cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Percolation in a self-avoiding vortex gas model of the {lambda} transition in three dimensions

A Monte Carlo simulation of the equilibria of a three-dimensional gas of vortex loops is conducted. Lines of vorticity are expressed as closed self-avoiding walks on a lattice. Vortices interact at low temperatures through a Biot-Savart potential arising through the Villian approximation of the {ital XY} action. The vortex model at infinite temperature is also related to Symanzik{close_quote}s random-loop expansion of the critical {ital XY} model. The low-temperature state of the model simulates thermally excited vorticity in superfluid helium. The high temperature state of the vortex gas has application to classical turbulence. A grand-canonical ensemble is simulated, in which chemical potential is a parameter related to the self-energy per unit length of a vortex line. Two phases are identified in the temperature{endash}chemical potential plane; the phases are separated by a transition line analogous to the {lambda} transition of superfluid helium. The transition line is also a percolation threshold; all vortex loops are of finite size in the cold phase, while an infinite vortex loop exists in the hot phase. The percolation transition driven by chemical potential persists to infinite temperature. At the infinite temperature {open_quote}{open_quote}polymeric{close_quote}{close_quote} state the Biot-Savart interaction vanishes and the behavior of the system is determined only bymore » the density of vortices and geometric constraints. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}« less
Maximizing the potential of minimally invasive spine surgery in complex spinal disorders.

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in the spine was primarily developed to reduce approach-related morbidity and to improve clinical outcomes compared with those following conventional open spine surgery. Over the past several years, minimally invasive spinal procedures have gained recognition and their utilization has increased. In particular, MIS is now routinely used in the treatment of degenerative spine disorders and has been shown to be as effective as conventional open spine surgeries. Although the procedures are not yet widely recognized in the context of complex spine surgery, the true potential in minimizing approach-related morbidity is far greater in the treatment of complex spinal diseases such as spinal trauma, spinal deformities, and spinal oncology. Conventional open spine surgeries for complex spinal disorders are often associated with significant soft tissue disruption, blood loss, prolonged recovery time, and postsurgical pain. In this article the authors review numerous cases of complex ...
The policy sciences as science

The preceding evaluation of the policy sciences by Schneider, Stevens, and Tornatzky is based on a rather narrow conception of science that emphasizes quantitative and rigorous methods. It overlooks the limitations of such methods, as revealed by the results of applications, and certain adjustments to these limitations. The latter include the adoption of more modest but realizable aspirations and the synthesis of diverse methods-qualitative as well as quantitative, exploratory as well as confirmatory. It also overlooks differences and trends in epistemological preconceptions that underlie the conduct of research and the interpretation of research results. This article reviews the relevant literature in the hope that it might eventually contribute to more enlightened evaluations of the emerging discipline.
Band offsets at heterointerfaces: Theoretical basis, and review of recent experimental work

Abstract New data obtained since early-1984 have forced a drastic re-assessment of the energy band lineups for the most important of all heterointerfaces, the GaAs/(Al, Ga)As interface. The paper concentrates on the most trustworthy of the new data, and on the three new measurement techniques used to obtain them. An attempt is made to reconcile the remaining discrepancies between the new data, and to select a set of most probable lineup rules.
The Thiamine Requirement of Young Turkey Poults

Abstract A CONSIDERABLE amount of work has been done to establish the requirement for thiamine in the dog, rat, pig, and chick. Until now, no attempt has been made to establish the requirement for the turkey poult. The present work was undertaken to fill the gap in this area of knowledge. Light and Cracas (1938) reported a variation of 2 to 8 micrograms daily in three different strains of white rats, and Arnold and Elvehjem (1938a) found that growing rats needed 80 to 100 micrograms per 100 grams of ration for normal growth. Arnold and Elvehjem (1938b), using a ration composed of some natural feedstuffs which had been autoclaved, announced a requirement of 60 to 80 micrograms of crystalline thiamine chloride hydrochloride pen 100 grams of ration in the chick. In the growing pig, Hughes (1940) found a minimum daily requirement of 1 milligram of thiamine per 100 pounds of body …
Identity-by-descent estimation and mapping of qualitative traits in large, complex pedigrees.

Computing identity-by-descent sharing between individuals connected through a large, complex pedigree is a computationally demanding task that often cannot be done using exact methods. What I present here is a rapid computational method for estimating, in large complex pedigrees, the probability that pairs of alleles are IBD given the single-point genotype data at that marker for all individuals. The method can be used on pedigrees of essentially arbitrary size and complexity without the need to divide the individuals into separate subpedigrees. I apply the method to do qualitative trait linkage mapping using the nonparametric sharing statistic S pairs . The validity of the method is demonstrated via simulation studies on a 13-generation 3028-person pedigree with 700 genotyped individuals. An analysis of an asthma data set of individuals in this pedigree finds four loci with P -values −3 that were not detected in prior analyses. The mapping method is fast and can complete analyses of ∼150 affected individuals within this pedigree for thousands of markers in a matter of hours.
Evaluation of DEPMPO as a spin trapping agent in biological systems.

