cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Embryogenesis in Hymenolepis diminuta,: III. Distribution of ribonucleic acid

Abstract Distribution of RNA in gonads and embryos of Hymenolepis diminuta was studied by the use of Azure B and RNase control. RNA accumulated in testes during spermatogenesis; the sperm was deprived of this acid. High accumulation of RNA occurred in the ovary. Oocytes contained fine granules of RNA dispersed in the cytoplasm and in large vitelline granules. The nucleolus of the oocyte was rich in RNA. During cleavage most of embryonic RNA was accumulated in the macromeres destined to form the outer envelope, and in mesomeres. In the early preoncosphere phase most of the embryonic RNA occurred in the cells forming the oncospheral organelles (hook-forming cells and penetration glands). At the end of development most of the embryonic RNA disappeared what was presumably connected with the degeneration of embryonic cells. The accumulation of RNA increased in the germinative cells. The increase of RNA occurred in the embryonic envelope during the preoncosphere phase in spite of the lack of cellular divisions in the envelope.
On the Law of Comparative Judgment: Scaling with Intransitive Observers and Multidimensional Stimuli1

Intransitivities in observers' preference judgments for multidimensional natural landscape scenes are examined. Thurstone's Law of Comparative Judgment (LCJ) psychophysical scaling routine is used to scale landscape preference. Both the method of Rank Ordering (RO) and the method of Paired Comparisons (PC) are used to gather the raw data necessary for scaling. The preference metric derived from the PC data which allows intransitivities to occur, is compared to the metric derived from the RO data, which does not allow observer intransitivity. Analysis indicates that an observer's expressed ordinal preferences derived from his PC data differs from that obtained from his RO data. Analysis also indicates that intransitivity exist to a moderate degree in each individual's expressed preferences and that this intransitivity is related to the differences between the two sets of ordinal preferences. However, very little difference exists between the two, LCJ derived, interval preference metrics obtained from group...
Digital IF up conversion for economical wireless implementations

While most of the attention in the open literature paid to digital intermediate frequency (IF) technology has addressed digital down conversion architectures, digital up conversion architectures are just as important and can be equally beneficial. For the past few years Harris Semiconductor has been experimenting with various single and multiple channel digital up converter architectures for economical implementations of wireless transmitters. This paper gives a top level overview of the fundamentals of digital up conversion and various architectures which have the potential for widespread use in wireless systems.
V. Stress and irritable bowel syndrome

Different types of stress play important roles in the onset and modulation of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms. The physiological effects of psychological and physical stressors on gut function and brain-gut interactions are mediated by outputs of the emotional motor system in terms of autonomic, neuroendocrine, attentional, and pain modulatory responses. IBS patients show an enhanced responsiveness of this system manifesting in altered modulation of gastrointestinal motility and secretion and in alterations in the perception of visceral events. Functional brain imaging techniques are beginning to identify brain circuits involved in the perceptual alterations. Animal models have recently been proposed that mimic key features of the human syndrome.
Naturally-Occurring Sendai Virus Infection of Athymic Nude Mice

Nude (nu/nu) mice, Balb/c-derived, responded to a naturally-occurring Sendai virus infection in a different manner than conventional mice. They developed a chronic debilitating disease and a persistent viral infection of the respiratory tract with intranuclear inclusion bodies in tracheal, bronchial and bronchiolar epithelial cells, laryngeal and tracheal glandular epithelium and in type I and II alveolar cells. The infection was identified by serologic and tissue culture studies, the mouse antibody production test and ultrastructural examination of pulmonary lesions. Phlebitis of pulmonary veins, suppurative rhinitis and otitis media accompanied the viral infection while some mice developed a secondary bronchopneumonia.
Primary Hyperparathyroidism in Pregnancy—A Rare Cause of Life-Threatening Hypercalcemia: Case Report and Literature Review

Objective. To report a case of primary hyperparathyroidism in a pregnant patient, report the obstetric and neonatal outcomes, and review the relevant literature. Results. A 29-year-old primigravida was successfully treated for PHP with minimally invasive resection of a parathyroid adenoma in the second trimester of pregnancy. A healthy baby girl was delivered at 37-week gestation with an unremarkable neonatal course. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second case report in the literature utilizing intraoperative PTH during a parathyroidectomy in a pregnant woman. Conclusions. Primary hyperparathyroidism is a rare life-threatening condition that can present during pregnancy. The diagnosis can be difficult to establish during pregnancy, given the nonspecific symptoms related to hypercalcemia. However, a better understanding of the condition, improved diagnostic studies, and well-organized multidisciplinary management decisions can significantly reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with the disease during pregnancy. This case report is presented to highlight the value of early diagnosis and appropriate management of PHP during pregnancy.
A transient voltage-dependent outward potassium current in mammalian cerebellar Purkinje cells.

