cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of Topic Modeling for Recommending Relevant Education Material to Diabetic Patients

The need for and challenges of educating and informing patients are well known and these are even greater for patients with low levels of literacy. Furthermore, as the population ages and with the increase in prevalence of chronic diseases where patient self-management is essential to holding disease in abeyance, patient education becomes increasingly important. With the advent of electronic medical records, there is an opportunity for automated tools to assist in addressing these challenges. In this paper we report on one approach to recommending relevant educational articles to patients. We attempt to infer the patient’s information needs from his/her electronic medical records and use topic modeling to identify and match topics. A manual evaluation of the articles recommended by the proposed method showed that these articles are significantly more relevant (p < 0.01) to the patient’s disease state than articles selected at random from within the same disease domain.
New small proteins associated with DNA-dependent RNA polymerase of Escherichia coli after infection with T4 phage.

T4 phage infection of Escherichia coli involves several changes in the transcription process that are very interesting with respect to control mechanisms. Almost coincident with infection, transcription of E. coli DNA ceases (1–4) and formation of early species of T4 messenger RNA (mRNA) begins. Shortly after T4 DNA replication starts (6–7 min after infection), a second part of the T4 DNA molecule is transcribed, producing late T4 mRNA. The early-to-late change has been studied in some detail by several investigators (5–8). Late T4 mRNA synthesis is dependent on DNA replication (9–11) or a DNA structure prepared for replication (12). This change from early to late transcription also involves a switchover in transcription from the I to the r strand of the T4 DNA (13).
Fetal hemoglobin synthesis in erythroid cultures in hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin and beta o-thalassemia.

To determine whether hemoglobin regulation is normal in diseases affecting beta-globin gene expression, globin synthesis was examined in members of a family of a patient with hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin/beta o-thalassemia (HPFH/beta o-thal). The HPFH defect is the Ghanian type II, with a deletion from psi beta 1 to at least 20 kb 3′ to beta. The beta o-thal gene has the haplotype II restriction enzyme pattern and has the beta 39 nonsense mutation. Erythroid colonies from blood BFU-E were radiolabeled, and globin chains were separated by gel electrophoresis. Colonies from the beta o-thal heterozygote had non-alpha/alpha ratios more balanced than in the reticulocytes. Gamma synthesis was 11% of non-alpha, which is higher than in reticulocytes, but within the range seen in normal adult colonies. Both HPFH heterozygotes produced 20%-30% gamma in erythroid colonies as well as reticulocytes, although non-alpha/alpha was more balanced in the colonies. The HPFH/beta o-thal patient produced 100% gamma in reticulocytes and in colonies. G gamma and gamma-synthetic proportions were not correlated at the individual colony level in the heterozygotes, suggesting that they had “adult” and not “fetal” progenitor cells. The Hb expression of these adult progenitors is presumably modulated normally in vivo in beta o-thal, but the normal decrease in HbF production does not occur in gene deletion HPFH.
Self-triggered Adaptive Planning and Scheduling of UAV Operations

Modern unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) rely on constant periodic sensor measurements to detect and avoid obstacles. However, constant checking and replanning are time and energy consuming and are often not necessary especially in situations in which the UAV can safely fly in uncluttered environments without entering unsafe states. Thus, in this paper, we propose a self-triggered framework that leverages reachability analysis to schedule the next time to check sensor measurements and perform replanning while guaranteeing safety under noise and disturbance effects. Further, we relax sensor checking and motion replanning operations by leveraging a risk-based analysis that determines the likelihood to reach undesired states over a certain time horizon. We also propose an online speed adaptation policy based on the planned trajectory curvature to minimize drift from the desired path due to the system dynamics. Finally, we validate the proposed approach with simulations and experiments for a quadrotor UAV motion planning case study in a cluttered environment.
Hierarchical Structure Inconsistencies

Hierarchies are useful for improving classification performance. It provides useful structural relationships among different classes that can be exploited for learning generalized classification models.
A shift from the isobaric to the isochoric thermodynamic state can reduce energy consumption and augment temperature stability in frozen food storage

Abstract Frozen storage of food comprises a large portion of global energy consumption, and in light of growing demand and increasing global temperatures, new solutions for increasing its energy efficiency are needed. Past efforts to improve refrigeration efficiency have focused primarily on improving the vapor-compression cycle and developing alternative heat pumps, but this study looks beyond the technology of cooling to the fundamental thermodynamics at play in the freezing of biological matter. Conventionally, food is frozen under isobaric conditions, e.g. at constant (atmospheric) pressure. Herein we use fundamental thermodynamic analyses to demonstrate that the process of freezing in an isochoric (constant volume) system requires up to 70% less energy compared to conventional freezing, and we develop novel phase change models to demonstrate newly discovered thermal effects that provide isochoric systems with exceptional temperature stability when exposed to ambient fluctuations (such as those encountered within freezers or during transportation), with the potential to substantially improve the energy efficiency of long-term storage and enhance preserved food quality. Our results show that a simple change in the thermodynamic state in which food is frozen and stored, from isobaric to isochoric, has the potential to substantially reduce the energy consumption of the global food storage industry, without the need to make major changes to existing refrigeration infrastructure.
The Extent of Clonal Involvement in Multiple Myeloma

