cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A sequence that directs transcriptional initiation in yeast

While RNA polymerase II of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae initiates transcription at discrete sites, these sites are located over a wide range of distances from the TATA box for different genes. This variability has led to a number of proposals for consensus sequences located at the initiation site which, in conjunction with the TATA box, would direct initiation. We tested this hypothesis via oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis, by placing the sequence CAAG, a member of one of these consensus sequences, upstream of the coding sequence of the CYC7 gene at a site at which initiation does not occur. The distance between the TATA sequence and this putative initiation site was varied by inserting it into the wild-type gene and three deletion mutants. The results demonstrated that this sequence can serve as an initiation site when located 49, 77, or 106 bp from the TATA sequence, but not when located 30 bp away.
Radial immunodiffusion quantitation of proteins by an antibody overlay technique

Abstract An economical alternative to the determination of proteins by single radial diffusion in antibody-containing agarose gel is described. The method, which is the equivalent of the above, consists of allowing the sample to diffuse into the gel layer, overlaying of the sample well with antibody-impregnated filter paper (10.2 μl/cm2), incubation in a moist chamber for 20 hr, determination of precipitin zone size, and plotting concentration vs precipitin zone size. The plot was a straight line equivalent to that obtained by Fahey and McKelvey (J. Immunol.94, 84–90, 1965). The average coefficient of variation was 1.6%.
Genesis of superlow friction and wear in diamondlike carbon films

Abstract Diamondlike carbon (DLC) films offer enormous possibilities for applications that require low friction and high wear resistance. The range of physical, chemical, mechanical, electrical, and optical properties offered by these films is also exceptional and can meet the increasingly multifunctional application needs of machine elements, microelectronics, and biological systems. Since the early 1990s, carbon has been used as a precursor in our laboratory for the design and synthesis of superhard and low-friction carbon films. As a result of systematic studies over the years, in 1997, we developed a new class of DLC films that provide friction and wear coefficients of 0.001–0.005 and 10 −10 –10 −9 mm 3 /N m, respectively, in inert-gas or vacuum test environments. This paper will mainly concentrate on the tribology of these superlow-friction carbon films and provide an update on our understanding of the fundamental tribological mechanisms of such films. It will also expand on the effects of hydrogen within the films and gaseous species within the test environments on friction and wear.
Covariations between mothers' responsiveness and their use of “do” and “don't” instructions: Implications for child behavior therapy

Fifty-two clinic-referred (20) and volunteer (32) mother-child dyads were observed in their home settings for 1 hour per dyad. Observers monitored the mothers' responsiveness during interactions with their children, and mothers' use of “do” and “don't” instructions were recorded; the children's compliance with instructions was also recorded, as well as their negative responses directed to mothers. Results showed the expected differences between clinic-referred and volunteer dyads, with the former mothers being less responsive and more inclined to issue “don't” instructions; the clinic-referred children were less compliant and more negative. All children were less compliant with “don't” instructions than “do” and, as expected, mothers' responsiveness scores were positively correlated with their use of “do” instructions in both groups. There was evidence that use of these instructions mediated the high correlation between mothers' responsiveness and their children's compliance.
Maximum urine concentrating ability in children with Hb SC disease: effects of hydroxyurea.

Studies in adults with Hb SC disease suggested that hydroxyurea reduced hemolysis and increased red cell hydration. Because increased hydration should diminish the polymerization tendency of Hb S we hypothesized that hydroxyurea might repair the urine concentration defect of HbSC disease. Eight Hb SC disease patients, aged 10 to 17 years, were given hydroxyurea daily. Maximal urine concentrating ability following overnight fasting and after subcutaneous arginine vasopressin (dDAVP), blood counts, and cell volumes were observed for 12–15 months. All patients had impaired urine concentrating ability prior to hydroxyurea treatment and failed to increase their ability to concentrate urine following treatment (maximum urine concentration after an overnight fast and dDAVP, 520–530 mOsm). Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and reticulocyte MCV increased after administration of hydroxyurea, and the reticulocyte count and ratio of red cell hemoglobin to reticulocyte hemoglobin fell but there was little change in PCV. Hb F increased substantially in 2 patients but showed little change in the remaining patients. There was no evidence that hydroxyurea was associated with increased urine concentrating ability in children with Hb SC disease. These results may reflect irreversible renal medullary damage prior to beginning treatment or insufficient intensity or duration of treatment. Am. J. Hematol. 64:47–52, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Quantitation of submicrogram concentrations of DNA by a modified Laurell electrophoresis method

