cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Further Comparisons of the [125I]Somatomedin A and the [125I]Somatomedin C Radioreceptor Assays of Somatomedin Peptide*

Abstract The GH dependency of somatomedin (SM) peptide content in plasma was assessed using the placental membrane radioreceptor assay (RRA) to measure whole and acidchromatographed plasma using both [125I]SM A and [125I]SM C. Plasmas from 10 normal children and adults, 11 GH-deficient children before and after therapy with 0.1 U/kg GH im daily for 5 days, and 10 acromegalic patients were assayed as well as a standard plasma pool from 20 healthy adult males. The results of these assays revealed that the SM content of plasma is GH dependent and that assay of whole and acid-chromatographed plasma with the [125I]SM A RRA and assay of acid-chromatographed plasma with the [125I]SM C RRA give comparable measurements of SM peptide content. There was a positive correlation of the [125I]SM A RRAs of whole and acid-chromatographed plasma from each patient (r = 0.87; n = 41; P << 0.001). An even stronger positive correlation was observed when the [125I]SM A and [125I]SM C RRAs of acid-chromatographed plasma were com...
Confined rapid thermolysis/FTIR/ToF studies of methyl-amino-triazolium-based energetic ionic liquids

Abstract Thermal decomposition of the energetic ionic liquids 1-methyl-4-amino-1,2,4-triazolium iodide (Me4ATI), 1-methyl-4-amino-1,2,4-triazolium nitrate (Me4ATN), 1-amino-3-methyl-1,2,3-triazolium iodide (Me1ATI), and 1-amino-3-methyl-1,2,3-triazolium nitrate (Me1ATN) was studied by confined rapid thermolysis. Sub-milligram quantities of the compounds were subjected to decomposition under isothermal conditions achieved by initially heating the sample at rates of approximately 2000 K/s. The products formed by decomposition under the afore-mentioned conditions were sampled by rapid scan FTIR spectroscopy and time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Decomposition studies involving the iodide salts were carried out around 270–290 °C, whereas the nitrate salts were subjected to 320–340 °C. The amino group was found to be involved in the initiation reaction, forming copious quantities of ammonia from the iodide compounds and, N2O and H2O from the nitrate compounds. The extent of decomposition of the triazole ring was minimal at the considered temperatures.
Morphactin transport and metabolism in tree bark tissues: comparative studies in vitro.

Bark banding of morphaction is an effective means of controling stem elongation in Pinus radiata D. Don (Monterey pine) but not Juglans regia L. (English walnut). Diffusion coefficients of 14C-labeled morphactin across excised disks of tree bark, measured in specially designed diffusion chambers, were 11 to 85 fold greater in pine than walnut. In seedlings of comparable age, the suberin layer of walnut bark is much thicker than that of pine; if the layer is removed, diffusion of 14C-morphactin is enhanced 39-fold in pine and 285-fold in walnut. Morphactin applied to the bark as an ester is rapidly hydrolyzed to its carboxylic acid derivative in both pine and walnut. This conversion occurs rapidly in the bark of both species and does not appear to limit the rate of morphactin movement across the bark. These results suggest that diffusion across the suberin layer and not metabolism limits morphactin transport across the bark.
Implications of policies to prevent climate change for future food security

There have been a number of comprehensive and detailed studies on the question of what climate change might do to agriculture (Parry et al., 1988; Smith and Tirpak, 1989; Rosenberg, 1993; Council on Agricultural science and Technology (CAST), 1992; Houghton et al, 1990, 1992; National Academy of Sciences, 1992; and others). The potential for adaptation of agriculture to climate change has been evaluated in a number of these studies and in Rosenberg (1992). There has been, however, little if any systematic analysis of how attempts to mitigate or avoid climate change might affect agriculture. Our aim in this paper is to explore this question. Data and analyses on which to draw are limited, so the results of our exploration are preliminary, at best.
Punishment levels and the response of white-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) to three kinds of artificial models and mimics

Abstract 1. 1. White-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) were offered a model-mimic pair of painted sunflower-seed shells concealing variously treated mealworms, after first being trained to overturn shells to obtain the larvae. 2. 2. The mimic seed presented to all birds was the same, a shell hiding an edible half mealworm. Four model groups with different levels of post attack reinforcement were used: positive reinforcement (edible mealworm), no reinforcement (no mealworm), weak negative reinforcement (salted mealworm), and strong negative reinforcement (an emetic mealworm). 3. 3. The frequency with which the birds refused to attack the model/mimic seeds was a function of the degree of negative reinforcement. The greater the level of punishment for attacking a model, the more likely the bird was to refuse to attack the seeds during the presentation periods. 4. 4. The protection offered a mimic, whose resemblance to its model was poor, was correlated in part with the degree of punishment following an attack on a model. Mimics of the emetic model were well-protected even when their resemblance to the model was very imperfect. However, this was not the case when the model was associated with weak negative or no reinforcement. 5. 5. When the birds were given a pair of seeds which more closely resembled each other, those given a salted mealworm model attacked fewer mimics than those given an empty model. 6. 6. Therefore, the protection enjoyed by a mimic in the experiment was a function of the unpalatability of its model and the degree of resemblance between the model and mimic. 7. 7. The advantages of each model were discussed from the standpoint of the mimics. It was concluded that, in a punishment continuum, a non-reinforcing, neutral model (if abundant) and a strong negatively reinforcing emetic model would provide greater protection from attack than a purely distasteful model (weak negative reinforcement). The empty and emetic model would be ignored and avoided because they are totally inedible; the distasteful model would be attacked during periods of food shortage because it is nutritional although bad tasting.
Comparison of Calibration Techniques for Ground-Based C-Band Radiometers

