cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Linkage between cellular adherence and biofilm formation in Escherichia coli O157:H7 EDL933

During the establishment of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection, its capacity to adhere to host intestinal epithelial cells is the critical first step in pathogenesis. It also has the capability to form biofilms, and because both are surface activities, we sought to gain insight into a potential linkage between biofilm formation and adherence to epithelial cells. We conducted an adherence assay with 51 biofilm-negative mutants and two human epithelial cell lines, T84 and HEp2. Our results show that unlike wild-type cells, biofilm-negative mutants adhere poorly to epithelial cells. Some adhesin-negative mutants were fully competent in biofilm formation, however. Thus, biofilm-forming activity in E. coli O157:H7 EDL933 is required for adherence to T84 and HEp2 cells, but it is not sufficient.
Vitamin D requirements during pregnancy

Adequate vitamin D concentrations during pregnancy are necessary to ensure appropriate maternal responses to the calcium demands of the fetus and neonatal handling of calcium. The purpose of this report is to review studies that investigated maternal and neonatal outcomes of vitamin D deficiency or supplementation during pregnancy. Most studies reported included women at high risk of vitamin D deficiency, because of low vitamin D and calcium intake or decreased ability to synthesize endogenous vitamin D (attributable to lack of sun exposure or to heavily pigmented skin). Overall, vitamin D supplementation in these populations leads to improved neonatal handling of calcium. Results concerning benefits for fetal growth and bone development are inconclusive. There is no evidence of a benefit of supplementation during pregnancy above amounts routinely required to prevent vitamin D deficiency.
Outcome Measures for Parkinson's Disease Dementia: A Systematic Review

Background Parkinson's disease (PD) dementia (PDD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in PD, which severely affects patient functioning and quality of life and increases the risk for nursing home admission. Unfortunately, current treatment options for PDD are limited and have only marginal therapeutic effects. As novel treatments are developed, there will be a need to assess their efficacy in well-designed, randomized, controlled trials. However, there is no consensus on the optimal outcome measures for use in PDD clinical trials. Methods A systematic review of PDD clinical trials and empirical studies of outcome measures used in PDD was performed. Outcome measures were divided into 5 categories: (1) cognitive; (2) behavioral and mood; (3) activities of daily living and quality of life; (4) global; and (5) caregiver burden. Findings A total of 20 PDD pharmacological clinical trials were identified. These trials incorporated a broad array of outcome measures, which were used inconsistently across trials. We summarize the psychometric properties and other relevant data on outcome measures used, including their diagnostic utility, inter-rater reliability, test-retest reliability, responsiveness, clinically meaningful change, and availability of alternate forms. Conclusions We have identified the best-evidenced PDD outcome measures in each domain. Further research is needed to assess the validity, reliability, and clinically meaningful change of these measures in PDD to inform the design of future clinical trials and enhance the ability of clinicians, researchers, and policy makers to interpret study results. In addition, the development of outcome measures specific to PDD may be warranted.
A comparison of visual displays of negotiation support systems

A summary of research in the area of visual displays for negotiation support systems (NSSs) is presented and some guidelines are extracted. The operations and visual displays of four NSSs, are surveyed in detail: Policy PC, DecisionMaker, GDS1 (NEGO), and MEDIANSS. The four systems in question are discussed and analyzed in terms of graphics, color, text, ease of understanding and use of metaphors. Finally, a checklist for NSS visual displays is presented. >
Efficient identification of context dependent subgroups of risk from genome-wide association studies.

We have developed a modified Patient Rule-Induction Method (PRIM) as an alternative strategy for analyzing representative samples of non-experimental human data to estimate and test the role of genomic variations as predictors of disease risk in etiologically heterogeneous sub-samples. A computational limit of the proposed strategy is encountered when the number of genomic variations (predictor variables) under study is large (> 500) because permutations are used to generate a null distribution to test the significance of a term (defined by values of particular variables) that characterizes a sub-sample of individuals through the peeling and pasting processes. As an alternative, in this paper we introduce a theoretical strategy that facilitates the quick calculation of Type I and Type II errors in the evaluation of terms in the peeling and pasting processes carried out in the execution of a PRIM analysis that are underestimated and non-existent, respectively, when a permutation-based hypothesis test is employed. The resultant savings in computational time makes possible the consideration of larger numbers of genomic variations (an example genome wide association study is given) in the selection of statistically significant terms in the formulation of PRIM prediction models.
Purification of an Inducible DNase from a Thermophilic Fungus

The ability to induce an extracellular DNase from a novel thermophilic fungus was studied and the DNAse purified using both traditional and innovative purification techniques. The isolate produced sterile hyphae under all attempted growing conditions, with an average diameter of 2 µm and was found to have an optimal temperature of 45 °C and a maximum of 65 °C. Sequencing of the internal transcribed region resulted in a 91% match with Chaetomium sp., suggesting a new species, but further clarification on this point is needed. The optimal temperature for DNase production was found to be 55 °C and was induced by the presence of DNA and/or deoxyribose. Static growth of the organism resulted in significantly higher DNase production than agitated growth. The DNase was purified 145-fold using a novel affinity membrane purification system with 25% of the initial enzyme activity remaining. Electrophoresis of the purified enzyme resulted in a single protein band, indicating DNase homogeneity.
31Phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy: What does it tell us about alcohol‐induced liver disease?

