cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
COOH-terminal fragments of cholecystokinin. A new class of cholecystokinin receptor antagonists.

COOH-terminal fragments of cholecystokinin varying in length from 1 to 3 amino acids and their NH2-terminal butyloxycarbonyl derivatives were investigated for their ability to interact with the cholecystokinin receptor on dispersed acini from guinea pig pancreas. No fragment stimulated amylase secretion when present alone, but each of the butyloxycarbonyl derivatives and the COOH-terminal tripeptide amide inhibited the stimulation of enzyme secretion by cholecystokinin. In each case the inhibition was surmounted by increasing the concentration of cholecystokinin. Each fragment also inhibited binding of 125I-labeled cholecystokinin, with significant inhibition occurring with 30 μM butyloxycarbonyl tripeptide amide, 0.3 mM butyloxycarbonyl dipeptide amide, 10 mM butyloxycarbonyl phenylalanine amide and 3 mM tripeptide amide of cholecystokinin. In each case, there was a close correlation between the ability of the fragment to inhibit binding of 125I-labeled cholecystokinin and its ability to inhibit cholecystokinin-stimulated amylase release, cholecystokinin-stimulated 45Ca outflux and cholecystokinin-stimulated residual stimulation of amylase secretion. The inhibition of amylase secretion caused by the butyloxycarbonyl tripeptide of cholecystokinin was reversible and specific for those peptides which interact with the cholecystokinin receptor (i.e., cholecystokinin, caerulein, gastrin); it did not inhibit the actions of bombesin, carbachol, physalaemin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, secretin, PHI, ionophore A23187 or 8-bromo cyclic AMP. These results demonstrate that COOH-terminal fragments of cholecystokinin comprise a new class of cholecystokinin receptor antagonists.
The Relative Difficulty of Selected Test-Wiseness Skills among College Students.

Although there is much research on test-wiseness, ease of exercising various test-taking skills has received scant attention. Participants in the present study were 243 undergraduate students who attempted the 70-item Gibb Experimental Test of Testwiseness, designed to measure seven test-wiseness skills. The results indicated the use of specific determiners as a cue to be significantly more challenging than eliminating irrelevant alternatives, selecting the alternative having the most information, or using grammar cues. It appears that not all test-wiseness skills are equally easy to employ. Researchers or trainers addressing test-wiseness should take into account these differences.
Role of NF-κB and Myc Proteins in Apoptosis Induced by Hepatitis B Virus HBx Protein

Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) promotes a high level of liver disease and cancer in humans. The HBV HBx gene encodes a small regulatory protein that is essential for viral replication and is suspected to play a role in viral pathogenesis. HBx stimulates cytoplasmic signal transduction pathways, moderately stimulates a number of transcription factors, including several nuclear factors, and in certain settings sensitizes cells to apoptosis by proapoptotic stimuli, including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and etopocide. Paradoxically, HBx activates members of the NF-kappaB transcription factor family, some of which are antiapoptotic in function. HBx induces expression of Myc protein family members in certain settings, and Myc can sensitize cells to killing by TNF-alpha. We therefore examined the roles of NF-kappaB, c-Myc, and TNF-alpha in apoptotic killing of cells by HBx. RelA/NF-kappaB is shown to be induced by HBx and to suppress HBx-mediated apoptosis. HBx also induces c-Rel/NF-kappaB, which can promote apoptotic cell death in some contexts or block it in others. Induction of c-Rel by HBx was found to inhibit its ability to directly mediate apoptotic killing of cells. Thus, HBx induction of NF-kappaB family members masks its ability to directly mediate apoptosis, whereas ablation of NF-kappaB reveals it. Investigation of the role of Myc protein demonstrates that overexpression of Myc is essential for acute sensitization of cells to killing by HBx plus TNF-alpha. This study therefore defines a specific set of parameters which must be met for HBx to possibly contribute to HBV pathogenesis.
Electrical and visual monitoring of small scale three-dimensional experiments

Our objective is to describe two non-invasive monitoring techniques that could provide an alternative to traditional water sampling in small-scale tank experiments. Here, a dense plume was monitored both electrically and visually using probes emplaced in a three-dimensional sand tank. Long, clear glass-tubes, which were modified by the addition of conductive copper tapes and connecting wires, were installed in a vertical array in the tank. The plume was monitored using Rhodamine WT (RWT) as a tracer and a conductive solution of NaCl. Appropriate consideration for the confined boundaries is applied to the resistivity calculations. The resistivity measurements with the emplaced electrodes perform well in tracking the denser plume. The visual monitoring of the optical tracer was conducted using a flexible endoscope with a 90° mirror. The endoscope transmits the images through a CCD camera to a VCR. This visual monitoring system also provides an excellent capability to determine the location of the RWT plume. Results from both methods compare well with each other.
Exploring attitudes, beliefs, and communication preferences of Latino community members regarding BRCA1/2 mutation testing and preventive strategies

