cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A structural framework for anomalous change detection and characterization

We present a spatially adaptive scheme for automatically searching a pair of images of a scene for unusual and interesting changes. Our motivation is to bring into play structural aspects of image features alongside the spectral attributes used for anomalous change detection (ACD). We leverage a small but informative subset of pixels, namely edge pixels of the images, as anchor points of a Delaunay triangulation to jointly decompose the images into a set of triangular regions, called trixels, which are spectrally uniform. Such decomposition helps in image regularization by simple-function approximation on a feature-adaptive grid. Applying ACD to this trixel grid instead of pixels offers several advantages. It allows: 1) edge-preserving smoothing of images, 2) speed-up of spatial computations by significantly reducing the representation of the images, and 3) the easy recovery of structure of the detected anomalous changes by associating anomalous trixels with polygonal image features. The latter facility further enables the application of shape-theoretic criteria and algorithms to characterize the changes and recognize them as interesting or not. This incorporation of spatial information has the potential to filter out some spurious changes, such as due to parallax, shadows, and misregistration, by identifying and filtering out those that are structurally similar and spatially pervasive. Our framework supports the joint spatial and spectral analysis of images, potentially enabling the design of more robust ACD algorithms.
Exploiting cholera vaccines as a versatile antigen delivery platform

The development of safe, immunogenic and protective cholera vaccine candidates makes possible their use as a versatile antigen delivery platform. Foreign antigens can be delivered to the immune system with cholera vaccines by expressing heterologous antigens in live attenuated vectors, as fusion proteins with cholera toxin subunits combined with inactivated Vibrio cholerae whole cells or by exposing them on the surface of V. cholerae ghosts. Progress in our understanding of the genes expressed by V. cholerae during infection creates unprecedented opportunities to develop an improved generation of vaccine vectors to induce immune protection against a broad range of pathogenic organisms.
To fight or not to fight: context-dependent interspecific aggression in competing ants

Animals assess many factors when choosing how aggressively to behave during interspecific competitive interactions. Aggressive behaviour can help win resources, but it can also be costly. Here we tested how context such as competitor familiarity, habitat type and resource value affect competitive behaviour using two ant species, Formica xerophila and F. integroides. We found that competitive encounters within an individual's territory yielded more aggressive interactions than encounters in a neutral arena, and aggression towards competitors increased with resource value. Using a recently developed design combining behaviour assays between live ant dyads and ants paired with glass beads chemically resembling competitors, we isolated an individual's behaviour during an encounter to show that its behaviour can be significantly affected by the behaviour of its competitor during the interaction. Furthermore, we determined that context can affect each species differently, and that these differences are consistent with differences in overall fighting abilities. Formica integroides from trees (but not from nests) behaved differently towards live and artificial F. xerophila. Formica integroides are behaviourally dominant, which facilitates a strategy wherein individuals aggressively defend the nest but reciprocate the behaviours of their opponents (showing an interspecific Tit-for-Tat strategy) when defending less valuable locations. Formica xerophila are generally submissive, which favours a highly context-dependent strategy. In particular, F. xerophila discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar F. integroides, and behave more aggressively towards foreign competitors than towards neighbouring competitors. Differences between species’ behaviours suggest that these interspecific interactions are dynamic context-dependent associations that cannot be reduced to a static dominance hierarchy.
Predictive factor analysis as the basis for the clinical utility of percent positive prostate biopsies in patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer.

Abstract Objectives. To define the clinical reason for the further refinement of stratification of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) outcome using percent positive prostate biopsies in intermediate-risk patients. Methods. A chi-square metric was used to compare the distribution of pretreatment clinical and post-treatment pathologic factors for patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer with 50% or less versus greater than 50% positive prostate biopsies. The PSA outcome stratified by the percent positive biopsies was calculated according to the Kaplan-Meier actuarial method. Comparisons of actuarial PSA failure-free survival were performed using the log-rank test. Results. The group with greater than 50% positive biopsies for prostate cancer had a significantly higher proportion of patients with pretreatment PSA values greater than 10 to 20 ng/mL ( P = 0.01), biopsy Gleason score 4+3 ( P = 0.05), and 1992 American Joint Committee on Cancer clinical category T2b ( P = 0.01) than did the group with less than 50% positive biopsies. The group with greater than 50% positive biopsies also had a significantly higher proportion of patients with prostatectomy Gleason score 4+3 or higher ( P = 0.001), pathologic Stage T3b ( P P = 0.002) than did the group of patients with less than 50% positive biopsies. Conclusions. The results of this study provide an explanation on the basis of the pretreatment and post-treatment predictive factors for the difference in PSA outcome for intermediate-risk patients when stratified by the percent positive biopsies.
Creep of 96.5Sn3.5Ag Solder Interconnects

An exact analysis is presented for the creep deformation of solder interconnects subjected to the actions of bending moment, twisting moment and axial force. Dimensionless interaction curves and charts which relate the variables, interconnect geometry, solder material properties, axial force, bending moment, twisting moment, bending stress, shearing stress, curvature rate and twist rate are also provided for engineering practice convenience. The constitutive relationship of the 96.5Sn3.5Ag solder interconnects is described by the Garofalo‐Arrhenius steady‐state creep equation.
Injection molding of polymeric LIGA HARMs

