cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Short communication: lack of breed differences in responses of bovine spermatozoa to heat shock.

An experiment was conducted to test whether the magnitude of effects of heat shock on spermatozoal function were less for thermotolerant breeds (Brahman and other breeds with Brahman influence) than for breeds that evolved in northern Europe (Angus and Holstein). Frozen spermatozoa were thawed, purified by Percoll gradient centrifugation and incubated at 38.5, 41, or 42°C for 4 h. Sperm motility was then analyzed with a Hamilton Thorn Motility Analyzer. Heat shock reduced the percentage of sperm that were motile, mean track speed, and mean path velocity. There were no significant breed × temperature interactions for these traits. The mean frequency of tail beat tended to be reduced by heat shock in bulls of Brahman-influenced breeds and, to a lesser extent, in Brahman bulls, but it was not affected by heat shock in Angus or Holstein bulls. For no traits were there significant temperature × bull within breed interactions. Overall, results indicate that 1) heat shock reduces motility of bovine spermatozoa and 2) genetic effects are unlikely to be an important determinant of the function of ejaculated sperm following heat shock.
Prefrontal injury and behavior in children

A review of the literature discloses a surprising paucity of cases that can be utilized to evaluate the behavioral effects of prefrontal disease in children. Almost all past studies on the topic are deficient in that they fail to demonstrate that the underlying lesion was in fact confined to the prefrontal region. Indirect approaches (e.g., comparison of the behavior of human infants with that of normal and prefrontally injured monkeys) have generated findings that promise to advance our understanding of the role of the prefrontal region in the mediation of children's behavior. It is also reasonable to expect that utilization of current neurodiagnostic procedures will alleviate the extreme paucity of informative case material.
PRESENTATION AND NATURAL HISTORY OF INTERNAL CAROTID ARTERY OCCLUSION

Abstract Purpose: This retrospective study was undertaken to investigate the effect of presenting neurologic symptoms, vascular risk factors, and degree of contralateral internal carotid artery stenosis on subsequent stroke and death rates of patients with internal carotid artery occlusion (ICO). Methods: One hundred sixty-seven patients with ICO were evaluated over a 5-year period. Mean follow-up was 39 months. Initial symptoms included transient ischemic attack in 29 patients (17%), stroke in 71 patients (43%), nonhemispheric symptoms in 22 patients (13%), and no symptoms in 45 patients (27%). Ninety percent of the presenting strokes occurred ipsilateral to the ICO. Results: During follow-up 54 (32%) patients died, 10 (19%) of stroke and 22 (41%) of heart disease. The 5-year cumulative survival rate was 63%. Subsequent neurologic events occurred in 26% of the patients. Thirty patients (18%) had a stroke during follow-up, of which 20 (67%) occurred ipsilateral to the ICO. The 5-year stroke-free rate was 76%. Patients who had a stroke had a less favorable 4-year stroke-free rate (67%) than those who had transient ischemic attack (92%) or those who originally had no symptoms (89%), p = 0.03 and p = 0.04, respectively. In addition, there was a trend towards a worse 5-year contralateral stroke-free rate in patients with contralateral stenosis of 50% to 99% (77%) compared with patients with less than 50% contralateral stenosis (94%), p = 0.08. Twenty patients underwent carotid endarterectomy on the nonoccluded side. There were no perioperative strokes or deaths. Carotid endarterectomy seemed to reduce the long-term stroke morbidity rate ( p = 0.10) on the operated side in patients with 80% to 99% contralateral stenosis but did not perceptibly improve stroke-free rates on the occluded side or in patients with 50% to 79% stenosis. Conclusion: Patients with ICO have a variable prognosis. There is a significant incidence of subsequent stroke, which seems to be related to the presenting neurologic event and the degree of stenosis in the contralateral internal carotid artery. (J VASC SURG 1993;18:512-24.)
Synthesis, Characterization and in vitro Antimalarial and Antitumor Activity of New Ruthenium(II) Complexes of Chloroquine

The new RuII chloroquine complexes [Ru(η6-arene)(CQ)Cl2] (CQ = chloroquine; arene = p-cymene 1, benzene 2), [Ru(η6-p-cymene)(CQ)(H2O)2][BF4]2 (3), [Ru(η6-p-cymene)(CQ)(en)][PF6]2 (en = ethylenediamine) (4), and [Ru(η6-p-cymene)(η6-CQDP)][BF4]2 (5, CQDP = chloroquine diphosphate) have been synthesized and characterized by use of a combination of NMR and FTIR spectroscopy with DFT calculations. Each complex is formed as a single coordination isomer: In 1−4, chloroquine binds to ruthenium in the η1-N mode through the quinoline nitrogen atom, whereas in 5 an unprecedented η6 bonding through the carbocyclic ring is observed. 1, 2, 3, and 5 are active against CQ-resistant (Dd2, K1, and W2) and CQ-sensitive (FcB1, PFB, F32, and 3D7) malaria parasites (Plasmodium falciparum); importantly, the potency of these complexes against resistant parasites is consistently higher than that of the standard drug chloroquine diphosphate. 1 and 5 also inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells, independently of the p53 status and...
Non-anatomical capsular closure of a standard parapatellar knee arthrotomy leads to patellar maltracking and decreased range of motion: a cadaver study.

