cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The TX; Y test for the detection of nondisjunction and chromosome breakage in Drosophila melanogaster. I. Analysis of spontaneous events and results of male exposure.

Abstract The translocation X;Y test is a selective system in Drosophila melanogaster designed to detect and distinguish among sex chromosome nondisjunction, chromosome breakage, and X-Y interchange. In the test, only exceptional progeny survive. This enables the investigator to score thousands of progeny with relative ease. The distribution of spontaneous events occurring in individual TX;Y males are analyzed in this paper. Evidence is obtained suggesting that the clusters of two products arising from a single nondisjunction can significantly affect the distribution of recovered chromosome gain or chromosome loss events. Non-parametric statistical methods are therefore recommended for the analysis of TX;Y data. In addition, use of the TX;Y test following exposures of pre-adult males to X-rays, heat shock, cold shock, colchicine, dimethyl sufoxide (DMSO), and trifluralin are presented. Significant increases in nondisjunction (both gain and loss) were obtained following exposures to heat shock, cold shock, DMSO and trifluralin. Significant increases in chromosome breakage and X-Y interchange were obtained after exposures to X-rays and heat shock. These results indicate that the TX;Y test is an efficient method for detecting aneuploidy. Further work is needed, however, to fully validate this system for the routine screening of aneuploidy-inducing agents.
Chlorine Dioxide Dry Fumigation in Special Collection Libraries: A Case Study

The University of Oklahoma Libraries has used chlorine dioxide to successfully control mold in the stacks since 1991. A new dry fumigation method has been developed and tested recently in two special collections stack areas. The dry fumigation application with chlorine dioxide reduces the amount of water added to the environment in a standard fumigation process, thereby minimizing additional harmful humidity fluctuations.
The tissue microarray data exchange specification: A document type definition to validate and enhance XML data

The Association for Pathology Informatics (API) Extensible Mark-up Language (XML) TMA Data Exchange Specification (TMA DES) proposed in April 2003 provides a community-based, open source tool for sharing tissue microarray (TMA) data in a common format. Each tissue core within an array has separate data including digital images; therefore an organized, common approach to produce, navigate and publish such data facilitates viewing, sharing and merging TMA data from different laboratories. The AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource (ACSR) is a HIV/AIDS tissue bank consortium sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis (DCTD). The ACSR offers HIV-related malignancies and uninfected control tissues in microarrays (TMA) accompanied by de-identified clinical data to approved researchers. Exporting our TMA data into the proposed API specified format offers an opportunity to evaluate the API specification in an applied setting and to explore its usefulness. A document type definition (DTD) that governs the allowed common data elements (CDE) in TMA DES export XML files was written, tested and evolved and is in routine use by the ACSR. This DTD defines TMA DES CDEs which are implemented in an external file that can be supplemented by internal DTD extensions for locally defined TMA data elements (LDE). ACSR implementation of the TMA DES demonstrated the utility of the specification and allowed application of a DTD to validate the language of the API specified XML elements and to identify possible enhancements within our TMA data management application. Improvements to the specification have additionally been suggested by our experience in importing other institution's exported TMA data. Enhancements to TMA DES to remove ambiguous situations and clarify the data should be considered. Better specified identifiers and hierarchical relationships will make automatic use of the data possible. Our tool can be used to reorder data and add identifiers; upgrading data for changes in the specification can be automatically accomplished. Using a DTD (optionally reflecting our proposed enhancements) can provide stronger validation of exported TMA data.
Constructive field theory: phase II

It now appears possible to study a realm of problems in CFT which, two years ago, appeared an order of magnitude too difficult to tackle. The finishing touches have just been put on the first paper of this sort1, and in this talk I will describe some of the basic ideas; these ideas are simple, although the details of the paper are complicated. The main question that I will discuss today has been around as long as field theory: Namely how does an interacting field model react to perturbations by an external source? Such perturbations of \(\textup{P}\left (\phi \right )_{2}\), or in fact any reasonable local perturbations of the \(\textup{P}\left (\phi \right )_{2}\) model, have been shown to be regular by James Glimm and myself1. As a consequence, (i) further properties of the original model have been established1, (ii) some new breakthroughs are being made2 and (iii) these methods appear promising for use in the study of more singular models than \(\textup{P}\left (\phi \right )_{2}\).
Enhancing the Metabolic Benefits of Bariatric Surgery: Tipping the Scales With Exercise

