cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation of Streamlined Syntheses of Porphyrins Bearing Distinct Meso Substituents

The use of porphyrins in fundamental studies and diverse applications requires facile access to ample quantities of material in pure form. The existing conditions for the condensation of a dipyrromethane plus a dipyrromethane−dicarbinol employ 2.5 mM reactants and afford ∼30% yields with no detectable scrambling. Large-scale syntheses require condensation and oxidation conditions that function at higher concentrations. Thirty-one acids (plus additives) have been examined for reactions at 25 mM reactants using the synthesis of a trans-A2B2-porphyrin as a model. The porphyrin was formed in ∼20% yield upon condensation in CH2Cl2 at room temperature using (1) Sc(OTf)3 (3.2 mM) + 2,6-di-tert-butylpyridine (32 mM), or (2) Zn(OTf)2 (10 mM). Nine porphyrins were prepared in this manner in yields of 15−22% with no detectable scrambling, whereas three other porphyrins afforded low levels of scrambling and/or lower yields (8−14%). Conditions for the oxidation also have been investigated. The reaction of 5-mesityldip...
Measurement of hyperfine structure of the 8 S 1 2 2 and 9 S 1 2 2 states of rubidium, and 12 S 1 2 2 state of cesium by stepwise dye-laser spectroscopy

The hyperfine structures of the $8^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}$ and $9^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}$ states of $^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ and of the $12^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}$ state of $^{133}\mathrm{Cs}$ have been measured by the method of stepwise excitation spectroscopy using a cw dye laser. We measure the magnetic dipole coupling constants to be $A(8^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}, ^{87}\mathrm{Rb})=159.2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.5$ MHz, $A(9^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}, ^{87}\mathrm{Rb})=90.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.8$ MHz, and $A(12^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}, ^{133}\mathrm{Cs})=26.31\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.10$ MHz.
Live/Real-Time Three-Dimensional Transthoracic Assessment of Mitral Regurgitation and Mitral Valve Prolapse

Evaluation of the mitral valve requires appreciation of its complex geometry. To accurately guide surgical interventions and describe pathology, three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is an immense improvement over the cumbersome mental reconstruction required by two-dimensional approaches. Here we describe real-time, three-dimensional transthoracic techniques for assessing mitral regurgitation and mitral valve prolapse.
Clinical findings and unusual epidemiologic characteristics of human metapneumovirus infections in children in the region of Basel, Switzerland

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) worldwide causes respiratory tract infections with features similar to those of RSV infection. We describe features of hMPV infections in children and compare some of the characteristics with those of RSV infections. From October 2004 to February 2006, 75 patients, 34 hospitalized and 41 outpatients, were diagnosed with hMPV infections by multiplex PCR applied to nasopharyngeal specimens. While hMPV was found rarely in the early phase of the study, a significant increase occurred in the second winter of the study period. Patients with hMPV infections were older than those with RSV infection; clinical characteristics were similar as was the rate of serious disease among hospitalized patients (intensive care treatment: 18% versus 8%). In conclusion, hMPV leads to endemic and epidemic respiratory disease with features similar to those of RSV and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of upper and lower respiratory tract disease.
Cognitive Brain Potentials in Children at Risk for Schizophrenia: Preliminary Findings

Event-related brain potentials were recorded to auditory stimuli from children at risk for schizophrenia and normal control children who were part of two independent samples being followed longitudinally. Subjects were required to detect (with a reaction time response) one of two infrequent events (either a pitch change or a missing stimulus), each of which occurred 17 percent of the time, and was embedded in a sequence of frequent events occurring 66 percent of the time. The event-related potential (ERP) elicited by both infrequent stimuli consisted of a positive-going wave peaking at 350 msec for the pitch change ERP (P350) and 400 msec for the missing stimulus ERP (P400) and a slow wave, which overlapped with and extended beyond the P350 and P400 potentials. When the eliciting event was relevant, these potentials were significantly larger than when it was irrelevant. When the waveforms by the highrisk (HR) subjects were compared to those produced by the normal control (NC) subjects, the HR subjects of both samples showed significantly less late positive amplitude (P350 and P400) than the NC subjects, but only when the eliciting event was relevant. This effect appeared to be independent of reaction time, as reaction time means and variances were quite similar between risk groups. Other possible explanations for this amplitude reduction were explored. Since late positive component amplitude reduction has been consistently reported to characterize the waveforms of adult schizophrenics, the reduction seen in children at genetic risk for schizophrenia may be a premorbid indicator for the development of the psychosis.
Impact of Newborn Skin-Cleansing With Chlorhexidine on Neonatal Mortality in Southern Nepal

To the Editor .— We commend Tielsch et al1 for conducting a large community-based trial under difficult circumstances but disagree with their conclusion that skin-wiping with chlorhexidine reduced neonatal mortality among low birth weight infants. The authors reported that the use of chlorhexidine wipes significantly lowered the all-cause mortality among low birth weight infants (Table 1). We believe this conclusion is misleading, because it was based on a non–intention-to-treat analysis of a subgroup of participants. Although birth weight data were missing for only 766 of 17 530 infants, these …
Structural Changes in the L Photointermediate of Bacteriorhodopsin

