cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coagulation factor XI is a contaminant in intravenous immunoglobulin preparations.

A small number of thromboembolic events, including deep venous thrombosis and myocardial infarction, have been reported in patients receiving IVIG. These events have primarily occurred in patients receiving high-dose IVIG and have been attributed to an increase in blood viscosity. To test the hypothesis that a procoagulant might be present in IgG preparations, twenty-nine samples of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) from eight different manufacturers were assayed for procoagulant activity. Twenty-six of these samples shortened the clotting time of factor XI-deficient plasma. Of these, fourteen samples had factor XI activities greater than 0.001 U/ml of normal pooled plasma. The remaining samples possessed less than 0. 001 U/ml of normal plasma activity. The procoagulant activity in these samples could be inhibited by an anti-factor XI polyclonal antibody, suggesting that the procoagulant activity was factor XI. The procoagulant activity increased in two samples after storage at 4 degrees C for 4 weeks, likely as a result of factor XIa autoactivation. Additionally, activity in some IVIG samples was able to directly activate factor IX, indicating that activated factor XI was present in these samples. Finally, the degree of factor XI(a) contamination in the samples was correlated with the manufacturer, suggesting that variations in the manufacturing process or source plasma affect the level of factor XI in the IVIG product. Because addition of small amounts of factor XIa to plasma can lead to production of significant amounts of thrombin, we suggest that factor XIa present in some IVIG preparations could contribute to the in vivo risk of thrombosis after IVIG therapy.
Media Multitasking Is Associated with Symptoms of Depression and Social Anxiety

Abstract We investigated whether multitasking with media was a unique predictor of depression and social anxiety symptoms. Participants (N=318) completed measures of their media use, personality characteristics, depression, and social anxiety. Regression analyses revealed that increased media multitasking was associated with higher depression and social anxiety symptoms, even after controlling for overall media use and the personality traits of neuroticism and extraversion. The unique association between media multitasking and these measures of psychosocial dysfunction suggests that the growing trend of multitasking with media may represent a unique risk factor for mental health problems related to mood and anxiety. Further, the results strongly suggest that future research investigating the impact of media use on mental health needs to consider the role that multitasking with media plays in the relationship.
Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase assembly: what is the role of the large subunit binding protein?

Abstract Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), is a key enzyme in both photosynthetic carbon fixation and photorespiration. Genetic manipulation of this enzyme to increase its carboxylase activity could lead to substantial increases in net photosynthesis in several important crop plants. Unfortunately, the higher plant enzyme cannot be expressed in active form in E. coli. Several factors may account for this, the best studied of which is a binding protein that interacts with large subunits after they are synthesized but before they are assembled into holoenzyme. Various functions for this binding protein are considered.
A fluorescence-activated cell sorting-based strategy for rapid isolation of high-lipid Chlamydomonas mutants

There is significant interest in farming algae for the direct production of biofuels and valuable lipids. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is the leading model system for studying lipid metabolism in green algae, but current methods for isolating mutants of this organism with a perturbed lipid content are slow and tedious. Here, we present the Chlamydomonas high-lipid sorting (CHiLiS) strategy, which enables enrichment of high-lipid mutants by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) of pooled mutants stained with the lipid-sensitive dye Nile Red. This method only takes 5 weeks from mutagenesis to mutant isolation. We developed a staining protocol that allows quantification of lipid content while preserving cell viability. We improved separation of high-lipid mutants from the wild type by using each cell's chlorophyll fluorescence as an internal control. We initially demonstrated 20-fold enrichment of the known high-lipid mutant sta1 from a mixture of sta1 and wild-type cells. We then applied CHiLiS to sort thousands of high-lipid cells from a pool of about 60,000 mutants. Flow cytometry analysis of 24 individual mutants isolated by this approach revealed that about 50% showed a reproducible high-lipid phenotype. We further characterized nine of the mutants with the highest lipid content by flame ionization detection and mass spectrometry lipidomics. All mutants analyzed had a higher triacylglycerol content and perturbed whole-cell fatty acid composition. One arbitrarily chosen mutant was evaluated by microscopy, revealing larger lipid droplets than the wild type. The unprecedented throughput of CHiLiS opens the door to a systems-level understanding of green algal lipid biology by enabling genome-saturating isolation of mutants in key genes.
1011 Computer-Assisted Newborn Care

Of 173 infants between 500-2400 grams with RDS and born in the same hospital, 33 were provided care in computer-monitored & controlled enclosed incubators. Only the availability of an unocupied computerized incubator at the time of each of their admissions determined their selection. For purposes of analysis each of the 33 infants in the computer-assisted care study group was matched with the one infant in the remaining group of 140 routinely cared for infants that best matched the study infant for birth weight, sex, color, gestation, Apgar scores, maternal age, gravidity, parity, birth date, economic status, and major admission diagnoses. The matching of infants was confirmed statistically and was done by a neonatologist uninvolved with the study and having no foreknowledge of any infant's survival outcome. Four (12%) of the 33 study infants and 14 (42%) of the control infants died within the first 7 days of life. This difference was significant at p<.01. Although there was no significant difference in the number of infants in the two groups requiring mechanical respiratory support, the mortality rates of 17 study infants who received respirator care was significantly lower (11.8%) than the rate tabulated for 17 matched respirator-cared-for control infants (65%), (p<.005). Computer-assisted care, therefore, enhances infant survival by some mechanism that alters the outcome but not the need to support some infants with a respirator.
Low-Temperature Photomagnetoelectric Properties of Gold-Doped n -Type Silicon

