cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automated macular pathology diagnosis in retinal OCT images using multi-scale spatial pyramid and local binary patterns in texture and shape encoding

We address a novel problem domain in the analysis of optical coherence tomography (OCT) images: the diagnosis of multiple macular pathologies in retinal OCT images. The goal is to identify the presence of normal macula and each of three types of macular pathologies, namely, macular edema, macular hole, and age-related macular degeneration, in the OCT slice centered at the fovea. We use a machine learning approach based on global image descriptors formed from a multi-scale spatial pyramid. Our local features are dimension-reduced local binary pattern histograms, which are capable of encoding texture and shape information in retinal OCT images and their edge maps, respectively. Our representation operates at multiple spatial scales and granularities, leading to robust performance. We use 2-class support vector machine classifiers to identify the presence of normal macula and each of the three pathologies. To further discriminate sub-types within a pathology, we also build a classifier to differentiate full-thickness holes from pseudo-holes within the macular hole category. We conduct extensive experiments on a large dataset of 326 OCT scans from 136 subjects. The results show that the proposed method is very effective (all AUC > 0.93).
Abstract 1253: Combination of chloroquine to inhibitors of the HER family receptors leads to synergistic growth inhibition of breast cancer cell lines

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Autophagy is emerging as a new mechanism of cellular escape from different forms of cellular stress including the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic agents. There is preclinical evidence that this mechanism may explain tumor resistance to chemotherapy as well as to biologic agents. In this study, we investigated the effects of the combination of inhibitors of autophagy and inhibitors of the HER family of receptors in breast cancer cell lines. Chloroquine (CQ) is a 4-aminoquinolone with antimalarial, immunosuppressive, and anti-autophagy activity. It raises the intra-lysosomal pH thereby impairing protein degradation and causing accumulation of autophagosomes. Erlotinib (E) is an inhibitor of the EGFR tyrosine kinase and trastuzumab (T) is a monoclonal antibody against the HER2 receptor. We used the SK-BR-3 cell line (high ErbB1 and ErbB2 expression), and the MCF-7 cell line (low ErbB1 and ErbB2 expression) and studied the effect of T alone, E alone, and in combination with CQ on cell growth inhibition using the MTT assay. Our results indicate that combinations of CQ and T or E for 7 days cause synergistic cell growth inhibition in SK-BR-3 cells (combination index 0.17-0.31) but have no effect on cell growth inhibition in MCF-7 cells. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that in SK-BR-3 cells exposure to T or E induces G1-phase accumulation and S-phase blockade. However, combinations of T or E with CQ did not further inhibit cell cycle progression. Analysis of apoptosis using the TUNEL reaction assay or by FACS analysis indicated that the combined treatment increases apoptotic cell death associated with increased caspase-3 activity as compared with the treatment with T or E alone, suggesting that activation of apoptotic signal pathways may be involved in the synergistic effect. Finally, we determined the effect of the combination of CQ and T or E on receptor activation as well as downstream signaling and found that combined treatment enhanced the inhibition of ErbB2 as well as Akt phosphorylation, but had no effect on Erk activation as compared with T or E alone in SK-BR-3 cells. Conclusion: The combination of CQ with T or E in breast cancer cell lines with high ErbB1 and ErbB2 expression results in synergistic growth inhibition, enhanced apoptosis, and increased inhibition of ErbB signaling via the PI-3K/AKT pathway. This enhanced cytotoxic activity and its potential clinical utility should be explored further. This work was supported in part by NIH grant CA84119 and CA96515. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1253.
The effects of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists on cisplatin-induced emesis in the pigeon

Abstract In the present study, the emetic effect of the anticancer drug cisplatin, and the protective effects of 5-HT 3 receptor antagonists against cisplatin emesis were investigated in the pigeon. The experimental set-up involved the i.v. administration of drugs and subsequent observation of the percentage of vomiting animals and the number of emetic episodes per vomiting animal. It was observed that cisplatin induced dose-dependent emesis in the pigeon. 5-HT 3 receptor antagonists afforded partial protection against cisplatin emesis, although some of them i.e. indole, indole-Iike derivatives and zacopride, displayed intrinsic emetic activity. A serotonergic mechanism appears to be involved in both cisplatin- and 5-HT 3 receptor antagonist-induced emesis, since pretreatment with an inhibitor of 5-HT synthesis, para-chlorophenylalanine (pCPA), prevented vomiting induced by either cisplatin or 5-HT 3 receptor antagonists. It is concluded that the intrinsic emetic effects of 5-HT 3 receptor antagonists provide pharmacological evidence of species differences in the properties of 5-HT 3 receptors.
125Te NMR chemical-shift trends in PbTe–GeTe and PbTe–SnTe alloys

