cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacological stimulation reveals recombinant human nerve growth factor-induced increases of in vivo hippocampal cholinergic function measured in rats with partial fimbrial transections.

The present study determined the effects of chronic recombinant human nerve growth factor administration [1 μg given intracerebroventricularly q.i.d. (every other day) for three weeks] on in vivo hippocampal cholinergic function in adult rats with unilateral partial fimbrial transections. Partial fimbrial transections did not significantly alter the levels of endogenous acetylcholine or [2H4]acetylcholine in the hippocampus due to functional compensation by surviving cholinergic terminals. In animals chronically treated with nerve growth factor, the levels of endogenous choline, endogenous acetylcholine, [2H4]choline and [2H4]acetylcholine accumulated in the hippocampus on the lesioned side were not significantly different from those on the contralateral unlesioned side or from values measured in animals treated with cytochrome c, a control protein. However, changes in cholinergic parameters induced by the partial lesions or recombinant human nerve growth factor treatment became manifest when animals were challenged using pharmacological agents such as pentylenetetrazole or pilocarpine given after lithium chloride pretreatment. First, in nerve growth factor-treated animals administered the general stimulant pentylenetetrazole (10 mg/kg) 2 min prior to measuring in vivo cholinergic parameters, we observed a significant increase in the hippocampal content of [2H4]choline in both lesioned and unlesioned hippocampi. The magnitude of the increase was significantly higher on the lesioned compared to the unlesioned side. Although chronic recombinant human nerve growth factor treatment induced increases of hippocampal [2H4]choline levels, there were no concomitant increases in the level of [2H4]acetylcholine. Second, in nerve growth factor-treated animals administered lithium chloride (3 mmol/kg) 20 h prior to pilocarpine (30 mg/kg), we observed a significant enhancement of the content of endogenous acetylcholine in the hippocampus of the lesioned side. Partial fimbrial transections also reduced in vitro cholinergic parameters reflecting endogenous acetylcholine levels in hippocampal slices. The content of endogenous acetylcholine in the slices was decreased by approximately 50% and chronic nerve growth factor treatment significantly elevated this value to approximately non-lesioned control values. Similarly, reductions in spontaneous and veratridine-evoked release of endogenous acetylcholine induced by partial fimbrial transections were counteracted by recombinant human nerve growth factor treatment. These findings demonstrate that chronic recombinant human nerve growth factor treatment effectively enhances the in vivo and in vitro synthesis, storage and release of endogenous acetylcholine. The results from the in vivo studies suggest that recombinant human nerve growth factor-induced differences in functional performance of hippocampal neurons may only be manifest during behavioral and/or pharmacological stimulation.
Alfalfa Yield and Quality as Influenced by Establishment Method

Weed control during alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) establishment is a primary concern of forage producers. Companion crops and clear-seeding with an herbicide are commonly used methods for establishing alfalfa. This study evaluated an alternative method in which alfalfa is seeded into a winter-killed mulch residue from a fall-seeded winter cover crop of oat (Avena sativa L.) and compared it with seven other establishment methods: (i) drilled with postemergence application of imazethapyr {(±)-2-[4,5-dihydro-4-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-5-oxo-2-imidazol-2-yl]-5-ethyl-3-pyridinecarboxylic acid], (ii) drilled with postemergence application of sethoxydim [2-[1-(ethoxyimino)butyl] 5-[2-(ethylthio)propo]-3-hydroxy-2-cyclohexen-1-one], (iii) drilled with no oat and no herbicide, (iv) oat companion crop harvested for silage, (v) oat companion crop harvested for grain, (vi) spring-planted oat drilled with postemergence application of sethoxydim, and (vii) broadcast seeding without weed control. Field studies were conducted at two Iowa locations in 1996 and 1997. The oat companion-crop treatment harvested for silage yielded the greatest forage dry matter (DM) in the establishment year. However, drilled treatments without an oat companion crop, including the control, resulted in greater alfalfa stand densities. Treatments with sethoxydim had lower grass weed densities in the establishment year while the drilled control and oat residue mulch treatment had the greatest. Treatments containing oat, and clear-seeded with imazethapyr, had the lowest broadleaf weed densities in the establishment year. During the establishment year, forage quality was greatest where alfalfa density was high and weed density was low. Because no significant yield or quality differences were found among treatments in the year after establishment, method chosen for establishment should be based on forage needs during the establishment year.
Heterocyclic compounds. XVI . Chemistry of the 1,4,2,3,5,6-dithiatetrazine ring system†

Derivatives of 1,4,2,3,5,6-dithiatetrazine-2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylate 1,4-dioxide can be made by reacting 1,2-dialkyl hydrazinodicarboxylates with thionyl chloride.
Expression of c-erb B-2/neu proto-oncogene in human prostatic cancer tissues and cell lines.

