cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spatially offset Raman spectroscopy and diffuse Raman tomography: subsurface spectroscopy and imaging in animal tissue and other scattering media

It has been less than three years since the beginnings of systematic development of fiber optic Raman illumination/collection systems for operation in the presence of extensive photon diffusion. These fiber optic probes depend on spatial separation of illumination and collection regions to deep Raman spectroscopy and imaging in highly scattering media. Both backscattering and transmission systems have been described in the literature. They are closely related to probes used for fluorescence imaging and tomography in turbid media, but in most there are modifications to allow distributed laser illumination to provide high absolute power without thermal damage. We review the history of the spatially resolved techniques, discuss data reduction issues and current probe designs and survey current applications to human and animal tissue.
A prospective study of the accuracy of preoperative computed tomographic staging of patients with biopsy-proven rectal carcinoma

From June 1983 to January 1986, 91 patients with biopsy-proven adenocarcinoma of the rectum had computed tomographic scans of the pelvis performed before treatment as part of a “sandwich” radiotherapy-surgery regimen. Two experienced diagnostic radiologists performed locoregional staging of all scans according to the University of California at San Francisco criteria; one of these radiologists repeated this staging at a later time to test the reproducibility of a single observer. Staging was performed without the use of any other radiographic studies or of any clinical information except the patients' age, sex, and the diagnosis of rectal carcinoma, to test the value of computed tomographic scans alone for staging. Agreement between the two stagings performed by the first observer was 51 percent, and interobserver agreement was only 37 percent. Agreement with Dukes' staging was only 33 percent. Therefore, preoperative pelvic computed tomographic scanning of primary rectal adenocarcinoma should not be relied upon for staging or for the selection of patients for treatment options.
A multiwire proportional chamber for precision studies of neutron β decay angular correlations

Abstract A new multiwire proportional chamber (MWPC) was designed and constructed for precision studies of neutron β decay angular correlations. Its design has several novel features, including the use of low pressure neopentane as the MWPC gas and an entrance window made of thin Mylar sheet reinforced with Kevlar fibers. In the initial off-line performance tests, the gas gain of neopentane and the position resolution were studied.
Induction of Drug-Metabolizing Enzymes in Liver Microsomes of Mice and Rats by Softwood Bedding

Induction of three drug-metabolizing enzymes occurred in liver microsomes of mice and rats kept on softwood bedding of either red cedar, white pine, or ponderosa pine. This induction was reversed when animals were placed on hardwood bedding composed of a mixture of beech, birch, and maple. Differences in the capacity of various beddings to induce may partially explain divergent results of studies on drug-metabolizing enzymes. The presence of such inducing substances in the environment may influence the pharmacologic responsiveness of animals to a wide variety of drugs.
CD31 mismatching affects marrow transplantation outcome

Abstract Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) complicating allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is often attributed to mismatched minor histocompatibility antigens (mHags), which are poorly defined in humans. CD31 is a candidate human mHag relevant to acute GVHD, but reports disagree about its level of significance, the role of HLA restriction, and the relative importance of different polymorphic codons within the molecule. We therefore examined in greater detail the impact of CD31-matching on BMT outcome in a prospective study from a single institution. Samples of recipient and donor DNA were collected pretransplantation for all patients receiving unmanipulated bone marrow from an HLA-identical sibling over a 45-month period at our institution. CD31 DNA typing of alleles at the 3 polymorphic codons 125 (L or V), 563 (N or S), and 670 (R or G) was performed for 118 patient-donor pairs plus 2 additional pairs who had codon 125 typing only. Donor-recipient CD31 nonidentity was tested for correlation with BMT clinical outcome measures of severe acute GVHD, chronic GVHD, relapse, and survival. Gene frequencies of approximately 0.5 for each allele at all 3 codons were comparable to previous reports. Because complete association was seen for 563N with 670G and for 563S with 670R, nonidentity for those codons was analyzed as a single genetic marker designated codon 563/670. Donor-recipient CD31 nonidentity was a significant risk factor for overall survival, both at codon 563/670 (hazard ratio [hr] = 2.58, P=.005) and at codon 125 (hr = 1.07, P=.036). Similar results held for disease-free survival. Nonidentity at codon 563/670 was also a significant risk factor (odds ratio [OR] = 11.15, P=.011) for severe (grades III, IV) versus no (grade 0) acute GVHD. Nonidentity at codon 125 posed less but still significant risk (OR = 9.30, P=.030). When the comparison group without severe acute GVHD was expanded to include grade I as well as grade 0 patients, the risk from CD31 nonidentity increased for both codon 563/670 (OR = 12.31, P=.010) and codon 125 (OR = 11.24, P=.011). CD31 nonidentity remained a significant independent risk factor for survival and for severe acute GVHD when tested in multivariate analysis with the covariates of adulthood, recipient-donor sex difference, ethnic group, disease, pretransplantation risk category, HLA-A2 type, B44-like types, and GVHD prophylactic regimen. CD31 nonidentity showed a trend but failed to achieve statistical significance as a risk factor for relapse and for chronic GVHD. In conclusion, donor-recipient CD31 nonidentity is a significant risk factor for survival and for severe acute GVHD in HLA-identical sibling BMT. The stronger associations with codon 563/670 suggest that polymorphism may be more important than the linked polymorphism at codon 125. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 2001;7(9):503-12.
Attenuation relations of ground motion for rock and soil sites in eastern United States