Complex tellurides, such as doped PbTe, GeTe, and their alloys, are among the best thermoelectric materials. Knowledge of the change in 125Te NMR chemical shift due to bonding to dopant or “solute” atoms is useful for determination of phase composition, peak assignment, and analysis of local bonding. We have measured the 125Te NMR chemical shifts in PbTe-based alloys, Pb1-xGexTe and Pb1-xSnxTe, which have a rocksalt-like structure, and analyzed their trends. For low x, several peaks are resolved in the 22-kHz MAS 125Te NMR spectra. A simple linear trend in chemical shifts with the number of Pb neighbors is observed. No evidence of a proposed ferroelectric displacement of Ge atoms in a cubic PbTe matrix is detected at low Ge concentrations. The observed chemical shift trends are compared with the results of DFT calculations, which confirm the linear dependence on the composition of the first-neighbor shell. The data enable determination of the composition of various phases in multiphase telluride materials. They also provide estimates of the 125Te chemical shifts of GeTe and SnTe (+970 and +400±150 ppm, respectively, from PbTe), which are otherwise difficult to access due to Knight shifts of many hundreds of ppm in neat GeTe and SnTe.
Use of the Soluble Peptide γ-L-Glutamyl-L-Tyrosine to Provide Tyrosine in Total Parenteral Nutrition in Rats

Limited solubility restricts amounts of tyrosine (Tyr) in amino acid solutions used in total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Excess phenylalanine (Phe) is included in TPN for conversion to Tyr by liver Phe hydroxylase. However, this conversion is limited, especially in infants. We have confirmed that infants receiving TPN have low Tyr concentrations and high Phe/Tyr ratios in plasma compared with published values for enterally fed neonates. Tyr is important in the synthesis of proteins and other biomolecules, including catecholamines in the brain. We tested the soluble peptide gamma-glutamyl-tyrosine (Glu(Tyr)) as a possible precursor of Tyr in TPN. Groups of five rats were given infusions of TPN containing an amino acid mixture simulating a commercial formulation (group A), TPN in which Glu(Tyr) was substituted for half the Phe in the group A solution) (group B), or saline (group C). Control animals (group C) were fed rodent chow. Blood was sampled at 0 time and daily for 4 days. Brains were collected at 96 hours, and aromatic amino acids in plasma and brains were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Throughout the experiment, plasma of animals in group A had significantly elevated Phe and reduced Tyr concentrations compared with control values; plasma concentrations in groups B and C were similar. In groups A and B, brain Tyr levels were 31% and 63% of control values, respectively. In group B, Glu(Tyr) was not detected in brains. These data suggest that supplementing current TPN mixtures with Glu(Tyr), which is stable in solution, can produce normal plasma Tyr concentrations and Phe/Tyr ratios and improve the supply of Tyr to the brain.
Identifying conserved gene clusters in the presence of orthologous groups

Current biological evidence suggests a correlation between the function and the position of genes in chromosomes. Examples include operon structure in prokaryotic genomes and similar expression patterns of neighboring genes in some eukaryotic genomes. In this paper, we present a new model and algorithm for identifying conserved gene clusters from pairwise genome comparison. This generalizes a recent model called "gene teams." A gene team is a set of orthologous genes that appear in two or more species, possibly in a different order yet with the distance of adjacent genes in the team for each chromosome always no more than a certain threshold. We remove the constraint in the original model that each gene must have a unique copy in the chromosomes, and thus allow the analysis on complex prokaryotic or eukaryotic genomes with extensive paralogs. Our algorithm runs in O(mn) time and uses O(m+n) space, where m and n are the number of common genes in each chromosomes. We used this approach to study two bacterial genomes, E. coli and B. subtilis and successfully identified 85 conserved clusters, including clusters containing uncharacterized genes and a large cluster consisting of 21 ribosomal proteins. Our implementation is publicly available at http://euler.slu.edu/~goldwasser/cogteams/.
A Role for Caveolin 1 in Assembly and Budding of the Paramyxovirus Parainfluenza Virus 5

Caveolin 1 (Cav-1) is an integral membrane protein that forms the coat structure of plasma membrane caveolae and regulates caveola-dependent functions. Caveolae are enriched in cholesterol and sphingolipids and are related to lipid rafts. Many studies implicate rafts as sites of assembly and budding of enveloped virus. We show that Cav-1 colocalizes with the paramyxovirus parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV-5) nucleocapsid (NP), matrix (M), and hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) proteins. Moreover, electron microscopy shows that Cav-1 is clustered at sites of viral budding. HN, M, and F(1)/F(2) are associated with detergent-resistant membranes, and these proteins float on sucrose gradients with Cav-1-rich fractions. A complex containing Cav-1 with M, NP, and HN from virus-infected cells and a complex containing Cav-1 and M from M-transfected cells were found on coimmunoprecipitation. A role of Cav-1 in the PIV-5 life cycle was investigated by utilizing MCF-7 human breast cancer cells that stably express Cav-1 (MCF-7/Cav-1). PIV-5 entry into MCF-7 and MCF-7/Cav-1 was found to be Cav-1 independent. However, the interaction between HN and M proteins was dramatically reduced in the Cav-1 null MCF-7 cells, and PIV-5 grown in MCF-7 cells had a reduced infectivity. Similarly, when PIV-5 was grown in MDCK cells that stably expressed dominant negative Cav-1 (MDCK/P132LCav-1), the virus showed a reduced infectivity. Virions lacking Cav-1 were defective and contained high levels of host cellular proteins and reduced levels of HN and M. These data suggest that Cav-1 affects assembly and/or budding, and this is supported by the finding that Cav-1 is incorporated into mature viral particles.
Evaluating Culturally Responsive Group Work with Black Women