Abstract Cellular toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and the in vitro and in vivo stability of the SO3•− spin adduct of the spin trap, 5-diethoxyphosphoryl-5-methyl-1-pyrroline-n-oxide (DEPMPO), was investigated, and the results were compared with those of the widely used spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO). Similar to DMPO, DEPMPO was quickly taken up (
The unexpected intramolecular C-arylation of 2-0-benzylated cyclic sugar derivatives: a useful 1,2-cis-C-glycosylation reaction

Upon treatment with tin(IV) chloride, perbenzylated glycofuranosyl acetates such as 3 or 6 undergo an unusual, intramolecular α-C-arylation resulting from the internal Friedel-Crafts alkylation of the 2-O-benzyl substituent.
2015 Guidelines for Establishing Genetically Modified Rat Models for Cardiovascular Research

The rat has long been a key physiological model for cardiovascular research, most of the inbred strains having been previously selected for susceptibility or resistance to various cardiovascular diseases (CVD). These CVD rat models offer a physiologically relevant background on which candidates of human CVD can be tested in a more clinically translatable experimental setting. However, a diverse toolbox for genetically modifying the rat genome to test molecular mechanisms has only recently become available. Here, we provide a high-level description of several strategies for developing genetically modified rat models of CVD.
A study of the adsorption of oxygen on Ni/111/ using Auger electron spectroscopy - Chemical shifts and valence spectra.

Auger electron spectra have been recorded when oxygen is adsorbed on a Ni(111) single crystal surface. For the coverage range θ < 1, an analysis of the plot of the peak to peak height (H) of the oxygen KVV (516 eV) transition versus the total number of molecules cm2− impinging on the surface (molecular beam dosing) shows agreement with the kinetic mechanism proposed by Morgan and King [Surface Sci. 23 (1970) 259] for the adsorption of oxygen on polycrystalline nickel films. In this coverage range, no energy shifts of the nickel or oxygen Auger peaks were recorded. At coverages θ > 1 (standard dosing procedure) shifts in the valence spectra M2, 3VV (61 eV) and L3M2, 3V (782 eV) of −2.3 eV and −1.8eV respectively are recorded at 1.4 × 10−2 torr-sec. Up to these coverages no shift of the L3VV transition (849 eV) is observed. A chemical shift of −2.1 eV is recorded in the L3M2, 3M2, 3 Auger transition (716 eV) at 1.4 × 10−2 torr-sec. In the coverage range θ > 1, shifts in the energy of the oxygen Auger peaks are observed. At 5.8 × 10−3 torr-sec. the KVV (516 eV) and KL1V (495.2 ± 0.3 eV) transitions show shifts of −1.5 eV and −(1.0 ±0.3) eV respectively. No shift up to this coverage is recorded in the KL1L1 (480.6 ± 0.3 eV) transition.
Human chromosome 19p: a fluorescence in situ hybridization map with genomic distance estimates for 79 intervals spanning 20 Mb.

Abstract A physical map of human chromosome 19p has been constructed by fluorescence in situ hybridization of cosmids to metaphase chromosomes and sperm pronuclear interphases. The map sirens ∼20 Mb and was generated with 141 multiple, partially overlapping estimates of genomic distances for 79 intervals separating 80 sequentially ordered cosmid reference points. The average distance separating pairs of cosmids was 250 kb, with a range from 50 to 700 kb; 75% of the intervals were estimated to be less than or equal to 300 kb and only 8 intervals were between 500 and 700 kb. Cosmids positive for 33 genes or gene families and 5 polymorphic markers were included among the mapped elements. The fluorescence in situ hybridization map will be useful for furthering the integration of the physical and genetic maps of 19p and for placing newly identified markers within a few hundred kb of their neighbors.
Increased aberrance of cytokine expression in plasma of patients with more advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are biased toward the Th2 phenotype as they have increased levels of the Th2 cytokines IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10 and diminished levels of the Th1 cytokine IFN-gamma. However, this bias is incomplete since levels of the Th1 cytokines IL-2 and GM-CSF are increased. This study examined the interrelationship among the plasma levels of Th1 and Th2 cytokines in 101 HNSCC patients and 40 age-matched controls without a known malignancy. Control subjects showed extensive interrelationships among levels of IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-gamma, as well as between GM-CSF and TGF-beta. HNSCC patients showed an interrelationship in levels of IL-2, IL-4, IFN-gamma and GM-CSF, but to a less significant degree. What was prominent was a decline in correlation among cytokine levels with increased disease burden, such that there were no relationships among any of the cytokines in stage T4 patients. Nodal involvement also was associated with cytokine levels being more independent of each other, although the impact of nodal disease was less prominent than tumor burden. These results show a partial Th2 cytokine bias in HNSCC patients and a progressively more aberrant expression of cytokines with more advanced disease.
Exocytosis from large and small dense cored vesicles in noradrenergic nerve terminals