Purpose A parapatellar approach disrupts the medial soft tissue stabilizers of the patella. We hypothesized that soft tissue realignment during arthrotomy closure of native cadaveric knees influences patellar kinematics leading to decreased range of motion.
Differential Thermal, Solubility, and aging Studies on various Sources of Digoxin and Digitoxin Powder: Biopharmaceutical Implications

Unlike most organic compounds, both digoxin and digitoxin melted over a wide temperature range, with the widest range being 88 and 33° for both compounds, respectively. Furthermore, the melting ranges varied markedly among several untriturated powders obtained from commercial sources and after recrystallization. Trituration produced dramatically sharper and generally lower melting temperatures. Apparent equilibrium solubility also varied considerably among different untriturated compounds. Correlation between solubility and final melting temperature was found. Results from dynamic solubility studies were used to explain the failure of trituration to enhance the apparent equilibrium solubility in certain samples. Storage at room temperature increased the melting points and decreased aqueous solubilities. Several reasons such as the presence of polymorphic and amorphous forms, crystal defects, impurities, and solvate formation were postulated to explain the findings. In a preliminary study, the in vitro dissolution rates of two commercial tablet products stored at elevated temperatures for 4-8 weeks progressively decreased. Biopharmaceutical implications and areas for further studies are discussed.
A study of the hepatic flora of an infrequently timbered forest

Abstract Environs of Hepatics were compared and contrasted by both epiphytic and non-epiphytic distribution and coverage for seven different collection stations near Beech Fork Lake in Wayne County, WV, U.S.A. It is predicted that the selective harvest of timber will usually cause a decrease in hepatic species diversity, as timbering is an infrequent activity that causes intensive disturbance over a widespread area. Hepatic populations of creekbanks and ravines are likely to be most severely affected by timber harvest because of the unusually high species diversity associated with such areas. Timbering of dry ridges and floodplains would probably have minimal effects on hepatics because species diversity is typically low in these areas of high environmental stress. A few species of broad ecological tolerance and short life cycles would be expected to increase coverage as a result of the added stress. Frullania eboracensis Gott. was found to have the broadest ecological tolerance of all hepatics encountered in the study. Leucolojeunea clypeata (Schwein). Evans and Radula obconica Sull. demonstrated the highest environ specificity. A second paper will deal with the actual effects of logging.
High Staphylococcus aureus Colonization Prevalence among Patients with Skin and Soft Tissue Infections and Controls in an Urban Emergency Department

Staphylococcus aureus is a commensal species that can also be a formidable pathogen. In the United States, an epidemic of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections has been occurring for the last 15 years. In the context of a study in which we identified patients with skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) and randomized them to receive one of two antimicrobial treatment regimens, we assessed S. aureus colonization in the nares, throat, and perianal skin on the day of enrollment and 40 days after therapy. We compared the prevalence of colonization between the SSTI patients and an uninfected control population. A total of 144 subjects and 130 controls, predominantly African American, participated in this study, and 116 returned for a 40-day follow-up visit. Of the SSTI patients, 76% were colonized with S. aureus at enrollment, as were 65% of the controls. Patients were more likely than the controls to be colonized with USA300 MRSA (62/144 [43.1%] versus 11/130 [8.5%], respectively; P < 0.001). The nares were not the most common site of colonization. The colonization prevalence diminished somewhat after antibiotic treatment but remained high. The isolates that colonized the controls were more likely than those in the patients to be methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) (74/84 [88.1%] versus 56/106 [52.8%], respectively; P < 0.001). In conclusion, the prevalence of S. aureus colonization among SSTI patients was high and often involved USA300 MRSA. The prevalence diminished somewhat with antimicrobial therapy but remained high at the 40-day follow-up visit. Control subjects were also colonized at a high prevalence but most often with a genetic background not associated with a clinical infection in this study. S. aureus is a commensal species and a pathogen. Plans for decolonization or eradication should take this distinction into account.
Evaluation of a Bayesian Approach to Estimating Nonlinear Mixed-Effects Mixture Models

The growth mixture model has become increasingly popular, given the willingness to acknowledge developmental heterogeneity in populations. Typically, linear growth mixture models, based on polynomials or piecewise functions, are used in substantive applications and evaluated quantitatively through simulation. Growth mixture models that follow inherently nonlinear trajectories, referred to as nonlinear mixed-effects mixture models, have received comparatively little attention—likely due to estimation complexity. Previous work on the estimation of these models has involved multistep routines (Kelley, 2008), maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) via the E-M algorithm (Harring, 2005, 2012), Taylor series expansion and MLE within the structural equation modeling framework (Grimm, Ram, & Estabrook, 2010), and MLE by adaptive Gauss–Hermite quadrature (Codd & Cudeck, 2014). This article proposes and evaluates the use of Bayesian estimation with OpenBUGS (Lunn, Spiegelhalter, Thomas, & Best, 2009), a free program, a...
Flexible Inference with Structured Knowledge through Reasoned Unification

