cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cytologic diagnosis of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women: lessons learned from human Papillomavirus DNA testing.

BACKGROUND. The authors have noted that in cervical cytology specimens from perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, the diagnosis of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US), as defined in the Bethesda system, is often not associated with a clinically evident lesion on follow-up. Reflex human papillomavirus (HPV) testing provides an opportunity to distinguish cytologic features of significance from those within the spectrum of benign cellular change in this age group. METHODS. Liquid-based preparations that were diagnosed as ASC-US between January 2003 and July 2005 at Emory University Hospital were identified from the computer files. The results of HPV-DNA testing were recorded. Two hundred four Papanicolaou tests from perimenopausal women (n = 81, 40–49 years) and postmenopausal women (n = 123, >50 years) were reviewed in a blinded fashion. RESULTS. HPV-DNA results were available for 903 of 1044 patients diagnosed as ASC-US. Overall, 323 results (35.8%) were positive, 510 results (56.6%) were negative, and 70 results (7.8%) were indeterminate. In addition, 73% of ASC-US specimens in patients aged ≥40 years were negative for HPV DNA. The HPV-DNA detection rate dropped from 60% in the group ages 10 to 19 years to approximately 18% in the group aged >50 years. A review of HPV-negative cases in the group aged >40 years showed squamous cells with random nuclear enlargement and slight hyperchromasia that likely were interpreted as ASC-US (based on the cells that were dotted by the original reviewer). Nuclear grooves were frequent in these nuclei; and cytoplasmic halos, when present, usually were perinuclear. CONCLUSIONS. HPV-DNA detection in cervical cytology specimens has an inverse relation to patient age. A diagnosis of ASC-US in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women is likely to result in a negative HPV-DNA test in a significant proportion of patients. Enlarged nuclei with nuclear grooves and slight hyperchromasia are possibly the cause of ASC-US overdiagnosis in this age group. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2007. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
Flexible Manufacturing Using Modular Robotic Wrists

Robotic applications are constrained by the type of wrist a robot uses. The concept of multiple interchangeable wrist mechanisms is introduced in this paper as a cost-effective and practical method to improve the flexibility of a robot system without increasing the complexity of the wrist design. The interchangeable wrist concept is a natural extension of interchangeable tooling and covers the middle ground between low-cost, dedicated mechanisms and expensive, research-oriented, multifunctional designs. The motivation for the interchangeable wrist concept and the constraints it imposes on wrist designs are discussed in detail.
Graphite oxidation at low temperature in subsonic air.

Coupled mass loss and heat transfer was studied experimentally for thin two inch diameter graphite disks heated as high as 2800 F in a flow of ambient air at velocities of 97 to 717 ft/sec. Oxidation was predominately reaction rate controlled with rate constants which were determined experimentally for POCO AXF 5Q, ATJ, ATJS, and an AVCO 3D Orthogonal material. The specimen thermal response was used with an energy balance to obtain the influence of mass loss and chemical reactions on the heat transfer. Specimen heating due to exothermic reactions correlates qualitatively with an approximate theory.
Acute exposure to cadmium causes severe liver injury in rats

Abstract The acute cardiotoxicity of Cd was studied in rats injected iv with 3.9 mg Cd/kg (LD99). Electrocardiogram, blood pressure, and heart rate were recorded intermittently from 9 hr after Cd administration until death. No changes were observed in cardiac indices. Microscopic examination of the major tissues revealed histologically normal myocardium but severely damaged liver. To evaluate further the observed hepatotoxic effects of Cd, time course (1 to 10 hr after 3.9 mg Cd/kg, iv) and dose-response (10 hr after 0.9 to 3.9 mg Cd/kg, iv) studies were conducted. Liver was examined for histopathologic changes; plasma enzyme activities of aspartate (AST) and alanine (ALT) aminotransferases and alkaline phosphatase (AP) were determined to assess liver damage. Pronounced eosinophilia, hepatocyte swelling, and an increase of mitotic figures in hepatocytes were present within 1 hr after Cd. Increased AST and ALT activities were also observed, but AP activity and plasma glucose concentration were unchanged. At later times, severe liver injury was evidenced by necrosis of hepatocytes, striking elevation of serum enzymes (AST, ALT, and AP), and a 50% decrease in plasma glucose concentration. Doseresponse data indicated that doses greater than 1.1 mg Cd/kg produced pathologic changes similar to those observed in the time course study 1 hr after 3.9 mg Cd/kg. Doses above 3.5 mg Cd/kg caused massive hepatic necrosis and increased ALT, AST, and AP activities 60-, 100-, and 3-fold, respectively. A 50% decrease in plasma glucose concentration was also observed at doses above 2.9 mg Cd/kg. These results do not suggest that Cd is cardiotoxic after acute exposure, but rather that the liver is a major target organ for acute Cd toxicity.
REGENERATION OF THE SHRUB GAYLUSSACIA BACCATA AND ASSOCIATED SPECIES AFTER LOW-INTENSITY FIRE IN AN ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN FOREST

