cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prequtaneous transluminal angioplasty in patients with multivessel coronary disease: How important is complete revascularization for cardiac event-free survival?

Abstract The relative influences of revascularizationstaus and baseline characteristics on long-term outcome were examined in 867 patients with multivessel coronarydisease who had undergone successful coronary angioplasty. These patients represented 83% of a total of 1,039 patients in whom angioplasty had been attempted with an in-hospltal mortality and infarction rate of 2.5% and 48%, respectively. Emergency coronary bypass surgery was needed in 4.9%. Of the 867 patients, 41% (group 1) were considered to have complete revascularization and 59% (group 2) to have incomplete revascularization. Univariate analysis revealed major differences between these two groups with patients in group 2 characterized by advanced age, more severe angina, a greater likelihood of previous coronary surgery and infarction, more extensive disease and poorer left ventricular function. Over a mean follow-up period of 26 months, the probability of event-free survival was significantly lower for group 2 only with respect to the need for coronary artery surgery (p = 0.004) and occurrence of severe angina (p = 0.04). The difference in modality was of borderline significance (p = 0.051) and there were no signiicant difference between 1 and 2 in either the incidence of myocardial infarction or the need for repeat angioplasty. Muitivariate analysis identified independent baseline predictors of late cardiac events that were then used to adjust the probabilities of event-free survival. This adjustment effectively removed any significant influence of completeness of revascuiarization on event-free survival for any of the above end points including the combination of death, myocardial infarction and need for coronary artery surgery. Therefore, late outcome in these patients is not significantly influenced by revascularization status but depends more on baseline patient characteristics.
Thinning and Prescribed Fire Effects on Forest Floor Fuels in the East Side Sierra Nevada Pine Type

Abstract Forest thinning accomplished with cut-to-length and whole-tree harvesting systems combined with prescribed underburning were assessed for their impacts on downed and dead fuel loading of all timelag categories in eastern Sierra Nevada Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi Grev. & Balf.). Cut-to-length harvesting resulted in an approximate doubling of total fuel loads with the greatest increases occurring in the 100-hr and 1000-hr categories, while changes associated with whole tree harvesting were marginal to the extent that overall posttreatment loading differed little between whole-tree and unfhinned treatments. Following the thinning operations, 1 + 10-hr and total fuel accumulations in the cut-to-lengfh treatment and 1000-hr fuels in the whole-tree treatment were positively correlated with harvested basal area and harvested foliage, branch, bole, and total tree biomass in simple regression models. Subsequent consumption during underburning eliminated 1 + 10-hr and 100-hr fuel additions from cut-to-len...
New Evidence for Long-Lived Solar Streams in Interplanetary Space

Explorer XII measurements of the intensity of interplanetary protons of energy greater than 3 Mev are discussed as possible evidence for long-lived solar streams in interplanetary space. The intensity variations of the protons are related to several solar and geophysical disturbances. (C.E.S.)
Rabbit placental relaxin: ultrastructural localization in secretory granules of the syncytiotrophoblast using rabbit placental relaxin antiserum.

Although relaxin has been isolated from the placenta of the human, rabbit, horse, and cat, this study represents the first ultrastructural localization of the hormone in placental tissue. Placentas were removed from rabbits on days 15, 23, and 30 of pregnancy, and the tissues were prepared for light and electron microscopies. The cytoplasm of the syncytiotrophoblast from all stages of pregnancy studied showed positive staining for the hormone at the light level using guinea pig antirabbit relaxin serum and the avidin-biotin technique. Ultrastructurally, the syncytiotrophoblast was found to contain membrane-bounded granules (150–400 nm in diameter) which formed at the Golgi and were seen in close association with the cell membrane. Exocytosis involving the incorporation of the granule membrane into the cell membrane was observed. These granules labeled positively for relaxin after treatment with guinea pig antirabbit relaxin serum and goat antiguinea pig immunoglobulin G-colloidal gold. Control sections in...
Dextromethorphan, a common antitussive, reduces kindled amygdala seizures in the rat.

Abstract Dextromethorphan (DM), a non-prescription antitussive, has anticonvulsant properties and antagonizes N- methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor-mediated responses in rat spinal and cortical neurons. The effects of daily intraperitoneal injections of DM on amygdala-kindled seizures were examined. DM was found both to prevent the development of full kindling in rats and to decrease seizure intensity in previously fully kindled animals. The findings of this study, combined with the ready availability of DM and its apparent safety in antitussive doses suggest that clinical testing of this drug as an anticonvulsant is warranted.
Choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase in cultured brain cells from chick embryos.