Abstract Utilizing the single electrode voltage clamp technique applied to rat Purkinje cells (PCs), we have recorded a transient outward voltage-dependent potassium current, I to . Half maximal values for inactivation and activation were −65 mV and −39 mV, respectively. I to decays as a single exponential with a time constant of 95 ms and is reduced by 4-aminopyridine. Based on criteria of voltage dependency of activation and inactivation, kinetics of inactivation, ionic selectivity and pharmacologic sensitivity, we have verified a strong resemblance between the typical A current in other neurons, and I to in PCs. As in other cells, I to may be important in shaping PC output by modulating intrinsic and extrinsic factors that govern PC firing.
Human Protamine‑1 as an MRI Reporter Gene Based on Chemical Exchange

Genetically engineered reporters have revolutionized the understanding of many biological processes. MRI-based reporter genes can dramatically improve our ability to monitor dynamic gene expression and allow coregistration of subcellular genetic information with high-resolution anatomical images. We have developed a biocompatible MRI reporter gene based on a human gene, the human protamine-1 (hPRM1). The arginine-rich hPRM1 (47% arginine residues) generates high MRI contrast based on the chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) contrast mechanism. The 51 amino acid-long hPRM1 protein was fully synthesized using microwave-assisted technology, and the CEST characteristics of this protein were compared to other CEST-based contrast agents. Both bacterial and human cells were engineered to express an optimized hPRM1 gene and showed higher CEST contrast compared to controls. Live cells expressing the hPRM1 reporter gene, and embedded in three-dimensional culture, also generated higher CEST contrast compared to wild-type live cells.
Role of landscape and hydrologic attributes in developing and interpreting yield clusters

Abstract Management of agricultural fields based on yield patterns may help farmers adopt environmentally friendly farming practices. Our objective was to investigate landscape and hydrologic attributes that affect spatial clusters of corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean (Glycine max L.) yields. The study was conducted at Iowa State University's northeastern research center near Nashua, Iowa, from 1993 to 1998. The yield data, normalized for annual climatic variability, were used in cluster and discriminant analysis, and the landscape and hydrologic data were overlain using ArcGIS software. Three clusters of low, medium and high categories were formed using 10 iterations with zero convergence options and satisfying the R2, pseudo F-statistic and cubic clustering criteria. The spatial clusters, however, varied greatly over space and time domain for the study period. The map overlay analysis using ArcGIS showed that high yield clusters were affected by soil and lower elevation levels in the below average precipitation year of 1994. The annual normalized subsurface drainage volume, nitrate leaching losses, soil type and topographic attributes of slope, aspect, and curvature were used in stepwise discriminant analysis to identify the variables significantly related to the clusters. Soil and topographic attributes of curvature and aspect contributed significantly in cluster formations for four of the six years at P ≤ 0.15. The results suggest that cluster and discriminant analysis can be useful for identification of soil and topographic attributes affecting corn and soybean yield patterns, which can help in delineation of management zones for site specific management practices.
Eulerian and Lagrangian observability of point vortex flows

We study the observability of one and two-point vortex flow from one or two Eulerian or Lagrangian observations. By observability, we mean the ability to determine the locations and strengths of the vortices from the time history of the observations. An Eulerian observation is a measurement of the velocity of the flow at a fixed point in the domain of the flow. A Lagrangian observation is the measurement of the position of a particle moving with the fluid. To determine observability, we introduce the observability and the strong observability rank conditions and compute them for the various vortex configurations and observations in this idealized setting. We find that vortex flows with Lagrangian observations tend to be more observable then the same flows with Eulerian observations. We also simulate extended Kalman filters for the various vortex configurations and observations and find that they perform poorly when the ORC or the strong observability rank condition fails to hold.
Reliability analysis of creep-fatigue failure

Abstract This paper proposes a probabilistic model for the reliability analysis of the creep and fatigue of materials. A new nonlinear creep–fatigue failure criterion function is introduced based on experimental data to facilitate analytical reliability approximations. This function is not restricted by any symmetry assumption used in current studies. A linear damage accumulation rule is used. The first-order reliability method and Monte Carlo simulation are used for probabilistic analysis. Uncertainties in creep and fatigue life of the material, creep and fatigue loading cycles, and limitation of test data are included. The sensitivity of creep–fatigue reliability to different random variables and their scatter, at different amounts of damage, is studied.
Studies of compact objects with Einstein - Review and prospects

X-ray images and spectra of a wide range of systems containing compact objects were obtained with the Einstein X-ray Observatory. Accreting white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes were observed in binary systems in the Galaxy, and new constraints were derived for their formation, nature and evolution. Massive black holes were studied in active galactic nuclei, and X-ray spectra (and evolution) of AGN have led to a new model for the diffuse X-ray background.
The Essentials of Bedside Ultrasound for Pulmonary Embolism