The upland shrub community of the New Jersey Pine Barrens maintains strong compositional and structural stability despite frequent low-intensity fires. To determine the mechanisms by which individual species respond to fire, regrowth of vegetation was monitored for 3 years after fire at a burned site, and at a nearby site that had not been burned. At both sites, experimental treatments simulated various physical aspects of fire, including clipping of stems, removal of leaf litter, and application of fertilizer. Both fire and clipping were followed by multiple resprouting and enhanced growth of the dominant shrub, Gaylussacia baccata, suggesting that sprout growth is controlled by correlative inhibition of adventitious buds. By contrast, neither fertilizer nor litter removal had a significant impact on G. baccata. Other species were only observed at very low numbers, and appeared to act independently of either fire or experimental treatments. Recruitment from seed was not observed in any treatment at either site, despite reports of a large soil seed bank. Thus, compositional stability is maintained through a large reserve of dormant buds on the dominant species, and through a lack of opportunities for associate species. This stability is precarious, however, depending strongly on fire frequency and intensity.
Borderline ovarian tumours: a review of the recent literature.

Purpose of reviewBorderline tumors of the ovary are seen commonly in obstetrics and gynecology practices. This review will outline the most recent information regarding the epidemiology, molecular pathogenesis, pathology, and clinical management of these tumors.Recent findingsIn the past, borderline
End-grip configurations for axial loading of composite tubes

Testing of high-strength, tubular, composite specimens in uniaxial and biaxial tension require end-grip fixturing to transfer large axial loads into the specimen. Two gripping configurations were analytically and experimentally evaluated to determine their affect on stress distribution within the specimen test section. The first was a bonded grip in which the tubular specimen is adhesively bonded in a deep-slotted aluminum end tab. The second was a threaded grip with glass cloth/epoxy overwrap on the specimen ends that thread into an aluminum, split-collar end tab. Large axial loads can be transmitted to the specimen with either design; however, each introduces axial-stress concentrations into the composite sample. The magnitude and distribution of stresses (strains) with axial position, which are a function of biaxial-stress ratio, were computed by finite-element analyses and verified experimentally with surface-strain measurements. This study illustrates the importance of utilizing analytical tools to examine the effect of end grip/specimen interaction on stress distribution within the gage section and on test data.
Neo‐Piagetian Systems Theory and the Education of Young Children

Constructivism refers to the idea that persons create knowledge and meaning through an active process of structuring and restructuring their experience. From this view, knowledge is neither imposed onto the child by instruction, nor is it an innate property of the mind (Mascolo & Pollack, 1997). Currently, there is a debate among educators about the nature of the constructive processes by which learners develop their understanding of the world. On the one hand, Piagetians have argued for the primacy of the individual in the construction of universal stages of broad‐based competence. Alternatively, socio‐cultural theorists argue that knowledge arises from processes that occur between rather than within individuals. In this paper, we argue that there is a need to transcend the polarizing categories of this debate. In so doing, we first review constructivist and sociocultural approaches to development and early education. After a critique of these approaches, we outline a neo‐Piagetian systems approach to ea...
Compressive holographic inversion of particle scattering

Compressive sensing are applied to solve the holographic inverse source problem in the case of particle scattering. Both numerical simulations and experiments show good inversion results when the proposed method is applied.
Contact-inhibited revertant cell lines isolated from SV40-transformed cells. VIII. Membrane protein and glycoprotein composition.

Abstract The composition of enriched surface membrane preparations from BALB/c 3T3, SV40-transformed 3T3 (SVT2), and concanavalin A-selected revertant variant cells were investigated by polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The electrophoretic profiles of the membrane proteins from the three cell lines were remarkably similar. However, [ 14 C]leucine-radiolabeled or Coomassie blue-stained preparations from revertant cells lacked a protein band of apparent molecular weight 110,000 (band 15), which was present in 3T3 and SVT2 membranes and which was replaced in revertant membranes by two new bands (15a and 15b) migrating on either side of band 15. Lactoperoxidase-catalyzed iodination studies indicated that the relative proportion of band 5 (a LETS-like glycoprotein) was decreased, and band 24 (MW, 65,000) was increased in 3T3 cells compared to the other cell lines. Revertant membranes had increased proportions of sialic acid residues on several glycoproteins. The LETS glycoprotein from all three cell types was found to be sialylated. Two different compartmentalized pools of cell surface-associated LETS have been identified. These results are discussed in relation to the method of selection of revertant cells and to the possible changes induced in cell surface architecture by transformation and reversion.
Die Verbindung von passiver und aktiver Sicherheit mit dem Gurtaufroller ACR-2

Mit der Einfuhrung des Aktiven Gurtaufrollers ACR (Active Control Retractor) hat TRW 2002 neue Wege beschritten. Erstmals ist es einem passiven Element moglich, vor dem Unfall Masnahmen zum Schutz der Insassen durchzufuhren. Das Kernstuck des Aktiven Ruckhaltesystems ist der Active Control Retractor (ACR), der von einem Elektromotor angetrieben wird. Aufgrund der reversiblen Technik des Motors und durch standiges Uberwachen des Fahrzeugzustands ist es moglich, in kritischen Situationen die Insassen in die bestmogliche Position fur einen drohenden Unfall zu bringen.
Association between postoperative acute kidney injury and duration of cardiopulmonary bypass: a meta-analysis.