Purpose: To inform development of a culturally sensitive hereditary breast and ovarian cancer communication initiative and related clinical genetic services. Methods: Five focus groups were conducted with 51 female and male Latinos. Educational materials were designed to communicate information about hereditary breast or ovarian cancer and availability of relevant clinical services or prevention strategies. Focus groups explored participants' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, BRCA1/2 testing, and communication preferences for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer health messages. Results: Overall, awareness of familial breast and ovarian cancer and availability of genetic risk assessment was low. Once informed, participants held favorable attitudes toward risk assessment and counseling services. Critical themes of the research highlighted the need to provide bilingual media products and use of a variety of strategies to increase awareness about hereditary cancer risk and availability of clinical genetic services. Important barriers were identified regarding family cancer history communication and cancer prevention services. Strategies were suggested for communicating cancer genetic information to increase awareness and overcome these barriers; these included both targeted and tailored approaches. Conclusion: This research suggests that cancer genetic communication efforts should consider community and cultural perspectives as well as health care access issues before widespread implementation.
326 MICROINJECTIONS OF SMALL INTERFERING RNA AND COMPLEMENTARY RNA TO ELUCIDATE THE INVOLVEMENT OF ENDOGENOUS PHOSPHOLIPASE C ISOFORMS IN BOVINE OOCYTE ACTIVATION DURING FERTILIZATION

Phospholipase C (PLC) isoforms stimulate the hydrolysis of phosphatidyl inositol (4,5)-bisphosphate (PIP2) to produce diacylglycerol (DAG) and 1,4,5 inositol trisphosphate (IP3), with IP3 regulating the release of calcium (Ca2+) from the endoplasmic reticulum. This release of calcium is essential for oocyte activation, and a sperm-specific PLC isoform, PLCγ;, has been proposed as the primary agent that initiates the activation process. However, the oocyte contains many endogenous PLC isoforms (PLC β, γ, and δ) that could also be involved in regulating or initiating these calcium oscillations downstream of other initiating events. In order to better elucidate the involvement of endogenous PLC isoforms as well as the specific role of the sperm-specific form, small interfering RNA (siRNA) directed against the specific bovine PLC isoforms (PLCζ;, PLCγ1, PLCγ2, PLCδ1, PLCδ3, PLCδ4, PLCβ1, PLCβ3) were microinjected into bovine oocytes, and the subsequent effects on PLC mRNA levels and bovine fertilization were evaluated. Real-time PCR (qPCR) was used to quantify the levels of PLC message present in bovine oocytes at the time of injection (15 h post-maturation) and 6, 10, and 14 h post-injection. The qPCR results indicated a near-complete knockdown of mRNA levels in bovine oocytes 10 h post-injection for the isotypes PLCγ1, PLCγ2, PLCδ3, PLCδ4, PLCβ1, PLCβ3, but only partial knockdown of PLCS 1 mRNA. Oocytes microinjected with PLC siRNA were also fertilized and cultured in vitro according to our standard laboratory procedures (Reed et al. 1996 Theriogenology 45, 439-449). The oocytes microinjected with PLCζ;, PLCδ1, PLCδ3, PLCδ4, PLCβ1, PLCβ3 siRNA resulted in cleavage rates similar to the negative control siRNA, non-injected, and sham-injected treatment groups, whereas bovine oocytes microinjected with PLCγ1 and PLCγ2 siRNA had significantly lower cleavage rates compared with the controls. Additionally, complementary cRNA for each specific PLC isoform was microinjected into bovine oocytes to ascertain each isoform’s ability to induce parthenogenetic activation. Development was observed in oocytes microinjected with a variety of cRNAs, and the activating effects of the cRNA were negligible if the oocytes were microinjected with the corresponding siRNA before microinjection with cRNA. Interestingly, siRNA specific for PLCζ; failed to reduce cleavage when treated bovine oocytes were fertilized. These data illustrate the potential involvement of multiple endogenous PLC isoforms and not just the sperm-specific PLCζ; isoform in bovine oocyte activation during fertilization.
Disclosure of Student Status in Agencies: Do We Still Have a Secret?:

This study is about current practice regarding identification of student status in agencies where BSW and MSW students are placed for their field instruction experience. Agency administrators and f...
Fire research abroad

During the latter part of 1966, the author visited 42 organizations in 11 nations of Europe and Asia. These organizations are engaged in all phases of the fire problem. Here, he summarizes his findings and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the fire effort abroad.
Bacterial populations of normal and ulcerated mantle tissue of the squid, Lolliguncula brevis