This paper presents the attenuation relations of peak ground acceleration and spectral accelerations for rock and soil sites in the central and eastern United States (CEUS). For the bedrock site condition, 56 pairs of moment magnitude M and epicentral distance R are used to simulate ground motion, and for each pair of M and R, 550 samples of ground motion parameters are generated using a seismological model together with random vibration theory and distribution of extreme values. From the regression analyses of these data, the attenuation relations of ground motion parameters for the bedrock site are established. With the aid of appropriate site coefficients, these attenuation relations are modified for the site categories specified in the 1994 NEHRP Provisions. These attenuation relations are appropriate for the assessment of seismic hazards at far-field rock and soil sites in the CEUS.
The evolution of current medical and popular attitudes toward ultraviolet light exposure: part 3

Abstract In the 1930s, attitudes toward ultraviolet (UV) light exposure began to change significantly within the medical profession. UV radiation had been promoted as healthful since the century's start, and particularly after the discovery of its role in vitamin-D metabolism. Increasingly, however, attention would focus on the risks of UV light exposure from sunlamps and sunbathing. During this time, the American Medical Association established guidelines for the approval of UV lamps and the appropriate therapeutic uses of phototherapy. The landmark experiments of Findlay and other researchers, in which malignant skin tumors were induced in rodents after exposure to UV lamps or sunlight, would lead to widespread recognition of the carcinogenicity of UV radiation. The role of sunlight in the etiology of skin cancer was increasingly mentioned in articles in popular magazines in the 1940s and 1950s. There was rapid growth of the sunscreen industry as well, although product efficacy remained highly variable. In the 1950s, interest developed in the use of 8-methoxypsoralen ("the suntan pill") and dihyroxyacetone ("suntan in a bottle"). In spite of the known risks of UV exposure and attempts by physicians and other health professionals to educate the public and modify behavior, suntanning has remained tenaciously popular. Today, excessive UV light exposure is recognized as the major cause of the approximately 1.3 million cases of skin cancer in the United States each year.
Age at menarche, abnormal glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes mellitus: The Rancho Bernardo Study.

Objective We examined the association of age at menarche with risk of abnormal glucose tolerance (AGT) and type 2 diabetes in postmenopausal women.Methods Participants were 997 women aged 50–92 years who had a clinic visit in 1984–87, when reproductive and diabetes history were recorded, and an oral glucose tolerance test administered. Information on age at menarche was collected in 1989. Diabetes status was based on WHO 1999 criteria, and AGT on having impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT).Results The average age was 69.5 years; 12.5% had diabetes and 29.8% had AGT. Menarche was < 12 years in 14.5%, 12–15 years in 78.9% and ⩾ 16 years in 6.6%. Age and body mass index (BMI) predicted AGT (p < 0.001, p = 0.003, respectively), while age, BMI and family history of diabetes predicted type 2 diabetes (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.02, respectively). Polynomial logistic regression showed no association of menarche with AGT or type 2 diabetes risk. In linear regressions, however, older...
Entrepreneurship in an international context: expanding the concept

The traditional literature on International Entrepreneurship (IE) focuses on the phenomenon of international firm formation and on the process of adjustment of the international firm to its environment. This view is not comprehensive and does not treat extensively the barriers to IE and the possible remedial policies to counter them. This article addresses these issues, taking into account the inevitable limits encountered in such an endeavour. This research is an initial attempt at integrating the public policy discipline into the already interdisciplinary field of IE.
The preparation and characteristics of a purified muscle adenosinetriphosphatase.

Abstract A cholesterol-free soluble ATPase from muscle particles has been prepared by digitonin treatment followed by (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 precipitation. This preparation exhibited a high specific activity (350 μmoles P i /5 min./mg. N) and was fairly stable. When the enzyme was incubated with ATP in the presence of magnesium ions, an initial burst of activity was observed comparable to that seen in actomyosin preparations. The ATP to Mg ratio was different from that observed in the Kielley-Meyerhof preparation. In other ways (pH, temperature, and substrate dependence), the enzyme behaved in a manner comparable to that isolated by Kielley and Meyerhof.
Monte Carlo Simulation of Growth of Crystalline and Amorphous Silicon

The authors have previously introduced a method, based on Monte Carlo techniques, for simulation of crystal growth processes in a continuous space. We have applied the method, initially used to simulate growth of two-dimensional Lennard-Jones systems, to treat growth of silicon in three dimensions. The interaction model for silicon is taken to be the recently introduced Stillinger-Weber (S-W) potential, which is a two- and three-body classical potential. Although the early stages of growth seem to be well modelled by the S-W potential, growth of even a single monolayer of epitaxial (111) silicon does not seem to be possible. Modifications to the S-W potential were considered, and found to be unacceptable physically. More accurate treatment of non-ideal atomic configuration energies is necessary to arrive at physically realistic growth simulations.
Distributed Coherent Aperture Measurements for Next Generation BMD Radar