Abstract Quantitation of DNA at concentrations below 1 μg/ml is difficult to achieve reliably, especially in the presence of interfering substances that are commonly present in complex biological mixtures such as human plasma. In addition, non-specific binding of DNA, presumably by protein, becomes a significant problem at low DNA concentrations. Rocket immunoelectrophoresis, as described by Laurell (1966), is limited in its sensitivity by the inability to visualize the immune precipitates at the very low antibody concentrations necessary to provide a linear assay in the submicrogram range of DNA concentrations. The present report is of a modification of the Laurell technique, using ethidium bromide staining with fluorescence enhancement, in combination with photography using a highly sensitive film and an appropriate light filter to allow measurement of the otherwise invisible rocket-shaped precipitates. In order to apply this assay to a complex biological fluid such as plasma, it was found necessary to add guanidine hydrochloride to the plasma which probably serves to minimize interfering protein-DNA interactions. The result is a reproducible, linear assay for DNA applicable to plasma or serum and presumably also to other biological fluids in the range of 0.125–20 μg of double stranded DNA per ml. To achieve this sensitivity, sample sizes of 3 μl were used so that, in absolute terms, the minimum quantitatible amount of DNA was 0.4 ng.
cis-Regulatory control circuits in development

During development, an organism undergoes many rounds of pattern formation, generating ever-greater complexity with each ensuing round of cell division and specification. The instructions for executing this process are encoded in the cis-regulatory modules that direct the expression of developmental transcription factors and signaling molecules. Each transcription factor binding site within a cis-regulatory module contributes information about when, where, or how much a gene is turned on, and by dissecting the modules driving a given gene, all the inputs governing expression of the gene can be accurately identified. Furthermore, by mapping the output of each gene to the inputs of other genes, it is possible to reverse engineer developmental circuits and even whole networks. At this higher level of organization, common bilaterian strategies for specifying progenitor fields, locking down regulatory states, and driving development forward emerge.
Adverse events after Japanese encephalitis vaccination: review of post-marketing surveillance data from Japan and the United States.

We determined the reporting rates for adverse events following the administration of inactivated mouse-brain derived Japanese encephalitis vaccine (JEV) based on post-marketing surveillance data from Japan and the United States. The rate of total adverse events per 100,000 doses was 2.8 in Japan and 15.0 in the United States. In Japan, 17 neurological disorders were reported from April 1996 to October 1998 for a rate of 0.2 per 100,000 doses. In the United States, no serious neurological adverse events temporally associated with JEV were reported from January 1993 to June 1999. Rates for systemic hypersensitivity reactions were 0.8 and 6.3 per 100,000 doses in Japan and the United States, respectively. Passively collected VAERS surveillance data indicate that characteristic hypersensitivity reactions with a delayed onset continue to occur among JEV recipients and that conservative recommendations limiting its use to travelers at high risk of infection with Japanese encephalitis are appropriate.
Surgeon compensation: “Pay for performance,” the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, the Surgical Care Improvement Program, and other considerations

In the United States, surgeon compensation evolved through stages including free market fee-for-service, usual and customary fees, and the present organized regulation by government and the health insurance industry. During the 1970s, the Nixon Administration introduced wage controls via Medicare, soon followed by the health insurance industry, and they have been in place since. During the 1980s, Medicare based physician payments on customary, prevailing, and reasonable charges. Under this system, Medicare reimbursement for physicians increased at a 15% compound rate between 1975 and 1987. Thus, the physician reimbursement rate was twice the growth rate of the gross national product during that period. So, in 1986 Congress established the Physician Payment Review Commission, which concluded that the customary, prevailing, and reasonable charges methodology drove the continuing increase in health care costs and that the increasing cost of physician reimbursement required more effective control. In 1992, Medicare introduced a
The response of barley aleurone layers to gibberellic acid includes the transcription of new sequences.

Summary In barley aleurone layers, gibberellic acid (GA 3 ) induces the synthesis of α-amylase while abscicic acid (ABA) inhibits this synthesis. The level of translatable mRNA for α-amylase is increased by GA 3 and by GA 3 +ABA but it is not known if this increase is due to a direct enhancement of transcription of α-amylase gene by GA 3 (transcriptional control) or to the processing of a precursor RNA (post-transcriptional control). To answer this question we have measured the levels of α-amylase specific mRNA sequences in barley aleurone layers using [ 32 P]DNA complementary to α-amylase mRNA. The results show that exposure of barley aleurone layers to GA 3 or GA 3 +ABA, leads to an increased accumulation of mature (∼ 1.6 Kb) α-amylase mRNA sequences.
New insights into the pathogenesis and drug treatment of myelofibrosis.

Purpose of reviewMyelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia was first described in 1879, classified as a myeloproliferative disorder in 1951, and characterized as a clonal stem cell disorder in 1978. Despite the passing of time, the molecular basis of the disease has remained elusive although substantial
AVO Analysis In Finely Layered Azimuthally Anisotropic Media