The primary goal of an ongoing research effort at LSU is to develop the three-step LIGA process to inexpensively manufacture high aspect ratio microstructures (HARMs). The first two steps of the process (lithography and electroplating) produce a metallic mold insert that can be used as a template for molding microstructures. The final step of LIGA is molding. This paper focuses on injection molding of thermoplastics to produce surfaces covered with HARMs. The resulting microstructures are hundreds of micrometers in height, tens of micrometers in width, and separated by gaps on the order of tens of micrometers. Injection molding experiments using high density polyethylene were performed using a commercially available injection molding machine. Experimental variables included injection speed, the tool temperature, and air pressure in the mold cavity. Elevating the tool temperature above the melting point ensured that the polymer completely filled the mold, producing microstructures with the desired geometry. As the temperature of the mold was reduced, higher injection speeds did not necessarily ensure filling of the mold cavity. The cycle time is shorter than the values previously reported in the literature [Madou (1996)].
Spectroscopic analysis of DNA base-pair opening by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. Temperature and ionic strength effects

Abstract The interaction of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase with poly[d(A-T)] and poly[d-(I-C)] was studied by difference absorption spectroscopy at temperatures, from 5 to 45°C in the absence and presence of Mg 2+ . The effect of KCl concentration, at a fixed temperature, was studied from 12.5 to 400 mM. Difference absorption experiments permitted calculation of the extent of DNA opening induced by RNA polymerase and estimation of the equilibrium constant associated with the isomerization from a closed to an open RNA polymerase-DNA complex. ΔH 0 and ΔS 0 for the closed-to-open transition with poly[d(A-T)] or poly[d(I-C)] complexed with RNA polymerase are significantly lower than the values associated with the helix-to-coil transition for the free polynucleotides. For the RNA polymerase complexes with poly[d(A-T)] and poly[d(I-C)] in 50 mM KCl, ΔH 0 ≈ 15–16 kcal/mol (63–67 kJ/mol) and ΔS 0 ≈ 50–57 cal/K per mol (209–239 J/K per mol). The presence of Mg 2+ does not change these parameters appreciably for the RNA polymerase-poly[d(A-T)] complex, but for the RNA polymerase-poly[d(I-C)] complex in the presence of Mg 2+ , the ΔH 0 and ΔS 0 values are larger and temperature-dependent, with ΔH 0 ≈ 22 kcal/mol (92 kJ/mol) and ΔS 0 ≈ 72 cal/K per mol (approx. 300 J/K per mol) at 25°C, and ΔC p 0 2 kcal/K per mol (approx. 8.3 kJ/K per mol). The circular dichroism (CD) changes observed for helix opening induced by RNA polymerase are qualitatively consistent with the thermally induced changes observed for the free polynucleotides, supporting the difference absorption method. The salt-dependent studies indicate that two monovalent cations are released upon helix opening. For poly[d(A-T)], the temperature-dependence of enzyme activity correlates well with the helix opening, implying this step to be the rate-determining step. In the case of poly[d(I-C)], the same is not true, and so the rate-determining step must be a process subsequent to helix opening.
Mathematical Models of Isolation and Quarantine

THE RECENT EMERGENCE OF SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY syndrome (SARS) has drawn attention to the strategies of isolation and quarantine (I&Q) as a method of disease control. The fundamental dilemma associated with the implementation of I&Q is how to predict the populationlevel efficacy of individual quarantine: Which and how many individuals need to be quarantined to achieve effective control at the population level? Although some forms of I&Q have proven effective in SARS, 1,2 they are not appropriate for all infectious diseases. Diseases like varicella, for which costs of quarantine may be high (many work and school days are lost when noninfected contacts are kept at home) and the return minimal (a relatively mild disease is avoided), require a different approach. Furthermore, in some cases, I&Q may be not only costly but harmful. An I&Q policy for varicella, in the long run, may actually increase the average age (and therefore the severity) of first infection. Using I&Q to control rubella in China could actually lead to higher levels of disease because under the current system (of no control), about 97% of the population has rubella antibodies obtained from direct exposure to infectious individuals. 2 Such a level of natural immunity would be impossible to accomplish under the current effective US and Canadian vaccination policies. Mathematical modeling can help determine when I&Q arethebeststrategiesfordiseasecontrolaswellashowthey might affect short- and long-term disease dynamics. Mathematical modeling offers ways of integrating populationlevel knowledge based on previous epidemics with availableindividualandpopulationdatatopredicttheoutcomes of several alternative scenarios. This kind of mathematical epidemiologyisparticularlywellsuitedtoproblemsforwhich formal experimentation is impossible for logistical or ethical reasons. In these situations, mathematical models can play a role in planning and experimental design in epidemiology, ecology, and immunology. Mathematical disease modeling is an attempt to fit empirical data to abstract processes. Decisions must always be made about which variables to exclude from the model. Although inclusion of more variables (for example, the baselinehealthstatusofeveryindividual)wouldmakethemodel more accurate, such models would be impossibly complex. The balance between predictive power and its level of detail depends on the questions the model is intended to answer. Variables that can influence the outcome of I&Q policies include the number of contacts an infected person has per unit of time, the probability of infection per contact, and the proportion of the population that is vacci
LOLing at tragedy: Facebook trolls, memorial pages and resistance to grief online