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a potentially fatal condition if left untreated. Computed tomographic pulmonary angiography is widely used as the imaging modality of choice to diagnose a patient with suspected PE. Signs of right heart strain on echocardiography have poor sensitivity, but high specificity in the diagnosis of PE. In an unstable patient, bedside echocardiography may have a place in guiding the decision to administer either anticoagulation or thrombolytic therapy. In addition, bedside echocardiography may play a role in risk-stratifying patients into the submassive PE category.
Visual Improvement as a Function of Time After Lamellar Keratoplasty for Keratoconus

Twenty-eight keratoconic patients with either contact-lens intolerance or marked corneal scarring over the visual axis underwent lamellar keratoplasty for visual rehabilitation. All 28 patients returned for follow-up at six months, 27 (98%) had follow-up at one year, and 23 (82%) at two years. The 23 patients with two-year follow-up showed progressive improvement of visual acuity over time. At six months, 11 of 23 patients (48%) had visual acuity of 20/30 or better. At one year, 17 of 23 (74%) had 20/30 or better, and at two years, 21 of 23 (91%) had 20/30 or better. The average postoperative keratometry measurement at two years was 43.5 diopters (S.D. = 2.5 diopters), which represented an average reduction of 13 diopters from preoperative keratometry. All patients who were less than 32 years old obtained visual acuity of 20/30 or better after two years and reached this level significantly (F = 6.75, P = .02) sooner than those more than 32 years old. These results compare favorably with previously reported visual results after penetrating keratoplasty.
Minor Changes in Soil Bacterial and Fungal Community Composition Occur in Response to Monsoon Precipitation in a Semiarid Grassland

Arizona and New Mexico receive half of their annual precipitation during the summer monsoon season, making this large-scale rain event critical for ecosystem productivity. We used the monsoon rains to explore the responses of soil bacterial and fungal communities to natural moisture pulses in a semiarid grassland. Through 454 pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and ITS region, we phylogenetically characterized these communities at 22 time points during a summer season. Relative humidity increased before the rains arrived, creating conditions in soil that allowed for the growth of microorganisms. During the course of the study, the relative abundances of most bacterial phyla showed little variation, though some bacterial populations responded immediately to an increase in soil moisture once the monsoon rains arrived. The Firmicutes phylum experienced over a sixfold increase in relative abundance with increasing water availability. Conversely, Actinobacteria, the dominant taxa at our site, were negatively affected by the increase in water availability. No relationship was found between bacterial diversity and soil water potential. Bacterial community structure was unrelated to all environmental variables that we measured, with the exception of a significant relationship with atmospheric relative humidity. Relative abundances of fungal phyla fluctuated more throughout the season than bacterial abundances did. Variation in fungal community structure was unrelated to soil water potential and to most environmental variables. However, ordination analysis showed a distinct fungal community structure late in the season, probably due to plant senescence.
Periodic fluid transients in rectangular ducts with transverse magnetic fields III

This paper treats periodic fluid transients in liquid metals contained in constant-area rectangular ducts with uniform, transverse, applied magnetic fields and with insulating walls parallel to the magnetic field and perfectly conducting walls perpendicular to it. The magnetic Reynolds and Mach numbers are assumed to be small, and the Reynolds number is assumed to be large. First, asymptotic solutions are obtained for small values of the interaction parameter and then approximate solutions are obtained for arbitrary values of the interaction parameter using a Galerkin method with modified Fourier series.
A Paradigm for Developing Better Measures of Marketing Constructs

A critical element in the evolution of a fundamental body of knowledge in marketing, as well as for improved marketing practice, is the development of better measures of the variables with which ma...
Application of Error-Correcting Codes in Computer Reliability Studies

The use of error-correcting codes as one of the important techniques to increase computer system reliability is introduced. The different codes used in the central processing unit (CPU) are described. Since the CPU usually contains the data path, logic, and arithmetic units, the codes used in this area are error-detecting codes, such as parity check codes and residue codes. The codes used or suggested for the memory system are discussed, emphasis being placed on parity check codes, two-dimensional codes, Hamming codes and other recently developed codes. The various codes used in the input/output system are presented. The input/output area of the computer system is relatively unreliable as compared with CPU or memory; therefore, error-correcting codes used in this area usually are much more powerful than single parity check codes. These include codes for the magnetic tape, disk, and drum units. The error coding techniques are compared with other techniques for increasing computer system reliability. The future trend of using error-correcting codes in a computer system is also discussed.
Security and Elections

Elections are common to almost all societies. Periodically, groups of people determine their representatives, leaders, neighborhood spokespersons, corporate executives, or union representatives by casting ballots and counting votes using a variety of schemes. Those who don't participate see others around them doing so. And stories abound about rigged elections or results considered compromised by accident or poor communication. US-based elections follow a general pattern of voter registration, determining items to vote on, generating ballots, distributing election materials to the polling places, voting, counting the votes, declaring winners, and auditing the results. The details differ among jurisdictions, but each step requires considerable care to ensure the election's integrity. So, elections are an ideal mechanism for teaching about security. At the University of California, Davis, we teach numerous computer security classes for undergraduate majors and nonmajors and for graduate students. This column presents some of our experiences using elections and e-voting systems as lecture material and as a class project done with the Yolo County Elections Office.
On the Response of Horizontal and Vertical Axis Wind Turbines to Turbulence: A Wind Tunnel Experiment