The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) procedure is regarded as the gold-standard metabolic surgery in the U.S., rivaling sleeve gastrectomy as the most common bariatric surgery procedure. In addition to considerable weight loss, patients undergoing RYGB exhibit remarkable improvements in multiple metabolic abnormalities, including remission of type 2 diabetes and improvements in insulin sensitivity (1–3). These adaptations can be divided into those that prevail acutely in response to severe energy restriction (e.g., improved glycemia, improved hepatic insulin sensitivity) versus those that occur with more latency, associated with weight loss (e.g., improved peripheral insulin sensitivity) (2,4). In many cases, the long-term improvements in peripheral insulin sensitivity align with the degree of weight lost in the months following the RYGB procedure (5,6). Although the point has been made that peripheral insulin sensitivity remains well below what is observed in lean healthy control subjects in spite of substantial weight loss following RYGB, there is hearty evidence that, if anything, the improvements in peripheral insulin sensitivity following RYGB are greater than would be predicted based on weight loss alone (2,7). For example, Camastra et al. (2) followed morbidly obese RYGB patients with or without diabetes up to 1 year following the procedure, evaluating peripheral insulin sensitivity using the euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp procedure. While it is true that insulin-stimulated glucose disposal 1 year following RYGB (38.5 μmol/min/kg fat-free mass [FFM]) remained well below values measured in lean control subjects (64.0 μmol/min/kg FFM), the values were higher …
Cognitive‐Motivational Influences on Health Behavior Change in Adults with Chronic Pain

Objective. The primary aim was to assess the psychological factors that influence engagement in health behaviors in individuals with chronic pain using a new measure, the Behavioral Engagement Test for Chronic Pain (BET-CP). A secondary aim was to determine preliminary psychometric properties of the BET-CP. Subjects. Participants were 86 adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain recruited from University of Florida pain clinics and the community. Methods. Participants completed a battery of self-report instruments online, including the BET-CP and measures of related constructs. Items on the BET-CP assessed motivation, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and the symptom benefit required to engage across four health behaviors: exercise, diet, sleep, and pain self-management (e.g., relaxation and activity pacing). Results. Participants reported modest expectations of pain-related symptom improvement if they practiced the health behaviors (22–26% improvement), but they required twice that (47–54% improvement) to make it worth their while to commit to practicing them. Participants expected to get the most symptom relief from relaxation and activity pacing, but they were most confident and motivated to eat a healthy diet. In a subsample of participants who provided data for psychometric analysis, the BET-CP demonstrated strong test-retest reliability across 7 days and adequate convergent validity. Conclusion. While patients with musculoskeletal pain have outcome expectancies that are nearly in line with research on behavioral pain treatments, their stringent requirements for symptom benefit may impede engagement in the health behaviors recommended for their pain-related symptoms. Additional psychometric study with larger sample sizes is needed to further validate the BET-CP.
Remote command-and-control of imaging payloads using commercial off-the-shelf technology

An airborne test was conducted, demonstrating wireless remote operation of a high-resolution airborne digital imaging system and near real-time wireless transfer of acquired imagery to a ground station. Low cost, portability, ease of use, and the data transfer rates are major strengths of this telemetry system. This new technology represents a significant contribution to the further development of UAVs as image acquisition platforms.
Multi-planar angular spectrum approach applied to pressure field calculations of spherically focused pistons

The application of angular spectrum approach (ASA) on spherically focused circular pistons was analyzed. For a uniform sampling rate and field size errors produced by the ASA vary as a function of depth. The multi-planar ASA was demonstrated for a spherically focused piston with diameter 2a=16cm and radius of curvature R=16cm. The normal evaluated at the center of the spherical shell, which is coincident with z-axis, defines the origin of the Cartesian coordinate system. It was concluded that the multi-planar ASA compensates for the error by adding additional source planes and achieves much greater accuracy.
Unmasking of thrombin vasoconstriction in isolated perfused dog hearts after intracoronary infusion of air embolus.

Effects of intracoronary thrombin and acetylcholine administration on coronary vascular reactivity were studied in isolated perfused (Langendorff) dog hearts before and after air embolus treatment. Under constant flow condition with control coronary perfusion pressure of 71.4 +/- 5.4 mm Hg (mean +/- S.E.M. of eight hearts), infusion of thrombin (0.1 U/ml) resulted in an immediate decrease (-32.8 +/- 2.7 mm Hg) in coronary perfusion pressure, reaching a maximum in approximately 20 to 25 sec. Similar vasodilatory response (-30.5 +/- 1.9 mm Hg, M +/- S.E.M. of six hearts) also was observed with administration of 0.1 microM acetylcholine. Introduction of 0.3 ml air embolus into the coronary circulation before thrombin or acetylcholine testings, however, showed a 100 and 63% decrease in their respective coronary vasodilatory responses. More importantly, infusion of thrombin into these previously air embolus-treated hearts actually resulted in a potent vasoconstriction by increasing the coronary perfusion pressure (+48.2 +/- 5.7 mm Hg, mean +/- S.E.M. of six hearts) above the control level. The coronary vasoconstrictory effect of thrombin was reversible upon cessation of thrombin infusion or with concurrent administration of sodium nitroprusside (1 microM). Similarly, synthetic thrombin inhibitor phenylalanyl-prolyl-arginine chloromethyl ketone (0.1 microM) also was capable of both inhibiting and reversing thrombin-induced vasoconstriction. The present finding of a potent thrombin-induced coronary vasoconstriction in intact hearts after air embolus infusion further supports the hypothesis that an activation of thrombin in certain pathological states with injured endothelium may have an important role in the genesis of coronary vasospasm.
Effects of histamine and some other substances on molecular selectivity of the capillary wall to plasma proteins and dextran.

