cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nephrectomy and nephro-ureterectomy for malignant tumors of the kidney

Abstract In general, the most practical and frequently used incision for nephrectomy and nephro-ureterectomy begins at the costovertebral angle which overlies the affected kidney, curving down toward the crest of the ilium and then paralleling the crest of the ilium, the whole incision taking the shape of a miniature hockey stick. The patient lies on the side opposite to that of the incision. Extraperitoneal removal is performed. When tumors involve the right kidney, the proximity of the retroperitoneal portion of the duodenum and the inferior vena cava should always be borne in mind, for injuries of these structures may occur, and usually are followed by serious consequences. Subsequent to operation it is of great importance that adequate intake of fluid should be maintained. Preoperative and postoperative radiation may be of considerable value as an adjunct to surgical treatment. Particularly is this true if tumors are of embryonic type, or if certain unusually large adenocarcinomas are present. Among the clinical data which influence the advisability of operation are fixation and size of the tumor, evidence of metastasis, and condition of the patient. Evidence of pulmonary metastasis should preclude operation. In the majority of cases a diagnosis can be made from the excretory urogram, providing visualization of the pelves and calices is complete.
Exercise Physiology and Testing in Adult Patients with Congenital Heart Disease

As the longevity of patients with congenital heart disease improves, the number surviving to adulthood will continue to rise. Consequently, practicing physicians can expect to encounter an increasing number of adult patients with various congenital cardiac conditions. Impaired exercise tolerance in this patient population is exceptionally common; adult patients with congenital heart disease have reduced exercise capacity compared with healthy, age-matched counterparts. The different methods of evaluating exercise capacity, the characteristic physiologic abnormalities encountered in patients with various congenital cardiac conditions, the pathophysiologic mechanisms that may account for these abnormalities, and the clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
A sibship with unusual anomalies of the eye and skeleton (Michels' syndrome).

Four siblings of nonconsanguineous parents had congenital anomalies of the anterior segment of the eyes, eyelids, and skeletal systems. Anomalies of the anterior segment included opacities of the corneal stroma, conjunctival telangiectasia, and iridocorneal adhesions. Eyelid abnormalttles included blepharoptosis, blepharophimosis, and telecanthus.One sibling with extensive anterior segment anomalies developed glaucoma. All subjects had impaired vertical gaze. Oromandibular anomalies varied from cleft lip and palate to malocclusion with overbite. Additional features included subnormal intelligence, short stature, hearing loss, and clinodactyly.This spectrum of anomalies appeared to have been transmitted as an autosomal recessive syndrome.
American physicians and birth control, 1936-1947.

The transition from resistance to acceptance of birth control in the US can be characterized as a 3 stage process with each period facing its own issues and choices. The 1st stage -- the fight over birth control in the early 20th century -- has been documented by historians like James Reed Linda Gordon and David Kennedy. A 2nd stage approximately the years from 1936-60 has not been fully explored although the period was crucial in shaping the current system of contraceptive health care. This discussion focuses on this transitional period particularly its 1st decade 1936-47. Physicians attitudes as revealed through American Medical Association (AMA) policy and a national survey conducted in 1947 are considered in relation to reported data on clinic and private practice. This evidence reveals that despite the liberalization of laws and public opinion in the mid-1930s contraception did not become widely available until after 1960 -- the beginning of the 3rd stage in the history of American contraception -- and that the restriction of birth control information during the period was traceble in large part to the medical profession. Analysis of the 1936-47 decade particularly with regard to the concerns of doctors provides a framework for understanding the forces that affected contraceptive health care in the mid 20th century and suggests conditions that continue to shape the politics of birth control. In 1936 when the AMAs committee on contraception submitted its 1st report it was clear that legal and public opinion had moved decisively toward more liberal attitudes concerning birth control. In 1937 the AMA passed a qualified endorsement of birth control indicating that the organized medical profession as represented by the AMA held views on birth control at the beginning of the 2nd stage that were more conservative than those of most middle-class Americans. Its conservatism was challenged by lay groups who threatened to circumvent standard office practice if physicians failed to modify their views. Public opinion and behavior thus had a demonstrable effect on medical attitudes. 10 years after the AMA resolution a suvey found that more than 2/3 of physicians approved of contraception for any married women who requested it. The 1937-47 period witnessed 2 important changes in medical attitudes toward contraception: the professions public though cautious endorsement of birth control; and the apparent adoption of liberalized standards for the prescription of contraceptive materials. The period also was a time of tremendous growth for the new birth control clinics that offered services to women who could not afford private care. Available evidence suggests that physicians attitudes toward contraception and particularly toward birth control clinics were more important than either laws or public opinion in limiting the availability of those contraceptives considered most efficient (and most compatible with sexual pleasure) between 1936-60.
Kindlin-2 expression in arsenite- and cadmium-transformed bladder cancer cell lines and in archival specimens of human bladder cancer.