The noradrenergic nerve terminals and their vesicle populations have been subject to much ultrastructural research which has served to support and extend data from biochemical analysis and pharmacological-physiological experiments. Although a great deal of information has been collected, there are still many problems which need further investigation before the various aspects of large and small dense-cored vesicle function and their possible relationship to the various types of clear vesicles and vacuoles in the terminals can be fully explained. In particular, the ontogeny of microvesicles (30-40 nm), intermediate clear vesicles (45-55 nm) and large vacuoles or cisternae (150-200 nm) needs clarification before they can be fruitfully compared to similar structures assigned various roles in other types of terminals. From the data presently available the following conclusions can be drawn (Fig. 32): (1) both large and small dense-cored vesicles participate in exocytosis. (2) The various steps of the exocytotic process from vesicle fusion to vesicle membrane retrieval can be captured by ultrastructural methods but the mode(s) of membrane recapture remains to be resolved. (3) A morphologically heterogeneous population of clear vesicles probably reflects organelles of different ontogeny some being formed via terminal membrane endocytosis and some representing smooth endoplasmic reticulum or small "dense-cored" vesicles devoid of noradrenaline. (4) The small dense-cored vesicles may be formed in the cell body and transported to the terminals as this type of vesicle can be seen in the axons (where they probably are not undergoing retrograde transport as suggested for some of the small clear vesicles). Some small dense-cored vesicles may also be formed from the permanganate and dichromate-positive tubular structures common in rodent terminals. (5) There is no morphological evidence for the presence of large protein molecules such as dopamine beta-hydroxylase in the dense core of small vesicles. Their staining properties appear to reflect mainly noradrenaline and small molecules that can leak out from the vesicles in parallel with the transmitter. (6) Dopamine beta-hydroxylase and opioid peptides secreted from the noradrenergic terminals most probably originate from the large vesicles. (7) The hypothesis that only the large dense-cored vesicles contain and secrete dopamine beta-hydroxylase and opioids can help to explain the species differences in the concentrations of these substances observed in certain tissues.
Review: Imaging techniques have similarly high accuracy for diagnosing cancer in solitary pulmonary nodules.

Source Citation Cronin P, Dwamena BA, Kelly AM, Carlos RC. Solitary pulmonary nodules: meta-analytic comparison of cross-sectional imaging modalities for diagnosis of malignancy. Radiology. 2008;24...
Glow discharge polymerization of reactive functional silanes on poly(methyl methacrylate)

Glow discharge polymerization among such reactive functional silances as 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MSL), 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (ESL), and vinyltrimethoxysilane (VSL) on poly(methyl methacrylate) was investigated by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ESCA analysis, and contact angle measurement. Flow rate of monomer influenced both polymer deposition rate and polymer elemental composition. Infrared spectra showed differences in chemical structure among the polymers prepared from the different silanes. All of the polymers obtained contained similar chemical groups such as CH3, CH2, SiOSi, and SiOC. Polymers deposited from MSL and ESL contained highly hydrophilic functional groups like COH, SiOH, and CO on the uppermost layer while that from VSL contained highly hydrophobic functional groups like CH3 groups. Chemical analysis by ESCA and contact angle measurement gave evidence for the similarity of the polymers prepared from MSL and ESL, in contrast with the differences of the polymers prepared from VSL.
Buoyant Laminar Convection in a Vertical Cylindrical Annulus

Solution to natural convective motion in a vertical cylindrical annulus of large aspect ratio is examined, with the inner wall subject to a constant heat flux. Similar transformations of the appropriately simplified Navier–Stokes model of the annular flow are sought. The issue of boundary condition limitations for the considered flow is resolved in terms of acceptable error bounds for valid solutions. Results are generated for a variety of outer wall boundary conditions over various ranges of the Rayleigh number, highlighting the effects on the patterns of streamlines and “heatlines.” Correlations presented for the Nusselt number are shown to be dependent on both the boundary conditions and the geometry.
Electrokinetics XXVII. The electroviscosity effect

A review is given of some studies carried on in an attempt to test the veracity of the Smoluchowski equation for the electroviscosity effect.
Observation of O2(b 1Σg+ → X 3Σg−) chemiluminescence from the self-reaction of isopropylperoxy radicals

Abstract We report the first direct observation of singlet oxygen product resulting from a gas phase self-reaction of alkylperoxy radicals. The evidence is a rotationally resolved O2(b 1Σg+ → X 3Σg−) chemiluminescence spectrum observed in a 12 l integrating sphere reactor containing less than 1014 isopropylperoxy radicals per cubic centimeter diluted in helium and O2 at a total pressure of 80 Pa (0.6 Torr). According to a mechanism proposed by Russell in 1957, the self-reactions of non-tertiary alkylperoxy radicals proceed by formation of a weakly bound dialkyl tetraoxide intermediate which can decompose to yield a carbonyl, an alcohol and O2. There are five energetically accessible product state potential energy surfaces. Spin conservation forbids the ground state products, but allows the formation of O2 in the 1Σg+ or 1Δg states or of T1 carbonyl. We claim these results to be strong evidence for the occurrence of Russell's mechanism in the gas phase.
Synovial sarcoma of the tongue: Case report and review of the literature

Abstract Synovial sarcoma is a malignant soft-tissue neoplasm that rarely occurs in the head and neck region. 1–5 In this location, the cervical and the parapharyngeal areas are most frequently affected; only a few examples of intraoral synovial sarcoma have been reported. 3–6 We report a case of synovial sarcoma of the tongue, and add it to a review of the six other reported synovial sarcomas of the tongue.
Local Immunization of Guinea Pigs to Cutaneous Infection with a Pasteurella isolated from Wild Rats.

