tedious to give up the attempt. A prudent thing to do is to seek out a simpler visual approach to obtain insights. One visual approach is devised in this article to understand what the data are really revealing to either get an insight first or then confirm what is intuitively configured by the medical concepts. This visual approach is geometric concepts based. In specific, triangle is employed in this new and novel approach. Methods: A successful treatment of any illness is a consequence of knowledge build-up arising from data mining about the never, once, or repeated episode of a disease incidence in a patient. This article investigates and illustrates a novel and pioneering geometric approach, especially based on the properties of triangle, to extract hidden evidence in the data. New probabilistic expressions are derived utilizing trigonometric relations among the corner points of a triangle. The conceptual contents of this article are versatile enough for different medical/health data analysis. Results: For illustration here, the medical binomial data in Hopper et al. (Genetic Epidemiology, 1990) on the occurrence of asthma or hay fever among the four groups: (1) monozygotic females (MZF), (2) monozygotic males (MZM), (3) di-zygotic females (DZF), and (4) di-zygotic males (DZM) are considered and triangularly interpreted. The results indicate that the angle in the vertex representing one episode is the largest compared to the other two angles in the vertices representing never or repeated episode of an illness among a random sample of twins from these four groups with respect to getting asthma or hay fever. This geometric finding implies that the event of never and the event of repeated incidence of the illness have farthest Euclidean distance in probability sense. In other words, the never and repeated incidences are not in close proximity as probable. Conclusions: This geometric view of this article is versatile enough to be useful in other research studies in drug assessment, clinical trial outcomes, business, marketing, finance, economics, engineering and public health whether the data are Poisson or inverse binomial type as well.
Application of Self-Control Strategies to Facilitate Independence in Vocational and Instructional Settings

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the use of self-control procedures to enable individuals who are mentally retarded to become more independent. Self-monitoring, self-administered and self-determined reinforcers, and self-managed antecedent cues have had a significant impact upon a variety of behaviors in the laboratory, classroom, and work setting. In the few studies that compare self-control strategies to traditional intervention, the self-control strategies are more successful than trainer-based traditional approaches. Many questions remain to be answered regarding the separate effects of these procedure, such as the relative contributions of each procedure involved in various packages or the precise factors involved in obtaining changes in behavior. Rather than continue to use intervention approaches within community based programs that often promote dependency, alternative strategies need to be considered. Thus, infusion of self-control interventions within educational, vocational, and residential programs may help individuals who are mentally retarded become more a part of their community.
Regulation of the Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide- and Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate-Dependent Glutamate Dehydrogenases of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains two distinct l-glutamate dehydrogenases. These enzymes are affected in a reciprocal fashion by growth on ammonia or dicarboxylic amino acids as the nitrogen source. The specific activity of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) (anabolic) enzyme is highest in ammonia-grown cells and is reduced in cells grown on glutamate or aspartate. Conversely, the specific activity of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) (catabolic) glutamate dehydrogenase is highest in cells grown on glutamate or aspartate and is much lower in cells grown on ammonia. The specific activity of both enzymes is very low in nitrogen-starved yeast. Addition of the ammonia analogue methylamine to the growth medium reduces the specific activity of the NAD-dependent enzyme and increases the specific activity of the NADP-dependent enzyme.
Examining Japanese Defense Policy and Politics Through Failures of Leadership: The Case of Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio

Many studies of the Japanese prime minister in defense policy and politics have focused on the outstanding success of Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro. These studies have noted the way Koizumi used the expanded resources of the kantei, bold public statements, and political theater to make significant changes to defense policy. However, just as important as exploring success in leadership is exploring failures. These failures can teach us about evolving political strategies and enduring aspects of international, regional, and domestic contexts. The prime ministership of Hatoyama Yukio (2009–2010) is an important case because it is the first time in recent history that a prime minister has challenged—however subtle that challenge may have been—the primacy of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty. Hatoyama's prime ministership demonstrates the limitations of civilian internationalist approaches as a substitute for alliance maintenance with the United States, as well as the weaknesses of “consensus-based” and “muddle through” tactics in Japanese politics.
Majorana Neutrinos — Their Electromagnetic Properties and Neutral Current Weak Interactions

In grand unified theories, the possibility that neutrinos are massive Majorana particles is a rather attractive option. Thus, it becomes interesting to try to build up a picture of the kind of animal a Majorana neutrino is. With that aim in mind, I would like to talk about two aspects of Majorana neutrinos: their electromagnetic properties, and their neutral current weak interactions. Before I do that, I would like to very carefully define what I will mean by a Majorana neutrino, and say a little bit about Majorana-Dirac confusion.
Dynamic Programming Approximations for Partially Observable Stochastic Games

Partially observable stochastic games (POSGs) provide a rich mathematical framework for planning under uncertainty by a group of agents. However, this modeling advantage comes with a price, namely a high computational cost. Solving POSGs optimally quickly becomes intractable after a few decision cycles. Our main contribution is to provide bounded approximation techniques, which enable us to scale POSG algorithms by several orders of magnitude. We study both the POSG model and its cooperative counterpart, DEC-POMDP. Experiments on a number of problems confirm the scalability of our approach while still providing useful policies.
An architecture and application for integrating curation data at the residue level for proteins