Purpose: This study examined the efficacy of a culturally congruent group treatment model, entitled “Claiming Your Connections” (CYC) aimed at reducing depressive symptoms and perceived stress, and...
Analysis of transcription asymmetries along the tRNAE-COB operon: evidence for transcription attenuation and rapid RNA degradation between coding sequences

Mitochondrial gene expression in yeast is believed to be regulated predominantly at the post-transcriptional level. However, the contribution of mitochondrial transcription and RNA-turnover rates to differential gene regulation is still largely unknown. Mitochondrial run-on transcription and hybrid selection assays showed that some of the multigenic transcription units of the mitochondrial genome are transcribed evenly, whereas others are transcribed asymmetrically, with higher transcription rates for promoter-proximal genes, than for promoter-distal genes. The tRNAE-cytochrome b (COB) operon was analyzed in detail to investigate the mechanisms underlying transcription rate asymmetries in yeast mitochondria. We showed that a drop in transcription rates occurs in a particular region between the coding sequences and is independent of the coding sequence of the downstream COB gene. Deletion of the region between tRNAE and COB coding sequences decreases the drop in transcription rates. Deletion of the nuclear gene encoding the Pet 127 protein, which is involved in mitochondrial RNA 5′ processing and degradation, also partially relieves transcriptional asymmetry. Therefore, asymmetry is probably due to a combination of attenuated transcription at specific sites between the coding sequences and very rapid RNA degradation.
The effects of verbal reinforcement combination on the performance of a four-alternative discrimination task

Groups of medical patients from a Veterans Administration Hospital uninformed about the reinforcement procedures were given a 4-alternative verbal discrimination task under a Right- blank or Wrong- blank reinforcement condition. Although responses to a post-experimental interview suggested that a majority of the Right- blank S s misinterpreted the information value of blank , treating it as though it sometimes or always meant “Right”, their performance was significantly superior ( p blank group, in opposition to the results of prior studies employing problem-solving or 2-alternative discrimination tasks. In a replication of the experiment with college students, a number of Right- blank S s exhibited a similar but weaker tendency to treat blank as “Right,” However, no significant differences in performance related to reinforcement condition were found. Hypotheses concerning differences in S s' approach to discrimination tasks with two and more than two alternatives as related to S s' intellectual ability were discussed.
Growth of Corbicula fluminea (bivalvia) fed artificial and algal diets

Laboratory experiments were conducted to assess the growth of Corbicula fluminea Muller (1774) fed mixed diets of the green alga Ankistrodesmus and five artificial foods (nine-grain cereal, rice flour, rye bran, denatured brewer's yeast and Ralston Purina trout chow). Clams lost weight after 30 days on each artificial diet; however, weight losses were significantly less than those of control clams which were not fed (p 0.2). Therefore, we conclude that all of the artificial diets evaluated were of nutritional value. However, the alga Ankistrodesmus appears to be a superior food item. In subsequent experiments, clams were fed on diets consisting of various combinations of six genera of green algae (Pedinomonas, Ankistrodesmus, Chlamydomonas, Chlorella, Scenedesmus, and Selenastrum). All trialgal combinations of Chlamydomonas, Chlorella, Scenedesmus, and Ankistrodesmus and a dialgal culture of Chlamydomonas and Chlorella resulted in strong positive tissue growth. No other dialgal or monoalgal culture resulted in similar growth. Cultures of Selenastrum were found to be toxic, and their filtrate was determined to inhibit Corbicula filtration.
Choice of antenatal testing significantly effects a patient's work obligations

We sought to compare two approaches to antenatal testing for their impact on the workforce. This is a prospective observational study of women who presented for antenatal testing. All women were given a survey upon presentation. As per hospital protocol, nonstress testing (NST) was performed semiweekly and biophysical profile (BPP) was performed weekly. The choice of testing was determined by the attending physician. χ2- and Student's t-tests were performed where appropriate. A P-value of <0.05 was considered significant. A total of 195 women were surveyed. Among them, 94 women had an NST and 101 had a BPP. Overall, 59.2% were multiparous, 33.1% had to arrange for child care and 97.2% felt reassured by the testing. There were no differences in demographic characteristics, education, type of insurance or employment status between the groups. Women who had NSTs were more likely to lose time from work than those who had BPPs (218.4 versus 68.9 min; P<0.001). Of the women who had semiweekly NSTs, 80.6% would have preferred weekly testing. If the 94 women who received semiweekly testing had weekly testing, a total of 534.4 h would have been available for the workforce. Twice-weekly NST results in a significant increase in time lost from the workforce compared with weekly BPP.
Dual cerebroventricular and vascular cannulation technique for use in conscious rats.