Abstract Lymph/plasma concentration ratios ( R ) were measured for Dextran-110 and for several plasma protein components resolved by disc electrophoresis or gel filtration of dog leg lymph before and after injection of histamine, bradykinin, serotonin (5-HT), or vasodilators into the paw. Most of the molecules studied were larger than can be transported by the hypothetical small pore system (radius 40 A). Control R for plasma proteins showed a general decline with increasing molecular size. Transport could be accounted for equally well by ultrafiltration through a small number of large pores ( r ≧ 1600 A) or by turnover of endothelial vesicles (internal radius 250 A). Secondary deviations from a strict permeability-molecular size relation suggest that for proteins, permeability is decreased by negative charge. Dextran molecules are transported less readily than proteins of the same effective size. This cannot be attributed to charge, but may be due to differences in molecular configuration or to chemical interactions. Histamine or bradykinin (but not 5-HT or vasodilators) diminish the selectivity of the blood-lymph barrier with respect to molecular size. The effects of electrical charge are also diminished, as is the difference between Dextrans and proteins. These changes in permeability are due entirely to alteration of the capillary pathway for large molecule transport (large pores or vesicles). The data cannot readily be fitted to theoretical predictions for an increase in size or number of large pores, but can be accounted for by an increase in size and volume turnover of endothelial vesicles (cytopempsis).
Mitigating propagation losses in neural network pattern recognition through the atmosphere

Neural network, image-based pattern recognition is generally robust to noise. However, when applied to imaging through the atmosphere, image-based classification performance can be severely reduced by low contrast atmospheric conditions. In particular, we show that classification performance through spatially fluctuating plumes of smoke and dust is reduced by the changes in path radiance and transmittance across the image. However, by predicting the quantitative effects of propagation losses, we also show that classification performance can be significantly improved by applying a novel training strategy. Improved performance can be obtained by training a neural network on atmospheric propagation effects as an additional class and simultaneously training the network to ignore the atmospheric influence on the target classes. Successful tests of the method in actual field measurements of targets partially obscured by smoke and dust are shown. Effects both on single layer and multi-layer backpropagation neural networks are considered, and performance improvement is shown for several classification examples.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
What Makes a Maḏhab a Maḏhab: Zaydī debates on the structure of legal authority

Abstract Over the centuries Zaydīs have been called upon to respond to a series of challenges from within and without to the internal cohesion of their tradition. Noting that Zaydīs did not commonly follow the legal opinions of their eponym Zayd b. ʿAlī (d. 112/740), Sunnī critics challenged them to justify their adoption of the label Zaydī. The classical response was provided by the Yemeni imam al-Manṣūr ʿAbd Allāh b. Ḥamza (d. 614/1217), who explained affiliation to Zayd in theological and political terms. Within Zaydism itself, however, disagreement among leading imams on questions of law occasioned dissent among their followers. To counter this threat to unity within their ranks, Zaydī jurists widely adopted the theory that all qualified legal experts (mugtahids), including the Zaydī imams, were equally correct. More technical were the questions that came to surround the character of the legal school (maḏhab) that became dominant among Yemeni Zaydīs. These concerned both the source of the legal opinions that made up the doctrine of the school and the related question of the school’s structure of authority. These historical and theoretical questions acquired a particular urgency from the 11th/17th century and were popularized with the circulation of Isḥāq b. Yūsuf’s (d. 1173/1760) short poem, ʿUqūd al-taskīk, which directly challenged Yemeni Zaydīs to clarify their legal identity. Equally challenged was the structure of authority of all the Sunnī maḏhabs, and therefore issues raised here pertain to Islamic law more generally. This poem evoked a variety of responses in prose and verse, including a short treatise by the poem’s author, al-Tafkīk li-ʿUqūd al-taskīk. While several respondents sought to affirm the viability of the legal school, others, notably Ibn al-Amīr al-Ṣanʿānī (d. 1182/1769) and Muḥammad b. ʿAlī al-Sawkānī (d. 1250/1834), argued that it could not be saved. Their objections to traditional legal authority (taqlīd) within Zaydism were widely disseminated by 19th- and 20th-century Muslim reformers interested in undermining the Sunnī schools of law and continue to enjoy great currency.
Cholesterol Management in Theory and Practice

Abstract The preponderance of evidence confirms the importance of aggressive lipid modification in patients at risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). However, data suggest that this information is underimplemented in the clinical setting, even in patients with existing CHD, in whom the greatest benefit of such treatment has been shown. The fact that many practitioners do not pursue a proven treatment strategy in patients who qualify must be redressed through education and reinforcement of existing recommendations. In the present review, the current clinical and mechanistic understanding of the benefit of aggressive lipid management is summarized, with a focus on the clinical implications of recent findings. These include growing public awareness of cholesterol as a modifiable CHD risk factor, recommendations for earlier and more aggressive intervention in patients with existing disease, and discussion of the cost-effectiveness of lipid-regulating therapy. Despite the secular trend of declining CHD morbidi...
Iron-based superconductors: Half-flux redux