The photomagnetoelectric (PME) effect was observed between 21 and 84\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K in silicon doped with gold and phosphorus. A generalized diffusion equation is formulated and solved with the impurity centers included in the charge-balance equation and arbitrary intensity of steady illumination. When the carrier densities are much smaller than the gold density, the charged impurities maintain charge neutrality, and this results in a range of injection where $\ensuremath{\Delta}p={\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{1}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\ensuremath{\Delta}n+{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{2}\ensuremath{\Delta}{n}^{2}$. If the quadratic term dominates, the PME current is proportional to the $\frac{4}{3}$ power of the photoconductance. This power law is observed in our measurements, from which we deduce values for the product $\ensuremath{\gamma}_{\frac{1}{2}}^{\frac{1}{2}}{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{n}$ between 36 nsec and 63 \ensuremath{\mu}sec.
Resistance to change in mental health professionals.

A rapidly changing society requires that we establish more responsive models of theory and practice. But mental health professionals often resist looking at totally new models. This paper analyzes the fears of reduced status, financial return, work satisfaction, and feeling of competency that seem to be the cause of such resistance.
Stability of CVD-Produced Polymer Thin Films

This research news is presented to help researchers with their development of CVD-produced polymer thin films, but could also be utilized for thicker coatings and for liquid-deposited thin films. This arises from the observation that many CVD researchers deposit polymer thin films, and then use them without any additional insight gained into their stability. The stability of the polymer thin film, however, is paramount for their use, not only at elevated temperatures, but also at room temperature, since even at room temperature polymers can leach out impurities causing, for example, a biological immune response.
Analysis of whole genome sequences of 16 strains of rubella virus from the United States, 1961-2009.

Rubella virus is the causative agent of rubella, a mild rash illness, and a potent teratogenic agent when contracted by a pregnant woman. Global rubella control programs target the reduction and elimination of congenital rubella syndrome. Phylogenetic analysis of partial sequences of rubella viruses has contributed to virus surveillance efforts and played an important role in demonstrating that indigenous rubella viruses have been eliminated in the United States. Sixteen wild-type rubella viruses were chosen for whole genome sequencing. All 16 viruses were collected in the United States from 1961 to 2009 and are from 8 of the 13 known rubella genotypes. Phylogenetic analysis of 30 whole genome sequences produced a maximum likelihood tree giving high bootstrap values for all genotypes except provisional genotype 1a. Comparison of the 16 new complete sequences and 14 previously sequenced wild-type viruses found regions with clusters of variable amino acids. The 5′ 250 nucleotides of the genome are more conserved than any other part of the genome. Genotype specific deletions in the untranslated region between the non-structural and structural open reading frames were observed for genotypes 2B and genotype 1G. No evidence was seen for recombination events among the 30 viruses. The analysis presented here is consistent with previous reports on the genetic characterization of rubella virus genomes. Conserved and variable regions were identified and additional evidence for genotype specific nucleotide deletions in the intergenic region was found. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed genotype groupings originally based on structural protein coding region sequences, which provides support for the WHO nomenclature for genetic characterization of wild-type rubella viruses.
Molecular analysis and anticancer properties of two identified isolates, Fusarium solani and Emericella nidulans isolated from Wady El-Natron soil in Egypt against Caco-2 (ATCC) cell line.

Objective To characterize, identify and investigate the anticancer properties of two new soil fungal isolates, Emericella nidulans and Fusarium solani isolated from Wady El-Natron in Egypt against colon cancer Caco-2 (ATCC) cell line.
Group-orthogonal multicarrier CDMA

In the presence of frequency-selective multipath fading channels, code-division multiple access (CDMA) suffers from multiuser interference (MUI) and intersymbol interference (ISI); but when properly designed, it enjoys multipath diversity. Orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) is MUI-free, but it does not enable the available channel diversity without employing error-control coding. On the other hand, coded OFDMA may achieve lower diversity than a CDMA system employing the same error-control codes. In this paper, we merge the advantages of OFDMA and CDMA to minimize MUI effects, and also enable the maximum available diversity for every user. In our group orthogonal multicarrier CDMA (GO-MC-CDMA) scheme, groups of users share a set of subcarriers. By judiciously choosing group subcarriers, we guarantee that every user transmits with maximum diversity. MUI is only present among users in the same group, and is suppressed via multiuser detection, which becomes practically feasible because we assign a small number of users per group. Performance is analyzed, and simulations are carried out to illustrate the merits of GO-MC-CDMA relative to existing alternatives.
Molecular cloning, characterization, and functional expression of rat oxidosqualene cyclase cDNA.