Objective To confirm a microarray study that suggested that Kindlin-2 might play a role in the development and progression of bladder cancer. There has been no previous examination of Kindlin-2 expression in human bladder cancer. Methods A combination of real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western analysis, and immunohistochemistry was used to characterize Kindlin-2 expression in arsenite (As +3 )- and cadmium (Cd +2 )-transformed human cell lines, their tumor transplants in immunocompromised mice, and in archival specimens of human bladder and bladder cancer. Results The results show that the Kindlin-2 expression patterns in the cell lines were not duplicated in the tumor tissues. However, it was shown that Kindlin-2 was expressed in the stromal element of all the transplanted tumors and archival specimens of human bladder cancer. It was also shown that a small number of high-grade invasive urothelial cancers have focal expression of Kindlin-2 in the tumor cells. Conclusion Kindlin-2 is expressed in the stromal component of most, if not all, human bladder cancers. Kindlin-2 is not expressed in normal urothelium. Kindlin-2 is expressed in a small subset of high-grade invasive bladder cancers and may have potential as a prognostic marker for tumor progression.
Health Care in the People's Republic of China: A Blend of Traditional and Modern

The People's Republic of China originally developed a unique health services system that embodies decentralization, continuity with traditional medicine, integration with the local political structure, and mass participation. In order to provide health services for over one billion people. China concentrated on training barefoot doctors, assistant doctors, midwives, and public health workers. Also, training programs attempted to integrate Chinese traditional medicine with Western medicine. However, economic reforms initiated during the 1980s currently are transforming the health care system. The rural cooperative medical service is being replaced by private hospitals and clinics and health insurance systems. In the future, China will have to balance increased specialization and technology with the delivery of health services to a largely rural population. This will be a difficult task for a nation in the process of economic reform.
Statistical properties of parameters of the scattering matrix for compound nuclear reactions

Abstract A numerical calculation for determining the statistical distributions of the partial level widths and S -matrix poles is performed. Many of the expected properties of these distributions are confirmed. It is found that the parameters of the optical background representation have more suitable statistical properties. A new relationship among the parameters of the optical background representation, with its numerical checks, is presented.
Empirical Comparison of Six Cessation Tests for use in Principal Components Factor Analysis

(1956). Empirical Comparison of Six Cessation Tests for use in Principal Components Factor Analysis. The Journal of Experimental Education: Vol. 24, No. 3, pp. 165-180.
Activation of the baboon fetal pituitary-adrenocortical axis at midgestation by estrogen: responsivity of the fetal adrenal gland to adrenocorticotropic hormone in vitro.

We have previously demonstrated that increased expression of fetal pituitary proopiomelanocortin mRNA and the induction of enzymes catalyzing fetal adrenal cortisol formation at term are regulated by estrogen-induced changes in placental oxidation of maternal cortisol to cortisone. To test the hypothesis that induction of fetal pituitary adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) production by estrogen-induced changes in placental cortisol oxidation results in increased responsivity of the fetal adrenal gland to ACTH, in the present study we compared fetal adrenal sensitivity to ACTH in vitro at midgestation in untreated controls and in animals treated at this time in gestation with estrogen. Fetal adrenals were obtained on Day 100 (n = 7) and Day 165 (n = 5; term = Day 184) from untreated baboons and on Day 100 following maternal treatment with estradiol (s.c.; Days 70-100; n = 10) or androgen precursor (n = 3). Adrenal slices (15-25 mg) were perifused (100 microliters/min; 37 degrees C) with Medium 199 (no phenol red); media were collected at 10-min intervals and assayed for cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone. Secretion of cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone reached equilibrium after 140 min of perifusion; therefore, basal release was calculated as the mean steroid concentrations during 190-240 min. Adrenal slices were then perifused for 20 min with saline or ACTH at 240 (0.001 nmol), 370 (0.01 nmol), and 490 (0.1 nmol) min, and an overall average cortisol/dehydroepiandrosterone secretion rate (pg/min/mg) between 240-600 min was calculated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Slow and fast fiber isoform gene expression is systematically altered in skeletal muscle of the Sox6 mutant, p100H

We have previously demonstrated that p100H mutant mice, which lack a functional Sox6 gene, exhibit skeletal and cardiac muscle degeneration and develop cardiac conduction abnormalities soon after birth. To understand the role of Sox6 in skeletal muscle development, we identified muscle-specific genes differentially expressed between wild-type and p100H mutant skeletal muscles and investigated their temporal expression in the mutant muscle. We found that, in the mutant skeletal muscle, slow fiber and cardiac isoform genes are expressed at significantly higher levels, whereas fast fiber isoform genes are expressed at significantly lower levels than wild-type. Onset of this aberrant fiber type-specific gene expression in the mutant coincides with the beginning of the secondary myotube formation, at embryonic day 15–16 in mice. Together with our earlier report, demonstrating early postnatal muscle defects in the Sox6 null-p100H mutant, the present results suggest that Sox6 likely plays an important role in muscle development. Developmental Dynamics 234:301–311, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Identifying mRNAs bound by RNA-binding proteins using affinity purification and differential display.