The turbulent flow modulation on the unsteady behavior of a model VAWT is investigated and compared with a model HAWT of similar size in a laboratory experiment. The turbines operated in low and high freestream turbulence. The research was performed at the Talbot Laboratory wind tunnel at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). High-resolution measurements of the turbine voltage for a small, 12 cm HAWT and a 16 cm VAWT are acquired at high temporal resolution, sufficient to capture the turbulent scales of flow relevant to the problem. Both turbines were built at the UIUC rapid prototyping lab and have realistic airfoil shapes. An understanding of the distinctive physical processes modulating the scale-to-scale fluctuating behavior in a VAWT and a HAWT exposed to the same turbulent flow conditions is discussed. A relation between turbulent motions and fluctuating behavior is extended from the knowledge of HAWTs to VAWTs.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
The Turbulent Politics of the International Criminal Court

During its eight years of operations, the ICC (or the “Court”) has shown a remarkable resilience to administer justice in the face of U.S. pressure. But with the Obama administration's recent pledg...
Selected harmonic reduction in static D-C — A-C inverters

An a-c voltage control technique is described that eliminates the third and fifth harmonic voltage present in the a-c load-voltage waveform of a 2-controlled-rectifier or transistor d-c to a-c single-phase inverter. The addition of two more controlled rectifiers or transistors to the basic circuit makes it possible to control the fundamental frequency component of the a-c load voltage from maximum to zero without reintroducing the third and fifth harmonics. The same technique can be used in a 12-controlled-rectifier or transistor d-c to 3-phase a-c inverter. In the case of the 3-phase inverter, the lowest harmonic of the fundamental frequency present in the line-to-line a-c voltage is the eleventh.
Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3β Is a Novel Regulator of High Glucose- and High Insulin-induced Extracellular Matrix Protein Synthesis in Renal Proximal Tubular Epithelial Cells

High glucose (30 mm) and high insulin (1 nm), pathogenic factors of type 2 diabetes, increased mRNA expression and synthesis of lamininβ1 and fibronectin after 24 h of incubation in kidney proximal tubular epithelial (MCT) cells. We tested the hypothesis that inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) by high glucose and high insulin induces increase in synthesis of laminin β1 via activation of eIF2Be. Both high glucose and high insulin induced Ser-9 phosphorylation and inactivation of GSK3β at 2 h that lasted for up to 48 h. This was associated with dephosphorylation of eIF2Be and eEF2, and increase in phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 and eIF4E. Expression of the kinase-dead mutant of GSK3β or constitutively active kinase led to increased and diminished laminin β1 synthesis, respectively. Incubation with selective kinase inhibitors showed that high glucose- and high insulin-induced laminin β1 synthesis and phosphorylation of GSK3β were dependent on PI 3-kinase, Erk, and mTOR. High glucose and high insulin augmented activation of Akt, Erk, and p70S6 kinase. Dominant negative Akt, but not dominant negative p70S6 kinase, inhibited GSK3β phosphorylation induced by high glucose and high insulin, suggesting Akt but not p70S6 kinase was upstream of GSK3β. Status of GSK3β was examined in vivo in renal cortex of db/db mice with type 2 diabetes at 2 weeks and 2 months of diabetes. Diabetic mice showed increased phosphorylation of renal cortical GSK3β and decreased phosphorylation of eIF2Be, which correlated with renal hypertrophy at 2 weeks, and increased laminin β1 and fibronectin protein content at 2 months. GSK3β and eIF2Be play a role in augmented protein synthesis associated with high glucose- and high insulin-stimulated hypertrophy and matrix accumulation in renal disease in type 2 diabetes.
Love as a Regulative Ideal in Surrogate Decision Making

This discussion aims to give a normative theoretical basis for a "best judgment" model of surrogate decision making rooted in a regulative ideal of love. Currently, there are two basic models of surrogate decision making for incompetent patients: the "substituted judgment" model and the "best interests" model. The former draws on the value of autonomy and responds with respect; the latter draws on the value of welfare and responds with beneficence. It can be difficult to determine which of these two models is more appropriate for a given patient, and both approaches may seem inadequate for a surrogate who loves the patient. The proposed "best judgment" model effectively draws on the values incorporated in each of the traditional standards, but does so because these values are important to someone who loves a patient, since love responds to the patient as the specific person she is.
Optical Engineering in Small Companies

This PDF file contains the editorial “Optical Engineering in Small Companies” for OE Vol. 35 Issue 02
Computation of High-Speed Coaxial Jets with Fan Flow Deflection

