cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Impact of AGC on Cyclic Prefix Length for OFDM Systems

In orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems, a number of OFDM symbols form one subframe and consecutive subframes may be allocated to different users. Automatic gain control (AGC) is commonly employed in OFDM systems because the power of receiving signals can vary over a large dynamic range. After measuring the power of cyclic prefix (CP) of the first OFDM symbol in a subframe, AGC adjusts the gain before receiving the useful portion (UP). Otherwise, there is inter-carrier interference (ICI). CP length is usually chosen equal to the delay spread of the multipath channel. After passing through the channel, CP of the first OFDM symbol in a subframe contains the power of the last OFDM symbol in the prior subframe. When these two subframes are allocated to distinct users with different transmit powers, AGC gain is inaccurate and system performance is degraded. To solve this problem, we extend the CP of the first OFDM symbol in a subframe to include an AGC portion (AP). On the assumption that transmitted time domain signal is circularly symmetric complex Gaussian random variable, the required length of AP is also derived. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme has a gain of 0.0dB ~ 6.2dB at BLER of 0.1 over the prior scheme with 0.34% overhead.
Primary Cancer vs Competing Causes of Death in Survivors of Head and Neck Cancer.

This cohort study determines the probability and estimates the time point after diagnosis when death from competing causes becomes more common than that from primary head and neck cancer.
Examining the paradox of high high-density lipoprotein and elevated cardiovascular risk.

When high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was identified as a protective factor in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), the inverse relationship between HDL-C and ASCVD was thought to be linear (1).
Interleukin-1 Induced T-Lymphocyte Proliferation and Its Relation to IL-1 Receptors

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a polypeptide cytokine which possesses several biological properties including lymphocyte activation, fever, endothelial cell stimulation and mesenchymal tissue remodeling (reviewed in 1). In lymphocytes, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and macrophages, IL-1 induces a variety of immunomodulatory molecules, such as more IL-2, granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, IL-6, and IL-1 itself.2 Many of the biological properties of IL-1 are also observed with another polypeptide cytokine, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)3; however, IL-1 and TNF have distinct primary structures and cell receptors. IL-1 receptors are most numerous on fibroblasts4 and T-cell lines.5–7 These include the EL4 murine thymoma and LBRM line. The IL-1 cell surface binding protein (receptor) recognizes both beta and alpha forms of IL-I has been demonstrated on several lymphocyte-derived cell lines as well as mature, circulating blood T-cells.8
Emergency General Surgery: The Vanderbilt Model

With the evolution of trauma systems in the United States, morbidity and mortality rates from trauma have decreased over the past 30 years.1, 2, 3 Trauma centers are highly organized systems that administer care to the most critically injured patients. This provides a concentrated setting for multispecialty professionals to dedicate themselves to the care of these individuals promptly and efficiently.
Regulation of Retinal Vascular Permeability by Betacellulin

Diabetic maculopathy, a leading cause of vision loss in patients with type 2 diabetes, is characterized by hyperpermeability of retinal blood vessels with subsequent formation of macular edema and hard exudates. Epidemiological studies have suggested that glycemic control plays a major role in the development of vascular complications of diabetes (Diabetes 42:1555–1558, 1993b). In an intervention cohort study, intensive treatment of diabetes reduced the development of proliferative diabetic retinopathy by 47% but was associated with a two to threefold increased risk of severe hypoglycemia (N Engl J Med 329:977–986, 1993a) and cardiovascular mortality. Therefore, it is critical to identify a downstream glycemic target that contributes to increased retinal vascular permeability that could be targeted therapeutically without the additional risks associated with intensive treatment of the hyperglycemia. Betacellulin is a 32 kDa member of the epidermal growth factor family that is produced by retinal pigment epithelial cells and Muller cells in addition to the proliferating β cells of the pancreatic islets and promotes regeneration of pancreatic β cells (Growth Factors 13:181–191, 1996; Endocrinol Metab 285:E577–583, 2003; Diabetes 53:608–615, 2004). Its mitogenic activity for smooth muscle cells and retinal pigment epithelial cells led us to hypothesize a role for betacellulin in the retinal vascular complications associated with diabetes (Science 259:1604–1607, 1993). Our studies (PLoS ONE 5:e13444, 2010) suggest that diabetic mice have accentuated retinal vascular permeability with a concomitant increased expression of a cleaved soluble form of betacellulin (s-Btc) in the retina. Intravitreal injection of betacellulin induced retinal hemorrhage and increased vascular permeability in normoglycemic and hyperglycemic mice. A disintegrin and metalloproteinase, ADAM-10 (which plays a role in the cleavage of betacellulin), is increased in the retinae of diabetic mice and humans with diabetic retinopathy. Based on these results, we hypothesize that betacellulin may contribute to increased retinal vascular permeability and the pathogenesis of diabetic macular edema.
ARC and BDNF expression after cocaine self-administration or cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking in adolescent and adult male rats.