Abstract A cDNA encoding rat oxidosqualene lanosterol-cyclase [lanosterol synthase; (S)-2,3-epoxysqualene mutase (cyclizing, lanosterol-forming), EC 5.4.99.7] was cloned and sequenced by a combination of PCR amplification, using primers based on internal amino acid sequence of the purified enzyme, and cDNA library screening by oligonucleotide hybridization. An open reading frame of 2199 bp encodes a M(r) 83,321 protein with 733 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of the rat enzyme showed significant homology to the known oxidosqualene cyclases (OSCs) from yeast and plant (39-44% identity) and still retained 17-26% identity to two bacterial squalene cyclases (EC 5.4.99.-). Like other cyclases, the rat enzyme is rich in aromatic amino acids and contains five so-called QW motifs, highly conserved regions with a repetitive beta-strand turn motif. The binding site sequence for the 29-methylidene-2,3-oxidosqualene (29-MOS), a mechanism-based irreversible inhibitor specific for the vertebrate cyclase, is well-conserved in all known OSCs. The hydropathy plot revealed a rather hydrophilic N-terminal region and the absence of a hydrophobic signal peptide. Unexpectedly, this microsomal membrane-associated enzyme showed no clearly delineated transmembrane domain. A full-length cDNA was constructed and subcloned into a pYEUra3 plasmid, selected in Escherichia coli cells, and used to transform the OSC-deficient uracil-auxotrophic SGL9 strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The recombinant rat OSC expressed was efficiently labeled by the mechanism-based inhibitor [3H]29-MOS.
Attitudes toward seeking help for sexual dysfunctions among US and Swedish college students

The present study examined help-seeking attitudes and stigma related to sexual problems, issues largely neglected by previous researchers. In addition, the impact of sociocultural variables on attitudes was explored. College students at public universities in the United States (n = 78) and Sweden (n = 81) completed three scales of stigma and help-seeking and rated the likelihood that they would seek help for sexual problems from each of five types of professionals. Despite differing cultural perspectives, participants from the two samples were more alike than different. In both countries, respondents expressed moderate-to-high willingness to seek help for sexual problems and low-to-moderate levels of stigma; openness to help-seeking was inversely related to stigma. Males reported higher self-stigma than females, and students who identified as Christian reported greater stigma than non-religious students. Participants reported that they would be most likely to seek help for sexual problems from gynecologis...
Feasibility of a mindfulness-based intervention to address youth issues in Vietnam

Youth problems including risky sex, drug use, violence and mental health issues are on the rise in Vietnam. Mindfulness is proposed as one way to address unskillful responses to stress that give rise to these behavioral and psychosocial issues in Vietnam. This study explores the feasibility of a mindfulness program for adolescents and young adults in a central city in Vietnam. The mindfulness-based intervention was comprised 1-h daily session over 3 weeks that was conducted at two different sites, one with handicapped adolescents/young adults at the Vocational School for Handicapped and the other with at-risk youth at a semi-private high school. Forty-two Vietnamese youth participants and five Vietnamese teachers/facilitators who were trained in the mindfulness program provided personal reflections of their experiences. Analyses of the qualitative data suggest that mindfulness was enthusiastically received and accepted by both youth and teachers. There is strong indication that mindfulness is promising as a prevention strategy to help with stress and to build important life skills among Vietnamese youth. Language: en
Single Feedback Model of Human Goal-Directed Movement

Two prominent models frequently used to explain targeted human movement are the stochastic optimized-submovement model and the minimum variance model. Both successfully explain the speed-accuracy tradeoff known as Fitts’ law, but neither is complete. The former cannot predict movement trajectory between the endpoints, while the latter is not congruent with the multiple movement segments often observed in human motion. In this paper, a new model is proposed in which an aimed movement consists of two submovements and a single feedback instant, with the trajectory of each submovement being individually optimized. Simulations using the proposed model show that the optimal transition between two submovements occurs at an early stage of the movement, and produces a sharp peak in the acceleration profile. This result is consistent with psychophysical data. Also observed in numerical simulation is the bell-shaped positional variance curve that is in agreement with psychophysical data.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Measurement and modification of spasmodic torticollis: An experimental analysis

The use of a horizontal grid placed over a videotape television monitor proved to be a precise method of defining and measuring incidence of torticollis. Effects of instructions and negative feedback in modifying percentage of spasmodic torticollis were also examined in an experimental single case design. Application of negative feedback resulted in a significant decrease in percentage of torticollis per ten minute session. Instructions, however, did not diminish percentage of torticollis, but appeared to result in greater variability of performance.
Optimizing Product Line Designs: Efficient Methods and Comparisons

