cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors associated with the safety of EMS helicopters.

Abstract The accident rate for emergency medical service (EMS) helicopters is thought to be approximately twice the rate for other commercial (Part 135) helicopters. This observation has led to numerous news reports and to the publication of conclusions of a National Transportation Safety Board investigation. The data for these reports come from investigations of EMS helicopter accidents and incidents. The authors surveyed all listed civilian EMS helicopter programs to examine both helicopter ambulance mishaps and the number of safely completed missions. Epidemiological methods were then used to compare the safety records of different groups of EMS helicopters. The single most important factor identified was the number of flights made by the program during the study period: busy programs had an eightfold lower accident rate ( P P P = .044) during the study period. Multivariate analysis shows this IFR capability to be marginally significant as an independent factor ( P = .099).
Detection of Metabolites of the Entner-Doudoroff Pathway by HPLC with Pulsed Amperometry: Application to Assays for Pathway Enzymes

Three major metabolites in the Entner-Doudoroff pathway, 6-phosphogluconate, 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate, and pyruvate can be detected and quantified by HPLC with pulsed amperometric detection. Resolution is achieved by ion-exchange chromatography at alkaline pH with isocratic elution in 5 to 10 min. Detection limits are in the subnanomolar range, and detector response is linear over 3-4 orders of magnitude. This method can be employed for the assay of the enzymes of the pathway, 6-phosphogluconate dehydratase (EC 4.2.1.12) and 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate aldolase (EC 4.1.2.14), eliminating the need for coupling enzymes as in the previously employed spectrophotometric assays. The lag in pyruvate production seen in the coupled enzyme spectrophotometric assay for 6-phosphogluconate dehydratase is absent in the HPLC/pulsed amperometric detection assay. This lag represents an artifact of a slow tautomerism of 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate which must precede its utilization by the coupling enzyme, 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate aldolase. Kinetic data on the approach to equilibrium of 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate aldolase-catalyzed interconversion of 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate, pyruvate, and glyceral-dehyde-3-phosphate can be also accurately quantified by HPLC with pulsed amperometric detection.
Methods to determine success of attempts to terminate early gestation pregnancies with prostaglandin vaginal suppositories

One-hundred subjects received vaginal suppositories containing prostaglandin analogues in order to terminate their pregnancies of 49 days gestation or less. This non-surgical method was successful in 61 subjects, failed in 35 subjects and four subjects were lost to follow-up. Success of prostaglandin therapy cannot be predicted using pretreatment clinical parameters, pretreatment serum beta-hCG levels, or the passage of tissue from the vagina based upon history obtained from the subject. The passage of tissue histologically identified as of fetal origin is a definitive way to determine the success of pregnancy termination but the passage of tissue obtained by history is not. Of the 61 subjects in whom the prostaglandin suppositories were a success, 56 (92%) had a beta-hCG level day 7 +/- 2 following treatment which was 15% or less than the pretreatment value and 5 had beta-hCG levels which were more than 15% of the pretreatment value. All subjects with beta-hCG levels 5 to 9 days after the abortion that were less than 15% of the pretreatment concentrations had a successful termination. Of 35 subjects in whom the prostaglandin suppositories were unsuccessful, 26 had a beta-hCC level 7 +/- 2 days following treatment which was greater than the pretreatment level and 9 had beta-hCG levels less than the pretreatment value. The results of this study indicate that when prostaglandin vaginal suppositories are used to terminate early gestations, if there is no decline in beta-hCG levels 7 +/- 2 days following treatment, the pregnancy should be terminated by another method.
Infrequent Elevation of Plasma ACTH in Patients with Bronchogenic Carcinoma

Older methods for radioimmunoassay of ACTH in human plasma have detected a high frequency of plasma ACTH elevation in patients with lung cancer, even in the absence of Cushing's syndrome. It now appears evident that these assay systems measure biologically inactive forms and fragments of ACTH. Since ectopic Cushing's syndrome may be clinically atypical, a radioimmunoassay for ACTH that correlates with the clinical state would be of value. Accordingly, circulating plasma corticotropin (ACTH) levels were measured in 39 consecutive patients with biopsy-proven, untreated lung cancer, all without evidence of Cushing's syndrome. In only one instance was ACTH found to be elevated by the method of assay used. Two interpretations are justified: (1) elevated plasma ACTH levels are infrequent in patients with lung cancer, or (2) ACTH measurements vary according to the assay system used.
Phorbol ester receptors in cerebral cortex of cats with GM1 gangliosidosis.