Observations of half-integer transitions of the quantized magnetic flux passing through a superconducting niobium/iron-pnictide loop provides strong evidence for the occurrence of unconventional 'sign-reversal s-wave pairing symmetry' in the iron-based superconductors.
Complicating Voice in a Refusal to “Let Participants Speak for Themselves”

In this article, the authors respond to the editors’ call to challenge simplistic and mechanistic approaches to qualitative research that preclude dense and multilayered treatment of data. The editors assert that such practices can lead to (over)simplified knowledge claims, something especially risky when participant “voice” is presented as an expression of “experience” devoid of context. The authors approach the methodological project of a simplified voice in qualitative inquiry that attempts to offer an authentic essence or voice that is present, stable, and self-reflective. Aided by Deleuze to conceive a voice without an image, the authors specifically challenge simplistic treatments of voice that beckon voices to “speak for themselves” or that reduce complicated and conflicting voices to analytical “chunks” that can be interpreted free of context and circumstance. The authors conclude with illustrations from their research that demonstrate how they put such complicating practices to work and how they ...
Use of lignin-degrading fungi in the disposal of pentachlorophenol-treated wood

The lignin-degrading fungiPhanerochaete chrysosporium, P. sordida, Trametes hirsuta, andCeriporiopsis subvermispora were evaluated for their ability to decrease the concentration of pentachlorophenol (PCP) and to cause dry weight loss in PCP-treated wood. Hardwood and softwood materials from PCP-treated ammunition boxes that were chipped to pass a 3.8-cm screen were used. All four fungi caused significant weight losses and decreases in the PCP concentration. The largest PCP decrease (84% in 4 weeks) was caused byT. hirsuta, and the smallest decrease was caused byC. subvermispora (37% in 4 weeks). After 4 weeks, the fate of spiked14C[PCP] in softwood chips inoculated withT. hirsuta was as follows: 27% was mineralized, 42.5% was non-extractable and bound to the chips, 23.5% was associated with fungal hyphae, and 6% was organic-extractable. Decreases of PCP byP. chrysosporium andP. sordida averaged 59% and 57%, respectively. PCP decreases caused byPhanerochaete spp. were not significantly affected by wood type or sterilization and were primarily due to methylation of PCP that resulted in accumulation of pentachloroanisole. Softwood weight losses caused byT. hirsuta, P. chrysosporium andC. subvermispora were respectively, 24, 6.5, and 17%, after 4 weeks. These weight losses are comparable to reported weight losses by these organisms in non-treated softwood. Nutrient supplementation significantly increased weight loss but not percentage decrease of PCP. The results of this research demonstrate the potential for using lignin-degrading fungi to destroy PCP-treated wood.
A comparative evaluation of three self-rating scales for acute mania

This study compared the performance of three self-rating mania scales, The Internal State Scale (ISS), the Self-Report Manic Inventory (SRMI), and the Altman Self-Rating Mania Scale (ASRM), in a group of patients with acute mania. Forty-four adult inpatients with bipolar disorder, manic or mixed, completed all scales shortly after admission, and 31 patients completed them again after 4-6 weeks of pharmacotherapy. Patients also were rated by clinicians on the Clinician-Administered Rating Scale for Mania (CARS-M). At baseline, scores on the ASRM and the ISS well-being subscale were significantly correlated with CARS-M scores. Posttreatment scores were significantly decreased for the ASRM, SRMI, and the ISS activation subscale. The sensitivities for each scale to correctly identify patients with acute symptoms was 45% for the ISS, 86% for the SRMI, and 93% for the ASRM. Specificities were 73%, 46.6%, and 33%, respectively. The ASRM and SRMI were more sensitive than the ISS in screening patients with acute mania. All three measures were sensitive to treatment effects; however, the item content of the SRMI and the poor sensitivity of the ISS may limit their utility in inpatient settings.
Teratogenicity of ochratoxin A in chick embryos.

Abstract Experiments were conducted to evaluate the teratogenic potential of ochratoxin A given to developing chick embryos. Ochratoxin A was dissolved in propylene glycol and injected into embryonating chicken eggs at doses ranging from 0.0005 to 0.007 mg/egg. The injections were made into the air sacs of eggs after 48, 72, and 96 hr of incubation (Groups A, B, and C). Control eggs were injected with an equivalent volume of propylene glycol (0.1 ml/egg). In all, 720 chicken eggs were used for this study. All embryos were examined at Day 8. The LD50 for embryos in Groups A, B, and C was 0.0007, 0.003, and 0.007 mg/egg, respectively. The following malformations were observed: short and twisted limbs, short and twisted neck, microphthalmia, exencephaly, everted viscera, and reduced body size. Microscopic examination of whole embryos treated at 48 hr (Group A) showed ventricular septal defects, aortic stenosis, and malformations of the valves. The results of the present study indicate that ochratoxin A is teratogenic.
Cycloheptatrienyl oxyallyl. An observable oxyallyl