Both amplification and overexpression of c-erb B-2/neu have been associated with the progression and possible prognosis of a number of human cancers. In this study, we demonstrated that c-erb B-2/neu may also play an important role in human prostate cancer. Our conclusion is based on the following observations: (1) A monoclonal antibody raised against a peptide sequence from the C-terminal domain of the human c-erb B-2/neu gene product reacted positively with 68.7% (11 of 16) of the human prostatic cancer tissue extracts analyzed by western blot procedure. These results were supported by the immunohistochemical staining of the prostatic cancer specimens; 80% (12 of 15) showed positive staining, primarily around the plasma membranes of the prostatic cancer cells, c-erb B-2/neu oncoprotein was not detectable in normal prostate tissues (five examined by immunohistochemical staining and three by western blotting) or in human benign prostatic hyperplasia (two examined by immunohistochemical staining and six by western blotting) and was expressed less abundantly with lower intensity in “normal” human prostate tissues adjacent to cancerous prostate tissue (5 of 12 examined by immunohistochemical staining). We observed no evidence of c-erb B-2/neu gene amplification in 10 fresh human prostatic cancer specimens examined by Southern blotting and in the cultured human prostatic cancer cell lines PC-3, DU-145, and LNCaP. (2) The c-erb B-2/neu protein was detected in both androgen-receptor-positive (LNCaP) and -negative (PC-3 and DU-145) human prostate cancer cell lines. Positive immunostaining of c-erb B-2/neu protein was found to be associated predominantly with the plasma membranes of PC-3 cells, but was also found to be widespread in the cytoplasmic region of the LNCaP cells and in the perinuclear region of the DU-145 cells. (3) Like prostate-specific antigen (PSA) expression, c-erb B-2/neu mRNA expression was also positively regulated by androgen in androgen-receptor-positive LNCaP cells in vitro and LNCaP tumors in vivo. When LNCaP tumors were grown in castrated male hosts, levels of c-erb B-2/neu and PSA mRNA expression decreased initially, but rebounded at 3 wk to levels comparable to those expressed by tumors maintained in intact adult male hosts. © 1992 Wiley-List, Inc.
Information transfer function for image compression algorithms

Electro-optical and infrared systems are usually approximated to be Linear Shift Invariant (LSI) systems and are characterized by Modulation Transfer Functions (MTF). Each component in these systems has an MTF that describes the modulation throughput as a function of spatial frequency. Image compression is becoming a component in these systems, but unfortunately, cannot be described by the typical MTF. Image compression output signals can be very different than input signals in not only modulation, but frequency and phase. Therefore, the compression system is neither linear or shift invariant. We proposed an Information Transfer Function (ITF) that can be used in a manner similar to the MTF. This ITF describes the correlation between the input image and the output image as a function of spatial frequency, compression ratio, and image complexity. Like MTF, ITF can be used to determine image compression requirements to maintain system spatial resolution.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Venocutaneous fistula: A central venous catheter—Associated complication

Central venous catheter placement for parenteral feeding, whether short-term as in acute hospital care or long-term as in home total parenteral nutrition (TPN), is a well-established intervention in the patient who cannot eat. Access to the central venous system in the majority of the cases is gained by insertion of the catheter into either the subclavian or jugular vein. Associated with central venous catheters is the possible development of mechanical and septic complications, the incidence of which depends upon the skill, experience, and commitment of both the patient and the nutrition support team. A case report is presented in which a woman developed a venocutaneous fistula due to a chronic indwelling right internal jugular central catheter placed for long-term home nutritional support. The patient's medical history, management of her catheter, and proposed etiology for this problem are discussed, and complications of central access and TPN usage are addressed.
Professional and lay interrater reliability of urinary luteinizing hormone surges measured by OvuQuick test.

Objective To determine the reliability of women, unmotivated by fertility problems, to accurately assess and record the urinary luteinizing hormone surge indicated by color changes on OvuQuick test pads Design A descriptive, correlational study testing the reliability and validity of an instrument Setting The participants‘homes Participants 114 college‐educated, white women Interventions An OvuQuick Test Kit and a Menstrual Cycle Diary were mailed to each participant. The monthly diary and test pads of the participants were reassessed by a masters‐prepared nurse Main outcome measures Women without medical or health‐care training are reliable in judging the color changes on the OvuQuick test pads and recording these results in a menstrual diary Results Investigator and subject assessment and recording of luteinizing hormone surge results agreed 95% (284 of 300 instances) of the time. In addition, the validity of the luteinizing hormone surge for predicting ovulation was accurate in 93% (26 of 28 instances) of the cases Conclusion OvuQuick is a reliable and valid test for home evaluation of luteinizing hormone surge and prediction of ovulation
Fluorescence Techniques Using Dehydroergosterol to Study Cholesterol Trafficking