Abstract A double cannulation technique which provides access to vascular and cerebroventricular compartments of the unanesthetized rat is described. The technique requires a short surgical preparation time (10–20 min). Plasma levels of luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, and prolactin were found to be normal in male rats twenty-four hours after implantation of the cannulas. Plasma hormone levels were also not affected by intraventricular infusion of saline or by repeated blood withdrawal. The application of this technique to research in reproductive physiology and neuroendocrinology is proposed.
Dual system approach to computer-aided detection of breast masses on mammograms

In this study, our purpose was to improve the performance of our mass detection system by using a new dual system approach which combines a computer-added detection (CAD) system optimized with "average" masses with another CAD system optimized with "subtle" masses. The two single CAD systems have similar image processing steps, which include prescreening, object segmentation, morphological and texture feature extraction, and false positive (FP) reduction by rule-based and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classifiers. A feed-forward backpropagation artificial neural network was trained to merge the scores from the LDA classifiers in the two single CAD systems and differentiate true masses from normal tissue. For an unknown test mammogram, the two single CAD systems are applied to the image in parallel to detect suspicious objects. A total of three data sets were used for training and testing the systems. The first data set of 230 current mammograms, referred to as the average mass set, was collected from 115 patients. We also collected 264 mammograms, referred to as the subtle mass set, which were one to two years prior to the current exam from these patients. Both the average and the subtle mass sets were partitioned into two independent data sets in a cross validation training and testing scheme. A third data set containing 65 cases with 260 normal mammograms was used to estimate the FP marker rates during testing. When the single CAD system trained on the average mass set was applied to the test set with average masses, the FP marker rates were 2.2, 1.8, and 1.5 per image at the case-based sensitivities of 90%, 85%, and 80%, respectively. With the dual CAD system, the FP marker rates were reduced to 1.2, 0.9, and 0.7 per image, respectively, at the same case-based sensitivities. Statistically significant (p < 0.05) improvements on the free response receiver operating characteristic curves were observed when the dual system and the single system were compared using the test sets with either average masses or subtle masses.
Radiative Capture by Impurities in Semiconductors

Detailed balance arguments are used to study the relationship between photo-ionization cross section and radiative-capture cross section for transitions between conduction-band states and the ground state of a localized flaw; the existence of a spectrum of excited states, of compensating impurities, and of competing processes does not impede the development of a simple relationship. This relationship can be expressed in a way which illustrates that the capture lengths of an interacting photon and an interacting electron are in inverse proportion to their respective momenta. It is noted that the reciprocity of photo-ionization and radiative recombination can be utilized either to evaluate recombination in terms of known optical properties or to deduce optical density in terms of known recombination cross sections, and examples of both procedures are given. The thermally averaged capture cross section is expressed as a weighted integral of the photo-ionization cross section with respect to energy, and it is shown how the temperature dependence of radiative recombination is related to the spectral dependence of the photo-ionization cross section.
Astronomical constraints on nebular temperatures: Implications for planetesimal formation

— Motivated by recent observations of T-Tauri stars and the interpretation of these observations in terms of the properties of circumstellar disks, we derive internal (midplane) temperatures for disks around mature (age ∼1 Ma) T-Tauri stars. The estimates are obtained by combining published results for disk masses, sizes, accretion rates, and surface temperatures. For 26 stars (for which adequate data are available), we derive midplane temperatures at 1 AU primarily in the range 200–800 K, and 100–400 K at 2.5 AU. It is likely that the solar nebula, at the same stage of evolution, contained planetesimals and objects destined to become meteorite parent bodies. Observations of young stellar objects at earlier stages of evolution (age ∼0.1 Ma) imply that accretion rates were, on the average, at least two orders of magnitude greater than the 10−8 M⊙/year rates typical for mature T-Tauri stars. Such high values would result in midplane temperatures at or near the silicate vaporization temperature in the terrestrial planet region. If cooling of the solar nebula from such a hot epoch was responsible for establishing the pervasive elemental fractionation patterns found in chondritic meteorites, then objects in the asteroid belt must have grown rapidly (within 0.1 Ma) to sizes of ∼1 km, a conclusion consistent with current theories of planetesimal formation. However, the fact that primitive meteorite parent bodies escaped being melted by the decay of 26Al then implies that further growth of at least some objects was essentially delayed for 2 Ma or more. Such a diminished growth rate appears to be consistent with simulations of the dynamics of solid bodies in the asteroid belt. Other hypotheses seem less attractive. One might assume that the final cooling occurred only after the decay of 26Al (i.e., more than a million years after calcium-aluminum rich inclusion formation), or that 26Al was not ubiquitous in the early solar system. But the first of these conjectures is incompatible with astronomical observations of T-Tauri systems, and the second appears to be contradicted by the evidence for 26Al in diverse meteoritic components. The remaining alternative would then appear to be that, despite a lack of supporting evidence, chondritic fractionation patterns reflect the net effect of many local heating and cooling events and have nothing to do with global nebular cooling. We conclude that the most plausible hypothesis is that both nebular cooling and coagulation of solids to kilometer-sized objects occurred rapidly and that a substantial number of planetesimals in the asteroid belt remained smaller than a few kilometers in radius for at least 2 Ma.
Root system plasticity to drought influences grain yield in bread wheat