This paper examines the emergence of organized trolling behaviors on Facebook, specifically in relation to memorial groups and fan pages. In addition to mapping the development of RIP trolling — in which online instigators post abusive comments and images onto pages created for and dedicated to the deceased — the paper also examines the highly contentious and ultimately parasitic relationship(s) between memorial trolls, Facebook’s social networking platform and mainstream media outlets. Recalling Oring’s account of disaster humor, the paper goes on to suggest that, inadvertently or not, Facebook memorial page trolling presents a pointed critique of a tragedy–obsessed global media.
Interaction of cell turgor and hormones on sucrose uptake in isolated Phloem of celery.

Phloem tissue isolated from celery (Apium graveolens L.) was used to investigate the regulation of sucrose uptake by turgor (manipulated by 50-400 milliosomolal solutions of polyethylene glycol) and hormones indoleacetic acid (IAA) and gibberillic acid (GA3). Sucrose uptake was enhanced under low cellular turgor (increase in the Vmax). Furthermore, enhancement of sucrose uptake was due to a net increase in influx rates since sucrose efflux was not affected by cell turgor. Manipulations of cell turgor had no effect on 3-O-methyl glucose uptake. When 20 millimolar buffer was present in uptake solutions, low turgor-induced effects were observed only at low pH range (4.5-5.5). However, the effect was extended to higher external pH (up to 7.5) when buffer was omitted from uptake solutions. A novel interaction between cellular turgor and hormone treatments was observed, in that GA3 (10 micromolar) and IAA (0.1-100 micromolar) enhanced sucrose uptake only at moderate turgor levels. The hormones elicited little or no response on sucrose uptake under conditions of low or high cell turgor. Low cell turgor, IAA, GA3, and fusicoccin caused acidification by isolated phloem segments in a buffer-free solution. It is suggested that enhanced sucrose uptake in response to low turgor and/or hormones was mediated through the plasmalemma H+-ATPase and most likely occurred at the site of loading.
Determination of chiral pharmaceutical compounds, terbutaline, ketamine and propranolol, by on-line capillary electrophoresis–electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

On-line capillary electrophoresis-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (CE-ESI-MS) has been employed for the determination of racemic mixtures of the chiral drugs, terbutaline, ketamine, and propranolol. Separation of the different chiral forms has been achieved by introducing cyclodextrins (CDs), which act as chiral selectors, into the CE operating electrolytes. Cyclodextrins function as chiral selectors in CE because of their ability to form host-guest complexes (inclusion complexes) of varying stability with an array of chiral drugs and other compounds. Derivatized forms of beta-CD (i.e., dimethyl-beta-cyclodextrin and hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin) were used in this study due to their higher solubilities in the aqueous methanolic operating electrolyte than native beta-CD. Addition of minor quantities of methanol to the aqueous-based CE operating electrolytes improved the stability of electrospray ionization conditions and further enhanced CE resolution of the enantiomeric pairs relative to purely aqueous systems. Introduction of the CDs into the CE operating electrolytes caused suppression of analyte signals in ESI-MS, and the dependence of analyte signal intensities on the solution concentrations of the derivatized beta-CDs was examined. Under optimized conditions, the different enantiomeric forms of the compounds under investigation were successfully separated and detected by CE-ESI-MS.
Studies of ice melting using molecular dynamics

In this paper, the melting of ice 1h is studied using molecular dynamics (MD). Common potential functions employed in the MD simulations include SPC/E, TIP4P, TIP5P, TIP4/ice and TIP5P/E. We first conducted melting of ice bulks and then studied the melting speed of the ice/water interface during ice melting. It is found that various potentials result in similar ice-melting phenomena. The result is compared with the analytical solution for phase change problem. We also studied size effects and temperature gradient effects on ice melting.
Radiation driven evaporation for polydisperse water sprays

This study concerns the prediction of radiation heat transfer in evaporating water sprays for a 1D planar media. The spray evolution is described by a Lagrangian sectional approach with the initial diameter size classes defined by normal and log–normal distributions. The spray and the gas-phase radiative properties are recast in terms of cumulative distribution functions (CDF) for use with a correlated-k approach to solve the radiative transfer equation (RTE). The spectral properties required for constructing the CDFs for the droplets and gas are determined using Mie theory and the HITEMP databases, respectively. Cases are conducted to explore the sensitivity of radiative energy attenuation to time evolving droplet size distributions as a function of initial distribution, distance to the energy source, volume fraction and temperature. Results from this study show that the PDFs generate a positive skewness due to the size dependent absorption properties of the droplet. These findings suggest that the droplet size distribution can be adequately described by prescribed, non-symmetrical PDFs that are parameterized by lower order moments. 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Variation in the relationship between blood lead and air lead