1. Patients with a history of alcohol abuse were studied by 31P n.m.r. spectroscopy of the liver in vivo, and the results were related to the pattern of disease assessed by standard biochemical and histological techniques. 2. The ratios of metabolites measured from the 31P n.m.r. spectra were abnormal in patients with alcoholic hepatitis but not in those with fatty change or cirrhosis in the absence of hepatitis. In particular, the levels of phosphomonoesters were raised, with respect either to Pv, or to adenosine 5′-triphosphate. The level of phosphomonoesters showed a significant positive correlation with the severity of alcoholic hepatitis, assessed by histology. 3. The ratio of Pi to adenosine 5′-triphosphate was used as a measure of the energy status of the hepatocytes, and was unchanged between patients and controls.
The Interaction of Estradiol and Daylength in Modifying Serum Prolactin Secretion in Female Hamsters

Changes in serum levels of PRL have been implicated in the development of seasonal reproductive quiescence in male hamsters, yet the role of serum PRL in seasonal anestrus in the female has not been examined. The present studies were designed to examine the secretory patterns of serum PRL and the impact of estradiol on PRL secretion in female hamsters exposed to stimulatory and nonstimulatory photoperiods. In the first study, anestrous short day [6 h of light, 18 h of darkness (LD 6:18)] hamsters or metestrous cycling long day (LD 16:8) hamsters were decapitated at one of six timepoints over the 24-day. PRL was never detectable in the serum of anestrous females in short days; in cycling metestrous females, PRL was elevated during the light phase of the 24-h day. In a second experiment, LD 16:8 females were ovariectomized and implanted with 10-mm Silastic capsules that were either empty or filled with estradiol benzoate. Animals were then maintained in long days or transferred to short days and decapitated 4 weeks later. Estradiol dramatically enhanced serum PRL in both long and short day ovariectomized females, but levels were lower in short day females. Ovariectomy without estradiol treatment led to low levels of serum PRL, but levels were consistently lower in short day females than in long day females. The results suggest that low levels of serum PRL in the short day anestrous hamster result both from a loss of estradiol facilitation and from extraovarian effects of the short day photoperiod and may play a critical role in the loss of estrous cyclicity. (Endocrinology 108: 371, 1981)
A Laboratory Exercise To Demonstrate the Theory and Practice of Analytical Sampling

In analytical chemistry classes, the importance of gathering a proper sample for analysis of bulk materials is often addressed only briefly or not at all. Although a number of classroom and laboratory exercises have been developed to illustrate factors that impact error introduced by sampling, they generally do not demonstrate the main goal of applying sampling theory for chemical analysis: determining the quantity of sample necessary to achieve a desired error. In this analytical laboratory exercise, students obtain representative samples by initial calculation of the quantity of bulk material to gather to achieve a predetermined sampling error. Students also evaluate some of the properties of a sample that contribute to sampling error. These concepts are introduced in the laboratory using simple surrogate samples and are then applied to a “realistic” scenario that also incorporates gravimetric analysis techniques.
Poverty attitudes and their determinants in Lebanon's plural society

Abstract This paper examines the causal attribution of poverty among Lebanese Christian and Muslim students through a pre-conceptualized scale along fatalistic, individualistic, and structural dimensions. Factor analysis results reproduced the factor dimensions reported by J. Feagin [Psychology Today 6 (1972) 101–129; Subordinating poor persons: Welfare and American beliefs. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1975] explanations for the causes of poverty were more structural than individualistic. The MANOVA regression analysis showed no significant differences between religious affiliations (Muslim and Christian) and students' subjective report of their parents' level of educational attainment (high, medium, low). However, significant mean differences ( F (3,200)=3.43, p =0.018) are found for class on the individualistic dimension. There was some suggestion that parents of students whose occupational status appeared higher were more likely to favor individualistic explanations for poverty. The high rating on the structural dimension of the poverty scale showed Lebanese student attitudes to the causes of poverty in a rapidly changing society. Recommendations are offered for further research on heterogeneous samples.
Interstitiospinal action on forelimb, hindlimb, and back motoneurons

