cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gene expression profiles of circulating leukocytes correlate with renal disease activity in IgA nephropathy.

Gene expression profiles of circulating leukocytes correlate with renal disease activity in IgA nephropathy. Background The goal of these studies was to explore the possibility of using gene expression profiles of circulating leukocytes as a functional fingerprint of nephritic disease activity. Methods This feasibility study utilized IgA nephropathy (IgAN) as a model system. Genes differentially expressed in IgAN patients were identified by Affymetrix GeneChip® microarrays, and compared with gene expression of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), minimal change disease, antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) glomerulonephritis, and with healthy volunteers. Of the genes identified, 15 transcriptionally up-regulated were validated in a larger cohort of patients using TaqMan® polymerase chain reaction (PCR). To test whether increased expression of these genes correlated with disease activity, cluster analyses were performed utilizing the TaqMan® PCR values. Taking a mathematical approach, we tested whether gene expression values were correlative with kidney function, as reflected by serum creatinine and creatinine clearance values. Results We identified 15 genes significantly correlative with disease activity in IgAN. This gene signature of IgAN patients' leukocytes reflected kidney function. This was demonstrated in that mathematically generated theoretical values of serum creatinine and creatinine clearance correlated significantly with actual IgAN patient values of serum creatinine and creatinine clearance. There was no apparent correlation with hematuria and proteinuria. The expression levels of this same gene set in ANCA glomerulonephritis or Lupus nephritis patients were not correlative with serum creatinine or creatinine clearance values. Conclusion These data indicate that leukocytes carry informative disease-specific markers of pathogenic changes in renal tissue.
Selective carnitine palmitoyltransferase deficiency in fibroblasts from a patient with muscle CPT deficiency.

A 13-year-old boy developed cramps and myoglobinuria following exertion. Mitochondrial preparations from a skeletal muscle biopsy were deficient in carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) activity when assayed by the hydroxamate and kinetic assays. The patient's fibroblasts were also deficient when assayed by the hydroxamate and kinetic assays, but not when tested by the DTNB (5′,5′-dithiobis-[2-nitrobenzoic acid]) method. This disparity probably indicates a specific deficiency in fibroblasts of one of the two carnitine palmitoyltransferases, presumably CPT II.
In vitro approaches to the elucidation of mechanisms of chemical teratogenesis.

This article describes some of the contributions that in vitro methods have made to our progress, albeit slow, toward understanding mechanisms of chemical teratogenesis. Emphasis is given to the painstaking and time consuming nature of approaches required to elucidate mechanisms. The examples considered are cyclophosphamide, 2-methoxyethanol, and retinoids. Some of the newer methods that take advantage of the recent advances in molecular biology and analytical chemistry have already been applied to studies on teratogenic mechanisms. Prospects for the 1990s are excellent and promise more rapid progress than during the past decade toward unraveling the mysteries of normal developmental biology. That knowledge in turn should be immediately applicable for investigations on developmental toxicant-induced abnormal development. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Loss of chloroplast transcripts for proteins associated with photosystem II: an early event during heat-bleaching in Euglena gracilis

A shift in the ratio of chlorophyll (Chl) a and Chl b is an early indicator of heat bleaching in Euglena gracilis. This observation prompted us to consider whether or not changes in steady-state levels of chloroplast transcripts and in transcriptional activity could limit the synthesis of Chl a-binding proteins in bleaching plastids. We found that the mature transcripts for CP47 and CP43, the Chl a-binding apoproteins of the proximal antenna of photosystem II, decline sharply very early during bleaching. Our study also shows that transcription of psbB and psbC, the chloroplast genes encoding CP47 and CP43, remains essentially unchanged during the same interval. We conclude that posttranscriptional events, such as mRNA stability, could play a major role in initiating an irreversible loss of chloroplast function in Euglena at a moderately elevated temperature. Lack of these transcripts would eventually impair the assembly of photosystem II in thylakoids.
Public Health Strategies to Prevent Genital Herpes: Where Do We Stand?

At least 25% of the United States population has overt or subclinical genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection, and herpes probably is the sexually transmitted disease of greatest concern to sexually active persons, aside from AIDS. In addition to its direct clinical and psychosexual complications, genital herpes is an important determinant of sexual transmission of HIV. Genital herpes is usually transmitted by persons with subclinical infection, whether entirely asymptomatic or with unrecognized symptoms. Although the composition and efficacy of a national genital herpes prevention program are in debate, clinicians should adopt a public health perspective in managing patients to help prevent transmission. Specific approaches include accurate diagnosis of genital ulcer disease by routine use of virologic tests for HSV; use of type-specific serologic tests to diagnose subclinical HSV infection in patients’ sex partners and others at high risk; counseling patients to recognize symptoms and defer sex with uninfected partners when symptomatic; and serologic testing and counseling of pregnant women and their partners to prevent neonatal herpes. Antiviral chemotherapy may be effective in preventing herpes-related cesarean sections, and its efficacy in preventing sexual transmission of HSV is under study.
A brief history of the resting state: The Washington University perspective