Abstract Species of Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, Vibrio , and Bacillus were isolated from normal and ulcerated mantle tissue of laboratory-maintained and wild-caught Lolliguncula brevis . Laboratorymaintained squids ( n = 11) typically had greater than 10 5 viable bacterial cells/cm 2 normal mantle tissue. Conversely, wild-caught squids ( n = 30) had fewer than 10 4 viable bacterial cells/cm 2 mantle tissue, which was significantly lower ( P Vibrio sp. In laboratory-maintained squids, bacterial species and concentrations on normal versus ulcerated mantle surfaces were similar. Microscopical examinations indicated large numbers of bacteria associated only with ulcerated tissues. These results provide insufficient evidence to indicate that bacteria cause ulceration. Physical damage to the skin and other undefined stress factors are most likely responsible for high concentrations of surface bacteria and the incidence of ulceration in laboratory-maintained animals. Antibacterial treatment of animals prior to introduction to the maintenance system and regular treatments thereafter may be effective in minimizing surface bacterial populations. Antibacterial susceptibility (disc-diffusion) tests indicate that chloramphenicol, kanamycin, oxytetracycline, nifurpirinol, and nitrofurazone were effective against 48–80% of the bacterial isolates from the mantle surfaces of squids and sea water. Of these, nifurpirinol and nitrofurazone were stable in sea water at low concentrations (15 μg/liter). Trial treatments (24-hr bath) with nifurpirinol (0.1 mg/liter) and nitrofurazone (2 mg/liter) were nonlethal to most squids and are recommended as a starting point for future treatment protocols of laboratory-maintained squids.
An examination of the 220 MHz NMR spectra of mesoporphyrin IX dimethyl ester, deuteroporphyrin IX dimethyl ester, and protoporphyrin IX dimethyl ester

Abstract Proton magnetic resonance spectra at 220 MHz of mesoporphyrin IX dimethyl ester, deuteroporphyrin IX dimethyl ester, and protoporphyrin IX dimethyl ester are sufficiently resolved to show clearly that all of these compounds have surprisingly low symmetry. An examination of the concentration dependence of the spectra has made it possible to assign chemical shifts to all of the protons in the three porphyrins. Concentration effects are shown to be more important than those of temperature. Applications of these findings to isomer identification are mentioned.
NMR-studies of carcinogen reactions with DNA: Ethylene dibromide and aflatoxin B1

Two examples are described of the use of NMR spectroscopy to study the modification of DNA structure by carcinogens. The reaction of ethylene dibromide involves initial conjugation with glutathione, catalysed by glutathione S-transferase. Reaction of this adduct with DNA occurs at N7 of guanine. Through the use of stereospecifically 1,2-dideuteriated ethylene dibromide, the mechanism of reaction has been shown to involve an odd number, i.e. three, of SN2 inversions. Correlation spectra (COSY) were employed to analyse reaction stereochemistry. The relative configuration of the deuterium atoms in the products was initially assigned by 1H nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) difference spectra and then confirmed by an independent synthesis of stereospecifically dideuteriated glutathione-guanine adducts. The second example involves reaction of the epoxide of aflatoxin B1 with DNA to form covalent adducts at N7 of guanine. Adduct formation was found to enhance duplex stability. Chemical shift changes for aflatoxin protons in the covalent adduct when compared with those for aflatoxin B1 non-covalently associated with DNA suggest that covalently linked aflatoxin is intercalated. NOEs confirm that the aflatoxin moiety is intercalated and show that it is on the 5' side of the guanine. This geometry leads to d(ATCGAT)2 forming an adduct in which only one chain has been modified by aflatoxin, while d(ATGCAT)2 forms a complex in which both chains have been modified.
Childhood Sexual Abuse and HIV Risk Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: Initial Test of a Conceptual Model

Childhood sexual abuse has been associated with HIV transmission risk behavior in men who have sex with men. This study examined an adapted model that was originally developed to explain the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and HIV risk behavior among women in a sample of men who have sex with men. Men attending a large gay pride event (n=647) completed anonymous surveys that assessed demographic characteristics, childhood sexual abuse, symptoms of dissociation, trauma-related anxiety, borderline personality characteristics, hopelessness, substance use, and sexual risk behavior. A latent variable partial least squares analysis was conducted to test the interrelationships between childhood sexual abuse, exchanging sex for money or drugs, emotional disturbances, drug use, substance use in the context of sexual behavior, and sexual risk behavior. The model fit the data well and accounted for 10% of the total variance in sexual risk behavior. History of childhood sexual abuse predicted exchanging sex for money or drugs and this relationship was partly accounted for by active drug use. Substance use proximal to sexual behavior also emerged as a key factor in predicting sexual risk behavior. Findings from this study, therefore, indicate a direct association between history of child sexual abuse and high risk for HIV infection related to engaging in sex trade.
Effect of fabrication techniques on photodiode performance under 1.06-um pulsed-laser irradiation

This research investigates the damage morphology and electrical performance of variously fabricated PIN photodiodes under single-pulse laser irradiation. Specially-ordered and industrial-standard photodiodes were irradiated with various fluences from a 10 ns Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm. Morphological damage was defined as any residual surface damage observed at 200X magnification under a Normarski optical microscope. Electrical damage entailed any significant change in reverse bias current between the before and after laser-irradiated I-V curves. The electrical transient photocurrent was monitored and recorded for anomalous electrical response. It is presumed that the different fabrication processes will affect the electrical response of the photodiode. The photodiode sample sets differed from one another by the doping mechanism (ion implantation or planar diffusion), the crystallinity of the substrate prior to ion implantation (crystalline or amorphous), and the anneal or regrowth processing (furnace or rapid thermal anneal). All diodes were p+-n photodiodes produced by implanting boron into a high-resistivity, n-doped silicon substrate. The junction depth of all the diodes was between 0.5 and 1.2 micrometers .© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Salt-Secreting Gland of Marine Birds