This paper describes the distributed coherent aperture work being carried out at MIT Lincoln Laboratory in support of the next generation radar (NGR) program under the direction of the Radar Systems Technology (RST) group within the Missile Defense Agency/Advanced Systems (MDA/AS) Directorate. The NGR concept achieves transportability and high-radar sensitivity by coherently combining multiple distributed radar apertures in a building block manner. The operational concept uses orthogonal noise-like waveforms and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) techniques for cohere-on-receive operation and for adaptively estimating the transmit coherence parameters. In cohere-on-transmit mode, like waveforms are used and the relative phase and transmit time of each transmit pulse is adaptively adjusted so that the transmitted pulses arrive at the target in-phase and at the same time. In cohere-on-receive mode, an N2 signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gain is achieved over a single aperture when the orthogonal waveforms are combined coherently. In cohere-on-transmit mode, full coherence is achieved on both transmit and receive for an N2 SNR gain over a single radar. The NGR concept and recent highly-successful distributed aperture measurement campaigns are described. These measurements were carried out at the white sands missile range (WSMR) using the Lincoln Laboratory Wideband MIMO Distributed Aperture Test System in July 2005 and at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Ipswich Antenna Range Facility in August 2004. Wideband coherence on transmit and receive was demonstrated at X-band in real time against live targets. A performance analysis, including comparison to the Cramer-Rao bounds, is given for the coherence parameter estimators during the presentation. Future plans are briefly discussed, including experiments with more radar channels and plans to demonstrate additional benefits of using MIMO techniques with distributed apertures and through spatial diversity
Period-One Rotating Solutions of Horizontally Excited Pendulum Based on Iterative Harmonic Balance

In this study, the iterative harmonic balance method was used to develop analytical solutions of period-one rotations of a pendulum driven horizontally by harmonic excitations. The performance of the method was evaluated by two criteria, one based on the system energy error and the other based on the global residual error. As a comparison, analytical solutions based on the multi-scale method were also considered. Numerical solutions obtained from the Dormand-Prince method (ODE45 in MATLAB&#169) were used as the baseline for evaluation. It was found that under lower-level excitations, the multi-scale method performed better than the iterative method. At higher-level excitations, however, the performance of the iterative method was noticeably more accurate.
ACTVE: A Proposal for an Automated Continuous Transaction Verification Environment

During recent years, there has been a significant increase in calls for corporate financial reporting transparency and for improved timeliness of financial information disclosures. To adapt to these changes in the financial reporting environment, auditors must look for methods and procedures to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the audit process. Traditionally, a source of strong audit evidence has been the confirmation of an amount with a third party. Technology now exists to support the improvement and expansion of the confirmation process. To facilitate the timely confirmation of transactions and balances that involve external entities, this paper proposes ACTVE, an Automated Continuous Transaction Verification Environment. ACTVE is an interorganizational system by which data from an accounting information system can be electronically confirmed with a third‐party's system. The system will provide timely audit evidence while significantly decreasing the transaction cost of obtaining confirmat...
Product distributions of the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis on precipitated iron catalysts

Abstract The product distributions of the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis on alkalized and unalkalized precipitated iron catalysts were studied in a continuous-flow well-stirred slurry reactor at 230°C to 265°C and 0.77 to 2.98 MPa. A commercial Ruhrchemie catalyst with 1.9 wt.-% potassium and 12.7 wt.-% silica showed stable activity for 1300 hours-on-stream. The average molecular weight of products from this catalyst decreased with time-on-stream and, at the same time, oxygenate production increased substantially. In contrast, a precipitated iron catalyst with neither potassium nor silica showed stable selectivity but decreasing activity for 2000 hours-on-stream. Comparisons are presented among these two catalysts and other iron catalysts discussed in the literature. Particular attention is paid to the carbon number distributions of hydrocarbon products. These distributions from both alkalized and unalkalized catalysts are accurately described by a modified Schulz-Flory distribution with two chain growth probabilities.
Leadership That Matters: The Critical Factors for Making a Difference in People's Lives and Organizations' Success

The book review is for “Leadership That Matters: The Critical Factors for Making a Difference in People's Lives and Organizations' Success,” by Marshall Sashkin and Molly G. Sashkin.
The Companies We Keep: Effects of Relational Embeddedness on Organizational Performance1

Building on first-hand qualitative and quantitative data collected from computer motherboard manufacturers, this research proposes a contingency argument for the effects of relational embeddedness on organizational performance. Results show that the effects of embeddedness vary depending on the specific dimension of embeddedness, organizational age, performance measures, and the type of supplier relations, and that the concept is far more complex than previous literature suggests. Two main conclusions are that a closer supplier relationship improves both organizational growth rate and production quality for younger organizations, while in chipset supplier relations, a highly committed supplier worsens production quality more for younger firms.
Engineering course management from a feedback perspective