Many methods are available and widely used to determine specific proteins that bind to a particular RNA of interest. However, approaches to identify unknown substrate RNAs to which an RNA-binding protein binds and potentially regulates are not as common. In this article we describe a technique termed isolation of specific nucleic acids associated with proteins (SNAAP) that allows the identification of mRNAs associated with a protein. Methods are detailed for expressing and purifying fusion proteins that are used to isolate substrate mRNPs employing differential display technology. Lastly, experiments are described to confirm that the RNAs identified are indeed bonafide substrates for an RNA-binding protein. As the number of known RNA-binding proteins increases, of which many are involved in genetic disorders, it is essential that methodologies exist to identify RNA-protein interactions to better understand the manifestation of disease.
A comparison of the deep atmospheres of the giant planets

Abstract The radio spectra and resolved images of the four giant planets are compared. Bright bands across the planetary disks imply a latitudinal variation in the precise ammonia abundance. Jupiter and Saturn are very much alike: NH 3 gas is depleted by a factor of ∼ 4–5 at P ≲ 1 bar, and enhanced by 1.5- > 3 at P > 2–3 bars. Uranus and Neptune are very different from the former two planets, in that they exhibit a depletion of NH 3 gas by ∼ two orders of magnitude over a large altitude range in the atmosphere. Uranus shows a large pole-to-equator gradient in the ammonia abundance. The loss of NH 3 gas in the atmospheres of all four planets (assuming they all have an abundance ≳ solar value at deeper levels) is most likely due to the formation of NH 4 SH . This requires the H 2 S abundance in Jupiter and Saturn to be enhanced by 1 order of magnitude above the solar value and by about 2 orders of magnitude in Uranus and Neptune. The latitudinal variation in the NH 3 abundance on the planets suggests differences in the location of the NH 4 SH cloud layers and the dynamics of the planets.
Mapping the global Twitter heartbeat: The geography of Twitter

In just under seven years, Twitter has grown to count nearly 3% of the entire global population among its active users who have sent more than 170 billion 140-character messages. Today the service plays such a significant role in American culture that the Library of Congress has assembled a permanent archive of the site back to its first tweet, updated daily. With its open API, Twitter has become one of the most popular data sources for social research, yet the majority of the literature has focused on it as a text or network graph source, with only limited efforts to date focusing exclusively on the geography of Twitter, assessing the various sources of geographic information on the service and their accuracy. More than 3% of all tweets are found to have native location information available, while a naive geocoder based on a simple major cities gazetteer and relying on the user-provided Location and Profile fields is able to geolocate more than a third of all tweets with high accuracy when measured against the GPS-based baseline. Geographic proximity is found to play a minimal role both in who users communicate with and what they communicate about, providing evidence that social media is shifting the communicative landscape.
Active urea transport in the rat inner medullary collecting duct : Functional characterization and initial expression cloning

Active urea transport in the rat inner medullary collecting duct: Functional characterization and initial expression cloning. Active transport of urea has been proposed to exist inthe inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) of low-protein fed mammals for over 30 years. We perfused IMCD subsegments from rats fed a standard (18%) or a low (8%) protein diet and tested for the presence of active urea transport. We found no active urea transport in terminal IMCDs, regardless of diet. In initial IMCDs from rats fed 18% protein or fed 8% protein for one to two weeks, we again found no active urea transport. However, in rats fed 8% protein for three to four weeks, we found significant net urea reabsorption. This active urea reabsorption was inhibited when Na + ,K + -ATPase activity was inhibited by adding 1mM ouabain or removing bath potassium, suggesting a secondary active transport process. Removing sodium from the perfusate completely inhibited net urea reabsorption, demonstrating that this active urea transport is dependent upon the presence of sodium in the tubule lumen. Unlike the facilitated urea transporter, the active urea transporter was not inhibited by phloretin nor stimulated by vasopressin, suggesting that it is a distinct transport protein. To test this hypothesis, we size-separated poly(A) + -RNA preparedfrom inner medullae of rats fed 8% protein for three weeks and injected it into Xenopus laevis oocytes. RNA froma 4.4 to 8.4kb size fraction increased urea permeability fourfold compared to water-injected oocytes or injecting RNA from other size-fractions. We conclude that feeding rats a low-protein diet for three weeks induces the expression of an unique, secondary active, sodium-dependent urea transporter whose cDNA is between 4.4 and 8.4kb in size. In addition, our results suggest that it will be possible to clone the cDNA for this sodium-urea cotransporter by expression in Xenopus laevis oocytes.
A study of diesel PM with X-ray microspectroscopy

Carbonaceous particulate matter from diesel fuel combustion was studied with Scanning Transmission X-ray Microspectroscopy, a novel synchrotron radiation-based technique, which combines X-ray absorption spectroscopy and microscopy. Single soot particles were chemically identified with a spatial resolution of better than 100 nm. Near-edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure spectra from the carbon K-absorption edge could be assigned to specific particle regions, making it possible to distinguish graphitic carbon in the soot particles from hydrocarbons, such as residual lubricating oil and diesel fuel and their reaction products.
Experimental and correlational studies of the fear of death.