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the extent of involvement of myeloma B-cell clones, particularly from the perspective of whether pre-B cells, the immediate precursors of slg+ B lymphocytes, might be affected. It presents the observations from two IgA myeloma patients, IgAκ(001) and IgAλ(003), and from one IgD myeloma patient, IgDλ (010). The fluorochrome conjugated antibodies to idiotypic determinants of myeloma proteins were used as probes to trace the extent of involvement of the affected B cell clones in three myeloma patients. In each patient, circulating B lymphocytes of all heavy chain isotypes were found that expressed the individual myeloma specific idiotype. This indicates that the oncogenic process began before the initiation of the heavy chain switch within the clone. Cells of pre-B phenotype expressing the myeloma specific idiotype within the cytoplasm were also numerically expended, suggesting that the involvement began in a clonal precursor cell. As these cells lack surface immunoglobulin receptors, the results infer that antigens do not play a role in the initial oncogenic event. In terms of absolute numbers, expansion of the affected clone in each patient was observed to be least at the pre-B cell stage and greatest at the plasma cell level. It is speculated that appropriate antigens and autologous anti-idiotype antibodies or T cells could be significant driving forces for secondary expansion and terminal differentiation of the affected B cells. Evidence favoring this possibility comes from the studies of mice bearing transplantable myeloma tumors. Consistent also with this notion, it was observed that the myeloma patient expanded numbers of circulating B lymphocytes bearing myeloma related idiotypes, although no evidence of plasma cell differentiation of these presumably normal clones was found.
A Framework to Analyse and Interpret Mouse Functional Genome by Prioritizing High Impact SNPs

The essential understanding of disease pathogenesis and enabling genetic findings to be used for developing new therapeutics, is missing in the identifications of genomic loci through whole genome association studies (GWAS). Here we describe a new computational method (mMap) that reduces this gap by characterizing the functional and regulatory impact of allelic variation. The method incorporates the precomputed annotations of 26 protein functional regions and eight regulatory regions and recover SNPs that fall/lie in these regions. After annotating SNPs to functional or regulatory data, method link them to biological functions and pathways, and predicts significantly disrupted biological regions, processes and pathways, by controlling false discovery through hypergeometric test. By doing so, the method limits data to human interpretation level by prioritizing SNPs that have the potential to mediate a biological phenotype. The method is applicable to procedures that rely on the understanding of the biological causal role of mouse SNPs and is available online. In two example mMap applications, including whole genomes SNPs data from 48 inbred mice strains, we identify biological mechanisms by which SNPs can regulate pathways to govern phenotypes by targeting different coding and regulatory regions, even in closely related strains.
Organizational Form and Trade Liberalization: Plant-Level Evidence

This paper studies how firms’ internal organization shapes the impact of international trade. Using establishment-level data from the U.S. Census and a difference-in-difference specification, I fin...
Death traps: Holes in urban India:

This article is an ethnographic study of potholes in roads in urban India. The article describes different forms of attention to potholes, including cases of media advocacy, clinical reflections on...
Low-Level HIV RNA in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Neurocognitive Performance: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Background Cognitive complications persist in persons with HIV (PWH) during suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART). Low levels of HIV during ART could contribute to these complications. In this study, we measured cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) HIV using a single copy assay (SCA) to investigate a possible relationship between low level HIV and cognition.Design/Methods: SCA data were analyzed from three consecutive paired CSF-plasma specimens collected over a mean of 456 days from 96 participants on suppressive ART. Using mixed models, the presence of CSF HIV by SCA as a risk factor for worse neurocognitive performance was examined. Results At baseline on the SCA, 45.8% of participants had detectable plasma HIV RNA (median 8 copies/milliliter (ml), interquartile range (IQR) = 3-17 among detectable values), and 17.7% had detectable CSF HIV RNA (median CSF concentration= 3 copies/ml, interquartile range= 2-13 among detectable values). The frequency of CSF HIV RNA detection declined over time in CSF (p=0.018) with a trend toward decline in plasma (p=0.064). Detectable CSF HIV RNA during the study was associated with worse performance in the domains of recall (p=0.014) and motor (p=0.040), and a trend with worse overall global performance (p=0.078). Integrase inhibitor use, while very infrequent in this cohort, was associated with better performance in two domains. Conclusions Low-level CSF HIV RNA declines with time but is associated with worse cognitive performance in two domains. Additional research is needed to better understand the relationship between HIV RNA persistence during long-term ART and central nervous system complications in PWH.
TDDB Reliability in Gate-All-Around Nanosheet

