cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Approaches to Style

The topic of style has received increasing amounts of attention in the last few decades, a trend that is appropriate given the importance of style and stylistic analysis in archaeology. Typology and seriation, exchange studies, and efforts to characterize prehistoric social organization are just some of the central issues that normally require a focus on style. Despite the increasing concern with style, it could be argued that we are not much closer to agreement on basic questions than we were in the early 1960s. The sources of stylistic variation are still being debated (Wiessner 1984, 1985; Sackett 1985), as are the methods that should be used to measure or classify that variation (Jernigan 1986) or to increase our understanding of it (Hodder 1986).
110th Anniversary: New Volumetric Frequency Response System for Determining Mass Transfer Mechanisms in Microporous Adsorbents

A new volumetric frequency response (VFR) system was developed for studying the mass transfer characteristics of gases in microporous adsorbents. For this VFR system, the differential pressure response from a small perturbation in volume was measured in a closed system after equilibrium was established for a gas adsorbate–adsorbent pair at constant temperature and pressure. It operates over a wide range of frequencies from 10–5 to 10 Hz, from atmospheric pressure down to vacuum pressures of 100 Torr, and at temperatures from 5 to 80 °C. The sample chamber holds up to 100 g of adsorbent. These operating ranges make this new VFR system capable of measuring mass transfer characteristics of adsorbate–adsorbent systems at conditions relevant to many commercial separation processes using a relatively large volume of adsorbent in a unique packed bed arrangement. The apparatus and procedure were described in detail, including the use of runs with different gases and different porous and nonporous solid beads and ...
Hearing Loss in Infants with Hypoxic-ischemic Encephalopathy

Background: Hearing loss (HL) is common in infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) with incidence as high as 7% in recent reports. Objective: This study aims to define the incidence of HL in infants subjected to therapeutic hypothermia for moderate or severe neonatal HIE at hospital discharge and at follow up before 24 months. Design/Methods: Retrospective cohort study of neonates receiving therapeutic hypothermia for moderate or severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy at a regional level IV neonatal intensive care unit. …
Stratification effects on hydrodynamics and mixing at a river confluence with discordant bed

Stratification effects induced by density differences between the incoming flows are investigated at a medium-size stream confluence with a highly discordant bed. The relatively large temperature difference ΔT = 4.7 °C between the main, high-discharge tributary and the low-discharge tributary together with the relatively small velocity of the flow in the main channel translate in a very high Richardson number, Ri = 1.89, which suggests that stratification effects have an important effect on flow hydrodynamics and thermal mixing. Simulation results confirm this and show that for the case when the velocity of the low-discharge, lower-temperature tributary is much smaller than that of the high-discharge tributary, the denser fluid from the low-discharge tributary plunges rapidly toward the bottom and the confluence apex. It then moves as a near-bed current of denser fluid across the main-tributary side of the main channel until the opposing bank where it reaches the free surface. It then continues to move parallel to the bank line. Meanwhile, the less-dense fluid from the main tributary moves over the near-bed current of denser fluid into the central part of the main channel. This induces a two-layer structure of the flow inside the upstream part of the confluence, which explains the very different mean flow patterns near the bed and near the free surface. Flow hydrodynamics and mixing in the Ri = 1.89 simulation are found to be very different when compared to those observed in the no-density-effects (Ri = 0) case where there is no coupling between the temperature and the momentum equations via the Boussinesq approximation. In this case, the fluid from the low-discharge tributary remains on the corresponding side of the main channel. Away from the confluence apex, the volume of mixed fluid is several times larger in the Ri = 1.89 simulation, which demonstrates that under certain conditions two streams of unequal densities can mix much faster compared to the case when the two streams have the same density. The large-scale flow patterns, eddy dynamics and volume of mixed fluid in the Ri = 1.89 simulation were also found to present major differences with a case where the main, high-discharge tributary contained the lower-temperature (denser) fluid.
How Does Ultrasound Work

Ultrasound (US) is a relatively cheap, widely available imaging technology that uses sound waves to create images. No ionizing radiation is used. This chapter will focus primarily on fundamental concepts pertaining to B-mode (brightness mode) or 2D mode ultrasound, which is used in anatomic imaging. However, one should be aware of other ultrasound modes such as A-mode (amplitude mode) used in therapeutic ultrasound and M-mode (motion mode) ultrasound used in obstetric imaging to evaluate fetal cardiac.
The L2\(\bar{\partial}\)-Method in a Holomorphic Line Bundle