The techniques used to measure the fear of death are reviewed. The effects of demographic variables and personal characteristics are discussed, and the lack of consistency in the different studies is attributed to lack of attention to the consistency and the validity of the measuring instruments and a failure to determine whether the different techniques are assessing the same dimension. The choice of variables is criticized for a lack of relevance to the genesis of the fear of death. Interest in the psychological aspects of death has been growing recently (see, e.g., Kastenbaum, 1965), and two problems have emerged as the focus of this interest. The first of these is the psychological state and the management of the dying patient. The different styles with which people face imminent death have been described, and the role of the doctor and the therapist constructed. The focus of the present paper is that of the second problem, the fear of death. Investigators of the fear of death have not restricted themselves to an examination of dying people, but rather they have used varying samples (which leads of course to difficulties in comparing the different studies and raises the familiar problems of matching samples, volunteer versus nonvolunteer subjects, etc.). Typically, research on dying patients has used a clinical approach with case studies as illustrative material; whereas studies of the fear of death have used simple techniques of measurement and have produced mainly correlational data. In a few instances, the experimenter has manipulated the independent variable. The present purpose is to consider these correlational and experimental studies of the fear of death. The techniques used to study fear of death will be reviewed, previous findings summarized, and new directions for research suggested. A fear of death can have several objects (Becker & Bruner, 1931): fear of one's own death, fear of the death of others, and fear of the effects of death. Usually, the methods of investigation fail to distinguish between these alternatives, which are collectively called fear of death.
Evaluating the efficiency of blocking without assuming compound symmetry

Abstract In analyzing a randomized blocks experiment, an investigator may wish to evaluate the effect of blocking on the efficiency of treatment comparisons. We have recently (Samuels et al., J. Amer. Statist. Assoc. 86 (1991) 798–821) discussed this topic in the context of a mixed linear model with a covariance matrix assumed compound-symmetric. The present note suggests a simple approach, valid for an arbitrary covariance matrix, to assessing the effect of blocking on the efficiency of an experiment.
T.M.I. (Too Much Information)

Parents of teenagers will recognize the following scenario: parent comprehensively lecturing teenager on some topic at hand, carefully outlining the rationale for a parental decision, invoking extensive reasoning of why one option is better than another for good adolescent decision-making, etc, etc. Teenager looks away, rolls eyes (possibly, but not necessarily outside of visual field of parent), and mutters, sotto voce , “… T.M.I. ….” Article see p 1719 T.M.I. Too much information. In making clinical decisions, we as clinicians generally believe that more information characterizing our patients' disease processes allows us to make better decisions about therapeutic direction, thereby ultimately improving their quality of life and outcomes. Of course, like many things that we would like to believe, this is not always the case, when the concept is tested rigorously. Over the past few years, several studies have shown that providing an increment of information on which clinicians can base management—compared with management without such information—does not necessarily improve symptoms and/or outcomes. Examples include the Evaluation Study of Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Artery Catheterization Effectiveness (ESCAPE) trial, a randomized trial in which in-hospital management based on invasive hemodynamic information from pulmonary artery catheterization did not improve measures of 6-month outcomes in comparison with clinically based management in decompensated heart failure (HF) patients,1 and the often neutral trial results reported when chronic outpatient HF management is guided according to serial measurements of natriuretic peptide levels, as well.2 The usual trajectory for such studies is initial validation of a marker associated with a pathophysiology of interest, subsequent demonstration of prognostic value in observational studies showing that abnormal levels of the marker are associated with increased risk of an unfavorable outcome, small studies showing that a therapy can improve the marker, and then finally, therapy directed at the marker …
The Apolipoprotein E (APOE) Gene Appears Functionally Monomorphic in Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