Systems with human-level intelligence must be both flexible and able to reason in an appropriate time scale. These two goals are in tension, as manifested by the contrasting properties of general inference algorithms and structured knowledge-based systems. The problem of resolving ambiguous, implicit, and nonliteral references exemplifies many of these difficulties. We describe an approach, called reasoned unification, for dealing with these challenges by representing and jointly reasoning over linguistic and nonlinguistic knowledge (including structures such as scripts and frames) within the same inference framework. Reasoned unification enables a treatment of several reference resolution phenomena that to our knowledge have not previously been the subject of a unified analysis. This analysis illustrates how reasoned unification can resolve many difficult problems with using complex knowledge structures while maintaining their benefits.
Surgical treatment of winged scapula.

Injuries to the long thoracic and spinal accessory nerves present challenges in diagnosis and treatment. Palsies of the serratus anterior and trapezius muscles lead to destabilization of the scapula with medial and lateral scapular winging, respectively. Although nonoperative treatment is successful in some patients, failures have led to the evolution of surgical techniques involving various combinations of fascial graft and/or transfer of adjacent muscles. Our preferred method of reconstruction for serratus anterior palsy is a two-incision, split pectoralis major transfer without fascial graft. For trapezius palsy, we prefer a modified version of the Eden-Lange procedure. At a minimum followup of 16 months (mean, 47 months), six patients who underwent the Eden-Lange procedure showed improvement in mean American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Shoulder scores (33.3–64.6), forward elevation (141.7–151.0), and visual analog scale (7.0–2.3). At a minimum followup of 16 months (mean, 44 months), 10 patients (11 shoulders) who underwent split pectoralis transfer also improved American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Shoulder scores (53.3–63.8), forward elevation (158.2–164.5), and visual analog scale (5.0–2.9). We encountered two complications, both superficial wound infections. These tendon transfers were effective for treating scapular winging in patients who did not respond to nonoperative treatment. Level of Evidence: Level IV, therapeutic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Interspecific variation in wildlife hazards to aircraft: Implications for airport wildlife management

Understanding the relative hazards of wildlife to aircraft is important for developing effective management programs. We used Federal Aviation Administration National Wildlife Strike Database records from 1990 to 2009 in the United States to rank the relative hazard of wildlife to aircraft. We summarized data for 77 species or species groups with � 20 records where collisions occurred � 500 ft (152 m) above ground level. We also assessed the effects of avian body mass, body density, and group size on relative hazard scores. The 3 most hazardous species or species groups were mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), white-tailed deer (O. virginianus), and domestic dogs. ''Other geese'' (snow goose (Chen caerulescens), brant (Branta bernicla), and greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons)) was the most hazardous bird group. Ten of the 15 most hazardous bird species or species groups are strongly associated with water. Avian body mass was strongly associated with percentage of all strikes that caused damage, but not for species exceeding median body mass (1,125 g) of birds in damaging strikes. In contrast, percentage of damaging strikes increased when multiple birds were involved, but only for those species with body mass � 1,125 g. Managers should prioritize efforts that will reduce habitat suitability for those species most hazardous to aircraft. We recommend use of exclusion (e.g., fences) for managing large mammals and habitat modifications (e.g., reductions in standing water) accompanied by hazing for reducing bird use of airports. We also recommend that evaluations of jet turbine engine performance following bird ingestions consider using multiple birds with body mass >1,000 g. 2011 The Wildlife Society.
Mass Spectrometry Accelerates Membrane Protein Analysis

Cellular membranes are composed of proteins and glyco- and phospholipids and play an indispensible role in maintaining cellular integrity and homeostasis, by physically restricting biochemical processes within cells and providing protection. Membrane proteins perform many essential functions, which include operating as transporters, adhesion-anchors, receptors, and enzymes. Recent advancements in proteomic mass spectrometry have resulted in substantial progress towards the determination of the plasma membrane (PM) proteome, resolution of membrane protein topology, establishment of numerous receptor protein complexes, identification of ligand–receptor pairs, and the elucidation of signaling networks originating at the PM. Here, we discuss the recent accelerated success of discovery-based proteomic pipelines for the establishment of a complete membrane proteome.
Quantization, channel compensation, and energy allocation for estimation in wireless sensor networks

In clustered networks of wireless sensor motes, each mote collects noisy observations of the environment, quantizes these observations into a local estimate of finite length, and forwards them through one or more noisy wireless channels to the Cluster Head (CH). The measurement noise is assumed to be zero-mean and have finite variance. Each wireless hop is assumed to be a Binary Symmetric Channel (BSC) with a known crossover probability. We propose a novel scheme that uses dithered quantization and channel compensation to ensure that each motes' local estimate received by the CH is unbiased. The CH then fuses these unbiased local estimates into a global one using a Best Linear Unbiased Estimator (BLUE). The energy allocation problem at each mote and among different sensor motes are also discussed. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme can achieve much smaller mean square error (MSE) than two other common schemes while using the same amount of energy. The sensitivity of the proposed scheme to errors in estimates of the crossover probability of the BSC channel is studied by both analysis and simulation.
Trace element distributions within ordinary chondrite chondrules: Implications for chondrule formation conditions and precursors