The L to M reaction of the bacteriorhodopsin photocycle includes the crucial proton transfer from the retinal Schiff base to Asp85. In spite of the importance of the L state in deciding central issues of the transport mechanism in this pump, the serious disagreements among the three published crystallographic structures of L have remained unresolved. Here, we report on the X-ray diffraction structure of the L state, to 1.53-1.73 A resolutions, from replicate data sets collected from six independent crystals. Unlike earlier studies, the partial occupancy refinement uses diffraction intensities from the same crystals before and after the illumination to produce the trapped L state. The high reproducibility of inter-atomic distances, and bond angles and torsions of the retinal, lends credibility to the structural model. The photoisomerized 13-cis retinal in L is twisted at the C(13)=C(14) and C(15)=NZ double-bonds, and the Schiff base does not lose its connection to Wat402 and, therefore, to the proton acceptor Asp85. The protonation of Asp85 by the Schiff base in the L-->M reaction is likely to occur, therefore, via Wat402. It is evident from the structure of the L state that various conformational changes involving hydrogen-bonding residues and bound water molecules begin to propagate from the retinal to the protein at this stage already, and in both extracellular and cytoplasmic directions. Their rationales in the transport can be deduced from the way their amplitudes increase in the intermediates that follow L in the reaction cycle, and from the proton transfer reactions with which they are associated.
Characteristics of international websites with information on developmental disabilities.

Abstract The Internet often serves as a primary resource for individuals seeking health-related information, and a large and growing number of websites contain information related to developmental disabilities. This paper presents the results of an international evaluation of the characteristics and content of the top 10 ranked results (i.e., not including sponsored results – pay-per-click) returned when one of five terms related to developmental disabilities (i.e., ADHD, autism, down syndrome, learning disability, intellectual disability) was entered into one of six country specific Google online search engines (i.e., Australia ( https://www.google.com.au ), Canada ( https://www.google.ca ), Ireland ( https://www.google.ie ), New Zealand ( https://www.google.co.nz ), the United Kingdom ( https://www.google.co.uk ), and the United States ( https://www.google.com )) on October 22, 2013. Collectively, we found that international consumers of websites related to developmental disabilities will encounter different websites with differing content and terminology, and should be critical consumers to ensure they locate the information they are seeking.
A profile of Annie M. G. Schmidt, 1988 Hans Christian Andersen medalist

Annie M. G. Schmidt, the most recent winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Medal, is a children's author from the Netherlands. Her stories and poems have been the delight of Dutch children and adults for many decades. Excerpts from a recent interview with Annie M.G.Schmidt reveal the meaning of this award to her. In spite of Annie Schmidt's long‐standing reputation worldwide for her many excellent children's poems and stories, few of her works have been translated into English. This lack of exchange between countries of meritorious children's literature is a persistent difficulty in our field.
Causal Analysis with Panel Data

Introduction Modeling Change with Panel Data Models with Reciprocal Causation Measurement Error Models Models of Spurious Association Concluding Note on Causal Inference in Panel Analysis
The etiology of giftedness

Abstract Many theories of giftedness either explicitly or implicitly acknowledge the role of genetic influences; yet, empirical work has not been able to establish the impact that genes have specifically on gifted behavior. In contrast, a great deal of research has been targeted at understanding the etiology of individual differences in general and specific cognitive abilities across the entire range of ability and to a lesser extent, high cognitive ability. This paper attempts to outline what we know and what we don't know about the etiology of giftedness as operationally defined as high g. We review studies selected to represent a variety of approaches that each address a different question about genetics and giftedness. These studies include quantitative genetic research which estimate heritability, shared and nonshared family environment – at the high and low ends of intelligence – as well as the heritability of group differences for general cognitive ability and specific cognitive abilities. We discuss the molecular genetic methods and mechanisms contributing to cognitive ability and suggest how epigenetic factors may operate. Quantitative and molecular genetic studies that include endophenotypes representing intelligence at a level closer to the genotype, are also included. This last group of studies represent a relatively new area of work that builds on and extends the extensive groundwork established by classic quantitative genetic studies of behavior.
Touched by a robot: an investigation of subjective responses to robot-initiated touch

By initiating physical contact with people, robots can be more useful. For example, a robotic caregiver might make contact to provide physical assistance or facilitate communication. So as to better understand how people respond to robot-initiated touch, we conducted a 2x2 between-subjects experiment with 56 people in which a robotic nurse autonomously touched and wiped the subject's forearm. Our independent variables were whether or not the robot verbally warned the person before contact, and whether the robot verbally indicated that the touch was intended to clean the person's skin (instrumental touch) or to provide comfort (affective touch). On average, regardless of the treatment, participants had a generally positive subjective response. However, with instrumental touch people responded significantly more favorably. Since the physical behavior of the robot was the same for all trials, our results demonstrate that the perceived intent of the robot can significantly influence a person's subjective response to robot-initiated touch. Our results suggest that roboticists should consider this factor in addition to the mechanics of physical interaction. Unexpectedly, we found that participants tended to respond more favorably without a verbal warning. Although inconclusive, our results suggest that verbal warnings prior to contact should be carefully designed, if used at all.
Schedule-induced drinking in humans: A potential factor in excessive alcohol use