—Dissociated cells from brains of 7-day chick embryos were grown in primary culture for as long as 20 days. Many of the plated cells grew out long processes. Others, which proliferated rapidly, formed a confluent layer of flat cells after 4-6 days. Total DNA and protein increased five-fold, and activity of choline acetyltransferase (EC2.3.1.6) increased about 40-fold in 20 days. Acetylcholinesterase (EC3.1.1.7) increased three-fold by the fourth day of culture and then declined. The pattern of increase for choline acetyltransferase was similar to that for the in vivo development of the enzyme. l-Thyroxine, cyclic AMP (adenosine-3′,5′-monophosphate) or theophylline promoted increased levels of both enzymes by 30-200 per cent. l-Thyroxine also increased the activity of acetylcholinesterase in vivo by 40 per cent. When overgrowth by flat cells was prevented by the addition of 10-3m-5-flourouracil, there was a decrease in the activity of choline acetyltransferase and an increase in the activity of acetylcholinesterase in comparison to control activities. The addition of 10-3m-morphine or cocaine produced a 30 per cent elevation in the activity of choline acetyltransferase, but this effect could be mimicked with equimolar concentrations of ammonium ion.
Deletion of the human β-globin LCR 5′HS4 or 5′HS1 differentially affects β-like globin gene expression in β-YAC transgenic mice

Abstract A 213 kb human β-globin locus yeast artificial chromosome (β-YAC) was modified by homologous recombination to delete 2.9 kb of cross-species conserved sequence similarity encompassing the LCR 5′ hypersensitive site (HS) 4 (Δ5′HS4 β-YAC). In three transgenic mouse lines, completion of the γ- to β-globin switch during definitive erythropoiesis was delayed relative to wild-type β-YAC mice. In addition, quantitative per-copy human β-like globin mRNA levels were similar to wild-type β-YAC transgenic lines, although β-globin gene expression was slightly decreased in the day 12 fetal liver of Δ5′HS4 β-YAC mice. A 0.8 kb 5′HS1 fragment was similarly deleted in the YAC. Three Δ5′HS1 β-YAC transgenic lines were established. e-globin gene expression was markedly reduced, approximately 16 fold, during primitive erythropoiesis compared to wild-type β-YAC mice, but γ-globin expression levels were unaffected. However, during the fetal stage of definitive erythropoiesis, γ-globin gene expression was decreased approximately 4 fold at day 12 and approximately 5 fold at day 14. Temporal developmental expression profiles of the β-like globin genes were unaffected by deletion of 5′HS1. Decreased expression of the e- and γ-globin genes is the first phenotype ascribed to a 5′HS1 mutation in the human β-globin locus, suggesting that this HS does indeed have a role in LCR function beyond simply a combined synergism with the other LCR HSs.
Note on the CH bond moment in hydrocarbons

Abstract A recent spectroscopic determination of the CH bond moment μ in n-paraffins gives μ ⋍ 0.01 D while the latest quantum mechanical calculation gives μ ⋍ 2 D . It is suggested that this striking discrepancy is caused by different assumptions about the vibrational moment of the carbon skeleton which accompanies vibrations of the hydrogen atoms. The neglect of bond bending derivatives in the conventional bond moment theory is explicitly shown to be unjustified.
Influence of the Substrate on Order and Image Contrast for Physisorbed, Self-Assembled Molecular Monolayers: STM Studies of Functionalized Hydrocarbons on Graphite and MoS2

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) has been used to investigate the influence of different substrates on monolayer ordering and molecular image contrast for singly and doubly substituted long-chain hydrocarbons. Self-assembly at the phenyloctane−graphite and phenyloctane−MoS2 interfaces can be mildly or strongly affected by the underlying surface. In the most extreme cases, changes in the ordering of two-dimensional adlayers involve both rotation and translation of the molecules. Differences in the electronic characteristics of the underlying surface also have important implications for the STM image contrast exhibited by many molecules. Careful inspection of functional group contrast on both substrates provides useful information about the relative importance of geometric/topological versus electronic coupling factors in the STM tunneling mechanism for physisorbed molecules.
African Americans' Attitudes Toward the Local Police A Multivariate Analysis

The sociological literature has focused considerable attention on how well people like their local police. As part of their focus, scholars have studied topics such as police-community relations (Gabor & Low, 1973; Johnson & Gregory, 1971; Trojanowicz, 1972; Trojanowicz & Moore, 1988; Wilson & Kelling, 1985), citizens' perceptions of the police (Albrecht & Green, 1977; Harris, 1981; McDowell, 1984; Peek, Lowe, & Alston, 1981; "The Plague," 1981), and police and citizen interactions (Barlow, 1990; Black, 1970; Black & Reiss, 1970; Hartjen, 1972; Piliavin & Briar, 1964; Sykes & Brent, 1983; Sykes & Clark, 1975). Although numerous studies have been conducted to assess the public's attitude toward the local police, many of them have been characterized by small, unrepresentative, and mostly middle-class White samples from which generalizations are questionable. In an
Phosphorothiolate Analogues of Phosphatidylinositols as Assay Substrates for Phospholipase C