Understanding protein families requires the bringing together of many different kinds of data. These families are typically derived from multiple sequence alignments. Directed mutagenesis is one of the most common means of inferring which specific amino acid or set of amino acids are important in the function of a protein. Although there are a large number publicly available, protein specific repositories, e.g., PROSITE, UniProt, and Pfam, no tools exist for experimental biologists that provide a means for managing and visualizing the curation data of the protein families they study at the individual residue level. We present the development of a novel system designed for experimental biologists, called the Curation Alignment Tool for Protein Analysis (CATPA), that allows for the efficient and effective creation, storage, management, and querying of experimentally curated protein families.
Cross-Abstraction Functional Verification and Performance Analysis of Chip Multiprocessor Designs

This paper introduces the cross-abstraction real-time analysis (Carta) framework for the model-based functional verification and performance estimation of chip multiprocessors (CMPs) utilizing bus matrix (crossbar switch) interconnection networks. We argue that the inherent complexity in CMP designs requires the synergistic use of various models of computation to efficiently manage the tradeoffs between accuracy and complexity. Our approach builds on domain-specific modeling languages (DSMLs) driving an open-source tool-chain that provides a cross-abstraction bridge between the finite-state machine (FSM), discrete-event (DE), and timed automata (TA) models of computation, and utilizes multiple model checkers to analyze formal properties at the cycle-accurate and transaction-level abstractions. The cross-abstraction analysis exploits accuracy for functional verification, and achieves significant speedups for performance estimation with marginal accuracy loss. We demonstrate results on an industrial strength networking CMP design utilizing a bus matrix interconnection network. To the best of our knowledge, the Carta framework is the first model-based tool-chain that utilizes multiple abstractions and model checkers for the comprehensive and formal functional verification, performance estimation, and real-time verification of bus matrix-based CMP designs.
HYPOELLIPTICITY OF NONSINGULAR CLOSED 1-FORMS ON COMPACT MANIFOLDS

ABSTRACT Hypoellipticity of nonsingular closed 1-forms on compact manifolds is characterized by a diophantine condition on the generators of the group of periods of the form.
Carbon Monoxide Releasing Molecule-2 Improves Protamine-Mediated Hypocoagulation/Hyperfibrinolysis in Human Plasma In Vitro

Background Protamine sulfate has been implicated as a possible cause of coagulopathy for over 20 y. Protamine has been demonstrated to decrease thrombin activity and to prolong bleeding. We tested the hypothesis that a new hemostatic agent, carbon monoxide releasing molecule-2 (tricarbonyldichlororuthenium (II) dimer; CORM-2), could attenuate protamine-mediated hypocoagulation/hyperfibrinolysis in plasma. Methods Normal plasma was exposed to 0, 12.5, 25, or 50 μg/mL of protamine, with or without addition of 100 μM CORM-2. Tissue factor was used to initiate coagulation, and tissue type plasminogen activator was added in some experiments. Additional experiments were performed wherein plasma was exposed to protamine combined with 0% or 30% dilution with normal saline, with or without CORM-2 addition. Thrombelastography was performed until either stable clot strength or clot lysis occurred. Results Protamine, in a concentration-dependent fashion, significantly prolonged the onset of coagulation, decreased the velocity of thrombus growth, and decreased clot strength in the absence or presence of tissue type plasminogen activator. Further, protamine significantly decreased the time to onset of fibrinolysis and decreased clot lysis time. CORM-2 exposure significantly diminished all aforementioned protamine-mediated effects on coagulation and fibrinolysis. Lastly, CORM-2 addition significantly increased the velocity of clot growth and strength in diluted, protamine-exposed plasma. Conclusions CORM-2 attenuated protamine-mediated hypocoagulation/hyperfibrinolysis at clinically encountered concentrations. Additional preclinical investigation is warranted to determine if CORM-2 administration will be efficacious in diminishing coagulopathy caused by protamine.
Agrobacterium-Mediated Virus-Induced Gene Silencing Assay In Cotton