We present a history of the concepts and developments that have led us to focus on the resting state as an object of study. We then discuss resting state research performed in our laboratory since 2005 with an emphasis on papers of particular interest.
Effect of the Spatial Variability of Land Use, Soil Type, and Precipitation on Streamflows in Small Watersheds

Abstract: The spatial variability of the data used in models includes the spatial discretization of the system into subsystems, the data resolution, and the spatial distribution of hydrologic features and parameters. In this study, we investigate the effect of the spatial distribution of land use, soil type, and precipitation on the simulated flows at the outlet of “small watersheds” (i.e., watersheds with times of concentration shorter than the model computational time step). The Soil and Water Assessment Tool model was used to estimate runoff and hydrographs. Different representations of the spatial data resulted in comparable model performances and even the use of uniform land use and soil type maps, instead of spatially distributed, was not noticeable. It was found that, although spatially distributed data help understand the characteristics of the watershed and provide valuable information to distributed hydrologic models, when the watershed is small, realistic representations of the spatial data do not necessarily improve the model performance. The results obtained from this study provide insights on the relevance of taking into account the spatial distribution of land use, soil type, and precipitation when modeling small watersheds.
Crossing over is coupled to late meiotic prophase bivalent differentiation through asymmetric disassembly of the SC

Homologous chromosome pairs (bivalents) undergo restructuring during meiotic prophase to convert a configuration that promotes crossover recombination into one that promotes bipolar spindle attachment and localized cohesion loss. We have imaged remodeling of meiotic chromosome structures after pachytene exit in Caenorhabditis elegans. Chromosome shortening during diplonema is accompanied by coiling of chromosome axes and highly asymmetric departure of synaptonemal complex (SC) central region proteins SYP-1 and SYP-2, which diminish over most of the length of each desynapsing bivalent while becoming concentrated on axis segments distal to the single emerging chiasma. This and other manifestations of asymmetry along chromosomes are lost in synapsis-proficient crossover-defective mutants, which often retain SYP-1,2 along the full lengths of coiled diplotene axes. Moreover, a γ-irradiation treatment that restores crossovers in the spo-11 mutant also restores asymmetry of SYP-1 localization. We propose that crossovers or crossover precursors serve as symmetry-breaking events that promote differentiation of subregions of the bivalent by triggering asymmetric disassembly of the SC.
The tailward magnetopause field beyond 10 RE

The geomagnetic field in the near-earth magnetotail is made up of three major contributions related to the dipole field, the magnetotail current system, and the magnetopause current system exclusive of the return currents in the magnetotail current system. The present investigation is concerned with the third contribution. The calculation of the magnetospheric field is discussed, taking into account the calculation of the field inside the magnetopause on the basis of the numerical integration of the Biot Savart integral. The representation of the field for distances greater than 10 earth radii on the dark side of the magnetosphere is considered. The field internal to the magnetopause is expressed as the negative gradient of a scalar potential which is expressed as a sum of solutions to Laplace's equation in cylindrical coordinates. The origin of coordinates is the earth.
Oscillations and concentrations in weak solutions of the incompressible fluid equations

The authors introduce a new concept of measure-valued solution for the 3-D incompressible Euler equations in order to incorporate the complex phenomena present in limits of approximate solutions of these equations. One application of the concepts developed here is the following important result: a sequence of Leray-Hopf weak solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations converges in the high Reynolds number limit to a measure-valued solution of 3-D Euler defined for all positive times. The authors present several explicit examples of solution sequences for 3-D incompressible Euler with uniformly bounded local kinetic energy which exhibit complex phenomena involving both persistence of oscillations and development of concentrations. An extensions of the concept of Young measure is developed to incorporate these complex phenomena in the measure-valued solutions constructed here.
Eliminating fine grained timers in Xen

The move to "infrastructure-as-a-service" cloud computing brings with it a new risk: cross-virtual machine side channels through shared physical resources such as the L2 cache. One approach to this risk is to rewrite sensitive code to eliminate the signal. In this paper we consider another approach: weakening malicious virtual machines' ability to receive the signal by eliminating fine-grained timers. Such "fuzzy time" was implemented in 1991 in the VAX security kernel, but it was not clearly applicabile to modern virtual machine managers such as Xen on platforms such as the x86, which exports a cycle counter through the RDTSC instruction.In this paper, we demonstrate that it is possible to modify the RDTSC instruction on Xen-virtualized x86 machines, making the timer provided by this instruction substantially more coarse. We perform a thorough evaluation of the impact of modifying this timer on the usability of the system, and we evaluate the limiting point of the timer coarseness.Our findings open the way to a specific research program for mitigating cloud computing side channels through fuzzy time: (1) What other sources of fine-grained time are available to a malicious VM, and is it possible to degrade them? (2) What distribution of noise should be introduced to RDTSC and other timing signals to maximize the effect on malicious VMs while minimizing the effect on legitimate ones? (3) What timing resolution is actually needed to make use of L2 cache side channels?
Neutral lanthanide silyl complexes via σ-bond metathesis reactions