Over the years, amplitude-variation-with-offset (AVO) analysis has proved its usefulness in exploration of oil and gas reservoirs. However, the model conventionally used to interpret AVO anomalies - a single isolated interface between two isotropic half-spaces is often too simplistic. Here, I examine what can be obtained from AVO responses for a significantly more complicated reservoir model - a stack of plane azimuthally anisotropic layers. This model can be used to simulate AVO signatures over finely layered fractured reservoirs. I describe a processing technique which takes seismic data in the frequency - slowness domain, properly corrects it for slant wave propagation in a finely layered medium, and produces an instantaneous AVO intercept and an azimuthally varying AVO gradient as functions of vertical traveltime. Ideally, an obtained AVO intercept and gradient are those which would be recorded in the case of isolated interfaces and in the absence of interference between closely spaced reflections. I use an azimuthally dependent AVO gradient to obtain an instantaneous AVO azimuth, which corresponds to the direction of the greatest AVO gradient. In fractured reservoirs, the AVO azimuth is related to the orientation of vertical cracks. Therefore, fracture characterization is one of the potential applications of the described technique. I perform a numerical study to examine the stability of the azimuthal AVO with respect to errors in the velocity model of the reservoir, inaccuracies in wavelet estimation, and random noise in the data. The results of numerical examples indicate that azimuthal AVO is reasonably stable and suggest the possibility of detecting principal directions of azimuthal anisotropy in layers which are thinner than half of the dominant seismic wavelength.
DNA methylation and the association between genetic and epigenetic changes: relation to carcinogenesis

This paper examines the relationship between DNA mutagenic lesions, DNA methylation and the involvement of these changes in the process of carcinogenesis. Many types of DNA damage (oxidative lesions, alkylation of bases, abasic sites, photodimers, etc.) interfere with the ability of mammalian cell DNA to be methylated at CpG dinucleotides by DNA-methyltransferases (DNA-MTases). This can result in altered patterns in the distribution of 5-methylcytosine (5MeC) residues at CpG sites. Methylation of DNA is an epigenetic change that by definition is heritable, can result in changes in chromatin structure, and is often accompanied by modified patterns of gene expression. The presence of 5MeC in DNA, as well as oxidative stress induced by the free radical nitric oxide, can interefere with the repair of alkylation damage, thereby increasing the level of potentially mutagenic lesions. CpG sites in DNA represent mutational hotspots, with both the presence of 5MeC in DNA and the catalytic activity of DNA-MTases being intrinsically mutagenic. The process of carcinogenesis has frequently been associated with an increased expression of DNA-MTase activity, accompanied by either hypermethylation or hypomethylation of target cell (progenitor tumor cell) DNA. In addition, there is evidence that overexpression of DNA-MTase activity could result in increased cytosine methylation at non-CpG sites. A variety of chemicals can alter the extent of DNA methylation in mammalian cells. These include inhibitors of topoisomerase II, as well as inhibitors of DNA synthesis, microtubule formation, histone deacetylation, transmethylation, etc. Genetic and epigenetic changes in DNA have a profound influence on one another and could play a major role in the process of carcinogenesis, by modulating both the extent and the pattern of gene expression.
Feature detection in motor cortical spikes by principal component analysis

Principal component analysis was performed on recorded neural spike trains in rats' motor cortices when rats were involved in real-time control tasks using brain-machine interfaces. The rat with implanted microelectrode array was placed in a conditioning chamber, but freely moving, to decide which one of the two paddles should be activated to shift the cue light to the center. It is found that the principal component feature vectors revealed the importance of individual neurons and windows of time in the decision making process. In addition, one of the first principal components has much higher discriminative capability than others, although it represents only a small percentage of the total variance in the data. Using one to six principal components with a Bayes classifier achieved classification accuracy comparable to that obtained by a more sophisticated high performance support vector classifier.
Diamond turning wavefront correctors: Opening new optical design flexibilities

A wavefront corrector (WFC) is a component in an optical system which corrects for errors of an earlier optic which is imaged onto it. WFC's can be used in two-stage optics in which a primary mirror with large surface errors can be incorporated in the ''foveal mode'' to make an ultra-wide-field system and yield an upgraded high acuity image. WFC's, therefore, offer significant cost advantage for fabricating large telescope primaries. We report the JPL-LLNL first embodiment of this concept which includes a non-axisymmetric WFC containing greater than a wave of astigmatism and two waves of coma (1 wave = 0.63 ..mu..m). The 6 cm diameter WFC was diamond turned on a super invar substrate covered with 13% phosphorous electroless nickel. Metrology of the WFC with this great an error to 10th wave accuracy was challenging.
Differential regulation of gene expression by insulin and IGF-1 receptors correlates with phosphorylation of a single amino acid residue in the forkhead transcription factor FKHR

The transcription factor FKHR is inhibited by phosphorylation in response to insulin and IGF-1 through Akt kinase. Here we show that FKHR phosphorylation in hepatocytes conforms to a hierarchical pattern in which phosphorylation of the Akt site at S(253), in the forkhead DNA binding domain, is a prerequisite for the phosphorylation of two additional potential Akt sites, T(24) and S(316). Using insulin receptor-deficient hepatocytes, we show that T(24) fails to be phosphorylated by IGF-1 receptors, suggesting that this residue is targeted by a kinase specifically activated by insulin receptors. Lack of T(24) phosphorylation is associated with the failure of IGF-1 to induce nuclear export of FKHR, and to inhibit expression of a reporter gene under the transcriptional control of the IGF binding protein-1 insulin response element. We propose that site-specific phosphorylation of FKHR is one of the mechanisms by which insulin and IGF-1 receptors exert different effects on gene expression.
HF communications analysis for varying solar and seasonal conditions

