cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A General Approach to Binary and Ternary Hybrid Nanocrystals

We describe and demonstrate a general strategy for engineering binary and ternary hybrid nanoparticles based on spontaneous epitaxial nucleation and growth of a second and third component onto seed nanoparticles in high-temperature organic solutions. Multifunctional hybrid nanoparticles that combine magnetic, plasmonic, and semiconducting properties and that are tunable in size and morphology can be realized, as demonstrated for combinations of Au, Fe3O4, and PbS or PbSe. The properties of each component within the hybrids can be modulated strongly by the conjugating component(s) aided by the coherent interfaces between them.
Automated dissolution testing of combination drug product using high-pressure liquid chromatography

An automated high-pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) system compatible with any standard tablet dissolution apparatus was developed. This system allowed the individual drug concentrations within a product to be determined simultaneously, even when the drugs had similar structures and UV spectra. This automated system permitted unattended sampling and concentration determination at predetermined time intervals. The dissolution medium was pumped continuously through a fixed-volume, microprocessor-controlled injector and returned to the USP rotating-basket dissolution apparatus. No corrections for the changing dissolution medium volume were necessary since each injection onto a reversed-phase HPLC column consumed just 10 μl of medium. Dissolution tests were performed on three brands of trisulfapyrimidines tablets. Sample injections were made automatically at 5.1 min intervals for ∼2 hr. Dissolution profiles were determined for each drug in each product. Statistically significant differences were found in the mean concentration-time values between drugs within a drug product and between drug products.
The overall Wiener index--a new tool for characterization of molecular topology.

Recently, the concept of overall connectivity of a graph G, TC(G), was introduced as the sum of vertex degrees of all subgraphs of G. The approach of more detailed characterization of molecular topology by accounting for all substructures is extended here to the concept of overall distance OW(G) of a graph G, defined as the sum of distances in all subgraphs of G, as well as the sum of eth-order terms, eOW(G), with e being the number of edges in the subgraph. Analytical expressions are presented for OW(G) of several basic classes of graphs. The overall distance is analyzed as a measure of topological complexity in acyclic and cyclic structures. The potential usefulness of the components of this generalized Wiener index in QSPR/QSAR is evaluated by its correlation with a number of properties of C3−C8 alkanes and by a favorable comparison with models based on molecular connectivity indices.
Dosimetry of small radiation fields for 10-MV x rays

Dosimetry for 10-MV x rays has been extended to radiation fields smaller than 4 X 4 cm which may be suitable for radiation therapy of small lesions, e.g., intracranial tumors, benign or malignant. Special consideration in this study was given to (i) the variation of dose with field size (collimator and phantom scatter), (ii) the central axis percentage depth doses, and (iii) the moving-beam therapy dose distribution. We conclude that simple dosimetric techniques can provide adequate physics background for stereotaxic radiosurgery with small radiation fields and high-energy x rays.
Analytic solution of a two-dimensional hydrogen atom. I. Nonrelativistic theory

The two-dimensional hydrogen problem is solved analytically. In the nonrelativistic case, exact formulas for energy eigenvalues and eigenfunctions for both the discrete and continuous parts of the spectrum, dipole matrix elements, dc Stark effect, single- and two-photon transition rates, and fine and hyperfine structures are obtained. Comparison is made between the two- and the three-dimensional cases. Some interesting aspects of the solution unique to the two-dimensional case are discussed.
Antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C in 2014

An all-oral therapy for treating hepatitis C (HCV) is now available for the most common genotypes although interferon-based therapy is still recommended for interferon-eligible patients with HCV genotype 1. For most patients, a prior history of treatment or presence of cirrhosis does not appear to significantly impact eradication rates with direct acting antivirals (DAA). The promising results from the numerous clinical trials of DAA's for HCV together with their tolerability represent a tremendous advance in our management of this disease, particularly as treatment is often well-tolerated, associated with few side effects and significantly shortened in duration. We will review several of the peer-reviewed landmark studies of DAA's for the treatment HCV and conclude with an expert commentary and five year view.
A Frobenius characterization of finite projective dimension over complete intersections

Let M be a module of finite length over a complete intersection (R,m) of characteristic \(p>0\). We characterize the property that M has finite projective dimension in terms of the asymptotic behavior of a certain length function defined using the Frobenius functor. This may be viewed as the converse to a theorem of S. Dutta. As a corollary we get that, in a complete intersection (R,m), an m-primary ideal I has finite projective dimension if and only if its Hilbert-Kunz multiplicity equals the length of R/I.
Congenital Pupillary-Iris-Lens Membrane With Goniodysgenesis: Histopathologic Findings in an Enucleated Eye