In this chapter, we consider a useful generalization of the notion of a holomorphic function, namely, that of a holomorphic section of a holomorphic line bundle. We first consider the basic properties of holomorphic line bundles as well as those of sheaves and divisors. We then proceed with a discussion of the solution of the inhomogeneous Cauchy–Riemann equation with L 2 estimates in this more general setting. In this setting, there is a natural generalization of Theorem 2.9.1 for Hermitian holomorphic line bundles (E,h) with positive curvature; that is, iΘ h >0, where Θ h is a natural generalization of the curvature form \(\Theta_{\varphi}=\partial\bar{\partial} \varphi \) considered in Sect. 2.8. In fact, Sects. 3.6–3.9 may be read in place of most of the material in Sects. 2.6– 2.9. We then consider applications, mostly to the study of holomorphic line bundles on open Riemann surfaces (holomorphic line bundles on compact Riemann surfaces are considered in greater depth in Chap. 4). For example, in Sect. 3.11, we prove that every holomorphic line bundle on an open Riemann surface admits a positive-curvature Hermitian metric (this follows easily from the results of Sect. 2.14); and we then obtain a slightly more streamlined proof of (a generalization of) the Mittag-Leffler theorem (Theorem 2.15.1). In Sect. 3.12, we prove the Weierstrass theorem (Theorem 3.12.1), according to which every holomorphic line bundle on an open Riemann surface is actually holomorphically trivial.
Survey of bearded sprangletop (Leptochloa fusca spp. fasicularis) response to clomazone in California rice

Bearded sprangletop is a problematic weed in California rice production and few herbicides provide effective control. As control of bearded sprangletop has declined, grower suspicion of resistance to clomazone has increased, because of the continuous rice cropping system and herbicide dependence in the region. The objectives of this research were to confirm clomazone resistance in bearded sprangletop populations and determine the level of resistance. Seed from 21 suspected clomazone-resistant populations was collected from the California rice growing region. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine population sensitivity to clomazone. Clomazone was applied into the water to emerging seedlings. Plant ht and control of bearded sprangletop were recorded weekly for 3 wk, plants were then harvested, and dry weight was measured. Of the populations tested, 17 were susceptible and four (5%) were resistant to clomazone. A dose-response assay was conducted using eight doses ranging from an eighth of the full rate to 12 times the full rate. The three most resistant populations had resistant-to susceptible ratios of 1.25×, 2×, and 5× the labeled rate of clomazone. The use of clomazone in California rice production is beneficial; however, it should be used at the appropriate timing and as part of an herbicide program to prevent further development of clomazone resistance.
DECADE LONG TEMPORAL TRENDS IN HYPERTENSION-RELATED DEATHS, 2007-2017

Hypertension (HTN) is the leading risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. We examined recent temporal trends in HTN-related mortality to help guide population-wide policy initiatives. We analyzed temporal trends in mortality rates attributed to HTN based on death certificates
Food Safety on the Farm: Produce Safety Rule and Good Agricultural Practices – Field Sanitation

Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and Good Handling Practices (GHPs) encompass the general procedures that growers, packers, and processors of fresh fruits and vegetables should follow to ensure the safety of their product. GAPs usually deal with preharvest practices (i.e., in the field), while GHPs cover postharvest practices, including packing and shipping. This 5-page fact sheet covers harvest practices associated with sanitation in the field, including basic principles for microbial food safety and control of potential hazards. This major revision is a part of the Food Safety on the Farm series and was written by Jessica Lepper, Jaysankar De, Christopher Pabst, Renee Goodrich-Schneider, and Keith Schneider and published by the UF/IFAS Food Science and Human Nutrition Department. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs160
Cooperation Failure or Secret Collusion? Absolute Monarchs and Informal Cooperation

Despite sharing attributes that scholars argue promote international cooperation, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have few formal international agreements with each other. Does this absence of formal agreements imply a cooperation failure? We argue that absolute monarchies frequently cooperate with each other but do so informally. At the domestic level, absolute monarchs pursue their personal interests by unilaterally and nontransparently developing and implementing policies. These norms of domestic policymaking engender an absolutist logic, which shapes how absolute monarchs selectively use informal and formal cooperation at the international level. When cooperating with each other, absolute monarchs maximize mutual private benefits through similarly unilateral and nontransparent policymaking, producing secret, cartel-like informal agreements. Using the 10 Million International Dyadic Events data, we develop a data set of informal and formal cooperation from 1990 to 2004. We find that joint absolute monarchy dyads have higher levels of informal cooperation and lower levels of formal cooperation than joint democratic dyads and dyads of mixed regime types. We also draw on the Continent of International Law dataset to demonstrate that, when absolute monarchs enter into agreements with leaders of other regime types, they strategically accept the formal design mechanisms necessary for optimal cooperation. We assess the causal mechanisms underlying the absolutist logic through an in-depth case study of the informal, secret 2014 Riyadh agreements that outlined security cooperation between the Gulf monarchies.
Quantifying changes in incisor inclination before and after orthodontic treatment in class I, II, and III malocclusions