Density functional calculations have been carried out for cycloproylidene-, cyclopentylidene-, and tropyllideneallene oxides (7−9) and the reaction pathway for their conversion to the corresponding oxyallyls (10−12) and cyclopropanones (13−15) in order to probe the electronic structure of the intermediate oxyallyls. All three oxyallyls were found to be stabilized with respect to their allene oxides in comparison to the unsubstituted allene oxide and oxyallyl. For 7 and 9 the stabilization can be attributed to the zwitterionic character of the oxyallyls, while for 8 the stabilization can be attributed to its diradical character. This suggests that oxyallyl is capable of “adapting” to its local environment. Calculations predict that oxyallyl 12 should be an observable intermediate in the absence of nucleophiles, since it is calculated to be of lower energy than either the allene oxide 9 or the cyclopropanone 15.
Markedly elevated levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in malignant ascites.

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent angiogenic factor that also has the ability to increase vascular permeability. Malignant ascites has significant morbidity, but the mechanism of its development is unknown. Because of the permeability-inducing properties of VEGF, we hypothesized that malignant ascites formation is associated with high levels of VEGF. The purpose of our study was to determine the role of VEGF in malignant ascites formation.
Computational flow simulation of liquid oxygen in a SSME preburner injector element LOX post

Liquid oxygen (LOX) is simulated as an incompressible flow through a Space Shuttle main engine fuel preburner injector element LOX post for the full range of operating conditions. Axial profiles of axial velocity and static pressure are presented. For each operating condition analyzed, the minimum pressure downstream of the orifice is compared to the vapor pressure to determine if cavitation could occur. Flow visualization is provided by velocity vectors and stream function contours. The results indicate that the minimum pressure is too high for cavitation to occur. To establish confidence in the CFD analysis, the simulation is repeated with water flow through a superscaled LOX post and compared with experimental results. The agreement between calculated and experimental results is very good.
Turbulent-wake calculations with an eddy-viscosity model.

A simple eddy-viscosity model is shown to make it possible to calculate numerically the mean properties of a turbulent wake. Although the structure of the Reynolds stress terms is not resolved, the results obtained are adequate for predicting velocity profiles and displacement thicknesses.
Sensitivity Study of the Cumulant Method of Calculating Generation System Reliability

The cumulant method is a very fast method for the underlying calculations which support production costing and reliability evaluations. This paper applies the method to a variety of system configurations and measures the accuracy against established methods. A surprisingly wide range of applicability is established. The method proves to be adequate for generation systems where the forced outage rates are greater than 10 percent and the largest unit is less than 10 percent of installed capacity.
Photoconductivity in indium sulfide powders and crystals

Methods for the preparation of indium sulfide and the photoconductivity measurements on powders and crystals are reported. (J.E.D.)
Image Processing and Jump Regression Analysis

(2006). Image Processing and Jump Regression Analysis. Journal of the American Statistical Association: Vol. 101, No. 476, pp. 1724-1724.
Assessing the Risk of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome in Egg Donation: Implications for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Stem cell research has important implications for medicine. The source of stem cells influences their therapeutic potential, with stem cells derived from early-stage embryos remaining the most versatile. Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), a source of embryonic stem cells, allows for understandings about disease development and, more importantly, the ability to yield embryonic stem cell lines that are genetically matched to the somatic cell donor. However, SCNT requires women to donate eggs, which involves injection of ovulation-inducing hormones and egg retrieval through laparoscopy or transvaginal needle aspiration. Risks from this procedure are fiercely debated, most notably risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). This review examines risk of OHSS resulting from oocyte donation. We conclude that risk posed by OHSS in egg donation is not significant enough to warrant undue concern, and much of this can be eliminated when proper precautions are taken. This bears relevance to the future of stem cell research policymaking.
Catalysis in prebiotic chemistry: application to the synthesis of RNA oligomers

Abstract The role of catalysis in prebiotic synthesis is illustrated using the montmorillonite clay catalyzed synthesis of RNA oligomers. Reaction of activated monomers of nucleotides in pH 8 aqueous solution containing Mg 2+ in the presence of montmorillonite yields 6–14 mers. The reaction takes place at the clay interlayer. The catalyst controls the synthesis of RNA oligomers in that a limited number of sequences are formed, there is control on the selectivity of phosphodiester bond formation and there is homochiral selectivity. Oligomers of length greater than 40 mers can be formed in reactions where the activated monomer is added daily to a primer. The need for catalysis in prebiotic synthesis is discussed.
Modulation of MHC binding by lateral association of TCR and coreceptor.