A 10-year-old boy with clinically confirmed congenital pupillary-iris-lens membrane with goniodysgenesis underwent light microscopic examination of the enucleated eye. The anterior segment changes consisted of the absence of the iridial pupillary sphincter muscle and dilator muscle processes. Endothelialization and descemetization of the anterior chamber angle and the anterior surface of the iris covered the original eccentric pupillary opening (occlusio pupillae), but grew around the fibrotic edges of the surgically created, patent pseudopupil, probably secondary responses to surgery. The anterior chamber findings in this case establish a localized syndrome that includes absence of the pupillary sphincter and dilator muscle processes. Incomplete development of the iris may be partly attributable to an abnormality of stromal development and inductions by the anterior neuroectodermal layer, together with anomalies of the pupillo-iridial vasculature.
Neuromonitoring for scoliosis surgery.

Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) are more sensitive to inhalation agents, with decreases in amplitude and increases in latency, compared with intravenous agents, such as propofol, ketamine, dexmedetomidine, and opioids. Ketamine and etomidate may be used to augment SSEPs. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) are the modality of choice for monitoring motor tract function, are easily abolished by inhalational agents, and negate the use of full neuromuscular blockade. Patients with immature neural pathways or preexisting neuromuscular disease may have abnormal baseline SSEP recordings. Maintenance of adequate physiologic parameters for normal neuronal functioning is critical to intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) during scoliosis repair.
A Classification of European Populations Based on Gene Frequencies and Cranial Measurements: A Map-Quadrat Approach

Classifications of European populations were produced based on 59 gene frequencies and 10 cranial measurements, but recorded for different population samples. A map-quadrat approach circumvented the problem of noncorrespondence of sampling localities. Clustering by standard numerical taxonomic procedures shows that these data are represented poorly as hierarchic classifications, but are associated with geographic regions. The agreement between classifications based on gene frequencies and those based on cranial variables is substantial (88%). Ordinations show genetic and morphometric continuity among these populations, although there is good regional separation on the whole. The relationships between phenetics, geography and language affiliation were examined by quadratic assignment methods. Both gene frequency and craniometric distances show significant correlations with geographic distances. The expected significant correlation between geographic distances and language affiliation is demonstrated. The gene frequency distances also show significant correlations with language distances. None of the partial correlations are significant. These analyses demonstrate a significant association of phenetics with language and geography, despite the lack of clear cut taxonomic structure in quadratted population data. For gene frequencies, these associations are more pronounced than for cranial measurements.
Gliding characteristics of tendon repair in canine flexor digitorum profundus tendons

The gliding resistance between the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendon and the proximal pulley system was measured using the method of S. Uchiyama, J.H. Coert, L. Berglund, P.C. Amadio, K.N. An (J. Orthop. Res. 13 (1995) 83) in 108 adult dog digits in vitro. The FDP tendons were then lacerated to 80% of their transverse section. Each tendon was repaired with one of the following six suture techniques: Kessler, modified Kessler, Savage, Lee, Becker and simple running suture alone. Each repaired tendon was then tested again using the same method. The Student-Newman-Keuls test for multiple comparisons was performed for statistical analysis. The average gliding resistances of the Kessler, Savage, and Becker repairs were significantly greater than the resistances of the Lee, modified Kessler, and running suture alone repairs (P < 0.05). The Lee suture technique had a significantly greater resistance than the modified Kessler repair and the running suture (P < 0.05). The results of the peak gliding resistance followed the same trends, except that the modified Kessler repair was significantly higher than the running suture alone (P < 0.05). Suture techniques with a multi-strand core suture, with knots located outside the tendon surface, and with multiple-loops on the tendon surface may result in increased gliding resistance between the tendon and pulley system after tendon repair.
Relationship Between Transit's Usual and Actual Mode Shares

One major source of transit mode share at the national level is the journey-to-work data from the U. S. Census Bureau's Decennial Census surveys conducted since 1960. These data can be used to determine transit's usual mode share, that is, the share of workers who state that they usually use transit for commuting. The relation of transit's usual mode share to its actual mode share, that is, the share of work trips made by transit as revealed by respondents to daily travel surveys, was studied. Theoretically, a simple aggregate model of workers who commute to work by transit or by nontransit means is built to establish a theoretical relationship between transit's usual and actual mode shares. This model establishes a necessary and sufficient condition for transit's usual share to be greater than its actual share. Empirically, the FHWA's 2001 National Household Travel Survey is used to measure transit's usual and actual mode shares for 34 transit market segments defined by 14 personal, household, and geogra...
Frequency space techniques for BRDF shading