The concentrations of thirty-six lithophile elements in the major silicate phases of chondrules have been determined by ion microprobe. Two types of porphyritic chondrule olivines, “normal” and incompatible-rich, have been identified. The incompatible-rich olivines, which have forsterite contents that are greater than Fo98, appear to have formed under highly reducing conditions. The olivine and low-Ca pyroxene grains in porphyritic chondrules have relatively unfractionated L-chondrite-normalized REE abundances compared to expectations from equilibrium distribution coefficients. This is consistent with porphyritic chondrules having formed at cooling rates of the order of 1000°C/h or faster. The alkali metal (Na, K, Rb, and Cs) to Al ratios in chondrule glasses vary by two orders of magnitude, the lower values possibly being the result of volatile loss from chondrules. No correlation was found between alkali metal depletions in chondrule glasses and enrichments in the surrounding rims, but any such correlation may have been destroyed by the diffusive redistribution of these elements in rims that is likely to occur even under mild metamorphic conditions. The refractory lithophiles, with the exception of Mg, are all highly incompatible in silicate melts and are, as a result, concentrated in the chondrule glasses. The refractory lithophiles in the glass are, in most cases, unfractionated from one another suggesting that neither vapor phase nor crystal-liquid fractionation played a major role in the formation of chondrules or their precursors. Based largely on the observation that the refractory lithophiles are concentrated in the chondrule glasses, it is suggested that previously reported correlations between these elements in bulk chondrule analyses are due to chondrules themselves, as opposed to refractory condensates, having been their own immediate precursors. A simple Monte Carlo simulation using the compositions of the major chondrule silicate phases reported here supports this hypothesis. It is argued that the upper limit of about one observed in the atomic Na/Al ratios of chondule glasses is not due to an albitic precursor but simply reflects that for Na to be incorporated into the structure of the melt it must take part in the coupled substitution NaAlO2→ SiO2.
Protein--RNA interactions: exploring binding patterns with a three-dimensional superposition analysis of high resolution structures

Motivation: The recognition of specific RNA sequences and structures by proteins is critical to our understanding of RNA processing, gene expression and viral replication. The diversity of RNA structures suggests that RNA recognition is substantially different than that of DNA. Results: The atomic coordinates of 41 protein--RNA complexes have been used to probe composite nucleoside binding pockets that form the structural and chemical underpinnings of base recognition. Composite nucleoside binding pockets were constructed using three-dimensional superpositions of each RNA nucleoside. Unlike protein--DNA interactions which are dominated by accessibility, RNA recognition frequently occurs in non-canonical and single-strand-like structures that allow interactions to occur from a much wider set of geometries and make fuller use of unique base shapes and hydrogen-bonding ability. By constructing composites that include all van der Waals, hydrogen-bonding, stacking and general non-polar interactions made to a particular nucleoside, the strategies employed are made readily visible. Protein--RNA interactions can result in the formation of a glove-like tight binding pocket around RNA bases, but the size, shape and non-polar binding patterns differ between specific RNA bases. We show that adenine can be distinguished from guanine based on the size and shape of the binding pocket and steric exclusion of the guanine N2 exocyclic amino group. The unique shape and hydrogen-bonding pattern for each RNA base allow proteins to make specific interactions through a very small number of contacts, as few as two in some cases. Availability: The program ENTANGLE is available from http://www.bioc.rice.edu/~shamoo Contact: [email protected]
Why do anxious children become depressed teenagers? The role of social evaluative threat and reward processing

Background Depression is a leading cause of worldwide disability. Adolescence represents a key developmental window in which rates of this disorder increase markedly. Children with an anxiety disorder show a particular risk of developing depression during adolescence.
The FACT complex travels with elongating RNA polymerase II and is important for the fidelity of transcriptional initiation in vivo.

The FACT complex facilitates transcription on chromatin templates in vitro, and it has been functionally linked to nucleosomes and putative RNA polymerase II (Pol II) elongation factors. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells, FACT specifically associates with active Pol II genes in a TFIIH-dependent manner and travels across the gene with elongating Pol II. Conditional inactivation of the FACT subunit Spt16 results in increased Pol II density, transcription, and TATA-binding protein (TBP) occupancy in the 3′ portion of certain coding regions, indicating that FACT suppresses inappropriate initiation from cryptic promoters within coding regions. Conversely, loss of Spt16 activity reduces the association of TBP, TFIIB, and Pol II with normal promoters. Thus, FACT is required for wild-type cells to restrict initiation to normal promoters, thereby ensuring that only appropriate mRNAs are synthesized. We suggest that FACT contributes to the fidelity of Pol II transcription by linking the processes of initiation and elongation.
Carbon and nitrogen dynamics during forest stand development: a global synthesis