Responses of motoneurons supplying muscles of the forelimbs, hindlimbs, and back to stimulation of the interstitial nucleus of Cajal (INC) were recorded intracellularly in cats under chloralose anesthesia. Stimulation of the ipsilateral and contralateral INC evoked predominantly excitatory postsynaptic potentials in these motoneurons. Response latencies and properties of responses to multiple shock stimuli indicated that the responses were evoked by a di- or polysynaptic pathway. Stimulation of the anterior MLF (P2), which should have activated the entire interstitiospinal tract, but few reticulospinal or vestibulospinal fibers, evoked only polysynaptic responses. These results indicate that the INC does not establish direct synaptic connections with limb and back motoneurons.
Activity, selectivity, and deactivation of high-sodium HY zeolite

Abstract The effect of deactivation on the activity and selectivity of (very high) Na + content HY zeolite catalysts was studied in a pulse microreactor equipped with a thermogravimetric analysis unit (TGA). Cumene was used as the reactant. The Na + level studied was from 3.2 to 11.8% of Na 2 O. As the Na + content decreases, the acidity of the zeolite increases and deactivation decreases. The effect of coke level on selectivity to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, dimethylbenzene, ethyltoluene, cymene, and diisopropylbenzene depends on the Na + content. For example, the selectivity to benzene, the major aromatic formed by the fresh catalyst, decreases with increasing coke level and Na + level, while the selectivity to ethyltoluene increases under the same conditions. A maximum in selectivity with coke level is obtained for most other products. At intermediate Na + levels (around 7% Na 2 O), ethylbenzene shows a maximum in selectivity while cymene passes through a minimum. The maximum coke deposition and the coke level for the maximum incremental coke deposition are two important parameters that distinguish conversion and selectivity patterns.
Do we believe in penal substitution

Imagine that an offender has a devoted and innocent friend. The offender has been justly sentenced to be punished for his offence. But the friend volunteers to be punished in his place. If the friend undergoes the punishment that the offender deserved, does that render it permissible (or even obligatory) to leave the offender unpunished? Is that any reason at all in favour of sparing the offender? Mostly we think not. It is unheard of that a burglar's devoted friend serves the burglar's prison sentence while the burglar himself goes free; or that a murderer's still-more-devoted friend serves the murderer's death sentence. Yet if ever such a thing happened, we surely would hear of it – for what a newsworthy story it would be! Such things do not happen. And not, I think, because a burglar or a murderer never has a sufficiently devoted friend. Rather, because the friend will know full well that, whatever he might wish, it would be futile to offer himself as a substitute for punishment. The offer would strike the authorities as senseless, and they would decline it out of hand. Even if the friend managed to substitute himself by stealth, and arranged for it to be found out afterward that he had been punished in place of the offender, the scheme would fail. Once the authorities learned that the offender had gone unpunished, they would get on with the job.
An Automated Test Development of Parallel Tests from a Seed Test

Binary programming models are presented to generate parallel tests from an itembank. The parallel tests are created to match item for item an existing seed test and match user supplied taxonomic specifications. The taxonomic specifications may be either obtained from the seed test or from some other user requirement. An algorithm is presented along with computational results to indicate the overall efficiency of the process. Empirical findings based on an itembank for the Arithmetic Reasoning section of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery are given.
Electro-Absorption Effects at the Band Edges of Silicon and Germanium

The change in the absorption coefficient $\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\alpha}=\ensuremath{\alpha}(\ensuremath{\omega}, \mathcal{E})\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\alpha}(\ensuremath{\omega}, 0)$ due to the presence of an electric field $\mathcal{E}$ has been measured for the indirect-absorption edges of silicon and germanium and for the direct-absorption edge in germanium. The results show good qualitative agreement with the theoretical predictions. The quantitative deviations are caused by the presence of excitons and thermal and electric-field broadening, which have not been taken into account in the theory. The energies of the phonons which take part in indirect optical absorption have been determined from the room-temperature data and are in very good agreement with the values found at liquid-helium temperatures by other means.
New constructions for De Bruijn tori

A De Bruijn torus is a periodicd-dimensionalk-ary array such that eachn1 × ... ×ndk-ary array appears exactly once with the same period. We describe two new methods of constructing such arrays. The first is a type of product that constructs ak1k2-ary torus from ak1-ary torus and ak2-ary torus. The second uses a decomposition of ad-dimensional torus to produce ad+1 dimensional torus. Both constructions will produce two dimensionalk-ary tori for which the period is not a power ofk. In particular, for\(k = \Pi p_l^{\alpha _l }\) and for all natural numbers (n1, n2), we construct 2-dimensionalk-ary De Bruijn tori with order 〈n1, n2〉 and period\(\langle q, k^{n_1 n_2 /q} \rangle\) where\(q = k\Pi p_l^{\left\lfloor {\log _{p_l } n_1 } \right\rfloor }\).
Dissociation between c-fos gene expression and DNA synthesis in rat parotid glands.