The Bi-directional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) is a general way to represent reflection from surfaces. However, even when ignoring variations in location and wavelength, the BRDF is still a 4-dimensional function and the number of BRDF samples necessary for direct utilization can impose severe computational requirements. To address these and other problems, analytical BRDF equations have been developed for computer image simulations. Limitations remain since they may be empirical, appropriate only for specific surfaces, or require difficult-to-obtain physical parameters. BRDF shading based on signal processing methods has recently been presented in computer graphics that projects any BRDF onto an orthogonal basis set and then employs a truncated linear series for shading with controlled accuracy. This paper presents an overview of BRDF shading and frequency-space representations using orthogonal polynomials as basis functions. Techniques are then described that utilize the resulting linear shading equations to factor lighting and geometry components of a scene for image-based re-lighting. Statistical properties of images may then be partially computed for fixed views in a pre-process phase and employed to rapidly compute view properties for arbitrary lighting distributions and different BRDFs. Techniques are also described for producing correct blended BRDFS aimed at level-of-detail frequency-space shading.
Tackling a weighty problem

Jeffrey M. Friedman* and Rudolph L. Leibelt *Howard Hughes Medical Institute fLaboratory of Human Behavior and Metabolism The Rockefeller University New York. New York 10021 Obesity, defined as an excess of body fat relative to lean body mass, is associated with important psychological and medical morbidities, the latter including hypertension, ele- vated blood lipids, and Type II or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). There are 6-10 million individ- uals with NIDDM in the U. S., including 18% of the popula- tion over 65 years of age (Harris et al., 1987). Approxi- mately 45% of males and 70% of females with NIDDM are obese, and their diabetes is substantially improved or eliminated by weight reduction (Harris, 1991). As de- scribed below, both obesity and NIDDM are strongly heri- table, though the predisposing genes have not been identi- fied. The molecular genetic basis of these metabolically related disorders is an important, poorly understood problem. The Set Point Hypothesis The assimilation, storage, and utilization of nutrient energy constitute a complex homeostatic system central to sur- vival of metazoa. Among land-dwelling mammals, storage in adipose tissue of large quantities of metabolic fuel as triglycerides is crucial for surviving periods of food depriva- tion. The need to maintain a fixed level of energy stores without continual alterations in the size and shape of the organism requires the achievement of a balance between energy intake and expenditure. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate energy balance remain to be elucidated. The isolation of molecules that transduce nutn- tional information and control energy balance will be criti- cal to an understanding of the regulation of body weight in health and disease. The “set point” hypothesis, a useful model for the long- term regulation of energy balance, proposes that food in- take and energy expenditure are coordinately regulated by vegetative centers in the central nervous system, so as to maintain a relatively constant level of energy stores and, hence, body weight (Keesey, 1980; Harris, 1990). This hypothesis suggests that the status of energy stores is sensed by the central nervous system, and deviations in the intensity of a putative signal(s) results in adjustments in food intake and energy expenditure. Theset point model implies the existence of four major components of an en- ergy homeostasis system: afferent signals indicating the quantity/composition of energy stores, efferent processes regulating energy storage and expenditure (e.g., auto- nomic nervous system), efferent mechanisms controlling ingestive behavior (e.g., neuropeptides, other neurotrans- mitters), and integration of the first three components in the central nervous system. The hypothalamus plays an important role in regulating body weight and may be the site at which the set point
Mixed model variance adjustments when missing values aremultiply imputed

Abstract Studies frequently have missing values for both the dependent and independent variables. Multiple imputation (MI) techniques are approaches to replacing missing values so that complete-data analysis methods may be employed.
Emission abatement induced value changes

Abstract Emission abatement by economic activities induces fundamental changes in an optimum emission resource allocation. These changes involve the social value of emissions, the comparative advantage of certain activities as efficient polluters, the potential redundancy of certain environmental policies, and the comparative basis for levying emission eligibility fees and for evaluating incoming activities. In this paper I analyze these changes in the context of a linear model of resource allocation.
The palladium electrode in aqueous and nonaqueous titrimetry

Abstract Two modifications of the palladium-hydrogen electrode of Schwing and Rogers have been made and tested. A new form of “generation” electrode with a vertical palladium diaphragm and fast constant speed circulation has been devised. This form of electrode responds rapidly and has been used in a variety of acid-base titrations in aqueous and nonaqueous systems.
Introduction to Conventional Transmission Electron Microscopy

This 2003 book covers the fundamentals of conventional transmission electron microscopy (CTEM) as applied to crystalline solids. Emphasis is on the experimental and computational methods used to quantify and analyze CTEM observations. A supplementary website containing interactive modules and free Fortran source code accompanies the text. The book starts with the basics of crystallography and quantum mechanics providing a sound mathematical footing for the rest of the text. The next section deals with the microscope itself, describing the various components in terms of the underlying theory. The second half of the book focuses on the dynamical theory of electron scattering in solids including its applications to perfect and defective crystals, electron diffraction and phase contrast techniques. Based on a lecture course given by the author in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, the book is ideal for graduate students as well as researchers new to the field.
Trypanosoma cruzi: Preference for brown adipose tissue in mice by the Tulahuen strain