The alkyl complexes Cp2∗LnCH(SiMe3)2 (Cp∗ = η5-C5; Ln = Sm, Nd, Y) and Cp2″LnCH(SiMe3)2 (Cp″ = η5 -C5Me4Et; Ln  Sn, Nd) react with neat H2Si(SiMe3)2 (ca. 5 equivalents) at 85 °C to give the new silyl complexes Cp2∗LnSiH(SiMe3)2 (Cp∗ = η5-C5Me5; Ln  Sm (4), Y (5)) and Cp2LnSiH(SiMe3)2 (Cp″ = η5-C5Me4Et; Ln  Sm (6), Nd (7)). These neutral silyl complexes have been completely characterized, and are monometic in pentane solution at room temperature. The structure of 3 reveals that this compound forms dimers in the solid state via intermolecular Sm3CH3Si interactions. The SmSi bond length in 3 is 3.052 (8) A. Initial reactivity studies characterize LnSi bonds as being highly reactive.
109: Postoperative swallowing disorders are associated with increased mortality after lung transplantation

Purpose: Gastroesophageal reflux is recognized as an independent predictor of graft failure after lung transplantation (LT). Other mechanisms may similarly place the transplanted organ at risk to caustic exposures via laryngotracheal aspiration. This study was done to assess the prevalence and sequelae of swallowing dysfunction after LT. Methods and Materials: Using protocols approved by local IRB review, records of all patients undergoing LT between January 2001 and July 2005 (n 254) were reviewed. Swallowing evaluation (SE) by fiberoptic endoscopic or video-fluoroscopic techniques assessed for laryngeal penetration or tracheal aspiration of thin liquids. Clinical variables were compared between those with identified deficits on SE (Group 1) and those with normal SE (Group 2). Results: Chart review revealed 148 (58.3%) patients who underwent objective SE after LT. Swallowing was assessed clinically in all other patients (n 106). 70.9% (n 105) of patients undergoing SE demonstrated penetration or aspiration (Group 1), including 66 patients with frank aspiration (44.5%). Group 1 and Group 2 did not differ in hospital length of stay, rejection episodes, or maximal FEV1 postoperatively (Table). Vocal cord paralysis was seen in 24.7 % in Group 1, but only 2.3% in Group 2. Strikingly, mortality among Group 1 was 20% (n 21); mortality for Group 2 was 4.5% (n 2).
Design of wireless inertial trackers for human joint motion analysis

Body motion analyzing has always been a useful tool to evaluate patients' joint kinematics. Optical tracking is one of the most accurate dynamic tracking systems, and is commonly used as diagnosis devices for joint motion analysis. However, these systems are usually located in gait analysis laboratory and not readily available in clinic or hospital for day to day diagnostic use. In order to provide an alternative means for joint kinematics assessment, the following method is examined. An inertial sensing node composes of a set of inertial micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes and magneto- meters) were used to track two adjacent joint segments. This paper presents a preliminary study of motion tracking of the upper and lower extremities of the leg during dynamic activities. Each node communicates wirelessly to the base station with Bluetooth. A quaternion based Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) was implemented to process the data for orientation estimation. Anatomy constraint is applied to the relative orientation of the estimation. The focus of this paper is to introduce the framework of easy to use, high mobility, low cost motion analysis and diagnostic system that can be used in doctor's office.
Alternative Methods for Handling Panel Data When Analyzing Duration-Related Phenomena:

Alternative data-manipulation methods are designed to cope with the problems inherent in testing duration-related hypotheses on panel data. Primary emphasis is given to the problems of missing observations and unknown duration status during the first period of the panel. The methods are then tested on a set of artificially generated panel data to indicate how the techniques can be operationalized and how results might differ under the various alternatives.
Small-x Evolution of Structure Functions in the Next-to-Leading Order

The high‐energy behavior of amplitudes in gauge theories can be reformulated in terms of the evolution of Wilson‐line operators. In the leading order this evolution is governed by the nonlinear Balitsky‐Kovchegov (BK) equation. The NLO corrections define the scale of the running‐coupling constant in the BK equation and in QCD, its kernel has both conformal and non‐conformal parts. To separate the conformally invariant effects from the running‐coupling effects, we calculate the NLO evolution of the color dipoles in the conformal N = 4 SYM theory, then we define the “composite dipole operator” with the rapidity cutoff preserving conformal invariance, and the resulting Mobius invariant kernel for this operator agrees with the forward NLO BFKL calculation.In QCD, the NLO kernel for the composite operators resolves in a sum of the conformal part and the running‐coupling part.
Participant Characteristics and Speeding Behavior during an Advisory Warning and Cash Incentive Intervention