Recreational drug use peaks during adolescence. Our research with adolescent vs adult male rats, however, shows that rats taking cocaine as adolescents have lower levels of cue-induced reinstatement of drug-seeking than adults, despite similar levels of intravenous (i.v.) cocaine self-administration. Lower rates of reinstatement in younger rats could be explained by higher levels of brain plasticity. Two neuroplasticity-related genes, activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated gene (Arc) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf), influence cocaine self-administration and cue-induced reinstatement. We tested whether reinstatement of cocaine seeking correlates with expression of these genes in reinforcement-related brain regions. Adolescent and adult male rats (postnatal day 35 or 83-95 at start) were allowed to acquire lever-pressing maintained by i.v. infusions of cocaine in daily 2-h sessions over 13 days. At one of three experimental time points, rats were sacrificed and tissue collected to analyze Arc and Bdnf mRNA by in situ hybridization in the entire medial prefrontal cortex and entire nucleus accumbens, as well as relevant subregions: prelimbic cortex, infralimbic cortex, and nucleus accumbens core and shell. Despite taking similar amounts of cocaine, adolescents reinstated less than adults. Gene expression was most notable in the prelimbic cortex, was generally higher in adolescent-onset groups, and was higher with longer abstinence. These data partially support the hypothesis that higher levels of Arc and/or Bdnf gene expression in reinforcement-related brain regions of younger animals contribute to lower rates of extinction responding and/or reinstatement. Future studies should include mechanistic analysis of Arc, Bdnf, and their signaling pathways in age-dependent effects of cocaine.
Utility of Cement Augmentation via Percutaneous Fenestrated Pedicle Screws for Stabilization of Cancer-Related Spinal Instability.

BACKGROUND Cancer patients experience pathological fractures and the typical poor bone quality frequently complicates stabilization. Methods for overcoming screw failure include utilization of fenestrated screws that permit the injection of bone cement into the vertebral body to augment fixation. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the safety and efficacy of cement augmentation via fenestrated screws. METHODS A retrospective chart review of patients with neoplastic spinal instability who underwent percutaneous instrumented stabilization with cement augmentation using fenestrated pedicle screws. Patient demographic and treatment data and intraoperative and postoperative complications were evaluated by chart review and radiographic evaluation. Prospectively collected patient reported outcomes (PRO) were evaluated at short (2- <6 mo) and long term (6-12 mo). RESULTS Cement augmentation was performed in 216 fenestrated pedicle screws in 53 patients. Three patients required reoperation. One patient had an asymptomatic screw fracture at 6 mo postoperatively that did not require intervention. No cases of lucency around the pedicle screws, rod fractures, or cement extravasation into the spinal canal were observed. Eight cases of asymptomatic, radiographically-detected venous extravasation were found. Systemic complications included a pulmonary cement embolism, a lower extremity deep vein thrombosis, and a postoperative mortality secondary to pulmonary failure from widespread metastatic pulmonary infiltration. Significant improvement in PRO measures was found in short- and long-term analysis. CONCLUSION Cement augmentation of pedicle screws is an effective method to enhance the durability of spinal constructs in the cancer population. Risks include cement extravasation into draining blood vessels, but risk of clinically significant extravasation appears to be exceedingly low.
Identifying translational science through embeddings of controlled vocabularies.

Objective Translational science aims at "translating" basic scientific discoveries into clinical applications. The identification of translational science has practicality such as evaluating the effectiveness of investments made into large programs like the Clinical and Translational Science Awards. Despite several proposed methods that group publications-the primary unit of research output-into some categories, we still lack a quantitative way to place articles onto the full, continuous spectrum from basic research to clinical medicine. Materials and methods I learn vector representations of controlled vocabularies assigned to Medline articles to obtain a translational axis that points from basic science to clinical medicine. The projected position of a term on the translational axis, expressed by a continuous quantity, indicates the term's "appliedness." The position of an article, determined by the average location over its terms, quantifies the degree of its appliedness, which I term the level score. Results I validate the present method by comparing with previous techniques, showing excellent agreement yet uncovering significant variations of scores of articles in previously defined categories. The measure allows us to characterize the standing of journals, disciplines, and the entire biomedical literature along the basic-applied spectrum. Analysis on large-scale citation network reveals 2 main findings. First, direct citations mainly occurred between articles with similar scores. Second, shortest paths are more likely ended up with an article closer to the basic end of the spectrum, regardless of where the starting article is on the spectrum. Conclusions The proposed method provides a quantitative way to identify translational science.
BAYESIAN FEATURE SELECTION WITH DATA INTEGRATION

Biomarker discovery aims to select biological markers that differentiate between different groups, and is typically framed as a small-sample high-dimensional feature selection problem. Successfully combining information from multiple datasets studying similar diseases under comparable conditions can increase the accuracy of biomarker discovery. Recent work proposes a Bayesian feature selection framework that finds the sample-conditioned probability of a feature having distributional differences across classes. Here we extend this framework to consider multiple datasets, solve it for Gaussian features, and extend two previously proposed selection algorithms. The proposed algorithms perform well on synthetic simulations. We use them to integrate four breast cancer datasets and perform enrichment analysis.
Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial of Primary Molar Crowns: 24-Month Results

