cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alzheimer’s Disease and History of Blood Transfusion by Apolipoprotein-E Genotype

Some dementias, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, may result from transmissible agents. To assess the possibility of a blood-borne transmissible agent in Alzheimer's disease (AD), we compared informant-reported history of blood transfusions among 326 newly recognized probable AD cases and 330 control subjects of similar age and sex, randomly selected from the same health maintenance organization population. Since risk of AD is increased in persons with apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 (APOE-e4) alleles, we examined whether the transfusion-AD relationship varies by APOE genotype. Transfusion was more frequent among controls (17.9%) than cases (12.0%) in the overall group (crude odds ratio = 0.62; 95% confidence interval = 0.40, 0.97). Similar risks were seen for transfusions occurring 10 years before the reference year. Stratified analysis by APOE-e4 genotype showed no effect modification. Logistic regression adjusting for age, sex, education, and presence of e4 did not change the transfusion-AD association. We conclude that a history of blood transfusion is not associated with increased risk of AD, nor does consideration of APOE-e4 status modify that conclusion.
Genetic evidence of multiple parentage in broods of cliff swallows

Parental exclusion analyses based on allozyme data were performed on 105 families of cliff swallows (Hirundo pyrrhonota) from southwestern Nebraska, USA. The protein products of seve polymorphic loci were resolved from blood, and at least one parental exclusion occurred at six of these loci. One or both putative parents were excluded for 35 nestlings from 22 different families. The mean number of non-kin nestlings in these families was 1.59. Non-kin nestlings were found in families with brood sizes ranging from two to five. A greater percentage of families in an 1100-nest colony had non-kin offspring than in two smaller colonics, although the difference was not statistically significant. Application of genetic models to these data and the observed distribution of parental exclusions suggested that multiple parentage in cliff swallows results more often from intraspecific brood parasitism than from forced extra-pair copulations. Based on the calculated probabilities of detecting non-kin, we estimate that 23.7% of all nestlings in our population are not the offspring of one or both of their putative parents. We estimate that about 43% of all cliff swallow nests in Nebraska contain at least one offspring resulting from intraspecific brood parasitism, and that about 6% of nests might contain offspring resulting from extra-pair copulations.
A simple proof for the exponential upper bound for some tenacious patterns

We present a method that provides very simple proofs for some instances of the Stanley-Wilf conjecture. Some of these instances had been proved before by much more complicated arguments, and some others are new.
Using PAGE-AHEAD for large FORTRAN programs

Virtual storage management allows an efficient use of computer memory through the cooperative actions of the computer hardware and the operating system which are completely transparent to application programs. However, when program data exceed the available memory space, the program elapsed time may be dominated by the time spent in paging I/O operations. The data transfer rate, as determined by the operating system implementation of demand paging, may be small when compared with the maximum I/O bandwidth that the I/O hardware could support. Page-ahead is a technique which complements the operating system support of demand paging on virtual storage systems in order to exploit the regularity and predictability which is typical of the data access pattern of large engineering and scientific (E/S) application programs. Application programs may exploit this regularity by using page-ahead to request paging operations from the operating system in anticipation of future needs and take full advantage of the operating systems I/O bandwidth to auxiliary paging store.
Inhibition of DMBA-induced mammary cancer by the monoterpene d-limonene.

We investigated whether the addition of d-limonene to the diets of rats would modify the process of mammary tumor induction by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA). When diets containing 1000 or 10 000 p.p.m. d-limonene were fed to rats from one week before DMBA administration to the end of the experiment (27 weeks post DMBA treatment), a significant reduction in mammary carcinogenesis was observed at each level. The inhibition of carcinogenesis was mainly due to an increase in latency; however, major differences in incidence could be seen during the follow-up period. For example, rats fed 10 000 p.p.m. of d-limonene had a 72% reduction in mammary tumors when compared to controls at 18 weeks post DMBA treatment. In addition to inhibiting the appearance of mammary tumors, d-limonene was also found to cause the regression of frank mammary tumors. No toxicity was evident in these rats even at the highest d-limonene dose. Control and all treated rats gained weight at the same rate throughout the experiment. In addition, no differences were found in their peripheral blood counts (Hct, total white cell and differential count).
Lower bounds in cones for solutions to the schrödinger equation

We investigate the asymptotic behavior of square integrable solutions Ψ of the Schrodinger equation (−Δ+V)Ψ=EΨ,E<0, in an open cone Ω⊂Rn. WhenV is a real function tending to zero at infinity in some specified sense, and when, in addition, the opening angle of Ω is greater than π/2, we prove precise lower bounds for Ψ in certain directions. In particluar, if Ω=Rn andU⊂Sn−1 is any nonempty open set, we show\( - \mathop {\lim }\limits_{r \to \infty } r^{ - 1} \ln \left( {\int\limits_U {\left| {\Psi \left( {r\omega } \right)} \right|^2 d\omega } } \right)^{1/2} = \sqrt { - E.} \)
Predictors of bone mineral density in aging healthy men varies by skeletal site