Speeding-related crashes are responsible for a significant economic and human toll to society. This paper presents data from a field study evaluating the effectiveness of in-vehicle automated feedback and monetary incentive systems to reduce speeding behavior. The current effort was a unique opportunity to compare self-reported speeding beliefs and behaviors to observed driving behaviors and quantify associations between participant characteristics and driving behaviors. Fifty participants completed the four week study within three experimental groups: automated feedback with monetary incentive (n=20), automated feedback without incentive (n=20), and control (n=10). Results indicated little connection between self-reported and observed speeding behaviors, despite high correlation between self-reported and observed driving patterns overall. Associations were found between sensation-seeking personalities and speeding behavior. Few differences were found between sexes. Results highlight the relationship between personality and driving behavior, and suggest a closing gap between male and female driving behaviors. Language: en
Plasma Membrane Repair Is Mediated by Ca2+-Regulated Exocytosis of Lysosomes

Plasma membrane wounds are repaired by a mechanism involving Ca(2+)-regulated exocytosis. Elevation in intracellular [Ca(2+)] triggers fusion of lysosomes with the plasma membrane, a process regulated by the lysosomal synaptotagmin isoform Syt VII. Here, we show that Ca(2+)-regulated exocytosis of lysosomes is required for the repair of plasma membrane disruptions. Lysosomal exocytosis and membrane resealing are inhibited by the recombinant Syt VII C(2)A domain or anti-Syt VII C(2)A antibodies, or by antibodies against the cytosolic domain of Lamp-1, which specifically aggregate lysosomes. We further demonstrate that lysosomal exocytosis mediates the resealing of primary skin fibroblasts wounded during the contraction of collagen matrices. These findings reveal a fundamental, novel role for lysosomes: as Ca(2+)-regulated exocytic compartments responsible for plasma membrane repair.
Women executives and business owners: A new philanthropy

Philanthropic giving of both time and money is increasingly an important part of the expectations of the role of businesswomen. Women in the corporate world are emerging as some of the most generous and creative new philanthropists.
Use of 1JC1, H1 values for the stereochemical determination of C-glycosides: A simple two dimensional NMR protocol

A combination of three two-dimensional homo- and heteronuclear correlation methods [COSY, HETCOR, and HETERONUCLEAR-2DJ] have been used to determine the stereochemistry of C-glycosides derived from the reaction of 1-acetyloxy allylic silanes with pyranoside oxonium ions. Of particular significance were the 1JC1,H1 values which were used to assign the stereochemistry at the C1 carbon.
Seasonal variation in medical student experience in an obstetrics and gynecology clerkship

Objective Our objective was to determine whether the medical student clinical experience varies during the academic year. Study Design Third-year medical students completing their obstetrics and gynecology clerkship were asked to complete a questionnaire about their clinical experience. The survey evaluated their experience with examinations and procedures using Likert-scale responses. The study was approved by the local institutional review board. Results A total of 90.5% of the students completed the questionnaire. Statistically more procedures were performed in the middle and late time periods than early in the year. This included the number of cervical examinations ( P ≤ .001), speculum examinations ( P ≤ .05), delivery of placentas ( P ≤ .001) and partial delivery of infant with delivery of placenta ( P ≤ .01), partial repair of an episiotomy ( P ≤ .01), and number of ultrasounds ( P ≤ .05) performed by the students. Conclusion For some obstetrical and gynecological procedures, student hands-on experience increased during mid- and late-year clerkship rotations.
A unique glycosphingolipid-splitting enzyme (ceramide-glycanase from leech) cleaves the linkage between the oligosaccharide and the ceramide

A novel type of enzyme which hydrolyzes the linkage between the ceramide and the sugar chain in various glycosphingolipids has been found in the leech, Hirudo medicinalis. This enzyme releases the intact oligosaccharide from LacCer, GbOse3Cer, GbOse4Cer, GbOse5Cer, nLcOse4Cer, GM3, GM2, GM1, GD1a and GT1 with the concurrent release of ceramides. By using tritium-labeled GM1 as substrate we found the optimum pH of this enzyme to be between pH 4 and 5. Since the enzyme cleaves the linkage between the ceramide and the sugar chain in various glycosphingolipids with no apparent preference toward the sugar chain, we propose to call this enzyme ceramide-glycanase.
Nonlinear effects of physisorption on static friction

The effects of a physisorbed film on the force of static friction in a model contact (monatomic adsorbate confined between plane-parallel walls) were investigated by Monte Carlo simulation. At fixed coverage the friction curve (shear yield stress vs normal stress) exhibits a marked nonlinearity, which results from a competition between adsorbate–wall interactions that predominate at low loads and wall–wall interactions that set in beyond a threshold load, which increases with coverage. Previous proximal-probe and computer experiments, carried out at high coverages, see only the initial (low-load) linear portion of the friction curve.
General relativity and satellite orbits: The motion of a test particle in the Schwarzschild metric

The motion of a satellite of negligible mass about a massive spherically symmetric object in a space of Schwarzschild geometry is calculated by using ordinary Newtonian methods for an inverse-square gravitational field acted upon by an inverse-cube disturbing function. The disturbing function is expressed in terms of the Keplerian elements of the orbit and substituted in the Lagrange planetary equations. The equations can be integrated to calculate the displacement in position of the satellite due to the relativistic potential. For example, the Beacon Explorer C satellite is found to be displaced by about 17.4 cm after one revolution. For Mercury the advance of the perihelion is about 85 km after one orbit, and the maximum periodic displacement is about 13 km.
The role of Ctr1 and Ctr2 in mammalian copper homeostasis and platinum-based chemotherapy.