The pathogenesis of neuronal dysfunction in the gangliosidoses is poorly understood. Studies of the feline gangliosidoses and in vitro experiments implicate ganglioside inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) in the pathogenesis of these neurological diseases. Therefore, in the present study, the binding of [3H]phorbol-12, 13 dibutyrate was measured to determine the levels of PKC in cerebral cortex of cats with GM1 gangliosidosis (mutant) and age matched normal siblings. This binding of ([3H]PDB) to cerebral cortex homogenates in both normal and mutant cats was highly specific. The specificity of receptors was ascertained also from displacement studies using nonradioactive phorbol ester analogues to displace [3H]PDB bound to its receptors. In both mutant and normal cat brain, phorbol 12, 13-dibutyrate (PDB), 4-β-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate (β-PDA) and 4-β-phorbol 12,13-dibenzoate (β-PDBz) were highly potent (approximately to same degree) and effective in displacing [3H]PDB. On the other hand, 4-β phorbol 12,13-diacetate (β-PDA) was a weak displacer and 4-α-phorbol did not displace the bound [3H]PDB in either normal or mutant brain. Scatchard analysis of the binding data indicated a homogenous single class of binding sites in normal and mutant brain (Normal: Kd=1.42×10−7 M, Bmax=8.40 pmoles/mg protein. Mutant: Kd=1.60×10−7 M, Bmax=10.00 pmoles/mg protein). Sphingosine inhibited the binding to approximately the same extent in normal and mutant cortex. These studies demonstrate the presence of highly specific, homogenous, single type phorbol ester receptors in cerebral cortex of cats with GM1 gangliosidosis which are qualitatively and quantitatively similar to normal cat brain.
Toward deep learning software repositories

Deep learning subsumes algorithms that automatically learn compositional representations. The ability of these models to generalize well has ushered in tremendous advances in many fields such as natural language processing (NLP). Recent research in the software engineering (SE) community has demonstrated the usefulness of applying NLP techniques to software corpora. Hence, we motivate deep learning for software language modeling, highlighting fundamental differences between state-of-the-practice software language models and connectionist models. Our deep learning models are applicable to source code files (since they only require lexically analyzed source code written in any programming language) and other types of artifacts. We show how a particular deep learning model can remember its state to effectively model sequential data, e.g., Streaming software tokens, and the state is shown to be much more expressive than discrete tokens in a prefix. Then we instantiate deep learning models and show that deep learning induces high-quality models compared to n-grams and cache-based n-grams on a corpus of Java projects. We experiment with two of the models' hyper parameters, which govern their capacity and the amount of context they use to inform predictions, before building several committees of software language models to aid generalization. Then we apply the deep learning models to code suggestion and demonstrate their effectiveness at a real SE task compared to state-of-the-practice models. Finally, we propose avenues for future work, where deep learning can be brought to bear to support model-based testing, improve software lexicons, and conceptualize software artifacts. Thus, our work serves as the first step toward deep learning software repositories.
EasyTopo: A toolbox for rapid diffuse optical topography based on a standard template of brain atlas

Diffuse optical topography remains a valid tool in functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) since it avoids solving the forward and inverse computational problems, which are encountered in diffuse optical tomography. Topography is particularly useful when a sparse array of optodes is used and depth specificity is not the primary interest. We have developed an easy toolbox for diffuse optical topography (“EasyTopo”) based on a standard template of brain atlas. EasyTopo approximates the cortical layer of the brain as a hemispherical surface. Therefore, the stereotaxic coordinates of the brain surface and the co-registered fNIRS measurements (channels) are converted into the spherical coordinates, where 2D angular interpolation of the channel-wise data is implemented to obtain a topographic image of brain activation in the latitude-longitude space. Then, the interpolated image is projected back onto the brain surface in the original 3D stereotaxic coordinates. Compared with the existing 3D topography methods, EasyTopo is more computationally efficient and does not require any data extrapolation. Another advantage of EasyTopo is that the data between two spatially adjacent channels are interpolated along their included angles (i.e., along the angular direction) rather than along a straight line going under the brain surface. The former geometry in principle matches better with the realistic brain structure than the latter one. EasyTopo has been validated with both simulation and human experiments. Now this toolbox is publically available.
Temporal Species Concentrations in a Water Model of a Blast Furnace Hearth

The overall purpose of this paper is to predict species evolution in a water-model hearth using a comprehensive three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code and to validate the code with experimental data. The water model is built to simulate the flow patterns in a blast furnace hearth. The water model is a 1/50th scale of Ispat Inlands’s BF#7. The data focus on time-dependent concentration profiles in a three-dimensional water model. The concentration is determined by using a fluorescence laser dye called rhodamine 590 chloride. The effects of flow rate and different geometries on species concentration evolution are studied.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Investigational strategies in chronic myelogenous leukemia.