The structure of a T cell receptor (TCR) and its affinity for cognate antigen are fixed, but T cells regulate binding sensitivity through changes in lateral membrane organization. TCR microclusters formed upon antigen engagement participate in downstream signaling. Microclusters are also found 3-4 days after activation, leading to enhanced antigen binding upon rechallenge. However, others have found an almost complete loss of antigen binding four days after T cell activation, when TCR clusters are present. To resolve these contradictory results, we compared binding of soluble MHC-Ig dimers by transgenic T cells stimulated with a high (100 μM) or low (100 fM) dose of cognate antigen. Cells activated by a high dose of peptide bound sixfold lower amounts of CD8-dependent ligand K(b)-SIY than cells activated by a low dose of MHC/peptide. In contrast, both cell populations bound a CD8-independent ligand L(d)-QL9 equally well. Consistent with the differences between binding of CD8-dependent and CD8-independent peptide/MHC, Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements of molecular proximity reported little nanoscale association of TCR with CD8 (16 FRET units) compared to their association on cells stimulated by low antigen dose (62 FRET units). Loss of binding induced by changes in lateral organization of TCR and CD8 may serve as a regulatory mechanism to avoid excessive inflammation and immunopathology in response to aggressive infection.
Client behavior and feed characteristics of RSS, a publish-subscribe system for web micronews

While publish-subscribe systems have attracted much research interest since the last decade, few established benchmarks have emerged, and there has been little characterization of how publish-subscribe systems are used in practice. This paper examines RSS, a newly emerging, widely used publish-subscribe system for Web micronews. Based on a trace study spanning 45 days at a medium-size academic department and periodic polling of approximately 100,000 RSS feeds, we extract characteristics of RSS content and usage. We find that RSS workload resembles the Web in content size and popularity; feeds are typically small (less than 10KB), albeit with a heavy tail, and feed popularity follows a power law distribution. The update rate of RSS feeds is widely distributed; 55% of RSS feeds are updated hourly, while 25% show no updates for several days. And, only small portions of RSS content typically change during an update; 64% of updates involve less than three lines of the RSS content. Overall, this paper presents an analysis of RSS, the first widely deployed publish-subscribe system, and provides insights for the design of next generation publish-subscribe systems.
A collaborative care approach to depression treatment for Asian Americans

OBJECTIVE This study examined effectiveness of collaborative care for depression among Asians treated either at a community health center that focuses on Asians (culturally sensitive clinic) or at general community health centers and among a matched population of whites treated at the same general community clinics. METHODS For 345 participants in a statewide collaborative care program, use of psychotropic medications, primary care visits with depression care managers, and depression severity (as measured with the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire) were tracked at baseline and 16 weeks. RESULTS After adjustment for differences in baseline demographic characteristics, all three groups had similar treatment process and depression outcomes. Asian patients served at the culturally sensitive clinic (N=129) were less likely than Asians (N=72) and whites (N=144) treated in general community health clinics to be prescribed psychotropic medications. CONCLUSIONS Collaborative care for depression showed similar response rates among all three groups.
Modulation of the Murine Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor γ2 Promoter Activity by CCAAT/Enhancer-binding Proteins

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBPs) are transcriptional regulators essential for adipocyte differentiation and function. Previous findings indicate that PPARγ2 transcription is regulated by members of the C/EBP family. We demonstrate here that C/EBPα and C/EBPδ, but not C/EBPβ, induce the activity of the PPARγ2 promoter in transiently transfected 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and bind to two juxtaposed low affinity C/EBP binding sites. Results obtained with chimeras containing interchanged C/EBPα-C/EBPβ N-terminal transactivation domain and C-terminal DNA binding dimerization domain indicate that the N-terminal part of C/EBPβ prevents it from binding to the PPARγ2 promoter. Indeed, deletion mutants of C/EBPβ lacking the N-terminal part of the molecule are able to bind to the PPARγ2 promoter. We further demonstrate that deletion of a region located between amino acids 184–212, upstream of the DNA binding domain, permits C/EBPβ binding to the PPARγ2 promoter, implicating an inhibitory region in C/EBPβ for modulating DNA binding specificity to the PPARγ2 promoter. In summary, this study indicates that C/EBPβ but not C/EBPα or C/EBPδ is unable to bind to C/EBP binding sites in the mouse PPARγ2 promoter. The lack of binding is due to a region N-terminal of the C/EBPβ DNA binding domain. Our findings illustrate a mechanism by which C/EBP isoforms differentially modulate the transactivation of the PPARγ2 promoter.
Experimental and theoretical investigation of particle-laden airflow under a prosthetic mechanical foot in motion

This research effort was aimed at understanding how foot motion affects air transport and thus how walking affects contaminant dispersion. Particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) showed that during a rotational motion of the foot (typical footstep), a draft corner flow develops that carries particles from heel to toe. Foot contact with the floor may result in one or both of two types of reentrainment: (1) particles become airborne due to detachment from the floor, and (2) particles are first collected by the foot cover (e.g., Tyvek) and then detached from the foot into the airflow produced by the foot rotation. The airflow under the rotating foot was modeled as a rotating corner flow, and it was shown that such modeling can capture major characteristics of the airflow generated by the rotating foot and can explain how rotational foot motion contributes to reentrainment and dispersion of contaminants.
Missing Data, Imputation, and the Bootstrap

Missing data refers to a class of problems made difficult by the absence of some portions of a familiar data structure. For example, a regression problem might have some missing values in the predi...
Biology and taxonomy of encrusting alcyoniid soft corals in the northeastern Pacific Ocean with descriptions of two new genera (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Octocorallia)