Crop productivity in semiarid regions is mainly limited by water availability. Root characteristics and plasticity to drought may reduce the negative impact of drought on crop yield. A set of near-isogenic wheat-rye translocation lines was used to test the hypothesis that root system plasticity to drought influences grain yield in wheat. Bread wheat Pavon 76 and 1RS translocation lines, namely Pavon 1RS.1AL, Pavon 1RS.1BL, and Pavon 1RS.1DL were evaluated for root allocation and plasticity in sand-tube experiments under well-watered and droughted conditions across 2 years using factorial treatments in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. The 1RS translocation lines had greater root biomass per plant ranging from 7.37 to 8.6 compared to 5.81 g for Pavon 76. Only Pavon 76 showed a positive response to drought by producing more shallow roots (roots developed between 0 and 30 cm) and deep roots (roots developed below 30 cm) in droughted conditions than in well-watered conditions. Thus at drought intensity of 19% (measured as overall reduction in grain yield), grain yield in Pavon 76 was reduced only by 11% compared to the other genotypes with yield reductions ranging from 18 to 24%. However, at drought intensity of 36%, grain yield in Pavon 76 showed maximum reduction indicating that greater root production under drought is advantageous only when plant-available water is enough to support grain production. Grain yield was positively correlated with shallow and deep root weight and root biomass under terminal drought. Correlation coefficients between root system components (shallow and deep root weight and root biomass) and phenological periods were not significant. Our study indicated that genes influencing adaptive phenotypic plasticity of the root system to drought in Pavon 76 are located on chromosome 1BS.
The science-policy interface: Experience of a workshop for climate change researchers and water managers

This report summarizes a workshop for Arizona water managers and climate change researchers. The key technical conclusions of the workshop emphasize the need for improved monitoring, prediction, and engineering to deal with hydrologic non-stationarities generated by a combination of increasing temperatures, changing snow hydrology, and enhanced precipitation variability. Participants suggested a need to improve methodologies for valuing ecosystem services and understanding the nexus between energy production in the water resources arena. Paleohydrologic reconstructions, well-defined climate change scenarios, better data visualization and collaborative learning opportunities between water managers and scientists all can support more effective water management decisions. We note the importance of maximizing discussion and social interaction in workshops in order to remove barriers between scientists and practitioners. In particular: (1) holding the workshop in a location that maximizes community-building, (2) limiting the time devoted to plenary talks, and (3) introducing informal cafe-style discussions early in the workshop, are all important. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.
Expression of survivin, an inhibitor of apoptosis protein, in tumors of the nervous system

Survivin is an inhibitor of apoptosis protein that blocks apoptosis by binding to caspases-3 and -7. It is highly expressed in less-differentiated embryonic cells and rapidly dividing tumors, but not in terminally differentiated adult tissues. Elevated survivin levels are found in malignant systemic tumors, and are associated with chemo-resistance, radiation resistance, and poor prognosis. However, expression of survivin in primary nervous system tumors has not been previously characterized. Immunohistochemistry using anti-human survivin antibody (SURV11-A) was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival tissue from 112 primary central nervous system tumors. Survivin immunoreactivity was seen in most diffuse astrocytomas [WHO II (2/4), III (3/3), IV (9/10), giant-cell glioblastoma (1), and gliosarcoma (1)]. The intensity and degree of survivin expression showed trends with tumor grade, with glioblastomas having the highest positivity. Pilocytic astrocytomas (5) and pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (1) were positive to a lesser degree. In oligodendrogliomas (6) and mixed oligo-astrocytomas [grade II (5), II–III (3), and III (7)], oligodendroglial elements appear to be negative compared to positive mini-gemistocytic oligodendrocytes. Ependymomas [grade II (6) and grade III (1)] were positive. Medulloblastomas (5) and retinoblastoma (1/4) showed focal positivity. All meningiomas [grade I (12), II (9), III (4), and grade I (3) and II (5) with frank brain invasion] were intensely positive. All schwannomas (11) and neurofibromas (6) were intensely positive. Thus, survivin is expressed in the majority of the primary nervous system tumors, particularly in glioblastomas, meningiomas, schwannomas and neurofibromas. Overexpression of survivin in meningiomas and benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors contrasts with previous reports relating it to rapid division and poor prognosis.
Linear and quadratic spline interpolation at knot averages

Abstract For linear and quadratic spline interpolation at nodes which are weighted avearges of the spline knots, conditions on the weights are developed which guarantee that the corresponding spline interpolation operators are norm-bounded independently of the knot locations.
Temporal Overlap is not Coincidence

L'A. montre que l'ontologie des parties temporelles evite a la fois l'argument de la coincidence et l'argument du vague. Parmi les arguments en faveur des parties temporelles, l'A. examine l'argument de la fission, ainsi que la these quadri-dimensionnaliste de l'autoreference.
Recruitment and Retention with a Spin

Bismarck State College has developed a talent recruiting and retention plan that attracts and retains highly qualified employees who are enthusiastic about education and service to the campus and beyond. The plan includes an innovative twist that is literally spinning spaces to create a lot of smiling faces.
THE LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION: SPECIFICITY AND FAVORABILITY OF INFORMATION