We present a computational study, validated by mean-flow experiments, of a dual-stream nozzle simulating the exit conditions of a supersonic turbofan engine with noise-suppressing fan flow deflectors. The study is conducted for eight nozzle configurations and two operating conditions: a cold condition at which mean velocity surveys were conducted and against which the computational code was validated and a hot condition that corresponds to the takeoff engine cycle and at which acoustic data were collected. The code predictions successfully replicate the mean velocity fields and the inflectional layers of the experimental flows. The code is then extended to the conditions of the actual engine cycle. The computations reveal a similar velocity profile for the hot and cold conditions when the axial distance is normalized by the potential core length. For both conditions, the vane deflectors reduce the turbulent kinetic energy k on the underside of the jet. An overall noise source strength is modeled as the axial integral of k 7/2 . A significant correlation is found between the reduction in the noise source strength and the reduction in the peak level of the overall sound pressure level.
Don't ask, don't tell: A change in medical student attitudes after obstetrics/gynecology clerkships toward seeking consent for pelvic examinations on an anesthetized patient

Objective We explore whether the completion of an obstetrics/gynecology clerkship is associated with a decline in the importance that students place on seeking permission from the patient before conducting a pelvic examination while she is anesthetized. Study design Students at five Philadelphia area medical schools (n = 401 students) were asked how important it would be for a patient to be told that a medical student will perform a pelvic examination while she is anesthetized. We examined associations between the completion of an obstetrics/gynecology clerkship and attitudes toward consent with the use of linear regression to adjust for gender and the total amount of clerkship experience. Results After the data were controlled for gender and the total number of clerkships that had been completed, we found that students who had completed an obstetrics/gynecology clerkship thought that consent was significantly less important than did those students who had not completed a clerkship (P =.01). Conclusion To avoid this decline in attitudes toward seeking consent, clerkship directors should ensure that students perform examinations only after patients have given consent explicitly.
Terror and elections: Lessons from Spain

Abstract The present paper explores the ways a terrorist event can influence electoral outcomes by examining the Madrid bombing terrorist attack immediately before Spain's 2004 national elections. Uncharacteristically, rather than “rally” public support towards the incumbent leadership this terrorist incident contributed to the electoral upset. Based on individual level survey data, the analyses suggest the terrorist attack mobilized citizens who are traditionally less likely to participate in politics as well as center and leftist voters, and encouraged some of these voters to switch to the opposition. Quite critically, the incumbent government's unpopular foreign policies and handling of the attacks had substantial and independent effects on their party's defeat. Overall, this study highlights the key roles of timing of attacks and priming of issues when understanding the effects of terrorism on elections.
Effects of Climate Change on Soils in Glacial Deposits, Wind River Basin, Wyoming

Soil chronofunctions are often quasilinear, but those relationships may be only gross, fortuitous generalizations that ignore changes in soils resulting from climatic and other cyclic external influences that govern soil formation or soil degradation. In the Rocky Mountains, soil development has been extensively used to estimate the age of sediments, but the number of soils is usually few, and large ranges in values for soil data may be dismissed as “normal variation.” In a detailed study of soils in the Wind River Range and Wind River Basin, characteristics of near-surface horizons do not follow age trends. However, the underlying carbonate-bearing horizons do have age-related characteristics. This “soil paradox” may be related to glacial–interglacial cycles in which (1) wind erodes near-surface horizons and then provides new parent material and (2) cryoturbation disrupts carbonate horizons, remobilizing carbonate and changing carbonate morphology but with only minimal loss of carbonate from the soil.
The comparative statics of cumulative distribution function changes for the class of risk averse agents

Abstract The primary question addressed is, When does a particular change in the cumulative distribution function (CDF) describing a random variable always cause all risk averse decision makers to adjust the choice variable in the same direction? A necessary and sufficient condition, involving both the decision model and the CDF change, is derived. This condition allows the researcher to determine the tradeoff between assumptions on the economic model, and the CDF changes, which are necessary and/or sufficient to yield determinate comparative static results. Several applications are included.
The clinical value of a cluster of patient history and observational findings as a diagnostic support tool for lumbar spine stenosis.

Objective. The study aims to create a diagnostic support tool to indicate the likelihood of the presence of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) using a cluster of elements from the patient history and observational findings. Design. The study is case based and case controlled. Setting. The study was performed in the tertiary care of a medical center. Subjects. There were a total of 1,448 patients who presented with a primary complaint of back pain with or without leg pain. Methods. All patients underwent a standardized clinical examination. The diagnosis of LSS was made by one of two experienced orthopaedic surgeons based on clinical findings and imaging. Data from the patient history and observational findings were then statistically analysed using bivariate analysis and contingency tables. Results. The most diagnostic combination included a cluster of: 1) bilateral symptoms; 2) leg pain more than back pain; 3) pain during walking/standing; 4) pain relief upon sitting; and 5) age >48 years. Failure to meet the condition of any one of five positive examination findings demonstrated a high sensitivity of 0.96 (95% CI = 0.94–0.97) and a low negative likelihood ratio (LR−) of 0.19 (95% CI = 0.12–0.29). Meeting the condition of four of five examination findings yielded a LR+ of 4.6 (95% CI = 2.4–8.9) and a post-test probability of 76%. Conclusion. The high sensitivity of the diagnostic support tool provides the potential to reduce the incidence of unnecessary imaging when the diagnosis of LSS is statistically unlikely. In patients where the condition of four of the five findings was present, the post-test probability of 76% suggests that imaging and further workup are indicated. This is an inexpensive but powerful tool, with a potential to increase diagnostic efficiency and reduce cost by narrowing the indications for imaging. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Accuracy and reliability of the mayo elbow performance score