Marine birds possess salt-secreting nasal glands which produce hypertonic solutions of sodium chloride in response to osmotic loads such as ingestion of sea water. The concentration of the secreted fluid is always high, several times as high as the maximum urine concentration in birds. The presence of this gland must be considered a necessary adaptation to marine life in animals whose kidney cannot excrete high salt concentrations. The structure and blood supply to the gland indicate a countercurrent flow, but at the moment it is not possible to explain the high concentrations of the secreted fluid as the result of a countercurrent multiplier system. The gland is under parasympathetic nerve control; its secretory function is blocked by anesthesia and certain drugs, including carbonic anhydrase inhibitors.
Preparation and Characterization of the Sulfur-Carbon Nano-Composite Material for Li/S Battery

The sulfur-carbon (S-C) nano-composite material have been prepared by a simple chemical deposit method in an aqueous solution. The composite material was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometer, and differential scanning calorimetry-thermo gravimetric analysis. The electrochemical performance of the S-C cathode made of the composite material was studied by cyclic voltammetry, charge-discharge test, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. It is found that the sulfur particles in prepared S-C composite material have a sphere-like morphology with the size of around 20~30nm, and distribute uniformly around the carbon particles. The initial specific capacity of the S-C cathode in Li/S battery can reach to 1200mAhg-1, and retains at 700mAhg-1 after 50 cycles.
Assessing EMS scope of practice for utility and risk: the New Mexico EMS Interventions Assessment Project, Phase One results.

Introduction Few emergency medical services (EMS) interventions in New Mexico have been assessed for efficacy, potential harm, or potential benefit. There is concern that many interventions added over the years may be outdated, harmful, or ineffective in the EMS setting. A formal process for reviewing the state EMS scope of practice using literature review and expert consensus is discussed. In Phase One of the project, interventions in the New Mexico EMS scope of practice were prioritized for further review by surveying a national cadre of EMS experts to evaluate EMS interventions using a utilitarian harm/benefit metric. Methods An electronic survey based on the 2010 New Mexico EMS Scope of Practice statute was administered from March through June, 2011. A national cadre of 104 respondents was identified. Respondents were either State EMS medical directors or EMS fellowship directors. Respondents were asked to rate the potential harm and the potential benefit of specific EMS interventions on a 5-point ordinal scale. Median harm and benefit scores were calculated. Results A total of 88 completed surveys were received following 208 emailed invitations to 104 respondents (43% response rate). Twenty-two (22) highest-priority interventions (those with a harm/benefit median score ratio of >1) were identified. Seven additional second-priority interventions were also identified. These interventions will be advanced for formal literature review and expert consensus. Conclusions The New Mexico EMS Interventions Project offers a novel model for assessing a prehospital scope of practice. Munk MD , Fullerton L , Banks L , Morley S , McDaniels R , Castle S , Thornton K , Richards ME . Assessing EMS Scope of Practice for Utility and Risk: the New Mexico EMS Interventions Assessment Project, Phase One Results. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2012;27(5):1-6.
Input Control for Serial Production Lines Consisting of Processing and Assembly Operations with Random Yields

This paper deals with a serial production line where each of the stages can be either a processing or an assembly stage. A processing stage processes outputs from an upstream stage and transforms them into inputs for the downstream stage. Each processing stage is subject to yield losses. At an assembly stage, a batch of identical input components is processed and the nondefective components are then combined with the output from the upstream stage. The processing operation for the input component is imperfect. For such a system, we characterize the form of the optimal policy for input quantity at each stage in the production line, when stochastically proportional yield is assumed at each stage, i.e., the distribution of the yield fraction is assumed to be independent of the lot size. The optimal policy exhibits some form of a critical number policy. For production lines consisting of assembly stages only, the critical numbers can be computed easily. When yields are of the "exponential" type, the critical number policy is still optimal, although there are interesting differences in the policies for the different types of yield characterizations.
A review of past and recent research on Cretaceous silicoflagellates

Previous knowledge of Cretaceous silicoflagellates has come primarily from scattered Maastrichtian or late Campanian localities. Silicoflagellates from the earlier Upper Cretaceous have been observed from the southern shore of the Baltic Sea and eastern slope of the northern Ural Mountains, and Lower Cretaceous from the Weddell Sea near Antarctica are also known. Much of the previous work, including type specimens for genera and species, have been illustrated with few and simple line drawings. Taxonomic distinctions and evolutionary lineages have often been speculative. Recent studies of Santonian and lower Campanian marine sediments from several sites in the northern Canada Arctic Margin and Archipelago substantially increase our knowledge of Cretaceous silicoflagellate morphology, biostratigraphy, and early evolutionary history. This work, which develops from previous diatom studies, provides new information on the enigmatic genera Cornua and Variramus , describes new genera and species, and presents new information on the timing of silicoflagellate evolutionary events. Seven new biostratigraphic zones replace the previously applied single biostratigraphic unit for the Cretaceous. This article reviews recent silicoflagellate discoveries in the context of previous work to provide a current general knowledge of the subject that includes important taxa.
Dissin' the Deadwood or Coddling the Incompetents? Patterns and Issues in Employee Discipline and Dismissal in the States