Objective This meta-analysis examined the association between cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time and acute kidney injury (AKI). Design Meta-analysis of previously published studies. Setting Each single-center study was conducted in a surgical intensive care unit and/or academic or university hospital. Participants Adult patients undergoing heart surgery with CPB. Interventions A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases and Google Scholar from January 1980 through September 2009. Initial search results were refined to include human subjects, age >18 years, randomized controlled trials, and prospective and retrospective cohort studies, meet the Acute Kidney Injury Network definition of renal failure, and report times on CPB. Measurements and main results The length of time on CPB has been implicated as an independent risk factor for development of AKI after CPB (AKI-CPB). The 9 independent studies included in the final meta-analysis had 12,466 patients who underwent CPB. Out of these, 756 patients (6.06%) developed AKI-CPB. In 7 of the 9 studies, the mean CPB times were statistically longer in the AKI-CPB cohort compared with the control group (cohort without AKI). The absolute mean differences in CPB time between the 2 groups were 25.65 minutes with the fixed-effects model and 23.18 minutes with the random-effects model. Conclusions Longer CPB times are associated with a higher risk of developing AKI-CPB, which, in turn, has a significant effect on overall mortality as reported by the individual studies.
A computational biomimetic study of cell crawling

Cell locomotion is a result of a series of synchronized chemo-mechanical processes. Previous extensive experimental studies have revealed many chemo-mechanical processes that may contribute to cell locomotion. In parallel, theoretical works have been developed to provide deeper insight. To date, however, direct simulations of cell locomotion on a substrate have not been seen. In this paper, a finite element–based computational model is developed to study amoeboid type of cell crawling phenomenon. Here, a cell is modeled as a 2D fluid-filled elastic vesicle, which establishes its interaction with a rigid substrate through a kinetics-based cellular adhesion model. The cell derives its motion through a differential bond breaking at the trailing edge and bond formation at the leading edge. This mechanism of crawling authenticates the hypothesis that cell locomotion can be facilitated by breaking the adhesive bonds at the rear edge, which was initially proposed by Chen (J Cell Biol 90: 187–200, 1981).
Reduction in myocardial high energy phosphate spin lattice relaxation times using manganese

Paramagnetic contrast agents are being widely used in proton magnetic resonance imaging. The present study demonstrates the potential usefulness of paramagnetic contrast agents in 31P NMR spectroscopy. Using the Langendorff perfused rat heart, manganese chloride (Mn2+) at a concentration of 50 microM/L was added to the perfusate for 10 or 30 min. 31P NMR T1 relaxation times were subsequently measured at 121.5 MHz. After the 10 min exposure to Mn2+, 31P NMR T1 measurements of phosphocreatine and ATP were reduced by ca 25 and 50%, respectively, with no significant change in linewidths. A small additional decrease in T1 relaxation times after infusion of Mn2+ for 30 min was not significantly different from the values at 10 min. Potential uses of Mn2+ in 31P NMR spectroscopy include improving the S/N ratio of spectra and assessment of calcium ion channel activity.
Is structured reporting the answer

Just because something is new does not necessarily mean it is better, and in some cases, ways of thinking and working that have evolved gradually over many years—whether in radiologic reporting or the European common law tradition—reflect an accumulated wisdom that should not be dismissed blithely in the name of novelty.
Correspondence of Freud and Ferenczi

The publication now of the revealing correspondence between such immensely complex and influential individuals as Freud and Ferenczi would be welcome at any time, but it is especially appropriate now, considering the recently intensified interest in Ferenczi on the part of many psychoanalysts in the United States and Europe. The principal editor of the correspondence, the Swiss analyst Andre Haynal, has written much on Ferenczi, whom he admires. Actually these early letters cast at least as much light on the thinking and motivation of the "father of psychoanalysis" as on those of his important disciple. This is the first of six books planned for publication in the German edition over the next few years, and it well deserves individual treatment, both for the focus it provides on the inchoate phase of major problems and for the insights that attention to the original German text can offer (some overlooked by the editors). Naturally, biographical information such as that provided by these intimate letters need not throw light on anything other than the personality of their authors. Yet these letters in fact contain important material that directly links the personal to the theoretical preoccupations of their authors. This results in part from the dialogical form of correspondence as an expression of interacting subjectivities. Moreover, certain statements in the letters give us a glimpse into the formation of the Adlerian and Jungian schools of psychoanalysis (and, potentially, Ferenczi's own version of psychoanalysis), understood not only in terms of theoretical differences but also as an interplay of personalities. (In light of the irreconcilable ideological schisms that developed in the group, Ferenczi's faith-which he shared with Freud-that psy-
Error traps and vasculo-biliary injury in laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy

Many biliary misidentification injuries occur due to error traps-methods that work well in most circumstances but which are apt to under certain conditions. We have identified four such traps from an extensive experience in repair of biliary injuries. The most common cause of misidentification results from the “infundibular technique” error trap. This problem is usually associated with severe inflammation which hides the cystic duct and obliterates the triangle of Calot making the common hepatic duct appear to be part to the gallbladder wall. Another error trap — the “fundus-down” cholecystectomy has been associated with injuries in which the vascular component of the injury has been even more serious than the biliary one ie, “vasculo-biliary injuries” These vasulo-biliary injuries result in hepatic infarction requiring liver resection, possibly including transplantation. As opposed to the infundibular technique error trap the fundus down error trap usually occurs at open cholecystectomy after conversion. The two other error traps are due to failure to perceive the presence of an aberrant right hepatic duct on cholangiography and injury to the common bile duct in the case of a “parallel union” cystic duct. Knowledge of these error traps and their avoidance can help to reduce the incidence of biliary injuries.
Random Walk Theory Applied to Electron Avalanche Formation

Use of microscopic detail in random walk theory describing the initial formations of a large number of avalanches shows that concomitant electron transport coefficients quickly relax to equilibrium values. This enables the use of random walks having step sizes and probabilities based only on local electric field strengths and densities. A self-consistent avalanche solution which accounts for collective long range Coulomb interactions as well as short range elastic and inelastic collisions between electrons and background atoms is demonstrated for helium. Avalanche growth retardation followed by an abrupt growth augmentation as time proceeds is shown to be associated with the formation of regions of charge density extrema near the avalanche axis and within the axial distance covered by the electron swarm.
Examining the impacts of neighborhood design and residential self-selection on active travel: A methodological assessment

A limited number of studies have addressed residential self-selection when considering the relationship between the built environment (BE) and physical activity. Ignoring self-selection may bias the estimate of the strength of the relationship and misinform public policy. Using 2011 data from the Twin Cities, this study employs cross-sectional and quasi-longitudinal analyses to disentangle the impacts between self-selection (through residential preferences and travel attitudes) and neighborhood characteristics on active travel (AT). The two approaches produce somewhat different outcomes: attitudinal factors are extensively present in the cross-sectional analysis and the associations between neighborhood characteristics and AT are greatly attenuated after controlling for attitudinal factors. In contrast, neighborhood characteristics play a dominant role in the quasi-longitudinal analysis, while attitudinal and demographic characteristics carry additional impacts on AT. Overall, both preferences and attitud...
Differential effect of food restriction on the induction of daily torpor in Peromyscus maniculatus and P. leucopus

Abstract 1. 1. T b in lab-born Peromyscus maniculatus and P. leucopus was monitored via surgically implanted transmitters during exposure to 10°C and 9L:15D. 2. 2. With food available ad lib , no significant interspecific differences in the incidence, frequency, and patterns of spontaneous daily torpor were found. 3. 3. Restriction of food to 75% daily ration increased the incidence of torpor in both species, and induced longer, deeper torpor bouts. 4. 4. A significantly greater proportion of P. maniculatus responded to rationing by becoming torpid. Furthermore, induced torpor boults in this species were more profound than those in P. leucopus . 5. 5. This differential response is consistent with differences in these species respective environments.
Gaucher disease: when molecular testing and clinical presentation disagree -the novel c.1226A>G(p.N370S)--RecNcil allele

We report a 31 year old woman who had prenatal carrier screening for Ashkenazi Jewish (AJ) genetic diseases and was found to have two acid s-glucosidase (GBA) mutations, c.1226A>G(p.N370S) and c.1448T>C(p.L444P), consistent with the diagnosis of Type 1 Gaucher disease (GD1). This genotype typically manifests in late-adolescence with hepatosplenomegaly and early-onset bone involvement. The Proband had a normal physical examination, no organomegaly, and normal blood counts, skeletal survey, and bone density. Leukocyte acid s-glucosidase and plasma chitotriosidase activities were normal. To investigate these unexpected results, her GBA alleles were RT-PCR amplified and sequenced. Five RT-PCR clones were negative for both mutations, while five clones had the c.1226A>G(p.N370S) and c.1448T>C(p.L444P) mutations, along with c.1483G>C(p.A456P), and c.1497G>C(p.V460V) mutations, the latter three lesions composing the rare GBA pseudogene-derived RecNcil allele. Genetic testing misdiagnosed the asymptomatic Proband as affected with Type 1 Gaucher disease; however, molecular studies revealed a novel allele with the two common GBA mutations on the RecNcil background. This allele presumably arose by crossing-over between a c.1226A>G allele and the pseudogene, gene conversion, or a new c.1226A>G mutation on the RecNcil background. This novel complex allele highlights a limitation of carrier screening for GD.
Statutory changes in state income taxes: An indirect test of fiscal illusion

