cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The multiple risk factor intervention trial in the U.S. A summary of results at four years in special intervention and usual care men.

Four-year results of the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial indicate that an integrated approach to lifestyle modification of multiple risk factors is feasible and achieves significant lowering of risk factors compared with a group referred to usual medical care. The greatest changes and differences were in cigarette smoking. The hypertension treatment result met design predictions in the Special Intervention (SI) group. However, at 4 years the difference between groups was less than predicted, primarily due to unanticipated effectiveness of treatment of elevated pressures in the Usual Care (UC) group, reflecting recent secular changes in hypertension detection and control in the U.S. Similarly, the serum cholesterol net fall in the SI compared to UC group was 59% of goal, in part because of an unanticipated reduction in the UC group. The risk factor differences between groups were considerable, even though in some areas short of initial design expectations. The most serious consequence of a less than anticipated difference in risk characteristics between groups is an effective loss of power to detect significant differences in major disease endpoints. A further major benefit from the study has been the demonstration of the ability to have diverse scientific disciplines work effectively together in the long-term preventive management of healthy but high-risk men.
Methods Of Characterizing Photorefractive Susceptibility Of LiNbO 3 Waveguides

Two methods for measuring the photorefractive susceptibility of LiNb0 3 waveguides are reviewed. Data for waveguides formed by means of Ti indiffusion and also by proton exchange techniques are discussed. The photorefractive effect in channel-waveguide devices is analyzed by means of a model which accurately predicts the time evolution of photorefrac-tive effects. The response of guided-wave Mach-Zehnder interferometers is experimentally evaluated, and the magnitudes of the photovoltaic and photoconductive components which com-prise the photorefractive effect are quantitatively determined. While these initial results were obtained for channel-waveguide devices, the model is believed to be extendable to planar-waveguide devices as well.
Shouldn't Organization Theory Emerge from Adolescence?:

Having lost its connection to world affairs, today organization theory lacks an external mission. Yet organizations lie at the heart of major conflicts that are shaping the course of the 21st century, and in principle, organization theory could contribute significantly to human welfare. Organization theory had roots in the emotions of everyday life, disgust about the deficiencies of bureaucracy and optimism that better organizations could benefit humanity. From the 1860s to the 1960s, two themes characterized writings about organizations. The earliest organizational writings by sociologists and economists focused on the effects of governmental bureaucracies on societies. Most expressed concern about bureaucracies’ propensity to ignore their environments. The early organizational writings by consultants and former managers reflected hope that organizations could become more productive. They concentrated on improving structural features to raise productivity, efficiency, or morale.
Analysis of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) measurements in the National Ignition Facility's target bay and chamber

From May 2009 to the present we have recorded electromagnetic pulse (EMP) strength and spectrum (100 MHz – 5 GHz) in the target bay and chamber of the National Ignition Facility (NIF). The dependence of EMP strength and frequency spectrum on target type and laser energy is discussed. The largest EMP measured was for relatively low-energy, short-pulse (100 ps) flat targets.
Block-mode digital filtering of pictures

Abstract A two-dimensional extension of the one-dimensional algorithm for sectioned filtering of data is presented. The algorithm is useful for digital filtering of large pictures by impulse response functions that are small compared to the picture. Estimates of the computing time using the two-dimensional algorithm are also given.
Landry-Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Summary A brief outline of several perspectivesof the Landry-Guillain-Barre syndrome has been given, and clinical findings in 37 cases were reviewed according to fairly rigid diagnostic criteria. The recovery rate pertaining to the paralysis in 16 patients was analyzed.
Preparation of mouse bone marrow primary cultures for sister chromatid exchange and chromosomal aberration studies

A procedure for preparing and culturing mouse bone marrow cells for cytogenetic studies is described. Animals are killed by cervical dislocation, the bone marrow is flushed from femora and tibia with Ham's F12 medium into centrifuge tubes. Bone marrow cells are collected by low-speed centrifugation (285 ×g). One million cells are suspended in a 30-ml Falcon flask with complete medium containing 3.45 ml Ham's F12 medium, 1 ml fetal bovine serum, 0.05 ml penicillin-streptomycin, and 0.5 ml whole uterus extract from pregnant mice. For sister chromatid exchange analysis, 20 µM of 5-bromo-2′ -deoxyuridine is also added to the culture medium for 24 to 28 h. The cell cycle is approximately 12 to 14 h, in culture. This culture system can also be used for chromosomal aberration studies.
Intraspinal sprouting after administration of nerve growth factor antibodies to neonatal rats

Previous observations show that neonatal removal of nerve growth factor results in an increased number of fine dorsal root axons in the adult animal. The present study shows that the same treatment results in 49% more axons in the adult tract of Lissauer, which is an area of spinal white matter that contains predominantly fine primary afferent axons. These data are consistent with the idea that postnatal removal of NGF leads to increased numbers of fine primary afferent axons which then pass into the white matter of the spinal cord and there make synaptic contacts. If so, this would be a useful preparation for studies on the mechanisms by which newly formed sensory axons can be induced to enter the spinal cord postnatally.
On the observation of 92Nb and 94Nb in nature