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is one of the most important crops worldwide. Considerable efforts have been made on molecular breeding of new varieties. The large-scale gene functional analysis in cotton has been lagged behind most of the modern plant species, likely due to its large size of genome, gene duplication and polyploidy, long growth cycle and recalcitrance to genetic transformation(1). To facilitate high throughput functional genetic/genomic study in cotton, we attempt to develop rapid and efficient transient assays to assess cotton gene functions. Virus-Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) is a powerful technique that was developed based on the host Post-Transcriptional Gene Silencing (PTGS) to repress viral proliferation(2,3). Agrobacterium-mediated VIGS has been successfully applied in a wide range of dicots species such as Solanaceae, Arabidopsis and legume species, and monocots species including barley, wheat and maize, for various functional genomic studies(3,4). As this rapid and efficient approach avoids plant transformation and overcomes functional redundancy, it is particularly attractive and suitable for functional genomic study in crop species like cotton not amenable for transformation. In this study, we report the detailed protocol of Agrobacterium-mediated VIGS system in cotton. Among the several viral VIGS vectors, the tobacco rattle virus (TRV) invades a wide range of hosts and is able to spread vigorously throughout the entire plant yet produce mild symptoms on the hosts5. To monitor the silencing efficiency, GrCLA1, a homolog gene of Arabidopsis Cloroplastos alterados 1 gene (AtCLA1) in cotton, has been cloned and inserted into the VIGS binary vector pYL156. CLA1 gene is involved in chloroplast development(6), and previous studies have shown that loss-of-function of AtCLA1 resulted in an albino phenotype on true leaves(7), providing an excellent visual marker for silencing efficiency. At approximately two weeks post Agrobacterium infiltration, the albino phenotype started to appear on the true leaves, with 100% silencing efficiency in all replicated experiments. The silencing of endogenous gene expression was also confirmed by RT-PCR analysis. Significantly, silencing could potently occur in all the cultivars we tested, including various commercially grown varieties in Texas. This rapid and efficient Agrobacterium-mediated VIGS assay provides a very powerful tool for rapid large-scale analysis of gene functions at genome-wide level in cotton.
Fish scale-induced dermatitis

Background: Fish scales loosened during the process of cleaning that come in contact with human skin will adhere and "grow," creating a raised skin lesion if not washed off immediately. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the process of fish scale-induced dermatitis. Methods: Fish scales from the blue gill ( Lepomis machrochirus ) were placed on the intact skin of denuded Swiss Webster mice that had no prior sensitization. Results: The scales physically adhered and formed a raised fold of skin within minutes after placement. Lesions were submitted for pathologic evaluation on days 2 and 7. A subacute irritant dermatitis was observed that evolved into a chronic dermatitis with hyperkeratosis. Inverted fish scales (the anatomically reversed surface) and fish epidermis did not produce such lesions on the mice. Conclusion: Fish scales are able to induce an irritant dermatitis. They most likely do so through initial adhesion via mucopolysaccharide secretions.
Escherichia coli swim on the right-hand side

The motion of peritrichously flagellated bacteria close to surfaces is relevant to understanding the early stages of biofilm formation and of pathogenic infection. This motion differs from the random-walk trajectories of cells in free solution. Individual Escherichia coli cells swim in clockwise, circular trajectories near planar glass surfaces. On a semi-solid agar substrate, cells differentiate into an elongated, hyperflagellated phenotype and migrate cooperatively over the surface, a phenomenon called swarming. We have developed a technique for observing isolated E. coli swarmer cells moving on an agar substrate and confined in shallow, oxidized poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microchannels. Here we show that cells in these microchannels preferentially 'drive on the right', swimming preferentially along the right wall of the microchannel (viewed from behind the moving cell, with the agar on the bottom). We propose that when cells are confined between two interfaces--one an agar gel and the second PDMS--they swim closer to the agar surface than to the PDMS surface (and for much longer periods of time), leading to the preferential movement on the right of the microchannel. Thus, the choice of materials guides the motion of cells in microchannels.
Magnetic excitations and phonon anomalies in U Ru 2 Si 2

The results of a polarized light scattering study of U${\mathrm{Ru}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ are presented and discussed for the temperature range $5\ensuremath{\le}T\ensuremath{\le}350$ K. Two of the Raman-active phonons allowed by the space- and site-group symmetries of U${\mathrm{Ru}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ (${D}_{4h}^{17}\ensuremath{-}\frac{14}{\mathrm{mmm}}$) are observed, displaying symmetries ${A}_{1g}$ and ${B}_{1g}$. The ${A}_{1g}$ phonon demonstrates a large integrated intensity increase with decreasing temperature, suggesting a low-temperature increase in the strong electron-phonon coupling. Additionally, quasielastic scattering from spin fluctuations is noted, displaying the symmetry of the antisymmetric representation ${A}_{2g}$. The spin-fluctuation linewidth is seen to decrease rapidly near ${T}_{N}$, alluding to the formation of a gap over much of the Fermi surface.
Nuclear magnetic resonance of adsorbed 3He films on Grafoil and argon-coated grafoil. II. Intermediate and near-monolayer coverages