We quantify the performance of three commonly used techniques to calibrate ground-based microwave radiometers for soil moisture studies, external (EC), tipping-curve (TC), and internal (IC). We describe two ground-based C-band radiometer systems with similar design and the calibration experiments conducted in Florida and Alaska using these two systems. We compare the consistency of the calibration curves during the experiments among the three techniques and evaluate our calibration by comparing the measured brightness temperatures (TBs) to those estimated from a lake emission model (LEM). The mean absolute difference among the TBs calibrated using the three techniques over the observed range of output voltages during the experiments was 1.14 K. Even though IC produced the most consistent calibration curves, the differences among the three calibration techniques were not significant. The mean absolute errors (MAEs) between the observed and LEM TB s were about 2-4 K. As expected, the utility of TC at C-band was significantly reduced due to transparency of the atmosphere at these frequencies. Because IC was found to have a MAE of about 2 K that is suitable for soil moisture applications and was consistent during our experiments under different environmental conditions, it could augment less frequent calibrations obtained using the EC or TC techniques
Perspectives: When the Centers Do Not Hold.

During the last twenty years or so, the number of endowed centers at many universities has increased enormously—to as many as fifty or more at a single institution. There are centers for every regi...
Activation of dormant genes in specialized cells

In several experimental systems the genomic capacity in specialized cells can be assessed by examining the activation of dormant genes. Since some of these specialized cells can be induced to change cell phenotype, all cell specializations do not necessarily involve irreversible genetic changes.
THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION'S POST‐COMMUNIST FOREIGN POLICY

The essay is a brief, analytical history of the critical formative years of the new Russian state's foreign policy. The author argues that changes in the Russian Federation's post-Communist foreign policy take place within definable parameters. These are presented ar an analytical system with five major components: a)Russia's position on nationalism, b) level of world power ambition, c) sphere of influence, d) civilizational orientation, and, e) national political ideology. Each component is a set of competing ideas arranged along a policy spectrum. The Yeltsin administration is placed on each spectrum and is shown debating its foreign policy values with competing views. Yeltsin's foreign policy emerges as the product of an interaction between classical foreign policy analysis and domestic and international political competition. It is seen as progressively adjusting to Eurasian pressures but resisting efforts to abandon the general Western orientation it inherited from the Gorbachev era.
De la régulation du génome à la progression tumorale - Acétylation de la lysine 16 de l’histone H4

De nombreuses modifications post-traductionnelles ont pour siege les histones, autour desquelles s’enroule l’ADN pour former le nucleosome. Comment ces modifications perturbentelles l’acces au materiel genetique ? Cet article illustre le role majeur d’une de ces modifications, l’acetylation de la lysine 16 de l’histone H4. Des decouvertes recentes ont, en effet, souligne la place preponderante qu’elle occupe dans des phenomenes cruciaux : la regulation de la transcription, la specialisation fonctionnelle de la chromatine, la compaction des chromosomes et la croissance tumorale.
Management of a smart grid with controlled-delivery of discrete levels of energy

At time of energy shortage electrical grids may be exposed to consumption uncertainties, overloads and ultimately power failures. The main reason is that, at present, the response of the power provider to increasing demand is lagging after requests for power are made. In this paper, we examine a different request-supply approach where the amount of delivered power must be requested beforehand. The power is then supplied in compliance with the physical, economical, and management limits of the distribution loop (DT), and in accordance with scenarios, such as a sudden demand surge or supply shortage. As proposed recently, in the controllable-delivery power grid, delivery of electrical power is made through discrete power levels directly to customers. The customer's addresses are embedded in the electrical signal, and smart loads associated to customers curve the consumed power and provide reactive stability to the DTs. We analyze an approach for distributing electrical power, where the capacity of the DT is capped by the average of the requested power (and therefore introduces a very stringent requirement). In cases of power shortage, the DT is scheduled by using a round-robin model. We show that a DT can satisfy about 98% of power requests in scenarios of energy scarcity and beyond 99% by adding small safety margins. Further advantages are seen when unused energy is stored in local distributed storage elements (cloud storage) during supply surges and used in time of demand peaks. This grid proposal is advantageous for green power distribution because it enables a direct exchange of energy between customers and local suppliers at the discretion of the grid manager.
Effect of antibodies to the neuropeptide GRP on distention-induced gastric acid secretion in the rat