Abstract Background This study was designed to determine if orthodontic treatment significantly changes the upper incisor position in Class I, II, and III dental and skeletal malocclusions. Methods Ninety nonextraction-treated patients were included in this retrospective cohort study and divided into three groups: Class I, Class II, and Class III. All cephalometric measurements (ANB, Wits, U1-PP, U1-SN, U1-NA, U1 perpendicular to FH and U1-L1) were taken using the Dolphin Management and Imaging Software, Version 05.05.5070.221436 (United States and Canada). Results The posttreatment values of ANB, Wits appraisal, U1-NA mm, U1-FH mm, IMPA and U1-L1° are statistically significant (P Conclusions There is a significant amount of dento-alveolar compensation for the maxillary incisors not only in patients with Class II and III but also in Class I malocclusions that underwent nonextraction treatments.
Species-specific environmental conditions for winter bat acoustic activity in North Carolina, United States

Low winter temperatures are a major driver of hibernation and migration in temperate North American bats. Hibernation and migration in turn affect bat mortality via white-nose syndrome and collisions with wind turbines. To describe winter bat acoustic activity across a wide temperature gradient and to understand species-specific responses to low temperatures, we recorded nightly acoustic activity of bats at 15 sites across the state of North Carolina, United States, from December through February 2016 – 2018. Bat acoustic activity was recorded at all sites during both winters. Nightly probability of bat acoustic presence regressed positively on ambient temperature. Nightly probability of presence in Lasionycteris noctivagans (silver-haired bat) and Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bat) regressed negatively on wind speed. The mean probability of presence within the same winter condition was highest for L. noctivagans, followed by E. fuscus, Perimyotis subflavus (tricolored bat), and Lasiurus cinereus (hoary bat). Differences in species' mean body weight and roosting preference explained part of the variation of the species-specific probability of presence. Our results can be used to predict bat acoustic presence for these species across the southeastern United States in winter, and better understand the potential threats to bats such as white-nose syndrome and wind turbine interactions.
Interest in and Knowledge of the Internment

Despite the silence that surrounds it, most Sansei, including many whose parents were not in camps, show a strong interest in the internment. In many ways, an awareness of the legacy of the camps is shared by all Japanese Americans. Yet, we would expect the Sansei who had a parent interned to show particularly high levels of interest and to pursue this interest by learning more about the camps outside of the family. This chapter examines this hypothesis. By evaluating the differences among Sansei groups on these variables, we may better understand the degree to which a personal connection with an injustice (i.e., having one’s own parent interned) affects levels of interest in and knowledge about that victimization when compared with a connection that stems from group membership (i.e., being Japanese American).
Detection of B‐cell populations with monotypic light chain expression in cerebrospinal fluid specimens from patients with multiple sclerosis by polychromatic flow cytometry

Background Flow cytometric immunophenotyping is an established method for the detection of occult leptomeningeal disease in patients with aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and is increasingly being used in the evaluation of patients without an established diagnosis of lymphoma who present with signs and/or symptoms referable to the central nervous system. However, the specificity of flow cytometric immunophenotyping in the identification of monoclonal B-cell populations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has not been systematically evaluated. Methods We searched a consecutive series of CSF specimens submitted to our laboratory for polychromatic (8-color) flow cytometric immunophenotyping between June, 2010 and December, 2012 for cases in which a B-cell population with monotypic immunoglobulin light chain expression was detected in patients without clinical or radiographic evidence of lymphoma. Results A B-cell population with monotypic light chain expression was identified in CSF specimens from three patients whose subsequent clinical and radiologic evaluation provided no evidence for lymphoma. In all three patients, a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis was ultimately rendered upon completion of the clinical evaluation. Conclusions We conclude that the detection of a B-cell population with monotypic light chain expression in CSF by polychromatic flow cytometry is not diagnostic of occult leptomeningeal involvement by a B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Moreover, these findings suggest that monotypic B-cell populations detectable by polychromatic flow cytometry may be prevalent in patients with multiple sclerosis, and highlight the importance of clinicopathologic correlation in this application of polychromatic flow cytometry. © 2013 International Clinical Cytometry Society
On formal analysis of OO languages using rewriting logic: designing for performance

Rewriting logic provides a powerful, flexible mechanism for language definition and analysis. This flexibility in design can lead to problems during analysis, as different designs for the same language feature can cause drastic differences in analysis performance. This paper describes some of these design decisions in the context of KOOL, a concurrent, dynamic, object-oriented language. Also described is a general mechanism used in KOOL to support model checking while still allowing for ongoing, sometimes major, changes to the language definition.
Solar power probabilistic forecasting by using multiple linear regression analysis

Variable energy generation, particularly from renewable energy resources such as wind and solar energy plants have created operational challenges for the electric power grid because of the uncertainty involved in their output in the short term. Energy forecasting can be used to mitigate some of the challenges that arise from the uncertainty in the resource. Whi le wind energy forecasting has already undergone extensive research efforts, solar power forecasting is only recently witnessing an increased amount of attention. This paper proposes a multiple linear regression analysis model to generate probabilistic forecasts of solar energy.
Neuropathology of fetal nigra transplants for Parkinson's disease.