Cholesterol itself has very few structural/chemical features suitable for real-time imaging in living cells. Thus, the advent of dehydroergosterol [ergosta-5,7,9(11),22-tetraen-3β-ol, DHE] the fluorescent sterol most structurally and functionally similar to cholesterol to date, has proven to be a major asset for real-time probing/elucidating the sterol environment and intracellular sterol trafficking in living organisms. DHE is a naturally occurring, fluorescent sterol analog that faithfully mimics many of the properties of cholesterol. Because these properties are very sensitive to sterol structure and degradation, such studies require the use of extremely pure (>98%) quantities of fluorescent sterol. DHE is readily bound by cholesterol-binding proteins, is incorporated into lipoproteins (from the diet of animals or by exchange in vitro), and for real-time imaging studies is easily incorporated into cultured cells where it co-distributes with endogenous sterol. Incorporation from an ethanolic stock solution to cell culture media is effective, but this process forms an aqueous dispersion of DHE crystals which can result in endocytic cellular uptake and distribution into lysosomes which is problematic in imaging DHE at the plasma membrane of living cells. In contrast, monomeric DHE can be incorporated from unilamellar vesicles by exchange/fusion with the plasma membrane or from DHE-methyl-β-cyclodextrin (DHE-MβCD) complexes by exchange with the plasma membrane. Both of the latter techniques can deliver large quantities of monomeric DHE with significant distribution into the plasma membrane. The properties and behavior of DHE in protein-binding, lipoproteins, model membranes, biological membranes, lipid rafts/caveolae, and real-time imaging in living cells indicate that this naturally occurring fluorescent sterol is a useful mimic for probing the properties of cholesterol in these systems.
Variationally improved Fermi beam solutions

Abstract The time-independent, transmission problem for a purely scattering, homogeneous slab of finite thickness is considered. This problem corresponds to a planar beam of radiation impinging perpendicularly upon one surface of a source-free slab. The scattering process is assumed sufficiently peaked in the forward direction so that the Fokker-Planck differential scattering operator can be used. Further, the slab is assumed sufficiently thin so that radiation backscattering is negligibly small. Generally, this problem is approximated by the classic Fermi solution. By using the recently reported solution for an obliquely incident pencil beam, we show that the Fermi solution (or any other approximate solution) can be improved via a variational formalism.
Addressing diversity in adolescent sexual and reproductive health services

The social, economic, and biological events that mark adolescence profoundly influence and shape future adult lives. Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, education, and other social programs are needed to support young people for a healthy start. As adolescents transition into adulthood, SRH programs and services that have skilled health providers, in combination with other social services including comprehensive sexuality education, can help prevent unwanted pregnancies, maternal mortality and morbidity, as well as sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS. Programs and services can also provide counseling to prevent sexual violence and abuse and deal with its consequences. Adolescent SRH programs can be more effective if the demographic diversity of this age group is studied. Vulnerable adolescents should be targeted as priority recipients of youth-friendly SRH and other social support services. Data demonstrate that adolescent girls living in rural areas who are not in school and who are often married as children are vulnerable to maternal mortality and morbidity, unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortion, HIV infection, and sexual violence and abuse. Building adolescent capacities and opportunities requires programs that support adolescent social, economic, and health assets so that they can contribute socially and economically to their societies. A healthy adolescent population is critical for low-resource countries, where a rising proportion of the population is under 24 years of age. Recommendations for strengthening the effectiveness of SRH programs detailed at the FIGO World Congress in 2009 are discussed.
Treatment planning with corticotomy-facilitated orthodontics

Orthodontics combined with selective alveolar decortication and bone grafting may be an alternative treatment plan for borderline orthognathic/orthodontic surgical cases. Combining orthodontics with selective alveolar decortication and bone grafting can lead to a wider range of tooth movements while simultaneously reducing risk factors that may lead to periodontal breakdown. Indications for the application of this combined technique are derived from goal-oriented treatment planning and sequencing. Case selection, proposed direction and amount of tooth movement, and treatment timing must all be considered in order to achieve the most favorable outcomes with this combined surgical-orthodontic technique. The aim of this paper is to help identify the role of surgically facilitated orthodontics as a treatment modality for borderline orthognathic surgical cases.
Multiple tyrosine metabolites are GPR35 agonists

Both kynurenic acid and 2-acyl lysophosphatidic acid have been postulated to be the endogenous agonists of GPR35. However, controversy remains whether alternative endogenous agonists exist. The molecular targets accounted for many nongenomic actions of thyroid hormones are mostly unknown. Here we report the agonist activity of multiple tyrosine metabolites at the GPR35. Tyrosine metabolism intermediates that contain carboxylic acid and/or catechol functional groups were first selected. Whole cell dynamic mass redistribution (DMR) assays enabled by label-free optical biosensor were then used to characterize their agonist activity in native HT-29. Molecular assays including β-arrestin translocation, ERK phosphorylation and receptor internalization confirmed that GPR35 functions as a receptor for 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid, 3,3′,5′-triiodothyronine, 3,3′,5-triiodothyronine, gentisate, rosmarinate, and 3-nitrotyrosine. These results suggest that multiple tyrosine metabolites are alternative endogenous ligands of GPR35, and GPR35 may represent a druggable target for treating certain diseases associated with abnormality of tyrosine metabolism.
Displacement and Blocking Force Performance of Piezoelectric T-Beam Actuators