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical success of a new primary zirconia molar crown compared with stainless steel crowns (SSCs). Methods: This randomized, controlled clinical trial was designed as a split-mouth study. Fifty three- to seven-year-old children were recruited to provide a total of 50 pairs of teeth requiring primary molar crowns, with each participant receiving a SSC and zirconia crown. Restorations were evaluated at six-month, 12-month, and 24-month recall appointments examining the following criteria: gingival health; estimate of extent the crown was high in occlusion; surface roughness; staining on crown surface; wear of opposing arch tooth; color match; anatomic form; marginal integrity; marginal discoloration; proximal contact area; secondary caries at crown margin; and parent/guardian satisfaction with crown appearance. Results: The 24-month follow-up included 39 patients (78 percent). Seventy crowns (70 percent) were evaluated; of the 36 zirconia crowns and 34 SSCs, there were no failures at the 24-month evaluation. The only significant difference in the parameters evaluated was in parental satisfaction with the zirconia crown preference (P<0.05). Conclusion: Current 24-month results indicate that zirconia primary molar crowns perform similarly to an established stainless steel crown for restoration of primary molar teeth.
Effects of emulsifiers on the moisture sorption and crystallization of amorphous sucrose lyophiles.

Abstract The crystallization of amorphous sucrose can be problematic in food products. This study explored how emulsifiers (a range of sucrose esters, polysorbates, and soy lecithin) impact the moisture sorption and crystallization of amorphous sucrose lyophiles. Solutions containing sucrose with and without emulsifiers were lyophilized, stored in desiccators, and analyzed by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and polarized light microscopy over time. Moisture sorption techniques, Karl Fischer titration, and differential scanning calorimetry were also used. Different emulsifiers had varying impacts on sucrose crystallization tendencies. Polysorbates enhanced sucrose crystallization, decreasing both the RH and time at which sucrose crystallized. These lyophiles did not collapse upon crystallization, unlike all other samples, indicating the likelihood of variations in nucleation sites and crystal growth. All other emulsifiers stabilized amorphous sucrose by up to a factor of 7x, even in the presence of increased water absorbed and independent of glass transition temperatures, indicating emulsifier structure governed sucrose crystallization tendencies.
Perception-aware trajectory generation for aggressive quadrotor flight using differential flatness

Recent advances in visual-inertial state estimation have allowed quadrotor aircraft to autonomously navigate in unknown environments at operational speeds. In most cases, substantially higher speeds can be achieved by actively designing motion that reduces state estimation error. We are interested in autonomous vehicles running feature-based visual-inertial state estimation algorithms. In particular, we consider a trajectory optimization problem in which the goal is to maximize co-visibility of features, i.e. features are kept visible in the camera view from one keyframe to the next, increasing state estimation accuracy. Our algorithm is developed for autonomous quadrotor aircraft, for which position and yaw trajectories can be tracked separately. We assume that the desired positions of the vehicle are determined a priori, for instance, by a path planner that uses obstacles in the environment to generate a trajectory of positions with free yaw. This paper presents a novel algorithm that determines the yawtrajectory that jointly optimizes aggressiveness and feature co-visibility. The benefit of this algorithm was experimentally verified using a custom built quadrotor which uses visual inertial odometry for state estimation. The generated trajectories lead to better state estimation which contributes to improved trajectory tracking by a state-of-the-art controller under autonomous high-speed flight. Our results show that the root-mean-square error of the trajectory tracking is improved by almost 70%.
Incidence and risk factors of non–device-associated pneumonia in an acute-care hospital

Objective:To update current estimates of non–device-associated pneumonia (ND pneumonia) rates and their frequency relative to ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP), and identify risk factors for ND pneumonia.Design:Cohort study.Setting:Academic teaching hospital.Patients:All adult hospitalizations between 2013 and 2017 were included. Pneumonia (device associated and non–device associated) were captured through comprehensive, hospital-wide active surveillance using CDC definitions and methodology.Results:From 2013 to 2017, there were 163,386 hospitalizations (97,485 unique patients) and 771 pneumonia cases (520 ND pneumonia and 191 VAP). The rate of ND pneumonia remained stable, with 4.15 and 4.54 ND pneumonia cases per 10,000 hospitalization days in 2013 and 2017 respectively (P = .65). In 2017, 74% of pneumonia cases were ND pneumonia. Male sex and increasing age we both associated with increased risk of ND pneumonia. Additionally, patients with chronic bronchitis or emphysema (hazard ratio [HR], 2.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.40–3.06), congestive heart failure (HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.07–2.05), or paralysis (HR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.09–2.73) were also at increased risk, as were those who were immunosuppressed (HR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.18–2.00) or in the ICU (HR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.06–2.09). We did not detect a change in ND pneumonia risk with use of chlorhexidine mouthwash, total parenteral nutrition, all medications of interest, and prior ventilation.Conclusion:The incidence rate of ND pneumonia did not change from 2013 to 2017, and 3 of 4 nosocomial pneumonia cases were non–device associated. Hospital infection prevention programs should consider expanding the scope of surveillance to include non-ventilated patients. Future research should continue to look for modifiable risk factors and should assess potential prevention strategies.
A discrete Mathematical Framework for Tracking Information Dissemination Dynamics via Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communications in an urban roadway Network

Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) based on wireless communication protocol enables vehicles to exchange traffic information online. This technology advance grants many innovative applications for improving traffic efficiency of current transportation systems. However, we still lack the understanding of the information dissemination dynamics factoring traffic flow dynamics over a road traffic network. Motivated by this lack, this research first develops an information network flow model (IFNM) to track information front spreading dynamics at intersections. Next, by integrating IFNM with IT-CTM model developed in [1] for capturing the information front propagation dynamics on a road segment, we develop a discrete mathematical simulation model (i.e., IFNM- CTM) to track the information front spreading dynamics over a road network. The numerical experiments based on simulation data illustrate that our simulation model is able to track information front spreading, including location and coverage, accurately with the MAE less than 6% and 5% respectively. Thus, this integrative model captures more realities in both transportation and communication, which provides better systematic knowledge for information spreading dynamics in roadway networks and potentially sustains real time applications of V2V communication in various ITS systems.
Applications and Implications of Emerging Biotechnologies in Environmental Engineering

AbstractAdopting and adapting emerging biotechnologies presents promise and challenges to the environmental engineer. Emerging biotreatment technologies that employ synthetic biology approaches, ge...
Women’s Work and Assets: Considering Property Ownership from a Transnational Feminist Perspective

Development literature on global gender empowerment devotes much attention to employment, a code word for the inclusion of women’s labor in the global market. Recent work in transnational feminisms shows that the emphasis on employment over assets may not prevent exploitation of labor and perpetuity of poverty. This paper first highlights research on how women are increasingly taking on too much responsibility, working in a confluence of survival-oriented activities that undermine their own well-being. I also address how women are increasingly able to get out of poverty: when they can labor in such a way that they are not merely working to survive but also working for accumulation of their own material assets, foremost of which is basic housing. Finally, I consider these transnational feminist insights about the importance of housing for women in light of philosophical concerns about property ownership, specifically Locke’s theory of property. In justifying property rights through labor, and arguing against the state’s right to usurp property, a Lockean can give a defense against forced evictions that still occur in some contexts and give support for a normative connection between women’s labor and assets.
The Na+/K+ ATPase Regulates Glycolysis and Defines Immunometabolism in Tumors

Cancer therapies targeting metabolism have been limited due to a lack of understanding of the controlling properties of vulnerable pathways. The Na+/K+ ATPase is responsible for a large portion of cellular energy demands but how these demands influence metabolism and create metabolic liabilities are not known. Using metabolomic approaches, we first show that digoxin, a cardiac glycoside widely used in humans, acts through disruption to central carbon metabolism via on target inhibition of the Na+/K+ ATPase that was fully recovered by expression of an allele resistant to digoxin. We further show in vivo that administration of digoxin inhibits glycolysis in both malignant and healthy cells, particularly within clinically relevant cardiac tissue, while exhibiting tumor-specific cytotoxic activity in an allografted soft tissue sarcoma. Single-cell expression analysis of over 31,000 cells within the sarcoma shows that acute Na+/K+ ATPase inhibition shifts the immune composition of the tumor microenvironment, leading to selective transcriptional reprogramming of metabolic processes in specific immune cells thus acting both through tumor cell autonomous and non-autonomous (e.g. macrophage) cells. These results provide evidence that altering energy demands can be used to regulate glycolysis with specific cell-type specific consequences in a multicellular environment.
Incident Command System

The Incident Command System (ICS) was developed as a method to respond to domestic disasters by assimilating facilities, equipment, personnel, and communications under one operating structure. ICS originated in California in the 1970s as an approach to respond to the California wildfires. Adopted by the federal government for use in the late 1980s, ICS became part of the national disaster response after the events of 9/11. ICS allows for all of the responding agencies to have a unified command and a common nomenclature; ICS is not only used in hospitals but also by police, fire, and other public agencies. It can be utilized in both small- and large-scale incidents; ICS can be expanded as necessary to meet the needs of the disaster response. For the most part, ICS is not only used for disaster response but can also be used to plan for large-scale events.
Clinical Utility of Circulating Cell-Free DNA Mutations in Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma

Background: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is an aggressive thyroid cancer that requires a rapid diagnosis and treatment to achieve disease control. Gene mutation profiling of circulating cell-...
A KNACK for knowledge acquisition

KNACK is a knowledge acquisition tool that generates expert systems for evaluating designs of electromechanical systems. An important feature of KNACK is that it acquires knowledge from domain experts without presupposing knowledge engineering skills on their part. This is achieved by incorporating general knowledge about evaluation tasks in KNACK. Using that knowledge, KNACK builds a conceptual model of the domain through an interview process with the expert. KNACK expects the expert to communicate a portion of his knowledge as a sample report and divides the report into small fragments. It asks the expert for strategies of how to customize the fragments for different applications. KNACK generalizes the fragments and strategies, displays several instantiations of them, and the expert edits any of these that need it. The corrections motivate and guide KNACK in refining the knowledge base. Finally, KNACK examines the acquired knowledge for incompleteness and inconsistency. This process of abstraction and completion results in a knowledge base containing a large collection of generalized report fragments more broadly applicable than the sample report.
An iterative filterbank approach for extracting sinusoidal parameters from quasi-harmonic sounds