Continuous wave (CW) nuclear magnetic resonance measurements have been made at 5.5 MHz of 3He adsorbed on Grafoil and on argon (monolayer)-coated Grafoil at coverages 0.55 ⩽ x ⩽ 1.35 (x = 1 corresponds to one monolayer), in the temperature range 0.35–4.21 K. The results indicate that the near-monolayer coverages (0.9 ⩽ x ⩽ 1.0) behave as 2D solids with dipole-dipole coupling modulated by quantum exchange between nearest neighbors. The exchange frequency for this solid phase is evaluated and is seen to be comparable to that observed in bulk, solid 3He for similar atomic spacing. The intermediate coverages, 0.55 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.80, showed no evidence of line broadening in the entire temperature range investigated, while the relative magnetic susceptibilities indicated no deviation from Curie's law. No evidence for the registered phase was found at x = 0.60 either for 3He on Grafoil or for 3He on argon-coated Grafoil. A sharp decrease was observed in linewidth after completion of the monolayer, making NMR an excellent probe for the determination of monolayer completion. We have also made linewidth measurements for a coverage x = 0.95 of 3He on graphitized carbon black (Sterling FT grade) at 4.2 and 1.2 K. The results are consistent, as in the case of 3He on Grafoil, with a 2D solid with significant quantum tunneling between nearest neighbors. This result, however, is in disagreement with the measurements of Rollefson, also for 3He on graphitized carbon black of the same grade, who observed a rigid lattice behavior with negligible tunneling between neighbors, for a coverage x = 0.90. This discrepancy is not yet understood.
Environmental integrity and corporate responsibility

Environmental disasters like Bhopal have a way of calling attention to environmental and corporate ethical issues. This paper discusses these issues in terms of a livable environment as an inalienable right and of corporate responsibility as an philosophical and social psychological disposition that enables corporations to respect that right. The corporate conscience is compared to the individual conscience and analyzed according to the moral development theories of Lawrence Kohlberg. Its moral development is recognized as problematic from the cited performance records of some leading multinational corporations and from the anti-environmental lobbying efforts of the chemical industry itself. Outreach programs in environmental health associated with research projects in corporate ethics are suggested to develop the corporate conscience for preserving environmental integrity through corporate responsibility.
Responses of the southern stingray (Dasyatis americana) and the nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) to permanent magnets

The behavioral responses of free-swimming, wild southern stingrays (Dasyatis americana) and nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum) to permanent magnets were evaluated in the Florida Keys, USA. Animals were attracted to a baited magnetic treatment board consisting of two 15 cm × 10 cm × 5 cm grade C8 Barium-Ferrite (empirically, BaFe12O19) permanent magnets producing a flux of 950 gauss at their surface and a baited procedural control board containing two smooth nonmagnetized clay bricks. In the presence of permanent magnets, D. americana and G. cirratum demonstrated a significantly greater number of avoidance behaviors away from the magnet side of the apparatus, while both species fed a significantly greater number of times from the non-magnetized procedural control side. Thus, D. americana and G. cirratum showed sensitivity to a magnetic field and were successfully repelled from baited areas containing magnets. The results from the current study suggest that the use of grade C8 Barium-Ferrite permanent ma...
Is cardiac catheterization a prerequisite in all patients undergoing bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis

Traditionally, all patients undergo cardiac catheterization before bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis (BCPA). The purpose of this study was to determine if preoperative catheterization is necessary when echocardiographic parameters appear favorable. A retrospective review was performed of all patients who underwent BCPA (n = 142) between February 1996 and May 2001. Echocardiographic criteria defining a favorable BCPA candidate included good ventricular function, moderate or less atrioventricular and semilunar valve regurgitation, absence of ventricular outflow tract obstruction, normal proximal branch pulmonary artery (PA) size, and low PA pressures estimated by PA band gradient or systemic PA shunt velocity. The median age at operation was 7 months (range: 2-11) and weight was 6.2 kg (range: 2.7-7.1). There were 73 unfavorable candidates. Patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (n = 23) and pulmonary atresia with intact septum (n = 15) predominated among the unfavorable group. All patients were catheterized. This provided additional information on PA pressures in 3 patients in the favorable group but did not defer operation or influence outcome (no mortality, prolonged pleural drainage, or longer intensive care department stay). All 3 patients are alive at a mean follow-up of 51 months. The 30-day mortality was 2% (4 of 151 patients), all in the unfavorable group. Overall, 20 patients (13%) required arterioplasty of PAs at the time of BCPA. BCPA can be performed with a low risk of morbidity and mortality in a wide range of patients. By using commonly acquired echocardiographic parameters, a low-risk subgroup of patients can be identified who can safely avoid preoperative cardiac catheterization.
Human DT-diaphorase, a potential cancer protecting enzyme. Its purification from abdominal adipose tissue.

The flavoprotein DT-diaphorase (EC 1.6.99.2) is believed to play an important role in the body's defense system. This enzyme has been purified 13,000-fold with a recovery of 58% from a cytosolic fraction of abdominal fat obtained from an obese patient undergoing elective surgery. Purification of the enzyme to electrophoretic homogeneity was achieved after two chromatographic steps: (1) affinity chromatography on azodicumarol Sepharose 6B; (2) anion exchange chromatography on DEAE Sephacel. The enzyme exhibits a monomer molecular mass of 32 kDa in SDS-PAGE and has 1 FAD prosthetic group per 32 kDa monomer. The FAD prosthetic group appears to be firmly attached to the apoproprotein. The enzyme reduces azodyes and quinones and demonstrates a broad substrate specificity. The enzyme has characteristics that are similar to DT-diaphorase purified from rodent liver, especially the rat liver enzyme. Estimated Km values for NADH, NADPH and menadione are 200, 140 and 3.3 microM, respectively. Vmax values for these substrates in the same order are 762, 667 and 294 mumol/mg.min. Dicumarol and warfarin exhibited competitive inhibition with pyridine nucleotides. The inhibition constants (Ki) for the drugs were estimated to be 10 nM and 2.2 microM, respectively. When compared to several other tissues, abdominal fat has one of the highest DT-diaphorase activities (Martin, L.F., Patrick, S.D. and Wallin, R. (1987) DT-diaphorase in morbidly obese patients. Cancer Lett., 36, 341-347), but the specific role of the enzyme in human fat is unknown.
An evidence-based eating disorder program