Empirical studies of fiscal illusion have focused on the relationship between tax structure and government revenue or tax structure and the growth of government revenue. The premise is that tax structures which tend to conceal revenue sources are prone to fiscal illusion and should therefore have a positive effect on tax revenue. Unfortunately the results of these studies can at best only be characterized as mixed. For example, Oates (1975) and Craig and Heins (1980) found a significant and positive relationship between tax elasticity and government revenue at the state and city level, while DiLorenzo (1982) found a negative relationship between tax elasticity and tax revenue for county governments. These contradictory findings may be in part the result of attempts to isolate the effects of fiscal illusion on the very complicated political process of setting and passing government budgets. In this paper we propose a voting model as an alternative to fiscal illusion as an explanation of the relationship between income elastic taxes and tax revenue. The premise is simple; the effect of rising nominal income on progressive income taxes is that the individual's real tax burden rises as the growth of real disposable income falls. The more progressive the income tax system the more pronounced this effect. Should the growth in real taxes exceed the individual's increased demand for public goods a tax cut would be demanded. However, there is a positive cost for the individual of informing the government of the desired tax cut and spending reduction. It is only when the value of the increased disposable income exceeds the cost of securing the tax cut that voters will petition for a tax reduction. We test the elasticity hypothesis by estimating the effect of income tax progressivity on the probability of a state enacting a statutory income tax reduction. Fiscal
ASYM20: a program for force constant and normal coordinate calculations, with a critical review of the theory involved

The theory of harmonic force constant refinement calculations is reviewed, and a general-purpose program for force constant and normal coordinate calculations is described. The program, called ASYM20. is available through Quantum Chemistry Program Exchange. It will work on molecules of any symmetry containing up to 20 atoms and will produce results on a series of isotopomers as desired. The vibrational secular equations are solved in either nonredundant valence internal coordinates or symmetry coordinates. As well as calculating the (harmonic) vibrational wavenumbers and normal coordinates, the program will calculate centrifugal distortion constants, Coriolis zeta constants, harmonic contributions to the α′s. root-mean-square amplitudes of vibration, and other quantities related to gas electron-diffraction studies and thermodynamic properties. The program will work in either a predict mode, in which it calculates results from an input force field, or in a refine mode, in which it refines an input force field by least squares to fit observed data on the quantities mentioned above. Predicate values of the force constants may be included in the data set for a least-squares refinement. The program is written in FORTRAN for use on a PC or a mainframe computer. Operation is mainly controlled by steering indices in the input data file, but some interactive control is also implemented.
Initiation Pressure Thresholds from Three Sources

Pressure thresholds are minimum pressures needed to start explosive initiation that ends in detonation. We obtain pressure thresholds from three sources. Run-to-detonation times are the poorest source but the fitting of a function gives rough results. Flyer-induced initiation gives the best results because the initial conditions are the best known. However, very thick flyers are needed to give the lowest, asymptotic pressure thresholds used in modern models and this kind of data is rarely available. Gap test data is in much larger supply but the various test sizes and materials are confusing. We find that explosive pressures are almost the same if the distance in the gap test spacers are in units of donor explosive radius. Calculated half-width time pulses in the spacers may be used to create a pressure-time curve similar to that of the flyers. The very-large Eglin gap tests give asymptotic thresholds comparable to extrapolated flyer results. The three sources are assembled into a much-expanded set of near-asymptotic pressure thresholds. These thresholds vary greatly with density: for TATB/LX-17/PBX 9502, we find values of 4.9 and 8.7 GPa at 1.80 and 1.90 g/cm{sup 3}, respectively.
Keynote Talk #2

Summary form is only given. Hamming said, "The purpose of computing is insight, not numbers," yet this conference, like many today, is awash only in numbers. These numbers are perhaps more strategic than insightful. The numbers are used by designers, who want to prove their invention is better than the status quo. Then there are marketers, who want to prove their product's the one to buy over the competition. And then there are the users, who quite frankly are not getting much insight out of any of this. This talk will step back and discuss two aspects of insightful computing: who speaks for the users, and how much we should trust our numbers
Sudden lateral asymmetry and torsional oscillations of section models of suspension bridges

Abstract Cable-supported bridges typically exhibit minimal torsional motion under traffic and wind loads. If symmetry of the bridge about the deck's centerline is suddenly lost, such as by the failure of one or more cables or hangers (suspenders), torsional motion of the deck may grow and angles of twist may become large. The initiation of the disastrous torsional oscillations of the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge involved a sudden lateral asymmetry due to loosening of a cable band at midspan. The effects of these types of events on two-degree-of-freedom and four-degree-of-freedom section models of suspension bridges are analyzed. Vertical and rotational motions of the deck, along with vertical motions of the cables, are considered. A harmonic vertical force and an aerodynamic moment proportional to angular velocity are applied to the deck. Resistance is provided by translational and rotational springs and dashpots. Flutter instability and large oscillations occur under the aerodynamic moment, which provides “negative damping.” In order to model the occurrence of limit cycles, nonlinear damping of the van der Pol type is included in one case, and nonlinear stiffness of the hangers in others. The frequencies of the limit cycles are compared to the natural frequencies of the system.
From the Editors: Group Decisions, Preference Elicitation, Experienced Utility, Survival Probabilities, and Portfolio Value of Information