Background: The human apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene is polymorphic, with three primary alleles (E2, E3, E4) that differ at two key non-synonymous sites. These alleles are functionally different in how they bind to lipoproteins, and this genetic variation is associated with phenotypic variation for several medical traits, including cholesterol levels, cardiovascular health, Alzheimer’s disease risk, and longevity. The relative frequencies of these alleles vary across human populations, and the evolution and maintenance of this diversity is much debated. Previous studies comparing human and chimpanzee APOE sequences found that the chimpanzee sequence is most similar to the human E4 allele, although the resulting chimpanzee protein might function like the protein coded for by the human E3 allele. However, these studies have used sequence data from a single chimpanzee and do not consider whether chimpanzees, like humans, show intra-specific and subspecific variation at this locus. Methodology and Principal Findings: To examine potential intraspecific variation, we sequenced the APOE gene of 32 chimpanzees. This sample included 20 captive individuals representing the western subspecies (P. troglodytes verus) and 12 wild individuals representing the eastern subspecies (P. t. schweinfurthii). Variation in our resulting sequences was limited to one non-coding, intronic SNP, which showed fixed differences between the two subspecies. We also compared APOE sequences for all available ape genera and fossil hominins. The bonobo APOE protein is identical to that of the chimpanzee, and the Denisovan APOE exhibits all four human-specific, non-synonymous changes and appears functionally similar to the human E4 allele. Conclusions: We found no coding variation within and between chimpanzee populations, suggesting that the maintenance of functionally diverse APOE polymorphisms is a unique feature of human evolution.
The Chemistry of Atmosphere-Forest Exchange (CAFE) Model – Part 1: Model description and characterization

Abstract. We present the Chemistry of Atmosphere-Forest Exchange (CAFE) model, a vertically-resolved 1-D chemical transport model designed to probe the details of near-surface reactive gas exchange. CAFE integrates all key processes, including turbulent diffusion, emission, deposition and chemistry, throughout the forest canopy and mixed layer. CAFE utilizes the Master Chemical Mechanism (MCM) and is the first model of its kind to incorporate a suite of reactions for the oxidation of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, providing a more comprehensive description of the oxidative chemistry occurring within and above the forest. We use CAFE to simulate a young Ponderosa pine forest in the Sierra Nevada, CA. Utilizing meteorological constraints from the BEARPEX-2007 field campaign, we assess the sensitivity of modeled fluxes to parameterizations of diffusion, laminar sublayer resistance and radiation extinction. To characterize the general chemical environment of this forest, we also present modeled mixing ratio profiles of biogenic hydrocarbons, hydrogen oxides and reactive nitrogen. The vertical profiles of these species demonstrate a range of structures and gradients that reflect the interplay of physical and chemical processes within the forest canopy, which can influence net exchange.
Impact of spatial aggregation error on the spatial scan analysis: a case study of colorectal cancer

The paper aims to estimate the level and impact of spatial aggregation error for spatial scan statistics where disaggregated data below the zip code level are not available. Data on colorectal cancer cases in Cook county, Illinois, USA with a 5-year interval were used. An innovative procedure using SAS and Java was designed to make SaTScan auto-run. Characteristics of clusters at each reference level were compared to those at zip code level to observe differences related to spatial aggregation. The comparison reveals that spatial scan statistic at the zip code level can generate reliable clusters in areas with a large number of cases, but fail to detect clusters in areas where there are a sparse number of cases, since the spatial aggregation error is minimised in areas with sizeable numbers of cases. Without localised cancer data, zip code level data can be used effectively to identify dominant clusters. However, smaller clusters located in low-density areas may be missed.
Inactivation of Bacillus anthracis spores by a combination of biocides and heating under high-temperature short-time pasteurization conditions.

The milk supply is considered a primary route for a bioterrorism attack with Bacillus anthracis spores because typical high-temperature short-time (HTST) pasteurization conditions cannot inactivate spores. In the event of intentional contamination, an effective method to inactivate the spores in milk under HTST processing conditions is needed. This study was undertaken to identify combinations and concentrations of biocides that can inactivate B. anthracis spores at temperatures in the HTST range in less than 1 min. Hydrogen peroxide (HP), sodium hypochlorite (SH), and peroxyacetic acid (PA) were evaluated for their efficacy in inactivating spores of strains 7702, ANR-1, and 9131 in milk at 72, 80, and 85°C using a sealed capillary tube technique. Strains ANR-1 and 9131 were more resistant to all of the biocide treatments than strain 7702. Addition of 1,260 ppm SH to milk reduced the number of viable spores of each strain by 6 log CFU/ml in less than 90 and 60 s at 72 and 80°C, respectively. After neutralization, 1,260 ppm SH reduced the time necessary to inactivate 6 log CFU/ml (TTI6-log) at 80°C to less than 20 s. Treatment of milk with 7,000 ppm HP resulted in a similar level of inactivation in 60 s. Combined treatment with 1,260 ppm SH and 1,800 ppm HP inactivated spores of all strains in less than 20 s at 80°C. Mixing 15 ppm PA with milk containing 1,260 ppm SH resulted in TTI6-log of 25 and 12 s at 72 and 80°C, respectively. TTI6-log of less than 20 s were also achieved at 80°C by using two combinations of biocides: 250 ppm SH, 700 ppm HP, and 150 ppm PA; and 420 ppm SH (pH 7), 1,100 ppm HP, and 15 ppm PA. These results indicated that different combinations of biocides could consistently result in 6-log reductions in the number of B. anthracis spores in less than 1 min at temperatures in the HTST range. This information could be useful for developing more effective thermal treatment strategies which could be used in HTST milk plants to process contaminated milk for disposal and decontamination, as well as for potential protective measures.
IDENTIFICATION OF CULTURED PSEUDO‐NITZSCHIA (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE) USING SPECIES‐SPECIFIC LSU rRNA‐TARGETED FLUORESCENT PROBES