Abstract Different tissue tropisms of the Talahuen strain of Trypanosoma cruzi in C3H mice treated separately with daily subcutaneous injections of 75 mg 8-azaguanine/kg, 75 mg hydrocortisone acetate/kg, and untreated (controls) were demonstrated. It was found that trypanosomes have a prediliction to invade brown fat. Brown fat has been shown to be comparatively rich in steroid hormones and stearic acid. Certain steroid hormones, and possibly stearic acid, may play an important role in the metabolism of the parasite in the vertebrate host. The trypanosomes became more reticulotropic due to the influence of the drugs on the host's defense system. The adrenals, liver, spleen, and bone marrow of the hydrocortisone acetate-treated mice included significantly more trypanosomes than similar tissues of 8-azaguanine-treated mice. The controls showed the least infection. The parasitemias of the hydrocortisone acetate-treated mice were significantly higher than that of the 8-azaguanine-treated and the control mice. Results with 8-azaguanine treatment were intermediate between no treatment and hydrocortisone acetate treatment.
Asparagine catabolism in rat liver mitochondria

Abstract A large portion of mitochondrial asparagine (Asn) is degraded by asparagine aminotransferase to produce α-ketosuccinamate (αKSA), which is then hydrolized by ω-amidase to produce oxaloacetate (OAA) and ammonia. This is in contrast to the catabolism in the cytosol, where the main catabolic route for Asn occurs initially via asparaginase-catalyzed hydrolysis to form aspartate and ammonia. Mitochondrial production of OAA from Asn was followed by monitoring the decrease in the rate of succinate oxidation (which is inhibited by OAA) in both coupled and uncoupled mitochondria. Rapid OAA production was found to be dependent on the presence of both Asn and glyoxylate, and was eliminated by the aminotransferase inhibitor, aminooxyacetate (AOX). HPLC separation and quantitation of α-keto acids and amino acids allowed direct observation of the proposed mitochondrial pathway. Studies using l -[U- 14 C]Asn in mitochondria yielded labeled carbon in αKSA, OAA, and CO 2 when either an α-keto acid or glyoxylate was provided. The extent of the labeled carbon in these products was greatly influenced by factors that affected the citric acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation. Carbon dioxide production from Asn alone, even in the presence of AOX, suggested the existence of at least one additional Asn catabolic pathway in the rat liver mitochondria which does not involve αKSA as an intermediate.
WNT7B in fibroblastic foci of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Background Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating interstitial pneumonia causing a loss of respiratory surface area due to a proliferative fibrotic response involving hyperplastic, hypertrophic, and metaplastic epithelium, cystic honeycomb change, septal expansion, and variable inflammation. Wnt (wingless) signaling glycoproteins are known to be involved in lung development and tissue repair, and are up-regulated in patients with IPF. Based on previous qRT-PCR data showing increased Wnt7B in lungs of IPF patients, a systematic, quantitative examination of its tissue site distribution was undertaken.
Goal-setting for behavior change in primary care: An exploration and status report

Objective: This paper explores the behavior change method of goal-setting and reviews the literature on goal-setting in primary care for patients with chronic conditions. Methods: A literature search was conducted resulting in eight articles meeting the criteria of goal-setting interventions in primary care for adults or adolescents with chronic conditions. Results: Hypotheses are advanced that goal-setting is generally conducted by collaboratively working with patients to set short-term and specific goals, with follow-up to provide feedback to patients. The articles reviewed generally confirmed these hypotheses. This review did not focus on clinical outcomes, but on the processes of engaging patients in goal-setting discussions. Conclusion: Evidence that goal-setting is superior to other behavior change methods has not been shown. Since goal-setting is being utilized as a behavior change technique in many primary care sites, primary care practices can benefit from information on how best to implement this innovation. Practice Implications: Generally, clinicians are minimally involved in goal-setting discussions with their patients. Engaging patients in goal-setting can be done with interactive computer programs and nonclinical members of the primary care team.
Negative Social Comparison on Facebook and Depressive Symptoms: Rumination as a Mechanism

Recent research demonstrates that it is the quality rather than the frequency of social networking experiences that places individuals at risk for negative mental health outcomes. However, the mechanisms that account for this association have yet to be examined. Accordingly, this study examined whet
Self motion determination based on actuator velocity bounds for redundant manipulators