We take advantage of recent advances in optimization methods and computer hardware to identify globally optimal solutions of product line design problems that are too large for complete enumeration. We then use this guarantee of global optimality to benchmark the performance of more practical heuristic methods. We use two sources of data: (1) a conjoint study previously conducted for a real product line design problem, and (2) simulated problems of various sizes. For both data sources, several of the heuristic methods consistently find optimal or near-optimal solutions, including simulated annealing, divide-and-conquer, product-swapping, and genetic algorithms.
Political Science and Political Understanding: Isaiah Berlin on the Nature of Political Inquiry

I saiah Berlin is remembered for his positive/negative liberty distinction and his value pluralism, but he was also an active participant in the debate over the nature of political inquiry. This essay argues that his neglected contribution to this debate is central to his thought and a valuable resource in today's debate over political science's methods and ends. I first show how Berlin understood the relationship of empirical science to humanistic study. I then demonstrate that his conceptions of political judgment and the “sense of reality” were intended as alternatives to the scientific pursuit of political knowledge. Finally, I argue that his Churchill and Weizmann essays present exemplars of the moral excellence Berlin considered necessary to ennoble liberal society and the political understanding indispensable to comprehensive political inquiry. I conclude by noting how Berlin's critique of scientific political inquiry informs his liberalism and his own methods of political inquiry.
Electron beam CT and cost-efficient diagnosis of coronary artery disease

Background: Electron beam CT (EBCT) can acquire rapid, multiple thin-section tomograms of the beating heart in synchrony with the electrocardiogram and quantify coronary calcification without intravenous contrast. Coronary calcification is an active process exclusively associated with atherosclerotic plaque formation and regulated in a manner similar to the calcification of bone. Clinical studies have demonstrated that EBCT coronary calcification (1) follows a pattern similar to the epidemiology of coronary artery disease (CAD), (2) has a high sensitivity (90–95 %) for coronary plaque and significant angiographic coronary stenoses, and (3) has the potential to assess the prognosis of patients with coronary atherosclerotic disease. Coronary calcium area or “score” correlates best with overall plaque burden within the coronary system. However, coronary calcium is of limited value in distinguishing coronary stenosis on a segment-by-segment basis. EBCT and CAD: Due to spiraling health care costs, there is a need for cost-efficient strategies in the diagnosis and stratification of patients with known or suspected CAD. There are two major patient groups in which EBCT calcium scanning has a potential for cost-efficient application: (1) in asymptomatic, high-risk patients, identification of significant plaque burden may direct judicious use of long-term drug therapy or further investigation to those individuals most likely to benefit from an aggressive risk factor modification and medical program; (2) in patients with chest pain syndromes but no prior CAD, EBCT calcium scanning compares favorably with conventional diagnostic methods. In particular, using receiver operating characteristic analysis, the sensitivity and specificity of an EBCT calcium score of 80 in detecting obstructive CAD are both about 85 %. Using a theoretical model, EBCT calcium scanning was found to be the most cost-effective approach to diagnosis in populations with a low-to-moderate likelihood of obstructive CAD when compared with treadmill exercise, stress thallium, and stress echocardiography. Conclusions: EBCT calcium scanning is not a substitute for coronary angiography, but it has clear advantages over other more traditional diagnostic methods for CAD. In particular, it can be performed conveniently and inexpensively in most patients. Additionally, the site and extent of calcification are intimately related to the atherosclerotic plaque burden. The analyses presented suggest that it may also provide a cost-effective clinical alternative in specific subsets of the population.
Melatonin receptor mRNA and protein expression in Xenopus laevis nonpigmented ciliary epithelial cells.

Abstract Melatonin is an output signal of the circadian clock, and may regulate diurnal rhythms in ocular tissues. A role for melatonin has been suggested in the circadian changes in intraocular pressure (IOP). Changes in IOP may be due partially to changes in the rate of aqueous humor secretion, which is produced by the nonpigmented epithelium of the ciliary body. To examine the mechanism by which melatonin may influence ciliary epithelium function and perhaps the IOP diurnal rhythm, immunocytochemistry with an antibody directed against the Mel 1c melatonin receptor subtype was performed on sections of Xenopus eyes. Melatonin receptor immunoreactivity was observed in the basolateral regions of the nonpigmented epithelial cells of the ciliary body. Receptor immunoreactivity was also observed in cells of the retina, as has been previously reported. Specific immunoreactivity was not observed in the epithelium of the iris or pigmented ciliary epithelium. In situ hybridization of the Xenopus eye revealed expression of Mel 1c but not Mel 1b receptor mRNA in the nonpigmented ciliary epithelium. These results provide evidence that the nonpigmented epithelia of the ciliary body are direct targets for melatonin, and supports previous work that melatonin may influence the rate of aqueous humor secretion by ciliary epithelium, and perhaps the circadian rhythm of IOP.
Mechanical Properties of Metallic Interfaces