Abstract The timed delivery of monetary reinforcement by a computer-controlled slot machine altered the amount of fluid drunk adjunctively by human subjects. In separate experiments, subjects were allowed access to one of three fluids, water, non-alcoholic beer, or alcoholic beer, while receiving monetary reinforcement from the slot machine on one of two Fixed-Interval schedules (FI30 s or FI90 s). The largest difference in intake between the two schedule conditions occurred when water was the fluid available, but a similar trend in consumption was observed in the other studies. Greater consumption occurred when reinforcement was presented on the FI90-S schedule, which was predicted from previous studies using animals. The possible interaction of schedule-induced drinking with other variables known to influence human alcohol consumption is discussed.
Insulin cessation and diabetes remission after bariatric surgery in adults with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE The impact of bariatric surgeries on insulin-treated type 2 diabetes (I-T2D) in the general population is largely undocumented. We assessed changes in insulin treatment after bariatric surgery in a large cohort of I-T2D patients, comparing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB) with laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB), controlling for differences in weight loss between procedures. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Of 113,638 adult surgical patients in the Bariatric Outcomes Longitudinal Database (BOLD), 10% had I-T2D. Analysis was restricted to 5,225 patients with I-T2D and at least 1 year of postoperative follow-up. Regression models were used to identify factors that predict cessation of insulin therapy. To control for differences in weight loss patterns between RYGB and LAGB, a case-matched analysis was also performed. RESULTS Of I-T2D patients who underwent RYGB ( n = 3,318), 62% were off insulin at 12 months compared with 34% ( n = 1,907) after LAGB ( P < 0.001). Regression analysis indicated that RYGB strongly predicted insulin cessation at both 1 and 12 months postoperatively. In the case-matched analysis at 3 months, the proportion of insulin cessation was significantly higher in the RYGB group than in the LAGB group ( P = 0.03), and the diabetes remission rate was higher at all time points after this surgery. RYGB was a weight-independent predictor of insulin therapy cessation early after surgery, whereas insulin cessation after LAGB was linked to weight loss. CONCLUSIONS I-T2D patients have a greater probability of stopping insulin after RYGB than after LAGB (62% vs. 34%, respectively, at 1 year), with weight-independent effects in the early months after surgery. These findings support RYGB as the procedure of choice for reversing I-T2D.
Economic Interests and the Vindication of Deviance: Tobacco in Seventeenth Century Europe*

Sociologists have tended to neglect vindication, the process by which deviant behavior becomes redefined as respectable or legitimate. The few studies emphasize the importance of moral persuasion i...
Image Algebra Matlab language version 2.3 for image processing and compression research

Image algebra is a rigorous, concise notation that unifies linear and nonlinear mathematics in the image domain. Image algebra was developed under DARPA and US Air Force sponsorship at University of Florida for over 15 years beginning in 1984. Image algebra has been implemented in a variety of programming languages designed specifically to support the development of image processing and computer vision algorithms and software. The University of Florida has been associated with development of the languages FORTRAN, Ada, Lisp, and C++. The latter implementation involved a class library, iac++, that supported image algebra programming in C++. Since image processing and computer vision are generally performed with operands that are array-based, the Matlab™ programming language is ideal for implementing the common subset of image algebra. Objects include sets and set operations, images and operations on images, as well as templates and image-template convolution operations. This implementation, called Image Algebra Matlab (IAM), has been found to be useful for research in data, image, and video compression, as described herein. Due to the widespread acceptance of the Matlab programming language in the computing community, IAM offers exciting possibilities for supporting a large group of users. The control over an object's computational resources provided to the algorithm designer by Matlab means that IAM programs can employ versatile representations for the operands and operations of the algebra, which are supported by the underlying libraries written in Matlab. In a previous publication, we showed how the functionality of IAC++ could be carried forth into a Matlab implementation, and provided practical details of a prototype implementation called IAM Version 1. In this paper, we further elaborate the purpose and structure of image algebra, then present a maturing implementation of Image Algebra Matlab called IAM Version 2.3, which extends the previous implementation of IAM to include polymorphic operations over different point sets, as well as recursive convolution operations and functional composition. We also show how image algebra and IAM can be employed in image processing and compression research, as well as algorithm development and analysis.
Half-lives of Ce144, Co58, Cr51, Fe55, Mn54, Pm147, Ru106, and Sc46

Abstract Half-lives have been obtained for a number of radionuclides by following the decay of purified samples over periods of time as long as six years. The data were treated by the method of least squares. The half-lives are 284·5 ± 1·0 days for Ce 144 71·3 ± 0·2 days for Co 58 , 27·8 ± 0·1 days for Cr 51 , 2·60 ± 0·2 years for Fe 55 , 278 ± 5 days for Mn 54 , 2·66 ± 0·02 years for Pm 147 , 366·6 ± 0·9 days for Ru 106 , and 84·1 ± 0·3 days for Sc 46 .
Supersymmetry in the Cahn-Hilliard-Cook theory