Factors contributing to the pathogenesis of osteoporosis in women are well defined. However, changes in bone mineral metabolism in aging men and the role of various factors in the pathogenesis of age-related bone loss in men are less well understood. To further clarify these changes, serum and urine biochemical parameters, and lumbar spine, hip, and total body bone mineral density (BMD) were evaluated in a small sample of 45 healthy men aged 20-80 years, and multiple regression models were developed to predict age-related bone loss. Serum calcium, phosphate, albumin, creatinine clearance, osteocalcin, C-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen, log-free androgen index, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), and androstenedione decreased with age, and serum sex hormone binding globulin and urine total and free pyridinoline increased with age. Femoral neck BMD decreased with age, but remained stable at the other sites measured. Multiple regression analysis indicated that serum phosphate, DHEA-S, and intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) predicted lumbar spine BMD. Age, serum phosphate, and PTH predicted femoral neck BMD. Urine-free deoxypyridinoline alone predicted femoral greater trochanter BMD. Weight, serum creatinine, and urine-free deoxypyridinoline predicted total body BMD. We conclude that predictor variables of bone density vary by skeletal site in healthy men. Alterations in adrenal androgens, phosphate, and PTH may be important in the pathogenesis of bone loss with aging in men.
Factitial disease: An update

Patients with factitial disease are often dependent and demanding, and show poor psychosexual development. Treatment begins with hospitalization to prevent further self-injury and then stresses cautious, supportive psychotherapy. Confrontation of the patient's denial is avoided until a good relationship has been established between the patient and therapist.
Fast globally optimal search in tree-structured dictionaries

This paper reviews recent best basis search algorithms. The problem under consideration is to select a representation from a dictionary which minimizes an additive cost function for a given signal. We describe a new framework of multitree dictionaries, and an efficient algorithm for finding the best representation in a multitree dictionary. We illustrate the algorithm through image compression examples.
Adaptive grid-based document layout

Grid-based page designs are ubiquitous in commercially printed publications, such as newspapers and magazines. Yet, to date, no one has invented a good way to easily and automatically adapt such designs to arbitrarily-sized electronic displays. The difficulty of generalizing grid-based designs explains the generally inferior nature of on-screen layouts when compared to their printed counterparts, and is arguably one of the greatest remaining impediments to creating on-line reading experiences that rival those of ink on paper. In this work, we present a new approach to adaptive grid-based document layout, which attempts to bridge this gap. In our approach, an adaptive layout style is encoded as a set of grid-based templates that know how to adapt to a range of page sizes and other viewing conditions. These templates include various types of layout elements (such as text, figures, etc.) and define, through constraint-based relationships, just how these elements are to be laid out together as a function of both the properties of the content itself, such as a figure's size and aspect ratio, and the properties of the viewing conditions under which the content is being displayed. We describe an XML-based representation for our templates and content, which maintains a clean separation between the two. We also describe the various parts of our research prototype system: a layout engine for formatting the page; a paginator for determining a globally optimal allocation of content amongst the pages, as well as an optimal pairing of templates with content; and a graphical user interface for interactively creating adaptive templates. We also provide numerous examples demonstrating the capabilities of this prototype, including this paper, itself, which has been laid out with our system.
The binding of a monoclonal antibody reactive with pp60v-src to the rat CNS both in vitro and in vivo: evidence that the epitope is present intracellularly as well as being associated with a number of antigenically related polypeptides located externally in the plasma membrane only in the synapic region