The Children's Hospital of Denver has an internationally renowned outpatient-inpatient treatment program for children, adolescents, and young adults with eating disorders (EDs). A unique feature of this ED program is its inpatient location on a medical unit. The nurses are medically trained, yet their patients with EDs have complex emotional and psychological problems. To address the special needs of these patients, a child life specialist worked in collaboration with other members of an ED health care team to create a program better serving ED pediatric patients. An evidence-based approach was used to drive this program. The child life specialist queried other health care facilities for best practice ideas, searched the literature, and analyzed unit-based ED data to design a program matching the needs of the patients.
CHIME: a metadata-based distributed software development environment

We introduce CHIME, the Columbia Hypermedia IMmersion Environment, a metadata-based information environment, and describe its potential applications for internet and intranet-based distributed software development. CHIME derives many of its concepts from Multi-User Domains (MUDs), placing users in a semi-automatically generated 3D virtual world representing the software system. Users interact with project artifacts by “walking around” the virtual world, where they potentially encounter and collaborate with other users' avatars. CHIME aims to support large software development projects, in which team members are often geographically and temporally dispersed, through novel use of virtual environment technology. We describe the mechanisms through which CHIME worlds are populated with project artifacts, as well as our initial experiments with CHIME and our future goals for the system.
Effects of chlorpromazine on spiral cord reflex mechanisms

Summary--The effects of chlorpromazine (CPZ) on the patellar reflex and segmentally evoked spinal cord potentials were determined in the high spinal and hemiscctioned spinal cat preparations. CPZ in doses of 1-32 mg/kg given intravenously (as an accumulative dose) produced no statistically significant alteration of the patellar reflex and segmentally evoked monosynaptic potentials. The segmentally evoked polysynapti¢ potential was significantly depressed (1-32 ms/ks). CPZ was shown to cause a significant depression of facilitation and inhibition of the patellar reflex produced by electrical stimulation of the lateral and ventral funiculi of cervical cord segments 1 and 2. Facilitation of the patellar reflex produced by contralateral stimulation of the sciatic nerve was resistant to doses of CPZ but was significantly depressed by 4 rag/ks. Patellar reflex inhibition produced by ipsflateral sciatic nerve stimulation was never observed to be depressed by doses used in this study. The patellar reflex recorded ipsilateral to a high cervical (CI) and mid-thoracic (T6) hemiscction of the spinal cord was resistant to doses of CPZ (1-8 mg/kg) while the contralateral patellar reflex was depressed. The mean arterial blood pressure was significantly elevated by doses of CPZ (4--32 rag/ks). The evidence presented indicates the internuncial neuron of the spinal cord as a probable site of chlorpromazine action. Possible meehanisms of blood pressure elevation are discussed.
Pre- and Postnatal Health: Evidence of Increased Choline Needs

Choline, a micronutrient found in food, serves as the starting material for several important metabolites that play key roles in fetal development, particularly the brain. Although human beings' requirement for choline is unknown, an Adequate Intake level of 425 mg/day was established for women with upward adjustments to 450 and 550 mg/day during pregnancy and lactation, respectively. The importance of choline in human development is supported by observations that a human fetus receives a large supply of choline during gestation; pregnancy causes depletion of hepatic choline pools in rats consuming a normal diet; human neonates are born with blood levels that are three times higher than maternal blood concentrations; and large amounts of choline are present in human milk. The development of the central nervous system is particularly sensitive to choline availability with evidence of effects on neural tube closure and cognition. Existing data show that the majority of pregnant (and presumably lactating) women are not achieving the target intake levels and that certain common genetic variants may increase requirements for choline beyond current recommendations. Because choline is not found in most varieties of prenatal vitamins (or regular multivitamins), increased consumption of choline-rich foods may be needed to meet the high pre- and postnatal demands for choline.
Genome-Wide Meta-Analysis of Systolic Blood Pressure in Children with Sickle Cell Disease