The movement of redundant manipulator joints that does not cause any end-effector motion is referred to as its self motion. Control schemes for redundant manipulators utilize its self motion to optimize a performance criterion. Thus, commanded joint motion at each sampling step is the sum of the minimum joint motion required for the desired end-effector motion and the self motion. However, the amount of self motion is limited by the bounds on actuator velocities, which are limited by the actuator torque bounds. A scheme is presented to determine the magnitude of self motion, the direction of which is determined by a gradient projection scheme. Implementation of this scheme on a Motorola 68020 VMEbus-based controller of a seven-degree-of-freedom manipulator is described.
Connecting Music, Art, and Science for Increased Creativity and Topic Engagement

‘Attention spans have shortened,’ is a common phrase often used in reference to today’s college students. As faculty and instructors, we need to address this issue through the utilization of innovative and creative techniques that aid in making our subjects accessible to our students. Connecting a serious topic such as microbiology with a ‘fun’ activity can increase student engagement and learning. Ideas to maintain student attention on a subject include providing information in 15- to 20-minute blocks, giving one- to two-minute assignments, and providing an active learning activity at least once per hour. But what if we could also increase their engagement with science by connecting it to things they already think of outside of class, and, in addition, make science thinking interdisciplinary? I have recently introduced exercises that connect music and art to various microbiology topics in my class. The creative processes in art and science have much in common. Albert Einstein recognized that both science and art delve into the mysterious by stating, “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science” (1). Connecting these subjects in the minds of our students will help them realize the importance of technology, industry, and progress in science and simultaneously emphasize the importance of art, music, and the humanities. The tools presented here will encourage students to connect new science information through the music and art they already know and, therefore, provide increased engagement and retention of the new knowledge. These techniques used in a microbiology class increased the amount of time spent thinking about new information, increased engagement with the information being presented, and encouraged critical thinking of microbiology topics. These tools were used in an upper level microbiology course, but the techniques can be easily incorporated into any course. The first tool uses music to (1) provide aural clues connected to specific pathogens; (2) encourage the student to interpret the song and identify ideas of the song with characteristics of the pathogen; and (3) allow the student to explore their own musical interests and connect that back to the topic pathogen. The second tool uses art to allow the student to (1) realize the intersection of art with science and (2) encourage critical thinking skills to conceptualize microbiology concepts from a unique perspective.
Believing in “Inner Truth”: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion in Nazi Propaganda, 1933–1945

Although most leading Nazis realized that The Protocols of the Elders of Zion was a spurious document, they found it useful in promoting belief in the international Jewish conspiracy of which they were already convinced. Authorship and other details were irrelevant, they averred, if the book expressed “inner truth.”
Reframing Marriage and Marital Delay Among Low-Income Mothers: An Interactionist Perspective

A common assertion in the family science literature is that low-income single mothers are increasingly retreating from marriage but still vaunt it as their ultimate relationship goal. To explain this paradox, scholars frequently cite inadequacies in men's marriageability, financial instability, and conflictual romantic relationships as primary forces in mothers' decisions not to marry. We propose an alternative reasoning for this paradox using symbolic interactionist theory and perspectives on poverty and uncertainty. Specifically, we highlight the contradictions between what women say about their desires to marry and what they actually do when the opportunity presents itself. We use exemplar cases from a longitudinal ethnographic study of low-income rural mothers to demonstrate our reasoning. Implications for future research and theory development are discussed.
α-Lipoic acid as a triglyceride-lowering nutraceutical.

Considering the current obesity epidemic in the United States (>100 million adults are overweight or obese), the prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia is likely to grow beyond present statistics of ∼3...
Evidence from coseismic slip gradients for dynamic control on rupture propagation and arrest through stepovers

Received 30 July 2008; revised 14 November 2008; accepted 18 December 2008; published 27 February 2009. [1] Analysis of historic slip distributions from large-magnitude continental strike-slip earthquake ruptures reveals a pronounced correlation between the distance over which slip decreases as a rupture approaches a structural ‘‘step’’ in the fault and the ability of the rupture to propagate through the step. Our analysis of coseismic slip gradients near these stepovers indicates that in earthquakes in which slip decreases gradually toward a step, rupture will not continue on the next segment. Conversely, in earthquakes in which slip decreases abruptly, rupture commonly renucleates on the next segment. The fact that ruptures that stopped had low slip gradients near stepovers, relative to those that continued, indicates that rupture dynamics control the propagation of rupture through stepovers. These results corroborate dynamic rupture models that show that ruptures in which slip decreases abruptly at a step generate strong seismic waves that serve to renucleate rupture on the opposite side of the structural step. There are several potential causes for gradual decrease of displacement as rupture approaches a stepover, including transference of deformation onto subsidiary structures, rheological contrasts that could dictate favored rupture propagation directions, the existence of stress shadows from previous earthquakes within the system, or other material or frictional heterogeneities. All of these are potentially observable, and, if mapped systematically, could provide the basis for a strong constraint on the likely end points of future earthquakes. Inasmuch as earthquake magnitude is strongly dependent on the size of the rupture, such predictions would be of great utility as a basic component of scenario-based earthquake rupture forecasts.
Late luteal phase dysphoric disorder and the thyroid axis revisited.