The introduction of imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) to the therapeutic armamentarium has changed the current management of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). With imatinib therapy, a complete cytogenetic response has been reported in 50% of patients in chronic-phase after interferon-alfa (IFN-a) failure [1] and in 75% of patients in early chronic phase [2,3]. Imatinib also is effective in patients with CML transformation. A hematologic response was achieved in 80% of patients in accelerated phase; 25% achieved a major cytogenetic response [4,5]. In blastic-phase CML, 30% of patients achieved a complete hematologic response (CHR) [6,7]. Imatinib has become the standard of care for the treatment of CML. Despite these excellent results, there is a need to improve therapy in CML. Many patients in CML advanced phases do not respond to imatinib; others who respond to imatinib may eventually develop resistant disease. In blastic-phase CML, responses are usually short-lived, with a median response duration of 3 to 6 months; only 10% to 15% of patients have a durable response [6,7]. In accelerated phase, after 12 months of therapy, 30% to 60% of patients progress to blastic phase or lose the hematologic response. Several mechanisms of resistance to imatinib have been described, particularly in advanced stages. In chronic phase, although the cytogenetic response rates are excellent, most patients still have minimal residual disease detectable by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In the International Randomized Study of Interferon and STI571 trial, an estimated 38% of patients treated with imatinib had a � 3-log reduction of BCR-ABL/ABL levels; only 4% to 10% had un
Emergency microsurgical revascularization for critical ischemia during surgery for Dupuytren's contracture: a case report.

Injuries to the common digital or proper digital arteries during surgery for Dupuytren’s contracture are relatively rare but may be underreported. Delay in recognition and inadequate management may result in prolonged ischemia or gangrene and eventually necessitate finger amputation. A patient who sustained inadvertent injury to several digital arteries during reoperation for recurrent Dupuytren’s contracture of the ring and small fingers developed persistent critical ischemia of both fingers. He was transported emergently to a replantation center where the arterial injuries were immediately repaired by microsurgical techniques, resulting in successful salvage of both fingers. (J Hand Surg 2001;26A:1125‐1128. Copyright © 2001 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.)
Ultrastructure of the anterior buccal gland of the rat

The anterior buccal gland of the rat is a mucous salivary gland which develops as a branch of the main (Stensen's) duct of the serous parotid gland, a few mm from its oral orifice. The purpose of the present study was to further characterize the mature gland by means of electron microscopy and the histochemical demonstration of myoepithelial cells. The tubuloacini were found to have intercellular extensions (canaliculi) of the lumina, prominent Golgi complexes, and mucous secretory granules with a biphasic substructure. Discharge was by exocytosis of individual granules. The tubuloacini joined directly to striated ducts; no intercalated ducts were seen. First-order excretory ducts had larger lumina and shorter columnar cells, with fewer mitochondria and basal infoldings, than the striated ducts. Myoepithelial cells invested the tubuloacini but not the ducts. The anterior buccal gland has several features that are unusual for a minor salivary gland of mucous type, and which are usually associated with serous glands such as the parotid. It should provide a particularly interesting model for investigating factors which control the differentiation of secretory and myoepithelial cells, and the glycosylation of polypeptides to form mucous secretory products.
Calibration of on-chip thermal sensors using process monitoring circuits

Remarkable increase in peak power-density values coupled with the hotspot migration caused by workload variance motivates the need for multiple thermal monitoring circuits distributed across the die. The effect of intra-die process-variations on deep sub-micron circuits is significant enough to undermine their robustness. Accordingly, there is change in the response of thermal sensors occupying different process-corners which causes a shift in their calibration-constants. To save on tester cost, modern microprocessors employ a single, 2-point hard calibration model (slope-intercept form). In a multi-sensor environment, a single calibration equation will be rendered ineffective due to sparse sensor distribution that will be afflicted by varying degrees of process-variation. Thus, our aim is to estimate the process-induced drift in the calibration-constants of the thermal sensors. To this end, we propose a novel, supply and temperature independent, process-sensor which offers a high sensitivity of 3.35%/5mV variation in Vth and a low power consumption of 4–25nW. The process-estimates obtained are plugged into an analytical model used to describe the process-dependence of a ring-oscillator based thermal sensor and generate the process-shifted calibration constants. HSPICE simulations in 45nm indicate that in the presence of process-variations having 3-σ variability of +/−15% in all process-parameters, the average measurement error of a ring-oscillator-based thermal sensor with process-corrected calibration constants is reduced by ≫3X for slope and ≫10X for intercept as compared to one with static constants.
An Integrated Serial to Parallel Converter for Teletext Application

Teledata systems implemented as either television add-ons or new set features will require relatively complex integrated circuits. Consumer acceptance of these systems will be a sensitive function of their price. Thus, the various IC technologies must be evaluated with respect to achieving adequate performance at minimum cost. We have investigated the feasibility of N-channel MOS for teledata serial- to-parallel conversion.
Comparison of Examination Methods Used in the Evaluation of Prepubertal and Pubertal Female Genitalia: A Descriptive Study.