A monoclonal antibody, F4, has been produced which reacts with an epitope possessing an unusual subcellular distribution. It binds to the external surface of the neuronal plasma membrane only in the region of the synapse. This is evidenced by binding of F4 to presynaptic terminals in unfixed cultures of rat cerebellum and to preparations of unfixed synaptosomes. In addition, much larger amounts of the epitope are present intracellularly. In fixed nervous tissue, the epitope is found in many neurons, and is associated mainly with presynaptic plasma membranes, synaptic vesicles, postsynaptic densities (cerebral cortex and hippocampus, but not cerebellum), rough endoplasmic reticulum, and the Golgi apparatus. The epitope is especially abundant in large neurons (e.g. pyramidal cells). Similar amounts of epitope are present in the chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla. It is also expressed in ependymal cells in the brain, and in epithelial cells present in ducts of the medulla, but not cortex, of the kidney. However, the epitope is not found in glial cells in the brain, or in either liver, spleen, skeletal muscle, or testes. F4 is not species specific, as it binds to postmortem adult human cerebral cortex and neonatal cerebellum in a manner as described for the rat. It also binds to homogenates of brains of fish, chicken and mouse. The appearance of the epitope during development of the cerebellum in vivo and in vitro occurs in parallel with the differentiation of neurons and formation of synapses, though small amounts are also present in neuronal precursor cells. The F4 antibody can detect nanogram amounts of pp60v-src on immunodots. The strength of this reaction is high enough that F4 can be used to demonstrate pp60v-src-like immunoreactivity in Rous Sarcoma virus-transformed chick embryo fibroblasts. However, present evidence suggests that it may be premature to assign the immunocytochemical reactivity of F4 in the brain exclusively to pp60c-src. This conclusion is based on the fact that F4 reacts with several polypeptides from synaptic plasma membranes on Western blots of renaturing, two-dimensional gels that are dissimilar in size to pp60c-src, and from the fact that it can cross-react, albeit weakly, with several other serine protein kinases in an immunodot assay. Appreciation of this cross-reactivity, and of the evolutionary conservation of the epitope, as well as its sensitivity to denaturation, has led to our working hypothesis that F4 binds to a conformational epitope present on several polypeptides that may be most perfectly represented by some aspect of the catalytic domain of tyrosine protein kinases.
A unified wireless sensor network framework

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have been a significant area of research over the past decade. WSN systems are used in a wide range of applications such as surveillance, environmental monitoring, target tracking, wildlife tracking, personal health monitoring, machinery monitoring, and many others. With such wide ranging applications, there is active research in nearly every facet of the field including network topologies, communication protocols, node localization, time synchronization, and sensor data processing. This movement has largely been the result of the advances in microelectronics and low-power radio systems. These advancements have enabled the design and implementation of small, powerful, low-power, wireless sensor network systems. Like any emerging technology, a standard needs to be established to allow the advances in the field to be directly leveraged rather than requiring reinvention. This paper outlines the traditional approaches to WSN system design, and in contrast, proposes the necessary components of a unified WSN framework that would support the majority of present applications as well as providing the foundation for further advancements in the field.
Smooth connection of trimmed NURBS surfaces

An automatic smooth surface connection method that has the capability of tension control is presented. Given two trimmed NURBS surfaces, the new method constructs a smooth connection surface to connect the trimming regions of the trimmed surfaces at the trimming curves. The connection satisfies the pseudo-G1 or pseudo-C1 smoothness requirement, a condition not as strong as G1 or C1, but smooth enough for most industrial applications. The construction process consists of four major steps: connection curves construction and alignment, initial blends construction, setting up continuity constraints, and internal and external boundary smoothing. The advantages of the new method include: (1) providing the users with more flexibility in adjusting the shape of the connection surface, (2) the representation of the connection surface is compatible with most of the current data-exchange standards, (3) including the classical blending as a special case but with more flexibility on the setting of the rail curves, and (4) smoother shape of the resulting connection surface through an energy optimization process. Test cases that cover important applications are included.
Density dependence of the heat capacity anomaly in liquid 4He near lambda transition

Abstract We report a series of precision measurements of the temperature variation of the constant volume heat capacity C v of liquid 4 He near the lambda transition, in samples covering the complete density range between the saturated vapor and freezing pressures. For He II, our C v data have a temperature dependence that is close to logarithmic at all densities. For He I, C v is close to logarithmic only at the lowest densities, and obeys finite power laws at higher densities.
Dietary Supplementation With Vitamin E Ameliorates Cardiac Failure in Type I Diabetic Cardiomyopathy by Suppressing Myocardial Generation of 8-iso-Prostaglandin F2α and Oxidized Glutathione

Abstract Background Diabetic cardiomyopathy has been documented as an underlying cause of heart failure in diabetic patients. Although oxidative stress has been implicated in diabetic cardiomyopathy, much of the current evidence lacks specificity. Furthermore, studies investigating antioxidant protection with vitamin E in this unique cardiac phenomenon have yet to be performed. In the present study, we sought to determine whether vitamin E supplementation can confer cardioprotective effects against diabetic cardiomyopathy in relation to specific and quantitative markers of myocardial oxidative stress. Methods and Results Diabetes was induced in rats by a single injection of streptozotocin. Animals were fed either a basal diet or a diet enriched with 2000 IU of vitamin E per kilogram beginning immediately after induction of diabetes and continued for 8 weeks. Rats were examined for diabetic cardiomyopathy by left ventricular (LV) hemodynamic analysis. Myocardial oxidative stress was assessed by measuring the formation of 8- iso -prostaglandin F 2α and oxidized glutathione. In the unsupplemented streptozotocin-diabetic rats, LV systolic pressure, rate of pressure increase (+dP/dt), and rate of pressure decay (−dP/dt) were depressed, whereas LV end-diastolic pressure was increased, indicating reduced LV contractility and slowing of LV relaxation. These hemodynamic alterations were accompanied by increased myocardial formation of 8- iso -prostaglandin F 2α and oxidized glutathione. Vitamin E supplementation improved LV function and significantly attenuated myocardial 8- iso -prostaglandin F 2α and oxidized glutathione accumulation in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Conclusions These findings demonstrate the usefulness of vitamin E supplementation during the early phases of type I diabetes for the prophylaxis of cardiomyopathy and subsequent heart failure.
Language Functioning in 3-Year-Old African-American Children Exposed Prenatally to Cocaine. † 1217