Late luteal phase dysphoric disorder (LLPDD), also known as premenstrual dysphoria, has been etiologically linked to both depression and thyroid disease. We examined baseline and TRH-stimulated thyroid function in 45 otherwise healthy women with prospectively confirmed LLPDD during the follicular and luteal phases of their menstrual cycles. The means of all thyroid variables were normal. Three (6.8%) subjects had elevated baseline TSH (mild hypothyroidism), and 6 (13.3%) had an exaggerated TSH response (delta max TSH) to TRH (subclinical hypothyroidism). A blunted delta max TSH (< 5 mU/L) was found in only 4.4% of the subjects. History of a past major psychiatric diagnosis (mostly depression) or a current personality disorder correlated with a lower delta max TSH. As baseline TSH, using the new ultrasensitive radioimmunometric assay, correlated strongly with delta max TSH, the utility of the TRH challenge is questioned. Our findings suggest that LLPDD is not related to depression on the basis of this mark...
Functional specificity of the Hoxa13 homeobox

To better define Abd-B type homeodomain function, to test models that predict functional equivalence of all Hox genes and to initiate a search for the downstream targets of Hoxa13 , we have performed a homeobox swap by replacing the homeobox of the Hoxa11 gene with that of the Hoxa13 gene. The Hoxa11 and Hoxa13 genes are contiguous Abd-B type genes located at the 5′ end of the HoxA cluster. The modified Hoxa11 allele ( A11 13hd ) showed near wild-type function in the development of the kidneys, axial skeleton and male reproductive tract, consistent with functional equivalence models. In the limbs and female reproductive tract, however, the A11 13hd allele appeared to assume dominant Hoxa13 function. The uterus, in particular, showed a striking homeotic transformation towards cervix/vagina, where Hoxa13 is normally expressed. Gene chips were used to create a molecular portrait of this tissue conversion and revealed over 100 diagnostic gene expression changes. This work identifies candidate downstream targets of the Hoxa13 gene and demonstrates that even contiguous Abd-B homeoboxes have functional specificity.
A Formalization of HIPAA for a Medical Messaging System

The complexity of regulations in healthcare, financial services, and other industries makes it difficult for enterprises to design and deploy effective compliance systems. We believe that in some applications, it may be practical to support compliance by using formalized portions of applicable laws to regulate business processes that use information systems. In order to explore this possibility, we use a stratified fragment of Prolog with limited use of negation to formalize a portion of the US Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). As part of our study, we also explore the deployment of our formalization in a prototype hospital Web portal messaging system.
Effects of velar resistance on speech aerodynamics

The level of intelligibility attained by speakers with cleft palate reflects not only the ability to achieve adequate velopharyngeal closure but other complex variables as well. When closure is inadequate, performance is influenced by compensatory responses of the tongue, vocal folds, respiratory muscles and nasal valve. The purpose of the present study was to determine how a loss of velar resistance associated with velopharyngeal inadequacy affects speech pressures and airflow. The pressure-flow technique (Warren, 1979) was used to assess mean airflow rate, mean intraoral and nasal pressures and velopharyngeal orifice areas in 211 subjects diagnosed as having cleft palate or velopharyngeal inadequacy. The data revealed that resistance fell as velopharyngeal orifice area increased. Intraoral pressures also fell as resistance dropped while nasal pressures and airflow rate increased. These findings suggest that individuals with velar inadequacy and associated low velar resistance compensate by increasing airflow rate in an attempt to maintain adequate pressures for consonant sound production.
Optimal synthesis and explicit state-space solution for a decentralized two-player linear-quadratic regulator

In this paper, we develop controller synthesis algorithms for decentralized control problems. The system considered here is an information structure, consisting of two interconnected linear subsystems. We construct the optimal controllers via a spectral factorization approach. Explicit state-space formulae are provided, and the order of the optimal controllers are established.
Will Molecular MR Imaging Play a Role in Identification and Treatment of Patients with Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Plaques

Although the translation of experimental molecular MR imaging agents is highly compelling, it is substantially more complex than the translation of radiolabeled imaging agents. The prognostic value, safety, and cost-effectiveness of molecular MR imaging for the detection of plaque inflammation will need to be demonstrated and will require a robust and collaborative effort among basic scientists, clinicians, epidemiologists, and industry. The well-conducted and valuable study reported by Amirbekian et al (1) in this issue of Radiology adds further momentum to this important endeavor.
Algorithms for alignment of mass spectrometry proteomic data