Purpose To test the reliability of the Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS) and compare it with a validated outcomes instrument, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score. Methods A total of 42 patients with the chief problem of elbow dysfunction formed the study cohort. Patients with an immediate surgical indication or treatment at the index visit were excluded. The others completed an MEPS questionnaire; at a second visit 2 to 3 weeks later, they completed another MEPS questionnaire and were evaluated with the ASES elbow assessment. Reliability and accuracy were calculated using 2-tailed Pearson correlation coefficients with 95% confidence intervals. Pearson coefficients greater than 0.8 indicated strong agreement. Results The average MEPS score at the initial visit was 58. At the second visit, the average MEPS score was 69 and the average ASES score was 78. The Pearson coefficient for MEPS scores at the 2 time points averaged 0.82, and between the MEPS and ASES scores averaged 0.83. Both coefficients indicated strong agreement. Conclusions The MEPS has strong reliability when assessed at different times and when compared with a validated elbow outcomes instrument. Differences in compared scores of approximately 10 points indicate some patient improvement between time points; however, 95% confidence intervals, standard deviations, and ranges were essentially equivalent between and among tests, indicating similar accuracy. Clinical relevance The MEPS is a reliable outcomes instrument for clinical studies of elbow function that is used to assess nonsurgical treatment.
Glial and nonglial neoplasms evaluated on frozen section by double immunofluorescence for fibronectin and glial fibrillary acidic protein.

Antisera against fibronectin (FN) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were used combined on frozen sections of surgical biopsies to distinguish between astrocytoma and hemangioblastoma, meningioma, or sarcoma. The nonglial neoplasms contained FN in their parenchyma, whereas the gliomas contained GFAP. The immunofluorescent staining procedure takes 10 min. The immunoperoxidase staining for the permanent files takes 30 min. The stains have been used in this institute for more than 1 year, and 26 tumors have been evaluated.
Metabolic responses to exercise

In institutionalized men and women, muscle strength and leg power are closely related to walking speed, chair stand time, and stair climbing ability. Nursing home res­ idents who have been classified as fallers have been shown to be significantly weaker in all of the muscle groups of the knees and ankles. Thirty-five percent of a population of 1042 home-clwelling men and wom­ en older than age sixtyreported one or more falls in the preceding year. Among a host of factors that distin­ guished fallers from nonfallers, such as polypharmacy and arthritis, hand grip strength of the dominant hand emerged as the most important. Our laboratory examined the effects of high intensity resistance training (80% of 1RM, 3 days/week) in old­ er men (age 60-72 years) (1). The average increase in knee flexor and extensor strength was 227% and 107%, respectively. Total muscle area, assessed by CT analysis, increased by 11.4%, while vastus lateralis biopsies showed an increase of 33.5% in Type I fiber area, and 27.5% increase in Type II fiber area. We al­ so measured the maximal rate of oxygen consumption (V02 maxl before and after strength training; we found that lower body V02 max increased significantly, while upper body V02 max did not, indicating that increased muscle mass can increase maximal aerobic power. It ap­ pears that the age-related loss of muscle mass may be an important determinant in the reduced maximal aer­ obic capacity seen in elderly men and women. We also demonstrated that old and young subjects re­ spond differently to eccentric exercise (lengthening muscle contractions). Older subjects performing the same relative intensity of exercise show 5 times as much ultrastructural damage. The response to damaging exercise is a stereotypical response that includes neu­ trophil mobilization, cytokine release, and accumulation of monocytes in the muscle cells (2). While young sub­ jects demonstrate a vigorous acute phase response to the exercise, older subjects have a significantly de­ pressed response. This depressed response may result in a blunted or slowed repair of the damaged muscle in senescent muscle. Since the sedentary life-style of a long-term care facility may exacerbate losses of muscle function, we have applied this same training program to a group of frail, institutionalized elderly men and women (mean age 90±3 years, range 87-96). After 8 weeks, the 10 sub­ jects in this study increased muscle strength by 174%,
A Tertiary Leaf-cutting Bee