Language Functioning in 3-Year-Old African-American Children Exposed Prenatally to Cocaine. † 1217
A study of several new and existing tests for heteroscedasticity in the general linear model

Abstract Several optimum non-parametric tests for heteroscedasticity are proposed and studied along with the tests introduced in the literature in terms of power and robustness properties. It is found that all tests are reasonably robust to the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) residual estimates, number and character of the regressors. Only a few are robust to both the distributional and independence assumptions about the errors. The power of tests can be improved with the OLS residual estimates, the increased sample size and the variability of the regressors. It can be substantially reduced if the observations are not normally distributed, and may increase or decrease if the errors are dependent. Each test is optimum to detect a specific form of heteroscedasticity and a serious power loss may occur if the underlying heteroscedasticity assumption in the data generation deviates from it.
Three on Three: A Tale for Business Ethics Classes

This article presents a novel approach to teaching business ethics to college students by relying on well-known aids to learning new, complex, and/or abstract material. The primary purpose of this article is threefold: (a) to explore some of the reasons why learning the basics of moral philosophies is relatively difficult for many students; (b) to review some of the proven methods of helping students learn complex and abstract concepts; and (c) to introduce a specific method that the author has used to help students more effectively learn about the most widely used moral philosophies.
The Need for Culturally Appropriate, Gender-Specific Global HIV Prevention Efforts with Vulnerable Women

More than 25 years into the HIV/AIDS epidemic, women are rapidly becoming the face of the pandemic. An estimated 15.4 million women aged 15 or older are living with HIV—approximately 46% of the glo...
Reconfiguring the Countryside: Power, Control, and the (Re)Organization of Farmers in West Mexico

This article examines the effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on Mexico's agricultural economy, with particular emphasis on the role of the government in economic restructuring aimed at privatization and global competitiveness. Government policy and practice have sought to revitalize select agricultural sectors that have faltered with the opening of the Mexican economy. This process will be explored through the analysis of the shifting relationship between the state and local elites in the northwest highlands of Michoacan, an area dominated by small-scale dairy farming. Much of rural Mexico has a long history of powerful caciques (local political strongmen) and their patronage networks, that have arisen in the service of state interests only to be replaced when political-economic conditions change. In this instance, neoliberal reforms have resulted in the reconfiguration of power and authority, and the emergence of new-style techno-caciques--well-educated political and economic entr...
Body Composition of a Nine-Year-Old Reference Boy

Summary in that of the adult (7). and therefore, density of FFBM is Utilizing available data and several assumptions, the body content of water, minerals, protein, carbohydrate, and fat has been estimated for a 9-year-old reference boy. This reference boy is leaner than the reference man (13.4 versus 15.3% of body weight) and his fat-free body mass exhibits greater concentration of water (75.5 versus 73.7%) and lesser concentrations of potassium (66.8 versus 68.1 mEq/kg) and total minerals (4.7 versus 6.9%). If agespecific values are used for composition of fat-free body mass (rather than the conventionally used constants based on adult body composition), it will be possible to avoid underestimation of fat content calculated from data on total body water and overestimation of fat content calculated from 40K counting data or from body density determined by underwater weighing. Speculation By utilizing age-specific constants for calculating body fat content from indirect measurement of body composition (te., total body water, counting, and body density) it will be possible to determine the extent of changes in fat content of the body of normal individuals and of those with specific illnesses or disorders, including obesity.
Critical Behavior of a Point Contact in a Quantum Spin Hall Insulator