High frequency (HF) radio communications is widely used in many military and civilian applications. This paper presents a link calculation analysis of an HF communication link under varying solar and seasonal conditions. Analysis is presented for two aircraft that communicate over a 3,000 Km horizontal distance link using HF while the ionosphere undergoes changes in ionization levels due to solar activity.
Fertility restorer locus Rf1 of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) encodes a pentatricopeptide repeat protein not present in the colinear region of rice chromosome 12

With an aim to clone the sorghum fertility restorer gene Rf1, a high-resolution genetic and physical map of the locus was constructed. The Rf1 locus was resolved to a 32-kb region spanning four open reading frames: a plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase, a cyclin D-1, an unknown protein, and a pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR13) gene family member. An approximately 19-kb region spanning the cyclin D-1 and unknown protein genes was completely conserved between sterile and fertile plants as was the sequence spanning the coding region of the Ca(2+)-ATPase. In contrast, 19 sequence polymorphisms were located in an approximately 7-kb region spanning PPR13, and all markers cosegregated with the fertility restoration phenotype. PPR13 was predicted to encode a mitochondrial-targeted protein containing a single exon with 14 PPR repeats, and the protein is classified as an E-type PPR subfamily member. To permit sequence-based comparison of the sorghum and rice genomes in the Rf1 region, 0.53 Mb of sorghum chromosome 8 was sequenced and compared to the colinear region of rice chromosome 12. Genome comparison revealed a mosaic pattern of colinearity with an approximately 275-kb gene-poor region with little gene conservation and an adjacent, approximately 245-kb gene-rice region that is more highly conserved between rice and sorghum. Despite being located in a region of high gene conservation, sorghum PPR13 was not located in a colinear position on rice chromosome 12. The present results suggest that sorghum PPR13 represents a potential candidate for the sorghum Rf1 gene, and its presence in the sorghum genome indicates a single gene transposition event subsequent to the divergence of rice and sorghum ancestors.
Southwest Watershed Research Center Data Access Project

[1] Hydrologic data, including rainfall and runoff data, have been collected on experimental watersheds operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) in southern Arizona since the 1950s. These data are of national and international importance and make up one of the most comprehensive semiarid watershed data sets in the world. The USDA-ARS Southwest Watershed Research Center has recently developed an electronic data processing system that includes an online interface (http://tucson.ars.ag.gov/dap) to provide public access to the data. The goal of the system is to promote analyses and interpretations of historic and current data by improving data access. Data are collected from sensors in the field and are transmitted to computers in the office. The data are then processed, quality checked, and made available to users via the Internet. The publicly accessible part of the system consists of an interactive Web site, which provides an interface to the data, and a relational database, which is used to process, store, and manage data. The system was released to the public in October 2003, and since that time the online data access Web site has received more than 4500 visitors.
Mixed-membership naive Bayes models

In recent years, mixture models have found widespread usage in discovering latent cluster structure from data. A popular special case of finite mixture models is the family of naive Bayes (NB) models, where the probability of a feature vector factorizes over the features for any given component of the mixture. Despite their popularity, naive Bayes models do not allow data points to belong to different component clusters with varying degrees, i.e., mixed memberships, which puts a restriction on their modeling ability. In this paper, we propose mixed-membership naive Bayes (MMNB) models. On one hand, MMNB can be viewed as a generalization of NB by putting a Dirichlet prior on top to allow mixed memberships. On the other hand, MMNB can also be viewed as a generalization of latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) with the ability to handle heterogeneous feature vectors with different types of features, e.g., real, categorical, etc.. We propose two variational inference algorithms to learn MMNB models. The first one is based on ideas originally used in LDA, and the second one uses substantially fewer variational parameters, leading to a significantly faster algorithm. Further, we extend MMNB/LDA to discriminative mixed-membership models for classification by suitably combining MMNB/LDA with multi-class logistic regression. The efficacy of the proposed mixed-membership models is demonstrated by extensive experiments on several datasets, including UCI benchmarks, recommendation systems, and text datasets.
Enhanced chondrocyte destruction by lymphokine-activated killer cells. Possible role in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective. The lysis of chondrocytes, the parenchymal cells of cartilage, by lymphocytes may provide a potent mechanism by which the immune system participates in sustaining joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We studied the capability of lymphocytes from healthy individuals and patients with arthritis to lyse chondrocytes. Methods. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were tested for their ability to lyse chondrocytes in a 51Cr-release assay. Enhancement of the chondrolytic activity was determined by preincubating the cells with T cell growth factor (TCGF) or recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) before cytotoxic testing. Results. PBMC from healthy individuals possessed a low ability to lyse chondrocytes, whereas cells from the synovial fluid of patients with RA displayed higher chondrolytic activity. In RA, modulating factors must come into play because not all synovial fluid sample cells showed high chondrolytic activity and cells from synovial tissue had little or no lytic action on chondrocytes. Chondrolytic activities of cells from all sources, including PBMC from healthy subjects and patients with arthritis and cells isolated from synovial fluid or from the synovial tissue of RA patients, were greatly increased by incubating the cells with TCGF or rIL-2. In contrast, treatment of chondrocytes with interferon-γ, which enhances major histocompatibility complex gene expression, decreased the susceptibility of chondrocytes to lysis. Conclusion. These observations suggest a mechanism for joint damage in which the destruction of chondrocytes by lymphocytes is controlled by cytokines released during the inflammatory process in arthritic diseases.
Proximity Sensing and Warning Technology for Heavy Construction Equipment Operation