ConclusionAlthough the skin is not the main receptive organ for the bacteria of the pasteurella group, experiments conducted on guinea pigs have established the possibility of protecting the entire integumenturn of the animals inside of 18 hours, but not the subcutaneous tissues, when non-toxic filtrates prepared from seven days old cultures grown in shallow layers, containing a growth inhibiting substance or “antivirus”, are inoculated intracutaneously.
Paternity and paternal behaviour in the red-winged blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus

Abstract The relationship between paternity and male parental behaviour was investigated in an eastern population of red-winged blackbirds. Data collected over four seasons revealed substantial variation in paternity and the frequency of male provisioning. The feeding of nestlings by males increased non-linearly with the age of the nestlings but did not differ within or between seasons. Average relative provisioning by males to individual nests was not associated with the proportion of nestlings sired by the territory owner (determined through multi-locus DNA fingerprinting), either in a bivariate analysis or a multivariate analysis with those variables found to be associated with male parental care in other studies of red-winged blackbirds. Males provisioned significantly less frequently at nests of older females, but paternity was not associated with female age. The later in the season a female settled, the higher her mate's paternity in her brood, yet male provisioning was not associated with female settlement date. Estimated total provisioning by males (sum of all feeding trips over all nests in each male's territory) was not associated with average paternity in bivariate and multivariate analyses. Total provisioning by males was positively associated with the number of days in the season the male had a brood in a bivariate test, but not with male age, the number of females nor male condition in either bivariate or multivariate analyses. The lack of a relationship between paternity and paternal effort fits predictions of recent theory on the potential effects of reduced paternity on paternal behaviour given (1) the lack of consistent patterns of paternity among nests of different order, time of season and male and female age and (2) generally weak associations between possible behavioural cues about paternity and actual paternity.
Determination of risedronate in human urine by column-switching ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection.

Abstract An HPLC assay for the determination of risedronate in human urine was developed and validated. Risedronate and the internal standard were isolated from 5-ml urine samples in a two-part procedure. First, the analytes were precipitated from urine along with endogenous phosphates as calcium salts by the addition of CaCl2 at alkaline pH. The precipitate was then dissolved in 0.05 M ethylene glycol-bis(β-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid and subjected to ion-pair solid-phase extraction using a Waters HLB cartridge (1 ml, 30 mg) with 1-octyltriethylammonium phosphate as the ion-pair reagent. Following extraction, the analytes were initially separated from the majority of co-extracted endogenous components on a Waters X-Terra RP18 (4.6×50 mm, 3.5 μm) column. The effluent from the X-Terra was “heart-cut” onto a Phenomenex Synergi Polar RP (4.6×150 mm, 4 μm) column for final separation. UV detection (λ=262 nm) was used to quantitate risedronate in the concentration range of 7.5–250 ng/ml. Mean recovery was 83.3% for risedronate and 86.5% for the internal standard. The intra-day precision of the assay, as assessed by replicate (n=5) standard curves, was better than 6% RSD for all points on the standard curve. Within-day accuracy for the standards ranged from 96.3 to 106.1% of nominal. Inter-day precision for quality controls assayed over a 3-week period was better than 5%, while inter-day accuracy was within 90% of nominal. The assay was employed to analyze samples collected during a clinical pharmacokinetics study.
The Gates Hillman prediction market

The Gates Hillman prediction market (GHPM) was an internet prediction market designed to predict the opening day of the Gates and Hillman Centers, the new computer science complex at Carnegie Mellon University. Unlike a traditional continuous double auction format, the GHPM was mediated by an automated market maker, a central agent responsible for pricing transactions with traders over the possible opening days. The GHPM’s event partition was, at the time, the largest ever elicited in any prediction market by an order of magnitude, and dealing with the market’s size required new advances, including a novel span-based elicitation interface that simplified interactions with the market maker. We use the large set of identity-linked trades generated by the GHPM to examine issues of trader performance and market microstructure, including how the market both reacted to and anticipated official news releases about the building’s opening day.
Pulverized Coal-Fired Flame Temperature and Emissivity Measurement Based on Spectral Analysis and the Two-Color Method

A method for judging the gray property of flames based on spectral analysis and the two-color method for determining the temperature and emissivity of flame has been demonstrated. A calibrated spectrometer system was used for the data acquisition of the radiation intensity profile of a flame over a range of wavelengths (200 – 1100 nm). The wavelength range that meets the gray body assumption, in which the emissivity can be assumed as a constant, can be determined from the emissivity profile obtained by spectral analysis and the two-color method. Then the temperature and emissivity of the flame and their relative mean square deviations were calculated within that range. Experiments were conducted on pulverized coal-fired flames in a commercial 300MW boiler furnace. The results show that the coal-fired flame can be assumed as gray body between 500 nm and 1000 nm, and the temperature and emissivity calculation results of coal-fired flames are found to be in reasonable agreement with results using other methods from the literature.
cProx1 immunoreactivity distinguishes progenitor cells and predicts hair cell fate during avian hair cell regeneration