We demonstrate that the early stage of spinodal decomposition and continuous ordering is supersymmetric in systems with long-range interactions. Indeed, the Cahn-Hilliard-Cook linear theory can be described equivalently as an evolution of the order parameter (bosons) or objects that obey an exclusion principle (fermions). Coupled with a cluster representation of the Cahn-Hilliard-Cook theory, supersymmetry suggests a new physical picture of the early stage of spinodal decomposition and continuous ordering that provides a greater understanding of early-stage morphology, and could provide a basis for an improved description of the nonlinear regime.
Multiorgan mRNA misexpression in murine autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease

Multiorgan mRNA misexpression in murine autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease. Background BALB/c mice homozygous for the cpk mutation develop a form of polycystic kidney disease (PKD) with multiorgan pathology similar to human autosomal recessive PKD. Messenger RNA expression in multiple affected organs was analyzed to determine if common gene cascades were misexpressed in the cystic kidney and extrarenal sites of disease. In cystic kidneys, misexpressed mRNAs were found in one of four general groups: proliferation/cell growth, apoptosis, differentiation or extracellular matrix. Methods RNA was isolated from kidney, liver and pancreas of cystic and normal BALB/c- cpk mice. Using Northern blot hybridization and ribonuclease protection assays (RPA), the expression of several genes thought to be associated with PKD, namely c-myc , epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) and PKD-1, were evaluated. RPAs were used to assess mRNA expression of cyclins and members of the bax/bcl-2 family. In addition, kidney, liver and pancreas were immunostained for c-Myc and PCNA. Results Cystic kidney, liver and pancreas all exhibited similar patterns of mRNA misexpression of c-myc , EGF-R and PKD-1. In addition, a number of cell proliferation and apoptosis-related mRNAs also were elevated in cystic kidney and pancreas. Renal epithelial cells expressing proliferation-associated proteins [c-Myc and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)] were nearly absent in normal kidney; however, cells of cystic and non-cystic renal tubules plus liver and pancreatic cyst exhibited an increased number of nuclei labeled with antibodies to these proteins. Conclusions These data suggest that similar pathologic mechanisms (including the expression of c-myc , EGF-R , PKD-1 , cyclin , and bax/bcl-2 family mRNAs) may be responsible for the development of cystic changes in kidney, liver and pancreas in murine autosomal recessive PKD. Treatments targeting these similarly misexpressed mRNAs may be efficacious in ameliorating the cystic pathology in the kidney as well as the other affected organs in ARPKD.
The systematic discrepancy betweenA′ for overall recognition and remembering: A dual-process account

Signal detection accounts of recognition assume that all item endorsements arise from the assessment of a single continuous indication of memory strength, even when subjects claim to categorically separate items accompanied by contextual recollection from those that are not (viz., remembering vs. knowing). Dissociations of these response types are held to occur because the former require a higher response criterion for item strength than does the latter. Meta-analytic and individual subject data suggest that when theA′ metric is used, accuracy for remembering can systematically deviate from that of overall responding for individual subjects. This occurs because, unlike the symmetric and rigid receiveroperating characteristic (ROC) implied underA′, empirical ROCs are asymmetric and plastic. A dualprocess model predicted that the magnitude of the deviation would vary as a systematic function of the proportion of overall recognition accompanied by subjective remember reports for individual subjects. The predictions were confirmed using multiple regression on Monte Carlo and experimental data sets and were also shown to generalize to the double equal-threshold, single high-threshold [i.e., H — FA; (H — FA)/(1 — FA)], and the equal variance signal detection d9 corrections. The unequal variance signal detection model was also shown to mirror the data, but only under the post hoc assumption that every subject adopts a very similar remember criterion placement rule. The results demonstrate that the systematic failure of tightly constrained models of recognition constitutes valuable regression data for more complex models and simultaneously highlights why single-point measures of accuracy are unsuitable as summaries across conditions or groups. Furthermore, the results show that remember rates carry unique information regarding the underlying processes governing individual subject performance that cannot be gleaned from the overall hit and false alarm rates in isolation.
Preparation of Coordinatively Asymmetrical Ruthenium(II) Polypyridine Complexes

A series of salts of the type cis-[RuII(bpy‘)(bpy‘ ‘)(CO)2](PF6)2 (bpy‘ and bpy‘ ‘ represent different bipyridine derivatives) have been prepared by using literature procedures and utilized as precursors for the preparation of highly functionalized complexes of RuII incorporating neutral and anionic, mono- and bidentate, nitrogen-, phosphorus-, sulfur-, and oxygen-donor ligands. The new synthetic approach builds upon previous work with the trimethylamine N-oxide-assisted removal of the carbonyl ligand. Difficulties with the use of this potent oxidant in the presence of reducing ligands such as dppe and nitrite have been overcome by the use of acetonitrile complexes of the type cis-[Ru(bpy‘)(bpy‘ ‘)(CH3CN)2]2+ and pyridine complexes of the type cis-[Ru(bpy‘)(bpy‘ ‘)(py)2]2+ as highly versatile intermediates. Strategies for the selective removal of a single carbonyl ligand from the precursors have been developed and used to synthesize the highly asymmetrical complexes cis-[RuII(bpy‘)(bpy‘ ‘)(py)(CO)]2+ and ...
Aggressive treatment of a patient with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Excerpt To the editor: A 28-year-old homosexual man with respiratory distress, diagnosed withPneumocystic cariniipneumonia and psittacosis, was intubated on day 7. Complications during weeks 3 to 9...
The 260 nm absorption spectrum of benzene: Selection rules and band contours of vibrational angular momentum components