Abstract Radioactivity measurements have shown evidence for long-lived 92Nb and 2.03 × 10 4 yr 94 Nb in natural niobium. The specific activity of 94Nb was observed to be 0.32 ± 0.03 dis/min. kg Nb and that of 92Nb to be 0.058 ± 0.035 dis/min. kg Nb. With t 1 2 taken as ≈ 1.7 × 108yr, the isotopic abundance of 98Nb is 1.2 × 10−10 per cent.
Extended counting ADC for 32-channel neural recording headstage for small animals

Extended counting analog-to-digital converter (ECADC) combines the accuracy of delta-sigma modulation and the speed of algorithmic conversion. This conversion architecture is shown to be useful in biomedical applications, where both resolution and speed are demanded. This work presents a design of ECADC for 32 neural recording channels. Several power optimizing methods are described. The designed converter achieves a resolution of 13 bits and a sampling frequency of 512 kHz. With 3.3 V supply, the total power consumption is estimated to be 7 mW. The whole system including 32 neural recording channels is fitted in an area of 3 mm times 3 mm in 0.5 mum CMOS process.
The birth of the American Society of Gene Therapy.

In the spring of 1996, the field of human gene therapy was flying high. Many pioneering developments were receiving high exposure in the lay press. Several gene therapy biotechnology companies were operating, and new ones were being formed. Major pharmaceutical companies had established gene therapy initiatives. Medical schools were rushing to establish gene therapy programs. Conferences on human gene therapy were being organized, and well-established gene therapy investigators were filling the programs.
A HOXA10 estrogen response element (ERE) is differentially regulated by 17 beta-estradiol and diethylstilbestrol (DES).

The molecular mechanisms by which estrogens regulate developmental gene expression are poorly understood. While 17 beta-estradiol is normally present at high concentrations in pregnancy, exposure to the estrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES) in utero induces developmental anomalies of the female reproductive tract. HOX gene expression is altered by DES, leading to abnormal Mullerian duct differentiation. The mechanism of ligand-specific regulation of HOX gene expression by estrogens has not been characterized. To elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying ligand-specific estrogen regulation of HOXA10 expression, we characterized regulatory regions of the human HOXA10 gene. We identified an estrogen response element (ERE) in the human HOXA10 gene that mediated differential ligand-specific estrogen-responsive transcriptional activation. Deletional analysis and reporter expression assays identified two EREs, ERE1 and ERE2, each of which drove estrogen-responsive reporter expression in the Ishikawa human uterine endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line. ERE1 drove reporter expression maximally. This ERE bound ERalpha and ERbeta, and formed a complex that included SRC-1, but not CBP, N-CoR or SMRT. HOXA10 ERE1 drove luciferase reporter activity to eightfold the level driven by the consensus ERE in response to estradiol in Ishikawa cells. While most EREs demonstrate similar transcriptional activity in response to DES or estradiol, here estradiol induced four- to sevenfold greater reporter activity than did DES from HOXA10 ERE1. DES did not alter ER or SRC-1 binding to HOXA10 ERE1. HOXA10 ERE1 therefore demonstrated ligand specificity distinct from the consensus ERE, and unrelated to changes in ER or coactivator/corepressor binding. The ligand specificity of the HOXA10 ERE may explain the molecular mechanism by which DES leads to reproductive anomalies; differential ligand-specific activation of HOX genes may be a molecular mechanism by which DES signaling leads to inappropriate HOX expression and to developmental patterning distinct from that induced by estradiol.
Assessing and improving institutional performance

This chapter describes application of a program review model that guides a college in allocation of resources within an institutionwide management system, thus ensuring the core health of the institution.
C30 Self-Assembled Monolayers on Silica, Titania, and Zirconia: HPLC Performance, Atomic Force Microscopy, Ellipsometry, and NMR Studies of Molecular Dynamics and Uniformity of Coverage

C30 self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) have been prepared on zirconia, titania, and two different silica gels by reacting C30 trichlorosilane with the humidified surfaces. 13C solid-state NMR spectroscopy indicated higher alkyl chain order on titania and zirconia materials than on the silica C30 phases. Order is inferred from the relative intensity of the main methylene carbon resonance assigned to an all-trans conformation. Carbon longitudinal relaxation time (T1C) data reveal that these ordered alkyl chains still have large-amplitude motions on submicrosecond time scales at ambient temperature. Since fast diffusional rotation about the chain axis is compatible with an all-trans conformation, T1C, carbon chemical shift, and proton line width data for the alkane rotator phase (C19) and the C30 phases were compared. Proton spin diffusion experiments were also conducted using an initial polarization gradient based on mobility differences. These experiments indicated both a higher mobility for the free end of ...
RESULTS OF PUBOVAGINAL SLING FOR THE TREATMENT OF INTRINSIC SPHINCTERIC DEFICIENCY DETERMINED BY QUESTIONNAIRE ANALYSIS