Abstract Estimates of the slope of the relationship between blood lead (μg dl −1 ) and air lead (μg m −3 ) obtained in ten independent studies are compared. No significant differences were detected among the estimates which ranged from 0.6 to 3.1 μg dl −1 per μg m −3 and represented male adult, female adult and child populations. A single best estimate of 1.2 μg dl −1 per μg m −3 ( ± 0.2,95 per cent confidence limits) was obtained. It is concluded that, if the blood lead-air lead slope depends on various physical and biological factors, then studies providing more precise estimates are required to detect these differences.
The new world augustinians and franciscans in philosophical opposition: The visual statement∗

(1996). The new world augustinians and franciscans in philosophical opposition: The visual statement. Colonial Latin American Review: Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 7-23.
Sex Similarities in Behavior in a Seventh Grade Classroom

Seventy hours were spent observing four sections of a seventh grade class over a period of 13 weeks. The general classroom behavior is decribed, focusing on differences and similarities between males and females. Generally, no set of rules could be found which clearly differentiated males and females. The major difference was that males performed a greater percentage of the total classroom behavior (68%) than females did (32%). When this factor was controlled for the gross activities recorded for females and males results were strikingly similar. There was an indication, however, that subtle differences did sometimes occur between the behavior patterns of males and those of females. This was particularly apparent in the "politeness" of their interactions and in their use of space. In these areas rules existed which were followed more often by one sex than the other, but these rules could be broken, within limits, without causing much disturbance. These findings have major implications for teachers who, ba...
Deep circulation in the eastern South Atlantic Ocean

Abstract Tracer properties on sections of closely spaced hydrographic stations across the Angola Basin of the South Atlantic Ocean along Lats 11° and 24°S suggest a three-layer description of the deep circulation there. Below 4 km the basin is closed off in the south, so water enters only from the north; the interior flow is southward, and the western-boundary current (above the eastern flank of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge) is southward at 11°S but northward at 24°S, as required by the Stommel-Arons dynamics. At depths roughly between 2400 and 4000 m the basin seems to be supplied only from the south, the western-boundary current is everywhere northward, and the interior flow is southward. Near the 2-km level the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is too deep to be an effective western boundary; the flow seems to he broadly southeastward across the full basin at l1°S, but at 24°S a topographically guided current flows northward above the ridge to supply southward interior flow. A hydrographic section along the Greenwich meridian illustrates an eastward jet at depths between 1300 and 3200 m that extends near Lat. 22°S from the western-boundary curent to a gap in the Walvis Ridge, through which the jet introduces water to the Cape Basin. Geostrophic estimates of the volume transports of these circulation clements, calculated with reference to zero-velocity surfaces construed from the tracer fields, are consistent in direction with the inferred flow patterns, but the values may be somewhat erroneously high, as they imply dubiously large upward velocities. A tongue of oxygen-poor, nutrient-rich water is found at depths between 3000 and 4500 m at 11°S but not at 24°S. It is strongest at the African continental rise, and extends some 1000 km westward. Its origin is attributed to decay within the ~ediment of detritus originating mainly from the Congo River plume, and its form to the deep horizontal flow field.
The ferning test for detection of amniotic fluidcontamination in umbilical blood samples

There is currently no standard means of detecting amniotic fluid contamination in fetal blood obtained by percutaneous umbilical blood sampling. The ferning test is proposed for this purpose. An in vitro model, using centrifuged serial dilutions of neonatal cord blood and amniotic fluid, showed that ferning of the supernatant occurs in proportion to the degree of contamination. A system for grading ferning was devised, and tested in a blind trial. For the detection of amniotic fluid contamination of 10% or more, the method showed a sensitivity of 98% and a specificity of 81%. The method may be useful in percutaneous umbilical blood sampling, and in the diagnosis of spontaneous rupture of membranes with vaginal bleeding.
Structural characterization of TiO 2 optical coatings by Raman spectroscopy

Raman spectroscopy reveals crystallographic structure information about optical coatings much faster and with thinner specimens than conventional x-ray diffraction analysis. Spectra of low-absorption TiO2 coatings were measured as a function of thickness from 55 to 831 nm. A minimum of 831 nm was required for good SNR and minimization of substrate effects. Measurements made with interference-enhanced trilayer structures showed increased detectability to layer thicknesses near 50 nm. Counting times were typically 400 sec. Spectra obtained by both methods agree well with reported data for the anatase structural modification of bulk TiO2. The trilayer method is preferred because the thickness examined is closest to that encountered in practical multilayer optical coatings.
Facts versus `Feelings': How Rational Is the Decision to Become an Organ Donor?