Abstract Relying on several extensive databases, this study finds state employee dismissal rates to be low with many managers also complaining about discipline and dismissal processes as a management impediment. Although interstate variation was evident, extent of civil service coverage, the presence of collective bargaining, or past efforts to simplify dismissal processes had limited explanatory power, however. The implications of the findings for civil service reform and the adoption of at-will employment arrangements are discussed.
Polarography of metal ions in hexamethylphosphoramide

Summary The polarographic behavior of oxygen, halide ions and selected metal ions in HMPA was investigated. Solvation of metal ions was found to be stronger than in water but generally similar to that in dimethyl sulfoxide.
An outline of the role of brain in human cognitive development.

Brain development in humans occurs stagewise in correlation with the onsets of the main Piagetian stages of reasoning development. This allows a description of cognitive development as at least partially resulting from and dependent upon biological events occurring in the brain. Evidence shows that some eventual brain structures depend on a combination of biological events and instructional inputs. This contributes to the instruction dependence of the higher cognitive functions. Such a description thereby permits some novel working hypotheses about normal cognitive development and how to foster it as well as suggests alternative ways of creating intervention programs for children from deprived environments.
Thin Film Electroluminescent Devices With Memory

Thin film electroluminescent devices made from ZnS:Mn can be designed to exhibit an inherent hysteresis in the luminance versus applied voltage characteristics. This memory behavior offers attractive advantages for efficient operation of displays with very large information content. Additionally, such memory devices can also be switched by light or electron beams, making possible such applications as image storage and a CRT with an active faceplate. In view of its importance, the hysteresis phenomenon will be reviewed from both an experimental and a theoretical point of view. The switching characteristics of memory devices and some of the empirical requirements for observing the hysteretic behavior will be described. This background will then be used to discuss the ac device operation in terms of a phenomenological model which accounts for the necessary negative resistance required for the bistability of a microscopic region termed a filament. The observed voltage range for hysteresis in the device can then be explained as an ensemble effect since most of the emitted light comes from a dense array of localized filaments. Finally, some technological difficulties associated with memory devices will be illustrated by choosing the recent electroluminescent storage CRT as an example of a particularly demanding implementation.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Tongue force in normals and in dysarthric patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Tongue force, rate of syllable repetition, and judgments of articulatory defectiveness were measures obtained on 19 dysarthric adults with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and on 125 normal adults. Anterior and lateral tongue forces were measured by means of a pressure transducer clasped between the teeth; the tongue forces were recorded on a pen-writing ECG apparatus. Audio-recorded syllable repetitions of /p/, /t/, and /k/ also were transcribed on ECG paper and counted. Three listeners rated articulatory precision on a 7-point scale of severity. The normal males had significantly higher tongue forces than normal females; normal subjects had significantly higher tongue forces than dysarthric patients; and anterior tongue forces were significantly greater than lateral in normal and dysarthric patients. There was a high negative correlation between tongue force and severity of articulatory defect. Syllable repetitions were significantly slower in the dysarthric patients than in the normal patients, and a high...
Difference between Autoclaved and Sterile Filtered Medium in Gulturing Fragments of a Marine Hydroid.

SummaryClava leptostyla, Agassiz, a marine hydroid, is good material for obtaining separated and migrating cells in tissue culture. A thorough washing of fragments in auto-claved sea water was sufficient to provide bacteria-free conditions. The behavior of the cells depended on the size of the fragments, the kind of medium and the amount of culture fluid. Fragments about 2 mm in length tended to close over along the cut edges thus preventing migration of cells. In 0.5 mm fragments the cells rounded up; underwent vacuolization and distintegration after 24 to 48 hours. In fragments about 1 mm in length migration of endodermal cells was observed but only in hanging drops of autoclaved sea water. Cell migration was never observed in cultures containing sea water sterilized by filtration with a Selas porcelain filter.
Progress in CMOS-memristor integration

The fast improvements that have been realized over the past 3 years in the understanding of the materials science, physics and engineering of memristors are briefly reviewed. The electroforming phenomena and the associated importance for the understanding of novel device structures has been revealed from a materials science standpoint, complemented with a spectromicroscopy study and electronic microscopy. These studies were utilized to substantiate a realistic physical model that permitted the development of differential equations governing device behavior, as well as SPICE models and stochastic analysis. Finally, we briefly highlight recent progress in device endurance, which surpasses that of FLASH by several orders of magnitude.
An Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis of Low Birth Weight Prevalence in Georgia