Abstract The present study examined and compared the effects of muscarinic blockade, β-adrenergic blockade and immunoneutralization of the neuropeptide gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) on distention-induced gastric acid secretion and gastrin release. In response to distention of rat stomachs with 0.9% NaCl, acid output rose from 3.5 ± 0.5 μ mol H + /30 min to 15.4 ± 2.5 μ mol H + /30 min ( P P μ mol H + /30 min ( P
Looking to the Future of TESOL Teacher Education: Web-Based Bulletin Board Discussions in a Methods Course

This study investigated students' participation in whole-class, face-to-face discussions and in World Wide Web–based bulletin board (BB) discussions in a TESOL teacher preparation course titled Methods of Teaching Second Languages. Participation patterns and attitudes toward the Web-based discussion were identified through quantitative and qualitative analyses of videotapes of whole-class, face-to-face discussions; transcripts of Web-based BB discussions; and interviews with selected students. The results of the study show that students contributed a substantially larger number of turns in the Web-based BB interactions than the instructor did and that there was no statistical difference between the number of turns contributed by nonnative English speakers and native English speakers in either condition. Face-to-face discussions reflected a three-part structure of initiation, response, and evaluation in which the instructor played a large role whereas Web-based BB discussions consisted of primarily student-student interactions that reflected a high degree of peer support and collaboration. Students held positive attitudes toward Web-based BB discussions as a means of hearing the perspectives of their peers. The findings suggest Web-based BB discussion as a means of integrating technology into TESOL teacher education while encouraging students to develop knowledge through collaboration.
TCP/IP versus OSI

Two vendor-independent network protocols that have risen to the top of the list of contenders for the title of 'the' standard are described and compared. They are the transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP), which was developed in the late 1960s as a research project conducted by the US Department of Defense, and the open systems interconnection reference model (OSIRM, or simply OSI), developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in the mid-1970s. A brief discussion of the various types of physical networks is given as background. The basic structure of the two protocols and the way they go about achieving their respective ends are examined. It is concluded that the OSI model is better structured than TCP/IP. However, TCP/IP is the older of the two protocols and has had time to develop a substantial user base, especially in the Unix community, where it has already become an unspoken standard and clearly dominates the market. >
Solubilities of methyl oleate, oleic acid, oleyl glycerols, and oleyl glycerol mixtures in supercritical carbon dioxide

Solubility isotherms for oleic acid and methyl oleate as well as mono-, di-, and trioleylglycerol (MO, DO, and TO) in supercritical fluid CO2 at 50 and 60°C are reported. Partition coefficients for quaternary (MO-DO-TO-CO2) mixtures were obtained at 60°C at pressures ranging from 172 to 309 bar. Data indicate that diolein, and especially monoolein, exhibit positive deviation from ideal behavior, possibly due to intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Supercritical fluid CO2 appears to be a good media for removal of mono- and diacylglycerol by-products from synthetic triglyceride reaction mixtures at moderate temperatures.
Calculation of journal bearing dynamic characteristics including journal misalignment and bearing structural deformation

A detailed journal bearing analysis for accurate evaluation of film dynamic characteristics is presented. The new formulation is based on a local perturbation of the oil film at each computational node that captures the important effects of journal misalignment and bearing structural deformation in rotor dynamics and engine NVH applications. The new algorithm is an extension to the classical approach of evaluating film dynamic characteristics based on journal eccentricity perturbation. The governing equations for the oil film pressure, stiffness, and damping are solved using a finite difference approach and their output is validated with numerical results from the literature.
Processing and Nonisothermal Crystallization Kinetics of Carbon/PPS in Single Diaphragm Forming

Single diaphragm forming (SDF) has been used in manufacturing high-quality thermoplastic composite sheet parts with complex geometries. However, temperature gradients through the thickness may exist in the composites, especially for thick, high temperature, semicrystalline composites. The thermal gradient may introduce residual stresses, which may degrade the mechanical properties or warp the part. Therefore, investigating temperature profile through the thickness during processing can improve the quality of SDF composite parts. A laboratory scale SDF with a cooling system was built for the temperature study through the thickness. Carbon fiber reinforced polyphenylene sulphide (carbon/PPS) was used for the temperature study, and the effect of cooling rate on the nonisothermal crystallization of the carbon/PPS was also investigated using differential scanning calorimeter. The start crystallization temperature and the peak crystallization temperature decrease with increasing cooling rates. A combination of ...
WEB-derived pronunciations