In birds, mature sensory hair cells are regenerated continually in vestibular epithelia and after damage in the auditory basilar papilla. Molecular mechanisms governing the cellular processes associated with hair cell regeneration are poorly understood. Transcription factors are critical regulators of cell proliferation and differentiation in developing tissues. We examined immunoreactivity for cProx1 during both ongoing and damage-induced hair cell regeneration in chickens. Homologues of this divergent homeobox transcription factor are required for cell cycle withdrawal and differentiation in several vertebrate and invertebrate tissues. In the mitotically quiescent basilar papilla, a population of resting progenitor cells (supporting cells) shows faint nuclear immunoreactivity for cProx1. When auditory hair cell regeneration is triggered by experimental damage, nuclear cProx1 immunolabel is highly elevated in approximately 50% of dividing progenitor cells. Shortly after cytokinesis, all sibling pairs show symmetric patterns of nuclear cProx1 labeling, but pairs with asymmetric labeling emerge shortly thereafter. Strongly immunoreactive cells acquire the hair cell fate, whereas cells with low nuclear immunoreactivity differentiate as supporting cells. By contrast, cProx1 is not detected in any dividing progenitor cells during ongoing regeneration in the utricle. However, nuclear cProx1 immunoreactivity becomes asymmetric in postmitotic sibling cells, and as in the basilar papilla, cells with elevated cProx1 label differentiate as hair cells. In conclusion, cProx1 immunolabeling varies across sensory epithelial progenitors and distinguishes early differentiating hair cells from supporting cells. cProx1 may regulate the proliferative or differentiative capacities of progenitor cells and specify hair cell fate in postmitotic cells during avian hair cell regeneration. Developmental Dynamics 230:597–614, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Design of the Control System for Rehabilitation Horse Based on MCU STC89C52

It introduces a design of the control system for rehabilitation horse based on MCU STC89C52. The system's control core is an 8-bit MCU STC89C52. First, the user input commands through the keyboard, then send commands to the DA conversion chip PCF8591 which can achieve the digital signal to analog signal output after dealing with MCU. Finally, PCF8591 send analog signal to the speed controller of DC motor in order to control the DC motor's speed. Meanwhile, it builds a human-machine interface (HMI) to display the real-time speed of the horse through LCD.
The Heterogeneity Cube: a Family of Seismic Attributes

For windows of seismic data, the proposed seismic attributes measure the average medium heterogeneity. The basic idea behind the heterogeneity cube is that smallscale heterogeneity causes a small-scale footprint on seismic data, whose statistics relate to the statistics of the heterogeneity. Parameterizing the footprint statistics, one obtains a set of seismic attributes which are interpretable as acquisition and processing footprints, stratigraphic or lithologic heterogeneity, or structural heterogeneity. Acquisition and processing footprints may be removable as described by Marfurt et al. (1998). From the stratigraphic viewpoint, the parameters may denote average dimensions and orientations of small sedimentary bodies (Imhof and Toksoz, 2000), while the parameters might relate to average size, spacing, and orientations of fractures and joints for the structural point of view.
Sports and performing arts medicine: 3. Spine and neurologic injuries.

Objective This self-directed learning module highlights select spine and neurological injuries in athletes and performing arts injuries. It is part of the study guide on sports and performing arts medicine in the Self-Directed Physiatric Education Program for practitioners and trainees in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Using a case vignette format, this article specifically focuses on sports-induced concussion, stingers and transient myelopathy, and buttock pain in athletes, and hand dystonia and hand numbness in musicians. The goal of this article is to facilitate the learner's ability to diagnose and treat spine and neurologic injuries in athletes and performing artists.
Phosphoprotein phosphatase in the central nervous system of Manduca sexta

Abstract The existence and some enzymological properties of phosphoprotein phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.16) have been established in the larval central nervous system of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae). A simple, sensitive and reproducible assay employing 3 2 P-labeled protamine as a phosphoprotein substrate was employed to measure phosphatase activity in both soluble and particulate fractions of the insect nerve cord. The specific activity of soluble phosphatase in the Manduca sexta central nervous system is of the same order of magnitude as that in mammalian brain. Nerve cord phosphoprotamine phosphatase activity may be stimulated by a variety of monovalent salts, the optimal concentration of NaCl or KCl being 0.2 molar. Activity does not appear to be dependent on bivalent metals and is sitmulated by EDTA. A reduced sulfhydryl group is obligatory for maximum activity. Phosphatase could be greatly inhibited by sodium fluoride, ATP and GTP. Cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP are without effect on enzyme activity. Although most of the phosphatase activity in the insect nerve cord appears to be of cytosolic origin, much latent activity can be unmasked by incubating membranous fractions with Triton X-100. In contrast to soluble phosphatase, the detergent-solubilized activity is moderately stimulated by Mn 2+ .
Historical contamination of PAHs, PCBs, DDTs, and heavy metals in Mississippi River Delta, Galveston Bay and Tampa Bay sediment cores