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the peer-reviewed reports published to date from Parkinson's disease (PD) patients receiving fetal nigral transplants and emphasizes those that have come to autopsy with an eye toward understanding the association of neuroanatomical information obtained following death with clinical outcome and the accuracy of preclinical laboratory investigations in predicting the neuroanatomical finding observed at autopsy. It is learned from clinical trials of dopaminergic donor tissues in patients with Parkinson's disease that laboratory data are highly predictive of clinical outcome. Studies evaluating promising strategies aimed at improving fetal nigral allograft survival via trophic factor supplementation, cografting of cells that secrete trophic factors, exposure of fetal cells to antiapoptotic agents, transfection of fetal cells with antiapoptotic genes, and conversion of neural progenitors to make dopamine are currently under experimental investigation.
Artificial Intelligence, Logic and Formalizing Common Sense

This is a position paper about the relations among artificial intelligence (AI), mathematical logic and the formalization of common-sense knowledge and reasoning. It also treats other problems of concern to both AI and philosophy. I thank the editor for inviting it. The position advocated is that philosophy can contribute to AI if it treats some of its traditional subject matter in more detail and that this will advance the philosophical goals also. Actual formalisms (mostly first order languages) for expressing common-sense facts are described in the references.
Protection of the Athlete's Identity: The Right of Publicity, Endorsements and Domain Names

Originally presented January 5, 2001, as part of the Marketing and Legal Protection of an Athlete's Identity Symposium co-sponsored by the American Association of Law Schools Sections on Law and Sports and Intellectual Property. Professor Anderson provided assistance in the conversion of the presentation into article form.
Analysis of discrete phenotypes using a multipoint identity-by-descent method: application to Alzheimer's disease.

The multipoint identity-by-descent method was developed to detect linkage to a specific chromosomal region through partitioning the genetic variance. This method has previously been applied to quantitative traits, and here is extended to a qualitative trait, where a dichotomous affected unaffected status variable is transformed to a quantitative variable by incorporating covariates. This method is applied to the Alzheimer's disease data sets from Genetic Analysis Workshop 8, to investigate putative linkage to chromosomes 19 and 21. The multipoint identity-by-descent method is used to test for linkage through the qualitative trait, and for excess sharing of the chromosomal region among affected sibs. Results are compared to those of the affected-pedigree-member method and classical linkage analysis
Celebrating Science as Culture

A researcher who has participated in several science festivals discusses their strengths and weaknesses as a means of improving public understanding of science.
Aquaporin‐4 gene deletion in mice increases focal edema associated with staphylococcal brain abscess

Brain abscess is associated with local vasogenic edema, which leads to increased intracranial pressure and significant morbidity. Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) is a water channel expressed in astroglia at the blood-brain and brain-CSF barriers. To investigate the role of AQP4 in brain abscess-associated edema, live Staphylococcus aureus (10(5) colony-forming units) was injected into the striatum to create a focal abscess. Wild-type and AQP4-deficient mice had comparable immune responses as measured by brain abscess volume (approximately 3.7 mm3 at 3 days), bacterial count and cytokine levels in brain homogenates. Blood-brain barrier permeability was increased comparably in both groups as assessed by extravasation of Evans blue dye. However, at 3 days the AQP4 null mice had significantly higher intracranial pressure (mean +/- SEM 27 +/- 2 vs. 17 +/- 2 mmHg; p < 0.001) and brain water content (81.0 +/- 0.3 vs. 79.3 +/- 0.5 % water by weight in the abscess-containing hemisphere; p < 0.01) than wild-type mice. Reactive astrogliosis was found throughout the abscess-containing hemisphere; however, only a subset of astrocytes in the peri-abscess region of wild-type mice had increased AQP4 immunoreactivity. Our findings demonstrate a protective effect of AQP4 on brain swelling in bacterial abscess, suggesting that AQP4 induction may reduce vasogenic edema associated with cerebral infection.
Mode of action of a bacteriocin from Serratia marcescens.

The effects of bacteriocin JF246, produced by Serratia marcescens, on the incorporation of labeled leucine and thymidine, the synthesis of β-galactosidase, the active transport of labeled leucine and α-methyl-d-glucoside, and the cellular levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in Escherichia coli were studied. This bacteriocin strongly inhibited the incorporation of leucine and thymidine into protein and deoxyribonucleic acid, respectively, as well as the active transport of leucine. The accumulation of α-methyl-d-glucoside, which is mediated by a phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system, was not markedly inhibited. The level of ATP in bacteriocin-treated cells rapidly fell to 10 to 15% of the control value. However, the kinetics of inhibition of macromolecular synthesis by various levels of bacteriocin was not related to the kinetics of ATP decline.
Transverse vorticity measurements