This “From the Editors” column is co-authored by Editor-in-Chief Rakesh K. Sarin and former Editor-in-Chief L. Robin Keller. Our first article, by Ralph L. Keeney, presents “Foundations for Group Decision Analysis.” The second article is “Toward an Improved Methodology to Construct and Reconcile Decision Analytic Preference Judgments” by Richard M. Anderson and Robert Clemen. Next, Manel Baucells and Rakesh K. Sarin discuss “Determinants of Experienced Utility: Laws and Implications.” The fourth paper, “Estimating Second Order Probability Beliefs from Subjective Survival Data,” is by Peter Hudomiet and Robert J. Willis. The final paper, by Kun Zan and J. Eric Bickel, is on “Components of Portfolio Value of Information.”
A large region controls tRNA gene transcription.

Abstract We find that tRNA gene transcription is controlled by a region much larger than the previously described internal segments known as A and B boxes. In a Bombyx mori silkworm tRNA 2 Ala gene, transcriptionally important sequences extend at least from −13 to + 146, and thus include sequences both upstream and downstream from the 98 base-pair primary transcription unit. We show that the apparent size of this control region can be manipulated by the conditions used to measure transcription in vitro . Specifically, the use of high concentrations of templates to overcome the effect of an inhibitory substance in crude extracts can make the control region appear smaller. We propose that this finding explains much of the observed variability in the sequence requirements for transcription of different tRNA genes. If so, large size is likely to be a general feature of tRNA gene control regions.
Kinase activities associated with calcium-activated neutral proteases.

Studies on the phosphorylation of calcium-activated neutral protease (CANP) revealed the presence of kinase activities closely associated with purified CANP preparations. The kinase activity in uCANP (CANP with high affinity for calcium) was cAMP-independent whereas the kinase activity in mCANP (CANP with low affinity for calcium) was cAMP-dependent, inhibited by kinase specific inhibitor and abolished when the mCANP was preincubated in calcium. The CANP-associated kinase(s) phosphorylate uCANP and mCANP , causing modulation of their proteolytic activities.
The electroretinogram in preterm infants

With the hope that the electroretinogram (ERG) in preterm infants could help clarify their vitamin A requirements, a technique for recording the full-field ERG in the neonate is described. One hundred seventy-seven ERGs were performed in 59 preterm and 52 term infants. An ERG was recorded as soon as 7 hours after birth and as early as 30 weeks after conception. In preterm infants the a-wave latency was longer and the amplitude less than in term infants of the same age. The amplitude of the ERG in preterm infants increased with the duration of light exposure. Longitudinal data on 15 preterm infants showed a reduction in a-wave latency. None of the ERG findings correlated with postconceptional age, which suggests that the duration of light exposure is a major determinant of the ERG pattern in preterm infants. Despite low circulating levels of retinol, no correlations with any of the ERG values were found.
The Value of Elderly Disease Prevention

Approximately 100 million elderly will enter Medicare over the next 25 years. We consider the potential benefits of interventions that would reduce or eliminate the most important risk factors for disease and spending. Effective control of hypertension could reduce health care spending $890 billion for these cohorts while adding 75 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Eliminating diabetes would add 90 million life-year equivalents at a cost of $2,761 per DALY. Reducing obesity back to levels seen in the 1980's would have little effect on mortality, but yields great improvements in morbidity (especially heart disease and diabetes) with a cost savings of over $1 trillion. Smoking cessation will have the smallest impact, adding 32 million DALYs at a cost of $9.045 per DALY. While smoking cessation reduces lung disease and lung cancer, but these are relatively low prevalence compared to the other diseases. Its impact on heart disease is negligible. The effects on overall social welfare are unknown, since we do not estimate the costs of these interventions, the costs of any behavioral modification, or the welfare loss due to providers from lower medical spending.
MMSE sequences for channel estimation

MMSE training sequences are obtained for intersymbol interference channels, where the discrete-time channel has up to four taps. The sequences are obtained while placing constraints on their computational complexity, autocorrelation and sequence symmetry properties. An MMSE training sequence is identified for arbitrary length channels that requires neither multiplications nor divisions for channel estimation.
Bio-inspired plasmonic sensors by diatom frustules

We investigate bio-inspired plasmonic sensors based on the interactions between Ag nanoparticles and diatom biosilica. The strongly coupled optical resonances lead to 2× higher optical extinction and 4∼6× improvement of sensitivity in surface-enhanced Raman scattering.
Biology of Larinus curtus Hochhut (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a European Weevil for Biological Control of Yellow Starthistle Centaurea solstitialis L (Asteraceae), in the United States