Accurate measurement of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) activity is important in view of the key role of this enzyme in signal-transduction pathways. In this work we synthesized enantiomerically pure phosphorothiolate analogues of all natural PI-PLC substrates, including those of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI-4,5-P2), 4-phosphate (PI-4-P), 5-phosphate (PI-5-P) and unphosphorylated PI, in both long- and short-chain versions. The enzymatic cleavage of these substrates produces thiol analogues of diacyl glycerol, which can be quantified by UV absorbance after treatment with dipyridyl disulfide. The monodisperse dihexanoyl derivatives are suitable substrates for PI-PLC assay: they give rise to high enzyme activity, and provide excellent linear kinetic responses. For all substrates, we found a good linear correlation between the reaction rate and the amount of enzyme; this indicated the suitability of this assay for enzyme quantification. The short-chain substrates enable the enzyme specificity with variously phosphorylated inositol head groups to be established--unobstructed by substrate aggregation, "scooting" kinetics on micelles, or surface dilution effects. The kinetic results indicated allosteric behavior of PLC for all substrates tested. We found that substrates phosphorylated at the inositol 4-position (phosphorothiolate analogues of PI-4,5-P2 and PI-4-P) displayed very similar kinetic properties, and were cleaved with approximately 20- to 30-fold higher activity than the 4-nonphosphorylated substrates (analogues of PI-5-P and PI). Hence it appears that interactions between the enzyme and the 4-phosphate group of the substrate, but not its 5-phosphate group, is important for PI-PLC catalysis. In addition, the binding affinities of all four substrate types were found to be quite similar; this indicates that the energy of enzyme interaction with the 4-phosphate group is directed almost entirely to catalysis.
Automation challenges and opportunities for high volume manufacture of proton exchange membrane fuel cell stacks

While it is well recognized that hydrogen fuel cells hold the potential to play a significant role in reducing our dependency on imported oil and in improving our environment they are not without significant technical and business challenges. In order for fuel cells to be a commercial success we must develop the materials, manufacturing processes and fault tolerant designs that will allow for cost effective high volume production. This paper will discuss the opportunities and challenges for high volume automated manufacturing of PEM fuel cell stacks and components, and highlight the associated research being performed within the Center for Automation Technologies and Systems (CATS) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Metal Nanoparticles on Natural Cellulose Fibers: Electrostatic Assembly and In Situ Synthesis

The conformal deposition of metal nanoparticles (Au, Pd, and Pt) onto natural cellulose fibers using two chemical strategies is reported. The driven mechanism responsible for the high surface coverage of the substrates was identified as the electrostatic interactions between the positively charged cellulose and the either negatively charged nanoparticles or negative metal complex ions. The natural cellulose fibers were rendered cationic by grafting ammonium ions, using an epoxy substitution reaction, to the abundant hydroxyl groups present in cellulose molecules. The first method involved the electrostatic assembly of citrate-stabilized metal nanoparticles directly onto the cationic surfaces of cellulose. The second method involved the adsorption of negative metal complex ions onto the cationic cellulose followed by a reduction reaction. The attained metal nanoparticles bound with cellulose fibers were characterized by electron microscopy (TEM and SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Both ...
On the evolution of group and network structure II: Structures within structure

The evolution of a group's network structure is charted in a way that extends earlier discussions of this phenomenon. Comparisons are made between the uses of sliding and expanding windows for hypothetical and real data. These comparisons suggest that, generally, the sliding window is preferable. Additionally, the Q-analytic tools used earlier to chart network evolution ignore the internal structure of equivalence classes. This internal structure can be delineated in terms of cliques, n-cliques and betweenness centrality. Of these, the first and third seem the most useful, with betweenness centrality having the greatest potential for an interpretable measure of internal structure.
Airflow obstruction, lung function, and risk of incident heart failure: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

Aims We examined the relationship between forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), airflow obstruction, and incident heart failure (HF) in black and white, middle-aged men and women in four US communities. Methods and results Lung volumes by standardized spirometry and information on covariates were collected on 15 792 Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort participants in 1987–89. Incident HF was ascertained from hospital records and death certificates up to 2005 in 13 660 eligible participants. Over an average follow-up of 14.9 years, 1369 (10%) participants developed new-onset HF. The age- and height-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for HF increased monotonically over descending quartiles of FEV1 for both genders, race groups, and smoking status. After multivariable adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors and height, the HRs [95% confidence intervals (CIs)] of HF comparing the lowest with the highest quartile of FEV1 were 3.91 (2.40–6.35) for white women, 3.03 (2.12–4.33) for white men, 2.11 (1.33–3.34) for black women, and 2.23 (1.37–3.59) for black men. The association weakened but remained statistically significant after additional adjustment for systemic markers of inflammation. The multivariable adjusted incidence of HF was higher in those with FEV1/forced vital capacity <70% vs. ≥70%: HR 1.44 (95% CI 1.20–1.74) among men and 1.40 (1.13–1.72) among women. A consistent and positive association with HF was seen for self-reported diagnosis of emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but not for asthma. Conclusions In this large population-based cohort with long-term follow-up, low FEV1 and an obstructive respiratory disease were strongly and independently associated with the risk of incident HF.
Determination of the lattice translation across antiphase boundaries