Our knowledge of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics during stand development is not only essential for evaluating the role of secondary forests in the global terrestrial C cycle, but also crucial for understanding long-term C-N interactions in terrestrial ecosystems. However, a comprehensive understanding of forest C and N dynamics over age sequence remains elusive due to the diverse results obtained across individual studies. Here, we synthesized the results of more than 100 studies to examine C and N dynamics during forest stand development. Our results showed that C accumulated in aboveground vegetation, litter and forest floor pools, while the mineral soil C pool did not exhibit significant changes in most studies. The rate of C changes declined with stand age and approached equilibrium during the later stage of stand development. The rate of N changes exhibited linear increases with that of C changes, indicating that N also accrued in various ecosystem components except mineral soil. These results demonstrate that substantial increases in C pools over age sequence are accompanied by N accretion in forest ecosystems. The concurrent C and N dynamics suggest that forest ecosystems may have an intrinsic ability to preclude progressive N limitation during stand development.
Each According to Need and Fashion

Stone points were among the very first artifacts to attract scholarly attention, and they have consistently retained the interest of archaeologists. In recent years, the study of projectile points has progressed from descriptive concerns of culture history and typology (e. g., Bell 1958, 1960) to the general investigation of hunting technology (Larralde 1990; Odell 1988). As distinctive variables of hand-thrown spears and arrows have become evident, the behavioral implications of projectile alternatives have come into better focus.
A new symmetrical combinatorial ldentity

Abstract A proof is given for the novel identity [ x+a a ][ y+b b ]=∑ k=0 m [ x+y+k k ][ x+a−b a−k ][ y+b−a b−k ] q (a−k)(b−k) due to Richard Stanley, where m = min(a, b), and brackets denote q-binomial coefficients defined by [ x n ] = Φ j=1 n q x−j+1 −1 q j −1 , [ x 0 ] = 1 The identity is valid for all real or complex x, y and non-negative integers a, b. The case q = 1 is shown to follow from a non-symmetrical identity of Nanjundiah, while the general case follows from the q-from of the Vandermonde convolution. A variant form of Stanley's identity is also given.
TDDFT investigation on nucleic acid bases: Comparison with experiments and standard approach

A comprehensive theoretical study of electronic transitions of canonical nucleic acid bases, namely guanine, adenine, cytosine, uracil, and thymine, was performed. Ground state geometries were optimized at the MP2/6-311G(d,p) level. The nature of respective potential energy surfaces was determined using the harmonic vibrational frequency analysis. The MP2 optimized geometries were used to compute electronic vertical singlet transition energies at the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) level using the B3LYP functional. The 6-311++G(d,p), 6-311(2+,2+)G(d,p), 6-311(3+,3+)G(df,pd), and 6-311(5+,5+)G(df,pd) basis sets were used for the transition energy calculations. Computed transition energies were found in good agreement with the corresponding experimental data. However, in higher transitions, the Rydberg contaminations were also obtained. The existence of πσ* type Rydberg transition was found near the lowest singlet ππ* state of all bases, which may be responsible for the ultrafast deactivation process in nucleic acid bases. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 25: 768–778, 2004
Seasonal trends in furrow irrigation erosion in southern Idaho

Abstract A study was conducted to measure the seasonal irrigation furrow erosion pattern in the absence of cultivation and a growing crop. This erosion pattern was compared to those of previous measured plot experiments for different years in the presence of cultivation and a growing crop. Erosion for sugarbeets, corn and beans was low early in the season and increased to a maximum during the same 3-week period, from 24 June to 10 July over several years. Erosion decreased as the irrigation season progressed after the erosion peak. The erosion pattern from the uncultivated, non-cropped plots resembled the pattern from previous studies on cropped soil with the maximum erosion occurring about the same time of season. The pattern trends differed only after peak erosion. For the copped plots, there was a sudden erosion decline after peak erosion, followed by a continual gradual decrease. In contrast, for the uncultivated, non-cropped plots, there was a sudden erosion decline after peak erosion, followed by a gradual increase in erosion. Although the seasonal erosion pattern cannot be completely explained, it is important to report it because of the implication for erosion modeling. Sediment loss rates measured from these soils in southern Idaho in late June or early July would significantly overestimate seasonal erosion, whereas sediment loss rates measured in May or early June or after mid-July would underestimate seasonal erosion. These results show that researchers cannot rely upon a one-time measurement for model validation if attempting to predict irrigation furrow erosion over an entire irrigating season.
PCR in diagnosis of infection: detection of bacteria in cerebrospinal fluids.