The United States construction industry experienced 151 fatalities resulting from workers colliding with objects and equipment in 2009. These fatalities accounted for approximately 18% of the total construction fatalities and 3% of the total workplace fatalities experienced that year. Construction workers and equipment are often required to function at close proximity on construction jobsites. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of emerging radio frequency (RF) remote sensing technology that can promote safety in construction by providing real-time alerts for worker-on-foot and construction equipment operators when a potentially hazardous proximity situation exists. Numerous experiments designed to emulate typical interactions between workers-on-foot and construction equipment, including installing proximity sensing devices on actual construction equipment, were used to evaluate the proximity sensing technology. Results from the experiments indicate that real-time pro-active proximity sensing and warning technology can promote safety on construction jobsites.
What is available in syndicated film for television

The syndicated film is a mainstay of American television programming, but seldom has been studied. Standard books ignore it for the most part. The kinds of programming available from syndication sources is something every program director should know thoroughly, but often does not. Changes in personnel (at the film buyer and program director levels), particularly in one‐ or two‐station markets, may well make the kind of study performed by Mr. Lichty invaluable to the broadcaster needing an overview of available syndicated program product.
Meat Production from Forages in the Northeast

Abstract The purposes of this paper were to determine the animal-forage management practices used in the Northeast and to review practices which may increase efficiency of utilization. University agronomy and animal science specialists and producers in 12 Northeastern states were surveyed by mail questionnaire. Pertinent results are presented and are related to animal-forage management practices which have been developed and tested through research. Literature and results of surveying individuals are reviewed for factors such as present and potential use of land with soil and site limitations, annually-seeded forages, extension of the grazing season, continuous versus rotational grazing, forward and creep grazing, and grass-legume versus grass plus nitrogen for forage production in the Northeast.
Use of an Electron Multiplier Tube as a New Technique in Disintegration Experiments

An electron multiplier tube with 12 electrodes has been used as a detector in the bombardment of beryllium by protons of energy 239, 268, and 397 kv. The disintegration particles from the two possible reactions, $_{4}\mathrm{Be}^{9}(p,\ensuremath{\alpha})_{3}\mathrm{Li}^{6}$ and $_{4}\mathrm{Be}^{9}(p,d)_{4}\mathrm{Be}^{8}$, were selected by an electrostatic analyzer which measured directly their energies. The results for each bombarding voltage are given as an energy distribution curve which shows a complete resolution of the various peaks. All the particles, except the unstable $_{4}^{8}\mathrm{Be}$, were detected, an interesting feature being the detection of the recoil nucleus $_{3}^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ in its three states of ionization. The perfect resolution of the peaks is due to the fact that the target used was extremely thin and that no windows were used in the complete path of the particles from the target, through the analyzer and unto the detector, since the multiplier tube works in vacuum. Thus, no straggling was observed, and the width of the peaks coincide with the values predicted by the theory of the electrostatic analyzer for the slits used in these experiments. The ratios in which the three lithium ions appear are given and the problem of the probability for capture or loss of electrons by the ions is briefly discussed, on the basis of the ratio $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ of the electron orbital velocity to the velocity of the ion itself, as suggested by Bohr and used by Knipp, Teller, and Brunings in their treatment of heavy ions. The calculated values for $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ under our conditions are: for the process ${\mathrm{Li}}^{+++}$\ensuremath{\rightleftarrows}${\mathrm{Li}}^{++}$, $\ensuremath{\gamma}=1.22$, and for ${\mathrm{Li}}^{++}$\ensuremath{\rightleftarrows}${\mathrm{Li}}^{+}$, $\ensuremath{\gamma}=1.09$, which have a net effect of favoring the doubly ionized state of lithium. The actual counting rates observed indicate, in fact, that the ${\mathrm{Li}}^{++}$ is the more abundant of the three ions.
Tauroursodeoxycholate inhibits human cholangiocarcinoma growth via Ca2+-, PKC-, and MAPK-dependent pathways

Tauroursodeoxychate (TUDCA) is used for the treatment of cholangiopathies including primary sclerosing cholangitis, which is considered the primary risk factor for cholangiocarcinoma. The effect of...
Adenocarcinoid tumor of the periampullary region: A novel duodenal neoplasm presenting as biliary tract obstruction

An adenocarcinoid tumor of the duodenum, similar to those arising in the appendix, is reported. The tumor presented as a periampullary mass causing pancreaticobiliary obstruction. The microscopic features were typical of adenocarcinoid with diffuse infiltration of mucosa, submucosa, and smooth muscle by tubuloglandular structures lined by enteroendocrine and goblet cells. Signet ring cells were also present. It is desirable to distinguish adenocarcinoids from adenocarcinomas and typical carcinoids in this setting as, by analogy with appendiceal tumors, adenocarcinoids may be expected to have an intermediate prognosis.
Altered postnatal mitogenic responsiveness of adult rat splenic lymphocytes following in utero exposure to corn oil.