AbstractPurpose: We evaluated by questionnaire analysis the success rate and overall patient satisfaction after pubovaginal sling surgery.Materials and Methods: A total of 40 women (mean age 65.7 years, range 45 to 79) underwent pubovaginal sling surgery for stress urinary incontinence due to intrinsic sphincteric deficiency. Patients completed a detailed questionnaire to assess voiding symptoms, urinary control and satisfaction. Of 40 patients 37 (92.5%) returned the questionnaire, with a mean postoperative followup of 48.2 months (range 24 to 60).Results: Patients with preoperative stress urinary incontinence alone were more likely to be dry than were patients with preoperative mixed incontinence (67% versus 36%, p <0.001). Ten patients (27%) reported stress urinary incontinence recurrence. Of the patients 23 (62.2%) reported urgency symptoms at followup, with de novo urgency occurring in 4 patients. Permanent retention was noted in 3 patients, including 2 with sacral arc denervation. Overall patients r...
Differential contributions of basal ganglia and thalamus to song initiation, tempo, and structure.

Basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuits are multistage loops critical to motor behavior, but the contributions of individual components to overall circuit function remain unclear. We addressed these issues in a songbird basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuit (the anterior forebrain pathway, AFP) specialized for singing and critical for vocal plasticity. The major known afferent to the AFP is the premotor cortical nucleus, HVC. Surprisingly, previous studies found that lesions of HVC alter song but do not eliminate the ability of the AFP to drive song production. We therefore used this AFP-driven song to investigate the role of basal ganglia and thalamus in vocal structure, tempo, and initiation. We found that lesions of the striatopallidal component (Area X) slowed song and simplified its acoustic structure. Elimination of the thalamic component (DLM) further simplified the acoustic structure of song and regularized its rhythm but also dramatically reduced song production. The acoustic structure changes imply that sequential stages of the AFP each add complexity to song, but the effects of DLM lesions on song initiation suggest that thalamus is a locus of additional inputs important to initiation. Together, our results highlight the cumulative contribution of stages of a basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuit to motor output along with distinct involvement of thalamus in song initiation or “gating.”
Indications for and Results of Combined Modality Treatment of Colorectal Cancer

Combined modality chemoirradiation is commonly used as a component of treatment in combination with maximum resection for both high-risk resectable and locally advanced primary or recurrent rectal cancers. With surgically resected but high-risk rectal cancers, postoperative chemoirradiation has been shown to improve both disease control (local and distant) and survival (disease-free and overall) and was recommended as standard adjuvant treatment at the 1990 National Institute of Health (NIH) Consensus Conference on Adjuvant treatment for patients with rectal and colon cancers. Subsequent intergroup trials are being conducted to help define optimal combinations of postoperative chemoirradiation for resected high-risk rectal cancers and to test sequencing issues of preoperative versus postoperative chemoirradiation. With locally unresectable primary or recurrent colorectal cancers, standard therapy with surgery, external beam irradiation (EBRT) and chemotherapy is often unsuccessful. When intraoperative electron irradiation (IOERT) is combined with standard treatment, local control and survival appear to be improved in separate analyses from the Mayo Clinic and the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). However, routine use of systemic therapy is also needed as a component of treatment, in view of high rates of systemic failure.
The application of an oxygen isotope aridity index to terrestrial paleoenvironmental reconstructions in Pleistocene North America

Geochemical tools, including the analysis of stable isotopes from fossil mammals, are often used to infer regional climatic and environmental differences. We have further developed an oxygen isotope aridity index and used oxygen (δ18O) isotope values and carbon (δ13C) isotope values to assess regional climatic differences between the southeastern and southwestern United States during the Pleistocene. Using data collected from previously published studies, we assigned taxa to evaporation-sensitivity categories by quantifying the frequency and magnitude of aridity index values (i.e., an average taxon δ18O value minus a site specific proboscidean δ18O value). Antilocapridae, Camelidae, Equidae, and Cervidae were identified as evaporation-sensitive families, meaning that a majority of their water comes from the food they eat, thus indicating that they are more likely to capture changing climatic conditions. Bovidae, Tayassuidae, and Tapiridae were identified as less sensitive families, possibly because of increased or more variable drinking behavior. While it is difficult to tease out individual influences on δ18O values in tooth enamel, the use of an aridity index will provide a more in-depth look at relative aridity in the fossil record. Greater aridity index values in the Southwest suggest a drier climate than in the Southeast during the Pleistocene, and δ13C values suggest that diet does not determine evaporation sensitivity. The combination of more-positive δ13C values and the lack of forest indicator taxa in the Southwest suggest that landscapes were more open than in the Southeast. Inferred higher aridity in the Southwest may indicate that aridity or seasonal aridity/precipitation, not temperature or pCO2, was a greater driver of C4 abundance during the Pleistocene. Collectively, these data suggest that regional climatic and environmental interpretations can be improved by using an aridity index and a more detailed understanding of mammalian paleobiology.
Sex differences in the evaluation and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders among children