We have constructed an instrument designed to make measurements of interfacial mechanical properties under ultra-high vacuum conditions. The device has been configured to allow two metallic surfaces to be prepared and characterized independently within a single UHV chamber. The two can then be brought into contact to allow measurements of the frictional properties of their interface. In this manner we are able to study the frictional properties of metallic surfaces modified by the presence of mono-molecular films. The instrument is described in this paper as are the results of initial measurements performed on modified tungsten surfaces. In addition we address the question of why it is that such ultra-thin films can modify the mechanical properties of surfaces brought into contact under macroscopic loads.
Ethanol Modulates Cocaine-Induced Behavioral Change in Inbred Mice

Abstract We recently conducted a study of the behavioral effects of combined cocaine and ethanol in genetically defined mice. Male and female C57BL/6 (B6) and DBA/2 (D2) were tested in an automated activity monitor on 2 consecutive days. On day 1, all animals received an IP injection of sterile saline and were placed into the activity monitor for 30 min. Behaviors measured were total distance traveled, stereotypy, nosepokes, and wall-seeking. On day 2, all animals were tested again for 15 min following injection of one of the following: saline, 10% v/v ethanol at 2.0 g kg 21 or 2.0 g kg 21 ethanol plus 5, 15, or 30 mg kg 21 cocaine. Cocaine alone at the same doses was injected into separate groups of animals. For the B6 strain, the overall effect of ethanol was to reduce cocaine-induced locomotor stimulation; no consistent effect of ethanol on cocaine-induced locomotion was observed in D2 mice. Cocaine-induced inhibition of nosepokes in both strains and sexes was partially reversed by ethanol. Ethanol also partially reversed cocaine-elevated stereotypy in both strains and both sexes. In B6 mice, cocaine-increased wall seeking tended to be reversed by coadministration of ethanol, whereas no consistent pattern was observed in the D2s. Results from this study suggest that the several measures affected by cocaine (locomotor activity, stereotypy, exploration, thigmotaxis) were, in turn, differentially affected by concurrent treatment with ethanol. Furthermore, our results point to genetic-based differences in ethanol’s effects on cocaine-related behaviors. We address the implications for combined ethanol and cocaine use in humans.
Threshold Voltage Control in $\hbox{Al}_{0.72} \hbox{Ga}_{0.28}\hbox{N/AlN/GaN}$ HEMTs by Work-Function Engineering

The first demonstration of high-Al-composition (> 70%) AlGaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) is reported. High electron mobility (~1300 cm2/Vs at room temperature) was achieved in novel high-Al-composition AlGaN 2-D electron gas structures. The threshold voltages (Vth) of Al0.72Ga0.28N/AlN/GaN HEMTs were shifted from -1.0 to -0.13 V by employing different gate metal stacks, Al/Au and Ni/Au, respectively. With a 4-nm Al2O3 gate dielectric on top of the nitride heterostructures, the ~0.9-eV work-function difference between Al and Ni induced ~0.9-V Vth shift in the pairs of the Al/Au and Ni/Au gate HEMTs, which indicates that the Fermi level is unpinned at the ALD Al2O3/AlGaN interface. The results were reproducible for HEMTs of various gate lengths. The results suggest that it is possible to obtain enhancement- and depletion-mode AlGaN HEMTs using work-function engineering which can enable integrated monolithic digital circuits without postgrowth recess etching or ion implantation.
High Frequency Oscillation After Surfactant and Perfluorocarbon in an Animal Model of RDS. † 1549

High Frequency Oscillation After Surfactant and Perfluorocarbon in an Animal Model of RDS. † 1549
A Method for Matrix Correction in the Spectrographic Determination of Uranium

The difference of relative intensity of U 4241A in various matrices is a thermal effect, which can be corrected by use of a temperature sensitive pair of titanium lines. This is illustrated using rock samples.
Biasing cognitive processes during design: the effects of color

The literature on design cognition indicates that, to avoid early fixation, designers should sketch the overall form for a design before focusing attention on the details of individual components. An empirical study was conducted to investigate how sketching tools can influence this cognitive process, specifically investigating the potential of color to cause Gestalt-like perceptual grouping phenomena that induce early fixation on the details. The results indicate that design cognition was very strongly influenced by the introduction of color into the design environment, causing a substantial number of designers to ignore their training to sketch first the overall form.
Direct Observations of Parenting and Real-Time Negative Affect Among Adolescent Smokers and Nonsmokers

This longitudinal study examined how observations of parental general communication style and control with their adolescents predicted changes in negative affect over time for adolescent smokers and nonsmokers. Participants were 9th- and 10th-grade adolescents (N = 111; 56.8% female) who had all experimented with cigarettes and were thus at risk for continued smoking and escalation; 36% of these adolescents (n = 40) had smoked in the past month at baseline and were considered smokers in the present analyses. Adolescents participated separately with mothers and fathers in observed parent–adolescent problem-solving discussions to assess parenting at baseline. Adolescent negative affect was assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 24 months via ecological momentary assessment. Among both smoking and nonsmoking adolescents, escalating negative affect significantly increased risk for future smoking. Higher quality maternal and paternal communication predicted a decline in negative affect over 1.5 years for adolesce...
Management of Complications Related to Mesh Use Within the Female Pelvis