Abstract This paper describes a method for quantitative comparisons of electron microscope bright-field images with computer-simulated images. The applicability of the technique is demonstrated by preliminary investigations of the rigid-body lattice translation across antiphase boundaries in GaAs and β-SiC.
Male rats prefer sex to food after 6 days of food deprivation

Thirty male rats were deprived of food for 0–6 days, then presented simultaneously with food and a receptive female. Twenty-five males ejaculated twice within 30 min; all but four of them deferred eating until after ejaculation. Food deprivation increased the latencies to begin copulation (depressed the sexual arousal mechanism) and reduced the stimulation needed for the first ejaculation (facilitated the copulatory and ejaculatory mechanism).
Technology, human error, and standards

Health care technology often is considered as an independent entity; however, it is used within a context, a system, by health care providers who are professionals with varying levels of training and lay care givers. Despite the centrality of users of health care technology, the rarely are actively involved in the development of the technology, instructions for its use and maintenance; or the testing and acquisition of the technology. This lack of involvement can result in health care technology that is difficult to use safely and effectively. Such difficulty can lead to human error, adverse events, and adverse outcomes in terms of patient health status. In addition to end-user involvement in all phases of development, testing, and acquisition, standards as well as criteria and guidance can increase the safety and effectiveness of health care technology by decreasing the likelihood of human error.
VAX/LSI-11/CAMAC Nuclear Data Acquisition System under Development at the W.k. Kellogg Radiation Laboratory, Caltech

A CAMAC data acquisition system is currently under development at the W.K. Kellogg Radiation Laboratory which utilizes LSI-11 crate controllers and a 250 Kbyte/sec 7-computer Q-bus DMA network. The central network computer is a VAX 11/750 with Unibus and Q-bus adaptors. Processing is distributed between the LSI-11s and the VAX as required to meet input-output and event processing speeds needed by the experiment. Use of the Q-bus on all machines allows CAMAC controllers and tape drives to be moved as needed between the LSI-11s and the VAX.
SEIR Epidemic Dynamics in Random Networks

Predicting disease transmission on complex networks has attracted considerable recent attention in the epidemiology community. In this paper, we develop a low-dimensional system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations to model the susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered (SEIR) epidemics on random network with arbitrary degree distributions. Both the final size of epidemics and the time-dependent behaviors are derived within our simple framework. The underlying network is represented by the configuration model, which appropriately accounts for the heterogeneity and finiteness of the degree observed in a variety of real contact networks. Moreover, a generalized model where the infectious state of individual can be skipped is treated in brief.
Omega navigation for general aviation

A 70-hour flight test evaluation of an Omega navigation system was performed using a Piper Cherokee 180, to determine the feasibility of Omega for worldwide general aviation navigation. Measurements were made of position accuracy, noise phenomena, and signal to noise ratio. It was found that Omega accuracy is essentially insensitive to local geography, but that there are isolated local interference phenomena associated with radio transmitters, although the strongest noise source observed was due to the onboard power source for the VHF comm/nav radio. An occurrence of lane jumps was observed when attempting to navigate with one weak station.
The T Cell Repertoire against Cryptic Self Determinants and Its Involvement in Autoimmunity and Cancer

Developing T cells potentially directed against cryptic self determinants escape tolerance induction in the thymus and thereby enrich the T cell repertoire. Cryptic self peptides become expressed at inflammatory tissue sites which can lead to engagement of this repertoire, leading to induction and/or perpetuation of autoimmune reactivity. On the other hand, expression of cryptic self determinants on tumor cells can be useful in generating effective anti-tumor immunity. This self-directed T cell repertoire can also be activated silently to induce memory and participate unexpectedly in responses to foreign antigens and is responsible for molecular mimicry. Finally, peptides containing cryptic determinants can be utilized for peptide-based immunotherapy.
Protection of the Neonate by the Innate Immune System of Developing Gut and of Human Milk

The neonatal adaptive immune system, relatively naive to foreign antigens, requires synergy with the innate immune system to protect the intestine. Goblet cells provide mucins, Paneth cells produce antimicrobial peptides, and dendritic cells (DCs) present luminal antigens. Intracellular signaling by Toll-like receptors (TLRs) elicits chemokines and cytokines that modulate inflammation. Enteric neurons and lymphocytes provide paracrine and endocrine signaling. However, full protection requires human milk. Breast-feeding reduces enteric infection and may reduce chronic disease in later life. Although human milk contains significant secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), most of its protective factors are constitutively expressed. Multifunctional milk components are nutrients whose partial digestion products inhibit pathogens. Cytokines, cytokine receptors, TLR agonists and antagonists, hormones, anti-inflammatory agents, and nucleotides in milk modulate inflammation. Human milk is rich in glycans (complex carbohydrates): As prebiotics, indigestible glycans stimulate colonization by probiotic organisms, modulating mucosal immunity and protecting against pathogens. Through structural homology to intestinal cell surface receptors, glycans inhibit pathogen binding, the essential first step of pathogenesis. Bioactive milk components comprise an innate immune system of human milk whereby the mother protects her nursing infant. Interactions between human milk glycans, intestinal microflora, and intestinal mucosa surface glycans underlie ontogeny of innate mucosal immunity, pathobiology of enteric infection, and inflammatory bowel diseases.
SiGe micro-cooler