Abstract The role of vibrational degeneracies and vibrational angular momentum in the 260 nm absorption spectrum of benzene is further examined. Degenerate Herzberg-Teller terms are set down through third order with specific identification of vibrational symmetries capable of inducing intensities (Table II). These terms provide a basis for predicting the Δ v selection rules, the signed vibrational angular momentum selection rules, and the vibrational angular momentum component energy splittings for all vibronic transitions. A new parameter, χ, is developed which can be used to predict the rotational band contour of any vibronic component transition. These developments underlie the systematic reexamination of assignments which is given in Paper III of this series.
Case study: Inertial measurement unit calibration platform

The Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Avionics Engineering Center at Ohio University are developing an electromechanical system for the calibration of an inertial measurement unit (IMU) using global positioning system (GPS) antennas. The GPS antennas and IMU are mounted to a common platform to be oriented in the angular roll, pitch, and yaw motions. Vertical motion is also included to test the systems in a vibrational manner. A 4-DOF system based on the parallel carpal wrist is under development for this task. High-accuracy positioning is not required from the platform since the GPS technology provides absolute positioning for the IMU calibration process. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
4,4′-Methylenebis(2-chloroaniline) (MOCA): The effect of multiple oral administration, route, and phenobarbital induction on macromolecular adduct formation in the rat

The effect of multiple oral administration of MOCA, a suspect human carcinogen, was studied in the adult male rat. As many as 28 consecutive daily doses of [14C]MOCA at 28.1 μmol/kg body wt (5 μCi/day) were administered and rats were euthanized at weekly intervals for 7 weeks. MOCA adduct formation for globin and serum albumin was evaluated by determination of [14C]MOCA covalent binding. The covalent binding associated with globin showed a linear increase over the 28-day exposure period with 342 fmol/mg globin 24 hr after the final dose. More extensive covalent binding was detected for albumin with 443 fmol/mg albumin after the final dose, but increases were not linear. After cessation of dosing, the albumin adduct levels decreased rapidly (t12 = 4.6 days) in relation to globin adduct levels (t12 = 16.1 days). The MOCA-globin adduct t12 is consistent with that determined after a single 281 μmol/kg oral dose of MOCA. Significant differences related to route of administration were detected for 24-hr globin covalent binding with ip > po > dermal. Distribution of undifferentiated [14C]MOCA was highest in the liver at 24 hr with tissue levels for liver > kidney > lung > spleen > testes > urinary bladder. Induction of cytochrome P450 enzymes by administration of phenobarbital (100 mg/kg/day/3 days) resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) increase in MOCA-globin adduct formation detected with 33.5 pmol/mg globin for induced rats versus 13.6 pmol/mg globin for control rats. Although MOCA-globin and albumin adducts show differing stability, quantification of such MOCA adducts may be useful for long-term industrial biomonitoring of MOCA.
Rapid and sensitive PCR-based detection and differentiation of aetiologic agents of human granulocytotropic and monocytotropic ehrlichiosis

Abstract The potential of fatal outcome for patients afflicted with human ehrlichioses (HME and HGE) necessitates fast and accurate detection of the aetiologic agents and timely antibiotic treatment. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based protocol is described that can detect as little as 10 copies of ehrlichial 16S rDNA and as few as 0·3 HGE-infected neutrophils. The method employs DNAzol for rapid DNA extraction from unfractionated whole blood in less than 1 h. For DNA amplification, highly specific oligonucleotide primers are designed that efficiently detect and distinguish between Ehrlichia chaffeensis and the HGE agent. These primers do not prime DNA extracted from closely related ehrlichial and rickettsial species. Although total DNA extracted from human blood contains nucleic acids that can be non-specifically amplified at moderate to high MgCl 2 concentrations, such non-specific priming of non-ehrlichial DNA can be completely eliminated by lowering the MgCl 2 concentration to 1 m m . Thus, this PCR-based procedure can detect and differentiate HGE and HME with speed, simplicity, specificity and sensitivity.
Neutron Form Factors and Nucleon Structure

While nucleon models previously proposed appear satisfactory, the numerical values of parameters require certain changes. Differences are ascribed to more precise and abundant measurements of electron scattering by hydrogen and deuterium, and improved theory. Data are presented in graphical and tabular forms. (L.N.N.)
Ontogeny of Neurokinin‐1 Receptor Mediation of Methamphetamine Neurotoxicity in the Striatum of the Mouse Brain