In pediatric sickle cell disease (SCD) patients, it has been reported that higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) is associated with increased risk of a silent cerebral infarction (SCI). SCI is a major cause of neurologic morbidity in children with SCD, and blood pressure is a potential modulator of clinical manifestations of SCD; however, the risk factors underlying these complications are not well characterized. The aim of this study was to identify genetic variants that influence SBP in an African American population in the setting of SCD, and explore the use of SBP as an endo-phenotype for SCI. We conducted a genome-wide meta-analysis for SBP using two SCD cohorts, as well as a candidate screen based on published SBP loci. A total of 1,617 patients were analyzed, and while no SNP reached genome-wide significance (P-value<5.0x10-8), a number of suggestive candidate loci were identified. The most significant SNP, rs7952106 (P-value=8.57x10-7), was in the DRD2 locus on chromosome 11. In a gene-based association analysis, MIR4301 (micro-RNA4301), which resides in an intron of DRD2, was the most significant gene (P-value=5.2x10-5). Examining 27 of the previously reported SBP associated SNPs, 4 SNPs were nominally significant. A genetic risk score was constructed to assess the aggregated genetic effect of the published SBP variants, demonstrating a significant association (P=0.05). In addition, we also assessed whether these variants are associated with SCI, validating the use of SBP as an endo-phenotype for SCI. Three SNPs were nominally associated, and only rs2357790 (5’ CACNB2) was significant for both SBP and SCI. None of these SNPs retained significance after Bonferroni correction. Taken together, our results suggest the importance of DRD2 genetic variation in the modulation of SBP, and extend the aggregated importance of previously reported SNPs in the modulation of SBP in an African American cohort, more specifically in children with SCD.
An Indicator of the Reliability of Analytical Structural Design

A statistical analysis of structural static test failure data for major components of aircraft is presented. The data sample is divided into the static test failures of wings, fuselage, horizontal stabilizer, vertical stabilizer, and landing gear. The analysis results in the approximate determination of the specific statistical strength density function and cumulative distribution as a function of the rupture strength. Finally, the required factor of safety is computed for the "no static test" or analytical design case for the aforementioned components over a wide range of unreliabilities. It is concluded that components require factors of safety for the no static test or analytical design approximately an order of magnitude above the usual standard and would be prohibitive if implemented. Nomenclature a — statistical parameter in truncated Weibull distribution b = statistical parameter in truncated Weibull distribution F — function m = inverse of the factor of safety P = probability distribution function R = reliability S = strength x — strength or load variable 7 = (= cr/V) scatter coefficient or coefficient of variation = normal probability density function <£ = normal cumulative probability function
Oil- and Gas-Resource Assessment in Certain South American Basins An Application of ARDS (Ver. 5.0) to Complex Exploration and Discovery Histories

The modified Arps-Roberts Discovery Process Modeling System [ARDS (Ver. 4.01)] has recently been upgraded [ARDS (Ver. 5.0)] and applied to a wide variety of field discovery and wildcat drilling data with differing characteristics. ARDS is designed to forecast the number and sizes of undiscovered fields in an exploration play or basin by using historical drilling and discovery data. Fields used as input may be grown or ungrown. Two models for field growth—one offshore and the other onshore—have been implemented (Schuenemeyer and Drew, 1996). Uncertainty attributable to field growth is estimated via simulation. This upgrade of ARDS has been designed to handle situations when the data cannot be partitioned into homogeneous regions, but where estimation of the number of remaining oil and gas fields is still meaningful. In this upgrade of ARDS, many restrictions, which include those on the number of fields and wildcat wells required to forecast the size distribution of the oil and gas fields that remain to be discovered in an exploration play, a basin, or other target area, have been removed. In addition, flexibility has been gained by reforming the criteria for convergence of the model. In all, 32 basins and subbasins in South America were examined, 18 of which had sufficient data to be amenable to forecasting the field-size distribution of undiscovered oil and gas resources directly by using the Petroconsultants Inc. (1993) field discovery and wildcat drilling data. Overall, ARDS (Ver. 5.0) performed well in estimating the field-size distribution of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the 18 basins and subbasins. The aggregate volume of undiscovered petroleum resources was characterized by using histograms of the distribution of resources and the following five statistics: the mean, the 80% trimmed mean, and the 10,50 (median), and 90 quantiles. More than 38 billion barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) in fields that contain more than one million BOE individually were forecast as remaining to be discovered. The largest basin, the Campos (Brazil), is forecast to contain nearly 10 billion BOE undiscovered resources. The East Venezuela Basin (excluding the Furrial Trend) is forecast to contain about 8 billion BOE; the Austral-Magallanes Basin (Argentina and Chile), about 7 billion BOE; and the Napo (Colombia and Ecuador) and the Neuquen (Argentina) Basins, between 3 billion and 4 billion BOE. A subset of these basins that illustrate the increased flexibility of ARDS are discussed.
Ultraviolet and optical studies of binaries with luminous cool primaries and hot companions. IV - Further IUE detections

We have obtained IUE spectra for 31 middle and late-type giant and supergiant stars whose TD-1 fluxes or ground-based spectra indicate the presence of a hot component, or whose radial velocities indicate an unseen component. Stellar components earlier than type F1 were detected in 22 cases. While 20 of the hot secondaries are seen weakly in optical spectra, two are UV discoveries: HD 58134 and HD 183864. The hot companions are classified accurately by temperature class from their far-UV spectra. The interstellar extinction of each system and the relative luminosities of the components are derived from the UV and optical fluxes, using a new grid of UV intrinsic colors for hot dwarfs. We find that many giant stars apparently have companions which are too hot and hence too luminous for consistency with the primary's spectral classification.
Putas, escravos e garanhões: linguagens de exploração e de acomodação entre boxeadores profissionais