Background: One of the most consistent features of the autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is the predominance among males, with approximately four males to every female. We sought to examine sex differences among children who met case definition for ASD in a large, population-based cohort with respect to age at first developmental evaluation, age of diagnosis, influence of cognitive impairment on these outcomes, and sex-specific behavioral characteristics. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of data collected for a population-based study of the prevalence of ASD. The sample comprised 2,568 children born in 1994 who met the case definition of ASD as established by the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network for ASD surveillance. Children who had a history of developmental disability and behavioral features consistent with the DSM-IV-TR criteria for autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, and Pervasive Developmental DisordereNot Otherwise Specified in existing evaluation records were classified as ASD cases via two paths: streamlined and nonstreamlined. Streamlined reviews were conducted if there was an ASD diagnosis documented in the records. Data were collected in 13 sites across the United States through the ADDM Network, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Results: Males constituted 81% of the sample. There were no differences by sex in average age at first evaluation or average age of diagnosis among those with an existing documented chart diagnosis of an ASD. Girls were less likely than boys to have a documented diagnosis (odds ratio [OR] 5 0.76, p 5 .004). This analysis was adjusted for cognitive impairment status. In the logistic model, with the interaction term for sex and cognitive impairment, girls with IQ of 70 or less were less likely than boys with IQ of 70 or less to have a documented diagnosis (OR 5 0.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 5 0.50-0.97, p 5 .035). Boys with IQ greater than 70 were less likely than boys with IQ of 70 or less to have a documented diagnosis (OR 5 0.60, 95% CI 5 0.49-0.74, p ! .001). This finding (less likely to have a documented diagnosis) was also true for girls with IQ greater than 70 (OR 5 0.45, 95% CI 5 0.32-0.66, p ! .001). Girls were more likely to have notations of seizure-like behavior ( p ! .001). Boys were more likely to have notations of hyperactivity or a short attention span and aggressive behavior ( p ! .01). Conclusions: Girls, especially those without cognitive impairment, may be formally identified at a later age than boys. This may delay referral for early intervention. Community education efforts should alert clinicians and parents to the potential of ASDs in boys and
Unrealistic optimism about susceptibility to health problems: conclusions from a community-wide sample

A mailed questionnaire was used to obtain comparative risk judgments for 32 different hazards from a random sample of 296 individuals living in central New Jersey. The results demonstrate that an optimistic bias about susceptibility to harm-a tendency to claim that one is less at risk than one's peers—is not limited to any particular age, sex, educational, or occupational group. It was found that an optimistic bias is often introduced when people extrapolate from their past experience to estimate their future vulnerability. Thus, the hazards most likely to elicit unrealistic optimism are those associated with the belief (often incorrect) that if the problem has not yet appeared, it is unlikely to occur in the future. Optimistic biases also increase with the perceived preventability of a hazard and decrease with perceived frequency and personal experience. Other data presented illustrate the inconsistent relationships between personal risk judgments and objective risk factors.
Fracture toughness of a composite reinforced with bone-shaped short fibers

Abstract Low fracture toughness has been one of the major drawbacks of short-fiber composites, which is caused mostly by the fiber–matrix interface. A strong interface is required for effective load transfer from the matrix to the fiber. However, a strong interface makes it difficult to relieve the fiber stress concentration in front of an approaching crack, thus resulting in low fracture toughness. On the other hand, a weak interface will lead to an easy fiber pull-out, making the short fibers ineffective in bridging and arresting a propagating crack. We have recently found that bone-shaped-short (BSS) fibers can effectively bridge cracks and increase fracture toughness by transferring load through the enlarged fiber ends while having a weak interface. In this paper, we present our results from both experiments and computational modeling to show the advantages of BSS fibers in improving the fracture toughness.
Blood pressure and pulse wave velocity measurement for operant conditioning of autonomic responding

Presently available procedures for measuring blood pressure are not completely satisfactory for Es wishing to investigate the operant conditioning of cardiovascular activity. A system is described for measuring a correlate of the blood pressure information obtained with conventional sphygmomanometric systems. The procedure involves the measurement of speed of propagation through the arterial system of the pressure pulse from the heart’s contraction. This speed, the pulse wave velocity, is closely related to cuff-derived blood pressure. Many of the problems present with current sphygmomanometric systems are absent with this apparatus and procedure. The apparatus can be assembled from common instruments or constructed from integrated circuits. Data collected with the apparatus confirm earlier studies which indicate that pulse wave velocity is correlated with sphygmomanometrically measured blood pressure and is a valuable cardiovascular response measure.
Lack of an association between a dopamine-4 receptor polymorphism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: genetic and brain morphometric analyses.