: We studied the role of the peptide substance P, signaling through the neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor, on methamphetamine-induced loss of dopamine transporter sites, a well-documented marker of toxicity in the striatum of the mouse brain, because this peptide is under dynamic regulation by the neurotransmitter dopamine. Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant that induces dopamine overflow from dopamine terminals of the striatum. Mice were given four injections of methamphetamine (7.5 mg/kg of body weight) at two-hour intervals and were sacrificed three days after the treatment. Dopamine transporter levels in the striatum were assessed by receptor autoradiography with [125I]RTI-121. Exposure to methamphetamine resulted in significant loss of dopamine transporters in the caudate-putamen. This loss was prevented by preexposure (30 min before the first injection of methamphetamine) of the neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist L-733,060. The inactive enantiomer of L-733,060 (L-733,061) failed to protect dopamine transporter sites from methamphetamine, suggesting specificity for the neurokinin-1 receptor. Moreover, the protective effect of L-733,060 was observed in mice that were 10 weeks of age or older (dopamine transporter sites in mice six and eight weeks old were not protected from methamphetamine by the neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist). The results demonstrate that the deleterious effect of methamphetamine on dopamine transporter sites of the striatum is mediated via the neurokinin-1 receptor. The involvement of the NK-1 receptor appears after the eighth week of postnatal life, suggesting that the link between dopamine transporters and the neurokinin-1 receptor becomes functional at approximately the time when the mouse reaches reproductive age.
Detecting abnormal pricing in international trade: the Greece-USA case

Government authorities, international lending agencies, and private sector firms try to detect abnormal pricing in international trade. Abnormal prices in international trade may indicate capital flight, import-duty fraud, income-tax evasion, or money laundering. We developed a framework for filtering all annual trades between two countries, which includes thousands of harmonized commodity codes and millions of import-export transactions. It produces a prioritized list of commodities traded at potentially abnormal prices and can help auditors to identify such items ranked according to likelihood of abnormal pricing. We estimated the economic impact of over invoiced imports to Greece from the United States and underinvoiced exports from Greece to the United States. These transactions shift as much as $400 million in income annually out of Greece to the US (and well over $5.5 billion out of Greece to all other countries or about four percent of the GDP of Greece), lowering the level of taxable income and the tax liability of firms operating in Greece, thus increasing the public deficit and reducing domestic investments. The treasury of Greece is losing an estimated $1.4 to $2 billion revenues annually from worldwide trade shifted income. By auditing only the top 25 income-shifting items with the US (identified through a pricing filter), the Greek treasury could capture about 3/4 of the income shifted from exports and over 1/2 of the income shifted from all imports.
The spectrum of irritable bowel syndrome: A clinical review

Abstract Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is associated with a substantial burden on individual patients, health care systems, and society as a whole. Objectives: This review article provides an overview of the disease state and discusses treatment options. Methods: The MEDLINE database was searched for original research and review articles published in English (from 1966 to July 2005) using the medical subject heading irritable bowel syndrome and the following subheadings: diagnosis, economics, pathophysiology , and therapy . Preference was given to articles that focused on new insights regarding pathophysiology and to those that addressed global symptom improvement for IBS. Results: Symptoms of IBS vary with each patient anddisease episode. Although improvement in individual IBS symptoms is desirable, the overall goal in managing patients with IBS is to achieve global symptom improvement. Traditional IBS therapies (ie, psychotherapy/behavioral therapy, bulking agents, antidiarrheals, antispasmodics, and tricyclic antidepressants) have lacked demonstrable efficacy in randomized controlled trials. Recent improvements in the understanding of IBS pathophysiology, particularly regarding the role of neurotransmitters and hormones in gastrointestinal motility, secretion, and visceral perception, have resulted in the development of novel treatments for IBS. In clinical trials, IBS-specific treatments (ie, agents that affect serotonergic pathways) have been associated with significant improvements in global symptoms. However, the added cost of treatment with these agents and the potential risks of serious adverse events (eg, severe constipation, severe diarrhea, ischemic colitis) may preclude their widespread use. Initial cost-effectiveness analyses with the novel IBS-specific agents suggest the benefits may outweigh the added costs. From a managed care perspective, the costs incurred by IBS-specific therapies may be offset by subsequent reductions in health care resource utilization by patients with IBS. Conclusions: IBS-specific agents offer an opportunityfor patients with IBS to achieve global symptom improvement. However, when weighing the costs and potential risks against the potential benefits, clinicians should consider the nature and severity of the patient's symptoms, the degree of functional impairment, and the presence of psychosocial comorbidities.
New control algorithms for steering feel improvements of an electric powered steering system with belt drive