We propose an iterative filterbank method for tracking the parameters of exponentially damped sinusoidal components of quasi-harmonic sounds. The quasi-harmonic criteria specialize our analysis to a wide variety of acoustic instrument recordings while allowing for inharmonicity. The filterbank splits the recorded signal into subbands, one per harmonic, in which time-varying parameters of multiple closely-spaced sinusoids are estimated using a Steiglitz-McBride/Kalman approach. Averaged instantaneous frequency estimates are used to update the center frequencies and bandwidths of the subband filters; by so doing, the filterbank progressively adapts to the inharmonicity structure of a source recording.
Intravenous diltiazem and CYP3A-mediated metabolism.

Aims To study whether intravenous diltiazem, a calcium channel blocker commonly prescribed for hypertension and stable angina, is an inhibitor of the CYP3A enzymes by using oral lovastatin, an HMG Co-A reductase inhibitor, as a substrate. Methods Ten healthy volunteers were studied in a randomized two-way crossover design. The two arms were 1) administration of a 20 mg dosage of lovastatin orally and 2) administration of a 20 mg dosage of lovastatin orally 1 h after an intravenous loading dosage and constant infusion of diltiazem. Blood samples were collected up to 25 h in order to quantify lovastatin and diltiazem concentrations in the separated serum. Lovastatin and diltiazem concentrations were quantified by GC-MS and h.p.l.c., respectively. Results Intravenous diltiazem did not significantly affect the oral AUC, Cmax, t½, or tmax of lovastatin. Conclusions These data suggest that the interaction of lovastatin with diltiazem does not occur systemically and is primarily a first-pass effect. Thus, drug interactions with diltiazem may become evident when a patient is moved from intravenous to oral dosing.
Investors’ Perception And Attitude Towards Mutual Fund As An Investment Option

Mutual funds have opened new vistas to millions of investors by virtually taking investment to their doorstep. In India, a investor generally goes for such kind of information, which do not provide hedge against inflation and often have negative real returns. He finds himself to be an odd man out in the investment game. Mutual funds have come, as a much needed help to these investors. Thus the success of MFs is essentially the result of the combined efforts of competent fund managers and alert investors. A competent fund manager should analyze investor behavior and understand their needs and expectations, to gear up the performance to meet investor requirements. Therefore, in this current scenario it is very important to identify needs of mutual funds investors, their preference for mutual funds schemes and its performance evaluation. In this research paper, researcher has an objective to know preference of mutual funds investors and performance evaluation of the preferred schemes by the investors. The survey is undertaken of 50 educated investors of Udaipur city and the major findings reveal the major factors that influence buying behavior mutual funds investors, sources that investor rely more while making investment and preferable mode to invest in mutual funds market. The study will be immensely useful to the AMC'; s, Brokers, distributors and to the other potential investors and last but not least to academician as well. Indian mutual fund has gained a lot of popularity from the past few years. Earlier only UTI enjoyed the monopoly in this industry but with the passage of time many new players entered the market, due to which the UTI monopoly breaks down and the industry faces a severe competition. As the time passes this industry has become a buzz word in the Indian finan-cial system. So it is very important to know the investors’ perception about this industry. The present study analyses the mutual fund investments in relation to investor’s behavior. Investors’ opinion and perception has been studied relating to various issues like type of mutual fund scheme, main objective behind investing in mutual fund scheme, role of financial advisors and brokers, investors’ opinion relating to factors that attract them to invest in mutual funds, sources of information, deficiencies in the services provided by the mutual fund managers, challenges before the Indian mutual fund industry etc. Mutual fund, investors’ perception, investors’ behavior, objectives, challenges, buying behavior, performance evaluation.
Characterization of the sigma 38-dependent expression of a core Escherichia coli starvation gene, pexB.

Abstract A reverse genetics approach was used to clone a pex starvation gene that codes for an 18-kDa polypeptide, designated PexB. Single-copy pexB-lacZ operon fusions were constructed to study transcriptional regulation and the promoter region of this gene. The induction by carbon starvation or osmotic stress was transcriptional and controlled by sigma 38 but was independent of this sigma factor by the oxidative stress; presumably, it was sigma 70 mediated under the latter stress. During nitrogen starvation, the induction was controlled at the posttranscriptional level. The pexB upstream region contained 245 nucleotides within which sequences approximating the consensus for cyclic AMP receptor protein and integration host factor binding sites were discernible. Deletion of 164 bp of the upstream region, which included these consensus sequences, did not affect starvation-or osmotic stress-mediated induction of pexB but abolished its induction by oxidative stress. The same start site was used in transcription during carbon starvation, osmotic stress, or oxidative stress, suggesting that the pexB promoter can be recognized in vivo by both sigma 38 and sigma 70, depending, presumably, on the presence of appropriate transcriptional factors. The -10 and -35 regions of pexB resembled those of some but not all genes known to be controlled by sigma 38.
Outcomes of laparoscopic and open colectomy: a national population-based comparison.