Ninety-eight personnel directors each read one variation of a letter of recommendation contained in a 2 (specific examples versus no examples) X 2 (numerical data versus nonspecific adjective modifiers) X 2 (favorable letter versus one unfavorable statement) factorial design. A survey of their perceptions revealed that the example specificity and favorability main effects increased several positive perceptions of the recommendee. Example specificity also enhanced the perceived credibility of the letter writer. The letter variations containing specific examples with either no numbers or one unfavorable statement produced the most positive perceptions of the recommendee. One implication of these findings is that writers of letters of recommendation should emphasize specific performance examples. Whether citing numerical data or negative information is effective requires further study.
Ketone body production in diabetic ketosis by other than liver

To determine if ketone bodies, synthesized from fatty acids by tissues other than the liver, enter the circulation, rats in diabetic ketosis were injected with sodium [6,13-14C]palmitate. Hydroxybutyrate was isolated from the urine excreted by each rat and from an aqueous extract of its carcass. The distribution of 14C in the four carbons of hydroxybutyrate in the extract was the same as in the urine. The ratio of 14C in carbon 1 to carbon 3 of the hydroxybutyrate averaged 1.80 and averaged 1.31 in carbon 2 to carbon 4. Hydroxybutyrate when formed by perfused liver has the same carbon 1-to-carbon 3 ratio as carbon 2-to-carbon 4 ratio. The results indicate that hydroxybutyrate synthesized by tissues other than the liver mixes in the circulation with that synthesized by the liver and a portion of the mix is then excreted in the urine. The difference between the carbon 1-to-3 carbon ratio 3 and carbon 2-to-carbon 4 ratio calculates to an estimated minimum of 15% to 17% of the hydroxybutyrate in the circulation of the ketotic diabetic rat having tissues other than the liver as its source. Assuming the liver and kidneys are the sources of the ketone bodies in diabetic ketosis, the ketone bodies produced by the kidneys are not excreted into the urine without first entering the circulation.
A use of motion pictures in double blind technique

In an effort to subject minimal drug results to objective and statistical evaluation we have used a new technique utilizing motion pictures. Our patients were photographed, given a drug (thiopropazate) for eight weeks, and then rephotographed. The films were spliced in random before and after sequences. Five juries each consisting of a trained psychiatrist, a psychiatrist in training, and a layman were then asked to judge the strips as to whether the film had been exposed before or after the administration of the drug. The results obtained were then subjected to statistical evaluation demonstrating by inference that the drug effect was notable. This drug effect had not been notabe on subjective evaluation. We submit this, a new technique for double blind studies.
Temperature and Velocity Non-uniformity in Edge cooled Flat Flame Burners

Abstract Analysis of the effect of temperature non-uniformity in radially cooled porous disk burners indicates that sigaificant velocity variations can be produced in the reactants leaving the disk. The assumption of uniform velocity profile for reactants entering a flat flame is shown to be in significant error.
Structural marketing: using organizational structure to achieve marketing objectives

Academics and business practitioners increasingly recognize the importance of organizational structure in marketing. Yet research examining the effects of different organizational structure design elements on marketing outcomes remains fragmented and scarce. Accordingly, this article seeks to synthesize and extend understanding of how firms use their organizational structural elements to achieve marketing objectives, and to offer a new perspective of structural marketing. In support of this research goal, a cross-disciplinary review of organizational structure, its types, and its characteristics, in combination with theories relevant to the field of marketing, informs an assessment of empirical findings from marketing literature. This synthesis introduces the concept of structural marketing; the article offers both theoretical tenets and testable propositions in support of an initial framework for using organizational structure design elements as strategic marketing variables. Illustrative business cases reinforce these tenets, conceptual arguments, and managerial insights.
Novel method for catalyst immobilization using an ionic polymer: a case study using recyclable ytterbium triflate

Abstract A series of ionic polymers prepared by quarternization of cross-linked poly(4-vinylpyridine/styrene) (P/S) resins with several alkylating agents, including short-length PEG mesylate were used as polymeric supports to immobilize Yb(OTf)3. The efficacy of the polymer-bound catalyst was examined in a Mannich-type reaction.
Delayed Wound Closure A Review and Report of Use of the Technique on Three Equine Limb Wounds

Limb wounds of three horses were managed by delayed wound closure. In each, the wound was such that it was unlikely that healing would occur following primary closure and that second intention healing would have been unsatisfactory. Wounds were cleaned and debrided at the time of admission and maintained under sterile pressure bandages until free of infection and devitalized tissue. Suture closure of the wound at that time resulted in satisfactory healing in each case.
Dual Roles of Glycosyl Torsion Angle Conformation and Stereochemical Configuration in Butadiene Oxide-Derived N1 β-Hydroxyalkyl Deoxyinosine Adducts: A Structural Perspective