Pelvic organ prolapse is a common indication for surgery throughout the world. Since the introduction of the tension-free vaginal tape in 1998, using mesh for vaginal prolapse repairs has become commonplace. Early studies did not show sufficiently high levels of evidence of advantages provided by mesh repairs but instead revealed fairly high erosion rates. Despite the initial research, use of pelvic organ prolapse surgery with mesh is increasing. It is imperative to have a good understanding of the mesh available on the market, appropriate use in patients, and the serious risks of complications.
EXTINCTION AND RECOLONIZATION: THEIR EFFECTS ON THE GENETIC DIFFERENTIATION OF LOCAL POPULATIONS

In this paper, we use a model by Slatkin (1977) to investigate the genetic effects of extinction and recolonization for a species whose population structure consists of an array of local demes with some migration among them. In particular, we consider the conditions under which extinction and recolonization might enhance or diminish gene flow and increase or decrease the rate of genetic differentiation relative to the static case with no extinctions. We explicitly take into account the age-structure that is established within the array of populations by the extinction and colonization process. We also consider two different models of the colonization process, the so-called "migrant pool" and "propagule pool" models. Our theoretical studies indicate that the genetic effects of extinction and colonization depend upon the relative magnitudes of K, the number of individuals founding new colonies, and 2Nm, twice the number of migrants moving into extant populations. We find that these genetic effects are surprisingly insensitive to the extinction rate. We conclude that, in order to assess the genetic effects of the population dynamics, we must first answer an important empirical question that is essentially ecological: is colonization a behavior distinct from migration?
Comparative Effect of Tetracycline and Doxycycline on the Occurrence of Resistant Escherichia coli in the Fecal Flora

Antibiotic-induced changes in the fecal microflora after oral administration of tetracycline hydrochloride and doxycycline for 8 to 10 days were compared. A significant difference was noted in the concentrations of Escherichia coli resistant to tetracyclines. With tetracycline hydrochloride, there was a mean increase of approximately 10(4) resistant strains per g compared to only 10(1)/g for doxycycline. This difference is ascribed to reduced intestinal concentrations of bioactive drug with recommended oral dosage for doxycycline.
Determination of Ozonation Rate Constants for Lincomycin and Spectinomycin

ABSTRACT Recent occurrences of pharmaceutical antibiotics in surface water, drinking water, and wastewater systems have gained significant attention due to their potential threats to human health. This study determined the absolute second-order rate constants of ozone with two amine-based antibiotics, namely, lincomycin and spectinomycin, using the stopped-flow technique under controlled ionic strength, buffer, and temperature. Results indicate that ozone reacts quickly with the selected antibiotics, and the reaction rate significantly depends on solution pH. For lincomycin, ozone attacks its free amine group and sulfur group with absolute rate constants of 2.76 × 106 M−1·s−1 (for neutral form) and 3.26 × 105 M−1·s−1 (for monoprotonated form), respectively. For spectinomycin, ozone attacks two free amine groups with absolute rate constants of 1.27 × 106 M−1·s−1 (for neutral form) and 3.30 × 105 M−1·s−1 (for monoprotonated form), respectively. These rate constants have been corrected to zero ionic strength...
Model specification searches in structural equation modeling using tabu search

This article introduces an alternative structural equation modeling (SEM) specification search approach that is based on the Tabu search procedure. Using data with known structure, the performance of the Tabu search is illustrated. The results demonstrate the capabilities of the Tabu search procedure for conducting specification searches in SEM.
Understanding the brain–behaviour relationship in persons with ASD: Implications for PECS as a treatment choice

AbstractIntroduction: This article presents emerging neurological findings in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) with particular attention to how this information might inform treatment practices addressing communication impairments.Methods: The article begins with a general discussion of the brain–behaviour relationship and moves to the presentation of recent research findings related to ASD. There is particular attention to individuals with autism who are either non-verbal or present emergent verbal abilities.Results/Discussion: A specific communication treatment, the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), is presented as an example of an intervention that addresses the learner needs of many individuals with ASD. The success of PECS is discussed within the context of its fit with brain-based learner characteristics.
Semiparametric Stochastic Frontier Estimation via Profile Likelihood

We consider the estimation of a nonparametric stochastic frontier model with composite error density which is known up to a finite parameter vector. Our primary interest is on the estimation of the parameter vector, as it provides the basis for estimation of firm specific (in)efficiency. Our frontier model is similar to that of Fan et al. (1996), but here we extend their work in that: a) we establish the asymptotic properties of their estimation procedure, and b) propose and establish the asymptotic properties of an alternative estimator based on the maximization of a conditional profile likelihood function. The estimator proposed in Fan et al. (1996) is asymptotically normally distributed but has bias which does not vanish as the sample size n → ∞. In contrast, our proposed estimator is asymptotically normally distributed and correctly centered at the true value of the parameter vector. In addition, our estimator is shown to be efficient in a broad class of semiparametric estimators. Our estimation proce...
Physiologic importance of pyrroloquinoline quinone.

