cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors in an Auto-Brewery Syndrome group compared to an American Gut Project group: a case-control study.

Background: Auto-Brewery Syndrome (ABS), also known as Gut Fermentation Syndrome, is a rare but underdiagnosed condition. While scores of case studies of ABS are published, only one previous study examined ABS patients’ demographics, health history, lifestyle factors, and diet compared to a control group of household members. Methods: We designed a case-control study to identify factors that individuals with a diagnosis of ABS and those who live with them might have that differ from a larger general group. We administered a survey to 46 patients known to have a diagnosis of ABS and their household members. Here, we compare our group of survey takers to a cohort of the American Gut Project (AGP) participants (N=11,297) for the 30 questions that were identical. Results: With a response rate of 88% and using Rank Sum Tests, the data demonstrate that patients with ABS and their household members are more likely than participants of the AGP to own a pet (p=.03 for cat; p=.0001 for dog), get less sleep (p=.0001), and have lesser quality of bowel movements (p=.03). In addition, the ABS group consumes more water (p=.02) and less alcohol (p=.0004), eats at home more often (p=.0056), and reports more aversion to sweets (p=.01). The most striking difference is a higher presence of non-food allergies in all five subcategories of the survey in the ABS group compared to the AGP group. Conclusion: Patients with ABS and their household members show several significant differences in their lifestyle and health, diet, and medical history compared to a large group of AGP participants. These differences lead to several hypotheses about co-morbidities that warrant further research.
Dynamic Parameter Estimation Based on Rank-Reduced Prony Analysis

This paper presents a new least squares estimation (LSE)-based dynamic parameter estimation technique using phasor measurement unit (PMU) data. Generator parameters such as inertia constant, damping coefficients, and regulation speed constant are estimated from captured measurements during transient events. The key idea of this dynamic parameter estimation is based on unknown model structure and reduced-order model. This approach depends on measurement-based methods for ringdown signals. A rank-reduced Prony analysis is employed to accurately identify the system eigenvalues with reduced-order model. Then an optimization problem is formulated to obtain the system matrix and estimate the dynamic parameters. Sensitivity analysis is performed to the optimization problem to find the best parameter estimates.
Challenges for Unsupervised Anomaly Detection in Particle Physics.

Anomaly detection relies on designing a score to determine whether a particular event is uncharacteristic of a given background distribution. One way to define a score is to use autoencoders, which rely on the ability to reconstruct certain types of data (background) but not others (signals). In this paper, we study some challenges associated with variational autoencoders, such as the dependence on hyperparameters and the metric used, in the context of anomalous signal (top and $W$) jets in a QCD background. We find that the hyperparameter choices strongly affect the network performance and that the optimal parameters for one signal are non-optimal for another. In exploring the networks, we uncover a connection between the latent space of a variational autoencoder trained using mean-squared-error and the optimal transport distances within the dataset. We then show that optimal transport distances to representative events in the background dataset can be used directly for anomaly detection, with performance comparable to the autoencoders. Whether using autoencoders or optimal transport distances for anomaly detection, we find that the choices that best represent the background are not necessarily best for signal identification. These challenges with unsupervised anomaly detection bolster the case for additional exploration of semi-supervised or alternative approaches.
Capital Regulation and Bank Failure Contagion

I provide simulation evidence that the complex systems framework is well-suited for explaining the historical distribution of U.S. commercial bank failure cascades. I use the complex systems framework to test a model of the efficacy of microprudential (bank-level) ratio-based capital adequacy regulations. I find that these requirements generally have the adverse effect of increasing the likelihood of large failure cascades. This adverse effect is especially pronounced under simulation conditions that mimic economic downturns. If banks use more leverage in response to decreased capital adequacy requirements, the likelihood of failure cascades increases only minimally. These results suggest that existing microprudential capital adequacy requirements might be counterproductive to the goal of mitigating bank failure cascades, and provide theoretical support for a countercyclical capital buffer.
South Asian Legal Traditions

South Asia (comprising the present states of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives) is marked by the diversity of its legal traditions. The founders of comparative law, when dividing the globe into different legal systems, describe South Asian legal culture as Hindu law. However, South Asia is the site for Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, tribal, British colonial and postcolonial legal regimes, along with the presence of Jain, Zoroastrian, French, Portuguese, and Roman-Dutch legal systems. Unique to South Asia is the fact that while these legal traditions appeared at different points of time, none was able to supplant the others completely and had to evolve a relationship of coexistence.
Implementation of the Power Hour Campaign to Improve Early Breast Pumping Initiation Rates