Pregnant rats were administered 160,000 USP units of retinol acetate in 0.5 ml corn oil by gavage on the 15th–19th days of gestation. In addition to untreated pregnant controls, another group of pregnant animals received 0.5 ml corn oil only over the same gestational interval. Mitogenic responsiveness of splenic lymphocytes obtained from adult offspring was evaluated using an in vitro lymphocyte transformation assay. Splenic lymphocytes (5 ± 105/well) were cultured for either 48, 72, or 96 h in the presence of either concanavalin A (Con A), phytohemagglutinin (PHA), or pokeweed mitogen (PWM). Lymphocyte responsiveness to the T-cell mitogens, Con A and PHA, was significantly reduced by 48 h of culture in the offspring of the corn oil control and retinol-acetate-treated groups and remained constant from 48 h to 72 h. Lymphocytes from the offspring of the untreated controls displayed a decreased mitogenic responsiveness to all three mitogens from 48 h to 72 h of culture. Responsiveness to the B-cell mitogen, PWM, was similar for splenic lymphocytes of all three groups. Furthermore, a significant increase in cellularity was observed in spleens obtained from the mature offspring of the corn oil control and retinol-acetate-treated groups. No differences were observed between lymphocytes obtained from offspring of corn oil control and retinol-acetate-treated animals in any of the parameters studied. Results of the present study permit us to suggest that monitoring postnatal immune function subsequent to prenatal insult is an area that should be especially considered by teratologists.
Public financing of private freight rail infrastructure to reduce highway congestion: A case study of public policy and decision making in the United States

As goods movement continues to increase it is expected to outpace infrastructure capacity in the United States. Moving a larger share of goods by rail rather than truck is a potentially cost effective part of a solution. Freight rail not only offers a substitute for truck trips but is a cleaner, more energy efficient, and safer alternative. Recently a number of private freight rail projects have received public funding. The public funds are aimed at increasing freight rail capacity with the goal of diverting some goods currently moved by truck to rail. While the benefits of moving goods by rail are relatively clear, it is unclear if public decision makers can effectively identify strategic rail investments that will achieve their policy goals. This study critically examines the analytical methods, models, and data that are commonly used to support decisions to provide public funds for private freight rail projects. This is accomplished through a case study of California’s Trade Corridors Improvement Fund program which provided $680 million for 11 freight rail projects. The study’s contributions include identifying critical analytical flaws and challenges affecting the benefit estimates that public funding decisions rely on. Improvements to current evaluation methods are also identified as are regulatory reforms and policy interventions that may offer more effective and reliable outcomes.
Application of a Sustainability Model for Assessing Water Main Replacement Options

Sustainable development, conceived as a new and multidisciplinary paradigm, is receiving much attention throughout the global community. The purpose of this paper is to apply the sustainability assessment model (SAM), an assessment and decision making methodology, to a water main replacement project in an urban environment to determine the most sustainable project alternative among three possible options. This case study presents the use of SAM in considering various multicriteria sustainability indicators while working towards achieving sustainability enhancement. Objectives of sustainability enhancement include: (1) minimizing environmental impact; (2) maximizing economical benefit and output; (3) social and cultural conservation and promotion; and (4) satisfying basic requirements such as structural soundness and capacity. Six assessment methods including the analytic hierarchy process, cost, pollution, energy, time estimation, and natural resource depletion analysis are used for both qualitative and quantitative sustainability indicators. The weighted sum model is then utilized to integrate the six independent assessment results to elicit the final decision.
Dopamine transporter scanning in the evaluation of patients with suspected Parkinsonism: a case-based user’s guide

Given the wide range of manifestations of parkinsonism and its mimics, the diagnosis may remain elusive or be misattributed in some patients. Dopamine transporter (DAT) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) (DaTscan), an imaging technique that probes the integrity of the presynaptic nigrostriatal system, can be useful in the evaluation of clinically complex parkinsonian disorders in the appropriate context and when adequately interpreted. Pearls and pitfalls in the use of DaTscan for the differential diagnosis of parkinsonisms are reviewed using a case-based format. While the DaTscan is no replacement for a careful neurological examination in ascertaining the likelihood of Parkinson disease or other parkinsonisms in most clinical scenarios, it can be useful in the assessment of disorders where an abducting resting tremor, a prominent postural tremor, or incongruent features are not sufficiently clear on exam to distinguish neurodegenerative parkinsonism from dystonia, drug-induced parkinsonism and functional (psychogenic) parkinsonism, respectively.
COUPLED NETWORK APPROACH TO PREDICTABILITY OF FINANCIAL MARKET RETURNS AND NEWS SENTIMENTS