The PCR is the most sensitive of the existing rapid methods to detect microbial pathogens in clinical specimens. In particular, when specific pathogens that are difficult to culture in vitro or require a long cultivation period are expected to be present in specimens, the diagnostic value of PCR is known to be significant. However, the application of PCR to clinical specimens has many potential pitfalls due to the susceptibility of PCR to inhibitors, contamination and experimental conditions. For instance, it is known that the sensitivity and specificity of a PCR assay is dependent on target genes, primer sequences, PCR techniques, DNA extraction procedures, and PCR product detection methods. Even though there are many publications concerning basic protocols of a PCR assay, including DNA extraction and preparation as well as the amplification and detection of amplicons, PCR detection of bacteria in clinical specimens such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has not yet been reviewed. Since a variety of clinical specimens, such as blood, urine, sputum, CSF and others, vary in regard to the nature of the content and amount available, careful design of the PCR assay for each specific specimen before a PCR application is conducted is essential. In particular, a diagnosis based on detection of a few bacteria in clinical specimens by using PCR must be carefully evaluated technically as well as microbiologically. In this regard, current studies concerning detection of Chlamydia pneumoniae in CSF obtained from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) by using PCR provide a good example for discussion of use of the PCR assay in diagnosis. Because C. pneumoniae is difficult to culture in vitro, often low numbers of bacteria may be detected in the CSF of patients with chronic neurological diseases by PCR. Therefore, in this review general PCR protocols for detection of bacteria in clinical specimens, as well as a specific example of using PCR for detection of C. pneumoniae in CSF, will be discussed.
Captions and biases in diagnostic search

People frequently turn to the Web with the goal of diagnosing medical symptoms. Studies have shown that diagnostic search can often lead to anxiety about the possibility that symptoms are explained by the presence of rare, serious medical disorders, rather than far more common benign syndromes. We study the influence of the appearance of potentially-alarming content, such as severe illnesses or serious treatment options associated with the queried for symptoms, in captions comprising titles, snippets, and URLs. We explore whether users are drawn to results with potentially-alarming caption content, and if so, the implications of such attraction for the design of search engines. We specifically study the influence of the content of search result captions shown in response to symptom searches on search-result click-through behavior. We show that users are significantly more likely to examine and click on captions containing potentially-alarming medical terminology such as “heart attack” or “medical emergency” independent of result rank position and well-known positional biases in users' search examination behaviors. The findings provide insights about the possible effects of displaying implicit correlates of searchers' goals in search-result captions, such as unexpressed concerns and fears. As an illustration of the potential utility of these results, we developed and evaluated an enhanced click prediction model that incorporates potentially-alarming caption features and show that it significantly outperforms models that ignore caption content. Beyond providing additional understanding of the effects of Web content on medical concerns, the methods and findings have implications for search engine design. As part of our discussion on the implications of this research, we propose procedures for generating more representative captions that may be less likely to cause alarm, as well as methods for learning to more appropriately rank search results from logged search behavior, for examples, by also considering the presence of potentially-alarming content in the captions that motivate observed clicks and down-weighting clicks seemingly driven by searchers' health anxieties.
Non-nuclear human estrogen receptor-alpha 36 (hERα-36) is expressed in ER, PR, and Her2 positive or negative breast cancer patients as well as cell lines, and physically interacts with Her2

5174 Human estrogen receptor-α36 (hERα-36) is a recently found splicing isoform of full length ERα-66. It has been found that hERα-36 is a plasma membrane associated protein and can activate membrane-initiated non-genomic signaling pathways in breast cancer cell lines. However, hERα-36 expression in breast cancers has not been reported, and its relationship with ER, PR, and Her2 status in breast cancer patients is unknown. Thus, we conducted this study. (1) First, we examined the expression of hERα-36 by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence(IF) staining using specific anti-hERα-36 antibody in 96 paraffin samples of invasive breast cancer (IBC), as well as breast cancer cell lines. The results showed that the expression rate of hERα-36 was 58%, while the expression rates of ER, PR, and Her2 in the same tumors were 63%, 34%, and 20%, respectively. hERα-36 was positive in MCF-7/Her2 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines but negative in parental MCF-7 cells. (2) We then compared the expression rate of hERα-36 in ERα-66, PR, and Her2 positive and negative IBC samples. We found that the expression rates of hERα-36 in ERα-66 positive vs. negative tumors were 65% and 47%, respectively, in PR positive vs. negative were 69% and 50% respectively, and in Her2 positive vs. negative were 68% and 53% respectively. More interestingly, we found that the expression rates of hERα-36 in IBCs that were ER/PR double negative, ER/PR/Her2 triple negative, and ER/PR negative but Her2 positive, were 47%, 33%, and 75% respectively. (3)Furthmore,we also performed semi-quantitative reverse transcription-PCR to detect the expression of ER36 mRNA in 20 patient IBCs as well in breast cancer cell lines. hER36 mRNA was found in 6 of 20 IBCs (30%), and in MCF-7/Her2 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines but not in parental MCF-7 cells, consistent with the protein expression results. (4) Finally, we explored the relationship between hERα-36 and Her2. Co-IF staining of Her2 and hERα-36 showed that hERα-36 co-localized with Her2 in both cytoplasm and plasma membrane in most Her2 and hERα-36 positive IBC samples as well in the MCF-7/Her2 cell line. Immunoprecepitation (IP) confirmed that hER36-α physically interacts with Her2 in this cell line. We find that hERα-36 presents in IBCs either positive or negative for ER, PR, and Her2, and suggest that hER36-α might be an important co-factor along with ER, PR and Her2 to drive the development and progression of breast cancer. The data also suggest that hERα-36 might play unique roles in ER/ PR double negative and ER/PR/Her2 triple negative breast cancers. Since ERα-36 physically interacts with Her2, this interaction might indicate a functional relationship between Her2 and ERα-36, such that ERα-36 might serve as a target for breast cancer treatment.
Demographic Trends in Arthroscopic and Open Biceps Tenodesis in New York State