Although the etiology of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is likely multifactorial, family,1 adoption,2 and twin studies3 suggest that genetic factors contribute significantly. Polymorphisms of the dopamine 4 receptor (DRD4) affect receptor binding,4 and one allele with seven tandem repeats in exon 3 (DRD4*7R) has been associated with ADHD.5,6 We examined this putative association in 41 children with severe ADHD and 56 healthy controls who were group matched for ethnicity and sex. The frequency of the DRD4*7R allele did not vary by diagnosis (0.220 vs 0.205 in patients and controls, respectively). Behavioral and brain anatomic MRI measures, previously found to discriminate patients from controls,7 did not differ significantly between subjects having and those lacking a DRD4*7R allele. These data do not support the reported association between DRD4*7R and the behavioral or brain morphometric phenotype associated with ADHD.
Ligand Binding Is the Principal Determinant of Stability for the p21H-ras Protein†

p21(H-ras) is a 21 kDa, alpha/beta sheet protein that, as a member of the GTPase superfamily, acts as a molecular switch in signal transduction pathways. The essential role of GDP and Mg2+ in maintaining the inactive conformation of p21(H-ras) prompted a study of the influence of these ligands on its structure and stability. The urea-induced equilibrium unfolding transitions for the ternary (p21.GDP.Mg2+), binary (p21.GDP) and apo (p21) forms of p21(H-ras) at pH 7.5 and 25 degreesC were monitored by absorbance and circular dichroism spectroscopies. The cooperative disruptions of the secondary and tertiary structures for all three forms are well-described by a two-state model. Global analysis of the equilibrium unfolding data yields a free energy of folding in the absence of urea and under standard state conditions of 14.1 +/- 0.2 kcal mol-1, 7.5 +/- 0.4 kcal mol-1 and 1.8 +/- 0.2 kcal mol-1 for ternary, binary and apo forms, respectively. Near- and far-UV circular dichroism spectra of these three forms of p21(H-ras) show that removal of the Mg2+ from the ternary complex loosens the aromatic side chain packing but leaves the secondary structure largely unchanged. The removal of both GDP and Mg2+ completely releases the side chain packing but leaves a substantial fraction of the secondary structure intact. These results demonstrate that ligands play a significant role in the stability and structure of the p21.GDP.Mg2+ complex. The amino acid sequence itself only contains sufficient information to direct the formation of a large portion of the secondary structure in a molten globule-like state. Ligand binding is required to drive the formation of specific tertiary structure.
BPS: A Performance Metric of I/O System

It is known that I/O system rather than CPU and memory is the performance killer of many of the newly emerged data intensive applications. Evaluating and understanding I/O system performance has become a timely issue facing the high performance computing community. Conventional I/O performance metrics, such as Input/Output Operations Per Second (IOPS), bandwidth, response time, etc., are effective for traditional I/O environments. However, as I/O systems become more and more complex, existing I/O metrics become less and less able to catch the characteristic of I/O systems performance. In this study, we reveal the limitations of existing metrics, and introduce a novel I/O metric, Blocks Per Second (BPS), to measure the performance of the I/O systems. A unique merit of BPS is that it provides an overall I/O system performance, not the file system performance or disk performance. This is very important; since with concurrency and optimization at the I/O stacks, file system performance and disk performance no long represent the data access performance. In fact, they are often misleading. A methodology is designed to measure BPS, and experiments are conducted with various I/O access patterns and storage configurations. Experimental results show that BPS is significantly more appropriate than existing metrics in I/O performance evaluation.
Principles of Good Practice in SoTL

For the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) to be understood as significant intellectual work in the academy, SoTL practitioners need to identify shared principles of good practice. While honoring the diversity of SoTL in its many forms across the globe, such principles can serve as a heuristic for assessing work in our field. These principles include (1) inquiry into student learning, (2) grounded in context, (3) methodologically sound, (4) conducted in partnership with students, and (5) appropriately public. Taken together, these five principles can be guideposts for developing and refining individual SoTL inquiries and larger SoTL initiatives. These principles also can clarify and demystify SoTL to those on our campuses who evaluate our work, helping us to make the case for institutional resources and support for SoTL. Even more importantly, these principles articulate a vision of a scholarship that enhances, perhaps even transforms, teaching and learning in higher education.
Microsurgical laser scalpel based on spectroscopic feedback: the Smart Scalpel

To improve the effectiveness of microsurgical techniques, we have developed a semi-autonomous robotic surgical tool (called the 'Smart Scalpel') as an alternative approach to the treatment of vascular lesions. The Smart Scalpel employs optical reflectance spectroscopy and computer vision to identify and selectively target blood vessels with a focused treatment laser. Since the laser only heats along the diseased blood vessels, collateral damage to adjacent healthy tissue is substantially minimized. The Smart Scalpel also employs rapid real-time feedback analysis for on-line modification of the treatment parameters, quantification of treatment efficacy and compensation for motion tremor. These capabilities allow precise control over the energy dosimetry to achieve optimal treatment result. This paper presents the design of a prototype instrument, methods of the image analysis, and preliminary results with animal models.
Kinins, the long march--a personal view.