Thin film SiGe heterostructure coolers have been fabricated and characterised. Cooling by as much as 1.1 K at room temperature and 1.6 K at a substrate temperature of 70/spl deg/C over a 3 /spl mu/m Si/SiGe superlattice barrier has been measured. This corresponds to cooling power densities of hundreds of watts per square centimetre.
Micropanics: A Theoretical Explanation for Anti-Gay Hate Crime Perpetration

Lesbians and gay men continue to be framed as a threat to traditional American social institutions, particular the family. Recent research in the social sciences has identified attitudes toward homosexuality, belief in homosexuality as a moral choice, and heterosexism as significant predictors of hate crime victimization (Alden and Parker 2005). Unfortunately, prior research has failed to explain how certain individuals who maintain platforms of sexual prejudice make the leap to committing hate crimes against lesbians and gay men. By incorporating elements of Cohen’s (1972) moral panics, Tajfel and Turner’s (1986) social identity theory and Sykes and Matza’s (1957) techniques of neutralization this paper proposes that anti-gay hate crimes serve as isolated incidents of moral panic referred to herein as micropanics.
Epidemiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Minnesota: A year-long population based study

This is the largest population based study of ALS in the U.S., encompassing the population of Minnesota (> 5.4 million people) from July 2013 to July 2014. Data on gender, age at diagnosis, and residential county were collected for all Minnesota residents who registered with the Minnesota/North Dakota/South Dakota chapter of the ALS Association from July 2013 to July 2014. Incidence rates were calculated as the number of new cases of ALS per 100,000 people per year. The standardized incidence rates for the 2013 U.S. population and the 2013 European standard population were also reported. Results showed that the crude incidence rate of ALS was 2.2 cases per 100,000 person-years. Incidence increased with age, peaking at 70–79 years (8.3 per 100,000) with mean age at diagnosis 64 years, and was greater in males (2.4 per 100,000) than in females (1.5 per 100,000). Standardized incidence rates for the 2013 U.S. and European standard population were 2.2 and 2.39 cases per 100,000 person-years, respectively. In ...
Valuing Declining and Distressed Companies

The most difficult companies to value are at either end of the life cycle, with young growth companies and declining companies posing the biggest challenges. In this paper, we focus on companies that are at the tail end of their life cycles and examine how best to value companies with flat and declining revenues and stagnant or dropping profit margins. Since many of these companies also have significant debt burdens, we also evaluate ways to incorporate the possibility of distress and default into value. We argue that conventional discounted cash flow valuations, premised on firms being going concerns, will tend to overstate the value of distressed companies, and suggest ways in which we can correct for the bias.
A singular finite element for Stokes flow: The stick–slip problem

SUMMARY Abrupt changes in boundary conditions in viscous flow problems give rise to stress singularities. Ordinary finite element methods account effectively for the global solution but perform poorly near the singularity. In this paper we develop singular finite elements, similar in principle to the crack tip elements used in fracture mechanics, to improve the solution accuracy in the vicinity of the singular point and to speed up the rate of convergence. These special elements surround the singular point, and the corresponding field shape functions embody the form of the singularity. Because the pressure is singular, there is no pressure node at the singular point. The method performs well when applied to the stick-slip problem and gives more accurate results than those from refined ordinary finite element meshes.
Relationships between antinuclear and anti-Ro/SS-A antibodies in subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus

A certain degree of confusion has arisen regarding the relationship between patients having subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) and those with "antinuclear antibody-negative" systemic lupus erythematosus (ANA-negative SLE). One of the confusing issues relates to published differences in the autoimmune serologic findings of these two patient groups. In order to clarify this issue, we have screened the sera from thirty-seven patients with SCLE for the presence of fluorescent antinuclear antibodies (FANA) on two different substrates—human Hep-2 tissue culture cells and mouse kidney sections. In addition, these same sera were assayed for anti-Ro/SS-A precipitin antibodies. Seventy-eight percent of the sera were FANA-positive at a titer of 1:10 or greater when tested on human Hep-2 cells, whereas 76% were positive at a titer of 1:80 or greater. Fifty-one percent were positive on mouse kidney sections at a titer of 1:10 or greater, whereas 46% were positive at a titer of 1:20 or greater, Twenty-two percent of these sera were completely FANA-negative on both human and mouse substrates. None of these sera that were negative on both substrates contained anti-Ro/SS-A antibodies. However, 69% of the sera that were FANA-positive on both human and mouse substrates were found to have detectable anti-Ro/SS-A antibodies. Ninety percent of the SCLE sera that were FANA-positive on human Hep-2 cells, but negative on mouse kidney sections, contained anti-Ro/SS-A antibodies. These sera gave a speckle-like, or particulate, nuclear immunofluorescence staining pattern. These results demonstrate that the ability to detect FANA in patients with SCLE depends greatly on the type of substrate used in the FANA test, and they confirm that human Hep-2 cells provide a more sensitive FANA substrate than do mouse kidney sections. In addition, a positive FANA on Hep-2 cells that is negative on mouse kidney sections strongly suggests the presence of Ro/SS-A antibodies in patients with SCLE. These findings also demonstrate that serologic differences between SLE patient groups that share similar clinical features can be due to differences in the substrates used in performing the FANA test.
Interactive and Noninteractive Zero Knowledge Coincide in the Help Model.