Abstract Objective To compare the effectiveness of three different examination methods in their ability to help the examiner detect both acute and non-acute genital injuries in prepubertal and pubertal girls suspected of having been sexually abused. Methods Forty-six prepubertal and 74 pubertal girls, whose ages ranged from 4 months to 18 years, were evaluated to determine the relative effectiveness of three different examination methods. Results All the girls had sustained a recent genital injury from various causes. The mean time between an injury and the first examination was 24 h for the prepubertal girls and 27 h for the pubertal girls. The three “multimethod” examination approaches used were the supine labial separation method; the supine labial traction technique; and the prone knee–chest position. The supine labial separation method was useful in identifying an injury on the external portion of the genitalia in both groups of girls. Injuries within the vestibule, on the hymenal surface, or in the fossa navicularis required greater separation of the labia. This was accomplished through the use of either the supine labial traction technique or the prone knee–chest position. The prone knee–chest position was the most successful method for identifying hymenal lacerations in both groups of girls. Of the 10 hymenal lacerations detected in the prepubertal girls 20% were identified during the use of the supine labial separation method, 60% with the supine labial traction technique, and 100% with the prone knee–chest position approach. Of the 49 hymenal lacerations detected in the pubertal girls 24% were identified with the supine labial separation method, 65% with the supine labial traction technique, and 90% with the prone knee–chest position approach. The data from this study has shown that the results of a medical examination will vary by the method employed. Conclusions While no single technique detected all the injuries, the use of the multimethod examination approach did prove to be a valuable adjunct in the evaluation of both the prepubertal and the pubertal girl's genitalia, particularly in the identification of a hymenal laceration. Practice Implications This approach uses three different examination methods: the supine labial separation method, the supine labial traction technique, and the prone knee–chest position. According to the results of this study, without the combined use of these three methods a significant number of injuries, particularly hymenal lacerations, could be missed in both the child and the adolescent.
Conflicting Criteria of Success in the Careers of Symphony Musicians

Orchestral musicians earn larger salaries as their career development wins them employment in major orchestras, but they may simultaneously face disappointing losses of intrinsic musical satisfactions from their work. Such trade-offs of intrinsic for extrinsic rewards, along with other contradictions in the setting of orchestral work, appear to be primarily a function of the stratification among orchestras. These and other observations are presented in this article in the course of developing a structural equation model of orchestral career commitment. The model is fitted to survey data drawn from a national sample of symphony orchestras.
Microstructure and tribology of laser mixed Fe/Ti/C multilayered films on AISI 304 stainless steel

An excimer laser was used to mix Fe/Ti/C multilayered films on 304 stainless steel substrates. The samples were processed at both 1.1 and 1.7 J/cm{sup 2} with the number of pulses at each position varied between 1 and 10. Composition, microstructure, phase evolution, and tribological properties were observed to correlate with total laser fluence. Increases in Fe concentration from substrate interdiffusion and loss of C content were observed with increasing total laser fluence. The best tribological properties were observed in films possessing a combination of an amorphous or Fe{sub 3}C phase plus fine grain TiC following processing at low and intermediate total laser fluence. At higher total fluences a combination of {alpha}-Fe, Fe{sub 3}C, and fine grain TiC was observed along with degradation in the wear and friction properties. Under optimum laser processing conditions the modified surface had a friction coefficient under dry sliding conditions reduced by a factor of 2 relative to uncoated 304 stainless steel and was significantly more wear resistant. These improvements in wear and friction appear to be related to the reduced chemical reactivity of the amorphous and carbide phases and to the influence of microstructure on improved mechanical properties.
Uniting the whole people: proportional representation in Great Britain, 1884–5, reconsidered

This article examines the ideological context and political role of proportional representation in the reform crisis of 1884–5. It demonstrates that proportional representation was part of a broader liberal project to promote social cohesion both at home and in the empire. As shown by the cross-bench support for the Proportional Representation Society, proportional representation roused unexpected enthusiasm in the Commons in 1884. It was rejected because single-member districts were more acceptable to Gladstone while promising to achieve the same narrowly political ends as proportional representation, though not its liberal purposes. This reconsideration of proportional representation revises the history of the reform crisis and lends support to the contention that Victorian liberalism emphasized not rights-based individualism but rather the building of voluntary communities.
Estimating a Correlation Coefficient When One Variable is Not Directly Observed

Abstract The problem is to estimate p the true correlation between two variables x and y when y and u=f(x) (but not x) are measured where f is a monotone function. The monotone correlation coefficient between y and u is defined and shown to be a (strongly) consistent estimator of p. For large samples approximate lower and upper bounds on the sample correlation between x and y are presented. Finally, an application of these results is displayed.
Gene delivery of osteoinductive signals to a human fetal osteoblast cell line induces cell death in a dose-dependent manner