Abstract The biology of the weevil Larinus curtus Hochhut was studied in the field in northern Greece and in the laboratory in Rome, Italy, and in Thermi, near Thessaloniki, Greece. The species is univoltine, and adults overwinter in ground litter. Eggs are inserted into the flowers of yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis L.) where the larvae feed mainly on developing achenes, destroying on average over 96% of the seeds in infested flowerheads. Overwintered adults lived up to 84 days, females laid up to 70 eggs each, eggs hatched x 4.2 ± 0.6 days after being laid, larvae required 17 to 20 days to develop through the four instars, and pupal development required 4 to 5 days under laboratory conditions. Six percent of 360 seedheads collected on July 13 and 28, 1988 were infested with L. curtus larvae and up to 89% of the larvae were parasitized. The species is recommended for the biological control of C. solstitialis in the United States.
Lead activates protein kinase C in immature rat brain microvessels

inorganic lead upon calcium-. phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) in brain microvessels isolated from h-day-old rat pups. We found that (a) in broken cell preparations, lead at micromolar concentrations activates this enzyme to an extent equivalent to that of micromolar calcium (10.3 -+ 1.3 and 9.2 + 1.6 pmol/mg/min. respectively) and (b) preincubation of intact microvessels with lead results in a translocation of protein kinase C from the soluble to the particulate fraction. The cytosolic kinase activity stimulated by lead has the same requirements for diacylglycerol and phospholipid as the calcium-stimulated enzyme, suggesting that lead activates the kinase by mimicking calcium. The hypothesis that lead affects protein kinase C activity through a mechanism similar to that of calcium is supported by the similar time courses of substrate phosphorylation and dephosphorylation mediated by lead and calcium. When intact microvessels are preincubated with micromolar concentrations of lead. the translocation of protein kinase C occurs in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The relocalization is virtually complete at 0. I PM lead and by 30 min ofexposure. We propose that the sensitivity ofprotein kinase C to lead. described here in immature brain microvessels, makes this regulatory enzyme a potential mediator of lead toxicity. cc! 1YR8 Academic Press. Inc. Lead is a toxic metal, widely distributed in the environment, that remains a significant health hazard, particularly to children (Committee on Environmental Hazards and Committee on Accident and Poison Prevention, 1987). The biochemical mechanisms mediating this toxicity are unclear, but in several biologic systems. lead alters calcium-mediated cellular processes (Pounds, 1984; Simons, 1986) and may mimic calcium in binding to regulatory proteins (Habermann and Richardt. 1986). Capillaries in the brain are a major target tissue for the toxic action of lead (Press, 1985). Pathologic studies in children poisoned with lead and in several animal models of lead toxicity reveal a breakdown in the normally tight blood-brain barrier (Goldstein, 1984; Clasen ef al., 1974). The formation of the blood-brain barrier is the result of the special structure of brain microvessels (Reese and Karnovsky, 1967) made up of
A radioisotope label-free α-bungarotoxin-binding assay using BIAcore sensor chip technology for real-time analysis

Abstract α-Bungarotoxin (α-bgtx)-binding proteins, including certain nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and acetylcholine-binding proteins (AChBPs), are frequently characterized with radioisotope-labeled α-bgtx-binding assays. Such assays, however, preclude investigations of binding interactions in real time and are hampered by the inconveniences associated with radioisotope-labeled reagents. We used surface plasmon resonance-based technology (BIAcore) to investigate the binding of recombinant AChBP to CM-5 sensor chip surfaces with directly immobilized α-bgtx. We validated our BIAcore results by comparing the same biological samples using the traditional 125I-labeled α-bgtx-binding assay. An α-bgtx sensor chip, as described here, enables detailed, real-time, radioisotope-free interaction studies that can greatly facilitate the characterization of novel α-bgtx-binding proteins and complexes.
Dosimetry User's Perspective on Covariance Needs

The dosimetry community has a critical need for covariance matrices to characterize the uncertainty in the input nuclear data used in a range of applications. This need is growing more acute as the nuclear regulatory community increases the rigor with which dosimetry statements must be made and supported. This paper presents and prioritizes a set of needs that reflect the application of neutron dosimetry to the research reactor and commercial nuclear power industry.
Why are Japanese Industries Immune to Devaluation of the Dollar

In spite of the continual fall of the dollar against the yen, the Japanese trade surplus against the US still remains strong. One of the reasons for this high trade surplus is that the devaluation of the dollar benefits the Japanese industries which use US products as their inputs and helps them improve their competitive edge in the world market. This paper introduces the multicountry industrial linkage model to assess the industrial effects of devaluation of the dollar against the yen.
Purification and characterization of L-methionine γ-lyase from Brevibacterium linens BL2