Objectives:Tenodesis of the long head of the biceps is one of many options to reduce pain caused by proximal long head insertional tendinopathy, tendon instability, or part of a superior labrum anterior-posterior lesion. This technique can be performed either as an open or arthroscopic procedure. The purpose of this study is to compare the relative incidence and demographics of patients who underwent either an arthroscopy or open biceps tenodesis procedure in New York State from 2002-2010.Methods:Retrospective review of patients who underwent open or arthroscopic biceps tenodesis surgery were identified from the New York State Statewide Planning and Research Commission (SPARCS) ambulatory surgery database, which includes all outpatient surgeries performed at hospitals, outpatient surgical centers, and rural clinics in New York State. Cases of open and arthroscopic biceps tenodesis were identified by unique Current Procedural Terminology codes (23430, 29828). Data from 2002 to 2010 were available for open ...
Fubini's Theorem for Null Sets

(1989). Fubini's Theorem for Null Sets. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 96, No. 8, pp. 718-721.
Law and Engineering: An Alternative Approach to Develop More Efficient Transport Category Aircraft

This paper studies the history of cabin pressurization regulations and makes policy recommendations to amend them in a manner that would encourage the design of all-new aircraft. One recently amended regulation, 14 CFR § 25.841, has an unintended byproduct. It makes it extremely difficult for a new aircraft design with wing-mounted engines to obtain a type-certificate to fly at altitudes much above 40,000 feet. However, the FAA grandfathers existing designs with higher certified ceilings and permits these designs to be modified under the Changed Product Rule, 14 CFR § 21.101. Because all but the largest commercial aircraft have their useful aerodynamic efficiency compromised if they are restricted to fly at or below 40,000 feet, the current regulation favors current production or derivative changes to existing certified aircraft over development of an all-new modern airframe. Additional changes to this regulation could encourage the design of a new generation of aircraft with significantly lower fuel consumption. A proposed balancing address would address global environmental policy concerns against the foreseeable risks of sudden cabin depressurization.
Preanesthetic evaluation of a patient with a deep brain stimulator: a practical guide and checklist for patient safety

As the patient population with deep brain stimulators grows, medical personnel need to be comfortable managing these patients because they will likely encounter them in practice. Caring for a patient with a deep brain stimulator during surgery or a procedure requires technical knowledge of the device and its possible interactions in order to take the correct precautionary measures. Here we discuss the key issues and questions that should be covered in every preanesthetic evaluation visit of a patient with a deep brain stimulator along with an evaluation checklist.
Reversing epigenetic mechanisms of drug resistance in solid tumors using targeted microRNA delivery.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Tumor cells utilize many different mechanisms to desensitize themselves to the cytotoxic effects of drugs, but it has recently been recognized that alterations in epigenetic control of gene expression underly many of them. As master regulators of gene expression, microRNAs (miRNAs) present a promising therapeutic strategy for the reversal of epigenetic changes that lead to drug resistance phenotypes in tumor cells.Areas covered: Effects of epigenetic changes on drug resistance in a variety of solid tumors are discussed. Specific miRNAs that are involved with the regulation of epigenetic machinery are highlighted. Further, we consider how delivery of miRNA or antagomirs may be utilized to resensitize drug-resistant tumor cells.Expert opinion: Reversal of epigenetically controlled tumor drug resistance mechanisms via miRNA delivery presents a novel strategy for enhancing the efficacy of chemotherapeutics. Further, the ability to target delivery of miRNAs may provide the opportunity to ...
Study of safflower yellow on improving energetic metabolism in hypoxic myocardium of rats

Object To investigate the action of safflower yellow (SY) against rat cardiac hypoxic damage and the effect on energy metabolism. Methods The level of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) leaked in the coronary effluence was measured with 2,4-dititrophenylhydrozine colorimetry. After insufficient perfusion, ATP level in ventricular myocardium was determined with luciferin-luciferase bioluminescence technique and ventricular transmission eletromicroscopy was performed. Swelling and membrane fluidity changes were observed in rat myocardial mitochondrion prepared by homogenization and repeated centrifugations, by means of turbidimetry and fluorescence polarimetry respectively. Results LDH leakage, myocardial ATP content decrease and cardiac ultramicrostructure injury were reduced in all groups treated with SY. The decreases in both mitochondrial swelling and membrane fluidity were ameliorated by SY. Conclusion Cardiac ischemic injury was reduced by SY. The cardiac energetic metabolism improvement may be one of its important mechanism.
Utilization of sulfur and other mineral elements by growing dairy heifers treated with bovine somatotropin.