We show that a problem in AM has a interactive zero-knowledge proof system if and only if it has a noninteractive zero knowledge proof system in the ‘help model’ of Ben-Or and Gutfreund (J. Cryptology, 2003). In this model, the shared reference string is generated by a probabilistic polynomial-time dealer who is given access to the statement to be proven. Our result holds for both computational zero knowledge and statistical zero knowledge, and does not rely on any unproven complexity assumptions. We also show that help does not add power to interactive computational zero-knowledge proofs, paralleling a result of Ben-Or and Gutfreund for the case of statistical zero knowledge.
Thermal inactivation kinetics of hepatitis A virus in homogenized clam meat (Mercenaria mercenaria).

Aims Epidemiological evidence suggests that hepatitis A virus (HAV) is the most common pathogen transmitted by bivalve molluscs such as clams, cockles, mussels and oysters. This study aimed to generate thermal inactivation kinetics for HAV as a first step to design adequate thermal processes to control clam-associated HAV outbreaks. Methods and Results Survivor curves and thermal death curves were generated for different treatment times (0–6 min) at different temperatures (50–72°C) and Weibull and first-order models were compared. D-values for HAV ranged from 47·37 ± 1·23 to 1·55 ± 0·12 min for the first-order model and 64·43 ± 3·47 to 1·25 ± 0·45 min for the Weibull model at temperatures from 50 to 72°C. z-Values for HAV in clams were 12·97 ± 0·59°C and 14·83 ± 0·0·28°C using the Weibull and first-order model respectively. The calculated activation energies for the first-order and Weibull model were 145 and 170 kJ mole−1 respectively. Conclusion The Weibull model described the thermal inactivation behaviour of HAV better than the first-order model. Significance and Impact of the Study This study provides novel and precise information on thermal inactivation kinetics of HAV in homogenized clams. This will enable reliable thermal process calculations for HAV inactivation in clams and closely related seafood.
Drinking discretely: Parsons's Old Peculiar

1. Josh Parsons (2004) offers an ingenious plan for drinking alcohol while avoiding any hangover, based on combining a 'hair of the dog' cure with a supertask. Critical attention has focused almost exclusively on the super task. Is it coherently defined? (Williams 2004.) Are there infinitesimal hangover periods left unaccounted for? (Parsons 2006.) Can analogous supertasks be used for other useful ends? (Prosser 2006.) In so doing, critics have missed a more basic flaw in Parsons's proposal. My purpose in this short note is to argue that concern over the supertask is beside the point. I shall highlight an incoherence in the apparently innocuous assumptions about drunkenness and hangovers which Parsons makes at the outset. These turn out to be paradoxical in their own right. And without these assump tions the supertask remedy does not even get off the ground.
Subspectral modeling in filter banks

The article deals with spectral modeling in filter banks. It is shown, both theoretically and experimentally, that subspectral modeling is superior to full spectrum modeling if performed before the rate change. The price paid for this performance improvement is an increase of computations. A few different signal sources were considered in this study. It is shown that the performance of AR and ARMA techniques are comparable in subspectral modeling. The first is desired because of its simplicity. As an application of this study, we implemented a CELP based speech codec embedded in a filter bank structure. We found that there were no performance improvements of subband CELP technique over the fullband case. The theoretical reasonings of the experimental results are also given.
Evolving and Revolving Pathology: from Morphology to Genomics to Epigenomics and Back Again

Copyright: © 2011 Cheng J. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. About one year ago,a group of leaders from major national pathology organizations and other stakeholders gathered at the Banbury Conference Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, to discuss “genome-era pathology and personalized medicine”[24]. At the conference, a national “Call to Action” was proposed to change the nature of the practice of pathology as well as the education of medical students and pathology residents. Pathologists were also urged to take the leadership of personalized medicine in the genome era [21,24]. This call suggests that pathology communities have been lagging behind and slow to advance in biomedical science. If this is indeed the case, how can we explain that pathologists have traditionally been at the forefront of medicine ever since our founding father Rudolf Virchow established microscopic morphology-based pathology 150 years ago? Based on clinical and morphologic findings, pathologists have made diagnoses and directed therapies for patients with various diseases.The pathology community has met its challenges, so why do we need to change now?
The Face at the Bottom of the Well