For a flow in which the mean velocity distribution can be described in terms of the streaming flow direction (x) and the direction of the principal velocity gradient (y), the predominant vorticity (ω) will exist in the transverse direction (z). It was the purpose of the present study* to develop an experimental technique to form a time series representation of the instantaneous ωz values. The motivation for this study was to develop a diagnostic tool for those flow fields where a knowledge of ωz(t) would be valuable, such flows include (i) laminar and turbulent vortex rings, (ii) unsteady aerodynamics, and (iii) sound producing flows. The specific objectives of the present study were to develop the hardware and support software to make instantaneous ω z measurements in typical laboratory shear flows with maximal accuracy and allowance for the large variation in pitch angles associated with free shear flows.
West Bank Barrier Decreases Access to Schools and Health Services

Introduction: In 2001, the Israeli government announced the construction of the West Bank barrier. The stated purpose of construction to prevent attacks by Palestinians on Israeli citizens. In a subsequent advisory opinion, the International Court of Justice decided the wall would block access to health care and education, and was "contrary to international law". Research Focus: The Barrier, with its limited number of gates, has been crit- icized by humanitarian agencies for limiting access of Palestinians to employ- ment, health care, and education, but was defended by the Israeli government as an important security measure. Methods: A survey of key informants was conducted in May 2004 at 78 health facilities and 121 schools in the northern West Bank districts of Jenin, Qalqilya, and Tulkarem, in order to assess the impact of the Barrier on access and use of health and educational services. Results: The Barrier negatively affected access to education and health care, in terms of statistically significant increases in distance and travel time to schools and health facilities. In several areas, service utilization, assessed by weekly visits to health facilities and student enrollment, was affected by bar- rier construction, although these findings were not statistically significant. A sig- nificant decrease in staff attendance was observed at health facilities and schools. Conclusions: The Barrier may have long-term effects on access and utiliza- tion of health and educational services among Palestinians in the northern West Bank.
Robust Model‐Based Quantification of Global Ventricular Torsion from Spatially Sparse Three‐Dimensional Time Series Data by Orthogonal Distance Regression: Evaluation in a Canine Animal Model Under Different Pacing Regimes

Quantification of global ventricular rotational deformation, expressed as twist or torsion, and its dynamic changes is important in understanding the pathophysiology of heart disease and its therapy. Various techniques, such as sonomicrometry, allow tracking of specific sites within the myocardium. Quantification of twist from such data requires a longitudinal reference axis of rotation. Current methods require specific positioning and numbers of myocardial markers and assumptions about temporal positional evolution that may be violated during dyssynchronous contraction. We present a new method to assess myocardial twist that makes minimal fully explicit assumptions while removing extraneous assumptions, by performing a least squares orthogonal distance regression of all position data on an ellipsoidal ventricular model. Rotational deformation is quantified in terms of the ellipsoid’s internal coordinate system, allowing intuitive visualization. We tested this method on a set of sparse, noisy sonomicrometric crystal data in dogs under different pacing regimes to model dyssynchrony and cardiac resynchronization. We found that this method yielded robust and plausible data. This technique is also fully automated while identifying when data may be insufficient for reliable quantification of rotational deformation. This approach may allow future analysis of myocardial contraction with less tracking sites and relaxed positioning requirements while identifying situations where data are insufficient for reliable quantification of rotational deformation.
Expanding a distributed deductive database with mobile computing

Mobile computing is a component that will be included in many future computing environments. This paper presents a scheme that will allow the addition of a mobile component to an existing distributed deductive database. This scheme allows for the following features: 1) data replication on the mobile unit, 2) transaction logging to log changes both in the mobile user's database and in the network's database, 3) concurrency control to prevent both copies from updating the same record, and 4) reconnection procedures to update both copies upon reconnection. To facilitate data replication and reconnection updates, we have established ‘Proxy Nodes’ in the network database to keep track of data of interest to the mobile user.
Neoliberal reforms in elder care in Norway: Roles of the state, Norwegian employers, and Polish nurses

Abstract After a worldwide financial crisis in the early 1980s, many states decided to implement new public management strategies. These strategies consist of private sector management practices that aim to reduce the cost of public services. The US and the UK first adopted the new public management model and other states soon followed. The Norwegian state was initially reluctant to adopt private management practices, but it eventually implemented modified reforms that suited the Norwegian socio-political context. This article investigates the ways in which the Norwegian state and Norwegian employers shape the labor force in Norwegian nursing homes through new public management strategies, and the tools that foreign-born nurses use to challenge these structures. The Norwegian state shapes the labor force through labor market policies and the rescaling of public services to local governments, and Norwegian employers reinforce the neoliberal values of the state in their hiring practices and daily operations in the workplace. In particular, this article analyzes the interweaving neoliberal institutional and personal factors that influence the working experiences of Polish nurses in a semi-private nursing home in Oslo. The city of Oslo created a unique public–private partnership with a city-owned company that manages three nursing homes in Oslo. The findings of this study indicate that Polish nurses in one of these nursing homes were negatively affected by the new public management strategies. They improved some of their working conditions over time but structural barriers still persist despite high demand for their skills.
Faster Computation of Z-Matrices for Rectangular Segments in Planar Microstrip Circuits (Short Paper)

Currently available formulation of Z-matrices for rectangular segments in planar microstrip circuits involves numerical summation of the doubly infinite series in the corresponding Green's function. These computations can be accelerated considerably by using the formulation proposed here which is based on an analytical treatment of one of the summations involved.
The indole method for determination of DNA: conditions for maximal sensitivity.