Researchers are already aware that decision making about health issues is not necessarily driven by rational or cognitive-based decision-making processes. This appears to be especially true for the decision to donate organs. Although hints about what is actually driving the decision-making process are scattered throughout the literature, noncognitive factors have not been tested systematically. Structural equation modeling of data gathered from 4426 participants at six different geographic locations in the United States demonstrates that cognitive-based factors (such as knowledge about donation) are less influential on the decision to donate than noncognitive variables such as the desire to maintain bodily integrity, worries that signing a donor card might 'jinx' a person, and medical mistrust.
Tropical cyclone activity and western North Atlantic stratification over the last millennium: a comparative review with viable connections

Tropical cyclones (TC) are recognized to modify the thermal structure of the upper ocean through the process of vertical mixing. Assessing the role this mixing plays in the overall stratification of the upper ocean is difficult, due to the relatively short and incomplete instrumental record. Proxy records for both TC landfalls and oceanographic stratification are preserved within the geological record and provide insight for how past changes in TC-induced mixing have potentially affected water column structure prior to the instrumental record. Here we provide the first comparison between previously published paleo-reconstructions of vertical ocean density and tropical cyclone activity from the western North Atlantic. A prominent lull in TC activity has been observed prior to approximately 1700 CE that extends back several centuries. This interval of low TC activity is shown to be concurrent with the timing of increased ocean stratification near Great Bahama Bank, potentially due in part to reduced TC-induced mixing. To test whether this relationship is feasible, we present numerical results from a coarse-resolution ocean general circulation model experiment isolating the effect of TC surface wind forcing on the upper ocean. An anomaly of roughly 0.12 kg m � 3 in vertical stratification occurs above and below the mixed layer for model runs with and without TC mixing. This anomaly is roughly 25% of the entire paleo-density signal observed just prior to 1700 CE. These results suggest that TC mixing alone cannot completely explain the density anomaly observed prior to 1700 CE, but support TC variability as an important contributor to enhancing oceanic stratification during this interval. Copyright # 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Relationship between prothrombin time and oxidative phosphorylation in chick liver mitochondria.

Abstract Rat and chick liver mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, hexokinase-glucose stimulation of oxidation, and the ATP-Pi exchange rate were compared. Succinate oxidation is more rapid in the chick particles, while DPN-linked oxidations are more rapid in the rat preparation. P O ratios with succinate as substrate were of the same magnitude in the two preparations, while phosphorylation with DPN-dependent substrates was more efficient in the rat. Respiratory control by phosphorylation was greater in the rat preparation than in the chick, as was the rate of ATP-Pi exchange. Sulfaquinaloxine, added to the diet of chicks, prolonged plasma prothrombin time and thus inhibited vitamin K activity. No correspondence was found between prothrombin time and P O ratios, or hexokinase-glucose respiratory stimulation. Mitochondria from vitamin K-deficient chicks did not exhibit preferential aging when compared to normal chick preparations. The site of the ATP-Pi exchange reaction in relation to the electron-transport chain is discussed.
Reliability of ultrasound imaging in the assessment of the dorsal Lisfranc ligament

The Lisfranc ligament plays an integral role in providing stability to the midfoot. Variable clinical presentations and radiographic findings make injuries to the Lisfranc ligament notoriously difficult to diagnose. Currently, radiographic evaluation is the mainstay in imaging such injuries; however, ultrasound has been suggested as a viable alternative. The objective of this study was to evaluate the intra-rater and inter-rater reliability in the measurement of the length of the dorsal Lisfranc ligament using ultrasound imaging in healthy, asymptomatic subjects. The dorsal Lisfranc ligaments of fifty asymptomatic subjects (n = 100 feet) were imaged using a Siemens SONOLINE Antares Ultrasound Imaging System© under low, medium, and high stress loads at 0° and 15° abducted foot positions. The lengths of the ligaments were measured, and Interclass correlation coefficients were used to calculate within-session intra-rater reliability (n = 100 feet) as well as between-session intra-rater reliability (n = 40 feet) and between-session inter-rater reliability (n = 40 feet). The within-session intra-rater reliability results for dorsal Lisfranc ligament length had an average ICC of 0.889 (min 0.873 max 0.913). The average ICC for between-session intra-rater reliability was 0.747 (min 0.607 max 0.811). The average ICC for between-session inter-rater reliability was 0.685 (min 0.638 max 0.776). The measurement of the dorsal Lisfranc ligament length using ultrasound imaging shows substantial to almost perfect reliability when evaluating asymptomatic subjects. This imaging modality methodology shows promise and lays the foundation for further work in technique development towards the diagnostic identification of pathology within the Lisfranc ligament complex.
Dystrophin protein and rflp analyis for fetal diagnosis and carrier confirmation of duchenne muscular dystrophy

A pregnant woman with indeterminate Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) carrier status, but with DMD diagnosed in her deceased brother (unavailable for study), presented for prenatal diagnosis, intending to continue the pregnancy only if proven unaffected with DMD with near absolute certainty. Creatine kinase (CK) assays to clarify carrier status were inconclusive. Male sex in the fetus was identified, but DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis was not yet available to this centre to investigate the possible transmission of the DMD gene, and the pregnancy was terminated. Tissue histology and dystrophin protein analysis demonstrated the absence of DMD. In a situation with proven maternal carrier status, future fetal inheritance of the opposite maternal X chromosome would indicate the presence of DMD. However, maternal carrier status remained in doubt through a second pregnancy, even with RFLP studies, and was finally established when dystrophin analysis confirmed the presence of DMD in the second fetus. Histologic findings are presented, contrasting features in the two fetuses. The value of dystrophin analysis for establishing the diagnosis of fetal DMD, in this case proving maternal carrier status in a difficult situation, and for demonstrating DMD gene:RFLP haplotype relationships is illustrated.
Inhibition of Premixed Methane Flames by Manganese and Tin Compounds