Pronunciation information is available in large quantities on the Web, in the form of IPA and ad-hoc transcriptions. We describe techniques for extracting candidate pronunciations from Web pages and associating them with orthographic words, filtering out poorly extracted pronunciations, normalizing IPA pronunciations to better conform to a common transcription standard, and generating phonemic from ad-hoc transcriptions. We show improvements on a letter-to-phoneme task when using web-derived vs. Pronlex pronunciations.
Multidimensional fechnerian scaling: probability-distance hypothesis

The probability-distance hypothesis states that the probability with which one stimulus is discriminated from another is a function of some subjective distance between these stimuli. The analysis of this hypothesis within the framework of multidimensional Fechnerian scaling yields the following results. If the hypothetical subjective metric is internal (which means, roughly, that the distance between two stimuli equals the infimum of the lengths of all paths connecting them), then the underlying assumptions of Fechnerian scaling are satisfied and the metric in question coincides with the Fechnerian metric. Under the probability-distance hypothesis, the Fechnerian metric exists (i.e., the underlying assumptions of Fechnerian scaling are satisfied) if and only if the hypothetical subjective metric is internalizable, which means, roughly, that by a certain transformation it can be made to coincide in the small with an internal metric; and then this internal metric is the Fechnerian metric. The specialization of these results to unidimensional stimulus continua is closely related to the so-called Fechner problem proposed in 1960's as a substitute for Fechner's original theory.
Influence of Synthetic Sodium Aluminosilicate on Laying Hens Fed Different Phosphorus Levels

Two 28-day experiments were conducted utilizing 360 and 180 Leghorn-type hens, 60 and 40 wk of age in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively. In both experiments, a corn-soybean meal basal diet containing no supplemental P was formulated. Dicalcium phosphate was added to the basal diet to supply 0, .05, and .13% supplemental P in Experiment 1 and 0, .13, and .35% supplemental P in Experiment 2. In both experiments, diets were fed with 0 and .75% synthetic sodium aluminosilicate (SAS). The basal diet was calculated to contain .30% P. In Experiment 1, egg production was significantly increased by the addition of .13% supplemental P. When SAS was added to each diet, a decline in egg production and feed consumption was observed. Egg specific gravity increased and egg weight decreased in the presence of SAS. In Experiment 2, egg production was significantly depressed by SAS in the absence of supplemental P and returned to normal with supplemental P. Feed consumption was significantly depressed by adding SAS to diets containing 0 to .13% supplemental P but not to diets containing .35% supplemental P. Egg weight decreased and specific gravity increased when SAS was supplemented to the diet. Data from these two experiments indicate that adequate P intake is advised when using SAS because feed consumption, egg production, and egg weight were decreased in the presence of SAS.
Diffusion tensor imaging of in vivo and excised rat spinal cord at 7 T with an icosahedral encoding scheme.

Regional values of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (Dav) of in vivo and excised rat spinal cords were measured using an iscosahedral encoding scheme that is based on 21 uniformly distributed and alternating gradient directions with an echo planar imaging (EPI) readout. Based on the water phantom studies, this scheme was shown to provide unbiased estimation of FA. The stability of the scanner during the acquisition of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data was evaluated. Repeated measurements of the FA values demonstrated excellent reproducibility, as assessed by the Bland–Altman analysis. These studies demonstrated a reduced anisotropy in excised samples relative to in vivo cords. Diffusion in the spinal cord gray matter was shown to be anisotropic. The FA value in the dorsal white matter (WM) was found to be higher relative to the ventral WM. Results from these studies should provide the necessary baseline data for serial in vivo DTI of injured spinal cord. Magn Reson Med 53:118–125, 2005. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Follow-up Studies of Acute Dissecting Aortic Aneurysms Managed with Antihypertensive Agents

Twelve patients with acute dissecting aneurysms have been treated with antihypertensive medications. These patients all presented with chest or back pain and had systolic blood pressures of greater than 160 mm Hg. They responded to drug-induced hypotension with loss of pain and stabilization of their general condition. Two patients died during the initial phase of therapy. In both these cases there was inadequate control of the blood pressure on an altered medication regime. Ten patients have now been followed for periods ranging from 1 month to 1 year. There has been no evidence either symptomatically or roentgenographically that these patients have had progression of their disease process.
Dopamine receptor agonists in cardiovascular therapy