Course management based on feedback system design principles to enhance student learning experiences is described in this paper. Structure, emphasis, projection, and review are interrelated in feedforward parallel, and feedback exercises. This management strategy for the design of courses has been tested and fine-tuned during several terms in undergraduate courses on circuits, control systems, and random signals. Materials and experiences from these three courses are presented to demonstrate key components.
A high power Ge n-i-p waveguide photodetector on silicon-on-insulator substrate

We demonstrate high current operation of an evanescently coupled Ge waveguide photodetector grown on top of a Si rib waveguide. A 7.4μηι × 500μηι photodetector was found to dissipate 1.003 W of power (125.49mA at −8V).
A Practical Theorem on Gravitational Wave Backgrounds

There is an extremely simple relationship between the spectrum of the gravitational wave background produced by a cosmological distribution of discrete gravitational wave sources, the total time-integrated energy spectrum of an individual source, and the present-day comoving number density of remnants. Stated in this way, the background is entirely independent of the cosmology, and only weakly dependent on the evolutionary history of the sources. This relationship allows one easily to compute the amplitude and spectrum of cosmic gravitational wave backgrounds from a broad range of astrophysical sources, and to evaluate the uncertainties therein.
Micromorphology of an Early Holocene Loess-Paleosol Sequence, Central Alaska, U.S.A.

Abstract This paper describes a micromorphological investigation of an early Holocene loess-paleosol sequence at the Chena Hot Springs Road site, a highway road cut exposure near Fairbanks, Alaska, U.S.A. The procedure identified and described soil microstructure, basic mineral components and their related distributions, organic inclusions, and pedogenic features. Micromorphology confirmed the presence of a number of thin, discontinuous, weakly expressed soils that evince disturbance by diagenetic, graviturbative, and cryoturbative processes. Well-preserved organic remains indicate the presence of a boreal forest that would have acted as a highly effective sediment trap. The frequent observation of detrital iron-oxide grains is consistent with other studies of area loess that reveal high concentrations of magnetite and ilmenite, resulting in significant increases in magnetic susceptibility. Increases in wind strength are likely responsible for the increased clay content in the buried paleosols. Loess depo...
Compulsory Schooling as Preventative Defense

The question whether compulsory schooling is justifiable or not has been treated at considerable length by critics, defenders, and positions in-between. What these treatments—about paternalism and autonomy and institutionalization and more—have not directly analyzed is a question that precedes the issue of overall justification: the preliminary question of time. Does it matter when compulsion takes place? Furthermore, does the timing of compulsion matter to the question of overall justification? I will argue that it does matter, but for reasons not directly related to the question of overall justification.
Centromeric effect on the degree of nonrandom disjunction in the female Drosophila melanogaster.

From crosses of females possessing a heteromorphic X-chromosome bivalent, FR1/+, the shorter crossover products were recovered on the average more frequently than the longer reciprocals as predicted by Novitski's (1951) hypothesis of nonrandom disjunction (NRD). The present study stemmed from an unexpected result of these crosses. Evidence for a centromeric effect on NRD was obtained, suggested by a negative correlation between the degree of NRD, c, and the distance between the region of exchange and the centromere as inferred from SET's (single exchange tetrads). Studies on sex chromosome systems other than FR1 confirmed these results. An analogous centromeric effect on preferential segregation had been clearly demonstrated in maize (Kikudome 1958, 1959; Rhoades and Dempsey 1966). However, prior to the present investigation, no such effect of the centromere on NRD in Drosophila had been described, although reanalysis of part of the data of Novitski (1951) and Novitski and Sandler (1956) suggests some evidence of a seriation of increasing c values extending from the most distal region of the chromosome toward the centromere. A suggestion that the effect in Drosophila may be related in some way to the time required for chiasma terminalization, i.e., those terminalizing earlier (distally located crossovers) permitting more random disjunction of the chromatids from the asymmetric dyad and those terminalizing later, progressively less random, is considered and rejected since in general the expected pattern of c values for the various double exchange tetrads (DET's) is inconsistent with that prediction and provides evidence suggesting the possibility of reversals, in part, of c values obtained for SET's.
Diagnostic Strategies for Invasive Fungal Infections in Patients With Hematologic Malignancies and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients

Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) frequently occur and are associated with high morbidity and mortality in patients with hematologic malignancies (HMs) and hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. Early diagnosis of IFI in these patients facilitates prompt institution of therapy and leads to improved clinical outcomes. This article reviews widely used methodologies for diagnosing IFIs in patients with HM and HSCT recipients. Advantages and limitations of radiologic studies; microbiologic and histopathologic techniques; fungal biomarker assays, including those for galactomannan antigen and β-(1-3)-D-glucan; and molecular assays that are available to establish an early diagnosis of clinically relevant invasive fungal infections are discussed. Recommendations are provided regarding effective use of these methodologies in clinical practice.
Politics of institutional reforms in the water and drainage sector of Pakistan