ALTHOUGH fossil remains furnish us with abundant evidence of the antiquity of many structural characters in animals, and permit us to surmise a like antiquity of certain habits, it is not often that we find preserved the proofs of the latter. The leaf herewith figured, collected in the Miocene shales of Florissant, Colorado, by two of my students, Messrs. Duce and Rusk, shows the work of a leaf-cutting bee. Evidently the specialised and peculiar habit of cutting out pieces of leaf to use in forming the nest was as highly developed, perhaps, a million years ago as it is to-day. The bee itself has also been obtained, and described as Megachile praedicta, Ckll., 1908.
Toxoplasma gondii ADP-ribosylation Factor 1 Mediates Enhanced Release of Constitutively Secreted Dense Granule Proteins

Toxoplasma gondii dense granules are morphologically similar to dense matrix granules in specialized secretory cells, yet are secreted in a constitutive, calcium-independent fashion. We previously demonstrated that secretion of dense granule proteins in permeabilized parasites was augmented by the non-hydrolyzable GTP analogue guanosine 5'-3-O-(thio)triphosphate (GTPgammaS) (Chaturvedi, S., Qi, H., Coleman, D. L., Hanson, P., Rodriguez, A., and Joiner, K. A. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 2424-2431). As now demonstrated by pharmacological and electron microscopic approaches, GTPgammaS enhanced release of dense granule proteins in the permeabilized cell system. To investigate the role of ADP-ribosylation factor 1 (ARF1) in this process, a cDNA encoding T. gondii ARF1 (TgARF1) was isolated. Endogenous and transgenic TgARF1 localized to the Golgi of T. gondii, but not to dense granules. An epitope-tagged mutant of TgARF1 predicted to be impaired in GTP hydrolysis (Q71L) partially dispersed the Golgi signal, with localization to scattered vesicles, whereas a mutant impaired in nucleotide binding (T31N) was cytosolic in location. Both mutants caused partial dispersion of a Golgi/trans-Golgi network marker. TgARF1 mutants inhibited delivery of the secretory reporter, Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase, to dense granules, precluding an in vivo assessment of the role of TgARF1 in release of intact dense granules. To circumvent this limitation, recombinant TgARF1 was purified using two separate approaches, and used in the permeabilized cell assay. TgARF1 protein purified on a Cibacron G3 column and able to bind GTP stimulated dense granule secretion in the permeabilized cell secretion assay. These results are the first to show that ARF1 can augment release of constitutively secreted vesicles at the target membrane.
The randomised controlled trial design: unrecognized opportunities for health sciences librarianship.

Objectives: to describe the essential components of the Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) and its major variations; to describe less conventional applications of the RCT design found in the health sciences literature with potential relevance to health sciences librarianship; to discuss the limited number of RCTs within health sciences librarianship. Methods: narrative review supported to a limited extent with PubMed and Library Literature database searches consistent with specific search parameters. In addition, more systematic methods, including handsearching of specific journals, to identify health sciences librarianship RCTs. Results: While many RCTs within the health sciences follow more conventional patterns, some RCTs assume certain unique features. Selected examples illustrate the adaptations of this experimental design to answering questions of possible relevance to health sciences librarians. The author offers several strategies for controlling bias in library and informatics applications of the RCT and acknowledges the potential of the electronic era in providing many opportunities to utilize the blinding aspects of RCTs. RCTs within health sciences librarianship inhabit a limited number of subject domains such as education. This limited scope offers both advantages and disadvantages for making Evidence-Based Librarianship (EBL) a reality. Conclusion: The RCT design offers the potential to answer far more EBL questions than have been addressed by the design to date. Librarians need only extend their horizons through use of the versatile RCT design into new subject domains to facilitate making EBL a reality.
Paraburdoo spherule layer (Hamersley Basin, Western Australia): Distal ejecta from a fourth large impact near the Archean-Proterozoic boundary

We report the discovery of the Paraburdoo spherule layer, which consists entirely of replaced impact-produced melt spherules. It is distal ejecta from a large impact close to the Archean-Proterozoic boundary in the Hamersley Basin of Western Australia. The spherule layer occurs in the Paraburdoo Member of the Wittenoom Formation and was deposited ca. 2.57 Ga (date via U-Pb age interpolation) in a deep shelf environment. The layer consists of microkrystites rich in plagioclase and ferromagnesian crystals, replaced by K-feldspar and a phlogopite-like sheet silicate, respectively. The skeletal textures indicate rapid cooling of a melt with mafic to ultramafic composition and suggest oceanic target rocks. The Paraburdoo spherule layer is 2 cm thick, normally graded, and was probably deposited by suspension settling, as there is no evidence of reworking; it is strikingly similar to the Reivilo spherule layer in the Griqualand West Basin (South Africa), appears to provide a third impact-related high-resolution stratigraphic correlation between these two basins, and points to a high frequency of large impacts around the Archean-Proterozoic boundary.
Parts and (W)holes: Confronting the Human in Molinet’s Graphic Games