We study a quantum point contact in a quantum spin Hall insulator. It has recently been shown that the Luttinger liquid theory of such a structure maps to the theory of a weak link in a Luttinger liquid with spin with Luttinger liquid parameters ${g}_{\ensuremath{\rho}}=1/{g}_{\ensuremath{\sigma}}=gl1$. We show that for weak interactions, $1/2lgl1$, the pinch-off of the point contact as a function of gate voltage is controlled by a novel quantum critical point, which is a realization of a nontrivial intermediate fixed point found previously in the Luttinger liquid model with spin. We predict that the dependence of the conductance on gate voltage near the pinch-off transition for different temperatures collapses onto a universal curve described by a crossover scaling function associated with that fixed point. We compute the conductance and critical exponents of the critical point as well as the universal scaling function in solvable limits, which include $g=1\ensuremath{-}ϵ$, $g=1/2+ϵ$, and $g=1/\sqrt{3}$. These results, along with a general scaling analysis, provide an overall picture of the critical behavior as a function of $g$. In addition, we analyze the structure of the four-terminal conductance of the point contact in the weak tunneling and weak backscattering limits. We find that different components of the conductance can have different temperature dependences. In particular, we identify a skew conductance ${G}_{XY}$, which we predict vanishes as ${T}^{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ with $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\ge}2$. This behavior is a direct consequence of the unique edge state structure of the quantum spin Hall insulator. Finally, we show that for strong interactions, $gl1/2$, the presence of spin nonconserving spin-orbit interactions leads to a novel time-reversal-symmetry breaking insulating phase. In this phase, the transport is carried by spinless chargons and chargeless spinons. These lead to nontrivial correlations in the low frequency shot noise. Implications for experiments on HgCdTe quantum well structures will be discussed.
Prospective MR signal-based cardiac triggering.

A cardiac motion compensation method using magnetic resonance signal-based triggering is presented. The method interlaces a triggering pulse sequence with an imaging sequence. The triggering sequence is designed to measure aortic blood velocity, from which cardiac phase can be inferred. The triggering sequence is executed repeatedly and the acquired data processed after each sequence iteration. When the desired phase of the cardiac cycle is detected, data are acquired using the imaging sequence. A signal-processing unit of a conventional scanner is used to process the triggering data in real time and issue triggering commands. Alternatively, a workstation, with a bus adaptor, can access data as they are acquired, process and display the data, and issue triggering commands. With a graphical user interface, the triggering pulse sequence and data-processing techniques can be modified instantaneously to optimize triggering. The technique is demonstrated with coronary artery imaging using both conventional two-dimensional Fourier transform scans and spiral trajectories. Magn Reson Med 42:82–86, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Investigating Social Media Applications for the Construction Industry

Social media has introduced substantial and pervasive changes to communication between organizations, communities and individuals. It has amplified the power of consumer-to-consumer conversations in the market place by enabling one person to communicate with literally hundreds or thousands of other consumers quickly and with relatively little effort. This research study focuses on the current and potential usage of social media within the construction industry. To expound, it investigates the social media platforms currently being utilized amongst construction organizations, analyzes the potential rewards and risks, and examines the innovation they provide specifically to make communication and collaboration more effective. To achieve these objectives, quantitative and qualitative data were collected from individuals and organizations within the construction industry. A social media log was developed to track activities on Facebook®, LinkedIn®, and Twitter® platforms for ten construction organizations with social media presence. Additionally, a survey questionnaire was distributed to construction industry professionals. Finally, open-end interviews were conducted with individuals from three construction organizations familiar with social media as a company resource. Results of data analysis reveal that many construction organizations are beginning to take advantage of social media benefits, but in general, the construction industry lags behind most other industries in terms of social media usage. The construction companies are using social media for the following applications: (1) recruitment; (2) disseminating company's and/or projects’ news; (3) client networking; (4) brand awareness; and (5) Showcasing innovations. It is found that most companies have not explored the full potential of social media and only using it as a sporadic one-way communication tool. Construction organizations must invest sufficient time and resources to support daily operations, maintenance, and security of social media resources in order to gain best results.
Transluminal angioplasty and intra-arterial papaverine for the treatment of cerebral vasospasm after ruptured arteriovenous malformations.

BACKGROUND This is the first report on the use of intra-arterial papaverine and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in two patients with severe, symptomatic cerebral vasospasm who suffered ruptured arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). CASE DESCRIPTIONS The source of hemorrhage was a venous aneurysm in the first case and a pedicular aneurysm of the distal posterior inferior cerebellar artery in the second case. In both cases, the AVMs were located in the superior vermis and there was minimal subarachnoid hemorrhage. The first patient underwent removal of the AVM before the period of cerebral vasospasm and the second patient underwent removal of the AVM after the cerebral vasospasm had resolved. The outcome was excellent in the first patient and poor in the second patient. CONCLUSION Arteriovenous malformation with ruptured aneurysms may be at high risk for cerebral vasospasm even when there is minimal subarachnoid hemorrhage. We recommend early treatment of AVMs with ruptured pedicular, intranidal, or venous aneurysms to avoid rebleeding and to allow for aggressive treatment of cerebral vasospasm. The management of cerebral vasospasm after AVM rupture is discussed.
Data fusion technique for handheld standoff mine detection system (HSTAMIDS)