. In this paper we summarize current knowledge of the distribution, ecology, and reproductive biology of 4 encrusting species in the soft coral family Alcyoniidae, with descriptions of 2 new genera and 2 new species. The new genus Discophyton is erected for Alcyonium rudyi, a species common in the lower intertidal of exposed rocky headlands from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada south to Point Lobos, California, USA. Discophyton rudyi n. gen. & n. comb. propagates extensively by clonal fission, giving rise to characteristic aggregations of small, regularly spaced, disc-shaped colonies. We describe 2 new species and place them in a new genus, Thrombophyton. Thrombophyton coronatum n. gen. & n. sp. forms irregularly shaped, membranous colonies on rock surfaces; it occurs subtidally along the southern California coast from the Palos Verdes Peninsula to San Diego and on the California Islands. Thrombophyton trachydermum n. gen. & n. sp. has a similar, membranous growth form; it occurs both intertidally and subtidally on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, and in the San Juan Archipelago, Washington, and intertidally in central California, USA. Alcyonium pacificum, reported for the first time from North American waters, occurs in subtidal kelp beds around the Aleutian islands of Attu and Adak; its mushroom-shaped colonies are raised above the substrate on a short stalk. D. rudyi, T. trachydermum, and A. pacificum are all gonochores that reproduce in late summer; in contrast, T. coronatum appears to reproduce in the spring. D. rudyi and T. coronatum brood larvae internally to a late planula stage. A key to species is presented for all shallow-water soft corals known to occur in the northeastern Pacific Ocean.
BEYOND SOCIAL TREND DATA

In the first issue of this Journal, Florence Shelly states that the proper use of social‐trend data can help market‐ing managers in at least four areas by providing: 1. a future outlook for specific business units; 2. an input for brand / product strategy; 3. a basis for checking specific tactics; and, 4. an enriched understanding of market segments. Perhaps, the major point of that article is not just what it says, but what it implies‐the need for a marketing philosophy of “implementation based on anticipation.” In conceptualizing this philosophy, the correct use of social‐ trend data can be seen as the first step necessary in strategic‐marketing planning—the tip of the iceberg. However, the strategies adopted by American marketers over the past two decades do not demonstrate that the levels of marketing myopia which Levitt discussed in the 60's have diminished. What is even more disconcerting is that the tools for reducing marketing myopia are not obscure trade secrets; as a matter of fact, they can be found in most introductory marketing textbooks. Environmental scanning, the prime instrument available for this purpose, deserves a closer look in relation to its worth for managerial decision making.
Endothelins in Canine Genitourinary Tissues

ABSTRACTPurpose: To characterize the functional effect of endothelin-1 (ET1) and endothelin-3 (ET3), immunohistochemically localize ET1-like immunoreactivity, and measure the tissue levels of immunoreactive endothelin (irET) in canine genitourinary (GU) tissues.Materials and Methods: Canine GU tissues were characterized by measuring ET1 levels using a RIA, immunohistochemical staining of ET1 and isometric tension studies.Results: Immunoreactive endothelin was present, to varying degrees, in the vas deferens, ureter, prostate, bladder and urethra. Functionally, ET1 demonstrated the typical concentration response characteristics in the canine bladder base, bladder body, and prostate. The maximal tension (Emax) measured following ET1 challenge was approximately 20-fold greater in the bladder body (0.67 +/- 0.21 g/mm.2) and bladder base (0.48 +/- 0.18 g/mm.2) as compared to the prostate 0.04 +/- 0.001 g/mm.2 The Emax of ET3 in the bladder body (0.31 +/- 0.12 g/mm.2) and bladder base (0.19 +/- 0.08 g/mm.2) was...
Galaxy formation: Gone with the wind?

Windy weather is forecast where stars are forming. Numerical simulations show that these winds can reshape dwarf galaxies, reconciling their properties with the prevailing theory of galaxy formation.
Oxidation state and lattice expansion of CeO 2 − x nanoparticles as a function of particle size

Cerium oxide nanoparticles ${\mathrm{CeO}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}$ (\ensuremath{\sim}3--20 nm in diameter) made by a vapor phase condensation method, have been studied by several methods of transmission electron microscopy (TEM): electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), high resolution imaging, and electron diffraction. The white-line ratios ${M}_{5}{/M}_{4}$ of the EELS spectra were used to determine the relative amounts of cerium ions ${\mathrm{Ce}}^{3+}$ and ${\mathrm{Ce}}^{4+}$ as a function of particle size. The fraction of ${\mathrm{Ce}}^{3+}$ ions in the particles rapidly increased with decreasing particle size below \ensuremath{\sim}15 nm in diameter. The particles were completely reduced to ${\mathrm{CeO}}_{1.5}$ at the diameter of \ensuremath{\sim}3 nm. This reduced cerium oxide has a fluorite structure which is the same as that of bulk ${\mathrm{CeO}}_{2}.$ Also, EELS spectra taken from the edge and center of the particle indicated that for larger particles the valence reduction of cerium ions occurs mainly at the surface, forming a ${\mathrm{CeO}}_{1.5}$ layer and leaving the core as essentially ${\mathrm{CeO}}_{2}.$ A micromechanical model based on linear elasticity was used to explain the lattice expansion of the ${\mathrm{CeO}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}$ nanoparticles. Comparing our results with previously published works indicates that the amount of ${\mathrm{CeO}}_{1.5}$ in ${\mathrm{CeO}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}$ nanoparticles is a strong function of the particular synthesis methods used to make these particles.
Pharmacogenetic strategies for studying alcohol dependence