Abstract Low birth weight (LBW), defined as a live birth weighing less than 2500 g, is a significant public health problem in the United States, but the complex nature of the etiology of this problem is not fully understood. Moreover, significant disparities in LBW prevalence are well documented among certain populations, particularly in minority and underserved communities. The identification of spatial patterns of LBW prevalence is a critical first step in a more complete understanding of the epidemiology of this public health challenge and these techniques are instrumental in designing valid observational and analytical studies to more fully study the problem. This paper examines the spatial patterns of LBW prevalence, as well as the presence of spatial clusters in the State of Georgia at both the county and census tract levels. Unadjusted and empirical Bayes smoothed LBW rates were mapped to visualize the spatial variation of LBW rates, and the Moran’s I statistic and the Local Indicator of Spatial Association (LISA) statistic were computed to assess the degree of spatial dependence in the LBW rates. Results revealed marked geographical variation in LBW prevalence in Georgia in 2000. In addition, these data validate the significant disparity (two-fold difference) between white and black racial subgroups as documented in the literature. Trends associated with positive and negative spatial autocorrelations illustrated variation with respect to race. Limitations of data and methods, as well as plans for utility of the results of this study for further investigation were discussed.
Giant left ventricular pseudoaneurysm as a complication after mitral valve replacement surgery.

57-year-oldwomanpresentedwith seizure, exertional Ashortness of breath (New York Heart Association Class III) and angina-like chest pain. Her cardiac history revealed successful bioprostheticmitral valve replacement for endocarditis 1 year prior. Chest radiography detected a 9-cm mass overlying the left hilum with an incomplete right border (Fig 1A, arrows). On transthoracic echocardiography, there was a communication from the posterior mitral valve annulus with an apparent left ventricular (LV) pseudoaneurysm (PSA) measuring approximately 51 52 mm (Fig 1B). Visualized valves showed thickening of the mitral valve leaflets with adjacent high-density
Analyzing a nail-biting election

Using Brams and Fishburn's report and data, the SC&W election is analyzed with an emphasis on explaining the theoretical reasons for the conflicting outcomes. In the process, some new results are obtained.
Successful prediction of the coiled coil geometry of the GCN4 leucine zipper domain by simulated annealing: Comparison to the X‐ray structure

The recently solved X-ray structure of the dimerization region ("leucine zipper") of the yeast transcriptional activator GCN4 (O'Shea, E.K., Klemm, J.D., Kim, P.S., Alber, T. Science 254:539-544, 1991) is compared to previously predicted models which had been obtained by a conformational search procedure employing simulated annealing without any knowledge of the crystal coordinates (Nilges, M., Brunger, A.T. Protein Eng. 4:649-659, 1991). During the course of the simulated annealing procedure, the models converged towards the X-ray structure. The averaged root mean square difference between the models and the X-ray structure is 1.26 and 1.75 A for backbone atoms and all nonhydrogen atoms at the dimerization interface, respectively. The local helix-helix crossing angle of the X-ray structure falls within the range predicted by the models; a slight unwinding of the coiled coil toward the N-terminal DNA-binding end of the dimerization region has been correctly predicted. Distance maps between the helices are largely identical. The region around asparagine 20 is asymmetric in the X-structure and in the models. Surface side chain dihedrals showed a large variation in the models although the chi 1, chi 2, chi 3, chi 4 3-fold dihedrals were correctly predicted in 69, 42, 43, and 44% of the cases, respectively. Phenomenological free energies of dimerization of the models show little correlation with the root mean square difference between the models and the X-ray structure.
Spinodal Amplification of Density Fluctuations in Fluid-Dynamical Simulations of Relativistic Nuclear Collisions

Extending a previously developed two-phase equation of state, we simulate head-on relativistic lead-lead collisions with fluid dynamics, augmented with a finite-range term, and study the effects of the phase structure on the evolution of the baryon density. For collision energies that bring the bulk of the system into the mechanically unstable spinodal region of the phase diagram, the density irregularities are being amplified significantly. The resulting density clumping may be exploited as a signal of the phase transition, possibly through an enhanced production of composite particles.
Papers Presented at the Hip Society Meetings 2009: Editorial Comment