Abstract The first experimental measurements of the influence of manganese- and tin-containing compounds (MMT, TMT) on the burning velocity of methane/air flames are presented. Comparisons with Fe(CO) 5 and CF 3 Br demonstrate that manganese and tin-containing compounds are effective inhibitors. The inhibition efficiency of MMT is about a factor of two less than that of iron pentacarbonyl, and that of TMT is about 26 times less effective, although TMT is still about twice as effective as CF 3 Br. There exist conditions for which both MMT and TMT show a loss of effectiveness beyond that expected because of radical depletion, and the cause is believed to be particle formation. Kinetic models describing the inhibition mechanisms of manganese- and tin-containing compounds are suggested. Simulations of MMT- and TMT-inhibited flames show reasonable agreement with experimental data. The decomposition of the parent molecule for the tin and manganese species is found to have a small effect on the inhibition properties for the concentrations in this work. The inhibition effect of TMT is determined mostly by the rate of the association reaction H + SnO + M ↔ SnOH + M, and the catalytic recombination cycle is completed by the reactions SnOH + H ↔ SnO + H 2 and SnOH + OH ↔ SnO + H 2 O. The inhibition mechanism by manganese-containing compounds includes the reactions: MnO + H 2 O ↔ Mn(OH) 2 ; Mn(OH) 2 + H ↔ MnOH + H 2 O, and MnOH + OH (or H) ↔ MnO + H 2 O (or H 2 ), and the burning velocity is most sensitive to the rate of the reaction Mn(OH) 2 + H ↔ MnOH + H 2 O.
Measurement of ruthenium metal surface area by chemisorption

Abstract Hydrogen adsorption isotherms were measured on unsupported and supported Ru catalysts and compared with argon BET surface areas and particle size distributions measured by electron microscopy. At 21 °C and pressures above 120 Torr, the adsorption on Ru metal powder was consistent with a surface stoichiometry of Ru (s) -H. Also, good agreement, was obtained between particle size calculated from hydrogen adsorption and the particle size distribution observed by electron microscopy.
Clinical and physiological effects of an acute alpha-1 adrenergic agonist and a beta-1 adrenergic antagonist in chronic orthostatic intolerance.

Background— Adrenergic agents are commonly used in the treatment of chronic orthostatic intolerance with postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS). POTS may be associated with increased limb blood flow (“high flow”) and defective orthostatic vasoconstriction or decreased limb blood flow (“low flow”) and potentially with small blood volume. Methods and Results— We investigated the consequences of short-term intravenous administration of an α-1 adrenergic agonist, phenylephrine, and a β-1 adrenergic antagonist, esmolol, in 14 patients with POTS aged 13 to 19 years. Indices of heart rate and blood pressure variability, peripheral blood flow, and arterial resistance were assessed, and the capacitance relation was computed for every subject using venous occlusion plethysmography. Patients were tilted to 35° upright while medicated and while unmedicated, and measurements were repeated. Phenylephrine improved orthostatic tolerance and normalized hemodynamics and indices of heart rate/blood pressure variability while ...
Subunit Composition of Neurotransmitter Receptors in the Immature and in the Epileptic Brain

Neuronal activity is critical for synaptogenesis and the development of neuronal networks. In the immature brain excitation predominates over inhibition facilitating the development of normal brain circuits, but also rendering it more susceptible to seizures. In this paper, we review the evolution of the subunit composition of neurotransmitter receptors during development, how it promotes excitation in the immature brain, and how this subunit composition of neurotransmission receptors may be also present in the epileptic brain. During normal brain development, excitatory glutamate receptors peak in function and gamma-aminobutiric acid (GABA) receptors are mainly excitatory rather than inhibitory. A growing body of evidence from animal models of epilepsy and status epilepticus has demonstrated that the brain exposed to repeated seizures presents a subunit composition of neurotransmitter receptors that mirrors that of the immature brain and promotes further seizures and epileptogenesis. Studies performed in samples from the epileptic human brain have also found a subunit composition pattern of neurotransmitter receptors similar to the one found in the immature brain. These findings provide a solid rationale for tailoring antiepileptic treatments to the specific subunit composition of neurotransmitter receptors and they provide potential targets for the development of antiepileptogenic treatments.
Effects of immobilization on a FRET immunosensor for the detection of myocardial infarction

A novel optical biosensor technique is being developed for the early detection of myocardial infarction by utilizing the distance-dependent chemical transduction method of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The FRET process requires two fluorophores termed the donor and the acceptor. When in close proximity, the donor absorbs energy from the excitation source and non-radiatively transfers the energy to the acceptor, which in turn emits fluorescent energy. This distance-dependent property was utilized to detect conformational changes when antibodies combine with their respective antigens. The fluorophores were conjugated to an antibody-Protein A complex and then immobilized via silanization to the distal ends of optical fibers. Three different antibody-Protein A complexes were immobilized: generic IgG, cardiac Troponin T (cTnT), and cardiac Troponin I (cTnI). Results showed that upon the addition of the specific antigens, the antibodies underwent a conformational change, reducing the distance between the FRET fluorophores. The generic IgG responded to 233 nM antigens, whereas the cTnT biosensor had a limit of detection of 75 nM, and the cTnI biosensors had a limit of detection of 94 nM.
A silicon neuron based biopotential amplifier for biomedical applications