The solution structure of the N1-[1-hydroxy-3-buten-2(R)-yl]-2'-deoxyinosine adduct arising from the alkylation of adenine N1 by butadiene epoxide (BDO), followed by deamination to deoxyinosine, was determined in the oligodeoxynucleotide 5'-d(GGACXAGAAG)-3'.5'-d(CTTCT-TGTCCG)-3'. This oligodeoxynucleotide contained the BDO adduct at the second position of codon 61 of the human N-ras protooncogene (underlined) and was named the ras61 R-N1-BDO-(61,2) adduct. 1 H NMR revealed a weak C 5 H1' to X 6 H8 nuclear Overhauser effects (NOE), followed by an intense X 6 H8 to X 6 H1' NOE. Simultaneously, the X 6 H8 to X 6 H3' NOE was weak. The resonances arising from the T 1 6 and T 1 7 imino protons were not observed. 1 H NOEs between the butadiene moiety and the DNA positioned the adduct in the major groove. Structural refinement based upon a total of 394 NOE-derived distance restraints and 151 torsion angle restraints yielded a structure in which the modified deoxyinosine was in the syn conformation about the glycosyl bond, with a glycosyl bond angle of 83°, and T 1 7 , the complementary nucleotide, was stacked into the helix but not hydrogen bonded with the adducted inosine. The refined structure provides a plausible hypothesis as to why these N1 deoxyinosine adducts strongly code for the incorporation of dCTP during trans lesion DNA replication, irrespective of stereochemistry, both in Escherichia coli [Rodriguez, D. A., Kowalczyk, A., Ward, J. B. J., Harris, C. M., Harris, T. M., and Lloyd, R. S. (2001) Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 38, 292-296] and in mammalian cells [Kanuri, M., Nechev, L. N., Tamura, P. J., Harris, C. M., Harris, T. M., and Lloyd, R. S. (2002) Chem. Res. Toxicol. 15, 1572-1580]. Rotation of the N1 deoxyinosine adduct into the syn conformation may facilitate incorporation of dCTP via Hoogsteen type templating with deoxyinosine, generating A to G mutations. However, conformational differences between the R- and the S-N1-BDO-(61,2) adducts, involving the positioning of the butenyl moiety in the major groove of DNA, suggest that adduct stereochemistry plays a secondary role in modulating the biological response to these adducts.
Stanford's generalized database system

SPIRES (STANFORD PUBLIC INFORMATION RETRIEVAL SYSTEM) is a generalized, on-line database management system developed by Stanford University. Since 1972 it has supported a diverse group of users who design and maintain their own databases. This paper presents an overview of not only the conceptual model of SPIRES, but also some of the underlying implementation techniquesThe discussion emphasizes the role of metadata: schemae that describe the physical or logical mapping of databases are themselves records in the databank and are entered interactively. The database structure is defined in terms of forest sets (databases), forests (record sets), and trees (records). Three aspects of SPIRES schemae are reviewed: a predicate which determines the membership of a record in a particular record set, forest-valued passing functions on trees, and files, which are forest subsets accessible to different user groups.
Diffraction scattering and factorization below the asymptotic region

Methods are described for calculating amplitudes involving the exchange of an "effective" Pomeron pole which do not depend on assumptions about the actual asymptotic behavior with energy of these amplitudes. It is shown that an "effective" Pomeron pole should (at least approximately) factorize, and should not decouple from inelastic channels even in the forward direction.
Thin film sensor network for condition assessment of wind turbine blades

Existing sensing solutions facilitating continuous condition assessment of wind turbine blades are limited by a lack of scalability and clear link signal-to-prognosis. With recent advances in conducting polymers, it is now possible to deploy networks of thin film sensors over large areas, enabling low cost sensing of large-scale systems. Here, we propose to use a novel sensing skin consisting of a network of soft elastomeric capacitors (SECs). Each SEC acts as a surface strain gage transducing local strain into measurable changes in capacitance. Using surface strain data facilitates the extraction of physics-based features from the signals that can be used to conduct condition assessment. We investigate the performance of an SEC network at detecting damages. Diffusion maps are constructed from the time series data, and changes in point-wise diffusion distances evaluated to determine the presence of damage. Results are benchmarked against time-series data produced from off-the-shelf resistive strain gauges. This paper presents data from a preliminary study. Results show that the SECs are promising, but the capability to perform damage detection is currently reduced by the presence of parasitic noise in the signal.
Subtelomeric regions of yeast chromosomes contain a 36 base-pair tandemly repeated sequence

Abstract We have determined the nucleotide sequence of a region of DNA derived from the end of one chromosome of the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Inspection of the sequence reveals the presence of 12 tandem direct repeats, each 36 nucleotides long and having nearly identical sequence. Each 36 base-pair repeat can be further subdivided into three tandem sub-repeats of a similar 12 base-pair sequence. Analysis of total genomic yeast DNA from several strains by Southern hybridization suggests that the number of tandem 36 base-pair repeat units may vary from approximately 8 to 25 among different telomeric regions. Differences in the number of repeats may have arisen by unequal crossing over between them. Furthermore, the finding that the pattern of bases at multiple variable positions within the repeat unit is not random suggests that these regions may undergo gene conversion events that render them homogeneous.
The efficacy of mitomycin and stenting in choanal atresia repair: A 20 year experience