John Dominic Crossan. A Long Way from Tipperary:. Memoir. New York: Harper-Collins, 2000. xxi. 216 pp.
A Single Turnover (STO) Characterization of Supported Palladium Catalysts

While the STO catalyst characterization procedure has been applied to a variety of supported Pt catalysts, application of this technique to the characterization of supported Pd catalysts showed that there were several significant differences between the Pt and the Pd catalysts. Under STO reaction conditions each surface site on a Pt catalyst reacts only once so there is a 1:1 relationship between the product composition and the densities of the various types of active sites present. With Pd catalysts under these same conditions, alkene isomerization takes place so readily that the amount of isomerized product formed depends on the contact time of the reactant pulse with the catalyst so there is no direct relationship between the amount of isomerization and the number of isomerization sites present. On Pt there are some direct saturation sites present on which H 2 is rather weakly held. Such sites are not present on Pd catalysts. The reactive surface of supported Pt catalysts remains constant on long exposure to air. With Pd catalysts exposure to air results in a decrease in saturation site densities which can be reversed by re-reduction of the surface with H 2 under ambient conditions but not completely under what can be termed “reaction conditions” where the extent of surface re-reduction decreases with catalyst age.
RESPONSE OF PERIPHYTON COMMUNITIES TO CLAY AND PHOSPHATE LOADING IN A SHALLOW RESERVOIR1

Enclosures in a small piedmont reservoir in the southeastern United States were used to determine the effects of loading by phosphate and two clay sediments on periphyton community structure and production during the summer growing season. The experimental design included replicated controls and the following treatments added at 2-to 3-day intervals: phosphate (PHOS), kaolinite (KAOL), montmorillonite (MONT), kaolinite with phosphate (K+P), and montmorillonite with phosphate (M+P). Periphyton were sampled from polyethylene strips of the same material as the enclosure walls, suspended at depths of 0.5 m and 2.0 m to assess treatment effects on shallow (epilimnetic) vs. deep (hypolimnetic) communities. Colonization after 40 days was sparse, dominated in biovolume by blue-green algae in all but the epilimnion of controls, in which small gelatinous green algae and chrysophyte flagellates were abundant. The biovolume of shallow periphyton after 79 days was lowest in KAOL and MONT, intermediate in controls and PHOS, and greatest in clay + P. Hence, P enrichment alleviated the deleterious effects of clay on periphyton production, and clay + P appeared to act synergistically in stimulating benthic algal growth. Periphyton biovolume was comparable among shallow and deep controls, PHOS, and treatments with the rapidly settling kaolinite. Lowest biovolume occurred at depth in treatments with montmorillonite under extreme light attenuation imposed by the suspended, finely particulate clay. The relative contribution of blue-green algae to total periphyton production was highest in clay + P treatments and lowest in controls. Heterotrophic dinoflagellates increased in the shallow periphyton under clay loading, and in the deep communities under PHOS and M + P. Periphyton contributed only 20–32% of total mesocosm productivity in controls, PHOS, and KAOL, increasing to about 40% in MONT, and to 72–91% of the total in M + P and K + P. The data indicate that benthic microalgae can represent a major proportion of the primary production in shallow reservoirs under high phosphate and sediment loading.
SHARABLE INPUTS, PRODUCT VARIETY, AND CITY SIZES*

In this paper, I investigate some of the causes of city formation in spatial economies. A model is proposed in which an intermediate differentiated input shared by more than one industry is the cause of the formation of diversified cities. The desire of both the traded-good and the local-good industries to employ a variety of inputs from the intermediate industry provides the reason for the agglomeration of the three industries. In addition, the paper contains a comparative-statics analysis of the model in an open and a closed-city framework. It is demonstrated that the larger the city, the more variety of intermediate inputs the city can provide and the more specialized it is in the production of the traded-good. Moreover, the model suggests that different industrial structures will result in different city Sizes.
Mentholated Cigarette Smoking and Lung-Cancer Risk

Abstract PURPOSE: Menthol smoking may lead to a greater increase in lung-cancer risk than smoking of nonmentholated cigarettes. Mentholation of cigarettes adds additional carcinogenic components to cigarette smoke and increases retention times for cigarette smoke in the lungs. Only two epidemiologic studies have been conducted on menthol smoking and lung cancer, and their results are conflicting. Of note, African American males have much higher rates of lung cancer than Caucasian males despite smoking fewer cigarettes per day. Because the consumption of menthol cigarettes is much more frequent among African Americans, it is of interest to examine the possible association between menthol smoking and lung-cancer risk in this population. METHODS: We examined the association between menthol cigarette smoking and lung-cancer risk among smokers by comparing 337 incident cases of lung cancer with 478 population controls enrolled in a case-control study of lung cancer. Information on smoking history and other known and potential risk factors for lung cancer, including dietary intake, was obtained by in-person interviews. RESULTS: The adjusted odds ratios did not differ appreciably between smokers of mentholated cigarettes versus exclusive nonmentholated cigarette smokers in the overall study group of smokers. The odds ratio (OR) for 32 pack-years or more of mentholated vs. nonmentholated cigarettes was 0.90 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.38–2.12) in African Americans and 1.06 (95% CI = 0.47–2.36) in Caucasians, and did not differ for either ethnic group ( p = 0.98). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the lung-cancer risk from smoking mentholated cigarettes resembles the risk from smoking non-mentholated cigarettes. Our data do not support the hypothesis that the increased risk of lung cancer among African Americans is due to the increased prevalence of menthol smoking.
Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 and risk of dementia in the Cardiovascular Health Study