This paper develops an approach to assess the political risk associated with implementation of institutional reforms in the water sector, while providing insights into the interrelationship of institutional arrangements, power structure, and policy outcome. The analytical approach consists of a two-tier process to assess the institutional feasibility of reform implementation. The first tier is a structured analysis of power distribution among the power groups interested in the outcome of the reform. The second tier is a Delphi process, reflecting the opinions of experts. The approach was applied to the case of the National Drainage Program Project (NDP) in Pakistan, currently in the early stages of implementation. Several hypotheses regarding likely progress were tested, using the feedback provided by a panel of experts in the Delphi process.
Acupuncture and chiropractic care for chronic pain in an integrated health plan: a mixed methods study

Substantial recent research examines the efficacy of many types of complementary and alternative (CAM) therapies. However, outcomes associated with the "real-world" use of CAM has been largely overlooked, despite calls for CAM therapies to be studied in the manner in which they are practiced. Americans seek CAM treatments far more often for chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) than for any other condition. Among CAM treatments for CMP, acupuncture and chiropractic (A/C) care are among those with the highest acceptance by physician groups and the best evidence to support their use. Further, recent alarming increases in delivery of opioid treatment and surgical interventions for chronic pain--despite their high costs, potential adverse effects, and modest efficacy--suggests the need to evaluate real world outcomes associated with promising non-pharmacological/non-surgical CAM treatments for CMP, which are often well accepted by patients and increasingly used in the community. This multi-phase, mixed methods study will: (1) conduct a retrospective study using information from electronic medical records (EMRs) of a large HMO to identify unique clusters of patients with CMP (e.g., those with differing demographics, histories of pain condition, use of allopathic and CAM health services, and comorbidity profiles) that may be associated with different propensities for A/C utilization and/or differential outcomes associated with such care; (2) use qualitative interviews to explore allopathic providers' recommendations for A/C and patients' decisions to pursue and retain CAM care; and (3) prospectively evaluate health services/costs and broader clinical and functional outcomes associated with the receipt of A/C relative to carefully matched comparison participants receiving traditional CMP services. Sensitivity analyses will compare methods relying solely on EMR-derived data versus analyses supplementing EMR data with conventionally collected patient and clinician data. Successful completion of these aggregate aims will provide an evaluation of outcomes associated with the real-world use of A/C services. The trio of retrospective, qualitative, and prospective study will also provide a clearer understanding of the decision-making processes behind the use of A/C for CMP and a transportable methodology that can be applied to other health care settings, CAM treatments, and clinical populations. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01345409
Functional assembly of thylakoid ΔpH‐dependent/Tat protein transport pathway components in vitro

Assembly of the components of the thylakoid ΔpH-dependent/Tat protein transport machinery was analyzed in vitro. Upon incubation with intact chloroplasts, precursors to all three components, Hcf106, cpTatC and Tha4, were imported into the organelle and assembled into characteristic endogenous complexes. In particular, all of the imported cpTatC and approximately two-thirds of the imported Hcf106 functionally assembled into 700 kDa complexes capable of binding Tat pathway precursor proteins. The amounts assembled into thylakoids by this procedure were moderate. However, physiological quantities of mature forms of Tha4 and Hcf106 were integrated into isolated thylakoids and a significant percentage of the Hcf106 so integrated was assembled into the 700 kDa complex. Interestingly, a mutant form of Hcf106 in which an invariant transmembrane glutamate was changed to glutamine integrated into the membrane but did not assemble into the receptor complex. Analysis of energy and known pathway component requirements indicated that Hcf106 and Tha4 integrate by an unassisted or ‘spontaneous’ mechanism. The functionality of in vitro integrated Tha4 was verified by its ability to restore transport to thylakoid membranes from the maize tha4 mutant, which lacks the Tha4 protein. Development of this functional in vitro assembly assay will facilitate structure–function studies of the thylakoid Tat pathway translocation machinery.
APPLYING BUCKET RANDOM PERMUTATIONS TO STATIONARY SEQUENCES WITH LONG-RANGE DEPENDENCE

Bucket random permutations (shuffling) are used to modify the dependence structure of a time series, and this may destroy long-range dependence, when it is present. Three types of bucket permutations are considered here: external, internal and two-level permutations. It is commonly believed that (1) an external random permutation destroys the long-range dependence and keeps the short-range dependence, (2) an internal permutation destroys the short-range dependence and keeps the long-range dependence, and (3) a two-level permutation distorts the medium-range dependence while keeping both the long-range and short-range dependence. This paper provides a theoretical basis for investigating these claims. It extends the study started in Ref. 1 and analyze the effects that these random permutations have on a long-range dependent finite variance stationary sequence both in the time domain and in the frequency domain.
Electrically Switchable Liquid Crystal Polymer Rod Actuators