Sensor data fusion techniques are currently being investigated for potential applications in Handheld Standoff Mine Detection System (HSTAMIDS). Overall HSTAMIDS's performance must be optimized and improved over individual sensor's performance. In addition, HSTAMIDS's performance must be carefully traded off with hardware complexity, packaging challenges, increased cost associated with the sensor fusion process and operational requirements in support of military combat missions.
Head length determination in bacteriophage T4: The role of the core protein P22

Abstract We have found that two different temperature-sensitive mutations in gene 22, ts A74 and ts 22-2, produce high frequencies (up to 85%) of petite phage particles when grown at a permissive or intermediate temperature. Moreover, the ratio of petite to normal particles in a lysate depends upon the temperature at which the phage are grown. These petite phage particles appear to have approximately isometric heads when viewed in the electron microscope, and can be distinguished from normal particles by their sedimentation coefficient and by their buoyant density in CsCl. They are biologically active as detected by their ability to complement a co-infecting amber helper phage. Lysates of both mutants grown at a permissive temperature reveal not only a significant number of petite phage particles in the electron microscope, but also sizeable classes of wider-than-normal particles, particles having abnormally attached tails, and others having more than one tail. Striking protein differences exist between the purified phage particles of ts A74 or ts 22-2 and wild-type T4. B1 ∗ , a 61,000 molecular weight head protein, is completely absent from the phage particles of both mutants, and the internal protein IPIII ∗ is present in reduced amounts as compared to wild type. The precursor to B1 ∗ is present in the lysates, but these mutations appear to prevent its incorporation into heads, so it does not become cleaved. The product of gene 22 (P22) is known to be the major protein of the morphogenetic core of the T4 head. Besides the mutations reported here, several mutations which affect head length have been found in gene 23, which codes for the major capsid protein (Doermann et al. , 1973 b ). We suggest a model in which head length is determined by an interaction between the core (P22 and IPIII) and the outer shell (P23).
Pulmonary venous drainage into the left atrial appendage facilitates transplantation of the left lung with difficult exposure

Heterotopic implantation of the pulmonary venous confluence into the left atrial appendage during left lung transplantation is a reasonable alternative technique to reestablish venous drainage when exposure of the native left pulmonary veno-atrial connection may be problematic. We used this approach in a 39-year-old woman with chronic bronchiectasis who underwent bilateral sequential lung transplantation through a clam-shell approach. Dense hilar scarring and a small left atrial size made exposure of the native left pulmonary veno-atrial connection difficult.
Guidelines for Designing Management Development Programmes

Management development is a widely recognised strategy for improving an organisation's effectiveness. Large amounts are spent to develop effective managers but few studies show these training programmes lead to improved organisational performance. The result is wasted time and money and the possibility of creating or reinforcing negative attitudes to management development. A four‐step process is suggested to minimise the possibility of conducting unnecessary or cost‐ineffective development programmes. It includes linking programmes to business plans, validating programme content, making programmes responsive to individual needs and encouraging the transfer of training. Each of these areas is discussed.
Two simple Shewhart-type multivariate nonparametric control charts

In many quality control applications, the necessary distributional assumptions to correctly apply the traditional parametric control charts are either not met or there is simply no enough information or evidence to verify the assumptions. It is well known that the performance of many parametric control charts can be seriously degraded in situations like this. Thus, control charts that do not require a specific distributional assumption to be valid, the so-called nonparametric or distribution-free charts, are desirable in practice. In this paper, two simple to use multivariate nonparametric control charts are considered. The charts are Shewhart-type charts and are based on the multivariate forms of the sign and the Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. The performance of the proposed charts is studied in a simulation study. Some observations and recommendations are made. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
CuZn superoxide dismutase deficiency: culprit of accelerated vascular aging process.

Impairment of endothelium-dependent responses is an early landmark of endothelial dysfunction in blood vessels with aging and/or cardiovascular diseases.1 A critical manifestation of endothelial dysfunction is the reduced bioavailability of NO, a key vascular protective molecule and an independent predictor of cardiovascular events.2 Hence, stimuli decreasing vascular NO bioavailability manifest impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation. Aging is associated with marked changes in the cardiovascular system, especially at the level of the vascular wall.3 Both structural and functional changes can take place at the level of the endothelium, vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC), and the extracellular matrix of blood vessels. Endothelial thickening and altered endothelium-dependent responses have been reported in aged animals. Clinical studies have also shown that endothelium-dependent relaxation of both conduit and resistance vessels declines progressively with age. In contrast, endothelium-independent relaxation to sodium nitroprusside is unaffected by aging, suggesting that the impaired relaxation with age is primarily because of the dysfunctional endothelium, rather than VSMC contraction.3 Although the mechanisms underlying the aging-induced endothelial dysfunction are complex and incompletely understood, oxidative stress is a key contributor.4 Exposure of endothelial cells to increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during the aging process makes them a prime target for oxidative stress. As the first and initiating oxygen free radical in the ROS chain, superoxide (O2−) consumption of NO is one of the most important mechanisms of endothelial dysfunction.5 Vascular cells possess multifaceted protective mechanisms against the toxic effects of ROS.4–6 Among them, the 3 superoxide dismutase (SOD) isoforms, the cytosolic copper zinc SOD (CuZnSOD, SOD-1), mitochondrial manganese SOD (MnSOD, SOD-2), and extracellular SOD (EC-SOD, SOD-3), have evolved as the key enzymatic defense system for converting O2− to hydrogen peroxide (H …
14.6-GHz LiNbO/sub 3/ microdisk photonic self-homodyne RF receiver