Some, but not all, marine pennate diatoms of the genus Pseudo-nitzschia H. Peragallo are associated with the production of domoic acid, a naturally occurring amino acid responsible for amnesic shellfish poisoning. Distinguishing between potentially toxic and nontoxic representatives of this genus is time-consuming and difficult because it demands scanning electron microscopy of cleaned frustules. The objective of this work is to speed and ease identification of these organisms by using whole-cell (in situ) hybridization and species-specific large-subunit ribosomal RNA (LSU rRNA)-targeted oligonucleotide probes. Toward that end, cultures of P. australis Frenguelli, P. pungens (Grunow) Hasle, P. multiseries (Hasle) Hasle, P. fraudulenta (P. T. Cleve) Heiden, P. heimii Manguin, P. delicatissima (P. T. Cleve) Heiden, P. pseudo-delicatissima (Hasle) Hasle, and P. americana (Hasle) Fryxell were screened with a suite of 15 putative species-specific probes. Of those, a subset of eight probes was found that distinguished each species tested. In addition, Pseudo-nitzschia chloroplasts were labeled with a probe directed against a eubacterial-conserved sequence. Identification of new cultures based on their reactivity toward a set of probes agreed with species designations as defined by morphological criteria. Whole-cell hybridization is a rapid, simple, and cost-effective technique for discriminating among cultured Pseudo-nitzschia species.
Natural history of visual outcome in central retinal vein occlusion.

Objective To investigate systematically the natural history of visual outcome in central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). Design Cohort study. Participants Six hundred sixty-seven consecutive patients (30 patients had both eyes involved resulting in 697 eyes) with CRVO first seen in the authors' clinic from 1973 through 2000. Methods At the first visit, all patients underwent a detailed ophthalmic and medical history and a comprehensive ophthalmic evaluation. Visual evaluation was carried out by recording visual acuity, using the Snellen visual acuity chart, and assessing visual fields with a Goldmann perimeter. The same ophthalmic evaluation was performed at each follow-up visit. Central retinal vein occlusion was classified into nonischemic (588 eyes) and ischemic (109 eyes) types at the initial visit based on functional and morphologic criteria. Main Outcome Measures Visual acuity and visual fields. Results Of the eyes first seen within 3 months, visual acuity was 20/100 or better in 78% with nonischemic CRVO and in only 1% with ischemic CRVO ( P P P P P = 0.55) improvement in ischemic CRVO. Similarly, on resolution of macular edema, in eyes with moderate to severe initial visual field defect, improvement was seen in 86% of nonischemic CRVO eyes, but no significant ( P = 0.83) improvement was seen in eyes with ischemic CRVO. In nonischemic CRVO, development of foveal pigmentary degeneration, epiretinal membrane, or both, was the main cause of poor final visual acuity. This shows that initial presentation and the final visual outcome in the 2 types of CRVO are entirely different. Conclusions A clear differentiation of CRVO into nonischemic and ischemic types, based primarily on functional criteria, is crucial and fundamental in determining visual outcome. Visual outcome is good in nonischemic CRVO and poor in ischemic CRVO. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Sharp recanalization for chronic central venous occlusions

When catheter and guidewire techniques do not permit connection of 2 patent lumina, sharp recanalization becomes an option. Sharp recanalization of chronically occluded central veins is indicated in patients with symptomatic superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome, massive upper extremity swelling, dysfunctional dialysis fistulae, and need for large-bore central venous access. The principle of the technique includes placement of a lower extremity and upper extremity access to exactly delineate the extent of the occlusion. Under triangulation fluoroscopy, the occlusion is transgressed with a sharp recanalization set from the downstream territory toward the pressurized upstream territory. After establishment of a through-and-through access, balloon dilatation and stenting is performed. Our current series includes 12 patients. Based on this small number, the success rate for sharp recanalization does not seem to differ from that of standard catheter guidewire recanalization. Long-term patency is problematic, particularly in patients with benign lesions.
Acceptance and sustenance value of naturally occurring sugars fed to newly emerged adult workers of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.)

Thirteen sugars were fed in 0.125, 0.5, and 2 M solutions in water and in 0.5 M sucrose: L-arabinose, D-xylose, D-fructose, D-glucose, D-galactose, D-mannose, lactose, maltose, melibiose, sucrose, trehalose, melezitose, and raffinose. Survival, water consumption, and sugar consumption were measured. No sugar equaled sucrose in acceptance or sustenance. Reduced survival seemed to be associated with aldoses that contain axial hydroxyl groups at C2 or C4 in a C1 pyran ring (mannose, galactose, or arabinose) even if they were in a sucrose solution that ensures feeding. Acceptance was correlated with survival, but whether low acceptance is a consequence or a cause of mortality was not established. When 0.5 M sucrose was supplied separately, bees showed a strong preference for the sucrose solution and were not harmed by small quantities of the other sugars.
Developmental adaptation to high altitude hypoxia.