In this paper, we present the experimental validation of the detailed models developed for the flexural motion of piezoelectric T-beam actuators. With a T-shaped cross-section, and bottom and top flange and web electrodes, a cantilevered beam can bend in both in-plane and out-of-plane directions upon actuation. Analytical models predict the tip displacement and blocking force in both directions. Mechanical dicing and flange electrode deposition was used to fabricate six meso-scale T-beam prototypes. The T-beams were experimentally tested for in-plane and out-of-plane displacements, and out-of-plane blocking force. The analytical models closely predict the T-beam displacement and blocking force performance. A nondimensional analytical model predict that all T-beam designs for both in-plane and out-of-plane actuation, regardless of scale, have nondimensional displacement and blocking force equal to nondimensional voltage. The results from experiments are favorably compared with this theoretical prediction.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Overview of the principles and practice of biodosimetry

This paper attempts to provide a systematic overview of the principles and practice of biodosimetry. Biodosimetry is the use of radiation induced changes in the tissues to provide an estimate of the dose the person may have received in a radiation event. Biodosimetry provides an estimate of the individual's risk of developing the life threatening consequences of acute radiation syndrome, which is useful for making the initial decision to triage the person into the medical system for urgent care. For individuals with confirmed evidence of exposure, biodosimetry also can be used in a second stage to provide more refined estimates of dose and may also supply organ-specific information of damage or evidence of whole or partial body exposure, which are useful for deciding the most appropriate timing and type(s) of therapeutic intervention. As both experience and analyses have shown, the dose received by many individuals cannot be reliably determined by other means such as film badge dosimeters or calculations of the dose distribution over the affected area.
Stress-energy tensor for a massless spin 1/2 field in static black hole spacetimes

The stress-energy tensor for the massless spin 1/2 field is numerically computed outside and on the event horizons of both charged and uncharged static nonrotating black holes, corresponding to the Schwarzschild, Reissner-Nordstrom, and extreme Reissner-Nordstrom solutions of Einstein's equations. The field is assumed to be in a thermal state at the black hole temperature. Comparison is made between the numerical results and previous analytic approximations for the stress-energy tensor in these spacetimes. For the Schwarzschild (charge zero) solution, it is shown that the stress energy differs even in sign from the analytic approximation. For the Reissner-Nordstrom and extreme Reissner-Nordstrom solutions, divergences predicted by the analytic approximations are shown not to exist.
Diversion of plasma due to high pressure in the inner magnetosphere during steady magnetospheric convection

[1] Steady magnetospheric convection (SMC) events in the Earth's magnetosphere are thought to result from balancing the rate of opening flux through solar wind-magnetosphere reconnection at the dayside magnetopause to the rate of closing flux through reconnection in the magnetotail. For this to occur, reconnected flux in the tail must return to the dayside to balance the dayside reconnection rate. Using Geotail and THEMIS data over a span of 14 years, we examine the average plasma conditions and fast Earthward flows during SMC intervals and compare them to other types of geomagnetic activity, such as quiet intervals, isolated substorm phases, and the two hours before an SMC (Pre-SMC intervals). We show that the average total pressure in the inner magnetosphere is higher during SMC events than for other types of activity. This higher pressure region extends to larger radial distances, and causes fast Earthward flows to divert toward the dawn or dusk flanks and continue to the dayside. This pattern is contrasted to substorms, during which flows are directed toward the inner magnetosphere and flux remains there in the “pile-up region.” We suggest that the SMC pattern of flow deflection carries enough flux from the tail to the dayside to allow for balanced reconnection. Finally, the Pre-SMC intervals have plasma conditions that are similar to, but slightly weaker than, SMC events. Since most SMCs begin with a substorm, this indicates that preconditioning of the magnetosphere by prior geomagnetic activity is important in setting up the magnetotail for an SMC state.
Pinning potential of stacking fault-related dislocations in YBa2Cu3O7

Abstract The pinning potential of the 1 6 〈031〉 type dislocation has been calculated. This dislocation bounds the excess CuO layer defect commonly observed in YBa2Cu3O7. It was found that there is a strong pinning anisotropy between edge dislocations lying along [100] and [010]. For the former, a repulsive potential of about 30 meV is found, while the latter exhibits an attractive interaction of less than 1 3 this magnitude. This potential is short-range (about 2ξ), indicating that these dislocations would act as distributed point-like pinning sites.
Laparoscopic management of small bowel obstruction in children.

Abstract Introduction: The use of laparoscopy in the treatment of acute small bowel obstruction (SBO) faces inherent obstacles, including dilated loops of bowel, a limited working space, and postoperative adhesions. The objective of this study was to outline the efficacy of laparoscopic management of SBO in children. Methods: With Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, children who presented with a diagnosis of SBO and underwent management via a laparoscopic approach at our institution from January 2001 to December 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. Medical records were reviewed for age, weight, etiology of obstruction, radiographic findings, need for conversion, number of operations, length of stay, and postoperative complications. Statistical analyses of data comparison between those patients who were managed utilizing a laparoscopic approach and those in whom the laparoscopic approach was converted to a laparotomy were performed using a Chi-squared or a two-tailed Student's t-test with significanc...
Surgical treatment of renal artery aneurysms.