Motivation: The analysis of biological samples with high-throughput mass spectrometers has increased greatly in recent years. As larger datasets are processed, it is important that the spectra are aligned to ensure that the same protein intensities are correctly identified in each sample. Without such an alignment procedure it is possible to make errors in identifying the signals from peptides with similar molecular weight. Two algorithms are provided that can improve the alignment among samples. One algorithm is designed to work with SELDI data produced from a Ciphergen instrument, and the other can be used with data in a more general format. Results: The two algorithms were applied to samples drawn from a common pool of reference serum. The results indicate substantial improvement in consistently identifying peptide signals in different samples. Availability: The two algorithms are programmed using the R language and are available from http://krisa.ninds.nih.gov/alignment/ Contact: neal.jeffries@nih.gov
Site-specific DNA methylation contributes to neurotensin/neuromedin N expression in colon cancers.

The neurotensin/neuromedin N (NT/N) gene is expressed in fetal colon, repressed in newborn and adult colon, and reexpressed in ∼25% of colon cancers. Our purpose was to determine the effect of gene methylation on NT/N silencing in colon cancers. We found that the NT/N gene was expressed in human colon cancer cell line KM12C but not in KM20 colon cancer cells. Bisulfite genomic sequencing demonstrated that all CpG dinucleotides in the region from −373 to +100 of the NT/N promoter, including a CpG site in a distal consensus AP-1 site, were methylated in KM20 but unmethylated in KM12C cells. Treatment of KM20 cells with demethylating agent 5-azacytidine induced NT/N expression, suggesting a role for DNA methylation in silencing of NT/N in colon cancers. To better elucidate the mechanisms responsible for NT/N repression by DNA methylation, we performed gel shift assays using an oligonucleotide probe corresponding to the distal AP-1 consensus sequence of the NT/N promoter. Methylation of the oligonucleotide probe inhibited protein binding to the distal AP-1 site of the NT/N promoter, suggesting a potential mechanism of NT/N gene repression in colon cancers. We show that DNA methylation plays a role in NT/N gene silencing in the human colon cancer KM20 and that NT/N expression in KM12C cells is associated with demethylation of the CpG sites. DNA methylation likely contributes to NT/N gene expression noted in human colon cancers.
Media selection for high density recording channels

The implementation of high-density partial response channels in disk drives has been hampered by nonlinear interactions between transitions occurring in the write process. It is shown that the degree of nonlinearity is not characterized by the density relative to the isolated transition pulse width, but rather by the transition spacing in relation to the transition width. Factors that determine the transition width are examined. In particular, the potential gains from using low moment media are investigated. A nonlinear model of the disk channel is discussed. The dependence of partial response signaling on linear superposition is discussed. Eye patterns are shown revealing the effects of nonlinearities on a partial response system. >
Women and Development in Africa: How Gender Works . By Michael Kevane. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner. 2004. 244 pp. $55.00 cloth, $19.95 paper

This is perhaps the first comprehensive book on the subject of gender in Africa from a microeconomic perspective. Targeted toward upper-level undergraduates and graduate students, it provides an overview of many of the key debates among economists regarding gender and development. Although the book covers Africa as a whole, it also draws on insights based on extensive fieldwork Michael Kevane conducted in Burkina Faso and Sudan.
Situation awareness and virtual globes: Applications for disaster management

This paper presents research on the use of virtual globes to support the development of disaster event situation awareness in humans via open source information analysis and visualization. The key technology used for this research is the Context Discovery Application (CDA), which is a geovisual analytic environment designed to integrate implicit geographic information with Google Earth(TM). A case study of humanitarian disaster management is used to demonstrate the unique abilities of the CDA and Google Earth^T^M to support situation awareness. The paper provides some of the first empirical evidence on the utility of the virtual globes to support situation awareness for disaster management using implicit geographic information. The evidence presented was derived from evaluations by disaster management practitioners at the United Nations (UN) ReliefWeb project, an extremely relevant, yet difficult group to access for conducting academic disaster management research. Finally, ideas for future research on developing virtual globe applications to support situation awareness are described.
Myasthenia gravis associated with invasive malignant thymoma: two case reports and a review of the literature

Introduction Approximately ten to fifteen percent of patients with myasthenia gravis are found to have a thymoma, and twenty to twenty-five percent of patients with thymoma have myasthenia gravis. Thymomatous myasthenia gravis tends to have a difficult clinical course and poor prognosis.
Linked target selection for saccadic and smooth pursuit eye movements.