The importance of genotypic differences in the determination of sensitivity to ethanol, tolerance development and physical dependence susceptibility is achieving ever greater recognition. It is now generally accepted by investigators studying the biochemical and physiological bases for alcoholism that genotype can influence all these different aspects of sensitivity to the effects of ethanol. Although there is convincing evidence that susceptibility to alcoholism is inherited in man, we have no idea what it is that is inherited [2, 7, 19, 24, 31]. By examining a family history for a particular individual, we can identify individuals at familial risk for developing problems with alcohol abuse. However, environmental as well as genetic factors are important in determining who does and who does not become an alcoholic [4]. Thus, one critical need is for a genetic marker for alcoholism. Since the search for such markers in human research is both expensive and time-consuming, this has led to the use of animal models for alcoholism. Animal models are particularly helpful for genetic research since their genetics are well understood and can be specifically tooled to the task at hand. The goal of this paper is to illustrate the principal genetic methodologies that have been employed to study the human and animal pharmacogenetics of alcohol, and to identify future directions in this area.
Populations and pigeons: prosaic pluralism about evolutionary causes.

Abstract Walsh, 2007 , Walsh, 2010 was correct to conclude that the way a biological population is described should affect conclusions about whether natural selection occurs, but wrong to conclude that natural selection is therefore not a cause. After providing a new argument that ( Walsh, 2007 ) ignored crucial biological details, I give a biological illustration that motivates a fairly extreme dependence on description. I argue that contrary to an implication of ( Otsuka, Turner, Allen, & Lloyd, 2011 ), biologists allow much flexibility in describing populations, as contemporary research on recent human evolution shows. Properly understood, such description-dependence is consistent with descriptions capturing different causal relations involving the same population. I thus show that Walsh’s (2007) arguments fail for reasons that have not previously been understood; I argue that Walsh’s (2010) more recent “Sure Thing” argument fails for similar reasons. The resulting view provides a new perspective on causation in evolutionary processes.
The Politics of Health Care in Nicaragua before and after the Revolution of 1979

Recent political changes in Nicaragua provide the context in which to analyze the relationship between politics and health (Bossert 1982; Halperin and Garfield 1982). The specific focus of this paper will be on the organization and function of community participation in health delivery before and after the Revolution of July 19, 1979.
Theory And Methods Of Radiometric Calibration

The theory and techniques of radiometric calibration, as applied to instruments used to characterize remote target sources, are not well understood by many engineers and physicists engaged in measurement programs. This invited tutorial lecture is designed to show that the correct interpretation of field data is dependent upon an understanding of the theory of calibration. The instrument must be qualified in four nearly independent domains: (1) field of view, (2) spectral bandpass, (3) time, and (4) polarization.© (1976) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Rett syndrome: A preliminary analysis of stereotypy, stress, and negative affect

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a neurodevelopmental disorder primarily affecting females. It is characterized by apparently normative development of motor and communicative abilities followed by deterioration in these domains. Stereotypic hand movements are one of the core diagnostic criteria for RTT. There is some anecdotal but limited scientific evidence that changes in hand stereotypy may be a sign of increased anxiety or arousal (i.e., a 'stress response') in RTT. Understanding stress responsivity is difficult in RTT because almost all individuals are nonverbal or otherwise severely communicatively impaired. This study used direct behavioral observation to quantify and compare the frequency of hand stereotypy and signs of negative affect during presumed periods of high and low stress associated with functional analysis conditions (negative reinforcement ['escape'] and control ['free play'], respectively) for 5 females with RTT (mean age=17.8; range 4-47). Negative affect was more likely to occur during negative reinforcement ('stress') conditions for each participant whereas hand stereotypies did not differ across conditions for any of the participants. Although preliminary, the results suggest that hand stereotypy may not be a valid behavioral 'stress-response' indicator in females with RTT. Alternatively, the approach we used may have been limited and not sufficient to evoke a stress response. Either way, more work with direct relevance to improving our understanding of hand stereotypy and anxiety in RTT in relation to social context appears warranted.
Novel flow injection analysis systems for drug analysis

Flow injection analysis (FIA) has become a versatile tool for rapid and automated analyses. As its capabilities have increased, so have the complexity and operation of the apparatus. We have been investigating ways to simplify both the apparatus and the application of injection techniques. A novel cam-driven syringe pump and the development of sequential injection analysis (SIA) are reviewed, and some applications presented. Flow injection coulometric titrations are presented as a means to further alleviate reagent stability and calibration problems. These systems have potential for automatically carrying out many drug assays.