Dopamine receptor agonists exert marked cardiovascular and renal actions that result from activation of specific dopamine receptors located at various sites within the cardiovascular system. The presence of at least two distinct subtypes of dopamine receptors is reported. (1) Neurotropic dopamine receptors, also referred to as δ2 or DA2 receptors, are located at various sites within the sympathetic nervous system, activation of which leads to inhibition of sympathetic nervous system activity. (2) Postsynaptic dopamine receptors, also referred to as δ1 or DA1 are located on vascular smooth muscles of blood vessels as well as at various sites in the kidney, and their activation causes, vasodilatation, inhibition of aldosterone release, and sodium and water reabsorption. The pharmacological responses to activation of neurotropic and postsynaptic dopamine receptors consist of hypotension, bradycardia, diuresis, and natriuresis. Since an elevated sympathetic nervous system activity and retention of salt and water appear to be responsible for several cardiovascular disorders, it is proposed that dopamine receptor agonists may represent a novel class of therapeutic agents for the treatment of certain cardiovascular diseases. Further research efforts in this area are required to understand better the role of endogenous dopamine and dopamine receptors in the maintenance of cardiovascular homeostasis and to develop more selective compounds for experimental and clinical studies in different disease states.
Encouraging User Autonomy through Robot-Mediated Intervention

1. MOTIVATION In this paper, we focus on the question of promoting user autonomy at a healthcare task. During a robot-mediated intervention, socially assistive robot should seek to encourage users to learn skills and behaviors that will generalize and persist beyond the duration of the intervention. Treating a care-receiver as an apprentice rather than a dependent results in greater proficiency at self-management [2]. This philosophy must be incorporated into the design and implementation of robotmediated healthcare interventions in order for them to be accepted by real-world users.
Effects of aphidicolin and hydroxyurea on the cell cycle and differentiation of Trypanosoma brucei bloodstream forms

The effects of aphidicolin (APH) and hydroxyurea (HU) on the cell cycle and differentiation of Trypanosoma brucei bloodstream forms were studied. APH (0.1 microgram ml-1) inhibited cell division, but did not inhibit DNA synthesis. Most of the cells were arrested in the G2 phase of the cell cycle, with each cell containing two kinetoplasts, but only one nucleus. Recovery of the arrested cells showed a 24-h lag period compared to controls. Higher concentrations of APH (1 and 10 micrograms ml-1) were required to inhibit DNA synthesis, but the cells failed to resume growth after removal of the drug. Incubation of cells with HU (7.5 micrograms ml-1) did not inhibit DNA synthesis, but arrested cells after duplicating both the kinetoplast and the nucleus. Recovery from drug arrest also showed a 24-h lag period. We therefore conclude that neither APH nor HU arrests T. brucei at the G1/S phase boundary as anticipated. The mechanisms of cell cycle arrest by APH and HU are not through inhibition of DNA synthesis, but rather through unidentified pathways, leading to growth arrest prior to nuclear division and cytokinesis respectively. Since the arrested cells do not resume normal development immediately following drug removal, APH and HU should be regarded as unsuitable agents for synchronizing T. brucei bloodstream forms. T. brucei bloodstream forms arrested with either APH or HU differentiated normally into procyclic forms in vitro, indicating that a cycle of cell division is not required for initiation of differentiation, and that the process can be initiated and completed when cells are arrested at the G2/M and M/G1 phase boundaries.
Comparison between Theoretical Calculations and Oil Film Thickness Measurements Using the Total Capacitance Method for Crankshaft Bearings in a Firing Engine

Comparisons were made between theoretical calculations and experimental measurements for minimum bearing oil film thickness (MBOFT) in main and connecting rod bearings of a typical automotive V6 engine running at 1500 rpm under three load conditions (64, 128, and 192 Nm.). Data for five oils (SAE grades 5W–20, 20W–20, 5W–30, 10W–30, and 20W–50) were obtained for the main bearing and for two oils (SAE 5W–30 and 10W–30) for the connecting-rod bearing. The theoretical calculations were done using the FLARE computer code while the measurements were made using the total capacitance method (TCM). Considering the complexities involved in a firing engine, overall, reasonably good agreement between theory and experiment was observed, especially for the absolute minimum of the MBOFT (MBOFTmin). The experimental data showed higher dependence on the Sommerfeld number than that of the theoretical calculations for the main bearing. The shapes of the MBOFT vs. crank angle curves were also similar between theoretical pre...
Photocurrent measurements of the purple membrane oriented in a polyacrylamide gel

When illuminated, oriented purple membranes isolated from Halobacterium halobium give a photoelectric effect. The frequency response of a photocurrent measuring system for purple membranes oriented and immobilized in a polyacrylamide gel is analyzed from DC to 100 MHz. The waveform of the photocurrent can depend on both the sample conditions (including bathing solution) and the measuring system (electrode and ammeter) at both the low and high frequency ends. In the DC-1 kHz range (millisecond signals), the apparent lifetime of the photocurrent component is distorted if the electrode is not platinized and if the conductivity of the bathing solution is not low. In the 1 kHz to 1 MHz range (microsecond signals), the frequency response is flat under most conditions. In the MHz range (nanosecond signals), the apparent lifetime of the photocurrent component will be distorted if the conductivity of the bathing solution is not high and if the input impedance of the ammeter is not low and constant throughout the frequency range. With our optimized apparatus, we could measure the photocurrent components from oriented purple membrane with lifetimes from 70 ms to 32 ns without distortion by the measuring system.
Islamic Terrorism and the Question of National Liberation, or Problems of Contemporary Chechen Terrorism