Summary We have reinvestigated the optimum conditions for the indole method for the colorimetric determination of DNA. We have been unable to show that a prior method published in this journal produces increased sensitivity as claimed. Our data show that maximal sensitivity is attained under different conditions, using 12 n HCl and 0.08% indole in the color reagent. Use of 2% perchloric acid to hydrolyze DNA standards produces increased sensitivity when compared to trichloroacetic acid hydrolyzed standards.
The development of BAC-end sequence-based microsatellite markers and placement in the physical and genetic maps of soybean

The composite map of soybean shared among Soybase, LIS and SoyGD (March 2006) contained 3,073 DNA markers in the “Locus” class. Among the markers were 1,019 class I microsatellite markers with 2–3 bp simple sequence repeats (SSRs) of >10 iterations (BARC-SSR markers). However, there were few class II SSRs (2–5 bp repeats with <10 iterations; mostly SIUC-Satt markers). The aims here were to increase the number of classes I and II SSR markers and to integrate bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones onto the soybean physical map using the markers. Used was 10 Mb of BAC-end sequence (BES) derived from 13,473 reads from 7,050 clones constituting minimum tile path 2 of the soybean physical map ( http://www.soybeangenome.siu.edu ; SoyGD). Identified were 1,053 1–6 bp motif, repeat sequences, 333 from class I (>10 repeats) and 720 from class II (<10 repeats). Potential markers were shown on the MTP_SSR track at Gbrowse. Primers were designed as 20–24 bp oligomers that had Tm of 55 ± 1 C that would generate 100–500 bp amplicons. About 853 useful primer pairs were established. Motifs were not randomly distributed with biases toward AT rich motifs. Strong biases against the GC motif and all tetra-nucleotide repeats were found. The markers discovered were useful. Among the first 135 targeted for use in genetic map improvement about 60% of class II markers and 75% of class I markers were polymorphic among on the parents of four recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations. Many of the BES-based SSRs were located on the soybean genetic map in regions with few BARC-SSR markers. Therefore, BES-based SSRs represent useful tools for genetic map development in soybean. New members of a consortium to map the markers in additional populations are invited.
Correlation of neurocognitive function and brain parenchyma volumes in children surviving cancer

This research builds on our hypothesis that white matter damage and associated neurocognitive symptoms, in children treated for cancer with cranial spinal irradiation, spans a continuum of severity that can be reliably probed using non-invasive MR technology. Quantitative volumetric assessments of MR imaging and psychological assessments were obtained in 40 long-term survivors of malignant brain tumors treated with cranial irradiation. Neurocognitive assessments included a test of intellect (Wechsler Intelligence Test for Children, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale), attention (Conner's Continuous Performance Test), and memory (California Verbal Learning Test). One-sample t-tests were conducted to evaluate test performance of survivors against age-adjusted scores from the test norms; these analyses revealed significant impairments in all apriori selected measures of intelligence, attention, and memory. Partial correlation analyses were performed to assess the relationships between brain tissues volumes (normal appearing white matter (NAWM), gray matter, and CSF) and neurocognitive function. Global intelligence (r = 0.32, p = 0.05) and global attentional (r = 0.49, p < 0.01) were significantly positively correlated with NAWM volumes, whereas global memory was significantly positively correlated with overall brain parenchyma (r = 0.38, p = 0.04). We conclude that quantitative assessment of MR examinations in survivors of childhood cancer treated with cranial irradiation reveal that loss of NAWM is associated with decreased intellectual and attentional deficits, whereas overall parenchyma loss, as reflected by increased CSF and decreased white matter, is associated with memory-related deficits.
Characterization of effector T cells in dry eye disease.

PURPOSE Dry eye disease (DED) is associated with ocular surface inflammation that is thought to be mediated primarily by CD4 T cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether this T cell-mediated immune response is generated in the lymphoid compartment and to characterize the functional phenotype of the T cells activated in DED. METHODS DED was induced in female C57BL/6 mice by exposure to a desiccating environment in the controlled environment chamber and to systemic scopolamine. T cells from regional draining lymph nodes (LNs) of DED mice and normally sighted mice were analyzed for surface activation markers (CD69 and CD154), chemokine and cytokine receptors, and proliferation potential. RESULTS Draining LNs of DED mice showed increased frequencies of CD69- and CD154-expressing T cells with higher proliferative capacity. In addition, these LN T cells primarily showed a helper T-cell (Th)1 phenotype, expressing significantly higher levels of IFN-gamma and IL-12Rbeta2 but not IL-4R. Similarly, the LNs of DED mice showed significantly increased frequencies of T cells expressing CXCR3 and CCR5, but not CCR4, suggesting a bias toward a Th1 phenotype. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate that a Th1-type immune response is induced in the regional LNs of DED mice. The identification of specific cytokine/chemokine receptors overexpressed by these T cells may signify potential novel targets/strategies for the treatment of DED.
Occurrence of Perimesencephalic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage During Pregnancy