Stimulus responsive liquid crystal nanorods, 60 μm in length and 200 nm in diameter, were fabricated by a template synthesis technique. The liquid crystal, RM 257, is a reactive monomer which polymerizes with the application of UV light. After polymerization the liquid crystal’s orientational order is permanently “frozen”. Therefore, the subsequent structures are temperature independent after curing. In this study the liquid crystal was confined in the pores of Anopore membranes before curing, which results in rod structures after photo-polymerization. After fabrication, the rods were observed under the application of both AC and DC electric fields. DC fields were noted by either up and down or translational movement of the rods. Application of AC fields resulted in random movement of the rods.
Buyer Risk Reduction Through Adaptive Market Conditions

The variability of product quality and performance between industries, firms, and products causes the buyer to be uncertain of receiving a desired level of future utility. The uncertainty experienced by the buyer results from the conditions of the purchase decision as well as the effect which anticipations and doubts about the quality of future product performance have on that decision. This paper diverges from past risk research by considering the origin and sources of a specific type of risk, namely performance risk, and by considering the impact which decisions and activities of the private and public sectors, extraneous to the individual consumer, have on the level of performance risk perceived by buyers.
Effect of Proximity to a Cattle Feedlot on Escherichia coli O157:H7 Contamination of Leafy Greens and Evaluation of the Potential for Airborne Transmission

The impact of proximity to a beef cattle feedlot on Escherichia coli O157:H7 contamination of leafy greens was examined. In each of 2 years, leafy greens were planted in nine plots located 60, 120, and 180 m from a cattle feedlot (3 plots at each distance). Leafy greens (270) and feedlot manure samples (100) were collected six different times from June to September in each year. Both E. coli O157:H7 and total E. coli bacteria were recovered from leafy greens at all plot distances. E. coli O157:H7 was recovered from 3.5% of leafy green samples per plot at 60 m, which was higher (P < 0.05) than the 1.8% of positive samples per plot at 180 m, indicating a decrease in contamination as distance from the feedlot was increased. Although E. coli O157:H7 was not recovered from air samples at any distance, total E. coli was recovered from air samples at the feedlot edge and all plot distances, indicating that airborne transport of the pathogen can occur. Results suggest that risk for airborne transport of E. coli O157:H7 from cattle production is increased when cattle pen surfaces are very dry and when this situation is combined with cattle management or cattle behaviors that generate airborne dust. Current leafy green field distance guidelines of 120 m (400 feet) may not be adequate to limit the transmission of E. coli O157:H7 to produce crops planted near concentrated animal feeding operations. Additional research is needed to determine safe set-back distances between cattle feedlots and crop production that will reduce fresh produce contamination.
IDENTIFICATION OF AN ESCHERICHIA COLI PEPA HOMOLOG AND ITS INVOLVEMENT IN SUPPRESSION OF THE ALGB PHENOTYPE IN MUCOID PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA

Strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from the respiratory tracts of patients with cystic fibrosis often display a mucoid morphology due to high levels of expression of the exopolysaccharide alginate. The response regulator AlgB is required for full transcription of the alginate biosynthetic operon. Repeated attempts to demonstrate a direct interaction between AlgB and the promoter region of algD, the first gene in the alginate operon, have thus far been unsuccessful. The possibility that AlgB exerts its effect on algD indirectly exists. To identify putative genes under the control of AlgB which affect algD transcription, transposon mutagenesis of nonmucoid algB derivatives of the mucoid strain FRD1 was employed. Of approximately 3,000 transposon mutants screened, 6 were found to display phenotypes which were mucoid relative to the phenotype of the parental algB strain. The phenotypes of these mutants ranged from being only slightly mucoid to being indistinguishable from that of the original FRD1 strain. One of the particularly mucoid transposon mutants was chosen for further study. This strain was found to be disrupted in a previously uncharacterized open reading frame with 56% amino acid identity to PepA of Escherichia coli. PepA is classified as a leucine aminopeptidase, and homologs have been detected in a number of bacterial, plant, and animal species. This novel gene has been designated phpA (P. aeruginosa homolog of pepA). The insertional inactivation of phpA was found to correlate with the mucoid phenotype and an increase in algD transcription in the algB strain. Expression of phpA from an ectopic chromosomal locus compensated for the transposon insertion in the native phpA gene, restoring algD transcription to levels similar to those observed in the parental algB strain. While phpA expression did not appear to be under the control of AlgB at the transcriptional level, this study demonstrates that loss of phpA in an algB genetic background had a positive effect on alginate expression and, more specifically, on transcription of the alginate biosynthetic operon.
Protein Abnormalities in Ulcerative Colitis Patients and their Families

Summary The sera of 98 members from 34 families with ulcerative colitis have been studied for antinuclear factor, rheumatoid factor, thyroid antibodies, for positive LE latex tests. These were compared to a series of sera from 55 individuals of 27 families of patients with gastric cancer. An antinuclear factor was found in 23 per cent of the ulcerative colitis family members but in only 3 per cent of the controls. The incidence of rheumatoid factor, thyroid antibodies, positive LE latex was about the same in the 2 groups.
Engineering and characterization of simplified vaginal and seminal fluid simulants.