Summary— Twenty-seven patients have undergone surgical treatment of renal artery aneurysms and the classification, radiographic features and complications of these aneurysms are reviewed. Aortorenal bypass is the preferred method of in siturevascularisation. Extracorporeal microvascular branch arterial reconstruction is reserved for patients with complex intrarenal aneurysms. Removal of the aneurysm with preservation of the involved renal unit is possible in most cases.
DYNAMIC NOTIONS OF GENERICITY AND ARRAY NONCOMPUTABILITY

Abstract We examine notions of genericity intermediate between 1-genericity and 2-genericity, especially in relation to the Δ20 degrees. We define a new kind of genericity, dynamic genericity, and prove that it is stronger than pb-genericity. Specifically, we show there is a Δ20 pb-generic degree below which the pb-generic degrees fail to be downward dense and that pb-generic degrees are downward dense below every dynamically generic degree. To do so, we examine the relation between genericity and array noncomputability, deriving some structural information about the Δ20 degrees in the process.
Jargon and the passive voice : prescriptions and proscriptions for scientific writing

Prescriptions for scientific writing about jargon and the passive voice are based on principles of writing presumed to be universal. They do not take into account that language varies with rhetoric...
Green's function partitioning in Galerkin-based integral solution of the diffusion equation

A procedure to obtain accurate solutions for many transient conduction problems in complex geometries using a Galerkin-based integral (GBI) method is presented. The nonhomogeneous boundary conditions are accommodated by the Green's function solution technique. A Green's function obtained by the GBI method exhibits excellent large-time accuracy. It is shown that the time partitioning of the Green's function yields accurate small-time and large-time solutions. In one example, a hollow cylinder with convective inner surface and prescribed heat flux at the outer surface is considered. Only a few terms for both large-time and small-time solutions are sufficient to produce results with excellent accuracy. The methodology used for homogeneous solids is modified for application to complex heterogeneous solids.
Weights of individual cusps in operatively-excised stenotic three-cuspid aortic valves.

We weighed each cusp separately in 260 operatively excised stenotic 3-cuspid aortic valves. All 3 cusps differed (by >0.1 g) in weight in 69 patients (26%); all 3 cusps were similar (a ≤0.1 g difference) in weight in 33 patients (13%); and 1 cusp differed from either of the other 2 cusps, which were similar in weight, in 158 patients (61%). The weight differences appeared to be caused by differing quantities of calcium on the aortic surfaces of the cusps.
URBAN CHANGE, CIRCUITS OF CAPITAL, AND UNEVEN DEVELOPMENT∗

The circuits of capital/uneven development model is widely used in geography, urban planning, and the social sciences. Its principal weakness is its marginalizing of local influences in explaining the intensity and patterning of metropolitan investment. A deeper consideration of local culture, politics, and biographies is needed to sensitize the model to the particularities of place. Local creative actors set in motion place-specific forms of change whose logic is tied to structured circumstances.
Effect of explant orientation, pH, solidifying agent and wounding on initiation of soybean somatic embryos

Several methods have been developed to obtain somatic embryos of soybean. We report here a new procedure that results in high frequency somatic embryo initiation in a short period of time. Somatic embryos were induced from immature cotyledons of the cultivars “Jack,” “Thorne,” “Resnik,” and “Chapman.” Immature cotyledons were cultured on a medium containing MS salts, B5 vitamins, 6% sucrose, and 40 mg/l 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Culture modifications included: orientation of the explants (adaxial or abaxial side of the cotyledon in contact with the medium), adjustment of medium pH (5.7 or 7.0), wounding of cotyledons with scalpel blades, inclusion of ethylene modulators, and use of Noble agar or Gelrite™ as the solidifying agent. The treatment that resulted in the highest embryo induction across the cultivars consisted of abaxial side of the explant facing the medium, pH 7.0 and 0.2% Gelrite™. “Jack” was the most responsive cultivar showing the first embryos as early as 14 d after culture. After 21 d, an average of 44 embryos per cotyledon was obtained with this cultivar. The inclusion of silver nitrate (AgNO3) in the culture medium did not enhance the number of primary somatic embryos induced per cotyledon, but the addition of 15 µM AgNO3 did result in a faster production of secondary embryos using the cultivar “Jack.” Wounding of the explants with a scalpel resulted in an earlier induction of somatic embryos. Embryo initials were first observed after only 7 d. Histological examination of cultured cotyledons indicated that the somatic embryos originated from the subepidermal tissues and were of multicellular origin. This somatic embryo induction procedure could be useful for direct transformation work and permits the production of embryogenic tissue within 2 wk.
Niacin deficiency and cancer in women.