Paper Presentation Purpose for the Program To improve rates for early initiation of breast pumping among mothers who are separated from their newborns after giving birth at a Baby Friendly–certified hospital. Proposed Change To initiate the Power Hour campaign on the labor and delivery unit using Transforming Care at the Bedside principles. Implementation, Outcomes, and Evaluation Before this initiative, initiation of breast pumping within 6 hours of birth was a mother/infant unit expectation for mothers who were separated from their newborns. Adherence was low and practice among nurses varied. The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) lactation consultant provided evidence that supported early initiation of breast pumping, especially within the first hour, but this information did not change practice. Labor and delivery nurses who were motivated to support early initiation within the first hour encountered barriers. Breast pumps were stored in central supply, and pump kits were stored on the mother/infant unit. Mothers who pumped more than 6 hours after birth were dismayed at the small volumes of colostrum they were able to express. The Transforming Care at the Bedside team in collaboration with the advanced practice nurse leader took on this opportunity for improvement to provide the best in evidence‐based care to our new mothers. Breast pump kits and pumps are no longer stored in central supply, and par‐level inventory is maintained on the labor and delivery unit. The workflow changed from a multiple step process involving many departments to a single‐step process involving a trip to the storeroom. The time to obtain required supplies decreased from 60 minutes to 10 minutes. New mothers are shown models to demonstrate how small their newborn's stomachs are and to reassure them that they are producing enough colostrum. The process is hard wired into nursing workflow by adding early initiation of breast pumping to the order sets, electronic medical record documentation, and infant feeding guidelines. Audits of the electronic medical record were used to track compliance, and feedback from nurses guided any revisions needed to the new clinical practice. The nurse‐led campaign empowered nurses at the bedside to apply evidence‐based practice in their daily work. Rates of early initiation of breast pumping increased from 1% to 30% at 1 hour within a few months of implementation. Implications for Nursing Practice Nurses at the bedside are experts in identifying opportunities for improvement in patient care and nursing workflow. Given the right tools, guidance, and time off from the unit, bedside nurses can transform care at the bedside to improve patient experience and nursing satisfaction.
Pathophysiology of Calcium and Phosphorus Disorders

Hypocalcemia and hypophosphatemia are relatively common in periparturient cows. This article reviews the etiologic factors that contribute to the development of these conditions. The physiologic role of magnesium in calcium homeostasis and the physiologic effect of dietary cation-anion difference at the cellular level are discussed in depth. A theory to explain the development of periparturient hypophosphatemia is developed.
An Application of a Technology Impact Forecasting (TIF) Method to an Uninhabited Combat Aerial Vehicle

Presented at the 4th World Aviation Congress and Exposition, San Francisco, CA, October 19-21, 1999.
Studies on rabbit lymphocytes in vitro. 18. Kinetics of reversible Con A stimulation and restimulation of blast transformation after blocking with anti-Con A.

Abstract The addition of antisera to Concanavalin A (ConA) to ConA stimulated lymphocyte cultures may block the stimulation of lymphocyte transformation induced by ConA. Anti-ConA blocking produces a cessation of RNA synthesis, a decrease in the size of stimulated lymphocytes and a gradual loss of the ability of activated cells to be restimulated by a second addition of ConA. ConA activated and anti-ConA blocked cells remain in a temporary state of activation for 3–6 h after blocking; during this time restimulation by ConA produces a full transformation response. Anti-ConA blocking may be demonstrated later after ConA stimulation than blocking by methyl-α- d -mannopyranoside (MAM). Blocking of ConA stimulation by anti-ConA may be via a different mechanism than blocking by MAM, but the effects on stimulated cells are essentially identical.
A consistent system of equations for tree and stand volume

A system of equations for tree and stand volume was derived using dimensional analysis techniques. The equations are analytically compatible and numerically consistent. Two parameters define the entire system, which can be estimated by fitting the tree taper and volume equations or by fitting the stand level equations. Data from a thinning study in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations established on cutover site-prepared lands were used to test the utility of the system. The equations are general and can be applied to other tree species in other locales.
New nonlinear Bragg diffraction devices

Colloidal particles in solution are often charged due to ionization of acidic or basic functional groups attached to the particle surfaces during their synthesis. These charged colloidal particles dispersed in media with high dielectric constants show electrostatic interactions over relatively large distances between particles. The distances over which the interactions are energetically significant are determined by the number of surface charges, the ionic species present in the medium, the temperature and the medium dielectric constant. Aqueous high particle density colloidal solutions (1013 sphere/cc) with low concentrations of ionic impurities show large electrostatic interactions over relatively large distances (a 1 micron). If the colloidal particles have identical charge, the lowest energy for the system is where the particles form an array in a cubic lattice. Thus, the particles self assemble into an ordered array called a crystalline colloidal array.14 At high concentrations and at sufficient low solution ionic strengths, the system will self assemble to form a macroscopic single crystal which occurs either as a face centered cubic or a body centered cubic crystal (Figure 1). For 1013 spheres/cc Crystalline Colloidal Array
Upgrading acellular to sanguineous cardioplegic efficacy