Abstract Background Reported vaginal and seminal fluid simulants have complex compositions with multiple preparatory steps that contribute to physical instability. We report the design and characterization of stable and simplified buffers that mimic the salient physical/chemical properties of the physiological fluids. Study design/methods Human cervicovaginal and seminal fluid samples were collected and buffering capacity was determined. The major buffering species were identified from published compositions of reproductive tract fluids. These values were used to compute the composition of vaginal and seminal fluid simulants. Ionic strength, buffering capacities, pH and osmolalities were then calculated or experimentally determined. Finally, cytotoxicity was evaluated in HEC-1-A cells and 3D reconstructed EpiVaginal™ tissue (VEC-100-FT) using naive cells/tissue and nonoxynol-9 as controls. Results The use of calculated amounts of conjugate acid and base for buffer development resulted in compositions that did not require endpoint pH adjustment and could be formulated as stable 10× concentrates. Furthermore, due to the absence of complex divalent salts, all our proposed simulants were stable at 4°C for 1month whereas precipitation and pH and osmolality changes were noted in reported buffers. Experimental determination of buffering capacities yielded similar values for undiluted cervicovaginal fluid (β 4.2-5.2 =35.6±12.3mM, N =7) and human seminal fluid (β 7-6 =37.5±5mM, N =3). All neat simulants showed significant cytotoxicity in HEC-1-A cells but were well tolerated by organotypic vaginal tissue. Conclusions We report revised and improved compositions of buffers mimicking salient properties of vaginal and seminal fluid necessary for in vitro product evaluation. Implications To support research in reproductive health and in particular drug delivery, we have designed and characterized stable new media to mimic these important fluids that can be used in a variety of in vitro studies.
Perioperative Considerations for Surgical Emergencies

For patients who require emergency surgical intervention, the management of significant medical comorbidities requires rapid coordination between the surgeon, the anesthesiologist, and the primary medical team. Perioperative care is as important to the final outcome of the patient as the operation itself. Attention to detail and appropriate management of comorbidities is integral to optimizing outcomes for the acute surgical patient. An accurate preoperative assessment helps to avoid obvious pitfalls such as a critical medication allergy or a difficult airway.
2001 Survey of Kansas Tort Law: Part 2

Part 2 of a 2-part series on changes to Kansas Tort Law and a survey of recent cases from 2001.
The potential of function-led virtual environments for ecologically valid measures of executive function in experimental and clinical neuropsychology

The assessment of executive functions is an integral task of neuropsychological assessment. Traditional measures of executive function are often based on hypothetical constructs that may have little relevance to real-world behaviours. In fact, some traditional tests utilised today were not originally developed for clinical use. Recently, researchers have been arguing for a new generation of "function-led" neuropsychological assessments that are developed from directly observable everyday behaviours. Although virtual environments (VEs) have been presented as potential aides in enhancing ecological validity, many were modelled on construct-driven approaches found in traditional assessments. In the current paper, we review construct-driven and function-led VE-based neuropsychological assessments of executive functions. Overall, function-led VEs best represent the sorts of tasks needed for enhanced ecological validity and prediction of real-world functioning.
Measuring the effectiveness of multi-channel marketing campaigns using online chatter

Measuring the effectiveness of marketing campaigns across different channels is one of the most challenging tasks for today's brand marketers. Such measurement usually relies on a combination of key performance indicators (KPIs), used for assessing various aspects of marketing outcomes. Recently, with the availability of social-media sources, new options for collecting KPIs have become available and numerous social-media monitoring tools and services have emerged. Yet, given the vast media spectrum, which goes beyond social-media channels, existing solutions fail to generalize well and the curation of marketing performance KPIs for most marketing channels still relies on labor intensive means such as surveys and questionnaires. Trying to address the challenges, we propose to demonstrate a novel solution we have developed in IBM: Multi-channel Marketing Monitoring Platform (M3P for short). M3P is better tailored for the marketing performance domain, where online chatter is being harnessed for effective collection of meaningful marketing KPIs across all possible channels. We describe M3P's main challenges and review some of its novel KPIs. We then describe the M3P solution, focusing on its KPI extraction process. Finally, we describe the planned demonstration using a real-world marketing use-case.
Racial and ethnic differences in a patient survey: patients' values, ratings, and reports regarding physician primary care performance in a large health maintenance organization

Background.Few studies have investigated the influence of race and/or ethnicity on patients' ratings of quality of care. None have incorporated patients' values and beliefs regarding medical care in assessing these possible differences.Objectives.We explored whether patients' values, ratings, and re
Serum Protein Regeneration Following Use of Amino Acids in Nephritis (Nephrotic Stage)