A new interest in the relationship between niacin and cancer has evolved from the discovery that the principal form of this vitamin, NAD, is consumed as a substrate in ADP-ribose transfer reactions. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, an enzyme activated by DNA strand breaks, is the ADP-ribosyltransferase of greatest interest with regard to effects on the niacin status of cells since its Km for NAD is high, and its activity can deplete NAD. Studies of the consequences of DNA damage in cultured mouse and human cells as a function of niacin status have supported the hypothesis that niacin may be a protective factor that limits carcinogenic events. To test this hypothesis in humans, we used a biochemical method based on the observation that as niacin nutriture decreases, NAD readily declines and NADP remains relatively constant. This has been demonstrated in both fibroblasts and in whole blood from humans. Thus, we use "niacin number," (NAD/NAD+NADP) x 100% from whole blood, as a measure of niacin status. Healthy control subjects showed a mean niacin number of 62.8 +/- 3.0 compared to 64.0 for individuals on a niacin-controlled diet. Analyses of women in the Malmo Diet and Cancer Study showed a mean niacin number of 60.4 with a range of 44 to 75. The distribution of niacin status in this population was nongaussian, with an unpredictably large number of individuals having low values.
Effect of age and sex on the elicitation of irritant contact dermatitis

Irritant contact dermatitis causes significant disability to numerous consumers and individuals in industry. Knowledge of the prevalence of this disease remains inadequate. Irritant contact dermatitis occurs in workers engaged in occupations where the subjects are exposed to different types and doses of irritants. The intensity of the reaction depends on the quality and the quantity of exposure. Irritant thresholds and dose responses depend on many different factors. This article reviews the clinical and physiological parameters that affect the age and sex related differences in irritant contact dermatitis.
Cleft hands with six metacarpals.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify children with cleft hands whose radiographs showed metacarpal polydactyly with 6 metacarpals to support the hypothesis that cleft hand develops not as a result of a longitudinal failure of formation but through a process of central polydactyly and osseous syndactyly. Methods We screened the hand radiographs of all children with a transverse or longitudinal deficiency of the upper limb and identified 8 children with cleft hands containing 6 metacarpals. Results Six cleft hands had a missing middle finger and consisted of a thumb and index finger separated from the ring and small fingers by a V-shaped central cleft. Two children had a more severe form of cleft hand with absence of both the index and middle fingers but presence of 6 metacarpals. Conclusions These 8 cleft hands containing 6 metacarpals showed progression of polydactyly of the middle finger and osseous syndactyly between the 2 middle finger metacarpals and the adjacent index and ring finger metacarpals. This contradicts a longitudinal failure of formation mechanism and supports the alternative hypothesis that cleft hand, polydactyly, and syndactyly develop through a similar teratogenic mechanism. The 2 cleft hands that had more severe suppression of the index and middle fingers yet had 6 metacarpal polydactyly provided confirmatory evidence that both typical cleft hands and the more severe manifestations of cleft hand with absence of multiple digits develop through a similar failure of induction mechanism.
CHAINED CONCURRENT SCHEDULES: REINFORCEMENT AS SITUATION TRANSITION1

Pigeons' pecks at two white response keys (initial-link situation) occasionally turned both keys red (terminal-link situation). When the two keys were red, pecks occasionally produced food, after which the keys were again white. In both situations, a changeover delay prevented the response-produced outcome from immediately following a change of responding from either key to the other. In the initial-link situation, the ratio of pecks at the keys closely paralleled the ratio of transitions into the terminal-link situation produced by the pecks, conforming to the well-known matching relation. In the terminal-link situation, the peck ratios deviated from the matching relation toward indifference. Overall response rate and rate of changeover were generally higher in the terminal-link situation than in the initial-link situation. The finding of matching in the initial-link situation supports a definition of reinforcement as situation transition. The differences in performance between the two situations, viewed in the light of other recent findings, suggest that the effects of a changeover delay depend on the overall reinforcing value of the choice alternatives.
Secondary Measures of Access to Abortion Services in the United States, 2011 and 2012: Gestational Age Limits, Cost, and Harassment

Background: Aspects of U.S. clinical abortion service provision such as gestational age limits, charges for abortion services, and anti-abortion harassment can impact the accessibility of abortion; this study documents changes in these measures between 2008 and 2012. Methods: In 2012 and 2013, we surveyed all known abortion-providing facilities in the United States (n ¼ 1,720). This study summarizes information obtained about gestational age limits, charges, and exposure to anti-abortion harassment among clinics; response rates for relevant items ranged from 54% (gestational limits) to 80% (exposure to harassment). Weights were constructed to compensate for nonresponding facilities. We also examine the distribution of abortions and abortion facilities by region. Findings: Almost all abortion facilities (95%) offered abortions at 8 weeks’ gestation; 72% did so at 12 weeks, 34% at 20 weeks, and 16% at 24 weeks in 2012. In 2011 and 2012, the median charge for a surgical abortion at 10 weeks gestation was $495, and $500 for an early medication abortion, compared with $503 and $524 (adjusted for inflation) in 2009. In 2011, 84% of clinics experienced at least one form of harassment, only slightly higher than found in 2009. Hospitals and physicians’ offices accounted for a substantially smaller proportion of facilities in the Midwest and South. Clinics in the Midwest and South were exposed to more harassment than their counterparts in the Northeast and West. Conclusions: Although there was a substantial decline in abortion incidence between 2008 and 2011, the secondary measures of abortion access examined in this study changed little during this time period. Copyright 2014 by the Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Expression of bacterial genes in transgenic tobacco: methods, applications and future prospects