Nonlinear optical modulation combined with simultaneous photonic and RF resonance in an LiNbO/sub 3/ microdisk modulator is used to create a self-homodyne photonic RF receiver. Carrier and sidebands are mixed in the optical domain, and the modulated optical signal is detected using a photodetector. The photodetector has a bandwidth matched to the baseband signal. It filters out the high-frequency components and generates the baseband photocurrent. Receiver operation is demonstrated by demodulating up to 100-Mb/s digital data from a 14.6-GHz carrier frequency without any high-speed electronic components. A bit error rate of 10/sup -9/ is measured for 10-Mb/s downconverted digital data at -15-dBm received RF power. Preliminary results of employing this photonic RF receiver in a short-distance Ku-band wireless link demonstrate the potential of using high-quality optical microresonators in RF receiver applications.
Cardiovascular findings in arterial tortuosity syndrome.

A boy presented at birth with an axial diaphragmatic hernia, hyperelastic skin, hyperextensible joints, and arachnodactyly. During infancy, he developed bilateral inguinal herniae and generalized muscular hypotonia. Echocardiography showed an anomalous tortuous course of the pulmonary arteries with suspected stenosis of the left pulmonary artery. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging demonstrated elongation and tortuosity of the aortic arch and its branches (Panels A and B) and severe tortuosity …
Determination of Strontium in Ground and Whole Teeth by X-ray Emission Spectrography

Concentrations of strontium in samples of human enamel were determined by X-ray emission spectrography and compared with analyses of the same samples by atomic absorption. The spectrographic method is a rapid, nondestructive means to determine relative concentrations of strontium in tooth tissue samples.
Gravity Jitter Excited Cryogenic Liquid Slosh Waves in Microgravity Environment

The dynamical behavior of fluids, in particular the effect of surface tension on partially-filled rotating fluids (cryogenic liquid helium and helium vapor) in a full-scale Gravity Probe-B Spacecraft liquid helium container tank without probe imposed by various frequencies of gravity jitter have been investigated. Results disclose the conditions for the excitation of large amplitude slosh waves which should be avoided in the design of cryogenic liquid propellant system.
Run-time code generation as a central system service

We are building an operating system in which an integral run time code generator constantly strives to improve the quality of already executing code. Our system is based on a platform independent software distribution format twice as dense as Java byte codes that is translated into native code only at the time of loading. This initial translation happens in a single burst and puts compilation speed ahead of code quality, so that program execution can commence immediately. However, the native code generated during loading will usually not be executed for long. Immediately after a program has started running, its code image becomes a candidate for reoptimization. A background process that executes only during otherwise idle processor cycles continuously recompiles parts of the already running system, guided by run time profiling data, and is able to substitute already executing code in situ. This reoptimization encompasses not only user programs, but also many of the system libraries, eventually combining an application program and most of its dynamically loaded extensions and libraries into a single, fully cross optimized, quasi monolithic code image. Our system is thereby able to provide the efficiency of statically optimized software in spite of being extensible at run time.
An in-house assay for BK polyomavirus quantification using the Abbott m2000 RealTime system

BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) quantification is useful for monitoring renal transplant patient response to therapy. The Abbott m2000 RealTime System employed by some clinical laboratories to perform US Food and Drug Administration-approved assays can also be used to develop in-house assays such as the one presented here. This study aimed to validate an in-house quantitative real-time PCR assay targeting the BKPyV major capsid VP1 gene for assessment of viral load using the Abbott m2000 RealTime System. BKPyV load was measured in 95 urine and plasma samples previously tested for BKPyV by one of three laboratories (46 BKPyV-positive samples consisting of 35 plasma and 11 urine samples; 49 samples negative for BKPyV consisting of 47 plasma and two urine samples). Two additional plasma specimens from the College of American Pathologists proficiency testing survey were also analysed. Precision studies were performed by diluting a high-viral-titre patient sample into BKPyV-negative pooled plasma to create high-positive (6.16 log10 copies ml−1) and low-positive (3.16 log10 copies ml−1) samples. For precision studies of inter-assay variability, a high-positive (7.0 log10 copies ml−1) and a low-positive (3.0 log10 copies ml−1) sample were measured in 20 separate runs. The assay’s limit of quantification and limit of detection were 2.70 and 2.25 log10 copies ml−1, respectively. The assay was linear from 2.70 to 9.26 log10 copies ml−1. Of the 48 known positives, 43 were detected as positive, with three reported by the reference laboratory as values lower than the limit of detection. Two known positives at 3.27 and 3.80 log10 copies ml−1 tested negative by the m2000 BKPyV assay. Of the 49 known negative samples, 48 were negative by the m2000 BKPyV load assay, with one sample confirmed positive by a reference laboratory. Qualitative analysis prior to discrepancy testing demonstrated a sensitivity of 89.58 % and a specificity of 97.96 %. Precision studies demonstrated inter-assay coefficients of variation of 0.63 % (high positive) and 4.38 % (low positive). Genotyping was performed on 22 patient samples, of which 21 (95.45 %) were type I and one (4.55 %) was type II. In conclusion, the m2000 BKPyV viral load assay sensitivity, specificity, linear range, precision and cost effectiveness make it an attractive methodology for clinical laboratories using the Abbott m2000 RealTime System.
Comparative microarray analysis and pulmonary changes in Brown Norway rats exposed to ovalbumin and concentrated air particulates.

The interaction between air particulates and genetic susceptibility has been implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma. The overall objective of this study was to determine the effects of inhalation exposure to environmentally relevant concentrated air particulates (CAPs) on the lungs of ovalbumin (ova) sensitized and challenged Brown Norway rats. Changes in gene expression were compared with lung tissue histopathology, morphometry, and biochemical and cellular parameters in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Ova challenge was responsible for the preponderance of gene expression changes, related largely to inflammation. CAPs exposure alone resulted in no significant gene expression changes, but CAPs and ova-exposed rodents exhibited an enhanced effect relative to ova alone with differentially expressed genes primarily related to inflammation and airway remodeling. Gene expression data was consistent with the biochemical and cellular analyses of the BALF, the pulmonary pathology, and morphometric changes when comparing the CAPs-ova group to the air-saline or CAPs-saline group. However, the gene expression data were more sensitive than the BALF cell type and number for assessing the effects of CAPs and ova versus the ova challenge alone. In addition, the gene expression results provided some additional insight into the TGF-β-mediated molecular processes underlying these changes. The broad-based histopathology and functional genomic analyses demonstrate that exposure to CAPs exacerbates rodents with allergic inflammation induced by an allergen and suggests that asthmatics may be at increased risk for air pollution effects.
A generalized over-modulation methodology for current regulated three-phase voltage source converters

In most motor drive and utility applications, three-phase voltage source converters are required to operate in the over-modulation regions to improve steady-state capabilities and dynamic system performance and transit from the linear modulation region into the overmodulation and six-step modes seamlessly. This work presents a closed-loop current regulation concept for converter fed loads using the generalized space vector (GSVPWM) and generalized discontinuous carrier-based pulse-width modulation (GDPWM) schemes which operates effectively in the linear and overmodulation regions. The harmonic currents generated in these operational modes which naturally degrade the classical PI regulators are eliminated from the controller path by an open-loop harmonic current estimation scheme to ensure current regulation in the synchronous reference frame. The realization of the proposed modulation schemes and current regulation concept are validated by steady-state experimental results and dynamic response of a current regulated inverter feeding an impedance load.
Low temperature deposition of epitaxial BaTiO3 films in a rotating disk vertical MOCVD reactor

Epitaxial BaTiO3 thin films were deposited on MgO (100) in a rotating disk vertical metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) reactor at 700°C. The metalorganic sources used were titanium tetraisopropoxide and the highly volatile fluorinated barium precursor (Ba(hfa)2∙pentaethyleneglycolethylbutylether(PEB)). To facilitate growth at the lower temperature while suppressing the formation of BaF2 impurity phases, a strong oxidant consisting of a mixture of 80% N2O and 20% O2 was employed. The BaTiO3 films deposited at 700°C are phase pure and show only BaTiO3 {001} x-ray diffraction peaks. The x-ray rocking curve full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the BaTiO3 (002) peak was 0.82°. The fourfold symmetry and coincident position of the {110} peaks for both the film and substrate confirms in-plane epitaxy of cube-on-cube orientation. The Φ-scan FWHM of the BaTiO3 film is 1.05°. The growth temperature in this work is lower than the temperatures used in most comparable thermal MOCVD epitaxial oxide processes...