ConclusionIn one of 2 hypoproteinemic individuals exhibiting the “nephrotic stage” of chronic nephritis, intravenous administration of amino acids was, on two occasions, followed by a well marked rise in the level of the serum proteins. The rise occurred in the albumin fraction. The other subject failed to respond.
Abstract B95: A novel small molecule, LLL12 inhibits STAT3 phosphorylation and activities and exhibits potent growth suppressive activity in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a major worldwide public health problem, and the third most frequent cause of cancer deaths after lung and stomach cancers. Hepatocellular carcinoma is a highly malignant tumor type with average survival rates that are currently less than 1 year following diagnosis. The etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma is still not well understood but involves a multi‐step process of signaling protein dysregulation, which includes STAT3. The constitutive activation of STAT3 is frequently detected in clinical incidences of hepatocellular carcinoma and in more than 50% of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines but not in normal human hepatocytes. Constitutive STAT3 signaling contributes to hepatocellular carcinoma progression by promoting angiogenesis, survival, metastasis, and growth of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Recent evidence suggests that the blockade of aberrant STAT3 signal pathway can be exploited as a therapeutic strategy for hepatocellular carcinoma. We have developed a novel small molecular STAT3 inhibitor LLL12 based on computer‐aided rational design, which inhibits STAT3 activity by binding to its Src homology 2 (SH2) domain. LLL12 can inhibit STAT3 tyrosine 705 phosphroylation, STAT3 DNA binding activitivies. and prevent STAT translocation into the nucleus, thus decrease the transcription of target genes. And LLL12 also can inhibit IL‐6 induced STAT3 phorsphorylation in Hep3B hepatocellular carcinoma cell. Our previous data show it can inhibit breast cancer (MDA‐MB231 cells), brain tumor (U87 cells), and pancreatic cancer (PANC‐1 cells) in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we report that LLL12 can selectively inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in SNU398, SNU387, Hep3B, and SNU449 hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro. Furthermore, the LLL12 can significantly inhibit tumor growth of SNU398 hepatocellular carcinoma cell line xenograft in nude mice at the dose of 5mg/kg. Collectively, our results show LLL12 could be used as a targeted drug candidate to target STAT3 for chemoprevention or treatment of Hepatocellular carcinoma in human. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(1 Suppl):B95.
The Prosecutor V. Mrksic

This contribution to The Oxford Companion to International Criminal Justice provides an overview of the Mrksic case ("Vukovar Hospital Case") at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Molecular biology of angiotensin receptors: target for drug research?

UNLABELLED Angiotensin II receptors: Angiotensin II is a key regulator of cardiovascular homeostasis. At least two distinct angiotensin II receptor subtypes are defined, on the basis of their differential pharmacological and biochemical properties, and designated as type 1 (AT1) and type 2 (AT2) receptors. AT1 subtypes: Recent cloning has revealed that the AT1 type belongs to a seven-transmembrane, G protein-coupled receptor superfamily. The AT1 receptor comprises two isoforms, AT1a and AT1b, which are strikingly similar in amino acid structure, pharmacological specificity and signal transduction mechanism. To date, the evidence indicates that almost all of the known effects of angiotensin II in adult tissues are attributable to the AT1 receptor. AT2 subtype: Much less is known about the function of the AT2 receptor, but its abundant expression in fetal tissues, immature brain, skin wounds, and atretic ovarian follicles suggest that it affects growth and development. The AT2 receptor complementary (c)DNA has recently been cloned. It encodes a 363 amino acid protein with unique tissue distributions and developmental patterns. It is 34% identical in sequence to the AT1 receptor, sharing a seven-transmembrane domain topology. CONCLUSIONS Further research in defining the functions of the AT1 and AT2 receptor subtypes in cardiovascular regulation will provide new opportunities for new drug discovery and for the characterization of angiotensin II antagonists.
Apically and basolaterally internalized aminoglycosides colocalize in LLC-PK1 lysosomes and alter cell function

Aminoglycosides bind to apical and basolateral (BL) membranes of renal epithelial cells. However, little is known regarding differential uptake and intracellular processing after internalization across these distinct surface membrane domains. To examine these processes independently, LLC-PK1 cells were grown on porous filters, which allow selective access to both domains. Apical and BL membrane uptakes of gentamicin (0.5 mM), quantified using [3H]gentamicin, were linear from 2 to 24 h (r = 0.99). The 4-h apical gentamicin uptake was 667 +/- 59 pmol/mg protein, the BL 748 +/- 26 pmol/mg protein, and concurrent apical and BL uptake 1,389 +/- 22 pmol/mg protein. Aminoglycoside uptake, documented using indirect immunogold techniques, occurred via the apical and BL endocytic systems and colocalized with cationic ferritin. Aminoglycosides internalized via the apical (gentamicin) and BL (tobramycin) membrane converged at the lysosomal level. Gentamicin incorporated via either domain significantly decreased lysosomal N-acetylglucosaminidase below control values (P < 0.05). We conclude that, after binding, aminoglycosides are internalized equally across apical and BL membranes of LLC-PK1 cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis, colocalize within the lysosomal compartment, and alter cellular function similarly.