Abstract To determine which biochemical entity of the red cell is responsible for preventing augmented postischemic myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO 2 ), 28 canine hearts instrumented with ultrasonic dimension crystals underwent simultaneous determination of stroke work (SW) and MVO 2 during incremental volume loading on right heart bypass before and 30 min after 2 hr of 10°C cardioplegic arrest with unmodified oxygenated crystalloid cardioplegia (OC), OC with histidine of equal buffering capacity as 18% hematocrit blood (OC + H), or OC with 200 units/ml of superoxide dismutase and catalase (OC + SOD/C). In all groups, the slope of the linear SW vs end-diastolic volume relationship, M w , and the slope of the linear SW vs MVO 2 relationship, M e , were unchanged after cardioplegic arrest. The intercept of the SW vs MVO 2 relationship, E o , was augmented an average of 22.2% in the OC group, but both OC + H and OC + SOD/C prevented this subtle expression of ischemic injury. The characteristic of the red cell most likely responsible for the myoprotective efficacy of blood cardioplegia is buffering capacity; however, since the effects of tissue acidosis are partially mediated by free radicals, the use of free radical scavengers can also ameliorate ischemic damage incurred during cardioplegic arrest.
Real-Time Scheduling and Control of Cluster Tools in Semiconductor Manufacturing

Cluster tools provide a flexible, reconfigurable, and efficient environment for semiconductor manufacturing. They become difficult to operate because of residency time constraints and process time variation. This talk addresses their real-time scheduling and control issues. A generic Petri net model is developed to model them. It describes the robot activity sequence with robot waits included. Hence, to operate a cluster tool is to determine robot wait times. A two-level operational architecture is proposed and discussed. It includes an off-line periodic scheduler and real-time controller. This proposed approach allows a cluster tool to adapt to activity time variation while operate at its highest throughput at the steady-state. MengChu Zhou is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Director of Discrete-Event Systems Laboratory at New Jersey Institute of Technology. His research interests are in Petri nets, semiconductor manufacturing, sensor networks, system security, and life-cycle engineering product design. He has over 300 publications including 7 books, 130+ journal papers, and 17 book-chapters. He is Editor of IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering, and Managing Editor of IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics: Part C, Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics: Part A and IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, and Editor-in-Chief of International Journal of Intelligent Control and Systems. He is Fellow of IEEE.
Propagation Velocity of Premixed Turbulent Flames

Abstract The problem of propagation of turbulent premixed flame is analyzed using the field equation introduced recently by Kerstein, Ashurst and Williams (1987). The dynamic renormalization group method is applied to this equation and the formula for the turbulent flame velocity is derived in the lowest order in the e-expansion. The formula, which does not include adjustable parameters, agrees well with experimental (Abdel-Gayed et al., 1984) and numerical (Ashurst & Barr 1983) results on flame propagation in high-Reynolds number turbulent media. Ways to design transport and large-eddy (sub-grid) models for simulation of combustion processes, based on the ideas developed in the present paper, are discussed.
Is melioration the addiction theory of choice

Heyman makes a convincing case that a melioration choice strategy is sufficient to produce addictive behavior. But given a plethora of addiction theories, the question is whether melioration theory is superior to rivals more sophisticated than a simple disease model or operant conditioning account. Heyman offers little direct evidence that melioration actually causes the addictions we observe.
Quantitative Phosphoproteomics Analysis Reveals Broad Regulatory Role of Heparan Sulfate On Endothelial Signaling

Heparan sulfate (HS) is a linear, abundant, highly sulfated polysaccharide that expresses in the vasculature. Recent genetic studies documented that HS critically modulates various endothelial cell functions. However, elucidation of the underlying molecular mechanism has been challenging because of the presence of a large number of HS-binding ligands found in the examined experimental conditions. In this report, we used quantitative phosphoproteomics to examine the global HS-dependent signaling by comparing wild type and HS-deficient endothelial cells that were cultured in a serum-containing medium. A total of 7222 phosphopeptides, corresponding to 1179 proteins, were identified. Functional correlation analysis identified 25 HS-dependent functional networks, and the top five are related to cell morphology, cellular assembly and organization, cellular function and maintenance, cell-to-cell communication, inflammatory response and disorder, cell growth and proliferation, cell movement, and cellular survival and death. This is consistent with cell function studies showing that HS deficiency altered endothelial cell growth and mobility. Mining for the underlying molecular mechanisms further revealed that HS modulates signaling pathways critically related to cell adhesion, migration, and coagulation, including ILK, integrin, actin cytoskeleton organization, tight junction and thrombin signaling. Intriguingly, this analysis unexpectedly determined that the top HS-dependent signaling is the IGF-1 signaling pathway, which has not been known to be modulated by HS. In-depth analysis of growth factor signaling identified 22 HS-dependent growth factor/cytokine/growth hormone signaling pathways, including those both previously known, such as HGF and VEGF, and those unknown, such as IGF-1, erythropoietin, angiopoietin/Tie, IL-17A and growth hormones. Twelve of the identified 22 growth factor/cytokine/growth hormone signaling pathways, including IGF-1 and angiopoietin/Tie signaling, were alternatively confirmed in phospho-receptor tyrosine kinase array analysis. In summary, our SILAC-based quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis confirmed previous findings and also uncovered novel HS-dependent functional networks and signaling, revealing a much broader regulatory role of HS on endothelial signaling.
The role of a single olfactory receptor in odorant perception: relating receptor space to perceptual space