We analyze the network structure of lagged correlations among daily financial news sentiments and returns of financial market indices of 40 countries from 2002 to 2012. Using a spectral method, we decompose the network into bipartite sub-structures, and show that these sub-structures are relevant to the performance of prediction models, bridging concepts from network theory and time series analysis. Our results suggest that, at the daily level, endogenous influences among financial markets overwhelm exogenous influences of news outlets, and that changes in financial news sentiments respond to market movements more substantially than they drive them.
The Evolution of Management Strategies for Blunt Aortic Injury

Blunt traumatic aortic injury is a leading cause of death after blunt trauma. Changes in the treatment of this potentially lethal condition include advances in diagnostic capabilities, with improved CT scanners and the development of improved surgical techniques. A wide spectrum of aortic injury can now be appreciated and such injury stratification identifies patients suitable for medical management alone, delayed surgical repair, or emergent surgical intervention. Finally, the development of endovascular technology has fundamentally changed the surgical repairs that can be successfully utilized in this challenging patient population.
Tridimensional (3D) Acculturation: Ethnic Identity and Psychological Functioning of Tricultural Jamaican Immigrants

This article replicates and extends understanding of tridimensional (3D) acculturation by investigating the ethnic identity and psychological functioning of tricultural Jamaican immigrant adults in...
Advance directives in an intensive care unit: experiences and recommendations of critical care nurses and physicians.

Aim of study This study explored the experiences of critical care nurses and physicians with advance directives (ADs) in an intensive care unit (ICU) to identify the benefits and limitations of ADs and recommendations for improvement. Methods, setting, and subjects This descriptive study, obtained by ethnographic means, was implemented in a 22-bed adult medical-surgical ICU in a large community hospital in the Midwestern United States. Subjects included 14 critical care nurses, 7 attending, and 3 fellow critical care physicians. Subjects were interviewed informally and formally. Patient medical records were reviewed for ADs. Results and conclusions Results supported numerous problems with ADs described previously and identified additional problems, including inability of ADs to prevent unwanted aggressive treatments outside of health care facilities, and patient reluctance to share ADs for fear of physicians "throwing in the towel" too early. Although most subjects described ADs as "useless," one helpful aspect was using ADs to shift perceptions of responsibility for end-of-life decision making and outcomes from the family/providers to the patient by reframing "pulling the plug" to "honoring patient wishes." Recommendations are described, including evolving the current emphasis of increasing completion of ADs to encourage patient-family discussions focused on quality of life to increase the likelihood of discussions occurring.
Comparison of Computational Aeroacoustics Prediction of Acoustic Transmission through a Loaded 2D Rotor with Flat Plate Theory

In recent work, the NASA Glenn Research Center Broadband Aeroacoustic Stator Simulation (BASS) code has been extended for use in the prediction of acoustic transmission through 2D realistic stators. To validate these results, a comparison was made between the BASS results and linearized flat plate analysis. It was found that spurious reflections from the outflow boundary condition caused significant errors in the BASS results. With the addition of a small sponge layer, the BASS results compared very well with the linearized analysis.
Optical Spectroscopy and Imaging as a Tool for Characterizing Silk as a Novel Biomaterial for Tissue Engineering Applications

We report on optical signatures that characterize different silk phases and discriminate between silk, cells and collagen. These methods could be used to optimize conditions for functional tissue development in tissue engineering applications.
Population Dynamics of the Red Pine Scale, Matsucoccus resinosae (Homoptera: Margarodidae): the Influence of Resinosis

Density of the red pine scale, Matsucoccus resinosae B and G (Homoptera: Margarodidae), and the related resinosis of its host, Pinus resinosa Ait., in a Connecticut plantation had a profound influence on scale biology, behavior, and population dynamics. Fecundity of the fall, 1975 generation was positively correlated with the density of feeding nymphs on 9 trees. During development of the subsequent summer, 1976 generation, the most heavily infested trees began to secrete resins from feeding wounds. Nymphs feeding on these trees required 2–3 wk longer to mature and females produced significantly fewer eggs than their mothers. Overwintering mortality was greatest among nymphs in the early substages of the 1st instar and among nymphs which colonized 1- and 2-yr-old growth. Since nymphal development was prolonged on heavily infested trees, a proportionately greater number of 1st-instar nymphs overwintered in earlier substages of development. Also, resinosis at the preferred colonization sites (3-yr-old growth) on these heavily infested trees forced crawlers to settle on the less desirable young growth. Consequently, nymphs on heavily infested trees suffered a greater percent overwintering mortality than did nymphs on less heavily infested trees. Dispersal of M. resinosae crawlers was density-dependent.
Iron Transport and Hemochromatosis