Several recent clinical studies have demonstrated that laparoscopic colectomy is safe, feasible, and associated with many short-term benefits compared with open colectomy. It is unknown if outcomes...
George L. Mosse 1919–1999: An Appreciation

I first met George Mosse in late August 1967. That summer I carried my worn copy of his book on the roots of Nazi ideology, The Crisis of German Ideology: Intellectual Origins of the Third Reich (1964), with Hubert Lanzinger's bizarre painting of Hider as a German knight on the cover, to Salzburg where I studied German before going on to graduate school at the University of Wisconsin. Though I admired the book, it did not prepare me for meeting the man. In 1967 I drove out to the Midwest from New York in my VW bug. To my surprise, as soon as I arrived in Madison, someone pointed him out, sitting on the Terrace of the Wisconsin Memorial Union in his short sleeve shirt, smoking his pipe, and arguing intensely with a group of students who were planning to sit in to block the Dow Chemical Company campus recruiter in the Fall (Dow was chosen because the company was manufacturing napalm).
Technique for the performance of preliminary tests on a small particle

Simple apparatus is described for the efficient performance of heating and solubility tests with a small particle.
Tidal Love numbers of neutron and self-bound quark stars

Gravitational waves from the final stages of inspiraling binary neutron stars are expected to be one of the most important sources for ground-based gravitational wave detectors. The masses of the components are determinable from the orbital and chirp frequencies during the early part of the evolution, and large finite-size (tidal) effects are measurable toward the end of inspiral, but the gravitational wave signal is expected to be very complex at this time. Tidal effects during the early part of the evolution will form a very small correction, but during this phase the signal is relatively clean. The accumulated phase shift due to tidal corrections is characterized by a single quantity related to a star's tidal Love number. The Love number is sensitive, in particular, to the compactness parameter $M/R$ and the star's internal structure, and its determination could provide an important constraint to the neutron star radius. We show that Love numbers of self-bound strange quark matter stars are qualitatively different from those of normal neutron stars. Observations of the tidal signature from coalescing compact binaries could therefore provide an important, and possibly unique, way to distinguish self-bound strange quark stars from normal neutron stars. Tidal signatures from self-bound strange quark stars with masses smaller than $1{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$ are substantially smaller than those of normal stars owing to their smaller radii. Thus tidal signatures of stars less massive than $1{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$ are probably not detectable with Advanced LIGO. For stars with masses in the range $1--2{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$, the anticipated efficiency of the proposed Einstein telescope would be required for the detection of tidal signatures.
Enhanced performance from a hybrid quenchometric deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) silica xerogel gaseous oxygen sensing platform.

A complex of salmon milt deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium (CTMA) forms an organic-soluble biomaterial that can be readily incorporated within an organically modified silane-based xerogel. The photoluminescence (PL) intensity and excited-state luminescence lifetime of tris(4,7′-diphenyl-1,10′-phenanathroline) ruthenium(II) [(Ru(dpp)3]2+, a common O2 responsive luminophore, increases in the presence of DNA-CTMA within the xerogel. The increase in the [Ru(dpp)3]2+excited-state lifetime in the presence of DNA-CTMA arises from DNA intercalation that attenuates one or more non-radiative processes, leading to an increase in the [Ru(dpp)3]2+ excited-state lifetime. Prospects for the use of these materials in an oxygen sensor are demonstrated.
[125I]4-aminobenzyl-5'-N-methylcarboxamidoadenosine (125I)AB-MECA) labels multiple adenosine receptor subtypes in rat brain.

Abstract Adenosine modulates neuronal activity and neurotransmitter release through interaction with cell surface receptors. Four adenosine receptor subtypes, A 1 , A 2A , A 2B , and A 3 receptors, have been cloned and characterized. The agonist ligand, [ 125 I]AB-MECA ([ 125 I]4-aminobenzyl-5′- N -methylcarboxamidoadenosine) has high affinity for recombinant A 1 and A 3 receptors [Olah et al., Mol. Pharmacol. , 45 (1994) 978–982]. Rodent A 3 receptors are relatively insensitive to xanthines; inhibition of A 1 receptors with xanthines allows selective detection of A 3 receptors despite the lack of selectivity of the ligand. We studied whether [ 125 I]AB-MECA is useful for localization and characterization of A 3 receptors in rat brain. The autoradiographic distribution of total [ 125 I]AB-MECA (400 pM) binding closely resembled the pattern of A 1 receptor binding, with highest levels in cerebellum, hippocampus, and thalamus, and moderate levels in cortex and striatum. Drug competition studies confirmed that almost all [ 125 I]AB-MECA binding could be attributed to labeling of A 1 receptors. Xanthine amine congener (1 μ M) reduced specific [ 125 I]AB-MECA binding by >95%, indicating that xanthine-resistant A 3 receptors represent a quantitatively minor subtype. Despite the use of a radioligand with high affinity and high specific activity, the low density of A 3 receptors in rat brain appears insufficient to allow localization, or even consistent detection, of this receptor subtype. In the presence of DPCPX (50 nM, to block A 1 receptors), residual [ 125 I]AB-MECA binding to A 2A receptors was observed in the striatum. Thus, [ 125 I]AB-MECA labels primarily A 1 and A 2A adenosine receptors in rat brain.
Development of population-based newborn screening for severe combined immunodeficiency