The Burgundian rhetoriqueur Jean Molinet (1435–1507) often employs pictorial elements to express aural effects, artfully exploiting a complementary tension between sonority and visuality. Nowhere is this tension more apparent than in the bawdy ballade Dame, j’ay sentu les facons, in which crude anatomical drawings represent the sounds con, cul, and vis. Inasmuch as the rebus posits an interchangeability of speech sounds and anatomical structures, it necessitates an integration of the body and the word: the resulting body of work becomes a cyborg of sorts, a posthuman construct assembled from fleshly organs and their phonemic replacements. This effect is compounded by the identity of the poet, Molinet, who—true to the rhetoriqueurs’ predilection for punning—frequently identifies himself as a machine (molinet, little mill) and is typically depicted in frontispiece illustrations, rebus-like, with the image of a windmill. In these and other graphic games, Molinet suggests a textual world that can only come into being through a collaborative give-and-take between the mechanical and the human.
Basal Stem Nitrate Tests for Irrigated Malting Barley

Nitrogen fertilizer use is essential for optimizing yield of irrigated malting barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) but must be managed carefully to achieve optimum grain protein concentrations demanded by the malting industry. Development of tissue tests, applicable for growing conditions in the desert Southwest, would be of benefit to growers for optimizing yield and grain protein of irrigated malting barley. Field experiments were conducted with two cultivars of malting barley [Morex (six row) and Crystal (two row)] under irrigated conditions in southern Arizona. The objectives were to (i) determine yield and grain protein response to N applications, (ii) determine the relationship between lower-stem tissue and sap NO 3 -N, and (iii) develop lower-stem and sap NO 3 test guidelines for N management in malting barley. Yields ≥90% of maximum relative yield and grain protein concentrations acceptable for malting were achieved at N rates (kg ha -1 ) of 242 to 269 (1997-1998) and 205 to 269 (1998-1999) for Morex and 162 to 178 (1997-1998) and 166 to 181 (1998-1999) for Crystal. Stem and sap NO 3 -N were significantly correlated in both cultivars, with r 2 values of 0.72 in Morex and 0.82 in Crystal. We propose that, to achieve acceptable grain yield and protein, lower-stem sap NO 3 -N in malting barley should be no less than 300, 180, and 120 mg L -1 and dry stem tissue NO 3 -N should be no less than 3000, 1000, and 800 mg kg -1 at Feekes growth stages 3, 7, and 10, respectively.
Quantitative polymerase chain reaction for hepatitis B virus DNA

Abstract To monitor and compare the effect of drugs on hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication in hepatitis patients, an accurate quantitative method with high sensitivity is needed. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the most sensitive method for the detection of HBV DNA, but because of sample to sample variability in amplification efficiency, the quantification of target nucleic acids by conventional PCR is inaccurate. Therefore, we developed a competitive PCR method with an internal standard which uses the same primers as the target HBV DNA. The standard was generated from the HBV S gene by PCR site-directed mutagenesis and differed from the native S gene by a single base which introduced an internal restriction enzyme site. For practical application, this method was used to quantitate the effect of the carbocyclic analogue 2′-de-oxyguanosine (2′-CDG) on HBV DNA replication in 2.2.15 cells, an HBV transfected HepG2 cell line. A decrease of HBV DNA level in the attomole range was demonstrated by the assay in the media of 2.2.15 cells treated with 2′-CDG. The results were verified by conventional HBV DNA slot blot analysis followed by densitometric scanning. Competitive PCR proved to be a sensitive, accurate and reliable method for HBV quantitation.
THE NUCLEAR AND MANY-BODY PHYSICS OF SUPERNOVA EXPLOSIONS

Motivated by the success of kinetic theory in the description of observables in intermediate and high energy heavy ion collisions, we use kinetic theory to model the dynamics of collapsing iron cores in type II supernova explosions. The algorithms employed, the rational for choosing them, and some preliminary results are discussed.
Development of fluorescent stains containing a lanthanide chelate as the light-emitting center

Abstract The objective of this work is to develop a series of fluorescent stains suitable for the simultaneous multiple labelling of cytological specimens for flow analysis. While these stains are primarily intended for cancer screening and detection, their usefulness extends to any area of citology where multiple fluorescent staining might be advantageous. The key requisites of these stains are high fluorescence intensity, very narrow emission bands, and chemical stability in aqueous media. Two lanthanide ions, europium(III) and terbium(III), are known to exhibit monochromatic light-excited luminescence in the visible region. This luminescence is sensitized when the metal ions are coordinated to rigidly chelating π-bonded O-donor and N-donor ligands, such as the anions of β-diketones and 1,10-phenanthroline. To take advantage of this effect and to enhance the stability of the fluorochromes in solution through the formation of fused polychelated species, various tris-β-diketones (LH 3 ) containing a benzene bridgehead have been synthesized. Depending on the reaction conditions, these ligands yield either monomeric or polymeric complexes with the Eu(III) and Tb(III) ions; the polymeric species, {ML} n , are anhydrous and do not show any tendency to bind additional O-donor or N-donor hetero-ligands. The absorption, emission, and excitation spectral properties of the complexes have been investigated; the unusual features observed for the excitation spectra of these and other tris-β-diketonato complexes will be discussed.