Profiles of trace contaminant concentrations in sediment columns can be a natural archive from which pollutant inputs into coastal areas can be reconstructed. Reconstruction of historical inputs of anthropogenic chemicals is important for improving management strategies and evaluating the success of recent pollution controls measures. Here we report a reconstruction of historical contamination into three coastal sites along the US Gulf Coast: Mississippi River Delta, Galveston Bay and Tampa Bay. Within the watersheds of these areas are extensive agricultural lands as well as more than 50% of the chemical and refinery capacity of the USA. Despite this pollution potential, relatively low concentrations of trace metals and trace organic contaminants were found in one core from each of the three sites. Concentrations and fluxes of most trace metals found in surface sediments at these three sites, when normalized to Al, are typical for uncontaminated Gulf Coast sediments. Hydrophobic trace organic contaminants that are anthropogenic (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, DDTs, and polychlorinated biphenyls) are found in sediments from all locations. The presence in surface sediments from the Mississippi River Delta of low level trace contaminants such as DDTs, which were banned in the early 1970's, indicate that they are still washed out from cultivated soils. It appears that the DDTs profile in that sediment core was produced by a combination of erosion processes of riverine and other sedimentary deposits during floods. Most of the pollutant profiles indicate that present-day conditions have improved from the more contaminated conditions in the 1950-1970's, before the advent of the Clean Water Act.
Differences between computer-aided diagnosis of breast masses and that of calcifications.

PURPOSE: To compare the performance of a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system for diagnosis of previously detected lesions, based on radiologist-extracted findings on masses and calcifications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A feed-forward, back-propagation artificial neural network (BP-ANN) was trained in a round-robin (leave-one-out) manner to predict biopsy outcome from mammographic findings (according to the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System) and patient age. The BP-ANN was trained by using a large (>1,000 cases) heterogeneous data set containing masses and microcalcifications. The performances of the BP-ANN on masses and microcalcifications were compared with use of receiver operating characteristic analysis and a z test for uncorrelated samples. RESULTS: The BP-ANN performed significantly better on masses than microcalcifications in terms of both the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and the partial receiver operating characteristic area index. A similar difference in performanc...
Impact of sewage on the distribution, abundance and community structure of rocky intertidal macro-organisms

The biological effects of a low-volume domestic sewage discharge were studied near Wilson Cove, San Clemente Island, California (USA), from February to June, 1972. There were fewer species and less cover near the outfall (7 macro-invertebrates, 17.6%; 13 macrophytes, 91.7%) than in nearby “unpolluted” control areas (9 macroinvertebrates, 9.2%; 30 macrophytes, 103.4%). The outfall biota was less diverse than that of the controls, as shown by 5 different diversity indices. A great reduction in community stratification (spatial heterogeneity) and, hence, community complexity occurred near the outfall; this reduction in stratification was primarilly due to the absence of Egregia laevigata, Halidrys dioica, Sargassum agardhianum and Phyllospadix torreyi. These were replaced in the mid-intertidal near the outfall by a low turf of blue-green algae, Ulva californica, Gelidium pusillum and small Pterocladia capillacea, and in the lower intertidal by Serpulorbis squamigerus covered with Corallina officinalis Var. chilensis. A statistically-based determination of assemblages or groups of organisms (i.e., cluster analysis) revealed 3 discrete outfall and 3 discrete control area groups; 3 assemblages contained samples from both areas. The distributional patterns of these groups indicate that near the outfall the degree of dilution of discharged sewage is more important in regulating zonation than is tidal height. The enhancement of the suspension feeder Serpulorbis squamigerus and the omnivores Ligia occidentalis, Pachygrapsus crassipes and Anthopleura elegantissima in the outer fringe of the outfall plume hypothetically is due to their ability to utilize sewage as a food source. A critical effect of the outfall may be to decrease environmental stability thereby favoring rapid-colonizers and more sewage-tolerant organisms. The outfall macrophytes were characterized by relatively higher net primary productivities, smaller growth forms, simpler and shorter life histories, and most were components of early successional stages.
Limiting distribution of the blocking probability for circuit-switched networks

Abstract The end-to-end blocking probability has been used as a performance criterion to quantify network reliability. Yum and Schwartz have shown that different types of routing schemes for circuit-switched traffic in a nonhierarchical network, with uniform traffic intensity, lead to different performance trade-offs. It is also assumed that the network is symmetric and the redirected traffic on the links is Poisson. It is, however, not clear how the trade-offs would be effected by using different traffic intensities on the links, i.e. if the nodes generate calls with different rates. This paper analyzes the traffic behavior without assuming that the redirected traffic is necessarily Poisson or that the network is symmetric. We examine a statistical model to obtain the exact limiting distribution and the end-to-end blocking probability of a single specified link, a group of links and the entire network for relatively small networks.
Affinity Density