Experimental studies on animals and humans exposed to hypoxic stress have been reviewed. These data suggest that the influence of hypoxic stress, and the organism's response to it, are greater during growth than during adulthood. The organism's responses include alterations in the quantity and size of the alveolar units of the lungs, enlargement of the right ventricle of the heart, slower somatic growth as measured by birth weight and body size, increased aerobic capacity during maximal work, and greater control of ventilation. It is postulated that the organism is more sensitive to the influence of environmental factors during growth and development than during adulthood. Consequently, adaptive traits acquired during the developmental period have profound, long-term consequences, which are reflected in the physiological and morphological characteristics of the adult organism. It is concluded that the differences between the highland and lowland natives in their physiological performance and morphology are mostly due to adaptations acquired during the developmental period. Attention is called to the fact that the principle of developmental sensitivity and plasticity does not imply equally adaptive responses in all biological parameters. In other words, what we consider a deficiency in a given variable may actually reflect the indirect influence of the adaptive success of another variable.
Domains of DnaA Protein Involved in Interaction with DnaB Protein, and in Unwinding the Escherichia coli Chromosomal Origin

DnaA protein of Escherichia coli is a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein required for the initiation of DNA replication from the chromosomal origin, oriC. It is also required for replication of several plasmids including pSC101, F, P-1, and R6K. A collection of monoclonal antibodies to DnaA protein has been produced and the primary epitopes recognized by them have been determined. These antibodies have also been examined for the ability to inhibit activities of DNA binding, ATP binding, unwinding of oriC, and replication of both an oriC plasmid, and an M13 single-stranded DNA with a proposed hairpin structure containing a DnaA protein-binding site. Replication of the latter DNA is dependent on DnaA protein by a mechanism termed ABC priming. These studies suggest regions of DnaA protein involved in interaction with DnaB protein, and in unwinding of oriC, or low-affinity binding of ATP.
The long march: a sample preparation technique that enhances contig length and coverage by high-throughput short-read sequencing.

High-throughput short-read technologies have revolutionized DNA sequencing by drastically reducing the cost per base of sequencing information. Despite producing gigabases of sequence per run, these technologies still present obstacles in resequencing and de novo assembly applications due to biased or insufficient target sequence coverage. We present here a simple sample preparation method termed the ‘‘long march’’ that increases both contig lengths and target sequence coverage using high-throughput short-read technologies. By incorporating a Type IIS restriction enzyme recognition motif into the sequencing primer adapter, successive rounds of restriction enzyme cleavage and adapter ligation produce a set of nested sub-libraries from the initial amplicon library. Sequence reads from these sub-libraries are offset from each other with enough overlap to aid assembly and contig extension. We demonstrate the utility of the long march in resequencing of the Plasmodium falciparum transcriptome, where the number of genomic bases covered was increased by 39%, as well as in metagenomic analysis of a serum sample from a patient with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related acute liver failure, where the number of HBV bases covered was increased by 42%. We also offer a theoretical optimization of the long march for de novo sequence assembly.
The Effect of a Speech Discrimination Task on Navigation in a Virtual Environment

If the input from the visual system is unavailable (e.g., damage to the optic nerves or smoke in a burning building), navigating and avoiding obstacles becomes very challenging. It is therefore desirable to develop a navigation aide for use where visual input has become unavailable. There is a small body of research concerning such navigation aides and their efficacy. However, many issues that may have serious human factors repercussions for such a system are unexplored. This study was conducted in order to examine the effect of an attentionally demanding distractor task on wayfinding performance with an audio only navigation aide, in this case the System for Wearable Audio Navigation (SWAN). A difficult secondary speech task reduced efficiency in navigation, as users switched attentional resources to the speech task. Practical applications are discussed.
A new species of Podocarpus from the maquis of New Caledonia

Abstract A new species of Podocarpus section Foliolatus is described, Podocarpus beecherae, from the moist southern maquis of New Caledonia. It is most closely related to P. novae‐caledoniae of the same area but has a distinct ecology and various morphological differences.
Fiber channel in the local area network

The fiber-channel standard, which permits workstation vendors to use one physical interface for peripheral control and network interfaces at gigabit rates, is discussed. Fiber channel specifications are reviewed, covering the physical model, transmission building blocks, class of service, connections, frame format, frame header, flow control and fiber channel fabrics. The fiber channel network at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is described. >
Subdivision meshes for organizing spatial biomedical data