Although odorant identity is encoded by the activation patterns of olfactory receptors, we do not know how alterations in receptor activation affect the perceptual properties of an odorant. Human beings display considerable variation in odor perception, very little of which has been concretely linked to molecular causes. Here, we take advantage of genetic variations that affect human odorant receptor function to study the resulting alterations in olfactory perception. Based on previous studies demonstrating that amino acid alterations in OR7D4 affect perception of the odorant androstenone, we hypothesized that subjects with a nonfunctional odorant receptor allele will display varied perception of the receptor’s ligand, specifically a reduction in intensity and an increase in valence, in comparison to subjects with functional alleles. To address this issue, we asked 321 human subjects to rate the intensity and valence of 68 odors. We then developed a protocol to sequence each subject’s OR subgenome with high coverage. In a genotype/phenotype association analysis, we identified 27 polymorphisms in 8 distinct gene clusters that are associated with alterations in odorant perception more strongly than the association of the OR7D4 R88W variant with androstenone intensity in the same data set. Additionally, 35 polymorphisms fall above the 5% false discovery rate cutoff calculated by permutation analysis. These polymorphisms are found in 11 distinct olfactory receptor gene clusters, but extensive linkage disequilibrium precludes the identification of a single causal receptor. To address this problem, we generated clones of all major receptor variants found in a cluster on chromosome 11 containing 8 odorant receptor genes. These variants were subsequently tested in a high-throughput luciferase assay optimized for the study of olfactory receptor activation. We found that an OR10G4 allele associated with a significant decrease in the perceived intensity of guaiacol, A9V/M134V/V195E/R235G/K265Q, displayed a greatly reduced ability to respond to this odorant in vitro, suggesting a mechanistic basis for the genotype/phenotype association and linking perceptual variation to alterations in receptor function. This work suggests that despite the combinatorial nature of the olfactory code, alterations in a single odorant receptor can have a significant effect on odor perception and is a first step toward the development of a model relating receptor activation and odor perception.
Interaction of fibronectin-coated beads with CHO cells.

Abstract One of the earliest events in the adhesion of fibroblasts to a substratum is the recognition by the cells of macromolecular adhesive factors, such as fibronectin. This early event is followed by a complex series of cell alterations leading to adhesion and spreading. To identify cell surface components involved in the initial cell-fibronectin recognition step, we have employed an assay involving latex particles coated with radiolabelled plasma Fibronectin (Fn). In previous studies from this laboratory (Harper & Juliano, J cell biol 87 (1980) 755) [28], we demonstrated that Fn-mediated adhesion of CHO cells is temperature-dependent, cation-dependent and sensitive to cytoskeletal disrupting agents; by contrast, binding of 3 H-Fn beads was unaffected by these factors, indicating that this process reflects binding and recognition events at the cell surface which are independent of cytoskeletal and metabolic activity. Biological specificity of 3 H-Fn bead-to-cell binding was confirmed by the ability of anti-Fn antisera to completely block the process. To examine surface components which may mediate binding we treated Fn beads with purified glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) or glycolipids prior to incubation with cells. Among the GAGs tested, heparin, heparan sulfate and dermatan sulfate blocked bead binding in a dose-related fashion with heparin being most potent. The gangliosides GT1, and GM1, also inhibited bead binding. However, treatment of cells with neuraminidase had no effect on bead binding while subsequent analysis of treated cells by thin layer chromatography revealed a drastic reduction in the amount of GM3, the predominant CHO cell ganglioside. CHO cells were also incubated with a panel of proteolytic enzymes to study the possible role of cell surface proteins or glycoproteins in Fn bead binding. We found 3 H-Fn bead binding to be quite sensitive to pretreatment with thermolysin, pronase, and papain but only moderately sensitive to treatment with trypsin. From our findings we suggest: (1) binding of Fn beads to CHO cells reflects an early step in the adhesion process; (2) glycolipids may block bead binding but are probably not the endogenous binding site for Fn; (3) protease sensitive components (glycoproteins or proteoglycans) may be more likely candidates as cell surface-binding sites for Fn.
Nonlinear optical crystal development for laser wavelength shifting at AFRL Materials Directorate