The content for this Annual Hip Society Proceedings Symposium is based on the Fall 2008 Closed Meeting in Chicago and the Open Scientific Meeting of the Hip Society that occurred in conjunction with the 2009 Annual Meeting of AAOS. The organization and content of these programs were superbly managed by Drs. Wayne Paprosky and Daniel Berry. As one would expect, a large portion of the content for these meetings was related to the continued followup and investigation of complications related to alternative bearing surfaces in hip arthroplasty. Followup has now matured to mid- and long-term followup with ceramic surfaces and it has become clear that the durability of this surface appears favorable. The unforeseen complication of squeaking has diminished the enthusiasm associated with this technology and current investigations are focused on the etiology and potential elimination of this sometimes disconcerting acoustical phenomenon. Early to midterm followup of metal-on-metal articulating surfaces has started to emerge with a clearer picture of the potential advantages and disadvantages of this bearing surface. Reports of local soft tissue reactions related to metal ion hypersensitivity with metal-on-metal articulations (which up to this point have only been anecdotal), are now emerging and appear to be quite concerning. The full ramifications of this adverse reaction to metal-on-metal bearing surfaces are yet unknown but are uncomfortably similar to the reports of complications associated with metal-on-metal bearings in the 1970s. It is quite clear from the content of this symposium that the next several years will provide more clarity with regard to the complications related to the hard-on-hard alternative bearing surfaces. The combination of metal-on-ceramic as a bearing surface is intriguing, particularly when juxtaposed with information becoming available with the currently offered hard-on-hard bearing surfaces. Other topics include long-term evaluation of uncemented primary femoral fixation which has been almost universally successful with all second generation implants and modern designs at long-term followup. Additional symposium topics include the success of porous metals when used in acetabular revision, the evaluation of periacetabular osteolysis, and a variety of femoral revision topics. The remainder of the symposium includes miscellaneous areas related to both primary and revision hip arthroplasty and ongoing interest related to femoral acetabular impingement. The overall content of this symposium is contemporary and should prove to be very interesting and informative for individuals involved with hip surgery. As is true with all issues that are evaluated scientifically, many of these reports raise additional questions and issues that require ongoing investigation and study. On behalf of the Hip Society, we hope you enjoy and that your patients benefit from the information provided by this symposium.
Interactions between neutrophils and macrophages promote macrophage killing of rat muscle cells in vitro

Current evidence indicates that the physiological functions of inflammatory cells are highly sensitive to their microenvironment, which is partially determined by the inflammatory cells and their potential targets. In the present investigation, interactions between neutrophils, macrophages and muscle cells that may influence muscle cell death are examined. Findings show that in the absence of macrophages, neutrophils kill muscle cells in vitro by superoxide-dependent mechanisms, and that low concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) protect against neutrophil-mediated killing. In the absence of neutrophils, macrophages kill muscle cells through a NO-dependent mechanism, and the presence of target muscle cells causes a three-fold increase in NO production by macrophages, with no change in the concentration of inducible nitric oxide synthase. Muscle cells that are co-cultured with both neutrophils and macrophages in proportions that are observed in injured muscle show cytotoxicity through a NO-dependent, superoxide-independent mechanism. Furthermore, the concentration of myeloid cells that is necessary for muscle killing is greatly reduced in assays that use mixed myeloid cell populations, rather than uniform populations of neutrophils or macrophages. These findings collectively show that the magnitude and mechanism of muscle cell killing by myeloid cells are modified by interactions between muscle cells and neutrophils, between muscle cells and macrophages and between macrophages and neutrophils.
Ribonuclease S dynamics measured using a nitrile label with 2D IR vibrational echo spectroscopy.

A nitrile-labeled amino acid, p-cyanophenylalanine, is introduced near the active site of the semisynthetic enzyme ribonuclease S to serve as a probe of protein dynamics and fluctuations. Ribonuclease S is the limited proteolysis product of subtilisin acting on ribonuclease A, and consists of a small fragment including amino acids 1–20, the S-peptide, and a larger fragment including residues 21–124, the S-protein. A series of two-dimensional vibrational echo experiments performed on the nitrile-labeled S-peptide and the RNase S are described. The time-dependent changes in the two-dimensional infrared vibrational echo line shapes are analyzed using the center line slope method to obtain the frequency–frequency correlation function (FFCF). The observations show that the nitrile probe in the S-peptide has dynamics that are similar to, but faster than, those of the single amino acid p-cyanophenylalanine in water. In contrast, the dynamics of the nitrile label when the peptide is bound to form ribonuclease S a...
A framework for analyzing programs written in proprietary languages

There are several commercial products that use proprietary languages, which typically look like a wrapper around (some proprietary extension of) the standard SQL language. Examples of these languages include ABAP, Informix, XBase++, SQR and so on. These application are difficult to analyze not only because it is hard to model the semantics of the underlying database systems but also because of the lack of standard tools for analysis. One naive way to analyse such programs is to collect dynamic trace using proprietary debuggers and run the analyses on the trace. However, this form of dynamic trace collection can be a severe performance bottleneck. In this paper, we present our experience with building a framework to help in efficient program analysis in the context of ticket resolution for ABAP programs.In our framework, we first translate the given ABAP programs to semantically equivalent annotated Java programs. These Java programs are then executed to generate the required dynamic trace. Our framework allows the plugging of off-the-shelf static analysis tools (applied on the Java programs) and dynamic trace analysis tools (on the generated trace) and maps the results from these analysis tools back to the original ABAP programs. One novel aspect of our framework is that it admits incomplete ABAP grammar, which is an important aspect when dealing with proprietary languages where the grammar may not be publicly available. We have used our framework on several benchmarks to validate the translation, and establish the efficiency and the utility of our instrumented Java code along with the collected trace.
CHANGES IN CLINICAL TRIALS MANDATED BY THE ADVENT OF META‐ANALYSIS