Copper (Cu) is an essential metal for growth and development that has the potential to be toxic if levels accumulate beyond the ability of cells to homeostatically balance uptake with detoxification. One system for Cu acquisition is the integral membrane Cu+ transporter, Ctr1, which has been quite well characterized in terms of its function and physiology. The mammalian Ctr2 protein has been a conundrum for the copper field, as it is structurally closely related to the high affinity Cu transporter Ctr1, sharing important motifs for Cu transport activity. However, in contrast to mammalian Ctr1, Ctr2 fails to suppress the Cu-dependent growth phenotype of yeast cells defective in Cu+ import, nor does it appreciably stimulate Cu acquisition when over-expressed in mammalian cells, underscoring important functional dissimilarities between the two proteins. Several roles for the mammalian Ctr2 have been suggested both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we summarize and discuss current insights into the Ctr2 protein and its interaction with Ctr1, its functions in mammalian Cu homeostasis and platinum-based chemotherapy.
Minimizing growth regulators in shoot culture of an endangered plant, Hackelia venusta (Boraginaceae)

Hackelia venusta (Boraginaceae) is an endangered perennial herb endemic to the interior northwestern United States. Because of seed scarcity, micropropagation (anex situ conservation strategy) could produce true-to-type plantlets suitable for reintroduction. We hypothesized that clones of predetermined size could be rapidly produced by supplementing multiplication and rooting media with minimal levels of cytokinin and auxin. Microshoots derived from shoot expants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (1962) media supplemented with 1% (wt/vol) agar and 0.0001 to 10 μM benzyladenine. Inverse regression estimates on 3 genotypes predicted that a target of 2.5 axillary microshoots per explant would require a minimal level of 0.04±0.02 μM benzyladenine. Culture of 25 genotypes with 0.04 μM benzyladenine resulted in an average of 2.3±0.1 axillary microshoots per explant. Elongated microshoots were transferred to media supplemented with 0.1 to 25 μM indoleacetic acid. Clones rooted from 36% to 100% success after 4 wk in 2.0 μM indoleacetic acid. Plantlets transplantedex vitro with three or more roots survived at 84% versus 46% of plantlets with fewer roots. Up to 84% of the plantlets survived in a planting trial. The data suggest that shoot culture ofHackelia venusta, with minimal growth regulators, can produce axillary microshoots for reintroduction.
Uptake of 3H-norfloxacin in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

To examine the possibility of a proton-motive efflux pump for quinolones in highly quinolone-resistant clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), we studied 3H-norfloxacin uptake in two quinolone-resistant and two quinolone-sensitive strains of MRSA whose gyrA region surrounding amino acid codons 84 and 85 had been sequenced. Two strains were related (one sensitive and one resistant) in that both were recovered from a single patient, one before (sensitive) and one after (resistant) ciprofloxacin therapy. Drug uptake was assessed in four separate experiments running triplicate bacterial suspensions with radiolabeled drug added at time = 0. Sampling was performed in 10 min increments up to 50 min by a vacuum filtration method. The ionic uncoupler, carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCPH), was added at 40 min to test inhibition of a pump mechanism. The results demonstrated no statistically significant differences in uptake between the sensitive and resistant groups, and the uptake patterns were similar. CCCPH also induced an equivalent surge, or enhanced uptake among these strains, rendering an energy-dependent efflux pump an unlikely contributor to the high levels of resistance seen in our strains. Our findings support parallel studies done on these isolates that implicate mutational changes at amino acid codon 84 and/or codon 85 in the gyrA gene as an explanation for high-level quinolone resistance (MIC to ciprofloxacin greater than or equal to 16 mg/L) in MRSA.
The use of motivation theory in engineering education research: a systematic review of literature

Motivation is frequently studied in the context of engineering education. However, the use of the term motivation can be inconsistent, both in how clearly it is defined and in how it is implemented in research designs and practice. This systematic literature review investigates the use of motivation across recent engineering education publications. Results show that the majority of engineering education publications referencing motivation as a concept do not provide a clear definition for the term, nor do they draw upon the existing body of literature surrounding motivation. Within the publications that do draw upon motivation literature, we found that a small number of frameworks were most prominent. We believe that both of these factors potentially inhibit the understanding of motivation in engineering education. Therefore, we provide a number of suggestions for how researchers and practitioners can work to rectify these trends.
Dysplastic nevus syndrome: A phenotypic association of sporadic cutaneous melanoma