Abstract Two experimental approaches were used to examine the relationship between c-fos gene expression and tissue proliferative responses. β-Adrenergic and muscarinic receptor stimulation yielded equivalent levels of c-fos expression, although only β-adrenergic receptor agonists are reported as capable of eliciting DNA synthesis in parotid cells. Similarly, β-adrenergic stimuli evoked comparable levels of c-fos expression in parotid cells from 2- and 12-month-old rats, whereas DNA synthesis has been shown to be much greater in younger animals. The results indicate that enhanced c-fos expression by itself is incapable of eliciting proliferative responses in rat parotid glands.
A note on inventory reorder point determination

Abstract Managerial decisions regarding timing of inventory replenishment are as important as determining the economic order size in inventory management. Yet most of the introductory texts on cost/managerial accounting and production/operations management do not adequately discuss reorder point determination, especially the condition on lead time demand that is necessary for valid application of the commonly reported formula for the reorder point. A clear understanding of the reorder point determination is important to students, teachers, and practicing managers alike. This note attempts to explain the underlying condition and modification needed in the reorder point formula.
Bleeding risk in patients with esophageal varices undergoing transesophageal echocardiography.

Background Bleeding from esophageal varices is a major potential concern during transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in patients with cirrhosis of the liver. As there are limited data on its risk in these patients, this was retrospectively assessed at our institution. Methods The hospital electronic medical record database at our university affiliated teaching hospital was searched for all patients with esophageal varices undergoing TEE from 2000 to 2012 and patient charts were reviewed for procedure-related bleeding complications. Results Twenty-four patients with esophageal varices were found (18 men, 57 ± 14 years). Nine patients had grade 2 esophageal varices, 15 patients had grade 1 varices, and 12 patients had portal hypertensive gastropathy. Alcoholic liver disease (9) and hepatitis C (8) were the most common etiologies of the cirrhosis with an average MELD score of 15. The most common indication for TEE was for possible endocarditis (15). Medications potentially increasing bleeding risk included warfarin in 2 and aspirin in 7 patients. Twelve patients were taking β-blockers for portal hypertension. There were no immediate bleeding complications and none of these patients were readmitted with bleeding. Conclusions TEE can be performed without serious bleeding risk in patients with grade 1 or 2 esophageal varices.
MULTICHARACTERISTIC PERFORMANCE-RELATED SPECIFICATION FOR HOT-MIX ASPHALT PAVEMENT: COMPLETE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

At a time when there is great interest in developing performance-related specifications incorporating multiple quality characteristics and several highly complex approaches are under development, it is questioned whether these procedures will be capable of providing the degree of practicality and ease of application sought by most practitioners. Alternatively, it is claimed that there is a simple, straightforward procedure that is suitable for most practical purposes. The components of this procedure have been successfully applied by the New Jersey Department of Transportation over a period of many years, and it is argued that additional complexity is rarely necessary or beneficial. An example is presented illustrating how readily obtainable data can be used, first to develop the performance model and then to develop the acceptance procedure for a specification for in-place air voids, thickness, and smoothness of hot-mix asphalt pavement. The example is presented in sufficient detail to demonstrate the ease with which this procedure can be learned and applied by individuals with only a basic background in engineering mathematics.
Subgrouping Patterns in a Group of Wild Cebus apella nigritus

Seasonal patterns of group fragmentation, including the size of subgroups and percentage of time spent in subgroups, may provide information on individual decision-making in response to resource distribution. Age-sex class composition of subgroup membership can offer insights into the social dynamics of the group as a whole. At most field sites, capuchins (Cebus spp.) form stable groups with no evidence of group fragmentation. Here I describe seasonal subgrouping patterns, including proportion of time spent in subgroups, subgroup size, age-sex membership, dyadic fidelity, stability of membership, and the effect of subgrouping on individual foraging efficiency, in a group of wild Cebus apella nigritus. From September 1996 to August 1997 the study group at the Estacao Biologica de Caratinga, Brazil divided into 148 different subgroups, on 99 of 194 census days. In contrast to expectations for subgrouping patterns as a response to seasonal distribution of resources, the proportion of days spent in subgroups did not vary significantly by season. Subgroup composition was relatively fluid, with multimale multifemale subgroups the most common throughout the year. Unimale multifemale subgroups were restricted to the wet season; in contrast, all-male subgroups and unimale unifemale subgroups occurred in the dry season. For both males and females, low rank predicted membership in smaller subgroups. For males, but not females, subgrouping coincided with increased foraging efficiency, as measured by increased time spent ingesting food and decreased time spent traveling on days with subgrouping compared to days with the group in a cohesive unit.
The UNLV Libraries: four years after the construction of a new main library