Objective To evaluate associations between Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) mass and activity with risk of dementia and its subtypes.
A simple proof of the sum formula

In this note we present a simple, short proof of the sum formula for subdifferentials of convex functions.
Endoscopic Nd:YAG laser with aggressive multimodality therapy for locally advanced esophageal cancer.

Abstract Background: Laser therapy of esophageal carcinoma has been limited to management of malignant dysphagia. To investigate its cytoreductive potential, Nd:YAG laser tumor debulking was added to multimodality therapy. Methods: From 1994-1998, 29 patients with advanced locoregional esophageal carcinoma were enrolled in a prospective experimental study of high-dose neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy together with endoscopic Nd:YAG laser photoablation. Comparisons were made to a retrospective cohort of 31 patients treated from 1990 to 1994 who underwent similar neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy without laser debulking. Results: Laser dosage ranged from 3457 to 67,443 J (mean 21,832 [SD 16,999]) delivered in 1 to 6 (mean 2.6 [1.4]) treatment sessions. Actuarial analysis showed improved survival in the laser-treated group versus the reference group (30.1 months vs. 16.5 months; p = 0.047). Multivariable analysis of the impact of age, T-stage, N-stage, completion of neoadjuvant therapy, and laser debulking that included all patients in both treatment groups showed completion of therapy to be the most significant variable associated with survival. There were 3 complications related to laser therapy. Relief of dysphagia was achieved in 19 of 29 patients (66%) in the laser group versus 13 of 31 (42%) in the reference group. Conclusions: Malignant dysphagia may be more effectively treated by the addition of Nd:YAG laser therapy to aggressive multimodality therapy. Improved survival with the addition of laser debulking warrants longer follow-up and a prospective comparative trial. (Gastrointest Endosc 2002;55:674-9.)
Analysis of thermally induced changes in fractured rock permeability during 8 years of heating and cooling at the Yucca Mountain Drift Scale Test

Abstract We analyzed a data set of thermally induced changes in fractured rock permeability during a 4-year heating (up to 200 °C) and subsequent 4-year cooling of a large volume, partially saturated and highly fractured volcanic tuff at the Yucca Mountain Drift Scale Test, Nevada, USA. Permeability estimates were derived from about 700 pneumatic (air-injection) tests, taken periodically at 44 packed-off borehole intervals during the heating and cooling cycle from November 1997 through November 2005. We analyzed air-permeability data by numerical modeling of thermally induced stress and moisture movements and their impact on air permeability within the highly fractured rock. Our analysis shows that changes in air permeability during the initial 4-year heating period, which were limited to about one order of magnitude, were caused by the combined effects of thermal-mechanically induced stress on fracture aperture and thermal-hydrologically induced changes in fracture moisture content. At the end of the subsequent 4-year cooling period, air-permeability decreases (to as low as 0.2 of initial) and increases (to as high as 1.8 of initial) were observed. By comparison to the calculated thermo-hydro-elastic model results, we identified these remaining increases or decreases in air permeability as irreversible changes in intrinsic fracture permeability, consistent with either inelastic fracture shear dilation (where permeability increased) or inelastic fracture surface-asperity shortening (where permeability decreased). In this paper, we discuss the possibility that such fracture asperity shortening and associated decrease in fracture permeability might be enhanced by dissolution of highly stressed surface asperities over years of elevated stress and temperature.
Perceived Usefulness and Satisfaction of Mobile Phone for Users with Disabilities

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities came into force in 2008. The ICT Opportunity for a Disability-Inclusive Development Framework produced by UNESCO in 2013 formulated a development agenda for these rights, highlighting the importance of mobile devices in this development effort. For most persons with disabilities, the mobile phone is an innovation. What factors affect their satisfaction of mobile phones? The technology acceptance model (TAM) suggests that the perceived usefulness of the device will affect a person’s attitude towards the technology and the associated satisfaction. This study examines the perceived usefulness of mobile phones for persons with disabilities. A survey was conducted. The structural equation model developed showed the latent variable Perceived Usefulness, manifested as Social Function, Emergency Help, Sense of Security, positively affected user satisfaction. Implications for enhancing mobile phone perceived usefulness for users with disabilities are discussed.