Gene delivery provides a powerful tool for regulating tissue regeneration by activating or inhibiting specific genes associated with targeted signaling pathways. Up-regulating bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) or silencing GNAS and Noggin gene expression in stem cells has been shown to enhance osteogenic differentiation and bone tissue formation. However, few studies have examined how such gene delivery would influence other differentiated cell types residing in the bone. In this study, we examined the effects of DNA delivery of BMP-2 and siRNA delivery of GNAS or Noggin on a widely used human fetal osteoblast cell line (hFOB1.19) using biomaterials-mediated gene delivery. Our results showed that both GNAS and Noggin siRNA delivery increased cell death in hFOB1.19 in a dose-dependent manner. In particular, groups treated with the highest doses of BMP-2, siGNAS or siNoggin showed a more than 50 % decline in cell proliferation and a 90 % decline in cell viability compared to untransfected and sham DNA/siRNA-transfected controls. TUNEL staining showed that BMP-2, siGNAS or siNoggin induced cell apoptosis in hFOBs. In contrast, cells transfected using sham DNA or siRNA showed no noticeable cell death or apoptosis. These results elucidate the nuanced responses of progenitor and immortalized cell populations to the delivery of exogenous osteoinductive genes. In particular, they highlight the differences between immortalized and primary cell lines and underscore the importance of targeted gene delivery mechanisms in the regeneration of injured bone tissue.
Psychophysiological analysis of the anxiety model of bulimia nervosa

The anxiety model of bulimia nervosa was tested, using psychophysiological assessment of sympathetic arousal following eating. The experimental design included four groups-bulimia nervosa, obese, normals, and a normal control group who did not eat-assessed prior to and 60 min after eating. Five psychophysiological responses were measured throughout the session: heart rate, peripheral vasomotor response, skin temperature, skin resistance, and forearm electromyogram (EMG). Results produced mixed support for the anxiety model. Heart rate and EMG were both elevated for bulimics after eating. Other responses yielded patterns inconsistent with predictions from the anxiety model. These findings were discussed in terms of the utility of psychophysiological methods, relative to other approaches, for evaluating the anxiety model of bulimia nervosa. Suggestions for future studies in this area of research were also provided.
Reliability evaluation of generation systems with solar power

Conventional power generators are fueled by natural gas, steam, or water flow. These generators can respond to load changes by varying the fuel input by a valve control. Renewable power generators such as wind or solar, however, are not controllable since their fuel sources are intermittent in nature. This creates difficulties for planning generation systems having renewable energy sources. A methodology is needed to evaluate the generation system reliability and estimate the extent to which plants with intermittent sources can substitute for conventional sources. These calculations are important in generation system planning with intermittent sources.
Protease inhibitor and defective proteolysis in cystic fibrosis.

Meconium specimens from 18 infants with cystic fibrosis (CF) had strong trypsin inhibitory activity (TIA). The same specimens, which contained increased quantities of undigested proteins, had normal concentrations of immunoreactive trypsin (IRT), but deficient trypsin catalytic activity (TCA). TIA was not detected in any specimen from non-CF infants who had high concentration of proteins comparable to that of CF infants. Subjecting meconium supernatant of CF infants to Sephadex G-75 gel filtration revealed that TCA was greatly enhanced in effluents after fractions were activated by porcine trypsin. TCA was present in the same fractions with IRT. The findings suggested that proteases were secreted into the intestinal lumen in CF infants prior to birth. Deficient proteolysis in the disease might be due to the presence of a trypsin inhibitor.
Orbital magnetic susceptibility of electrons confined in a rectangular box

The orbital magnetic susceptibility of a gas of noninteracting electrons confined by hard walls to a rectangular box has been calculated in the low-magnetic-field limit. The result for the size-corrected susceptibility in the high-temperature limit is $\ensuremath{\chi}={\ensuremath{\chi}}_{L}[1\ensuremath{-}\frac{{\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{T}({L}_{x}^{\ensuremath{-}1}+{L}_{y}^{\ensuremath{-}1})}{16{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\frac{1}{2}}}]$ where ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{L}$ is the Landau diamagnetism, ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{T}$ is the thermal de Broglie wavelength, and ${L}_{x}$ and ${L}_{y}$ are the dimensions of the box perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic field. A slightly more complicated formula for the case of Boltzmann statistics is accurate for the range ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{T}\ensuremath{\le}2L$. A similar expression is found for Fermi-Dirac statistics valid for high values of the Fermi energy. The result corrects an error by Papapetrou, and agrees with the recent results of Angelescu, Nenciu, and Bundaru. When applied to the case of infinite slabs (${L}_{y}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$), it agrees with the results of several previous authors. The result, however, indicates that calculations by Dingle and Osborne for spherical and cylindrical volumes are in error. Numerical calculations for the case of Fermi-Dirac statistics at temperatures a few percent of the Fermi level give results which agree reasonably well with the size-corrected susceptibility formula even for a very few electrons in the box (${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{F}\ensuremath{\lesssim}2L$, where ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{F}$ is the de Broglie wavelength at the Fermi level).
Insulin-like Growth Factors as Regulators of Cell Motility Signaling Mechanisms