This contribution investigates an electric powered steering (EPS) system with belt drive of the company TRW Automotive GmbH, Dusseldorf (Germany), relating to new control algorithms for steering feel improvements. The EPS belt drive consists of an electric motor that transforms the assist torque with a belt and ballnut mechanism to a power assist, which means to an assist force at the rack. The assist force at the rack is needed for the reduction of steering torques that are detected by the driver over the mechanical feedback of the assemblies pinion, torsion bar and steering column. Steering feel improvements are obtained with new torque control functions for a vehicle fitted with an EPS belt drive. Additionally, a simulation analysis of the steering system shows the improvements of the controller design process regarding to some specific steering manoeuvres. On the basis of subjective steering assessments, relations to the objective assessments are presented. The objective assessments are based on simul...
Bright infrared LEDs based on colloidal quantum-dots

Record-brightness infrared LEDs based on colloidal quantum-dots have been achieved through control of the spacing between adjacent quantum-dots. By tuning the size of quantum-dots, the emission wavelengths can be tuned between 900nm and 1650nm. © 2013 Materials Research Society.
Chemical characterization, leach and adsorption studies of solidified low-level wastes

Abstract Laboratory and field leaching experiments were conducted on solidified low-level waste from a commercial boiling water reactor. Batch leaching, soil column adsorption, and soil/waste form column experiments were conducted in the laboratory, using small scale cement waste forms and Hanford ground water. The purpose of these experiments was to evaluate the ability of laboratory leaching tests to predict leaching under actual field conditions and to determine which mechanisms (i.e., diffusion, solubility, or adsorption) actually control the concentration of radionuclides in the soil surrounding the waste form. Chemical and radionuclide analyses performed on samples collected from the field and laboratory experiments indicate strong adsorption of 134,137 Cs and 85 Sr onto the Hanford soil. Approximately 0.5% of the available 60Co leached from the waste forms and migrated through the soil with a retardation factor of 1. Chemical constituents present in the reactor waste streams and found at elevated levels in the field and laboratory leachates include: sodium (1383 mg/L), sulfate (2230 mg/L), and nitrate (435 mg/L field only). Plausible solid phases that could be controlling the chemical and radionuclide concentrations in the leachate were identified using the MINTEQ geochemical computer code.
Perinatal development of gluconeogenesis in guinea-pig liver

Abstract 1. 1. At mid-gestation the activities of guinea-pig liver pyruvate carboxylase, glucose-6-phosphatase and cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase were less than 0.4 unit/g, whereas the activity of fructose-1,6-diphosphatase was 1.6 unit/g. Throughout gestation the activity of cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase remained unchanged while all other enzymes exhibited a 2- to 3-fold increase over the levels at mid-gestation, beginning at 45–50 days. The activities of pyruvate carboxylase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in the foetus were largely mitochondrial. 2. 2. No increases in enzyme activities were evident in the first 2–3 hr following birth. Subsequently, increases were noted for all enzymes examined, with an overshoot occurring between 7 and 14 days post partum for pyruvate carboxylase, glucose-6-phosphatase, and fructose-1,6-diphosphatase. 3. 3. The increases in enzyme activities following birth could be prevented by treating the newborns with actinomycin D. 4. 4. In the immediate postnatal period, the degree of hypoglycaemia was not pronounced, the initial 40% drop in blood glucose level 1 hr after birth being reduced to less than 20% at 2hr. 5. 5. Livers taken from near-term foetuses and perfused immediately after Caesarean delivery synthesized appreciable amounts of glucose from lactate and glycerol. 6. 6. The data show that the capacity for hepatic gluconeogenesis in guinea-pigs is acquired before birth.
Sterilization of Foodstuffs Using Radio Frequency Heating

A study was conducted with a pilot-scale sterilization system based on 27-MHz radio frequency (RF) energy to investigate tile effectiveness in shortening process time and in improving quality for foods sealed in 6-pound military-ration polymeric trays. Chemical marker M-1 was used to evaluate heating uniformity in 20% whey protein gels as a model food, and macaroni and cheese was processed to assess the influence of RF process on product quality. With the RF system, a lethality (F p = 10 min) was achieved in both model food and macaroni and cheese within 30 min with relative uniform heating, compared to a 90 min conventional retort process than delivered a similar lethality.
A pillared metal–organic framework incorporated with 1,2,3-triazole moieties exhibiting remarkable enhancement of CO2 uptake

The replacement of the pillar ligand, 4,4′-bipyridine, in the prototypal pillared MOF, MOF-508, with the custom-designed ligand, 4,4′-(2H-1,2,3-triazole-2,4-diyl)dipyridine, affords a porous metal–triazolate framework, MTAF-3, which demonstrates remarkable enhancement of CO2 uptake capacity by a factor of ∼3 compared to the parent MOF-508.
Link between oceanic heat transport, thermohaline circulation, and the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the early Pliocene Atlantic

Planktonic foraminiferal oxygen isotope records from the western and eastern tropical Pacific and Atlantic Oceans suggest a southward shift in the Intertropical Convergence Zone toward its modern location between 4.4 and 4.3 Ma. A concomitant shift in the carbon isotope compositions of Atlantic benthic foraminifera provides strong evidence for an increased thermohaline overturn at this time. We suggest that the southward shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone and associated change in trade-wind circulation altered equatorial surface hydrography, increased the advection of warmer and more saline surface waters into the subtropical and North Atlantic, and contributed to thermohaline overturn.
Membrane biofouling characterization: effects of sample preparation procedures on biofilm structure and the microbial community