Abstract Objective To determine the efficacy of topical mitomycin and stenting in patients that have undergone endoscopic repair of choanal atresia. Methods Retrospective review of 37 endoscopic operations on pediatric patients for choanal atresia. Results Twenty-six sides were operated on in 17 patients; 37 total operations were performed. All 17 patients were repaired endoscopically with 1 patient requiring transpalatal revision surgery. Eight patients (47%) had a unilateral atresia and 9 (53%) were bilateral. Eleven total sides (42%) were treated initially with mitomycin. Eighteen percent of those sides required post-operative dilation vs. 40% of the sides not treated with mitomycin ( p = 0.39) and no patient in the mitomycin group required revision surgery compared to 20% of patients not treated with mitomycin ( p = 0.24). Significantly fewer sides in the mitomycin group (9%) developed granulation vs. those treated without (53%) ( p = 0.03). The average number of procedures performed (1.18 vs. 2.53; p = 0.002) was significantly fewer in those patients treated with mitomycin vs. not. A greater amount of sides in the stent group developed granulation tissue (50% vs.0%; p = 0.023). The average number of procedures performed was significantly greater in those patients treated with a stent (2.33 vs. 1.12; p = 0.008). The average time spent in the hospital was significantly shorter (7.09 vs. 2.33 days; p = 0.02) in those patients treated without stenting. Conclusion Topical mitomycin is efficacious as an adjuvant therapy as it was associated with the formation of less granulation tissue, a lower rate of restenosis and fewer surgeries. Stenting was associated with significantly more procedures, greater formation of granulation tissue and longer overall hospital stays. However, consideration should be given toward stent placement in all neonates for the prevention of post-operative airway obstruction. Level of evidence : 2c.
Multistate modified embedded atom method

A multireference state formalism for determining the functions for the modified embedded atom method (MEAM) is developed. This formalism eliminates almost all of the prior arbitrary choices in the MEAM function determination and replaces it with first-principles calculations of the MEAM electron densities, embedding energy, pair potential, and angular screening functions. The formalism accepts any level of first-principles information and is applicable to all elements. It may be considered as a physically based interpolation of the first-principles data for systems that fall within the range covered by that data. The critical addition of multiple reference states includes the energy/volume relationship for those reference structures as well as reference paths connecting the reference structures. The formalism is applied to Cu as a model material. Extensive predictions of the model are made and compared to additional first-principles calculations, results of two literature EAM potentials, and experiment. Our model, which uses as input only the first-principles database, represents the first-principles calculations extremely well (better than the EAM calculations). Furthermore, it agrees with experiments almost as well as EAM models, derived from a combination of first-principles calculations and experiments.
Evans on Identification-Freedom

Gareth Evans’ account of Identification-freedom (IF), which he develops in Chapters 6 and 7 of The Varieties of Reference (henceforth VR) is almost universally misunderstood. Howell is guilty of this same misunderstanding, and as a result claims to have mounted a criticism of Evans, when in fact he has not. I will take the occasion of Howell's otherwise insightful article to clarify Evans’ position. Note that the bulk of Howell's analysis is targeted at the phenomenon known as immunity to error through misidentification (IEM), which is related to but not (necessarily) identical to IF. Therefore, the accuracy of Howell's treatment of Evans in particular is tangential to the main thrust of his article. My exegesis of Evans’ account — like any non-trivial exegesis — goes somewhat beyond anything Evans overtly says. That Evans did not explicitly put the pieces together in the way I suggest they fit no doubt contributes to the widespread misunderstanding of his views.
The data gap in solution chemistry: The ideal glass transition puzzle

The purpose of this paper is to point out where the real thermodynamic low temperature limit on solution chemistry lies so as to discourage the tendency of researchers to avoid solutions below their thermodynamic crystallization temperatures.
Private Sector Consumption and Government Consumption and Debt in Advanced Economies an Empirical Study

This paper explores the hypothesis that the propensity to consume out of income varies in a non-linear fashion with fiscal variables, and in particular with government debt per capita. Using data from eighteen OECD countries the paper examines whether there is any empirical evidence to support the hypothesis that households move from non-Ricardian to Ricardian behavior as government debt reaches high levels and as uncertainty about future taxes increases. Our results provide support for this hypothesis, and also suggest that private and government consumption are substitutes in the household utility function.
Visual Theology: Reading the Text of One Marian Altar

The visual “text” of the interior environment and one particular Marian altar at St. Cecilia parish in the “minority majority” Archdiocese of Los Angeles is the starting point for reflection about the present American church, its history, its changing demographics, and the shifting theological, cultural, and generational patterns of American Catholic life. Several pastoral and theological implications of this observed change are suggested.
Housing-market disequilibrium: an examination of housing-market price and stock dynamics 1967–1998

Abstract Recent research has recognized that the market for owner-occupied housing is often inefficient and adjusts slowly to changes in market conditions. This paper develops a disequilibrium housing-market model that separates disequilibrium generated by supply-side disturbances from those arising from demand disturbances. I apply the model to the US housing market for the period 1967–1998. Although price changes guide the market toward a new equilibrium, inefficiencies impede market clearing. Thus, the market is characterized by sustained periods of disequilibrium.