0-quinone cofactors derived from tyrosine and tryptophan are involved in biological reactions that range from oxidative deaminations to free-radical-related redox reactions. Among these cofactors, pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) has excited interest because of its presence in foods, unusual chemical properties and role as a growth-promoting factor in animals. Oral supplementation of PQQ in the nmol/g-diet range has been shown to improve B- and T-cell responsiveness to mitogens, mitochondrial function and reproductive outcome in mice. PQQ is easily absorbed and efficiently taken up by cultured cells. Consequently, a case can be made that PQQ may have physiological importance in animals.
High-performance liquid chromatographic method for the evaluation of possible interferences in basophil-histamine release measurements.

Abstract Basophil activation studies commonly rely on the measurement of histamine following extraction and condensation to o-phthaladehyde (OPT) as a quantitative measurement of degranulation. Specificity has long been recognized as a problem with this method. We have described a new high-performance liquid chromatographic method that allows for both a qualitative and a quantitative check of the purity of the OPT-histamine adduct. This method was sensitive (limit of detection = 2.55 pmol) and linear over a wide range (5 to 1000 ng/ml).
Genetic Variation for Agronomic Characters in a Burley Tobacco Synthetic Following Recurrent Selection for Increased Black Shank Resistance

Black shank, a fuagal disease caused by Phytophthora parasitica var. nicotianae, is a major hazard in the production of burley tobacco (Nicotiutta tubacum L.). Moderate levels of resistance have been bred into cultivars, but little success has been achieved in utilizing high levels of resistance found in the cigar line. Beinhart 1000-1. Beinhirt 1000-1 and seven burley cultivars were combined into a synthetic population and three cycles of selection for increased black slunk resistance were conducted. The objectives of this study were (i) t0 estimate genetic variability for agronomic traits in the original base population (Co) and die three selection cycles and (ii) to characterize the effects of selection for black shank resistance on the agronomic traits. Fifty selfed lines From the base population and each of three selection cycles were evaluated in replicated field trials at Lexington and Princeton, KY. Differences among cycle means for six agronomic traits were not statistically significant. Genetic variation for the six traits among lines within cycles was highly significant and did not change during selection. The results indicated that previously assumed associations between black shank resistance in Beinhart 1000-1 and undesirable agronomic traits were due to chromosomal linkages which were apparently broken by intercrossing. The C3 population would be a useful base population for selection to improve agronomic performance in black shank resistant genotypes.
Run-time support for user-level ultralightweight threads on distributed-memory computers

Ultralightweight Thread (uThread) is a library package designed and optimized for user-level management of parallelism in a single application program running on distributed-memory computers. Existing process management systems incur an unnecessarily high cost when used for the type of parallelism exploited within an application. By reducing the overhead of ownership protection and frequent context switches, uThread encourages both simplicity and performance. In addition, uThread provides various scheduling support to balance the system load. The uThread package reduces the cost of parallelism management to nearly the lower bound. This package has been successfully running on most distributed-memory computers, such as the Intel iPSC/860, Touchstone Delta. NCUBE, and TMC CM-5.
Single Molecule Observation of Liposome-Bilayer Fusion Thermally Induced by Soluble N-Ethyl Maleimide Sensitive-Factor Attachment Protein Receptors (SNAREs)

A single molecule fluorescence assay is presented for studying the mechanism of soluble N-ethyl maleimide sensitive-factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs)-mediated liposome fusion to supported lipid bilayers. The three neuronal SNAREs syntaxin-1A, synaptobrevin-II (VAMP), and SNAP-25A were expressed separately, and various dye-labeled combinations of the SNAREs were tested for their ability to dock liposomes and induce fusion. Syntaxin and synaptobrevin in opposing membranes were both necessary and sufficient to dock liposomes to supported bilayers and to induce thermally activated fusion. As little as one SNARE interaction was sufficient for liposome docking. Fusion of docked liposomes with the supported bilayer was monitored by the dequenching of soluble fluorophores entrapped within the liposomes. Fusion was stimulated by illumination with laser light, and the fusion probability was enhanced by raising the ambient temperature from 22 to 37°C, suggesting a thermally activated process. Surprisingly, SNAP-25 had little effect on docking efficiency or the probability of thermally induced fusion. Interprotein fluorescence resonance energy transfer experiments suggest the presence of other conformational states of the syntaxin•synaptobrevin interaction in addition to those observed in the crystal structure of the SNARE complex. Furthermore, although SNARE complexes involved in liposome docking preferentially assemble into a parallel configuration, both parallel and antiparallel configurations were observed.
Time Dependent Fracture and Cohesive Zones

This presentation is concerned with the fracture response of materials which develop cohesive or bridging zones at crack tips. Of special interest are concerns regarding crack stability as a function of the law which governs the interrelation between the displacement(s) or strain across these zones and the corresponding holding tractions. It is found that for some materials unstable crack growth can occur, even before the crack tip has experienced a critical COD or strain across the crack, while for others a critical COD will guarantee the onset of fracture. Also shown are results for a rate dependent nonlinear material model for the region inside of a craze for exploring time dependent crack propagation of rate sensitive materials.
Response to ‘Don't be so BOLD: Potential limitations in the use of BOLD MRI for studies of renal oxygenation’