In natural situations, motor activity must often choose a single target when multiple distractors are present. The present paper asks how primate smooth pursuit eye movements choose targets, by analysis of a natural target-selection task. Monkeys tracked two targets that started 1.5° eccentric and moved in different directions (up, right, down, and left) toward the position of fixation. As expected from previous results, the smooth pursuit before the first saccade reflected a vector average of the responses to the two target motions individually. However, post-saccadic smooth eye velocity showed enhancement that was spatially selective for the motion at the endpoint of the saccade. If the saccade endpoint was close to one of the two targets, creating a targeting saccade, then pursuit was selectively enhanced for the visual motion of that target and suppressed for the other target. If the endpoint landed between the two targets, creating an averaging saccade, then post-saccadic smooth eye velocity also reflected a vector average of the two target motions. Saccades with latencies >200 msec were almost always targeting saccades. However, pursuit did not transition from vector-averaging to target-selecting until the occurrence of a saccade, even when saccade latencies were >300 msec. Thus, our data demonstrate that post-saccadic enhancement of pursuit is spatially selective and that noncued target selection for pursuit is time-locked to the occurrence of a saccade. This raises the possibility that the motor commands for saccades play a causal role, not only in enhancing visuomotor transmission for pursuit but also in choosing a target for pursuit.
College on Problems of Drug Dependence taskforce on prescription opioid non-medical use and abuse: position statement

This position paper from the College on Problems of Drug Dependence addresses the issues related to non-medical use and abuse of prescription opioids. A central theme throughout is the need to strike a balance between risk management strategies to prevent and deter prescription opioid abuse and the need for physicians and patients to have appropriate access to opioid pharmaceuticals for the treatment of pain. The epidemiology of prescription opioid use and abuse is reviewed. Non-medical use and abuse of prescription opioids are on the rise in the United States, illicit use of several widely prescribed opioids has increased disproportionately more than licit use, and the prevalence of prescription opioid abuse appears to be similar to that of heroin and cocaine abuse. There is a paucity of abuse liability testing of prescription opioids, and methods should be developed to fill critical gaps in our knowledge in this area. The role of regulatory agencies in preventing diversion of prescription opioids and identifying potential sources of diversion are discussed. More research is needed to identify those populations most at risk for abusing prescription opioids, and then to develop appropriately targeted prevention programs. Treatment options are discussed; these depend on whether or not an abuser is in pain. Prescription opioid abuse has harmful ramifications for the legitimate and appropriate use of opioids, including stigmatization, opiophobia, and undertreatment of pain. Recommended steps to take include further epidemiological research, laboratory testing of prescription opioids to determine abuse liability, and clinical trials to determine the efficacy of different approaches to the prevention and treatment of prescription opioid abuse.
Microdetermination of dissolved oxygen in water by a rapid spectrophotometric method

Abstract A spectrophotometric method utilizing the dye indigo carmine has been applied to the analysis of dissolved oxygen in water samples. Oxygen concentration has been determined by the decrease in absorbance at 410 mμ of reduced indigo carmine solutions oxidized by dissolved oxygen. A simple modification of the sample compartment of a Bausch and Lomb Spectronic 20 or 340 spectrophotometer allows rapid and accurate measurements to be made within 3 min. Dissolved oxygen in the ranges of 0 to 10% and 0 to 100% saturation can be analyzed without many of the interferences inherent in the standard Winkler method.
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Presenting as Splenic Rupture in an Adult

We present the case of a 66-year-old man with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia and splenic rupture. The adult presentation of congenital posterolateral diaphragmatic (Bochdalek) hernia is rare. We describe the operative approach and provide a brief review of the literature.
Automatic segmentation and statistical shape modeling of the paranasal sinuses to estimate natural variations

We present an automatic segmentation and statistical shape modeling system for the paranasal sinuses which allows us to locate structures in and around the sinuses, as well as to observe the natural variations that occur in these structures. This system involves deformably registering a given patient image to a manually segmented template image, and using the resulting deformation field to transfer labels from template to patient. We use 3D snake splines to correct errors in the deformable registration. Once we have several accurately segmented images, we build statistical shape models for each structure in the sinus allowing us to observe the mean shape of the population, as well as the variations observed in the population. These shape models are useful in several ways. First, regular video-CT registration methods are insufficient to accurately register pre-operative computed tomography (CT) images with intra-operative endoscopy video because of deformations that occur in structures containing high amounts of erectile tissue. Our aim is to estimate these deformations using our shape models in order to improve video-CT registration, as well as to distinguish normal variations in anatomy from abnormal variations, and automatically detect and stage pathology. We can also compare the mean shape and variances of different populations, such as different genders or ethnicities, and observe the differences and similarities, as well as of different age groups, and observe the developmental changes that occur in the sinuses.
Making freedom: the underground railroad and the politics of slavery

The Underground Railroad has an iconic, and mythic, place in the history of African-American enslavement in the USA. Few subjects in the historical literature on American slavery have won a larger ...