Time dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) reliability is studied on interfacial layer (IL)/high-K gate stack of Gate-All-Around Nanosheet (GAA-NS) N- and P-type Field Effect Transistors (FETs) with volume-less multiple threshold voltage (multi-Vt) integration scheme enabled by the dual dipoles (n-dipole and p-dipole). We report for the first time Key TDDB Modeling parameters: voltage acceleration exponent (VAE), Weibull slope ( $\beta$ ), and activation energy (E a ) and show robust TDDB reliability in multi-Vt NS transistors enabled by different dipoles.
Giving in and feeling bad: The effect of justification on self-control failure and subsequent emotion

Recent work suggests that the cognitive process of justification, which is the act of generating an excuse to give in to temptation prior to acting, can license tempting behavior and disrupt long term goal pursuit. However, the emotional repercussions of justification are unknown. We examined the effect of justification on self-control failure and subsequent emotion in two studies depicting an initiatory self-control situation (i.e., when the long-term goal is to act and the temptation is to do nothing). We predicted that self-control failure via justification would result in less negative and more positive affect compared to self-control failure without justification. In Study 1, participants reported on a vignette character, and in Study 2 they reported on what they would do in the context of a dilemma of whether or not to exercise. Across studies, self-control failure was associated with increased negative affect and decreased positive affect. The two studies differed in terms of whether justification increased (Study 1) or decreased (Study 2) likelihood of self-control failure. This study extends justification findings beyond initiatory self-control situations (i.e., when the temptation is to do something active and long-term goal involves restraint) and clearly ties self-control decisions to affective processes.
MCU overexpression evokes disparate dose-dependent effects on mito-ROS and spontaneous Ca2+ release in hypertrophic rat cardiomyocytes

Defective intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis and aberrant mitochondrial function are common features in cardiac disease. Here, we directly compared potential benefits of mito-ROS scavenging and restora...
A Comparative Study of Concurrency Control Methods in B-Trees

In this paper, we described a number concurrency control methods for B-trees. Among them, a protocol which allows a number of independent search, insertion, and deletion processes, acting concurrently on a B-tree, to operate even when multiple insertions or deletions are pending. A number of properties have been also proposed to compare such protocols. The set of properties includes the number of lock types being used, degree of data sharing, number of processes that are permitted to access a node simultaneously, how fast a reader can reach the leaf node, number of nodes locked by the three processes during their operation, number of nodes being accessed sequentially, and the number an updater passes through the tree. Based on these properties, seven protocols are compared and discussed.
The broad use of neural networks in real-time engineering systems

Neural networks is a very popular emerging technology that has applications in a wide variety of fields such as: electrical and computer engineering, signal processing, computer science, cognitive science, neurobiology, optics, mathematics, and physics. Properties of this multidisciplinary field, originally inspired by biological systems, are adaptiveness and self organization, massively parallel nature, robustness and fault- and noise-tolerance. This paper, after presenting an overview of neural networks, their properties and advantages over conventional computers, will discuss how novel neural network architectures and implementations can be included in larger systems to provide solutions to scientific and engineering problems. An example of a neural network hearing model is discussed where neural networks and time-frequency analysis are used to extract essential information from complex inputs. >
Effects of natural enemies on the rate of herbivore adaptation to resistant host plants

The potential of natural enemies to influence the rate of herbivore adaptation to resistance factors in plants is examined using conceptual and mathematical models. Results indicate that natural enemies could increase or decrease the rate of herbivore adaptation. The specific behavioral and physiological effects of a resistance factor on the herbivore, as well as the behavior of the natural enemy, and the population dynamics of the natural enemy/herbivore system are important in assessing the extent to which the natural enemies will affect the rate of herbivore adaptation to a resistance factor. Herbivore adaptation to partial resistance in a host-plant is generally expected to be slower than adaptation to high levels of resistance, even in the presence of natural enemies, if genetic variance is not limiting. Resume Influence des ennemis naturels sur le taux d'adaptation d'herbivores a des plantes-hotes resistantes Des modeles conceptuels et mathematiques ont servi a examiner l'influence du potentiel d'ennemis naturels sur le taux d'adaptation d'herbivores a des facteurs de resistance des plantes. Les resultats montrent que les ennemis naturels peuvent augmenter ou reduire le taux d'adaptation des herbivores. Les effets specifiques (comportementaux et physiologiques) d'un facteur de resistance sur l'herbivore, aussi bien que le comportement de l'ennemi naturel et la dynamique de population du systeme ennemi naturel/herbivore permettent de determiner le niveau de l'effet des ennemis naturels sur le taux d'adaptation de l'herbivore au facteur de resistance. Une adaptation de l'herbivore a une resistance partielle a une plante est generalement envisagee comme plus lente qu'une adaptation a des hauts niveaux de resistance, meme en presence d'ennemis naturels, mais il peut y avoir des exceptions.
Impact of cropping systems on the weed seed banks in the northern Great Plains, USA