Purpose – To provide an introduction to a two‐volume special issue on Lied Library at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas that focuses on major changes, new services, and technology issues four years after the opening of the new main library. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 18 articles are featured, including a graphical time line of events, post‐construction thoughts, web site redesign, organizational change, the automated storage and retrieval system (LASR), and a virtual branch library, among other topics. Nine articles each will be published in Vol. 23, No. 1 and Vol. 23, No. 3 (2005). Readers should also access articles written three years previously in Vol. 20, No. 1 (2002) of Library Hi Tech titled “The New Lied Library at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas: focus on the planning and implementation of technology and change”. Findings – Technology and change in the construction of a new main library can assist and guide others contemplating similar library construction, reorganization projects, and technology and digital implementations. Originality/value – An introduction to the two‐part special issue.
Measuring the effects of problem-based learning on the development of veterinary students' clinical expertise.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether repeated exposure to simulated clinical cases, as employed in problem-based learning (PBL), accelerates the development of clinical expertise in veterinary students. METHOD: In 1995 all 122 second-year students at the Texas AM the data were then analyzed with and without the six groups included, and compared. The ANOVA yielded a significant result for all 24 groups (F(3,69) = 2.75, p = .0491) and for the 18 groups that performed physical examinations in all four cases (F(3,51) = 3.03, p = .0377). Significant linear contrasts were also found for all 24 groups (F(1,69) = 7.21, p = .009) and for the 18 groups (F(1,51) = 4.25, p = .044). Improvement in diagnostic efficiency could not be correlated with GPAs and was only somewhat correlated with the total amount of prior clinical experience reported by the students. CONCLUSION: Study findings suggest that there is a significant relationship between the repeated use of case simulations in PBL and the accelerated development of clinical expertise.
A comparison of picking, storage, and routing policies in manual order picking

Abstract This article examines the effect of three process decisions (picking, storage, and routing) on order picker travel, which is a major cost component of order fulfillment. The authors use a simulation model based on the operations of a distribution center that is currently picking one order at a time, storing product in a haphazard or random fashion, and using a simplistic procedure for routing pickers. Several picking, storage, and routing policies are evaluated to determine which process decision provides the greatest percent savings relative to the current baseline policies. Several sensitivity analyses are completed to examine the effect of order size, warehouse shape, location of pick-up/drop-off point, and demand distribution on performance. Results show that batching of orders yield the greatest savings particularly when smaller order sizes are common. Results also show the use of either a class-based or volume-based storage policy provides nearly the same level of savings as batching, while being less sensitive to the average order size.
Moral Dilemmas, Moral Reasoning, and Genital Herpes

The moral reasoning of 30 persons with genital herpes and 29 persons with no sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) was examined. Participants with herpes were recruited by advertising in the community, whereas participants in the non‐herpes group were recruited from an introductory psychology class at a local junior college and from a pool of community members who volunteered to participate in paid psychological experiments. Moral reasoning was examined by assessing reactions to dilemmas about STDs and Kohlbergian moral dilemmas. The participants' Kohlbergian level of moral reasoning was assessed using the Kohlberg moral stage model. The moral orientation of the participants was assessed using Gilligan's moral orientation model, which distinguishes between justice and care reasoning. Based on Kohlberg's and Gilligan's theories, the hypotheses of the study were that participants would respond with the same moral reasoning level and the same moral orientation across all dilemmas, persons with genital herpes ...
Multispectral imaging systems using acousto-optic tunable filter

This paper discusses recent activities of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in the development of a new type of remote sensing multispectral imaging instrument using acousto- optic tunable filter (AOTF) as a programmable bandpass filter. This remote sensor filter provides real-time operation; observational flexibility; measurements of spectral, spatial, and polarization information using a single instrument; and compact, solid state structure without moving parts. An AOTF multispectral imaging prototype system for outdoor field experiments was designed and assembled. Some preliminary experimental results are reported. The field system is used to investigate spectral and polarization signatures of natural and man-made objects for evaluation of the technological feasibility for remote sensing applications. In addition, an airborne prototype instrument is currently under development.
Impaired response to pneumococcal vaccine in systemic lupus erythematosus

An immunization proram with pneumococcal vaccine was carried out in 38 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Mean antibody levels at 1 month and 1 year were significantly lower than in normal controls. This decreased response did not correlate with drug therapy at the time of immunization. Other parameters such as anergy state, renal function, and serum immunoglobulin levels also did not correlate with antibody response. There were no adverse effects noted in the vaccinated group in comparison to matched non-vaccinated SLE patients.
Natural history of carotid artery disease on the side contralateral to endarterectomy.