l-Methionine γ-lyase (EC 4.4.1.11) was purified to homogeneity from Brevibacterium linens BL2, a coryneform bacterium which has been used successfully as an adjunct bacterium to improve the flavor of Cheddar cheese. The enzyme catalyzes the α,γ elimination of methionine to produce methanethiol, α-ketobutyrate, and ammonia. It is a pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzyme, with a native molecular mass of approximately 170 kDa, consisting of four identical subunits of 43 kDa each. The purified enzyme had optimum activity at pH 7.5 and was stable at pHs ranging from 6.0 to 8.0 for 24 h. The pure enzyme had its highest activity at 25°C but was active between 5 and 50°C. Activity was inhibited by carbonyl reagents, completely inactivated by dl-propargylglycine, and unaffected by metal-chelating agents. The pure enzyme had catalytic properties similar to those of l-methionine γ-lyase from Pseudomonas putida. Its Km for the catalysis of methionine was 6.12 mM, and its maximum rate of catalysis was 7.0 μmol min−1 mg−1. The enzyme was active under salt and pH conditions found in ripening Cheddar cheese but susceptible to degradation by intracellular proteases.
The maternal synthesis of egg yolk proteins as demonstrated by isotopic and serological means.

Abstract Both the isotopic and serological data strongly support the idea that yolk proteins are synthesized by the maternal organism (probably in the liver) and transported to the ovarian eggs by way of the blood stream.
Adenine nucleotide content of liver mitochondria increases after glucagon treatment of rats or isolated hepatocytes.

Abstract Glucagon injected into rats via tail vein or incubated with isolated hepatocytes in vitro caused a 22–35% increase in the intramitochondrial ATP+ADP+AMP content. There was no statistically significant change in state 3 or uncoupled respiratory rates in these mitochondria. Similar glucagon effects were noted irrespective of the medium used or time required for isolation of mitochondria. There has been recent controversy over possible artifacts in assessing the effects of glucagon on mitochondrial function. The present results suggest that the glucagon-induced increase in the matrix adenine nucleotide content is a reproducible phenomenon with probable physiological significance.
Coarse-grained model of entangled polymer melts in non-equilibrium

A coarse-grained model developed for entangled polymeric systems and calibrated to represent melts in equilibrium (Rakshit, Picu, J Chem Phys 125:164907(1)–(10), 2006) is used to model shear flows. The model is a hybrid between multimode and mean-field representations: chain inner blobs are constrained to move along the chain backbone and the end blobs are free to move in 3D and continuously redefine the diffusion path for the inner blobs. Therefore, contour length fluctuations and reptation are captured. Constraint release is implemented by tracing the position of chain ends and performing a local relaxation of the chain backbones once end retraction is detected. This algorithm takes advantage of the multi-body nature of the model and requires no phenomenological parameters other than the length of an entanglement segment. The model is used to study start-up and step strain shear flows and reproduces features observed experimentally such as the overshoot during start-up shear flow, the Lodge–Meissner law, the monotonicity of the steady state shear stress with the strain rate, and shear thinning at large $\dot {\gamma }$ . These simulations are performed in conditions in which using a fully refined model of the same system would have been extremely computationally demanding or simply impossible with the current methods.
Performance modelling and measurements of TCP transfer throughput in 802.11-based WLAN

The growing popularity of the 802.11 standard for building local wireless networks has generated an extensive literature on the performance modelling of its MAC protocol. However, most of the available studies focus on the throughput analysis in saturation conditions, while very little has been done on investigating the interactions between the 802.11 MAC protocol and closed-loop transport protocols such as TCP. This paper addresses this issue by developing an analytical model to compute the stationary probability distribution of the number of backlogged nodes in a WLAN in the presence of persistent TCP-controlled download and upload data transfers, and embedding the network backlog distribution in the MAC protocol modelling. A large set of experiments conducted in a real network validates the model correctness for a wide range of configurations. A particular emphasis is devoted to investigate and explain the TCP fairness characteristics. Our analytical model and the supporting experimental outcomes demonstrate that using default settings for the capacity of devices' output queues provides a fair allocation of channel bandwidth to the TCP connections, independently of the number of downstream and upstream flows. Furthermore, we show that the TCP total throughput does not degrade by increasing the number of wireless stations.
Intravenous glucose tolerance test-derived insulin sensitivity changes during the menstrual cycle.

Using glucose tolerance tests or a glucose clamp some studies report impaired insulin sensitivity during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, while others find no change in insulin sensitivity. Tissue sensitivity to insulin and glucose effectiveness can be estimated using the minimal model analysis of an iv glucose tolerance test (IVGTT), but this method has never been applied to evaluate the impact of the menstrual cycle on these parameters. We, therefore, studied eight cycling women using tolbutamide-modified IVGTTs during three different phases of the same menstrual cycle: early follicular, midcycle, and midluteal. Insulin sensitivity (S1) and glucose effectiveness were derived using insulin and glucose levels obtained from tolbutamide-modified IVGTTs and analyzed with the minimal model computer program. The mean S1 (×10−4/min·μU/mL) decreased in a stepwise fashion from the follicular level of 6.20 ± 0.91 to a midcycle level of 4.95 ± 0.73 and was lowest in the luteal phase (3.20 ± 0.25; P < 0.007)...