Apparent absorption and retention of Ca, P, Mg, K, Cu, Mn, Zn, and S were determined in Holstein heifers treated with recombinant bovine somatotropin (bST). Six heifers (initial BW averaged 104 kg) were assigned to various doses of bST in a 6 x 6 Latin square design with six consecutive 21-d periods. Treatments were daily i.m. injections of 0, 6.7, 33.3, 66.7, 100, or 200 micrograms of bST/kg of BW on d 8 to 21 of each period. All heifers were fed a hay-concentrate diet, and nutrient digestibilities and balances were determined on d 14 to 20 of each period. Mineral concentrations in feed, water, excreta, and blood plasma were determined with an inductively coupled argon plasma-emission spectrometer. Exogenous bST did not affect apparent absorption or retention of Ca, P, Mg, K, Cu, Mn, or Zn. Plasma CU concentration was greater (P less than .05) in heifers receiving bST (82 micrograms of Cu/dl) than in those receiving excipient (73 micrograms of Cu/dl); plasma concentrations of other elements were not affected by bST. Injection of bST did not affect S absorption, but urinary S excretion decreased (P less than .05) and S retention increased (P less than .05) as dose of bST increased. The amount of S retained (1.5 g/d) when the heifers received the largest dose of bST was approximately 50% greater than the amount retained when heifers received excipient. These results demonstrate that bST affects the postabsorptive metabolism of S. Generally, bST did not affect nutrient digestibilities. Effects of bST on dietary mineral requirements were not determined because of the relatively short (14 d) treatment periods.
Die Untersuchung der Grenzkosten

Wie des ofteren schon bemerkt wurde, verfolgt die Kostenrechnung folgende Zwecke: (1) Sie stellt ein Hilfsmittel fur die Kontrolle eines Unternehmens dar. (2) Mit ihrer Hilfe werden die Leistung des Personals, der wirksame Einsatz der Rohstoffe und des Kapitals gemessen. (3) Sie zeigt die Verlustquellen auf und zeigt damit den Weg zur Kostensenkung. (4) Sie ermoglicht Vergleiche innerhalb der einzelnen Industriezweige. (5) Sie dient als Unterlage zur Bewertung der Fertigwarenbestande. (6) Sie bildet ein Hilfsmittel bei der Preisgestaltung.
The failure of urban renewal in the southwest: From city needs to individual rights

Despite an initial interest in the slum clearance title of the Housing Act of 1949, three of the Southwest's largest metropolises, Dallas, Phoenix, and Albuquerque, passed on these programs not only due to the tardiness of state enabling legislation but because of a changing political discourse that emphasized the rights of the individual over the needs of the larger community.
The non-steady aerodynamic heating of a plate

If a thin flat plate initially with an arbitrary temperature distribution along its length is suddenly moved from rest at a constant velocity through the air, the aerodynamic heating by boundary layer friction gradually changes the plate temperature to the adiabatic equilibrium value. The solution to this problem is obtained and illustrated by an example.
Crafting National Identity

The formation of a modern Iranian national identity was linked intimately to the configuration of its national history and restyling of the Persian language. Informed by dasatiri texts and inspired by the Shahnamah of Firdawsi, modern historical writings harnessed the Iranian homeland (vatan) to an immemorial past beginning with Mahabad and Kayumars and pointing toward a future unison with Europe. Iran’s pre-Islamic past was celebrated as a glorious and industrious age, and its integration into the Arab–Islamic world was shunned as a cause of its “reverse progress” (tarraqi-i ma’kus). To catch up with the “civilized world,” the architects of Iranian nationalism sought to “reawaken” the nation to self-consciousness by reactivating and inventing memories of the country’s pre-Islamic past. The simplification and purification of Persian were corollaries of this project of national reawakening. Like the glorification of the pre-Islamic past, these language-based movements helped to dissociate Iran from Islam and to craft a distinct national identity and sodality.
Tissue-specific expression of the growth hormone gene and its control by growth hormone factor-1.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the tissue-specific expression of the growth hormone gene and its control by growth hormone. The GH gene family represents an excellent system for studying the mechanisms responsible for cell-type-specific gene expression. Rodents contain a single GH gene, and primates contain five tandemly linked GH genes. In addition to GH, this family includes several other genes coding for hormones of physiological and clinical importance such as prolactin (PRL) and the various placental lactogens (PLs). The GH and PRL genes arose by duplication of a common precursor. The function of the various PLs is not clear, but they are thought to have a role in lactogenesis, fetal growth, and stimulation of the corpus luteum and to affect carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. All of these hormones function in the control of growth and development through fetal and adult life. Insufficient production of GH leads to growth retardation or dwarfism, while its overproduction before puberty leads to gigantism and to acromegaly after puberty. Insufficient production of PRL causes a failure in lactation. Overproduction of PRL leads to amenorrhea or impotence, and low levels of PLs seem to correlate with fetal-growth retardation. Several different protein factors binding to the GH promoter are detected, of which one is unique to GH-expressing cells. A restricted distribution of the protein—known as GHF-1—suggests that it plays a major role in the pituitary-specific expression of the GH gene. The chapter discusses various features of GHF-1. GHF-1 has a novel type of activation domain that interacts with the components of the transcriptional machinery.