Abstract The natural history of the nonoperated carotid artery opposite an endarterectomy was examined in 134 patients by means of ultrasonic duplex scanning over a period extending to 48 months. None of the nine deaths that occurred during follow-up was stroke related. A total of 22 arteries showed progression of disease over this period. By life-table analysis the mean annual rate of progression for all categories of disease was 12.6% and 7.4% for progression to a diameter reduction greater than 50%. Disease progression was more rapid in patients under 65 years of age. Symptoms occurred in 13 patients for an overall incidence of 10% and a mean annual rate estimated at 5%. All symptoms indicated transient ischemic attacks; there were no strokes. There was a strong relationship between the development of symptoms and stenoses greater than 80% either at the initial examination or secondary to progression. No correlation was found between the presence of bruits or their change over time and the progression or appearance of symptoms. Conservative management of nonoperated vessels opposite an endarterectomy appears appropriate until symptoms develop or a lesion greater than 80% is detected. (J VASC SURG 1984;1:62-72.)
What Gender Is Science

Looking at science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields across countries challenges the assumption that women in more economically and culturally modern societies enjoy greater e...
Identification of novel fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 gene mutations in actinic cheilitis and squamous cell carcinoma of the lip

Objective Activating mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene are responsible for several craniosynostosis and chondrodysplasia syndromes as well as some human cancers, including bladder and cervical carcinoma. Despite a high frequency in some benign skin disorders, FGFR3 mutations have not been reported in cutaneous malignancies. Actinic cheilitis (AC) is a sun-induced premalignancy affecting the lower lip that frequently progresses to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The objective of this study was to determine if FGFR3 gene mutations are present in AC and SCC of the lip. Study design DNA was extracted and purified from microdissected, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 20 cases of AC and SCC arising in AC. Exons 7, 15, and 17 were PCR amplified and direct sequenced. Results Four novel somatic mutations in the FGFR3 gene were identified: exon 7 mutation 742C→T (amino acid change R248C), exon 15 mutations 1850A→G (D617G) and 1888G→A (V630M), and exon 17 mutation 2056G→A (E686K). Grade of dysplasia did not correlate with presence of mutations. Conclusion The frequency of FGFR3 receptor mutations suggests a functional role for the FGFR3 receptor in the development of epithelial disorders, and perhaps this change may contribute to the pathogenesis of some AC and SCC.
A Personal History of the IBM PC

The development of the IBM PC was an exciting time-a brand-new design, a short design schedule, and lots of things to go wrong. An insider recalls the things that happened, the problems solved, and the interesting adventures along the way.
TESTICULAR DEFICIENCY: A CLINICAL AND PATHOLOGIC STUDY

SINCE the introduction into clinical medicine of the testicular biopsy by Hotchkiss (1) and by Charny (2) much progress has been made in elucidating the pathogenesis of various types of testicular deficiency. Some clinicians have been chiefly concerned with the problem of sterility (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). Others have studied syndromes with endocrinologic manifestations, such as eunuchoidism (7, 8, 9), a testicular syndrome associated with gynecomastia (10, 11, 12), and the male “climacteric” (13, 14, 15). Nelson (16, 17) has made a general review of the subject of hypogonadism and more recently other general papers (18, 19, 20, 21, 22) have become available. The present study is an attempt to elucidate the various syndromes associated with testicular deficiency, from three angles: clinical status, testicular histology as determined by biopsy, and endocrinologic pattern as judged by hormonal assay. CLINICAL MATERIAL In the eight years up to 1947, at the Massachusetts General Hospital, each of 256 persons on on...
Expanding trust beyond reputation in peer-to-peer systems

The issue of trust in peer-to-peer (P2P) needs to be addressed, especially if it is to evolve into a general information exchange system beyond file sharing. Mechanisms must be included, either directly into the peer-to-peer protocols, or as a separate protocol that is used with the peer-to-peer protocol. We propose a universal trust set based on Bayesian network that is user extensible, and a protocol on usage of trust data. The flexibility of this approach allows it to work like the trust models that have been proposed, and also allows for implementing more complex and fully encompassing models.
A microfluidic microbial fuel cell fabricated by soft lithography

Here we report a new microfluidic microbial fuel cell (MFC) platform built by soft-lithography techniques. The MFC design includes a unique sub-5 μL polydimethylsiloxane soft chamber featuring carbon cloth electrodes and microfluidic delivery of electrolytes. Bioelectricity was generated using Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 cultivated on either complex organic substrates or lactate-based minimal medium. These micro-MFCs exhibited fast start-ups, reproducible current generation, and enhanced power densities up to 62.5 W m(-3) that represents the best result for sub-100 μL MFCs. Systematic comparisons of custom-made MFC reactors having different chamber sizes indicate volumetric power density is inversely correlated with chamber size in our systems: i.e., the smaller the chamber, the higher the power density is achieved.
Calcium Entry Mechanisms in Salivary Glands