Time for primary review days “Science betokens the most complete renunciation of the pleasure-principle of which our minds are capable.”1 Sigmund Freud. “Oh boy, was he wrong!”2 When asked to write a review article for Cardiovascular Research, I was not sure what the aim of such an endeavor should be. To make a complete list of reports on kinins and kallikreins by now could overload even the hard drive of a computer. A review article on hypotensive peptides in 1966 cited over 600 references and another one in 1968 on bradykinin alone listed 897 ones [1]. Should this brief review be very selective in quoting contributions or a jeremiad of all the near and not-so-near misses made in research? Then I realized that the stated aim of this series of articles is to reflect on how some major research findings were made—in my case, in the field of peptides and peptidases—or maybe how some of them just happened, since the persons who made the initial fundamental discoveries are not with us anymore. Braun-Menendez, Page, Frey, Werle, Rocha e Silva, Beraldo, Erspamer, von Euler and the others cannot look back to reveal more on the beginnings of their explorations. Briefly, as requested by the editor, this is a personal story of how studying peptide excretion in human urine [2] led much later to show, beyond peptidase inhibition, the other ways of how angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors can act [3,4]. The components of the complex kallikrein–kinin–kininase system share some properties with those of the renin–angiotensin (Ang)-ACE system. The earliest common feature in the two cascades was the very negative reception, a gut reaction, that greeted the discoverers and the discoveries. (I.H. Page, personal communication, E. Werle, personal communication). Innovative discoveries frequently face strenuous efforts to attribute … * Tel.: +1-312-996-9146; fax: +1-312-996-1648
Combining Univariate Tests for Multivariate Location Problem

In this article, three methods of combining dependent univariate tests are studied. The Bahadur approximate efficiencies are derived under the asymptotic normal assumption. These procedures are applied to the multivariate location problem and compared with two Hotelling-type tests. A Monte Carlo study indicates that in certain cases the powers of the combination methods are much better than Hotelling's T 2 and other multivariate nonparametric tests.
Empedocles'hymn to Apollo

Although ancient testimonies credit Empedocles with a larger number of works,1 editors and other scholars have been unanimous in dividing the preserved fragments between two, the physical poem and the Katharmoi. Diels' decisions in particular have enjoyed great authority; for while on the sequence of fragments within each of these two works debate was bound to continue, his distribution of the material between the two poems has by and large gone unchallenged. The main exception is B 131-134 which Diels placed in the Katharmoi, even though B 134 is definitely attested for Book III of 7npiL wVws. Actually of the forty-two fragments which Diels assigned to the Katharmoi only one (B 112) is explicitly identified (by Diogenes Laertius, 8.62) as a passage of this work, and it must be admitted that the revolutionary efforts of N. van der Ben2 who proposes to shift more than two-thirds of these fragments to the proem of nrrpi c'aews do not conflict with any item of ancient evidence. The very limited objective which I am pursuing excludes a scrutiny of van der Ben's arguments. I must content myself with expressing my conviction that the great majority of the fragments in question have found their rightful home in the Katharmoi. Yet B131-134, the passages bearing on the true nature of the deity, continue to present a serious problem or, to put it more precisely, two problems. For Tzetzes quotes B134 from the Third Book of nTpi CaEWS,3 which means that if we accept his testimony we must not only transfer B 134 and the three other fragments to the physical poem but must admit for this work the existence of a Third Book in opposition to Diels who was adamant about limiting it to two. The arguments which Diels4 used to discredit Tzetzes' attribution are rather subjective. After the well reasoned protests of Bignone, Kahn and Zuntz5 we may as well admit the existence of a Third Book of wEpl pVtUEWS; but it is essential to realize what this amounts to. For regardless of what view we take of the original "publication" and later transmission of Empedocles' poems subjects on which we might as well confess our abysmal ignorance6 no author of the fifth century B.C., whether man or god (see B23. 11; 111.4), produced an authoritative or standard edition of his own works and settled once for all their division into Books. Generally speaking, such divisions were fixed by the Alexandrians.7 Whether
Guilt by association

Positional cloning of common disease genes is a central but elusive goal of human geneticists. Progress is now reported by Bell and colleagues in their study of NIDDM1, a locus implicated in type 2 diabetes. The complex nature of the reported association illustrates the challenge of implicating a specific gene and mutation in the causation of polygenic disease.
Cation diffusion in fluorite single crystals

Abstract Tracer diffusion of strontium in CaF 2 , SrF 2 and BaF 2 can be represented by the following equations D CaF 2 = 1.72 × 10 5 exp ( −4.37 kT ) (1000°–1200°C) D SrF 2 = 1.09 × 10 4 exp ( −4.30 kT ) (1000°–1200°C) D BaF 2 = 4.45 × 10 3 exp ( −3.75 kT ) (1000°–1200°C) Diffusion is probably due to some Schottky disorder in this range. The large values of Q and D o could be explained in terms of excess impurity-induced anion vacancies and/or cation diffusion by means of associated vacancy pairs.
Relationship between Intelligence and Vocabulary