Very little research has been done on weed seedbank communities in the northern Great Plains region of the USA. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of management systems on the weed seed banks and to assess the relationship between the weed seed banks and the above-ground weed communities. The seed banks were sampled along a range of areas of above-ground weed diversity in organic and conventional spring wheat production fields near Big Sandy, Montana, over 2 years. Eight 1 m × 0.33 m areas were selected in each field to encompass a wide range of above-ground weed diversity and soil cores were taken in each area to a depth of 20 cm and split in half at 10 cm. The number of seeds recovered from the top 10 cm of soil and the 10–20 cm depth were significantly affected by the sampling year and an interaction between the cropping system and the sampling year. The year was the only significant predictor affecting the weed seedbank diversity at both depths. A significant interaction between the management system and the year observed at the 10–20 cm sampling depth reflected the higher rate of decrease in diversity occurring between 2005 and 2006 in the conventionally managed fields compared with the organic fields. A multivariate ordination indicated that, although the year played a significant role in determining the weed seedbank communities, the management system had a role only during 2006. We failed to detect strong correlations between the above-ground and underground weed communities. The results of this study suggest that, in the studied region, yearly fluctuations in environmental factors have significant impacts on the weed seed banks.
Evaluation of soil‐applied insecticides with Bt maize for managing corn rootworm larval injury

The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is considered one of the most significant insect pests of maize in North America. Larvae of other secondary subterranean pests such as grape colaspis, Colaspis brunnea (F.), and Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman, can also injure maize seedlings and cause yield loss. In the past decade, maize hybrids containing Bt proteins have been used to manage the western corn rootworm; additionally, seeds are commonly treated with a neonicotinoid and fungicide combination to control secondary pests. Recently, soil-applied insecticides have been used in conjunction with rootworm Bt hybrids (and seed-applied insecticides) in areas with perceived risk for increased rootworm larval or secondary pest damage. We conducted a series of trials from 2009 to 2011 that examined multiple rootworm Bt hybrids and their near-isolines, along with two soil-applied insecticides, to determine whether the Bt plus insecticide combination resulted in an increased level of efficacy or yield. We also sampled for Japanese beetle and grape colaspis larvae to determine their potential for reducing yield. Densities of secondary pests in our trials were low and likely had no effect on maize yield. The addition of a soil-applied insecticide to rootworm Bt hybrids improved efficacy only once across 17 location-years, when overall corn rootworm injury was highest; an improvement in yield was never observed. Our results suggest that the use of a soil-applied insecticide with a rootworm Bt hybrid should only be considered in scenarios with potentially significant rootworm larval populations. However, potential negative consequences related to trait durability when soil insecticides are used with rootworm Bt maize should be considered.
Ensuring consistency in long running transactions

Flow composition languages permit the construction of long-running transactions from collections of independent atomic services. Due to environmental limitations, such transactions usually cannot be made to conform to standard ACID semantics. We propose set consistency, a powerful, yet intuitive, notion of consistency for long-running transactions. Set consistency considers the collection of permanent (non-intermittent) changes made by a process, when viewed at the end of its execution. Consistency requirements for such collections of changes are specified as predicates over the atomic actions of a process. Set consistency generalizes self-cancellation, a standard consistency requirement for long-running transactions, where failed processes are responsible for undoing any partially completed work. Set consistency can also express strictly stronger requirements, such as mutual exclusion or dependency. We show that the set consistency verification problem for processes is co-NP complete and present an algorithm for verifying set consistency by reduction to propositional validity. We have implemented this algorithm and demonstrate the value and tractability of our approach on three real-world case studies. In each case, the consistency requirements can be verified within a second, demonstrating the practicality of our approach.
Uncertainty in counts and operating time in estimating Poisson occurrence rates

Abstract When quantifying a plant-specific Poisson event occurrence rate λ in PRA studies, it is sometimes the case that either the reported plant-specific number of events x or the operating time t (or both) are uncertain. We present a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo method that can be used to obtain the required average posterior distribution of λ which reflects the corresponding uncertainty in x and/or t. The method improves upon existing methods and is also easy to implement using hierarchical Bayesian software that is freely available from the Web.
Cosmogenic noble gas paleothermometry