In recent years various types of biosignals originating from the human body are being extensively used for diagnostics as well as therapeutic interventions. An implantable biopotential recording system could capture the detail information of the vital physiologic phenomena in the biosignal. A high performance biopotential amplifier as one of the critical components in the biopotential recording system requires power efficiency, high sensitivity, and suppression of the DC signal. In an attempt to reduce the power consumption, the system noise and the chip size, this paper presents a bio-inspired silicon neuron based low-frequency suppression biopotential amplifier. The amplifier is designed in 0.13 μm standard CMOS process and the total power consumption with 500 mV supply voltage is 4.4 μW . The gain is 34 dB with a -3 dB band of 11 Hz to 7.2 KHz. The input-referred noise is 6.7 μVrms integrated over the entire band.
Disclosing intimate partner violence to health care clinicians - what a difference the setting makes: a qualitative study.

Background: Despite endorsement by national organizations, the impact of screening for intimate partner violence (IPV) is understudied, particularly as it occurs in different clinical settings. We analyzed interviews of IPV survivors to understand the risks and benefits of disclosing IPV to clinicians across specialties. Methods: Participants were English-speaking female IPV survivors recruited through IPV programs in Massachusetts. In-depth interviews describing medical encounters related to abuse were analyzed for common themes using Grounded Theory qualitative research methods. Encounters with health care clinicians were categorized by outcome (IPV disclosure by patient, discovery evidenced by discussion of IPV by clinician without patient disclosure, or non-disclosure), attribute (beneficial, unhelpful, harmful), and specialty (emergency department (ED), primary care (PC), obstetrics/gynecology (OB/GYN)). Results: Of 27 participants aged 18–56, 5 were white, 10 Latina, and 12 black. Of 59 relevant health care encounters, 23 were in ED, 17 in OB/GYN, and 19 in PC. Seven of 9 ED disclosures were characterized as unhelpful; the majority of disclosures in PC and OB/GYN were characterized as beneficial. There were no harmful disclosures in any setting. Unhelpful disclosures resulted in emotional distress and alienation from health care. Regardless of whether disclosure occurred, beneficial encounters were characterized by familiarity with the clinician, acknowledgement of the abuse, respect and relevant referrals. Conclusion: While no harms resulted from IPV disclosure, survivor satisfaction with disclosure is shaped by the setting of the encounter. Clinicians should aim to build a therapeutic relationship with IPV survivors that empowers and educates patients and does not demand disclosure.
Ethical Problems in American Sport

This essay examines some ethical problems prevalent in contemporary American sport. Three topics are considered: (1) the ethical principles that should guide sport; (2) the ethical dilemmas that co...
Cadmium, follicle-stimulating hormone, and effects on bone in women age 42-60 years, NHANES III.

Abstract Background Increased body burden of environmental cadmium has been associated with greater risk of decreased bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis in middle-aged and older women, and an inverse relationship has been reported between follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and BMD in middle-aged women; however, the relationships between cadmium and FSH are uncertain, and the associations of each with bone loss have not been analyzed in a single population. Objectives The objective of this study was to evaluate the associations between creatinine-adjusted urinary cadmium (UCd) and FSH levels, and the associations between UCd and FSH with BMD and osteoporosis, in postmenopausal and perimenopausal women aged 42–60 years. Methods Data were obtained from the Third National Health Examination and Nutrition Survey, 1988–1994 (NHANES III). Outcomes evaluated were serum FSH levels, femoral bone mineral density measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, and osteoporosis indicated by femoral BMD cutoffs based on the international standard. Urinary cadmium levels were analyzed for association with these outcomes, and FSH levels analyzed for association with bone effects, using multiple regression. Subset analysis was conducted by a dichotomous measure of body mass index (BMI) to proxy higher and lower adipose-synthesized estrogen effects. Results UCd was associated with increased serum FSH in perimenopausal women with high BMI (n=642; β=0.45; p≤0.05; R2=0.35) and low BMI (n=408; β=0.61; p≤0.01; R2=0.34). Among perimenopausal women with high BMI, BMD was inversely related to UCd (β=−0.04; p≤0.05) and FSH (β=−0.03; p≤0.05). In postmenopausal women with low BMI, an incremental increase in FSH was associated with 2.78 greater odds for osteoporosis (109 with and 706 without) (OR=2.78; 95% CI=1.43, 5.42; p≤0.01). Conclusion Long-term cadmium exposure at environmental levels is associated with increased serum FSH, and both FSH and UCd are associated with bone loss, in US women aged 42–60 years.
Negative feedback from maternal signals reduces false alarms by collectively signalling offspring