As biomedical images and volumes are being collected at an increasing speed, there is a growing demand for efficient means to organize spatial information for comparative analysis. In many scenarios, such as determining gene expression patterns by in situ hybridization, the images are collected from multiple subjects over a common anatomical region, such as the brain. A fundamental challenge in comparing spatial data from different images is how to account for the shape variations among subjects, which make direct image-to-image comparisons meaningless. In this paper, we describe subdivision meshes as a geometric means to efficiently organize 2D images and 3D volumes collected from different subjects for comparison. The key advantages of a subdivision mesh for this purpose are its light-weight geometric structure and its explicit modeling of anatomical boundaries, which enable efficient and accurate registration. The multi-resolution structure of a subdivision mesh also allows development of fast comparison algorithms among registered images and volumes.
In Vivo and In Vitro Complementation Between guaB and In Vivo Complementation Between guaA Auxotrophs of Salmonella typhimurium

guaA and guaB mutants of Salmonella typhimurium were isolated utilizing the mutagen, nitrous acid. The guaB mutants were defective for inosine 5′-monophosphate (IMP) dehydrogenase activity and those mutants classified as guaA exhibited no xanthosine 5′-monophosphate aminase activity. In vivo complementation maps were determined for the mutants. The guaB map indicated that at least three complementation regions existed whereas five complementation regions were observed for the guaA mutants. The demonstration of in vitro complementation was also achieved for the guaB mutants by utilizing a process of denaturation and renaturation. All of the guaB mutants that exhibited in vivo complementation were found to exhibit in vitro complementation. No correlation was found between the degree of in vivo complementation exhibited by the various pairs of mutants and the specific enzyme activities of the same mutant pair that yielded in vitro complementation. The kinetic parameters for three of the most active guaB “complemented” enzymes and a renatured wild-type IMP dehydrogenase were then examined. No apparent differences were found in the K m values between any of the enzymes for substrate, IMP, activator ion, K + , and coenzyme, oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. Some differences were noted in the apparent V max values; the best “complemented” enzyme yielded only 20% of the velocity exhibited by renatured wild-type enzyme.
The role of contract design in privatization of child welfare services: the Kansas experience

Abstract In recent years, many states have privatized parts of their child welfare systems. This paper examines experience with privatization in Kansas, a pioneer of this approach, and discusses the lessons to be learned about the design of public–private contracts in human services. We describe the contracting approach initially taken and evaluate the incentives it created. Crucially, the state decided to contract separately for family preservation, foster care and adoption, and to hold each group strongly accountable for performance via fixed payments per case. These choices proved problematic given that the various contractors’ performances are somewhat interdependent. While contractor performance with regards to specific measures of child well-being indicates some improvement in Child Welfare services, contractors have experienced significant financial hardships under the new system. Subsequent reforms have reduced contractors’ exposure to financial risk via the payment rates, but retained the separate contracting approach. Future refinement of this system must protect the ability of contractors to provide quality services to children while ensuring their own financial viability in the long term.
Regional climate responses to geoengineering with tropical and Arctic SO2 injections

[1] Anthropogenic stratospheric aerosol production, so as to reduce solar insolation and cool Earth, has been suggested as an emergency response to geoengineer the planet in response to global warming. While volcanic eruptions have been suggested as innocuous examples of stratospheric aerosols cooling the planet, the volcano analog actually argues against geoengineering because of ozone depletion and regional hydrologic and temperature responses. To further investigate the climate response, here we simulate the climate response to both tropical and Arctic stratospheric injection of sulfate aerosol precursors using a comprehensive atmosphere-ocean general circulation model, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Institute for Space Studies ModelE. We inject SO2 and the model converts it to sulfate aerosols, transports the aerosols and removes them through dry and wet deposition, and calculates the climate response to the radiative forcing from the aerosols. We conduct simulations of future climate with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change A1B business-as-usual scenario both with and without geoengineering and compare the results. We find that if there were a way to continuously inject SO2 into the lower stratosphere, it would produce global cooling. Tropical SO2 injection would produce sustained cooling over most of the world, with more cooling over continents. Arctic SO2 injection would not just cool the Arctic. Both tropical and Arctic SO2 injection would disrupt the Asian and African summer monsoons, reducing precipitation to the food supply for billions of people. These regional climate anomalies are but one of many reasons that argue against the implementation of this kind of geoengineering.
Computational Modeling of Cell Mechanics in Articular Cartilage

The mechanical interactions between cells and their extracellular matrix have important implications on mechanotransduction in mammalian tissues. Continuum models of cell mechanics enable determination of material properties and their variations with important factors such as site, age and disease. This chapter describes the development and application of solid-based computational methods for multiphasic continuum models of the cells of articular cartilage (chondrocytes). Applications include models for several in vitro micromechanical test configurations for determining cell properties, and simulations of mechanical cell-matrix interactions under physiologically relevant loading conditions. The computational techniques described are based on the boundary element method (BEM) and the finite element method (FEM), including applications to contact problems and multiscale modeling. As illustrated in the context of articular cartilage, the development of new computational methods will provide important tools to enhance our understanding of the role of cell biomechanics in regulation of cell physiology in health and disease.