Methods: A new method was developed for identifying novel transcription factor regulatory targets based on calculating Local Affinity Density. Techniques from the signal-processing field were used, in particular the Hann digital filter, to calculate the relative binding affinity of different regions based on previously published in vitro binding data. To illustrate this approach, the complete genomes of Drosophila melanogaster and D.pseudoobscura were analyzed for binding sites of the homeodomain proteinc Tinman, an essential heart development gene in both Drosophila and Mouse. The significant binding regions were identified relative to genomic background and assigned to putative target genes. Valid candidates common to both species of Drosophila were selected as a test of conservation. Results: The new method was more sensitive than cluster searches for conserved binding motifs with respect to positive identification of known Tinman targets. Our Local Affinity Density method also identified a significantly greater proportion of Tinman-coexpressed genes than equivalent, optimized cluster searching. In addition, this new method predicted a significantly greater than expected number of genes with previously published RNAi phenotypes in the heart. Availability: Algorithms were implemented in Python, LISP, R and maxima, using MySQL to access locally mirrored sequence data from Ensembl (D.melanogaster release 4.3) and flybase (D.pseudoobscura). All code is licensed under GPL and freely available at http://www.ohsu.edu/cellbio/dev_biol_prog/affinitydensity/. Contact: [email protected]
Left atrial metastasis of a large cell carcinoma of the lung in an asymptomatic patient: transesophageal echocardiographic evaluation

T UMORS metastatic to the heart are relatively rare in clinical practice; however, they are 16 to 40 times more frequent than primary cardiac tumors. 1,2 Most cardiac metastases are asymptomatic, with fewer than 10% being clinically apparent. 3 In fact, cardiac metastasis occurs in up to 21% of patients dying with malignant tumors, 4 although 20% to 30% of these cases are found only at autopsy. 3,5-9 Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is an important modality for intraoperative monitoring of cardiac function and valvular pathology; however, it can also serve as an important diagnostic tool in selected cases. The authors present a case of an intracardiac metastasis diagnosed through intraoperative TEE in a patient scheduled for pulmonary resection after a "negative" preoperative metastatic workup.
Atmospheric particle sulfur and sulfur dioxide relationships at urban and nonurban locations

Abstract The percentages of particle sulfur in total sulfur measured have been obtained from a number of studies conducted in the United States, Canada and Europe. Particle sulfur consistently makes up a much larger part of the total sulfur in the warmer than cooler months of the year at all locations. However, differences in absolute percentages of particle sulfur in total sulfur are observed among studies and some explanations for such differences are discussed. Particle sulfur can make a substantial contribution to light scattering and dry deposition over large areas of North America particularly during the warmer months of the year.
Etiology of Red Stain in Boxelder

Fusarium reticulatum (F. negundi) has been suggested as the cause of red stain in boxelder (Acer negundo), but the role of the fungus in producing the pigment has never been confirmed. This study elucidated the cause of red stain using a series of wounding and inoculation experiments. Fungal colonization and stain development were examined in 20 wounded boxelder trees at 8, 12, 52, and 64 weeks after wounding. Fusarium solani was isolated from 67 to 83% of the stained, wounded tissue. Boxelder trees were inoculated in the field with F. acuminatum, Hypsizygus tessulatus, or left not inoculated to serve as the control. Eight weeks after inoculation, F. solani was isolated from 67, 17, and 33% of the wounds treated with F. acuminatum, H. tessulatus, and the control, respectively. All wounds had typical red stain 12 weeks after inoculation including those inoculated with H. tessulatus and the control. Fusarium reticulatum was not isolated from any wounded or inoculated boxelder tree. The stain’s ubiquitous presence in all wounded tissue and the inability of F. solani isolates obtained from boxelder to stain boxelder red in wood block studies indicates that red stain is most likely produced by the tree as a nonspecific host response to wounding.
A brief overview of 100 years of history of surgical treatment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

The history of surgical correction for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis reaches back about 100 years: the natural course of progressive, crippling and sometimes even life-threatening deformities which could not be controlled by external means called for effectual, invasive procedures. Hibbs 1911 aimed at halting progression by long, uninstrumented fusions. However, the lack of true correction, long rehabilitation times, high pseudarthrosis and infection rates, and a fusion mass which bent further once exposed to gravity again were not satisfying. The transition from slowing progression to halting progression and truly correcting the deformity lasted almost another half a century: Paul Harrington, confronted with many scoliotic polio patients, successfully introduced a hook–rod system for concave-distraction and convex-compression at the end of the 1950s. Many implant failures, a still-considerable pseudarthrosis rate, flattening of the sagittal profile and the lack of true three-dimensional (3D) correction were the shortcomings. In the 1970s the Frenchmen Cotrel and Dubousset took scoliosis surgery to the next level by introducing a versatile hook system and curve-pattern-adapted correction modes. The basics of the so-called derotation-manoeuvre consists in strategic distribution of the anchors along the curve, bending the rod accordingly, and rotating it back into the sagittal plane. The overall correction, stability and the fusion rates improved significantly. However, the effect on the sagittal and transverse plane were still limited. Lately, a better biomechanical understanding and bilateral, polysegmental strong three-column fixation with pedicle screw has become the benchmark method: in conjunction with posterior release techniques, osteotomies or even vertebral column resections for severe cases, it allows better 3D control (vertebral column manipulation), faster rehabilitation and better patient satisfaction.
Proline Content and Metabolism during Rehydration of Wilted Excised Leaves in the Dark.