It is indeed gratifying that our caveats and concerns have been validated. We believe that the BOLD investigations can be very useful, since they are noninvasive, using blood as the reporter molecule. However, as the correspondents1 recognize there is interplay of oxygen delivery, consumption, and clearance, and thus, assumptions are needed when inferring changes in tissue pO2. Moreover, arterio-venous (AV) shunting may separate tissue and capillary phenomena from bulk AV measurements.
Fast randomized point location without preprocessing in two- and three-dimensional Delaunay triangulations

This paper studies the point location problem in Delaunay triangulations without preprocessing and additional storage. The proposed procedure finds the query point by simply “walking through” the triangulation, after selecting a “good starting point” by random sampling. The analysis generalizes and extends a recent result for dD 2 dimensions by proving this procedure takes expected time close to O.n 1=.dC1/ / for point location in Delaunay triangulations of n random points indD 3 dimensions. Empirical results in both two and three dimensions show that this procedure is efficient in practice. © 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Pregnancy and Open-Heart Surgery

During pregnancy, when surgically reparable heart disease can no longer be medically manged, open- or closed-heart surgery is the procedure of choice without prior therapeutic abortion. Cyanotic congenital heart disease in a pregnant patient when completely correctable surgically may be an indication for surgery in itself. Available data suggest that pregnancy per se does not increase the maternal risk of heart surgery with use of extracorporeal circulation. Fetal mortality in our series was 33%.
Microstructure and electrical characteristics of tungsten and WSix contacts to GaAs

Abstract Contacts consisting of tungsten, W0.79Si0.21, W0.67Si0.33 and W0.57Si0.43 have been produced by sputtering on GaAs(001) and annealed isochronally for 20 min in an arsenic overpressure at temperatures ranging from 500 to 950°C. Subsequently, solid state reaction products, microstructure and phase morphology were characterized by cross-section transmission electron microscopy and glancing-angle X-ray diffraction, whereas carrier concentration profiles, Schottky barrier heights and corresponding ideality factors were measured by capacitance-voltage and current-voltage techniques. Contacts consisting of W/GaAs are characterized by an equilibrium microstructure (β-W and/or α-W/GaAs) under all conditions, but corresponding electrical properties degrade substantially during annealing at 750°C and above. In contrast, W0.79Si0.21/GaAs and W0.67Si0.33/GaAs contacts are characterized by an amorphous structure after annealing up to 750°C, but revert to an equilibrium microstructure (α-W and W5Si3 on GaAs) during annealing at higher temperatures. Corresponding electrical properties degrade less severely during annealing at 750°C and above. Finally, W0.57Si0.43/GaAs contacts are characterized by an amorphous structure after annealing up to 500°C, but revert to an equilibrium microstructure (W5Si3 and WSi2 on GaAs) during annealing at higher temperatures. Corresponding electrical properties degrade during annealing at 500°C and above. In general, degradation of electrical properties is attributed to a combination of interdiffusion across and solid state reactions at the WSi x - GaAs interface. A previously unreported cubic phase is also observed to form at the W0.57Si0.43-GaAs interface during annealing at 750°C and above.
Adolescent participation in preventive health behaviors, physical activity, and nutrition: differences across immigrant generations for Asians and Latinos compared with Whites

Objectives. We investigated preventive health behaviors (bicycle helmet, seat belt, and sunscreen use), physical activity, television viewing or video game playing, and nutrition (fruit, vegetable, milk, and soda consumption) among Asian and Latino adolescents living in the United States; assessed trends across generations (first-, second-, and third-generation immigrants or later); and compared each generation with White adolescents.Methods. We used data from 5801 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years in the representative 2001 California Health Interview Survey.Results. In multivariate analysis, first-generation Asians measured worse than Whites for preventive health behaviors (lower participation), physical activity (less activity), and television viewing or video game playing (more hours), but improved across generations. For these same behaviors, Latinos were similar to or worse than Whites, and generally showed no improvement across generations. First-generation Asians and Latinos had healthier diets than...
Ethanol and temperature modify motor axon firing patterns.

Summary At high temperature a single orthodromic action potential in the excitor (E) axon to the stretcher muscle of the crabPachygrapsus crassipes provokes the generation of additional spikes in the peripheral E axon branches. This phenomenon exhibits a critical temperature threshold. Bathing preparations in crab salines made up with ethanol at levels as low as 0.5% (109 mM) reversibly decreased the temperature threshold for peripheral spike generation. Higher levels of ethanol resulted in the peripheral generation of E axon spikes at lower temperatures. These results, together with the observation that the temperature threshold is dependent upon the acclimation temperature, indicate that the peripheral generation of action potential in the E axon is associated with an increase membrane lipid fluidity.