Within animal groups, individuals can learn of a predator's approach by attending to the behaviour of others. This use of social information increases an individual's perceptual range, but can also lead to the propagation of false alarms. Error copying is especially likely in species that signal collectively, because the coordination required for collective displays relies heavily on social information. Recent evidence suggests that collective behaviour in animals is, in part, regulated by negative feedback. Negative feedback may reduce false alarms by collectively signalling animals, but this possibility has not yet been tested. We tested the hypothesis that negative feedback increases the accuracy of collective signalling by reducing the production of false alarms. In the treehopper Umbonia crassicornis, clustered offspring produce collective signals during predator attacks, advertising the predator's location to the defending mother. Mothers signal after evicting the predator, and we show that this maternal communication reduces false alarms by offspring. We suggest that maternal signals elevate offspring signalling thresholds. This is, to our knowledge, the first study to show that negative feedback can reduce false alarms by collectively behaving groups.
Spectrum generating algebra and no ghost theorem for the dual model

The dual model is generally factorized using Lorentz oscillators ${a}_{n}^{\ensuremath{\mu}}$ with ghost (or negativenorm) states arising from the indefinite metric ($[{a}_{n}^{0}, {a}_{n}^{0\ifmmode\dagger\else\textdagger\fi{}}]=\ensuremath{-}1$). Here all ghost states are proven to decouple for unit Regge intercept (${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{0}=1$) as a consequence of the Virasoro gauges (${L}_{n}$). By reformulating vertices in light-cone variables and exploiting the local commutators (for ${Q}^{\ensuremath{\mu}}$, ${P}^{\ensuremath{\mu}}$) on the Koba-Nielson circle, the spectrum-generating algebra (${A}_{n}^{i}$, ${A}_{n}^{(+)}$) is found that commutes with all the gauges ${L}_{n}$. All physical states are explicitly constructed. The noghost theorem follows from the remarkable isomorphism of the transverse generators ${A}_{n}^{i}$ ($i=1, 2$) of Del Giudice, Di Vecchia, and Fubini to the original oscillators $\sqrt{n}{a}_{n}^{i}$, $[{A}_{n}^{i}, {A}_{m}^{j}]=n{\ensuremath{\delta}}_{\mathrm{ij}}{\ensuremath{\delta}}_{n+m,0}$, and the isomorphism (up to $c$ numbers) of the longitudinal generators ${A}_{n}^{(+)}$ with the conformal group generators ${L}_{l}$, $[{A}_{n}^{(+)}, {A}_{m}^{(+)}]=(n\ensuremath{-}m){A}_{n+m}^{(+)}+2{n}^{3}{\ensuremath{\delta}}_{n+m,0}$. Increasing the number of spatial oscillators (${a}_{n}^{i}$, $i=1, \dots{}, D\ensuremath{-}1$), one observes a critical dimension $D=26$. For $Dg26$ ghosts appear, for $Dl26$ there are no ghosts, and ${A}_{1}^{(+)}$ gives the null states postulated by Brower and Thorn. But for $D=26$, all ${A}_{n}^{(+)}$ correspond to null states, so that the second-order Pomeranchukon is precisely a Regge pole (${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{P}=\frac{1}{2}{\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{\ensuremath{'}}s+2$) as proposed by Lovelace.
Microtechnology and microscale fuel processing

Microtechnology or microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) is a viable and promising method to facilitate such highly compact power sources through the integration of a fuel cell with all operation units of a fuel processor. Using microtechnology to process high-density hydrocarbon fuels appears to be an encouraging method to supply hydrogen fuel for feeding portable fuel cells. In addition, microtechnology can be a strong enabling aspect of the portable fuel processors due to the advantageous heat and mass transport that results from scaling. Hydrogen fuel processing is not a trial. To date, hydrogen storage does not have an efficient approach. Traditionally, hydrogen is usually intensely pressurized and stored in a pressure vessel. In a liquid form, hydrogen can only be stored under cryogenic temperatures. Thus, generating hydrogen from constituent gases as required solves storage and transportation issues. Although portable hydrogen fuel is a widely researched topic, the ability to generate hydrogen as required by convenient means is critical. This article begins with a discussion of the conventional, large-scale hydrogen reforming technique. It then focuses on using microtechnology for fuel processing and its associated challenges, as well as its integration with fuel cells. The prospect of using different fuel-processing techniques at microscale is discussed and concluded.
Taxonomic Classification of Hepatitis A Virus

Recently, a working group recommended that hepatitis A virus (HAV) be reclassified within a new genus (Hepatovirus) of the family Picornaviridae. Properties which distinguish the hepatoviruses from other picornaviruses include hepatotropism, a tendency to establish persistent infections in cell cultures, an exceptional stability to acid and heat, and a monotypic antigenic structure, as well as a unique pattern of processing of the capsid protein precursors and the probable lack of myristylation of VP4. The decision to place HAV within a novel genus was also influenced by the extreme genetic distance that exists between HAV and all other picornaviral genera. “Genotypes” of HAV have been defined as those strains sharing > 85% nucleotide sequence identity within a short segment of the genome located at the VP1/PX junction. Viruses recovered from humans comprise four distinct genotypes (I, II, III, and VII), while three other genotypes (IV, V, and VI) are each represented thus far by a single simian HAV strain.