We present a theoretical basis for reconstructing paleotemperatures from the open-system behavior of cosmogenic noble gases produced in minerals at Earth's surface. Experimentally-determined diffusion kinetics predicts diffusive loss of cosmogenic 3He and 21Ne from common minerals like quartz and feldspars at ambient temperatures; incomplete retention has also been observed empirically in field studies. We show that the theory of simultaneous production and diffusion that applies to radiogenic noble gases in minerals—the basis of thermochronology—can also be applied to cosmogenic noble gases to reconstruct past surface temperatures on Earth. We use published diffusion kinetics and production rates for 3He in quartz and 21Ne in orthoclase to demonstrate the resolving power of cosmogenic noble gas paleothermometry with respect to exposure duration, temperature, and diffusion domain size. Calculations indicate that, when paired with a quantitatively retained cosmogenic nuclide such as 21Ne or 10Be, observations of cosmogenic 3He in quartz can constrain temperatures during surface exposure in polar and high altitude environments. Likewise, 21Ne retention in feldspars is sensitive to temperatures at lower latitudes and elevations, expanding the potential geographic applicability of this technique to most latitudes. As an example, we present paired measurements of 3He and 10Be in quartz from a suite of Antarctic sandstone erratics to test whether the abundances of cosmogenic 3He agree with what is predicted from first principles and laboratory-determined diffusion kinetics. We find that the amounts of cosmogenic 3He present in these samples are consistent with the known mean annual temperature (MAT) for this region of Antarctica between −25 and −30 °C. These results demonstrate the method's ability to record paleotemperatures through geologic time.
The automation of topological layout

A computer system that will produce input data for an automatic wire wrap machine is an important extension of the automatic backboard wiring system. The essential task of the extended system is to translate data already present in the backboard wiring files into codes which are acceptable to the machine. The Electronic Data Processing (EDP) Division of Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Company has in operation a set of computer programs to accomplish this task.
Physicochemical aspects of urolithiasis.

The following discussion centers on calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate stones, but permits generalization to other forms of stone. Although it constitutes a primer on the subject, it does attempt to deal with inconsistencies in our current meager knowledge of the physical characteristics of urolithiasis. In addition, it describes concepts and approaches that appear to be useful and that should be incorporated into urolithiasis research, to make future work in the field susceptible to analysis by conventional physical theory. The known physicochemical features of urolithiasis are readily divided into four interrelated subjects: the driving force (supersaturation), nucleation, the growth of crystals and particles, and aggregation.
An advanced computer system for medical research

The Stanford University School of Medicine is located on the main campus of Stanford University, in Palo Alto, California. It was moved from San Francisco to the Palo Alto campus in 1959, with the purpose of more closely integrating medical research and education with the other activities of the University. It shares, with other departments of the University, the-computing facilities of the Stanford Computation Center. These facilities include an IBM 7090, a Burroughs B-5500, and a recently delivered IBM/360--67. In addition, there are currently four PDP-8, four LINC, and one LINC-8 computers in use within the medical school. Although this collection of computers represents a great deal of computing power, its distribution was such that the research needs of the medical school were not being fully met.
Real-Time Control of Rapid Thermal Processing Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment

A real-time multivariable control system has been developed for rapid thermal processing (RTP) semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The controller has been used for spatial and temporal temperature control of a semiconductor wafer. The control system, originally developed for prototype equipment at Stanford University, has been transferred and customized for operation on seven on-line RTP reactors at Texas Instruments (Dallas). The control system has been used for more than 5,000 process runs comprising thirteen different thermal fabrication steps of two sub-half-micron CMOS process technologies.
Platyrrhine incisors and diet

Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, MN 224 UK Medical Center,Lexington, KY 40536-0298KEY WORDS platyrrhine; HRPCF; incisor; curvature; dietABSTRACT Despite the relatively large size ofanthropoid incisors in relation to the remainder of thedental arcade, and their prominent role in the preprocess-ing of food prior to ingestion, comparatively little isknown about the functional morphology of anthropoid in-cisor shape and crown curvature. The relationshipbetween incisor allometry and diet is well documented forboth platyrrhines and catarrhines; however, similar rela-tionships between incisor shape and crown curvaturehave to date only been reported for living and fossil mem-bers of the superfamily Hominoidea. Given the limitedtaxonomic diversity among the extant members of thatgroup, it is difﬁcult to ﬁrmly establish the relative inﬂu-ence of phylogeny and dietary function in the governanceof incisor crown curvature. Unlike hominoids, which arerepresented by only ﬁve living genera, extant platyr-rhines are a more varied group that includes 16 ecologi-cally diverse genera. In an effort to clarify the functionalrelationship between maxillary and mandibular incisorcrown curvature and diet, this study uses high resolutionpolynomial curve ﬁtting to quantify mesiodistal and cervi-coincisal curvature for a taxonomically diverse platyr-rhine sample (n 5 133 individuals representing 18 taxa)with well documented dietary behavior. Results were con-sistent with prior analyses of hominoid incisor curvatureand identify a signiﬁcant and positive correlation betweenincisor crown curvature and diet such that increasing cur-vature is associated with a proportionate increase in fru-givory. These results are independent conﬁrmation of theresults reported from a previous analysis of hominoid in-cisor curvature and provide new evidence to suggest thatdiet is the primary governing factor inﬂuencing anthro-poid incisor curvature. Am J Phys Anthropol 148:249–261, 2012.
GIANT BLADDER DIVERTICULA CAUSING BLADDER OUTLET OBSTRUCTION IN CHILDREN