Iron is vital for all processes of life. It is the fourth most abundant element of the Earth's crust and a crucial component of countless biochemical pathways. It can readily accept or donate electrons during the interconversion of Fe3+ and Fe2+, and this property is fundamental to many of its biological roles. Iron is integral to the catalysis of the redox reactions of oxidative phosphorylation in the respiratory chain, and it provides a specific binding site for oxygen in the heme-binding moiety of hemoglobin, which allows oxygen transport in the blood. In contrast to these beneficial features, unless appropriately chelated, iron can catalyze the formation of highly reactive toxic compounds, such as hydroxyl radicals, via the Fenton and Haber-Weiss disproportionating reactions and can thereby lead to the damage of DNA and proteins and, hence, cellular destruction. Iron in the body must therefore be very carefully regulated. Furthermore, most environmental iron is in the Fe3+ state, which is almost insoluble at neutral pH. To overcome the virtual insolubility and potential toxicity of iron, a myriad of specialized transport systems and associated proteins have evolved to mediate regulated acquisition, transport, and storage of iron in a nontoxic way. We are gradually beginning to understand how these proteins individually and in concert serve to maintain cellular homeostasis of this crucial yet potentially very harmful metal ion. Recent studies of these proteins and their functions are shedding new light on the mechanisms underlying a wide range of human diseases associated with iron deficiency, iron overload, and other imbalances of iron metabolism. The cloning of the transferrin receptor in 19841was a major breakthrough. However, it proved frustratingly difficult to make subsequent progress in the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of iron transport. An understanding of iron deficiency, iron overload, …
The effects of clopidogrel and omeprazole on platelet function in normal dogs.

Omeprazole is used concurrently with clopidogrel to reduce gastrointestinal adverse effects. In humans, the concurrent use of these two drugs can reduce the antiplatelet efficacy of clopidogrel. Our objective was to determine the effects of omeprazole and clopidogrel on platelet function in healthy dogs. A crossover study utilized turbidimetric aggregometry (ADP and collagen) and the PFA-100® with the collagen/ADP cartridge to evaluate platelet function in eight healthy dogs during the administration of clopidogrel (1 mg/kg/24 h p.o.), omeprazole (1 mg/kg/24 h p.o.), and a combination of clopidogrel and omeprazole. Drug metabolite concentrations were also measured. Compared to pretreatment, on Days 3 and 5, with ADP as the agonist, there was a significant decrease in maximum amplitude on aggregometry for both clopidogrel and clopidogrel/omeprazole groups. The following revealed no significant differences between clopidogrel and clopidogrel/omeprazole groups when compared on Days 3 and 5: maximum amplitude on aggregometry with ADP or collagen agonists, and PFA-100® closure times. When compared to the clopidogrel group, clopidogrel metabolite concentrations in the clopidogrel/omeprazole group were significantly higher on Days 3 and 5. The concurrent administration of omeprazole and clopidogrel in healthy dogs was associated with an increase in the plasma concentration of an inactive metabolite of clopidogrel, but does not significantly alter the antiplatelet effects of clopidogrel.
Online process phase detection using multimodal deep learning

We present a multimodal deep-learning structure that automatically predicts phases of the trauma resuscitation process in real-time. The system first pre-processes the audio and video streams captured by a Kinect's built-in microphone array and depth sensor. A multimodal deep learning structure then extracts video and audio features, which are later combined through a “slow fusion” model. The final decision is then made from the combined features through a modified softmax classification layer. The model was trained on 20 trauma resuscitation cases (>13 hours), and was tested on 5 other cases. Our results showed over 80% online detection accuracy with 0.7 F-Score, outperforming previous systems.
A comparison of the visual and story frames Al Jazeera English and CNN employed during the 2011 Egyptian revolution

This study examines a month of cable news coverage of the Egyptian uprising in 2011. Specifically it examines how Al Jazeera English and CNN differ in their use of story and visual frames. The quan...
Design and implementation of a replay framework based on a partial order planner

In this paper we describe the design and implementation of the derivation replay framework, DERSNLP+EBL (Derivational SNLP+EBL), which is based within a partial order planner. DERSNLP+EBL replays previous plan derivations by first repeating its earlier decisions in the context of the new problem situation, then extending the replayed path to obtain a complete solution for the new problem. When the replayed path cannot be extended into a new solution, explanation-based learning (EBL) techniques are employed to identify the features of the new problem which prevent this extension. These features are then added as censors on the retrieval of the stored case. To keep retrieval costs low, DERSNLP+EBL normally stores plan derivations for individual goals, and replays one or more of these derivations in solving multi-goal problems. Cases covering multiple goals are stored only when subplans for individual goals cannot be successfully merged. The aim in constructing the case library is to predict these goal interactions and to store a multi-goal case for each set of negatively interacting goals. We provide empirical results demonstrating the effectiveness of DERSNLP+EBL in improving planning performance on randomly-generated problems drawn from a complex domain.