This study explored the correlations of scores on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III in screening language problems and scores on the three Comprehensive Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Test subscales. Participants were 243 students ages 6 to 17 years in Grades K-11 who were identified as learning disabled, learning disabled with speech impairment, mentally retarded, and speech impaired. Analysis indicated strong correlations between the two measures, particularly between the CREVT General Vocabulary and WISC-III Verbal IQ (r = .80), WISC-III Verbal Comprehension Index (r =.83), and the Vocabulary subtest (r =.76). These results held across the grades. Supporting earlier studies of relationships of Verbal IQ and Receptive Vocabulary, correlations were lower between participants in Grades K through 2 than those in higher grades on the WISC-III Verbal IQ and the Receptive Vocabulary subtest. An analysis of the accuracy of the WISC-III for classifying students with language problems indicated improvement in classification over chance. These findings suggest that the WISC-III may be an effective screen for language problems.
Modeling and Optimizing the Public-Health Infrastructure for Emergency Response

Public-health emergencies, such as bioterrorist attacks or pandemics, demand fast, efficient, large-scale dispensing of critical medical countermeasures. By combining mathematical modeling, large-scale simulation, and powerful optimization engines, and coupling them with automatic graph-drawing tools and a user-friendly interface, we designed and implemented RealOpt©, a fast and practical emergency-response decision-support tool. RealOpt allows public-health emergency coordinators to (1) determine locations for point-of-dispensing (POD) facility setup; (2) design customized and efficient floor plans for PODs via an automatic graph-drawing tool; (3) determine required labor resources and provide efficient placement of staff at individual stations within a POD; (4) perform disease-propagation analysis, understand and monitor the intra-POD disease dilemma, and help to derive dynamic response strategies to mitigate casualties; (5) assess resources and determine minimum needs to prepare for treating their regional populations in emergency situations; (6) carry out large-scale virtual drills and performance analyses, and investigate alternative strategies; and (7) design a variety of dispensing scenarios that include emergency-event exercises to train personnel. These advanced and powerful computational strategies allow emergency coordinators to quickly analyze design decisions, generate feasible regional dispensing plans based on best estimates and analyses available, and reconfigure PODs as an event unfolds. The ability to analyze planning strategies, compare the various options, and determine the most cost-effective combination of dispensing strategies is critical to the ultimate success of any mass dispensing effort.
Oncocytoma: The Vanishing Parotid Mass

SUMMARY: Parotid gland oncocytoma is an uncommon, benign salivary neoplasm composed of mitochondria-rich oncocytes. The purpose of this study was to correlate MR imaging and histopathology of parotid gland oncocytomas and to define the features that may distinguish these neoplasms from other benign and malignant parotid gland tumors. The MR imaging features in 9 patients with a pathologic diagnosis of oncocytoma were retrospectively reviewed. The imaging features were strikingly similar for 8 of the 9 patients. All lesions appeared T1 hypointense but isointense to the native parotid gland on fat-saturated T2 and postcontrast T1 imaging. On MR imaging, parotid gland oncocytomas share specific imaging characteristics that have not been described for benign or malignant parotid gland tumors. Oncocytomas are isointense to native parotid gland on fat-saturated T2 and T1 postcontrast MR images. Preoperative identification of correct histology may help surgical planning.
Rapid release of plasmid DNA from polyelectrolyte multilayers: A weak poly(acid) approach

We demonstrate an approach to the assembly of DNA-containing polyelectrolyte multilayers that can be used to promote rapid release of DNA from surfaces. The approach is based on layer-by-layer incorporation of poly(acrylic acid) to promote rapid erosion in physiologically relevant media.
The impact of rental properties on the value of single-family residences

Abstract This study examines the effects that single-family rental properties in a residential neighborhood have on the value of single-family residences in that area. The analysis blends real estate valuation concepts with evidence found in the housing maintenance literature and urban succession theory to develop testable hypotheses regarding the property-specific, proximity-related, and neighborhood-wide impacts of rental properties on property values. The data used to test the hypotheses include the tenure status of 23,119 single-family residences and 1,162 single-family sales. Regression results support all three hypotheses. Although numerous studies on the value impacts of other externalities have been published, this is the first study to examine the separation of property rights. The results of this study provide additional insights into housing maintenance and also have implications for neighborhood zoning regulations.
Risk factors associated with pregnancies containing a monochorionic pair following assisted reproductive technologies

BACKGROUND: Although several factors have been identified to predispose to an increased incidence of monozygotic twinning in assisted reproductive technologies (ART), the relative risks associated with each have yet to be fully established. Moreover, the focus has been predominantly on monozygosity, which, in the absence of monochorionicity, does not increase perinatal risk. The present objective was to undertake an analysis of the relative risks of factors associated with monochorionic pairs resulting from ART. METHODS: Study cycles included the last cycle, of each patient undergoing ART at Brigham and Women’s Hospital from January 1998 to December 2004, that resulted either in a pregnancy with a monochorionic pair (n 5 41) or a pregnancy without a monochorionic pair at 12 weeks (n 5 2460). We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to identify factors significantly associated with a monochorionic pair. RESULTS: Independent predictors of a monochorionic pair were assisted hatching (OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.06‐4.67), ICSI (OR 2.42, 95% CI 1.22‐4.83) and Day 5 embryo transfer (OR 2.48, 95% CI 1.62‐3.80). The effects of ICSI and Day 5 transfer were amplified when cycles involved both interventions. CONCLUSIONS: ICSI and Day 5 embryo transfer synergistically increase the risk of monochorionic placentation. Patients undergoing these procedures should be counselled regarding these increased risks.
A Simulation Task to Assess Students&#8217; Design Process Skill