Our objective is to develop crystals that shift the light from well developed laser sources to application specific wavelengths which may be tunable. Military applications extend across the entire spectrum from ultraviolet through the far-infrared but our greatest interest has been in materials for the mid-IR (3-5 μm) and far-IR (8-12 μm) atmospheric windows. Our primary applications that drive crystal development are infrared countermeasures and remote sensing of chemical and biological warfare agents. To achieve these results we have pursued two tracks: birefringent bulk materials and quasi-phase-matched structures. Birefringent studies include the grey track problem in KTiOPO4 (KTP) plus growth of its isomorphs, KTIOAsO4 (KTA), RbTiOAsO4 (RTA), CsTiOAsO4 (CTA), and KxRb1-xTiOPO4 (KRTA); chalcopyrites: ZnGeP2, CdGeAs2, AgGaS2, AgGaSe2, AgGa(1-x)InxSe2, AgGaTe2; plus GaSE, and HgGa2S4. A small portion of the effort is pursuing UV materials, the foremost being the borates MM'(B3O5)3 where M=Sr, Ba, Pb; M'=Li,Na. Previously, work was done on LiB3O5 (LBO), β-bonding (GaAs), by periodic poling (LiNbO3, LiTaO3, KTP, BaTiO3) and by periodic doping. Th cover the 4.5-5.0 μm band, work is being done on RTA and Pb{MgxNbyTi1-x-y}O3 (PMNT). For periodic poling in the 8-12 μm region studies are being made on CGC (CsGeCl3), CGB (CsGeBr3), Tl3PbBr5, Tl4PbI6 and Tl4HgI6. QPM can also be obtained using total internal reflection devices (GaAs, ZnSe).
Forced convection heat transfer with phase-change-material slurries : turbulent flow in a circular tube

Abstract The present study investigates the increase in the convective heat transfer coefficient as well as the increase in the thermal capacity of a working fluid by using the latent heat from a solid-liquid phase change of particles. A long heating test section (627 diameters) with a uniform heat flux boundary condition is constructed in order to study the effects of the phase-change phenomenon produced by a phase-change-material (PCM)—water slurry on the convective heat transfer coefficient in a turbulent flow. The study introduces a method to generate very fine PCM particles inside a flow loop using an emulsifier. With such fine PCM particles, the flow loop did not clog. Local pressure drops and local heat transfer coefficients are measured along the test section. The pressure drop significantly decreased at the point where the PCM particles in the slurry melted. The local convective heat transfer coefficient was found to vary significantly when the particles melted. This made it difficult to apply the LMTD method to the analysis of the PCM slurry flow heat transfer. The study proposes a new three-region melting model, and provides an explanation of the physical mechanism of the convective heat transfer enhancement due to the PCM particles.
Flow injection cytometry : a new approach for sample and solution handling in flow cytometry

A prototype instrument for sample and solution handling in flow cytometry has been constructed. The system is modular and allows the control of any combination of up to 4 pumps, 2 selection valves, and 2 injection valves. These devices are controlled by a computer using TTL-logic. The flow injection instrument is interfaced to the flow cytometer via a 6-port injection valve, thereby facilitating virtually any flow pattern to be implemented without affecting the fluidics of the cytometer. Salient features of the instrument are accurate control of the volume of injected sample and reagent, reproducible timing, and controlled mixing conditions. Results from model experiments of on-line staining of trout erythrocytes with different concentrations of 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) and propidium iodide (PI) are shown. Possible ways to improve the performance and utility of the instrument are also discussed.
Coding Efficiency and Information Rates in Sensory Neurons

Many sensory neurons code information about the sensory world in discrete spike trains. How much information is carried in sensory spike trains and how close are the information rates to fundamental limits imposed by the spiking statistics? By learning to estimate time-dependent sensory input signals from the spike trains of single neurons, we are able to measure the rate at which the spike trains convey information about the sensory inputs. These information rates are within a factor of two of the absolute information-theoretic bounds imposed by the entropies of the spike trains themselves.
A group size effect on personal risk judgments: implications for unrealistic optimism.

In Experiments 1 and 2, college students (N = 32 andN = 18, respectively) read heart attack risk profiles (i.e., lists of risk factors) for each of several employees at a series of fictional companies and judged the heart attack risk of the typical employee at each company. In both experiments, subjects’ risk judgments increased as a function of the number of employees at the companies. In Experiments 3A and 3B, college students (N = 56 andN = 33, respectively) judged the heart attack risk of the typical employee at a company and also judged the risk of each individual employee. In these experiments, the typical employee was generally judged to be at higher risk than the individual employees. This group size effect might help to explain unrealistic optimism—people’s tendency to judge themselves to be at lower risk than their peers for negative life events. Furthermore, it can be modeled successfully within Fiedler’s (1996) BIAS framework.
Mitotic patterns in the optic tectum of the chick during normal development and after early removal of the optic vesicle.