Abstract Accumulating evidence indicates that the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) function not only as mitogenic factors, but also as promoters of cell motility. In this article we review the current knowledge concerning the biochemical mechanisms whereby the IGFs activate cell motility. A key aspect of IGF-stimulated cell motility is the ability of IGFs to promote actin polymerization at the leading edge of the cell. This effect of the IGFs is mediated by activation and autophosphorylation of the type I IGF receptor, followed by docking of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), stimulation of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase, and possibly activation of the small GTPase Rac. IGF-stimulated cell motility also requires the formation of new adhesions, a process associated with tyrosine phosphorylation of paxillin and focal adhesion kinase. Determining the biochemical mechanisms by which IGFs regulate cell motility should allow for a better understanding of bone remodeling, neurite outgrowth, tumor metastasis, placental formation, and skin and blood vessel repair . © 1997, Elsevier Science Inc. (Trends Endocrinol Metab 1997;8:1–6).
A different kind of information appliance: fridge companion

A prototype device is described that allows a user to understand and contemplate the inner workings of a common home applicance, the refrigerator. The device monitors select physical properties of its host and displays scheduled graphic presentations on the host's principles of operation. Fridge Companion is a device designed to make domestic life not easier but deeper.
Progressive damage assessment in thermal barrier coatings using thermal wave imaging technique

Abstract Thermal wave imaging (TWI)—a noncontact nondestructive method was used to evaluate Electron Beam Physical vapor-deposited (EB–PVD) thermal barrier coating (TBC), ZrO 2 –8 wt.% Y 2 O 3 deposited on a Rene N5 single-crystal substrate with platinum aluminide bond coat to determine the efficacy of this technique to assess the integrity of TBC over its lifetime. In addition, the technique was used to monitor the development of specific failure modes such as coating delamination after various thermal cycles utilizing the thermal wave amplitude signals. Contrary to the commonly held view that coating delamination continues to grow (amenable to fracture mechanics analysis) over the lifetime, the present study confirms that coating delamination and buckling occurs only toward the end of life and has a very short span. It is consistent with observations that oxide growth and its breakdown due to diffused microcracking under the TBC layer consumes most of the life under thermal cycling as evidenced by increasingly higher thermal wave amplitude with increasing number of thermal cycles with absence of coating delamination and buckling until near the end of TBC life. Results from this investigation clearly point out the strength of the TWI technique for TBC damage assessment and health monitoring. Saturation of thermal wave amplitude can be considered as an indicator of the end of useful coating life.
Development of in vivo characterization of breast tissues through absolute attenuation coefficients using dedicated cone-beam CT

With advances in 3D in vivo imaging technology, non-invasive procedures can be used to characterize tissues to identify tumors and monitor changes over time. Using a dedicated breast CT system with a quasi-monochromatic cone-beam x-ray source and flat-panel digital detector, this study was performed in an effort to directly characterize different materials in vivo based on their absolute attenuation coefficients. CT acquisitions were first acquired using a multi-material rod phantom with acrylic, delrin, polyethylene, fat-equivalent, and glandular-equivalent plastic rods, and also with a human cadaver breast. Projections were collected with and without a beam stop array for scatter correction. For each projection, the 2D scatter was estimated with cubic spline interpolation of the average values behind the shadow of each beam stop overlapping the object. Scatter-corrected projections were subsequently calculated by subtracting the scatter images containing only the region of the object from corresponding projections (consisting of primary and scatter x-rays) without the beam stop array. Iterative OSTR was used to reconstruct the data and estimate the non-uniform attenuation distribution. Preliminary results show that with reduced beam hardening from the x-ray beam, scatter correction further reduces the cupping artifact, improves image contrast, and yields attenuation coefficients < 8% of narrow-beam values of the known materials (range 1.2 - 7.8%). Peaks in the histogram showed clear separation between the different material attenuation coefficients. These findings indicate that minimizing beam hardening and applying scatter correction make it practical to directly characterize different tissues in vivo using absolute attenuation coefficients.
High resolution oligonucleotide CGH using DNA from archived prostate tissue.

Background The current focus on biomarker discovery is a result of an improved understanding of the biological basis for carcinogenesis and advances in technology. Biomarkers can aid in diagnosis, prognosis, treatment selection, and drug development. There is an urgent need for high-resolution tools that perform well using archived tissue for biomarker discovery and tools that can translate into the clinic. Methods Oligonucleotide array comparative genomic hybridization (oCGH) was compared to BAC-based aCGH using unamplified total genomic DNA from formalin fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) prostate tissue. Results The copy number aberrations detected with the BAC and oligonucleotide arrays were highly correlated in cases where the arrays contained probes in similar genomic locations. The oligonucleotide array platform provided more precise mapping due to the higher density of oligonucleotide probes. Conclusions These results demonstrate the utility of high-resolution oligonucleotide arrays designed to use genomic DNA for CGH measurements using archived tissue samples for discovery and clinic based assays. Prostate 67: 1447–1455, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Sign-of-charge of species of Cu, Cd and Zn extracted from sewage sludge, and effect of plants