Clinical photographs of 79 prospectively studied cases of non-familial cutaneous malignant melanoma were reviewed; special attention was directed to the distribution pattern of coexistent melanocytic lesions. A group of 15 patients had moles on the covered buttock area. Seven of these patients had large clinically atypical nevi, and biopsies of these nevi showed severe melanocytic dysplasia. Residual elements of melanocytic dysplasia were identified in five of the primary melanomas in this group of patients. It is suggested that these patients represent a distinctive syndrome, the Dysplastic Nevus Syndrome (DNS) and that they are at increased risk for development of primary cutaneous malignant melanoma. The clinically and histologically distinctive dysplastic nevi of these patients are identical to the precursor lesion for melanoma that we have previously described in a familial context, the B-K mole syndrome. This paper represents the first description of this form of dysplasia in non-familial melanoma.
Altered hemostasis in migraineurs studied with a dynamic flow system

Abstract Introduction Livedo reticularis (LR) refers to the violaceous netlike pattern of skin related to arteriopathy at the dermis–subcutis border. Livedo is associated with migraine, and among migraineurs, LR is more common in those with prior stroke. Other evidence of vascular perturbation in migraine comes from studies showing elevated von Willebrand factor (vWF). The purpose of this study is to evaluate global hemostasis in migraineurs, including the subset with LR, using a dynamic flow system simulating physiological conditions, and measuring vWF activity and antigen levels. Materials and methods Patients with migraine were enrolled from the headache clinic and presence or absence of LR was noted. Age-matched healthy, non-migraine, LR-free individuals were recruited as controls. To evaluate hemostasis, we used the Clot Signature Analyzer (CSA) measuring platelet hemostasis time (PHT), collagen-induced thrombus formation (CITF), and clot time (CT). vWF activity and vWF antigen levels were also measured. Results The mean vWF activity level (142.7 vs. 103.4, p p p p p r = − 0.51, p = 0.01). Conclusions For migraineurs, the differences from controls in vWF and PHT are most robust in the LR subset, with the inverse correlation suggesting that endothelial perturbation may be causally related to the response of the platelets.
A review and comparative characterization of the fatty acid compositions of seven insect orders

Abstract 1. 1. The fatty acid compositions of the seven insect orders, Lepidoptera, Hemiptera, Orthoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Dictyoptera differ quantitatively in a number of respects with regard to the relative percentages of the commonly occurring fatty acids, myristic, myristoleic, palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids. 2. 2. Major characteristics which appear to be taxonomically related include the relatively high levels of palmitoleic acid in dipterous insects and high levels of myristic acid in some families of hemipterous insects. The exceptions are discussed. 3. 3. The apparent significance of the fatty acid composition, in general, is discussed.
AN APPROACH TO VISIBLE CHEMICAL LASER DEVELOPMENT USING FAST NEAR RESONANT ENERGY TRANSFER

Abstract - Extremely efficient near resonant intermolecular energy transfer from selectively formed metastable states of SiO and GeO is used to pump select receptor atoms with a focus on the creation of visible chemical laser amplifiers and oscillators. Visible transitions associated with thallium (A = 535nm), gallium (A = 417nm), sodium (A = 569,616,319nm), and potassium receptor atoms have been considered. A detailed outline of the alkali based systems is presented. 1. Introduction Certain unique aspects of a very select group of high quantum yield, highly exother- mic simple metal or metalloid oxidations show the promise of creating an energy storage medium which can be used to develop what appear to be the first chemically driven laser amplifiers (and oscillators) operating in the visible spectral region.l Created population inversions rely on ultrafast near resonant intermolecular energy transfer from metastable oxide storage states formed in chemical reaction to pump subsequently amplifying receptor atom transitions including those associated with thallium
In vivo multimodal imaging of transplanted pancreatic islets

Interest is increasing in the transplantation of pancreatic islets as a means to achieve insulin independence in individuals with type I diabetes. The success of this approach is hampered by the absence of methods to follow the fate of transplanted islets non-invasively. In vivo imaging seems to be the most appropriate technique to achieve this goal in small animals and eventually in humans. Here we describe a protocol for labeling and subsequent imaging of transplanted islets in vivo using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and optical imaging. The whole series of experiments can be carried out in roughly 48 h. We believe that our approach can significantly advance the current ability to determine islet distribution, and possibly survival, after transplantation. This information would be essential not only for the long-term monitoring of graft function but also for the design of improved transplantation and immunomodulatory methods.
Fast Algorithms To Compute Multidimensional Discrete Fourier Transform

This paper presents algorithms to com-pute a N -dimensional Discrete Fourier Transform. First existing algorithms are surveyed. Multiplicative symmetrized and orbit exchange algorithm is presented. Then line algorithm to compute Multidi-mensional DFT is derived in two and N -dimensions. The explicit congruences for minimal number of lines covering a mul-tidimensional grid is given, when the data size in one dimension is equal to the power of a prime number.
Radiative lifetimes and band oscillator strengths for metal oxides. II - SiO E 1 Sigma /+/-X 1 Sigma /+/