ABSTRACT Purpose: Congenital giant diverticulum of the bladder is a consequence of deficiency in the detrusor musculature and has been reported in male infants as a rare cause of bladder outlet obstruction. Materials and Methods: A 10-year retrospective review revealed 4 patients (3 boys and 1 girl) with bladder outlet obstruction due to a giant bladder diverticulum. Prenatal and postnatal clinical and imaging records were reviewed. Results: Prenatal sonography was unremarkable in all patients. Three males (ages 4 months, 10 months and 3 years) had no medical history of voiding dysfunction, and 1 female (11 years) had the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. While the girl presented with urinary tract infection, all patients presented with progressively decreasing urinary stream and urinary retention. Each patient underwent voiding cystourethrography (VCUG) and ultrasound. In each patient VCUG showed a giant (greater than 7 cm) bladder diverticulum that descended below the bladder neck and compressed the urethra during voiding. Vesicoureteral reflux was seen in 2 patients. Ultrasonography demonstrated moderate unilateral hydronephrosis in 2 patients. Bladder diverticulectomy was successfully performed in all patients, with ureteral reimplantation in 3. Conclusions: A giant congenital bladder diverticulum, when noted on VCUG to descend below the bladder neck, may lead to bladder outlet obstruction. To our knowledge we report the first case of a female presenting with bladder outlet obstruction due to a giant bladder diverticulum. Children with connective tissue disorders may be predisposed to this disorder, which must be excluded, regardless of gender, in all patients presenting with voiding abnormalities. Surgical diverticulectomy, often with ureteral reimplantation, is the preferred treatment, with excellent long-term results.
Spectral transform solutions to the shallow water test set

Abstract Solutions to the test case suite proposed by Williamson et al. ( J. Comput. Phys. 102, 211 (1992)), for the shallow water equations in spherical geometry, are presented. The solutions have been generated using a conventional spectral transform technique combined with a semi-implicit time differencing scheme. For several of the test cases, closed-form solutions do not exist. For these cases, high-resolution numerical integrations of the spectral transform model are used to provide reference solutions against which alternative numerical schemes and lower resolution spectral transform solutions can be evaluated. The sensitivity of the high resolution numerical solutions, associated with temporal truncation, spatial truncation, and internal dissipation, are quantified in order to help bound their uncertainty. In almost all of the test cases, the spectral transform method proves to be a highly accurate solution technique. This is particularly the case at resolutions typically associated with atmospheric general circulation models used to simulate the atmosphere's climate. The most serious deficiency of the spectral transform method, in the context of the test cases, is the introduction of spurious minima and maxima into the solution (caused by Gibbs phenomenon), when sharp gradients exist. Although this behavior is not necessarily a problem for accurately simulating fluid flow, it can become a serious problem for atmospheric general circulation models if the spurious wave structures result in nonphysical states such as negative water vapor mixing ratio.
Source detection for the infrared astronomical satellite

A recursive algorithm is described which detects and characterizes point sources and extended sources in the data obtained from the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) in the presence of non-stationary noise. The analysis of tests using simulated data indicates that the performance of the point source detector is very close to that expected from a matched filter with stationary gaussian noise. The false alarm rate of the extended source detector tends to be higher than expected at a given SNR.
Electroconvulsive shock alters GABAA receptor subunit mRNAs: use of quantitative PCR methodology.

Abstract Electroconvulsive shock (ECS) may affect several neurotransmitter systems in brain, including the GABAergic inhibitory system. We used a quantitative PCR-based assay to evaluate mRNAs for five GABAa receptor subunits at 2 to 24 h after ECS. mRNAs for the alpha 1 and beta2 subunits were significantly increased in cerebellum at 4 and 8 h after ECS, and returned to control levels at 24 h. No changes were observed in alpha2, beta3, gamma1, or gamma2 subunits, and no changes in any subunit evaluated were observed in cortex or hippocampus. These data corroborate prior results obtained for the alpha 1 subunit using Northern hybridization, and illustrate the utility of the PCR assay in quantitating low-abundance mRNAs.
State of the Art Survey of Reference Materials in the Biological Sciences