Sewage sludge, obtained from the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant, Baltimore, Maryland, in 1970, was stored either moist or air-dried for 5 years. Aqueous extracts of sludge were obtained and leached through columns containing either cation, anion, or mixed resins, with the pH adjusted to equal that of the extract. Analysis of the column leachates for Zn, Cd, and Cu was used to calculate concentrations of the various charged metal species. For Zn, between 84 and 92% of the species were cationic regardless of moisture conditions during storage; for Cd, moist storage yielded 83% amphoteric, and air dry storage 87% cationic species; for Cu, moist storage yielded 50% cationic and 30% amphoteric species, while air-dry storage yielded 16% cationic and 72% amphoteric species.
Embedded-end debonding during fiber pull-out

Abstract Interfacial debonding at the embedded end rather than at the loaded end of the fiber during fiber pull-out is considered in the present study. When the embedded-end face of the fiber is not bonded to the matrix, the local maximum interfacial shear stress occurs not only at the loaded end but also at the embedded end. Specifically when both the Young's modulus ratio and the radius ratio of the fiber to the matrix are large, the interfacial shear stress at the embedded end can exceed that at the loaded end, and this results in embedded-end debonding. The calculated interfacial shear stresses at the embedded end based on different models are compared and the criterion for embedded-end debonding is described.
Improving protein structure similarity searches using domain boundaries based on conserved sequence information

The identification of protein domains plays an important role in protein structure comparison. Domain query size and composition are critical to structure similarity search algorithms such as the Vector Alignment Search Tool (VAST), the method employed for computing related protein structures in NCBI Entrez system. Currently, domains identified on the basis of structural compactness are used for VAST computations. In this study, we have investigated how alternative definitions of domains derived from conserved sequence alignments in the Conserved Domain Database (CDD) would affect the domain comparisons and structure similarity search performance of VAST. Alternative domains, which have significantly different secondary structure composition from those based on structurally compact units, were identified based on the alignment footprints of curated protein sequence domain families. Our analysis indicates that domain boundaries disagree on roughly 8% of protein chains in the medium redundancy subset of the Molecular Modeling Database (MMDB). These conflicting sequence based domain boundaries perform slightly better than structure domains in structure similarity searches, and there are interesting cases when structure similarity search performance is markedly improved. Structure similarity searches using domain boundaries based on conserved sequence information can provide an additional method for investigators to identify interesting similarities between proteins with known structures. Because of the improvement in performance of structure similarity searches using sequence domain boundaries, we are in the process of implementing their inclusion into the VAST search and MMDB resources in the NCBI Entrez system.
Primary Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure: Will the Solution Be Shocking?

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) may occur in as many as 40% of all patients who suffer from heart failure. This review describes the scope of the problem, risk factors for SCD, the effect of medications used in heart failure on SCD and the potential effect of the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator in primary prevention.
Tooth position index for the fabrication of a mandibular implant-supported overdenture bar

Abstract This article describes an index for the fabrication of a mandibular implant-supported overdenture bar. The index is a two-piece mold made from an addition silicone putty material. It is used to record and maintain the relative position of the morphologic contours of the trial denture to the master cast. The split-mold design permits direct visualization of the amount of space available for the design of the retentive bar from both the facial and lingual aspects while ensuring room for an adequate thickness of the denture base resin, without the need to remove the teeth from the trial denture wax-up. (J Prosthet Dent 1998;80:121-3.)
A hydrogel readout for autonomous detection of ions in microchannels

Readouts that work autonomously on colorimetric principles were fabricated inside a microchannel by immobilizing dyes in a hydrogel matrix. Two pH-sensitive dyes (congo red and phenolphthalein) were studied. The response time of the readout varied between 20 s for phenolphthalein and 45 s for congo red dyes. The robustness of the dyed gels was tested at different flow rates (0.1, 0.25 and 0.5 mL min−1). Combinatorial readouts consisting of gels with the different dyes were fabricated and tested. Based on the limits of human perception, the fabrication methodology and the principles of functioning; general design rules for fabricating a readout device are discussed. The simple and low cost fabrication technique combined with autonomous functioning make the readout appropriate for portable microfluidic systems.
Monovalent ion enhancement of β-adrenergic-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in mouse parotid gland