Use of an electron-beam phase-shift apparatus to obtain the radiative lifetimes for vibrational levels of the SiO E 1 Sigma (+) state. It is found that the radiative lifetimes for the vibrational transitions of the E-X band are independent of the vibrational upper state. The measured phase shifts yield cascade free lifetimes of 10.5 plus or minus 1.1 nsec for v' from 1 to 7. Spectroscopic data from Elander and Lagerqvist (1971) were used to calculate potential curves by the Klein-Dunham procedure, and Franck-Condon factors and r-centroids for the transition were computed.
The physical origin of the low solubility of nonpolar solutes in water.

Elementary but general statistical-mechanical relations are derived that relate the thermodynamic properties of the dissolution process to those of the pure solvent. A number of conclusions are drawn from qualitative arguments that these relations suggest. These include the following: (1) The low solubility of nonpolar solutes in water arises not from the fact that water molecules can form hydrogen bonds, but rather from the fact that they are small in size. (2) The large entropy decrease attending the transfer of an inert solute from a nonaqueous solvent to water is largely due to the decrease in entropy of the nonaqueous solvent as the solvent–solvent interaction is restored on removal of the solute from it. (3) It is improper to use values of thermodynamic quantities obtained from small-molecule transfer studies for those that involve macromolecular folding and interaction.
Should Additional Training be Required for Board Certification

As a young academician I hesitate to be critical of the Board of Pediatrics9 recommendation that additional training be required for certification. (Pediatrics, 37:861, 1966). The points I wish to raise were certainly discussed and were likely omitted from publication for the sake of brevity. However, the addition of an entire year of training in problems of behavior, school-life, etc., as recommended, may well be patchwork of old problems rather than insight into the future.
"I saw it with my own ears": the effects of peer conversations on preschoolers' reports of nonexperienced events.

Abstract The study was designed to explore the effects of naturally occurring peer interactions and repeated suggestive interviews on preschoolers’ (N=96, Mean age=54 months) memories for a personally experienced event, namely a staged archaeological dig. During the dig, one third of the children witnessed two “target” activities. A second third of the children were the classmates of those in the first group, but did not witness the target activities. The remaining children were not the classmates of those who witnessed the target activities, nor did they witness the target activities themselves, and thus served to provide a baseline against which to assess the effects of peer contact. Following the dig, the children were interviewed in either a neutral or suggestive manner on three occasions. Results from a fourth interview by a new examiner revealed that the combination of suggestive interviews and peer exposure led to claims of witnessing the target activities by the classmate group that were comparable to the children who actually did witness these activities. Further, assent rates to misleading questions employing peer pressure and false claims of actually seeing versus merely hearing about the target activities were elevated following opportunities to discuss these activities with peers.
Enhanced radiosyntheses of [11C]raclopride and [11C]DASB using ethanolic loop chemistry

Introduction To improve the synthesis and quality control of carbon-11 labeled radiopharmaceuticals, we report the fully automated loop syntheses of [11C]raclopride and [11C]DASB using ethanol as the only organic solvent for synthesis module cleaning, carbon-11 methylation, HPLC purification, and reformulation.
A system for person-independent hand posture recognition against complex backgrounds

A computer vision system for person-independent recognition of hand postures against complex backgrounds is presented. The system is based on the elastic graph matching, which was extended to allow for combinations of different feature types at the graph nodes.
Urinary Protein Binding, Kinetics, and Dynamics of Furosemide in Nephrotic Patients

The urinary protein binding, kinetics, and dynamics of furosemide were studied in five nephrotic patients after intravenous dosing. Serial plasma and urine samples containing furosemide were analyzed by HPLC, and drug binding to plasma and urinary proteins was determined using equilibrium dialysis techniques. In comparison to data reported previously in healthy subjects, the steady-state volumes of distribution and nonrenal plasma clearances were significantly increased in nephrotic patients, reflecting the reduced binding of furosemide to plasma proteins. Although there was no significant difference in renal clearance between these two groups, the unbound renal clearance of furosemide was significantly reduced in nephrotic patients even when compensated for by the number of functioning nephrons. Furosemide was extensively bound to urinary protein (19.6–78.4%), and the binding was dependent on the degree of proteinuria. Nevertheless, dose–response analyses, in which the response was represented by sodium excretion rate and the dose by urinary excretion rate of unbound drug, demonstrated that nephrotic patients were less responsive to equivalent amounts of unbound diuretic as compared to healthy subjects.
Student Perceptions About and Performance in Problem-Based Learning