Perimesencephalic subarachnoid hemorrhage (P-SAH) is a benign subset of subarachnoid hemorrhage with a favorable prognosis and low rate of re-bleeding. Risk factors may include hypertension and tobacco use, but it has not previously been reported during pregnancy. We report two cases of P-SAH in pregnant women, a 40-year-old female, 8-weeks pregnant and a 37-year-old female at 35 weeks gestational age. CT scan confirmed P-SAH in both cases. CT angiography in one case and cerebral angiogram in the other did not reveal aneurysm or other potential bleeding source. The patients underwent transcranial Doppler ultrasound monitoring without evidence of vasospasm. P-SAH hemorrhage may occur during early or late pregnancy. We do not propose an increased risk of P-SAH during pregnancy. The clinical course appears favorable and CT angiography alone may be considered the preferred diagnostic test to assess for aneurysm in first trimester pregnancy.
Effects of exercise on muscle activation and metabolism in multiple sclerosis

We investigated the role of metabolism in muscle fatigue during voluntary exercise in persons with mild multiple sclerosis (MS). Six MS and 8 healthy control subjects performed intermittent, progressive, isometric contractions of the ankle dorsiflexors, during which we measured maximum voluntary force (MVC), inorganic phosphate (Pi), phosphocreatine (PCr), and pH. During exercise, MVC fell sooner in MS, but by the end of exercise the relative decrease in MVC was similar in both groups. In contrast, at the end of exercise Pi/PCr increased to 1.86 +/- 0.22 in controls but to only 0.66 +/- 0.04 in MS (P < 0.01); likewise, pH was 6.75 +/- 0.04 in controls and unchanged (7.06 +/- 0.04) in MS (P < 0.01). The smaller metabolic change at the same relative exercise intensity suggests a failure of muscle activation that is present even in mild MS. Neurophysiologic measures of activation indicated some central activation failure and no neuromuscular junction impairment in MS, and suggested that activation failure beyond the muscle membrane (excitation-contraction coupling) may be important in MS. We conclude that metabolic factors do not play a significant role in the development of muscle fatigue during voluntary exercise in mild MS.
High-degree cubature Kalman filter

The cubature Kalman filter (CKF), which is based on the third degree spherical-radial cubature rule, is numerically more stable than the unscented Kalman filter (UKF) but less accurate than the Gauss-Hermite quadrature filter (GHQF). To improve the performance of the CKF, a new class of CKFs with arbitrary degrees of accuracy in computing the spherical and radial integrals is proposed. The third-degree CKF is a special case of the class. The high-degree CKFs of the class can achieve the accuracy and stability performances close to those of the GHQF but at lower computational cost. A numerical integration problem and a target tracking problem are utilized to demonstrate the necessity of using the high-degree cubature rules to improve the performance. The target tracking simulation shows that the fifth-degree CKF can achieve higher accuracy than the extended Kalman filter, the UKF, the third-degree CKF, and the particle filter, and is computationally much more efficient than the GHQF.
A general lower bound of minimax risk for absolute-error loss

A general lower bound of minimax risk for absolute-error loss is given in terms of the Hellinger modulus of the estimation problem. The main results are applicable to various parametric, semi-parametric and nonparametric problems. Two examples of parametric estimation problems and two examples of density estimation problems are given. In all of these examples, the general lower bound achieves the convergence rates of minimax risk. Une borne inferieure generale du risque minimax pour la perte d'erreur absolue est donnee en termes du module de Hellinger du probleme d'estimation. Les resultats principaux (Theoreme 1 et Theoreme 2) sont applicables a differents problemes parametriques, semi-parametriques et non-parametriques. Deux exemples de problemes d'estimation parametrique et deux exemples d'estimation de densite sont donnes. Dans chacun de ces exemples, la borne inferieure generale atteint les taux de convergence du risque minimax.
Does vertebral height restoration achieved at vertebroplasty matter