Background Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is a treatable, inherited lack of cellular and humoral immunity caused by diverse mutations in several different genes and leading to death in infancy unless immune reconstitution is provided. Currently no population screening exists for SCID, but early diagnosis would improve outcome. Objective Because all patients with SCID make few or no T cells, we asked whether the absence of T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs), DNA episomes in newly formed T cells, could identify SCID regardless of genotype. Methods DNA isolated from dried blood spots was assayed by real-time PCR to quantitate TRECs. Control PCR was performed on a segment of the β-actin gene. After pilot studies with adult and cord blood control subjects, blood from SCID patients was spotted onto filters and tested, followed by screening of actual blood spots from the Maryland Newborn Screening Program. Finally, newborn blood spots were recovered and tested from 2 infants after their diagnosis of SCID. Results In contrast to filters from the newborn screening program, which had a mean of 1020 TRECs in two 3-mm punches, samples from 23 infants with SCID had Conclusion TRECs are a stable analyte that can identify T-cell lymphopenia in newborn dried blood spots so that infants with SCID can receive early, life-saving treatment.
FRET microscopy reveals clustered distribution of co-internalized receptor-ligand complexes in the apical recycling endosome of polarized epithelial MDCK cells

Our objective is to study the organization of the apical recycling endosome (ARE) in polarized epithelial MDCK cells. In MDCK cells, stably transfected with polymeric IgA receptor (pIgA-R), anti-pIgA-R [Fab2] ligands labeled with distinct fluorophores were internalized from opposite PM domains at 17 degree(s)C. Internalization at 17 degree(s)C allows the accumulation of basolaterally and apically internalized pIgA-R ligands in the apical recycling compartment. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) confocal microscopy analysis was used to determine whether the receptor-ligand complexes are arranged in sub-pixel endosomal cluster domains. Quantitative analysis of FRET efficiency (E%) was carried out using a custom algorithm that removes contamination caused by acceptor excitation by the donor wavelength and by the crosstalk between donor and acceptor emissions in the acceptor channel. The algorithm allows the determination of the unquenched donor levels and thereby the calculation of E%. Average E% is ~42% and it is independent of acceptor levels. Since a random distribution of receptor-ligand complexes would result in E% increasing with rising acceptor levels, our results indicate a cluster distribution of receptor-ligand complexes in the ARE of polarized MDCK cells.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Status of the Tevatron

Fermilab’s 400 GeV accelerator began its life in 1972 at the new laboratory near Chicago, Illinois. By 1973, a small R&D effort began to study superconducting accelerator magnets. This was based on a very substantial effort that had been underway in many laboratories including Brookhaven, Argonne and Rutherford Lab. By 1978, the Laboratory had achieved enough success to propose to build, as an R&D project, a superconducting ring in the same tunnel as the 400 GeV machine.
VHE GAMMA-RAY INDUCED PAIR CASCADES IN BLAZARS AND RADIO GALAXIES

Recent discoveries by VERITAS, H.E.S.S., and MAGIC indicate that very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-rays may be produced in all types of blazars, including radio-loud quasars. In the dense nuclear radiation fields (BLR, dust torus IR) in these objects, VHE gamma-rays may be efficiently absorbed and initiate Compton-supported pair cascades. We have developed a Monte-Carlo code following the full 3-dimensional development of pair cascades in AGN environments. We have shown that even very weak magnetic fields may lead to efficient quasi-isotropization of the cascade emission, escaping predominantly in MeV – GeV gamma-rays. We propose this as a potential contributor to the Fermi gamma-ray flux from several radio galaxies, and present model fits to the Fermi-detected radio galaxies NGC 1275 and Cen A.
Coassembly of K(V)LQT1 and minK (IsK) proteins to form cardiac I(Ks) potassium channel.

THE slowly activating delayed-rectifier K+ current, IKS, modulates the repolarization of cardiac action potentials. The molecular structure of the IKS channel is not known, but physiological data indicate that one component of theIKSchannel is minK (refs 1–6), a 130-amino-acid protein with a single putative transmembrane domain7. The size and structure of this protein is such that it is unlikely that minK alone forms functional channels8,9. We have previously used positional cloning techniques to define a new putative K+-channel gene, KVLQT110. Mutations in this gene cause long-QT syndrome, an inherited disorder that increases the risk of sudden death from cardiac arrhythmias. Here we show that KVLQT1 encodes a K+ channel with biophysical properties unlike other known cardiac currents. We considered that KVLQT1 might coassemble with another subunit to form func-tional channels in cardiac myocytes. Coexpression of KVLQT1 with minK induced a current that was almost identical to cardiac IKS. Therefore, KVLQT1 is the subunit that coassembles with minK to form IKS channels and IKS dysfunction is a cause of cardiac arrhythmia.
Cardiovascular effects of pneumatic dilation of the cardio-esophageal junction in achalasia.