Scholars have analyzed various causes of contemporary Chechen terrorism in Russia and have offered multiple explanations as to why this terrorism persists. Most commonly, these scholars accuse Russia of suppressing a Muslim struggle for national liberation in Chechnya because of Russia's own interests in Chechen territory or its lucrative oil resources. This work analyzes various instances of Chechen terrorism, 1991–2002, to conclude that the dynamics of terrorism do not support the claims of various scholars, journalists, and Chechen terrorists that Chechen rebels are fighting a war of independence and that the Russian government's failure “to let Chechnya go” instigates future acts of terrorism.
Divergenze parallele. Comunismo e anticomunismo alle origini del linguaggio politico dell'Italia repubblicana (1945–1953)

In his book, Andrea Mariuzzo provides an analysis of the language used by the Italian political forces engaged in the struggle between communism and anti-communism during the post-war years. This a...
Enhancement of Specific Immunofluorescent Finding with Use of a Para-Phenylenediamine Mounting Buffer

A recently described immunofluorescence mounting buffer containing para-phenylenediamine prevents fading of specific staining in skin sections during microscopic examination, and allows better appreciation of morphological detail. Examination of slides at high powers with intense illumination, as well as improved photomicrographs, are possible with this reagent.
Three-Year Surveillance of Intussusception in Children in Switzerland

OBJECTIVE: We attempted to obtain baseline data on the incidence of intussusception and its association with gastroenteritis in a cross-sectional observational study in children. METHODS: Admissions to all 38 pediatric units in Switzerland because of intussusception were reported to the Swiss Pediatric Surveillance Unit from April 2003 to March 2006. Patient and disease characteristics were assessed prospectively with the use of a standardized questionnaire based on the case definition for intussusception developed by the Brighton Collaboration. Completeness of reporting was verified through capture-recapture analysis. RESULTS: There were 294 patients with reported intussusception; 35 cases were excluded for various reasons, and 29 additional patients were identified through International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, codes. After capture-recapture analysis, we estimated underreporting to the Swiss Pediatric Surveillance Unit to be 32% and we calculated a true number of 381 intussusception episodes. The highest level of diagnostic certainty was reached by 248 patients, and 20 fulfilled level 2 criteria; for the remaining 20 patients, available information was insufficient. The mean age of the patients was 2.7 years. The yearly mean incidence of intussusception was 38, 31, and 26 cases per 100,000 live births in the first, second, and third year of life, respectively, with no apparent seasonality. Seventy patients had a history of coinciding gastroenteritis, and 5 of 61 tested positive for rotavirus. Spontaneous devagination was observed for 38 patients; enemas reduced intussusception successfully in 183 cases, whereas surgical treatment was required in 67. All patients recovered without sequelae. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first prospective nationwide surveillance of intussusception in childhood using a standardized case definition. Most cases occurred beyond infancy, and association with rotavirus gastroenteritis was rare.
Cell and fiber type distribution of dystrophin

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the result of dystrophin deficiency. We have determined the cell types likely to express the pathogenic effects of this neuromuscular disease by determining the pattern of dystrophin expression in normal cells. We find that all physiological types of muscle cells express dystrophin at similar levels, and that the dystrophin content of various tissues correlates with the myogenic cell population of each tissue. The dystrophin content of brain and spinal cord, however, is found not to correlate with any type of muscle cell, and it is suggested that neurons express dystrophin. The potential involvement of striated muscle fibers, the vasculature, and the nervous system in the etiology of Duchenne muscular dystrophy makes it likely that the disease is a complex disorder of combined pathogenesis. We also find that the dystrophic chicken does not represent an animal model for dystrophin deficiency.
Knowledge-based detection of mammographic masses: analysis of the impact of database comprehensiveness

Previously, we presented a knowledge-based computer-assisted detection (KB-CAD) algorithm for mammographic masses. Given a query case, the algorithm compares it with templates stored in a databank with known ground truth. A decision index is calculated to measure how well the query matches the stored mass templates relative to templates depicting normal parenchyma. The underlying hypothesis is that if the query region contains a mass, it should match the mass templates better than the normal templates, thus resulting in a higher decision index. Such CAD system takes advantage of growing image libraries without further retraining. However, performance strongly depends on the comprehensiveness of the knowledge database. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of database comprehensiveness by measuring the changes in overall detection performance as the size of the knowledge databank progressively increased. The study was based on the Digital Database of Screening Mammography. Starting with a database of 681 mass and 656 normal templates, we observed that the KB-CAD performance improved when increasing the size of the database. The system achieved the best overall performance when the knowledge databank contained 600 templates. Breast density and mass shape did not affect the detection performance. However, the margin characteristics of the query mass did. Fewer (100) mass templates were required for accurate detection of circumscribed masses while more (400) mass templates were required for detection of ill-defined query masses. In conclusion, it is important to balance comprehensiveness, performance, and maintenance requirements when developing knowledge databases for CAD.© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Using The Colon Cancer Multigene Recurrence Score to Determine Risk: Prognostic Milestone or a Step in the Right Direction?