This article draws on ethnographic fieldwork carried out in a boxing gym located in Chicago's black ghetto. It aims at explaining how prizefighters perceive and express the fact of being live commodities, and how they manage to reconcile themselves to ruthless exploitation in ways that enable them to maintain a sense of personal integrity and moral purpose. The boxer's experience of bodily exploitation is expressed in three related idioms, those of prostitution, slavery, and animal husbandry. All three tropes simultaneously enounce the immoral marketing of bodies. But this is neutralized by the belief in the normalcy of exploitation, in the "agency" of corporeal entrepreneurship, and in the possibility of individual exceptionalism. This belief, inscribed in the bodily dispositions of the fighter, helps to produce the collective misrecognition whereby boxers collude in their own commercialization.
Investigation of charge-trapping effects in InSb focal plane arrays

We are investigating trapping/recombination centers in near-infrared (1 - 5 micrometers ) InSb imaging arrays via experimentation and theoretical modeling. The presence of impurities, lattice defects and/or surface states can compromise the operational qualities of an imaging array by introducing latent images, signal rate/quantum efficiency loss at low signal levels, and by increasing noise and dark current. Identification of these trapping centers should enable a reduction in their number density by appropriate changes in the material processing and fabrication steps. We have performed experiments and analyses on both gate-controlled arrays (SiO x surface passivation) and recently received gateless arrays (Si 3 N 4 surface passivation). All of the gated arrays showed latent images at temperatures 6 - 26 K for signal fluxes as low as 1500 e - /s/pixel, while neither of the two gateless arrays examined has shown latent images in the same temperature range; no latent image was detected (to a level of - ) in a 5 second integration after exposure to a 2 X 10 6 e - /sec/pixel signal flux. We interpret this as evidence for surface state charge trapping in the region of the gate oxide, which is largely eliminated by the new passivation. The physics of surface states is investigated theoretically in order to gain an understanding of the surface contribution to the observed behavior, and a model is presented to explain the experimental results.
Minor Groove Orientation of the KWKK Peptide Tethered via the N-Terminal Amine to the Acrolein-Derived 1,N2-γ-Hydroxypropanodeoxyguanosine Lesion with a Trimethylene Linkage

DNA-protein conjugates are potentially repaired via proteolytic digestion to DNA-peptide conjugates. The latter have been modeled with the amino-terminal lysine of the peptide KWKK conjugated via a trimethylene linkage to the N(2)-dG amine positioned in 5'-d(GCTAGCXAGTCC)-3'.5'-d(GGACTCGCTAGC)-3' (X = N(2)-dG-trimethylene link-KWKK). This linkage is a surrogate for the reversible linkage formed by the gamma-OH-1,N(2)-propanodeoxyguanosine (gamma-OH-PdG) adduct. This conjugated KWKK stabilizes the DNA. Amino acids K(26), W(27), K(28), and K(29) are in the minor groove. The W(27) indolyl group does not intercalate into the DNA. The G(7) N(2) amine and the K(26) N-terminal amine nitrogens are in the trans configuration with respect to the C(alpha) or C(gamma) of the trimethylene tether, respectively. The structure of this DNA-KWKK conjugate is discussed in the context of its biological processing.
A template for real-time image processing development: Windows-based PCs and webcams for computer vision research and education

A free and open-source software package called TRIPOD: Template for Real-time Image Processing Development, is described. TRIPOD was designed for classroom implementation or self-instruction. USB Logitech, Windows PC, Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 compiler, and ANSI C/C++ are used in TRIPOD. The motivation for TRIPOD stemmed from observations that affordable, widely available, and portable components have made a strong impact on robotics. The article showcased applications like laser rangefinding and visual servoing.
Constraints on minimal SUSY models with warm dark matter neutralinos

Abstract If the energy density of the Universe before nucleosynthesis is dominated by a scalar field ϕ that decays and reheats the plasma to a low reheating temperature T RH , neutralinos may be warm dark matter particles. We study this possibility and derive the conditions on the production mechanism and on the supersymmetric spectrum for which it is viable. Large values of the μ parameter and of the slepton masses are characteristic features of these models. We compute the expected direct detection cross sections and point out that split-SUSY provides a natural framework for neutralino warm dark matter.
Molecular dynamics studies of the energetics of translocation in model T7 RNA polymerase elongation complexes.