The organic and inorganic milieu of the oral cavity is regulated in large part through the secretions of salivary glands. These secretions are activated by a number of cellular signaling mechanisms, a major one being the cellular Ca2+ signaling system. Activation of phospholipase C by G-protein-coupled receptors results in release of intracellular Ca2+ and activation of Ca2+ channels in the plasma membrane. The intracellular release of Ca2+ is signaled by the second messenger, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. Ca2+ entry involves signaling from depleted intracellular stores to plasma membrane Ca2+ channels, a process referred to as capacitative calcium entry or store-operated calcium entry. The electrophysiological current associated with capacitative calcium entry is the calcium-release-activated calcium current, or Icrac. In the twenty years since the inception of the concept of capacitative calcium entry, a variety of activation mechanisms have been proposed, and there has been considerable interest in the possibility of transient receptor potential channels functioning as store-operated channels. However, in the past two years, two major players in both the signaling and permeation mechanisms for store-operated channels have been discovered : Stim1 (and possibly Stim2) and the Orai proteins. Activation of store-operated channels involves an endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ sensor called Stim1. Stim1 acts by redistributing within a small component of the endoplasmic reticulum, approaching the plasma membrane, but does not appear to translocate into the plasma membrane. Stim1, either directly or indirectly, signals to plasma membrane Orai proteins which constitute pore-forming subunits of store-operated channels.
Web labs for the Standard Template Library and the Java generic library in a CS2 course

This paper describes a suite of laboratory experiments for a CS2 course. The main thrust of the experiments is to promote an understanding of a container-class library: the Standard Template Library for C++ or the Java Generic Library for Java. All of the experiments are stored on the World Wide Web, and students have considerable latitude on when each experiment must be completed.
Patterns of India monsoon rainfall anomalies

Pattern characteristics of annual rainfall anomalies over India during 1900–72 are studied from precipitation records of 31 regional subdivisions and series of annual cyclone frequency and number of break monsoon days. Methods include spatial correlation, pattern stratification, and principal component and spectral analyses. Pattern stratification with respect to an all-India rainfall index yields largest concordant departures in the Central and Western portions of the country. Pattern stratification with respect to the largest annual frequency of cyclonic storms in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea show large positive rainfall departures over Eastern. Southeastern and Western India, and negative departures in the North and a limited area of the Southwest: for the collective of years with smallest storm frequency a partly inverse rainfall anomaly pattern is obtained. Pattern stratification with respect to the years of most numerous break monsoon days yields deficient rainfall in a large, broadly zonally oriented band across Central India, and positive departures in most other parts of ther country. Stratification with respect to the least numerous break monsoon days yields a broadly inverse pattern. The first eight principal component patterns account for 74% of the total variance. The first component resembles the pattern obtained by stratification with respect to the all-India rainfall index, the two time series being highly positively correlated. The third component is approximately inverse to the pattern constructed from stratification with respect to the most numerous break monsoon days, the two time series being negatively correlated. The seventh component is similar to the pattern derived from stratification with respect to the largest frequency of cyclonic storms: this is consistent with the positive correlation between the two time series. No physical significance is apparent for the other principal components. The combination of the various analysis techniques thus serves to identify spatial and temporal pattern characteristics of possible physical significance. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0870.1983.tb00206.x
Exceptional survival of a patient with large ventricular septal defect, bidirectional shunt, and severe pulmonary valve stenosis

Abstract A 74-year-old man has survived in good health for an exceptionally long time despite the presence of a moderate-to-large-sized membranous ventricular septal defect (VSD). He has remained acyanotic with New York Heart Association class I function. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography with color flow Doppler demonstrated a membranous VSD with left-to-right and right-to-left bidirectional shunts during ventricular systole and diastole, respectively, with an right ventricular systolic pressure of 93 mm Hg, dilation of the atria and the right ventricle, and right ventricular hypertrophy. The pulmonary valve was severely stenotic with transpulmonary valve peak velocity of 6.1 m/s and a peak pressure gradient of 147 mm Hg. The pulmonary artery and inferior vena cava were mildly dilated, and the left ventricular dimension and systolic function were normal. Transesophageal echocardiography with saline solution microbubble injection demonstrated positive contrast effect in the left ventricle in diastole confirming a right-to-left shunt at the ventricular level. This man is currently the oldest survivor with a moderate-to-large-sized membranous VSD reported in the literature. (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2002;15:665-7.)
Identification of Aortic Endothelial Cell Binding Proteins for Amadori Adducts in Glycated Albumin