Although early-stage colon cancer is potentially curable by surgery, a significant number of patients will experience recurrence and eventually progress to metastatic disease. Although the implementation of adjuvant chemotherapy in stage III disease is recommended, its role in stage II disease remains controversial in clinical practice. The accumulating clinical data strongly indicate that a subset of patients with stage II disease are at increased risk for recurrence and often are not identified by standard clinical and histopathologic features. Recently, research efforts have attempted to identify specific cassettes of markers or gene signatures with the specificity and sensitivity to identify patients at increased risk for recurrence. In an era of personalized medicine, using such biomarkers will assist in identifying high-risk patients and allow the appropriation of adjuvant chemotherapy to reduce the risk of recurrence. In this review, we discuss the development and validation of genetic signatures to predict tumor recurrence and their current status, including the technologies involved and recent experiences in breast cancer. Finally, we describe the proposed recurrence score multigene signature for identifying high-risk stage II colon cancer.
Pulmonary hypoxia increases endothelin-1 gene expression in sheep

The hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstrictor response (HPVR) is a physiologic mechanism for directing pulmonary blood flow to nonhypoxic regions of the lung. The mechanism of this response remains unclear. To investigate the role of endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor produced by vascular endothelium, in HPVR an in vivo model of alveolar hypoxia was developed. When one lung in an anesthetized sheep was made hypoxic, the static ET-1 mRNA levels in lung tissue increased in proportion to the observed decrease in pulmonary blood flow (Qp) to that lung. With reversal of hypoxia, Qp and ET-1 levels returned to baseline. This relationship between alveolar hypoxia and ET-1 mRNA levels suggests a role for ET-1 in the local pulmonary response to hypoxia.
Multi-View Face Tracking with Factorial and Switching HMM

Dynamic face pose change and noise make it difficult to track multi-view faces in a cluttering environment. In this paper, we propose a graphical model based method, which combines the factorial and the switching hidden Markov model (HMM). Our method integrates a generic face model with general tracking methods. Two sets of states, corresponding to appearance model and generic face model respectively, are factorized in the HMM. The measurements on different states are fused in a probabilistic framework to improve the tracking accuracy. To handle pose change, model switching mechanism is applied. The pose model with the highest probabilistic score is selected. Then pose angles are estimated from those pose models and propagated during tracking. The factorial and switching model allows to track small faces with frequent pose changes in a cluttering environment. A Monte Carlo method is applied to efficiently infer the face position, scale and pose simultaneously. Our experiments show improved robustness and good accuracy
Archaeofaunal evidence of human adaptation to climate change in Upper Paleolithic Iberia

Abstract The rich archaeofaunal record of Upper Paleolithic Iberia has long been a productive source of information about human response to climate change in the latest Pleistocene and earliest Holocene. In this article, I use the archaeozoological record from late Pleistocene Iberia to show that humans responded to late glacial climate extremes in ways specific to the macro-bioclimatic regions in which they lived. Nestedness, cluster (unweighted pair-group method using arithmetic averages [UPGMA]), and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analyses suggest that in Mediterranean bioclimates, which were less impacted by glacial extremes, people implemented a general broad-spectrum hunting strategy. In the colder, more climatically extreme “Euro-Siberian” region, the data suggest a diversity of hunting adaptations, likely shaped by specifics of local environments. While technological change and increasing global connectivity since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) have moderated the direct impact of climate change on humans, these analyses – and others – suggest that local management rather than global decision-making will be key to human adaptations in environments most strongly affected by modern climate change.
Quantification of urinary 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid using deuterated 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid as internal standard

Deficiency of biotin at the tissue level can be assessed indirectly by measuring the urinary excretion of 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid. This paper describes the application of an improved method of quantifying urinary 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid using unlabeled and uniformly deuterated 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid. These compounds were synthesized by a modification of the lithioacetic acid method for generation of beta-hydroxy acids. Elemental analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance, gas chromatographic and gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric data demonstrated that the compounds are greater than 95% pure. Mass spectrometry confirmed the identity of the unlabeled compound, demonstrated that the deuterated compound is uniformly labeled, and offered insight into the pattern of mass fragmentation. The method for determination of the concentration of 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid in rat urine uses gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric quantification of the di-trimethylsilyl derivative with the deuterated compound as the internal standard. Results provide evidence that this method is more accurate than a previously published method that did not utilize the unlabeled and deuterated standards.
Use of adenosine for pharmacological cardioversion of SVT in pregnancy.