PURPOSE Altered vertebral and spinal configuration after osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (VCF) is believed to contribute to postfracture morbidity. The objective of this study was to determine whether patients in whom partial vertebral height restoration (VHR) was achieved at percutaneous vertebroplasty had greater pain relief or improved quality of life compared with patients in whom no anatomic restoration was achieved. MATERIALS AND METHODS Consecutive subjects undergoing percutaneous vertebroplasty for painful osteoporotic VCFs completed the Osteoporosis Quality of Life Questionnaire (OQLQ) a validated, disease specific instrument that measures health related quality of life in women with osteoporosis with back pain caused by VCF. At postoperative week 2, month 2, and month 6, all subjects completed the mini-OQLQ, a validated extraction of OQLQ. Pain was rated with a standard visual analogue scale (VAS). Radiographs were manually digitized and evaluated for the presence of dynamic mobility and VHR. The relationship between VHR achieved at percutaneous vertebroplasty and postoperative pain relief and quality of life outcome was examined by multivariate analysis. RESULTS Forty-six subjects (32 women) underwent 49 percutaneous vertebroplasty procedures to treat 66 painful VCFs. Mean patient age was 74.3 years ± 10.9. Mean fracture age was 2.5 months ± 2.1. Pain rating fell from 7.7 ± 1.8 to 2.8 ± 1.8 within 1 day of percutaneous vertebroplasty and remained improved through month 6 ( P P P ≤ .007). Preoperative dynamic mobility ranged −2.9 to 19.9 mm (average, 5.5 mm). Postoperative VHR in mobile VCFs ranged −2.1 to 9.6 mm (average, 2.9 mm). At all postoperative time points up to 6 months, pain and OQLQ domain scores were similar in patients who achieved partial VHR at percutaneous vertebroplasty compared with those in whom no VHR was achieved. CONCLUSION Partial vertebral height restoration achieved at percutaneous vertebroplasty did not result in additional pain relief or improved quality of life beyond cement fixation alone.
IN VITRO BEHAVIOR OF GUINEA PIG ARTERIAL AND VENOUS ENDOTHELIAL CELLS

Techniques to clone endothelial cells from adult guinea pig artery and vein are described. Cloned arterial and venous endothelial cells differed in their in vitro behavior. The differences between these two types of endothelial cells grown under identical conditions are: (1) venous endothelial cells have a greator mitotic potential than the arterial cells, (2) arterial endothelial cells have a much greator affinity to the substratum than venous endothelial cells, and (3) arterial endothelial cells exhibit a marked propensity to deposit lipid in their cytoplasm; whereas, the venous endothelial cells do not reveal lipid droplets. Labeled 3H-oleic acid added to the nutrient medium was incorporated into the lipid deposits found in the arterial endothelial cells. Both types of endothelial cells bound antibody prepared against smooth muscle myosin. The observed difference in the in vitro behavior of these two types of endothelial cells may be a reflection of their intrinsic characteristics.
Green and Healthy Housing

The basic role of a house has not changed since humans lived in caves. It shelters us from the elements and provides a place to live, work, and play. With the exception of changes in designs and styles, that role remained unquestioned in the United States until the mid 1970s, when the Arab oil embargo highlighted energy inefficiencies in the residential sector. Initial responses from architects and engineers to that early crisis were to explore such alternative energy sources as active and passive solar heating systems. Years of experimentation followed until the premise of that direction was questioned. Instead of replacing the energy source, why not reduce the need for it? That question led to the development of what were called superinsulated homes, some of which required as little as 5% of the energy used by conventional homes at the time. But initial applications of this technology suffered serious problems with moisture generated from normal household activities and resulted in a focus on indoor air quality. That focus evolved beyond moisture and resulting biological contaminants to gradually include radon and other soil gases, volatile organic compounds VOCs , combustion pollutants, and other toxicants. The significance of this shift in focus is highlighted by findings that approximately 70% of people’s lives are typically spent inside the house. In recent years, house design and construction issues have broadened beyond energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality to include embodied energy content and durability of construction materials. Now called sustainable, regenerative, or green design, this view takes a systems approach to the design and construction of a house and the selection of its building materials. A green house is a high-performance home with respect to its energy use and a healthy home regarding its indoor environmental quality. Its small carbon footprint also makes it an earth-friendly
Pelvic radiation therapy as a risk factor for ischemic colitis complicating abdominal aortic reconstruction.

Ischemic colitis is an infrequent but potentially devastating complication of abdominal aortic reconstruction. Identification of patients with predisposing risk factors for the development of ischemic colitis can guide intraoperative measures to preserve or restore colonic blood flow during aortic surgery. Previous radiation therapy for pelvic malignancy may be one such predisposing risk factor. Two cases are presented in which ischemic colitis complicated, abdominal aortic reconstruction in the setting of previous pelvic irradiation. In the months after radiation therapy for prostate cancer, one patient underwent infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Ischemic infarction of the sigmoid colon developed acutely after surgery and required emergent sigmoid colectomy. The second patient underwent reconstruction of an infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm after having had radiation therapy for a bladder tumor. Despite an initial satisfactory result, the patient's abdominal pain and diarrhea progressively worsened and he eventually required sigmoid colectomy for severe ischemic colitis. In both of these patients, the inferior mesenteric arteries were patent and had not been reimplanted. The association of pelvic radiation therapy with ischemic colitis after aortic reconstruction should focus attention to the operative, details for maintaining the colonic ciruculation in these patients. Reimplantation of the inferior mesenteric artery in particular may prevent both the acute and the insidious variants of this complication in patients who undergo aortic surgery and decrease the incidence of this complication in patients with a history of radiation therapy to the pelvis.