Translocation in the single subunit T7 RNA polymerase elongation complex was studied by molecular dynamics simulations using the posttrans-located crystal structure with the fingers domain open, an intermediate stable in the absence of pyrophosphate, magnesium ions, and nucleotide substrate. Unconstrained and umbrella sampling simulations were performed to examine the energetics of translocations. The extent of translocation was quantified using reaction coordinates representing the average and individual displacements of the RNA-DNA hybrid base pairs with respect to a reference structure. In addition, an unconstrained simulation was also performed for the product complex with the fingers domain closed, but with the pyrophosphate and magnesium removed, in order to examine the local stability of the pretranslocated closed state after the pyrophosphate release. The average spatial movement of the entire hybrid was found to be energetically costly in the post- to pretranslocated direction in the open state, while the pretranslocated state was stable in the closed complex, supporting the notion that the conformational state dictates the global stability of translocation states. However, spatial fluctuations of the RNA 3′-end in the open conformation were extensive, with the typical range reaching 3–4 A. Our results suggest that thermal fluctuations play more important roles in the translocation of individual nucleotides than in the movement of large sections of nucleotide strands: RNA 3′-end can move into and out of the active site within a single conformational state, while a global movement of the hybrid may be thermodynamically unfavorable without the conformational change.
Axonal surface charges: evidence for phosphate structure.

The effect of different extracellular alkaline-earth cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Sr2+, Ba2+) upon the threshold membrane potential for spike initiation in crayfish axon has been studied by means of intracellular microelectrodes. This was done at the following extracellular concentrations of the divalent uranyl ion (UO 2 2+ ): 1.0×10−6 m, 3.0×10−6 m, and 9.0×10−6 m. At each concentration employed, extensive neutralization of axonal surface charges by UO 2 2+ was evidenced by the fact that equal concentrations (50mm) of alkaline-earth cations did not have the same effect on the threshold potential. The selectivity sequences observed at the different uranyl-ion concentrations were: 1.0×10−6 m UO 2 2+ , Ca2+>Mg2+>Sr2+>Ba2+; 3.0×10−6 m UO 2 2+ , Ca2+>Mg2+>Ba2+≧Sr2+; 9.0×10−6 m UO 2 2+ , Ca2+≈Ba2+> Sr2+>Mg2+. These selectivity sequences are in accord with the equilibrium selectivity theory for alkaline-earth cations. At each of the concentrations used, uranyl ion did not have any detectable effect on the actual shape of the action potential itself. It is concluded that many (if not most) of the surface acidic groups in the region of the sodium gates represent phosphate groups of membrane phospholipids, but that them gates themselves are probably proteinaceous in structure.
The Development of Face Processing in Autism

Both behavioral and neuroimaging evidence indicate that individuals with autism demonstrate marked abnormalities in the processing of faces. These abnormalities are often explained as either the result of an innate impairment to specialized neural systems or as a secondary consequence of reduced levels of social interest. A review of the developmental literature on typical and atypical face processing supports a synthesis of these two hypotheses by demonstrating that face processing is an emergent and developmental skill that is heavily mediated by early experience with faces. Individuals with autism may possess central nervous system irregularities that fail to attribute special status to faces, thereby limiting the visual input required for the development of neural regions specialized for face processing.
Evolution of the infected abdominal aortic aneurysm: CT observation of early aortitis

Infected aortic aneurysm is an uncommon, life-threatening disease. Early surgical treatment is crucial to survival. An early diagnosis could be made on CT in suspected cases, although CT features of infectious aortitis overlap with retroperitoneal fibrosis, hemorrhage, and lymphadenopathy. We report the case of an infected abdominal aortic aneurysm and describe the additional potentially useful CT finding of early infectious aortitis, which helps localize the abnormality to the aortic wall.
Using a grounded theory approach to study online collaboration behaviors

This paper discusses how an interpretive theory of action was explored and developed through iterative cycles of grounded theory generation. We establish our motivation for employing the grounded theory method in an area that is overflowing with theories of learning, then move on to the practicalities of generating an interpretive grounded theory by following the ‘vapor trails’ left by online learners. We describe how we incorporated the use of mixed methods into an interpretive grounded theory process, with a theoretical sampling strategy that used ‘complementary comparison’ to feed back into a new cycle of constant comparison. We discuss how constant comparison may be enhanced by researcher debate around emerging themes and categories, co-coding of data samples, coding of researcher theoretical memos, and reflection-in-action during explicit explanations of coding schemes to research assistants and the review of research process memos. Finally, we discuss how and why the substantive theory of action that was generated by this process provides an original contribution to theories of collaborative online learning by accounting for both visible and invisible learning strategies that explain the role of thought-leaders in a community of inquiry and account for vicarious learning.
A New Bundle of Prospects for Blocking HIV-1 Entry

Undulating seven times across the cell surface, thus positioning its aminoterminal head and three humps outside and three other humps and its carboxyterminal tail inside the cell, a G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR) may conjure up images of the Loch Ness monster. But unlike Nessie, GPCRs are ubiquitous, mediating physiological functions from vision and smell to fight-or-flight responses and inflammation. Only a few high-resolution structures of GPCRs are available ( 1 , 2 ). The main HIV-1 co-receptors, CXCR4 (C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4) and CCR5 (C-C chemokine receptor type 5) are GPCRs. Wu et al. previously solved the structure of CXCR4 ( 1 ). On page 1387 of this issue, Tan et al. ( 3 ) present a 2.7 A–resolution crystal structure of CCR5, the co-receptor most frequently used by HIV-1 strains for entry into the cell.