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the success and safety of adenosine use in treating maternal supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) in pregnancy. Methods: Hemodynamically stable pregnant women diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia admitted to Jackson Memorial hospital from 1990 to 1995 and treated with adenosine were included in the study. Adenosine was given intravenously with an initial dose of 6 mg, followed by two 12 mg doses as needed. Mothers and fetuses were followed prospectively to assess short-term and long-term effects of the treatment. Results: A total of four pregnant patients were treated with adenosine for medical cardioversion of SVT. All patients were hemodynamically stable upon arrival to the maternity ward and were successfully treated with adenosine. Both mothers and fetuses were monitored during treatment. Adenosine successfully converted the SVT to sinus rhythm, in all four patients. One patient was treated successfully twice, at 15 weeks and subsequently at 24 weeks. No complications occurred to either the mothers or the fetuses during the treatment. Five and ten minute APGAR scores at birth were greater than seven. Mothers and babies were followed from 1 month to 5 years after treatment and no contributory deleterious effects have been found. One patient was lost to follow-up. Conclusion: Our four patient cases, added to the limited published cases in the literature, support adenosine’s safety and efficacy for the medical treatment of supraventricular tachycardia in the hemodynamically stable pregnant woman.
Calligraphic cutting: extreme image resizing with cuts in continuous domain

Seam carving [Avidan and Shamir 2007; Rubinstein et al. 2009] revolutionized the way we think about image resizing by demonstrating that it is possible to obtain significant changes in image sizes with changes in proximity relationships, which we call topological properties of an image. Seam carving can change the size of an image by progressively carving out (or carving in) seams, which are monotonically connected paths of low-energy pixels crossing an image from top to bottom, or from left to right. Unfortunately, it quickly became obvious that seam carving creates geometric discontinuities once low-energy regions start to diminish. As a result, improvements and alternative approaches have been suggested to minimize discontinuities.
Answering Reading Comprehension Items without Passages on the Sat when Items are Quasi-Randomized:

Recent research has demonstrated that many SAT Reading Comprehension items can be answered without the passages accompanying them. One reason may be that examinees use information from other items ...
An analysis of the relationship between accounting restatements and quantitative benchmarks of audit planning materiality

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the amounts obtained using professionally accepted quantitative benchmarks of audit planning materiality and the size of accounting misstatements corrected by financial statements restatements.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a sample of 136 companies (237 company years) that have restated such financial statements and compare the amounts of the restatements with planning materiality benchmarks (rules of thumb) established to aid auditors in arriving at audit planning levels.Findings – It was found that, depending on the method of analysis selected and the materiality benchmark followed, as high as approximately 62 per cent of the restatements involve income levels less than the planning materiality level.Research limitations/implications – The results lead to questions as to the appropriate relationship between the scope of audit procedures, which is in part determined by these quantitative materiality benchmarks, ...
Synthesis and electronic structure of low-density monoliths of nanoporous nanocrystalline anatase TiO2

Abstract Monolithic nanocrystalline anatase titania aerogels are synthesized by the epoxide sol–gel method followed by thermal annealing at 550 ° C. These aerogels are formed by ∼ 10–20 nm size anatase nanoparticles which are randomly oriented and interconnected into an open-cell solid network. Aerogel monoliths have an apparent density of ∼ 10% and a surface area of ∼ 100 m 2 g −1 . High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and soft X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy reveal good crystallinity of the anatase nanoparticles forming the aerogel skeleton.
Collaborative childcare health consultation: a conceptual model.

PURPOSE. This study explored the nature of consultation between childcare providers and nurse childcare health consultants and identified factors that promote a collaborative relationship. DESIGN AND METHODS. A qualitative study using semistructured, individual interviews of five collaborative and five conflicted pairs of nurse childcare health consultants and childcare center directors. Data were analyzed following principles of grounded theory and applying the constant comparative method of analysis. RESULTS. Establishing a collaborative relationship was influenced by previous experiences and four themes in the relationship: open and active communication, commitment, respect, and congruent philosophies. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. Preparation in developing collaborative relationships should be incorporated into the education of nurse consultants and childcare directors and providers.
Ultraviolet absorption spectral changes accompanying the association of the subunits of human luteinizing hormone.

Abstract Mixtures of the alpha and beta subunits of human luteinizing hormone, at 40°C and pH 7.50, demonstrate time dependence in their ultraviolet absorption spectra. Spectra of the native hormone or the separated subunits are stable with respect to time. The spectral changes are qualitatively consistent with a transfer of aromatic chromophores from an aqueous environment to less polar, possibly hydrophobic, surroundings during the process of subunit combination.