Ten patients with no evidence of intrinsic heart disease had comprehensive cardiovascular monitoring during therapeutic esophageal dilation for relief of achalasia. Significant bradycardia occurred in 8 patients. This was ameliorated by cholinergic blockade. The authors suggest that a pharmacologically effective dose of atropine precede pneumatic dilation of the esophagus.
Disintegration of K39 by fast neutrons

Abstract The nuclear reactions K 39 (n, p)A 39 and K 39 (n, α)Cl 36 have been studied by bombarding a KI(Tl) crystal with mono-energetic fast neutrons and observing scintillations due to emitted protons and α particles. Using good energy resolution (less than 10 keV) a yield curve has been obtained for the P 0 -group for neutron energies from 1.46 to 3.05 MeV, which exhibits 60 narrow resonances. Measurements with poorer energy resolution, varying between 70 and 150 keV, have been made in the neutron energy region from 2.3 to 8.7 MeV. From these absolute values of the reaction cross sections for the p 0 -group ( E n = 2.3 to 8.7 MeV ), the α 0 - group ( E n = 2.3 to 3.8 MeV) and the p 1 -group ( E n = 2.5 to 3.5 MeV) have been extracted. Fourteen proton groups are seen in the pulse-height spectra, and from an analysis of the associated pulse-heights as a function of neutron energy, ten new excited states of A 39 have been derived. The measured cross sections are compared with values obtained by other groups and with theoretical predictions.
Effect of external airflow resistive load on postural and exercise-associated cardiovascular and pulmonary responses in pregnancy: a case control study.

Facial coverings (e.g., balaclavas, niqabs, medical/surgical masks, respirators, etc.), that impose low levels of airflow resistive loads, are worn by millions of pregnant women worldwide, but little data exist addressing their impact on pregnancy-associated cardiovascular and pulmonary responses. 16 pregnant and 16 non-pregnant women were monitored physiologically (heart rate, blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, total peripheral resistance, stroke volume, cardiac output, oxygen saturation, transcutaneous carbon dioxide, fetal heart rate) and subjectively (exertion) for 1 h of mixed sedentary postural activity (sitting, standing) and moderate exercise (bicycle ergometer) with and without wearing N95 filtering facepiece respirators with filter resistive loads of 94.1 Pa (9.6 mm H2O) – 119.6 Pa (12.2 mm H2O) pressure. The external airflow resistive loads were associated with increases in diastolic pressure (p = 0.004), mean arterial pressure (p = 0.01), and subjective exertion score (p < 0.001) of all study subjects. No significant differences were noted with the external resistive loads between the pregnant and non-pregnant groups for any cardiovascular, pulmonary and subjective variable over 1 h. Low external airflow resistive loads, during combined sedentary postural activity and moderate exercise over 1 h, were associated with increases in the diastolic and mean arterial pressures of all study subjects, but pregnancy itself was not associated with any significant differences in physiologic or subjective responses to the external airway resistive loads utilized in the study.
Bioenergetic and metabolic response to continuous v intermittent nasoenteric feeding

Resting thermal energy losses and metabolic balances of N, K, P, Ca, Na, and Mg were compared during continuous and intermittent nasoenteric formula infusion in four healthy men. Each feeding protocol lasted 1 week in a 4-week double crossover experiment. The initial feeding schedule was established randomly. Continuous nasoenteric formula infusion produced no increase in thermal energy losses above the fasting level; energy expenditure fell with sleep to the same extent as with intermittent feeding. Thermal losses were similar during intermittent feeding with the exception of the thermic effect of food that produced an additional average energy loss of 115.7 kcal/d. The total resting and sleeping 24-hour energy expenditure was significantly lower (P less than .01) during continuous formula infusion (means +/- SD for n = 8 balance periods, 1344 +/- 119 kcal) compared to intermittent feeding (1457 +/- 179 kcal). No significant differences in nutrient absorption or balances of N, Na, Ca, and Mg were detected between the two feeding protocols. In contrast, continuous infusion of formula was accompanied by negative balances of K and the cytosolic portion of P; weight balance was slightly negative. Weight, K, and cytosolic P balances were all positive during intermittent feeding (P = NS, less than 0.01, and P less than .05 compared to respective continuous infusion periods). Hence, 1 week of continuous nasogastric formula infusion is associated with similar nutrient absorption, a significant reduction in thermal energy losses, and equivalent protein (N) balance relative to intermittent feeding. Differences in weight balance between the two feeding protocols can be ascribed largely to fluid and mineral shifts. These results suggest that energy requirements are lower during continuous formula infusion by about 100 kcal/d compared to regular meal ingestion.