Excised bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) leaves were used to measure changes in proline content and proline metabolism during rehydration in the dark after the leaves had been incubated in the dark 24 hours in a wilted condition.The increase in nonprotein proline which occurs in wilted leaves stopped immediately upon rehydration, and thereafter levels of proline declined. The rate of decline and the fate of the metabolized proline depended on the amount of carbohydrate present. When the level of carbohydrate was relatively high, the rate of decline in proline content was slow, and the proline was converted mainly to protein proline. When the level of carbohydrate was relatively low, the rate of proline decline was rapid and a large percentage of the proline was oxidized to CO(2) and other amino acids in addition to conversion to protein proline.The results indicate that nonprotein proline can be oxidized when the level is increased by endogenous synthesis. Proline oxidation has been observed when the levels are increased by adding exogenous proline. Oxidation of endogenous proline is inhibited by carbohydrates in the leaf, as is true of oxidation of exogenous proline.
Assessing person-centered outcomes in practice research: a latent transition profile framework†

Advances in statistics provide new methods for analyzing practice data. These advances include person-centered methods (PCMs) that identify subgroups of research participants with similar characteristics. PCMs derive from a frame of reference that is similar to the risk factor perspective in practice. In practice, the delivery of services is often contingent on identifying at-risk populations and then providing interventions to groups based on shared risk profiles. PCMs use this perspective. Moreover, PCMs provide a means for identifying high-risk groups with a precision rarely afforded by routine variable-centered methods. This article describes a latent profile transition analysis (LPTA), one of several PCMs. To demonstrate LPTA, we estimate risk profiles and treatment effects using data from a cohort study of a school-based social skills training program. We define four steps in PCMs analysis, describe key statistical tests, and conclude with a discussion of the strengths and limitations of PCMs for practice research. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Estrus-Related Odors in Milk Detected by Trained Dogs

Abstract Dogs trained to identify vaginal mucus samples and other fluids from estrous cows were used for further studies of estrus-related odors in milk. In the first experiment, milk was collected from 10 cows during estrus and the luteal phase of the estrous cycle and tested in trials of 9 samples each; 1 or 2 of the samples were from estrous cows. Dogs responded to milk from estrous cows in 76% of the exposures to such samples with significant differences among cows and significant improvement by the dogs during the experiment. Responses to milk from luteal-phase cows averaged 6%. In a second experiment, milk was frozen and thawed four times without decreasing the frequency of response to samples from estrous cows. In the third and fourth experiments, milk was collected from four cows on several days of the estrous cycle. After the dogs were trained to respond to milk from pre-estrous cows (1 or 2 days before estrus), they responded to 64% of these samples; after the dogs were retrained to not respond to milk from pre-estrous cows, they responded 21% of the time to milk obtained 1 to 3 days before estrus. In these two experiments, responses to milk from estrous cows averaged 83% and to milk from luteal-phase cows, 8%. Trained dogs can distinguish milk of pre-estrous cows from milk of either estrous or luteal-phase cows.
Selected patients listed for cardiac transplantation may benefit from defibrillator implantation regardless of an established indication.

Abstract Background: End-stage heart failure (HF) patients are at high risk of sudden cardiac death. This study evaluates the role of implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICDs) in HF patients awaiting cardiac transplantation. Methods: We identified 194 consecutive patients (age 51 ± 12 years) with New York Heart Association Class 3 or 4 HF (ejection fraction 22 ± 9%) listed for cardiac transplantation, 35 of whom underwent ICD implantation. Of the implanted patients, 16 (Group A) had an established indication for ICD implantation (cardiac arrest, n = 10; sustained ventricular tachycardia [VT], n = 3; and positive electrophysiology study, n = 3). Nineteen patients (Group B) underwent ICD implantation for non-established indications (syncope with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, n = 4; non-sustained VT, n = 15). There were no procedural complications from ICD implantation. Results: During follow-up of 9.2 ± 10.1 months, there were 3 deaths in the ICD groups (A and B), and 40 in the control group (8.6% vs 25.2%, p = 0.032). Five patients in Group A and 6 in Group B (31%) received appropriate ICD therapy. The number of therapies per patient and the time to the first shock were similar between Groups A and B. Four of 6 Group B patients on outpatient inotropic therapy (67%) received appropriate ICD therapy. Conclusions: Selected end-stage heart failure patients awaiting heart transplantation, including those without established ICD indications, are at high risk for malignant arrhythmias and may benefit from ICD implantation. Patients with ICD seem to have improved survival compared to those without ICD. Randomized prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.