The ability of glycated serum proteins, which exist in vivo predominantly as Amadori adducts, to influence cell biology suggests the existence of cell binding proteins that recognize glucose adducts in nonenzymatically glycated proteins. To explore this possibility, we applied detergent extracts of aortic endothelial cells to HPLC and to an affinity column of glycated human albumin immobilized onto Sepharose, which was eluted with alkaline pH. HPLC fractionation revealed a peak reactive in ELISA with glycated but not nonglycated albumin. Two polypeptides of approximately 110 kDa and 205 kDa were identified when the affinity bound proteins were electrophoresed, transferred to immunoblotting membranes, and reacted with an enzyme conjugate of glycated albumin containing Amadori adducts. These polypeptides did not react with enzyme conjugate of carbohydrate-free albumin, confirming their binding specificity for glucose modified albumin and absence of co-identity with previously described albumin-binding proteins. The molecular weights of the glycated albumin binding polypeptides are distinct from those described for bovine albumin modified by advanced glycation end products or by formaldehyde, indicating that Amadori adducts in glycated albumin are recognized by unique endothelial cell binding sites.
Review of immunoinformatic approaches to in-silico B-cell epitope prediction

paper, the current state of in-silico, B-cell epitope prediction is discussed. Recommendations for improving some of the approaches encountered are outlined, along with the presentation of an entirely novel technique, which uses molecular mechanics for epitope classification, evaluation and prediction. INTRODUCTION relatively new field of immunomics, which focuses on the interactions between a pathogen and a host, erects a bridge across the endeavors of informatics, genomics, proteomics, immunology and clinical medicine. Genomics and proteomics have both arisen to become independent arenas for research and development whist immunomics is lagging in this effort (De Groot 2006). Perhaps part of the issue is that many immunologists prefer traditional approaches to solving biological problems, believing that 'hands-on' results are somehow more significant than in- silico techniques. 9 Thus one finds that the computational tools available for the genome researcher have reached a level of maturity and recognition that an immunologist can only admire. The average immunologist is overwhelmed with a broad array of tools that are often highly specific in use, are not well understood nor characterized, have undergone fairly limited testing, and are often not publicly accessible. 9
The Impact of Goods and Capital Market Integration on European Monetary Politics

Members of the European Union (EU) have long attempted to unify their monetary policies, whether by fixing exchange rates or moving toward a single currency. The success of these attempts has varied over time, and among EU member states. This article argues that the degree to which a country is integrated into EU trade and finance has a major impact on its willingness to make the sacrifices necessary to pursue monetary integration, especially stability against Europe's anchor currency, the Deutsche Mark (DM). Higher levels of intra-European trade and investment increase the desirability of stabilizing exchange rates between European countries. Statistical evidence indicates that greater integration of goods and capital markets is associated with greater success in fixing national exchange rates against the DM. This implies that pressures for monetary integration will continue but will vary among countries, along with the degree to which they are economically linked to European trade and investment.
Supersymmetry on a euclidean spacetime lattice 1. A target theory with four supercharges

We formulate a euclidean spacetime lattice whose continuum limit is (2,2) supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory in two dimensions, a theory which possesses four supercharges and an anomalous global chiral symmetry. The lattice action respects one exact supersymmetry, which allows the target theory to emerge in the continuum limit without fine-tuning. Our method exploits an orbifold construction described previously for spatial lattices in Minkowski space, and can be generalized to more complicated theories with additional supersymmetry and more spacetime dimensions.
Reasoning with Probabilistic and Deterministic Graphical Models: Exact Algorithms

Graphical models (e.g., Bayesian and constraint networks, influence diagrams, and Markov decision processes) have become a central paradigm for knowledge representation and reasoning in both artificial intelligence and computer science in general. These models are used to perform many reasoning tasks, such as scheduling, planning and learning, diagnosis and prediction, design, hardware and software verification, and bioinformatics. These problems can be stated as the formal tasks of constraint satisfaction and satisfiability, combinatorial optimization, and probabilistic inference. It is well known that the tasks are computationally hard, but research during the past three decades has yielded a variety of principles and techniques that significantly advanced the state of the art. In this book we provide comprehensive coverage of the primary exact algorithms for reasoning with such models. The main feature exploited by the algorithms is the model's graph. We present inference-based, message-passing schemes (e.g., variable-elimination) and search-based, conditioning schemes (e.g., cycle-cutset conditioning and AND/OR search). Each class possesses distinguished characteristics and in particular has different time vs. space behavior. We emphasize the dependence of both schemes on few graph parameters such as the treewidth, cycle-cutset, and (the pseudo-tree) height. We believe the principles outlined here would serve well in moving forward to approximation and anytime-based schemes. The target audience of this book is researchers and students in the artificial intelligence and machine learning area, and beyond. Table of Contents: Preface / Introduction / What are Graphical Models / Inference: Bucket Elimination for Deterministic Networks / Inference: Bucket Elimination for Probabilistic Networks / Tree-Clustering Schemes / AND/OR Search Spaces and Algorithms for Graphical Models / Combining Search and Inference: Trading Space for Time / Conclusion / Bibliography / Author's Biography