Tobacco is the most commonly used plant for expression of transgenes from a variety of organisms, because it is easily grown and transformed, it provides abundant amounts of fresh tissue and has a well-established cell culture system. Many bacterial proteins involved in the synthesis of commercial products are currently engineered for production in tobacco. Bacterial enzymes synthesized in tobacco can enhance protection against abiotic stresses and diseases, and provide a system to test applied strategies such as phytoremediation. Examples of bacterial gene expression in tobacco include production of antigen proteins from several human bacterial pathogens as vaccines, bacterial proteins for enhancing resistance against insects, pathogens and herbicides, and bacterial enzymes for the production of polymers, sugars, and bioethanol. Further improvements in the expression of recombinant proteins and their recovery from tobacco will enhance production and commercial use of these proteins. This review highlights the dynamic use of tobacco in bacterial protein production by examining the most relevant research in this field.
Numerical investigation of finite thickness metal-insulator-metal structure for waveguide-based surface plasmon resonance biosensing

Abstract As a solution to enhance the coupling between the surface plasmon-polariton (SPP) and optical waves propagating along dielectric waveguides, we present the finite thickness metal-insulator-metal (f-MIM) structure. Achieving such opto-plasmonic coupling has been difficult due to the inherent difference in the two waves’ dispersion characteristics. The f-MIM provides an effective way to tune the dispersion characteristics of its SPP mode to match those of the waveguide modes. The resultant enhancement in mode coupling enables waveguide-based excitation of SPPs, which, in turn, leads to the realization of integrated optic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors. Our simulations showed that the effective index of the f-MIM's SPP mode can be increased to match those of typical dielectric waveguide modes even when the f-MIM itself was surrounded by low-index material such as water ( n = 1.33). Moreover, the SPP's mode profile can also be controlled simultaneously to exhibit its peak at the interface with the analyte. All these characteristics render the f-MIM an ideal element for waveguide-based SPR sensing in aqueous environment. By integrating the f-MIM with a polymer waveguide, we obtained SPR sensing resolutions of 1.53 × 10 −5 in RIU and 0.016 nm in thickness in refractometric and affinity sensing modes, respectively.
Development of Meat Snack Dips: Chemical, Physical, Microbiological and Sensory Characteristics

Snack dips containing 50% ham, 26% bacon or 28% pepperoni in combination with sour cream, unflavored yogurt and tofu were developed. The developmental phases of the study were discussed in relation to ingredient and meat flavor selection, formulation and sensory evaluation. Microbiological, chemical and physical analyses of the new products indicated that the meat-containing snack dips were stable and safe under storage conditions simulating wholesale (3 wk 2-4°C), retail (10 days, 5°C, household (10 days, 8-10°C) and longer-than-normal temperature abuse (12 and 24 hr, 24-25°C).
Nonparametric estimation of the mean function for recurrent event data with missing event category

Recurrent event data frequently arise in longitudinal studies when study subjects possibly experience more than one event during the observation period. Often, such recurrent events can be categorized. However, part of the categorization may be missing due to technical difficulties. If the event types are missing completely at random, then a complete case analysis may provide consistent estimates of regression parameters in certain regression models, but estimates of the baseline event rates are generally biased. Previous work on nonparametric estimation of these rates has utilized parametric missingness models. In this paper, we develop fully nonparametric methods in which the missingness mechanism is completely unspecified. Consistency and asymptotic normality of the nonparametric estimators of the mean event functions accommodate nonparametric estimators of the event category probabilities, which converge more slowly than the parametric rate. Plug-in variance estimators are provided and perform well in simulation studies, where complete case estimators may exhibit large biases and parametric estimators generally have a larger mean squared error when the model is misspecified. The proposed methods are applied to data from a cystic fibrosis registry.
Galilean invariance of subgrid-scale stress models in the large-eddy simulation of turbulence

The modelling of the subgrid-scale stresses in the large-eddy simulation of turbulence is examined from a theoretical standpoint. While there are a variety of approaches that have been proposed, it is demonstrated that one of the more recent models gives rise to equations of motion for the large eddies of turbulence which are not Galilean-invariant. Consequently, this model cannot be of any general applicability, since it is inconsistent with the basic physics of the problem, which requires that the description of the turbulence be the same in all inertial frames of reference. Alternative models that have been proposed which are properly invariant are discussed and compared.
VLSI delta-sigma cellular neural network for analog random vector generation