Abstract Sodium activated basal adenylate cyclase at all concentrations of sodium examined (5–100 mM) and independently of GTP. Stimulation of adenhylate cyclase by the β-adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol, was enhanced at all concentrations (5–100 mM) of sodium ions tested in the presence of GTP. Maximal enzyme activation under all conditions occurred between 25 and 50 mM NaCl. Enhancement of forskolin-activated adenylate cyclase by sodium did not require GTP nor was it affected by guanosine-5′- O -(2-thiodiphosphate) (GDPβS), a competitive inhibitor of GTP. The selectivity of adenylate cyclase for monovalent cations was Na + ∼− K + . Lithium chloride produced an inhibition of hormone-activated adenylate cyclase. Sodium ions also enhanced isoproterenol- and forskolin-activated adenylate cyclase of submandibular gland membranes. In contrast to mouse parotid and submandibular glands, activation of mouse liver and brain adenylate cyclase activities by forskolin and isoproterenol was not enhanced by sodium ions. The tissue differences were not related to differences in potency of the agonists. These results suggest (1) that sodium ions may have a selective and positive regulatory role in hormonal activation of adenylate cyclase in mouse exocrine tissue, and (2) that sodium ions enhance hormonal activation of enzyme by interacting at a site on the adenylate cyclase complex which is independent of the hormone receptor (R s ) and the stimulatory guanine nucleotide binding protein (N s ).
Regions on the F plasmid which affect plasmid maintenance and the ability to segregate into Escherichia coli minicells.

Abstract Certain derivative mini-F plasmids were found to segregate into Escherichia coli minicells, in contrast to the intact mini-F plasmid which does not. Segregation was not related to the presence or absence of the normal origin of vegetative replication, but appeared to be affected by regions of F which encode replication, incompatibility, copy number control, and partitioning functions. Segregation of mini-F plasmids into minicells was not random; the plasmid concentration in minicells did not correlate with the plasmid concentration in cells. Genes, or gene products, of F from the region spanning the sequences 44.1–49.3F appeared to affect the ability of mini-F plasmids to segregate into minicells. Segregation of mini-F plasmids into minicells was not directly related to stable plasmid inheritance. These results argue for the sequestration of mini-F plasmids in host cells.
Lesions of the perirhinal cortex impair sensory preconditioning in rats

The effects of lesions of the perirhinal cortex on the development of associations between two conditioned stimuli (CSs) were examined with a sensory preconditioning procedure. Rats were given either bilateral electrolytic lesions of the perirhinal cortex or control surgery. They were then given either paired or unpaired presentations of a light CS and a tone CS. All of the rats were then given eyeblink conditioning procedures that involved paired presentations of either the light or tone and a periorbital shock unconditioned stimulus (US). The rats were finally given a test session that consisted of unpaired presentations of the tone and light CSs. Sensory preconditioning was established in the control group, but not in the lesion group. The findings are consistent with the view that the perirhinal cortex is involved in forming associations between neutral stimuli (even in the absence of reinforcement).
Improving signal-to-noise ratio in transcranial magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound

Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) can be increased in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) using Radio Frequency (RF) coils. Of all the options for increasing SNR, coils provide the greatest gains for the dollars spent. Coils for 1.5 and 3 Tesla MRI systems consist of conductive loops that are tuned to resonate at the fundamental frequency associated with the field strength of the MRI scanner. These coils are the transducers between the MR signal and the system electronics and are sensitive to the magnetic fields of the MR signal via Faraday’s Law of Maxwell’s equations. Sensitivity of a coil to the signal in the imaging sample depends primarily on the geometry and position of the loop with respect to the sample. To achieve the highest SNR requires the coil to be in close proximity to the sample of interest, small enough that it is not sensitive to regions outside the region of interest and large enough to pick up the signal at the depth of interest. Other factors such as dielectric or conductive material loading of the coils can significantly affect the tuning and function of a coil. Custom coils designed for a specific application typically provide much higher SNR than commercial coils that are designed for general purpose imaging of a broad range body habitus. Coils that provide even small gains in SNR provide significant imaging improvement. For example, a specific-purpose (SP) coil that can provide a 40% SNR improvement over a general-purpose (GP) coil, can achieve the same image quality as the GP coil in half the imaging time. Similarly, an SP coil that can provide a factor of 2 improvement in SNR over a GP coil can achieve the same image quality 4 times faster than the GP coil. SNR can be used to improve image quality, temporal and spatial resolution, and enable or improve imaging functionality such as temperature measurement accuracy, Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), and MR Acoustic Radiation Force Imaging (MR-ARFI).
Health Reform: The Good, The Bad, And The Bottom Line

The Health Security Act is a pragmatic plan for achieving universal health insurance coverage for a broad package of benefits at reasonable cost. It proposes necessary and reasonable changes in insurance market practices and administrative structure. It finances the reformed system with a credible combination of achievable cost savings, mandatory private-sector payments, and limited “sin” taxes. Political constraints—the inability to tax openly or redistribute tax subsidies— result in weak incentives for consumers to choose low-cost plans and an inefficient scheme for providing subsidies to the poor. The act also unnecessarily restricts and regulates fee-for-service plans and the training of health workers. We propose changes to correct the act's weaknesses without compromising its basic objectives.