Communication of information in the biological sciences is becoming increasingly complex as the number of users multiplies and as science becomes more and more interdisciplinary. Libraries play a major role in this communication of scientific information. This role is being threatened by increasing publication rates coupled with increasing costs and decreasing resources. Even the most illustrious science libraries are finding that their resources have decreased in real money and as a result of inflation. The Bowker Annual of Library and Book Trade Information, editions 8–20, 1962–75, graphically shows the increases in publishing rates and in price. The Bowker statistics are broken down into large categories; unfortunately biology falls between the categories of agriculture and medicine. The increases found in both medicine and agriculture are relevant for the subcategory of biology. Books published in agriculture have risen from 78 in 1960 to 196 in 1974. Books published in medicine have gone from 520 in ...
Numerical methods for tracking interfaces

An overview is given of special numerical methods for tracking discontinuous fronts and interfaces. These methods include surface tracking methods based on connected marker points along the interface, volume tracking methods that track the volume occupied by the solution regions bounded by the interfaces, and moving-mesh methods where the underlying mesh is aligned and moved with the interface. The pros and cons of the current methods are discussed and a new method is proposed that overcomes some of the difficulties encountered in approximating equations with multiple interacting interfaces.
On the study of creep feed grinding of alumina

Abstract Several issues involved in creep feed grinding of alumina with diamond wheels were studied. Influences of variables on responses were investigated. Off-line optimization was performed by formulating the grinding process as a multi-objective nonlinear mixed integer problem. The dominant mechanism of material removal was determined. The grinding process was simulated to obtain the number of active cutting edges and the grinding parameters such as cutting length, maximum undeformed chip thickness, etc. Unit load distribution was characterized and then used to estimate the percentage of cutting edges that fracture or plastically cut the material and to derive the probability distribution function for substance cracks. Fractal concept was applied to characterize wheel profiles. Findings from these studies are reported in this paper. These studies are definitely not complete, but surely shed some light on the creep feed grinding process of ceramic materials.
West Nile Virus-Induced Cell Adhesion Molecules on Human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells Regulate Leukocyte Adhesion and Modulate Permeability of the In Vitro Blood-Brain Barrier Model

Characterizing the mechanisms by which West Nile virus (WNV) causes blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, leukocyte infiltration into the brain and neuroinflammation is important to understand the pathogenesis of WNV encephalitis. Here, we examined the role of endothelial cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) in mediating the adhesion and transendothelial migration of leukocytes across human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMVE). Infection with WNV (NY99 strain) significantly induced ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and E-selectin in human endothelial cells and infected mice brain, although the levels of their ligands on leukocytes (VLA-4, LFA-1and MAC-1) did not alter. The permeability of the in vitro BBB model increased dramatically following the transmigration of monocytes and lymphocytes across the models infected with WNV, which was reversed in the presence of a cocktail of blocking antibodies against ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and E-selectin. Further, WNV infection of HBMVE significantly increased leukocyte adhesion to the HBMVE monolayer and transmigration across the infected BBB model. The blockade of these CAMs reduced the adhesion and transmigration of leukocytes across the infected BBB model. Further, comparison of infection with highly neuroinvasive NY99 and non-lethal (Eg101) strain of WNV demonstrated similar level of virus replication and fold-increase of CAMs in HBMVE cells suggesting that the non-neuropathogenic response of Eg101 is not because of its inability to infect HBMVE cells. Collectively, these results suggest that increased expression of specific CAMs is a pathological event associated with WNV infection and may contribute to leukocyte infiltration and BBB disruption in vivo. Our data further implicate that strategies to block CAMs to reduce BBB disruption may limit neuroinflammation and virus-CNS entry via ‘Trojan horse’ route, and improve WNV disease outcome.
The Magnetic Properties of the Iron Group Anhydrous Chlorides at Low Temperatures. I. Experimental

The magnetic susceptibility of the anhydrous chlorides of the iron group have been studied as a function of field strength up to 32,000 gauss and as a function of temperature down to 13.9\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Those compounds whose room temperature susceptibility characteristic indicates a positive Curie temperature, also show a field strength dependence of the susceptibility at 13.9\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and 20.4\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Chromic chloride has a very steep magnetization curve at these low temperatures, with a large initial susceptibility increasing with decreasing temperature. Ferrous, cobaltous, and nickelous chlorides have an S-type magnetization curve characterized by a small initial susceptibility which decreases with decreasing temperature, followed by a very large susceptibility and eventual approach to saturation, both increasing with decreasing temperature. The susceptibility of many of the compounds reaches a maximum at temperatures which do not appear to be correlated with the presence of field dependence, but these temperatures do correspond to the temperatures of known specific heat anomalies.
A field-theoretic invariant for domains

SoientR ⊆T des anneaux integres. D’apres Dobbs-Mullins, on pose Λ(T/R) ≔ sup{λ(k Q (T)/k Q∩R (R)) |Q ∈ Spec(T)} ou, pour des corpsK⊆L,λ(L/K) est la longueur maximale d’une chaine de corps contenus entreK etL. On introduitσ(R):=sup{Λ(T/R)|T est un suranneau deR\. On determineσ(R) siR′, la cloture integrale deR, est un anneau de Prufer et egalement siR est un anneau de pseudo-valuation. On considere le cas ouσ(R)=1, en particulier siR′ est une extension minimale deR. Plusieurs calculs sont facilites par un resultat sur les carres cartesiens, et il y a des exemples divers.
Rheumatoid factor accentuation of pulmonary lesions associated with experimental diffuse proliferative lung disease.