Many graduate and professional programs include Problem Based Learning (PBL) as a mainstay in their curricula. For many undergraduate students, this is a change from a teacher-centered to a student-centered learning method. This study was undertaken to learn about perceptions and test performances of college students (N=116) enrolled in liberal education classes when PBL is used vs. traditional teaching methods. Results indicated students perceived traditional teacher-centered learning more favorably than student- centered PBL. Nevertheless, test scores were similar. Negative student perceptions about learning in PBL classes did not support either teacher observations of learning activity in the classroom or compromised test performances.
Conversation with and through Computers

People design what they say specifically for their conversational partners, and they adapt to their partners over the course of a conversation. A comparison of keyboard conversations involving a simulated computer partner (as in a natural language interface) with those involving a human partner (as in teleconferencing) yielded striking differences and some equally striking similarities. For instance, there were significantly fewer acknowledgments in human/computer dialogue than in human/human. However, regardless of the conversational partner, people expected connectedness across conversational turns. In addition, the style of a partner's response shaped what people subsequently typed. These results suggest some issues that need to be addressed before a natural language computer interface will be able to hold up its end of a conversation.
An Empirical Study of Photomask Manufacturing Productivity

A survey-based, empirical study of photomask manufacturing productivity has led to a few significant conclusions. Firstly, the wide variation in the productivity indicators from company to company suggests that all participants may have significant cost-reduction opportunities within their operations. Secondly, high downtime of pattern generation tools is limiting productivity. Thirdly, producing smaller feature sizes is correlated to an investment in engineering and experimentation capacity. It could not be confirmed that photomask manufacturers are successfully taking advantage of economies of scale
Transcription of a Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar phaseoli gene needed for melanin synthesis is activated by nifA of Rhizobium and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Summary The Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar phaseoli symbiotic plasmid pRP2JI carries a gene, melA, specifying the enzyme tyrosinase, which is responsible for the production of the pigment melanin in these bacteria. Transcription of melA is activated by the nifA gene of Rhizobium and, when the cloned melA gene is transferred to Escherichia coli, melA is expressed if the recipients contain nifA gene of Klebsiella pneumoniae. This nifA-dependent activation was temperature sensitive and required the ntrA gene. The cloned nifA gene of K. pneumoniae, when transferred to a nifA mutant of Rhizobium phaseoli biovar phaseoli, corrected the Mer− but not the Fix− phenotype. nifA of R. leguminosarum biovar phaseoli activated melA at higher levels in cells grown in low concentrations of oxygen. Also, nifA of fl. leguminosarum biovar phaseoli activated nifH of K. pneumoniae in Escherichia coli cells grown In low-oxygen concentrations.
Metabolic Abnormalities, Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors, and GFR Decline in Children with Chronic Kidney Disease

Summary Background and objectives Metabolic abnormalities and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors have rarely been systematically assessed in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We examined the prevalence of various CKD sequelae across the GFR spectrum. Design, setting, participants, & measurements Data were used from 586 children participating in the Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKiD) study (United States and Canada) with GFR measured by iohexol plasma disappearance. Laboratory values and CVD risk factors were compared across GFR categories and with an age-, gender-, and race-matched community sample. Results CKiD participants were 62% male, 66% Caucasian, 23% African American, and 15% Hispanic with a median age of 11 years and a median GFR of 44 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 . Compared with those with a GFR 50 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 , having a GFR 30 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 was associated with a three-fold higher risk of acidosis and growth failure and a four- to five-fold higher risk of anemia and elevated potassium and phosphate. Median GFR change was 4.3 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 and 1.5 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 per year in children with glomerular and nonglomerular diagnoses, respectively. Despite medication and access to nephrology care, uncontrolled systolic hypertension was present in 14%, and 16% had left ventricular hypertrophy. Children with CKD frequently were also shorter and had lower birth weight, on average, compared with norms. Conclusions Growth failure, metabolic abnormalities, and CVD risk factors are present at GFR 50 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 in children with CKD and, despite therapy, increase in prevalence two- to four-fold with decreasing GFR. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 6: 2132–2140, 2011. doi: 10.2215/CJN.07100810
Foreign Ownership and Corporate Restructuring: Direct Investment by Emerging-Market Firms in the United States

This paper examines the recent upsurge in foreign direct investment by emerging-market firms into the United States. Traditionally, direct investment flowed from developed to developing countries, bringing with it superior technology, organizational capital, and access to international capital markets, yet increasingly there is a trend towards “capital flowing uphill” with emerging market investors acquiring a broad range of assets in developed countries. Using transaction-specific information and firm-level accounting data we evaluate the operating performance of publicly traded U.S. firms that have been acquired by firms from emerging markets over the period 1980-2006. Our empirical methodology uses a difference-in-differences approach combined with propensity score matching to create an appropriate control group of non-acquired firms. The results suggest that emerging country acquirers tend to choose U.S. targets that are larger in size (measured as sales, total assets and employment) in years preceding the acquisition. Compared to matched non-acquired U.S. firms, target sales and employment decline while profitability rises in the years following the acquisition, suggesting significant restructuring of the target firms.