The number of mitotic figures in the optic tectum of the chick increases from just over 20, 000 on the fourth day of incubation (stages 25 and 26) to a peak of approximately 45, 000 on the fifth and sixth days (stages 28 and 29). Thereafter, the number declines sharply to about 10, 000 and 2, 000 on the eighth and ninth days respectively and to as few as 100 and 18 on the eleventh and twelfth days. The dividing cells are not uniformly distributed throughout the tectum but show a clear rostral to caudal gradient such that at every stage the number of mitoses in the caudal half of the tectum exceeds that in its rostral half. In addition the number of mitotic figures in the ventrolateral half of the tectum exceeds that in its dorsomedial half between the fourth and seventh days of incubation, but this pattern is reversed during the last few days of mitotic activity. The process of cell proliferation in the optic tectum appears to be completely independent of the developing eye since there is no significant change in either the total number of mitotic figures in the tectum, or in their spatial distribution, after complete removal of the optic vesicle towards the end of the second day of incubation.
RESONANCE FLUORESCENCE IN CHLOROPHYLL a SOLUTIONS

— Chlorophyll a in aqueous hexane solutions has two fluorescence peaks, two fluorescence excitation peaks in the blue, and two fluorescence excitation peaks in the red. One of these set of peaks (excitation 2.34μ-1 and 1.52μ-1, fluorescence 1–50μ-1) is identical with those found in methanol solutions of chlorophyll a and is assigned to an unaggregated species, while the other set of peaks (excitation 2.44μ-1 and 1.475μ-l, fluorescence 1.48μ-l) is assigned to a species aggregated in the presence of water. The spectral shifts occurring in the aggregate follow the selection rules obtained by McRae and Kasha for a linear stack of parallel dye molecules. The sharply increased overlap of absorption and fluorescence leads to resonance fluorescence in the aggregate. The resonance fluorescence is demonstrated experimentally.
Magnetically aligned phospholipid bilayers in weak magnetic fields: optimization, mechanism, and advantages for X-band EPR studies.

Abstract Our lab is developing a spin-labeled EPR spectroscopic technique complementary to solid-state NMR studies to study the structure, orientation, and dynamics of uniaxially aligned integral membrane proteins inserted into magnetically aligned discotic phospholipid bilayers, or bicelles. The focus of this study is to optimize and understand the mechanisms involved in the magnetic alignment process of bicelle disks in weak magnetic fields. Developing experimental conditions for optimized magnetic alignment of bicelles in low magnetic fields may prove useful to study the dynamics of membrane proteins and its interactions with lipids, drugs, steroids, signaling events, other proteins, etc. In weak magnetic fields, the magnetic alignment of Tm3+-doped bicelle disks was thermodynamically and kinetically very sensitive to experimental conditions. Tm3+-doped bicelles were magnetically aligned using the following optimized procedure: the temperature was slowly raised at a rate of 1.9 K/min from an initial temperature being between 298 and 307 K to a final temperature of 318 K in the presence of a static magnetic field of 6300 G. The spin probe 3β-doxyl-5α-cholestane (cholestane) was inserted into the bicelle disks and utilized to monitor bicelle alignment by analyzing the anisotropic hyperfine splitting for the corresponding EPR spectra. The phases of the bicelles were determined using solid-state 2H NMR spectroscopy and compared with the corresponding EPR spectra. Macroscopic alignment commenced in the liquid crystalline nematic phase (307 K), continued to increase upon slowly raising the temperature, and was well-aligned in the liquid crystalline lamellar smectic phase (318 K).
Scattering and perceived asymmetry of flowers, chips and loops

Abstract We find that perception of asymmetry determines polarization for calculated backscattering of circularly polarized waves from a family of symmetric and asymmetric variations of the planar loop. When along an axis of N-fold rotational symmetry with N>2, backscatter is cross-polarized. From an inherently asymmetric structure, a two-fold symmetric one, or off-axis of a symmetric one, backscatter is both co- and cross-polarized. Examination of the induced electric dipole and its electric field provides a physical explanation for perception of asymmetry in backscattering polarization.
Relationship of DNA Ploidy to Histology and Prognosis in Rhabdomyosarcoma Comparison of Flow Cytometry and Image Analysis

Background. Although DNA ploidy correlates with prognosis in certain childhood cancers, e.g., neuroblastoma, its significance in rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is unclear and controversial. Methods. Ploidy by flow cytometry (FCM) and image analysis (IA) in 26 of 27 children with RMS (17 embryonal, 3 mixed embryonal/alveolar, 5 alveolar, 1 anaplastic, 1 ectomesenchymoma) and 4 adults with pleomorphic RMS were evaluated. Statistical comparisons were analyzed between DNA content and gender, age, localization, Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study (IRS) group, and histopathologic subtype. Survival analyses were performed by the Kaplan-Meier test using the approximate chi-square statistic for the log rank test. Results. The concordance rate between FCM and IA was 26 of 30 (87%); FCM was not performed in one tumor. Image analysis was more sensitive than FCM in detecting aneuploidy. Furthermore, DNA content was associated significantly with histologic subtype (P = 0.031); embryonal histology commonly was hyperdiploid [mean, 1.44; median, 1.27), whereas alveolar histology usually was near-tetraploid (mean, 1.83; median, 1.95). All four adult patients with pleomorphic RMS were aneuploid, with one showing multiple DNA peaks. No correlation between DNA content and survival was observed in the
Quantitative relationships of structure-activity and volume fraction for selected nonpolar and polar narcotic chemicals