We present a cellular neural network architecture for parallel analog random vector generation, including experimental results from an analog VLSI prototype with 64 channels. Nearest-neighbor coupling between cells produces parallel channels of uniformly distributed random analog values, with statistics that are truly uncorrelated across channels and over time. The cell for each random channel emulates an integrating nonlinearity essentially implementing a delta-sigma modulator, and measures 100 /spl mu/m/spl times/120 /spl mu/m in 2 /spl mu/m CMOS technology. Applications include analog encryption and secure communications, analog built-in self-test, stochastic neural networks, and simulated annealing optimization and learning.
Evaluation of seasonal patterns of Kawasaki Syndrome- and rotavirus-associated hospitalizations in California and New York, 2000-2005

Background Kawasaki Syndrome (KS) is an uncommon childhood disease with unknown etiology. It has been suggested that rotavirus infection may play a causative role in the development of KS.
Reservoir characterization and facies prediction within the Late Cretaceous Doe Creek Member, Valhalla field, west-central Alberta, Canada

Oil resources at Valhalla field of west-central Alberta, Canada, are stratigraphically trapped within the Upper Cretaceous Doe Creek Member of the Kaskapau Formation. The reservoir is subdivided into four thin (1–10 m [3–33 ft]), cyclic alternations of offshore mudrock and shoreface sandstone that are designated the I 1, I, I + 1, and I + 2 units. The thickest and most widespread I sandstone is the primary reservoir. Optimum reservoir quality corresponds to coarser grain shoreface sandstone; however, reservoir quality may be diminished by postdepositional calcite cement commonly observed near the top of shoreface sandstones. Open-hole well logs are used to predict depositional facies and calcite cement occurrence in wells that lack core control. Decreasing shale volume (Vsh) and increasing deep resistivity values correspond to progressively shallower water deposits. Zones of calcite-cemented shoreface sandstone greater than 0.5 m (1.6 ft) thick are interpreted when the neutron porosity exceeds the density porosity by more than 7%. Facies distributions predicted for the I sandstone closely match trends of the sandstone gross pore volume and daily total fluid production, and suggest that open-hole well logs may be used to anticipate reservoir quality and continuity. Regional and local observations support previous interpretations that attribute the Doe Creek to forebulge erosion and southwestward sediment transport toward a foredeep where shoreface sandstones accumulated within a coastal embayment to the Western Interior seaway. Regionally, the Doe Creek interval thins northeast of Valhalla and is truncated beneath the K1 unconformity, and shoreface sandstone bodies are encased within offshore mudrocks and detached from their contemporaneous shoreline. Locally at Valhalla, the Doe Creek reservoir progrades toward the southwest and is extensively and commonly uniformly burrowed by a relatively diverse assemblage of trace makers.
Diabetes in the Middle East and North Africa

Abstract Aims Even though the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region had the highest comparative prevalence of diabetes in 2012, little is known about the nuances of diabetes risk and capacity to address the burdens. To provide a comprehensive overview, we reviewed the literature on diabetes in the MENA region. Methods We conducted a systematic search in PubMed between January 1990 and January 2012 for studies on diabetes in the MENA region without language restriction. Results There was a paucity of country-specific epidemiology data in the region. Diabetes prevalence varied widely across studies, from 2.5% in 1982 to 31.6% in 2011. Older age and higher body mass index were the most strongly associated risk factors for diabetes. Among people with diabetes, over half did not meet recommended care targets. In addition, macrovascular and microvascular complications were observed in 9–12% and 15–54% of diabetes population, respectively. Conclusions This review suggests a need for more representative surveillance data in this noteworthy focal point of the global diabetes epidemic. Such actions will not only help to understand the actual burden of diabetes but also motivate actions on design and implementation of diabetes prevention and control programs.
How Threats Drive the Development of Secure Reconfigurable Devices

SRAM-based FPGAs are becoming an attractive target technology for the deployment of secure and cryptographic operations. Because of this, much work has been done in exposing the security vulnerabilities of reconfigurable computing devices. Direct probing, side channel, fault injection, and replay attacks are among the many that can be variously applied to steal secret configurations, keys, data, and access. Here we review the threats faced by FPGAs and propose and analyze security solutions implementable by both FPGA application designers and FPGA vendors. We also look at the particular case of configuration security and use game theory to model the attacker/defender relationship as a 2-person strategic game.
Cation Diffusion Processes and Self-reversal of Thermoremanent Magnetization in the Ilmenite-Haematite Solid Solution Series

Summary Synthesized xFeTiO3 - (1- x)Fe2O3 specimens having compositions near the centre of the solid solution series indicate that nucleation of cation-ordered clusters may occur several hundred degrees above the order-disorder transition temperature Tc(o-d), a finding in conflict with theory. In addition, the ‘x-phase’ is shown to have at most a narrow range of blocking temperatures about 100° above the Curie point of the ordered phase, a result incompatible with the model developed by Ishikawa & Syono. The following model, which well explains the experimental data, is proposed: At temperatures above Tc(o-d) but below the top of the solvus, short-range unmixing occurs with small ilmenite-rich and haematite-rich regions forming throughout the specimen. Upon cooling, the ilmeniterich regions order first and act as the ‘nuclei’ for further ordering. The haematite-rich regions, on the other hand, are the x-phase. It is argued that when these disordered haematite-rich regions are in contact with ordered material, self-reversal occurs.