Research has shown that the quality of one's design process is an important ingredient in expertise. Assessing design process skill typically requires a performance assessment in which students are observed (either directly or by videotape) completing a design and assessed using an objective scoring system. This is impractical in course-based assessment. As an alternative, we developed a computer-based simulation task, in which the student respondent "watches" a team develop a design (in this instance a software design) and makes recommendations as to how they should proceed. The specific issues assessed by the simulation were drawn from the research literature. For each issue the student is asked to describe, in words, what the team should do next and then asked to choose among alternatives that the "team" has generated. Thus, the task can be scored qualitatively and quantitatively. The paper describes the task and its uses in course-based assessment
Conditional cash transfers, shocks, and school enrolment in Nicaragua.

Abstract This work estimates the impacts of a Nicaraguan cash transfer programme that pays households conditional on school attendance and family visits to health clinics and seminars. A model explores the impact on school enrollment of cash transfers given differences in household wealth, labour market opportunities, and negative shocks. A difference-in-difference estimation for distinct wealth cohorts reveals that the programme led to a significant improvement in school enrollment outcomes among poor households in coffee-cultivating communities. The results cast doubt, however, on proposals that broadly link conditional cash transfers to negative shocks.
Heuristic solution techniques for no-notice emergency evacuation traffic management

When responding to unanticipated emergency events, time is of the essence. This paper proposes a heuristic algorithm for staged traffic evacuation, referred to as HASTE, which is shown to approximate a solution to the cell transmission-based many-to-one dynamic system optimum (DSO) traffic assignment problem. The proposed algorithm does not contain traffic holding, is fast enough for online applications, and produces evacuee routing schedules as its output. As an application of HASTE, a mixed 0-1 integer programming extension to the DSO is proposed to identify critical signalized intersection locations in the network for deployment of a limited number of police officers aimed at improving network throughput and further minimizing evacuee exposure time to the hazard. For the combined problem, a genetic algorithms-based solution procedure is proposed that uses HASTE for solution fitness. Efficiency and quality of the heuristic strategies are demonstrated via numerical experiments for moderately sized problems.
Role of aspartyl-(asparaginyl)-β-hydroxylase mediated notch signaling in cerebellar development and function.

Background: Aspartyl-(Asparaginyl)-b-Hydroxylase (AAH) is a hydroxylating enzyme that promotes cell motility by enhancing Notch-Jagged-HES-1 signaling. Ethanol impaired cerebellar neuron migration during development is associated with reduced expression of AAH. Methods: To further characterize the role of AAH in relation to cerebellar development, structure, and function, we utilized an in vivo model of early postnatal (P2) intracerebro-ventricular gene delivery to silence AAH with small interfering RNA (siAAH), or over-express it with recombinant plasmid DNA (pAAH). On P20, we assessed cerebellar motor function by rotarod testing. Cerebella harvested on P21 were used to measure AAH, genes/proteins that mediate AAH’s downstream signaling, i.e. Notch-1, Jagged-1, and HES-1, and immunoreactivity corresponding to neuronal and glial elements. Results: The findings demonstrated that: 1) siAAH transfection impaired motor performance and blunted cerebellar foliation, and decreased expression of neuronal and glial specific genes; 2) pAAH transfection enhanced motor performance and increased expression of neuronal and glial cytoskeletal proteins; and 3) alterations in AAH expression produced similar shifts in Notch-1, Jagged-1, and HES-1 protein or gene expression. Conclusions: The results support our hypothesis that AAH is an important mediator of cerebellar development and function, and link AAH expression to Notch signaling pathways in the developing brain.
Bioremediation of a PCB-contaminated soil via composting

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were widely used in the past and now contaminate many industrial and natural areas. In this study, a PCB-contaminated soil from a former paper mill was mixed with a yard trimmings amendment and composted in field scale piles to determine the effect of soil to amendment ratio on PCB degradation. Temperature, oxygen concentrations, and a number of other environmental parameters that influence microbial activity during composting were monitored. The PCBs in contaminated soil had a concentration of 16 ±1 mg/kg dw and an average of 4 chlorines per biphenyl. The soil was composted with five levels of yard trimmings amendment (14% to 82% by weight) in pilot scale compost piles (25 m3) turned once per month. Results showed up to a 40% loss of PCBs with amendment levels of 60% and 82%. Congener specific PCB analysis indicated that less chlorinated PCB congeners (1-3 chlorines per biphenyl) were preferentially degraded. Bench-scale studies indicated that less than 1% of the PCBs in ...