A rabbit model of diffuse proliferative lung disease induced by one intravenous injection of complete Freund's adjuvant was used to study the possible phlogistic effects of human anti-γ-globulins. When induction of proliferative lung disease was followed by intravenous administration of human γM anti-γ-globulins, considerable increment in perigranulomatous inflammation along with alveolar wall and arteriolar anti-γ-globulin deposition was noted. Four of 10 animals thus treated showed segmental hemorrhagic pulmonary infarctions. Control animals in which the induction of diffuse proliferative lung disease was followed by administration of serologically inactive normal human γM showed no accentuation of gross or microscopic pulmonary lesions and no specific pulmonary deposition of human γM globulins. These experiments suggest that human γM anti-γ-globulins fix in alveoli and arterioles near areas of active subacute or chronic pulmonary inflammation and are capable of accentuating inflammatory response and vascular injury.
A conserved regulatory module at the C terminus of the papillomavirus E1 helicase domain controls E1 helicase assembly.

Viruses frequently combine multiple activities into one polypeptide to conserve coding capacity. This strategy creates regulatory challenges to ascertain that the combined activities are compatible and do not interfere with each other. The papillomavirus E1 protein, as many other helicases, has the intrinsic ability to form hexamers and double hexamers (DH) that serve as the replicative DNA helicase. However, E1 also has the more unusual ability to generate local melting by forming a double trimer (DT) complex that can untwist the double-stranded origin of DNA replication (ori) DNA in preparation for DH formation. Here we describe a switching mechanism that allows the papillomavirus E1 protein to form these two different kinds of oligomers and to transition between them. We show that a conserved regulatory module attached to the E1 helicase domain blocks hexamer and DH formation and promotes DT formation. In the presence of the appropriate trigger, the inhibitory effect of the regulatory module is relieved and the transition to DH formation can occur. IMPORTANCE This study provides a mechanistic understanding into how a multifunctional viral polypeptide can provide different, seemingly incompatible activities. A conserved regulatory sequence module attached to the AAA+ helicase domain in the papillomavirus E1 protein allows the formation of different oligomers with different biochemical activities.
Three-state model driven by two laser beams.

We use a three-state model for an atom or molecule in which two transitions are simultaneously driven by the oscillating electric fields of two laser beams. The amplitudes and detunings of the applied oscillating fields vary during the optical pulse, which can cause transitions from one state to another. For some special cases not previously known, the transition probabilities and probabilities of no transition are obtained analytically. We give conditions for complete transfer of the atomic population from one state to another, and for complete return to the initial state.
Alpha-adrenergic blocking drugs in clinical medicine

The alpha-adrenergic blockers have played an important role in the treatment of vascular diseases. Nonselective alpha blockers have been used as treatments for patients with severe hypertension, including pheochromocytoma. Selective alpha 1 blockers have been used in the treatment of hypertension and prostatic obstruction, and these drugs have also been considered in the treatment of other vascular and nonvascular conditions. They have unique metabolic actions, specifically on plasma lipids and lipoproteins, which could be of clinical benefit.
Response of the Gulf of Alaska 3D winter circulation to oceanic climate shifts : Ecosystem implications

[1] Recent measurements of zooplankton biomass and biological productivity in the Gulf of Alaska have raised a number of questions regarding possible linkages between climate and availability of renewable resources. In this article we compare 3 abrupt oceanic regime shifts in the Gulf of Alaska, the 1976–1977 warming shift, the 1998 cooling episode, and the 1998 to 1999 El Nino to La Nina transition, against concomitant changes in biological conditions reported in the literature. After the 1976–1977 warming shift, changes in the Gulf's 3D circulation, i.e., interior upwelling, onshore transport and coastal downwelling, had the same sign as their climatological means, thus providing a candidate explanation to the observed increased productivity of the upper ocean. Warming and cooling transitions have associated with them very different patterns of both horizontal and vertical circulation, where the latter is confirmed to be linked to the wind stress curl variability. Important shifts in the local biology have been reported in the literature (warming of 1976–1997 and El Nino to La Nina transition of 1998–1999) when climatological shifts in our simulated vertical velocities were large; in turn, when they were small, the ecosystem did not show significant changes and this was in part due to the resilience set by the 1976–1977 shift through the strengthening of the GOA's mean 3D circulation.