Service on the Data Monitoring Committee of the CPEP (Calcium for Pre-eclampsia Prevention) has led us to four conclusions about clinical trials which we should like to present to this gathering of biostatisticians for their reactions: (i) meta-analyses of the pertinent published trials of the same therapy should always be undertaken before the start of a new trial, and the results examined to help determine the design of a new trial or determine if a trial should be undertaken at all; (ii) assuming that a decision is made to go ahead, the results of the past trials should be used in sizing the new one; (iii) in the course of the new one, regardless of the size estimates, stopping early should be considered if the trends conform to the results of the meta-analysis; and (iv) heterogeneity of patients entering clinical trials is desirable and should be specifically studied, and it should never be concluded that an average outcome is applicable to all future patients.
Culture of Sunshine Bass, Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis Fry in Tanks with Zooplankton Cropped from Ponds with a Drum Filter

Abstract Sunshine bass, Morone chrysops X M. saxatilis fry were stocked at 20 fry/L into 260-L tanks when 4 days old and harvested 21 days later. Zooplankton were fed to the fry at rates of 10, 20, or 30 plankton/mL once per day with three replicates of each treatment. Zooplankton were collected with a drum filter from ponds managed to maximize rotifer densities at the time of filtration. The Zooplankton were retained by a 60-μm mesh filter but passed through a 150-μm mesh. Beginning at age 9 days, fry were also offered a <150-μm microencapsulated, 50% protein fry feed at 1 g/2.4 hour. Mean survival rates at harvest were 3.1%, 14.2%, and 24.3% in low to high feeding treatments. Fry from the 30 zooplankton/mL treatment survived at a significantly higher rate than fry from the 10 zooplankton/mL treatment. Average total lengths of fry were 8.24 mm, 8.15 mm, and 7.66 mm and were inversely related to survival with fish from the 30 zoo-plankton/mL treatment, having significantly smaller fry than the other treat...
Outcomes of surgical management of symptomatic large recurrent hiatus hernia.

Recurrent hiatus hernia is frequently found in patients undergoing reoperative antireflux surgery. The objective of this study is to report perioperative complications and subjective and objective outcomes for patients who underwent reoperative intervention for symptomatic large recurrent hiatus hernia. Retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database was performed to identify patients with large (≥5 cm gastric tissue above the crus) recurrent hiatus hernia who underwent reoperation after failed antireflux surgery. Data for preoperative workup, operative procedure, and postoperative 6-month follow-up were reviewed and analyzed. Two hundred twenty patients underwent reoperation over a 6-year period. Forty-four patients had large recurrent hiatus hernia; 21 underwent redo fundoplication, while 23 underwent Roux-en-Y (RNY) reconstruction as remedial procedure. Short esophagus was found in 16 cases (6 of 21 redo Collis fundoplications, 10 of 23 RNY reconstructions). There was significant symptom improvement and high degree of satisfaction reported in both groups. However, patients with short esophagus did better with RNY reconstruction compared with redo Collis gastroplasty. Repair of large recurrent hiatus hernia is a technically challenging procedure; however, there is high degree of symptom resolution and patient satisfaction. RNY reconstruction might be a better alternative in patients with short esophagus compared with redo Collis gastroplasty.
Composition of before/after metaclasses in SOM

In SOM, the IBM System Object Model, a class is a run-time object that defines the behavior of its instances by creating an instance method table. Because classes are objects, their behavior is defined by other classes (called metaclasses). For example, a “Before/After Metaclass” can be used to define the implementation of classes that, by suitable construction of their instance method tables, arrange for each invocation of a method to be preceded by execution of a “before method” and followed by execution of an “after method”. This paper introduces and solves the problem of composing different Before/After Metaclasses in the context of SOM. An enabling element in the solution is SOM's concept of derived metaclasses, i.e., at run-time a SOM system derives the appropriate metaclass of a class based on the classes of its parents and an optional metaclass constraint.
Electrode Noise as a Source of Information on the Contact of Sperm Cells with Charged Surfaces

Abstract In dilute suspensions of various particles, such as “membrane particles” or sperm cells (about 107 particles or cells per cm3), there is a considerable amount of electrode noise at the nA level. Upon analysis, the noise frequency (number of current fluctuations above I nA per unit time) was found to depend upon the concentration of particles, the potential at the electrode surface, the presence of adsorbed material at the electrode, etc. The noise is related to the contact of suspended particles with the electrode surface and the resulting changes in the electrical double layer. The measurement of electrode noise therefore enables us to study the changes that occur during contacts of suspended particles with a well defined electrode surface under conditions that can simulate the physical aspects of the contact between cells. We have used this technique to study the factors that affect the contact of sperm cells with egg cell surfaces.
Renegotiation Facilitates Contractual Incompleteness

Attempts to economize on bargaining costs imply that two parties may write a contract which is incomplete in the sense that each party tacitly cedes some decision rights to the other. If decision makers can be disciplined by the threat of ex post renegotiation of decisions initially delegated to them, contracts may be even more incomplete. In the limit, the parties may leave all nonprice decisions out of the contract. By thus arguing that the threat of renegotiation facilitates contractual incompleteness, the paper reverses the direction of causality stressed by the literature.