The relative toxicity of selected industrial organic chemicals was secured from the literature for the static 48-h Tetrahymena pyriformis 50% population growth impairment and the flow-through 96-h Pimephales promelas 50% mortality endpoints. Chemicals were selected to represent the nonpolar narcosis (aliphatic alcohols and aliphatic ketones) and polar narcosis (anilines and phenols) mechanisms of toxic action. molar volume (MV) and 1-octanol/water partition coefficient (log Kow) data were generated for each chemical. High-quality, log Kow dependent quantitative structure-activity relationships were observed for each chemical class and mechanism of action for both endpoints. The volume fraction (Vf) for each chemical in the target phase was determined from the toxicant concentration in the water (toxicity data), the MV, and the target/water partition coefficient (Ktw) with Ktw considered equal to Kow (1-a). Analyses of target sites, by way of "a" revealed that "a" was constant for a mechanism of action regardless of chemical class, but distinct for a given test system. Mean Vt was constant for each mechanism of action regardless of chemical class or test system. These results suggest, at least for reversible physical mechanisms, that volume fraction analyses are significant in determining the mechanism of toxic action of a chemical.
GP budget holding in the United Kingdom: learning from American HMOs.

Abstract A key component of the 1989 British National Health Service White Paper, ‘Working for Patients’, is the so-called budget holding plan for general practitioners. This controversial proposal calls on GPs to manage their patients' budgets for consultant (specialist) services and hospital care. Most aspects of the scheme, now only contemplated in the U.K., have functioned for years in American health maintenance organisations (HMOs). The thesis of this article is that an analysis of the GP budget holding proposal, in light of the many years of experience with HMOs, will provide valuable insight into how the British innovation might (or might not) function. Moreover, we believe the U.S. HMO experience has a high degree of relevance for the design, implementation and management of budget holding practices in the NHS of the 1990s, as well as other similar proposals being considered across the European continent.
Regulation of the estrogen receptor α minimal promoter by Sp1, USF-1 and ERα

The exact molecular mechanisms regulating estrogen receptor α (ERα) expression in breast tumors are unclear, but studies suggest that they are partly at the level of transcription. We have focused on the transcription factors that regulate the ERα minimal promoter, which we have previously shown to reside within the first 245 bp of the 5′-flanking region of the gene. Within this region are several elements essential for full ERα promoter transcriptional activity, including a GC box and an imperfect E box. In earlier studies we demonstrated an essential function for the Sp1 family of transcription factors in the regulation of ERα expression. We have now identified both USF-1 and ERα itself as components of a multi-protein complex of transcription factors that interacts at the ERα minimal promoter and is essential for its full transcriptional activity. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that Sp1 and USF-1, but not ERα, bind directly to the ERα minimal promoter. We showed by GST pull-down assays that ERα is able to interact in vitro with USF-1, suggesting, in addition to a possible interaction between ERα and Sp1, a mechanism whereby ERα is able to interact with the protein complex. Combined exogenous expression of the components of the complex in MCF-7 breast cancer cells resulted in a synergistic effect on transactivation of the ERα minimal promoter, suggesting that the importance of the protein complex is in the interactions among the components. Based upon these findings, we propose a possible model for transcription from the ERα minimal promoter.
HIV vaccines: where we are and where we are going

As the HIV-1 epidemic continues to spread world wide, the need for an effective vaccine remains urgent. Efforts to develop such a vaccine have been hampered by three main factors: (a) the extraordinary ability of the virus to mutate; (b) inability of most known specificities of anti-HIV antibodies to neutralise HIV primary isolates consistently; and (c) lack of understanding of the correlates of protective immunity to HIV infection. In view of the complex biology of HIV-host interactions, the most fruitful avenue may be development of multivalent HIV immunogens tailored to HIV isolates in specific geographical locations.
Hierarchical clustering of XML documents focused on structural components

Clustering XML documents by structure is the task of grouping them by common structural components. Hitherto, this has been accomplished by looking at the occurrence of one preestablished type of structural components in the structures of the XML documents. However, the a-priori chosen structural components may not be the most appropriate for effective clustering. Moreover, it is likely that the resulting clusters exhibit a certain extent of inner structural inhomogeneity, because of uncaught differences in the structures of the XML documents, due to further neglected forms of structural components. To overcome these limitations, a new hierarchical approach is proposed, that allows to consider (if necessary) multiple forms of structural components to isolate structurally-homogeneous clusters of XML documents. At each level of the resulting hierarchy, clusters are divided by considering some type of structural components (unaddressed at the preceding levels), that still differentiate the structures of the XML documents. Each cluster in the hierarchy is summarized through a novel technique, that provides a clear and differentiated understanding of its structural properties. A comparative evaluation over both real and synthetic XML data proves that the devised approach outperforms established competitors in effectiveness and scalability. Cluster summarization is also shown to be very representative.
Nuclear Ramsauer effect and the isovector potential.