Ensuring the quality and reproducibility of results from biofilm structure and microbial community analysis is essential to membrane biofouling studies. This study evaluated the impacts of three sample preparation factors (ie number of buffer rinses, storage time at 4°C, and DNA extraction method) on the downstream analysis of nitrifying biofilms grown on ultrafiltration membranes. Both rinse and storage affected biofilm structure, as suggested by their strong correlation with total biovolume, biofilm thickness, roughness and the spatial distribution of EPS. Significant variations in DNA yields and microbial community diversity were also observed among samples treated by different rinses, storage and DNA extraction methods. For the tested biofilms, two rinses, no storage and DNA extraction with both mechanical and chemical cell lysis from attached biofilm were the optimal sample preparation procedures for obtaining accurate information about biofilm structure, EPS distribution and the microbial community.
Random field estimation approach to robot dynamics

It is known that the difference equations of Kalman filtering and smoothing recursively factor and invert the covariance of the output of a linear state-space system driven by a white-noise process. It is shown that similar recursive techniques factor and invert the inertia matrix of a multibody robot system. The random field models are based on the assumption that all of the inertial (D'Alembert) forces in the system are represented by a spatially distributed white-noise model. They are easier to describe than the models based on classical mechanics, which typically require extensive derivation and manipulation of equations of motion for complex mechanical systems. With the spatially random models, more primitive locally specified computations result in a global collective system behavior equivalent to that obtained with the deterministic models. The primary goal in investigating robot dynamics from the point of view of random field estimation is to provide a concise analytical foundation for solving robot control and motion planning problems. >
The adsorption of heavy metals onto hydrous activated carbon

The absorption characteristics of some heavy metals, namely CU(II), Pb(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) onto the hydrous activated carbon surface are studied. Carbon type, pH and surface loading are the most important factors affecting the extent of metal removal. The adsorption reaction can be best described by a surface complex formation model. The free metal ions, M2+, and their hydroxo species, M(OH)y2−y all participate in the absorption reaction. Specific chemical bonding, probably hydrogen bonding provided the sole energy needed for adsorption reaction.
Intracellular vitamin D binding proteins: novel facilitators of vitamin D-directed transactivation.

Previously recognized intracellular proteins with an affinity for vitamin D metabolites include the vitamin D receptor and the cytochrome P-450based vitamin D metabolizing mixed-function oxidases. We recently characterized a third set of high-capacity, intracellular vitamin D binding proteins (IDBPs) in the inducible heat shock protein-70 (hsp-70) family. Here we report the cloning and expression of cDNAs coding for two IDBPs. The full-length cDNAs for IDBP-1 and IDBP-2 demonstrated 95% and 94% nucleotide homology, respectively, with the cDNAs for human constitutively expressed heat shock protein 70 (hsc-70) and hsp-70. Transient expression of the IDBP cDNAs in a vitamin D-responsive primate cell line increased extractable 25-hydroxylated vitamin D metaboliteIDBP-binding 25-fold. Transfection experiments also demonstrated that the majority of the constitutively expressed 25-hydroxylated vitamin D metabolite binding activity was attributable to expression of the hsc-70-related IDBP-1 and that metabolite binding activity sublocalized to the highly conserved ATP-binding/ATPase domain of hsp70s. Stable overexpression of IDBP-1 in wild-type cells enhanced vitamin D-directed responsiveness of endogenous vitamin D-24-hydroxylase, osteopontin, and osteocalcin genes by several-fold over that observed in cells transfected with an empty vector. These results suggest that IDBP-1 facilitates the intracellular localization of active vitamin D metabolites and vitamin D receptor-mediated transactivation. (Molecular Endocrinology 14:
Clustered and missing data in the US National Trauma Data Bank: implications for analysis.

Background: Injury researchers are increasingly using the US National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB). However, there are some methodological issues that might threaten the validity of studies that use this database for injury research. Methods: Two methodological issues were evaluated: clustering of patients within trauma centers and missing data. To illustrate how these issues might affect the results of a study, the following four analytical approaches that evaluated the association between patients’ blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in the emergency department (ED), patients’ resource utilization, and ED or hospital disposition were compared: (A) deleting subjects with missing BAC and ignoring clustering of patients within trauma centers; (B) deleting subjects with missing BAC while taking into account clustering; (C) using imputed values for patients’ BAC and ignoring the clustering issue; (D) using the imputed data while taking into account clustering. Results: Adjustment for clustering of patients within trauma centers increased the CIs in models B and D. The results of the analyses based on imputed data showed that estimates based on complete case analysis were biased. For example, the odds ratio for the use of a head CT scan fell from 1.84 (95% CI 1.49 to 2.28) in approach B to 1.26 (95% CI 0.98 to 1.64) in approach D. Conclusions: Excluding patients with missing values for BAC in studies that evaluate the association between this variable and patients’ resource utilization and ED or hospital disposition, using the NTDB, led to biased estimates. Furthermore, ignoring the clustering design led to artificially narrow CIs.