The simple nuclear Ramsauer model is extended to include explicitly the isovector potential. This model predicts large differences between proton and neutron total nuclear cross sections. When this model is applied to isotope/isotone total neutron cross section differences, it gives a good description of the measured data in the mass 140 region. Non-isospin-dependent differences in the isotopic imaginary potential are observed which totally obscure the contribution from the isovector imaginary potential. Additional measurements further from closed nuclear shells may yield useful information on the isovector imaginary potential.
Metric-space search in bioinformatics

Of the many problems in biological data retrieval, the problem of biological sequence retrieval has the highest profile. The standard solution to this problem, BLAST, has ascended, like google, to become synonymous with search. Also like Google, BLAST leverages statistical properties as heuristics to create a good user experience. Ironically, many early biological sequence similarity efforts explicitly sought to model evolutionary distance as a metric-distance. Recent interest in metric-index methods has rekindled these early directions. A review of these efforts provides an opportunity to characterize the challenges and opportunities in similarity search of biological data.
Future research needs in self-consolidating concrete

The development of self-consolidating concrete (SCC) had revolutionized construction by its ability to achieve full compaction without mechanical vibration and consistency of quality. Use of SCC results in significant reduction in construction time, cost, and noise. With the growing utilization of SCC, the necessity for research to understand and manipulate the fresh and hardened properties of SCC also increases. The paper presents future research needs of SCC in the areas of rheology, construction, and sustainability. Aside from yield stress and viscosity, which are key properties for flowability and stability, the mechanisms behind thixotropy need to be understood. To be able to obtain a better grasp of the mechanisms driving the rheology of cement-based systems, the system needs to be studied at multiple scales. Three research areas in construction using SCC are discussed; pumping, cast-in-place of bridge components, and rock-filled concrete. Finally, the research need for further sustainability is emp...
Specific agglutinability of erythrocytes from whole blood stored at 4 C.

When whole blood is supplemented with adenine, the erythrocytes are suitable for transfusion after at least 35 days of storage at 4C, but information is not available as to whether such cells remain satisfactory for blood typing and pre transfusion tests for evidence of incompatibility. Accordingly, we designed experiments to evaluate by AutoAnalyzer the specific agglutinability of erythrocytes obtained from whole blood stored at 4C. Seven normal volunteer donors of both sexes, aged between 22 and 31 years, were chosen and bled periodically so that, over a three-day testing period, all blood specimens from each donor could be evaluated. Each donor provided at each bleeding sufficient blood to permit aliquots of 20 ml to be stored as clotted blood and 8 ml to be stored as citrated whole blood. Four kinds of citrate solution were used: ACD Formula A, CPD, ACD supplemented with adenine, and CPD supplemented with adenine. All clotted specimens were tested after 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 weeks of storage, while all citrated specimens were tested after 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10 weeks of storage. Six blood group systems were used for evaluation with the following reagents: anti-A or anti-B, anti-Rhl (Rho or D), anti-K2 (k or Cellano), anti-Jka, anti-Fya or anti-Fyb, and anti-M. Each reagent was used at a dilution to support from 20 to 80 per cent agglutination with freshly drawn blood, and each reagent was tested under two conditions: low ionic and normal ionic. The results disclosed loss of specific agglutinability in association with the time of storage of whole blood at 4 C. The onset and degree of loss depended both on the kind of test used (normal ionic tests showed loss 2.8 weeks earlier than did low ionic tests) and the condition in which the blood was stored (loss occurred sooner and then progressed more with clotted blood than with citrated blood). Average losses of 25, 50, and 75 per cent were observed at 1.1, 2.1, and 4.0 weeks of storage for normal ionic tests of clotted blood, and at 4.1, 6.0, and 7.6 weeks for similar tests of citrated blood. Loss of specific agglutinability during storage was significantly less for the red blood cells of some donors than for others, but systematic differences between specific blood-typing tests were not observed. ACD and CPD solutions behaved similarly, while adenine supplementation exerted a slight preservative effect after 6, 8, and 10 weeks of storage. Loss of specific hemagglutinability of stored cells was not due to loss of specific antigenic sites because stored cells were as effective as fresh cells for the absorption of anti-B, anti-Rhl, and anti-M. Loss might, however, be related to an increase in the accumulation of IgG, fibrinogen, and albumin at the surfaces of erythrocytes.