The stability of duplexes involving AT and/or G4EtC base pairs is not dependent on their AT/G4EtC ratio content. Implication for DNA sequencing by hybridization

Sequencing by the recently reported hybridization technique requires the formation of DNA duplexes with similar stabilities. In this paper we describe a new strategy to obtain DNA duplexes with a thermal stability independent of their AT/GC ratio content. Melting data were acquired on 35 natural and 27 modified duplexes of a given length and of varying base compositions. Duplexes built with AT and/or G4EtC base pairs exhibit a thermal stability restrained to a lower range of temperature than that of the corresponding natural compounds (16 instead of 51 degrees C). The 16 degrees C difference in thermal stability observed between the least stable and the most stable duplex built with AT and/or G4EtC base pairs is mainly due to the sequence effect and not to their AT/G4EtC ratio content. Thus N -4-ethyl-2'-deoxycytidine (d4EtC) hybridizes specifically with natural deoxyguanosine leading to a G4EtC base pair whose stability is very close to that of the natural AT base pair. Oligonucleotide probes involving d4EtC can be easily prepared by chemical synthesis with phosphoramidite chemistry. Modified DNA targets were successfully amplified by random priming or PCR techniques using d4EtCTP, dATP, dGTP and dTTP in the presence of DNA polymerase. This new system might be very useful for DNA sequencing by hybridization.     

Retail yield and fabrication times for veal as influenced by purchasing options and merchandising styles

Twenty-nine selected styles of subprimals or sections of veal were obtained from a commercial facility to assist in the development of a support program for retailers. They were fabricated into bone-in or boneless retail cuts and associated components by trained meat cutters. Each style selected (n = 6) was used to generate mean retail yields and labor requirements, which were calculated from wholesale and retail weights and processing times. Means and standard errors for veal ribs consisting of five different styles (n = 30) concluded that style #2, 7-rib 4 (10 cm) x 4 (10 cm), had the lowest percentage of total retail yield (P < .05) owing to the greatest percentage of bone. Furthermore, rib style #2 required the longest total processing time (P < .05). Rib styles #3, 7-rib chop-ready, and #5, 6-rib chop ready, yielded the greatest percentage of total retail yield and also had the shortest total processing time (P < .05). Within veal loins, style #2, 4 (10 cm) x 4 (10 cm) loin kidney fat in, had the greatest percentage fat (P < .05). Loin styles #2 and #3, 4 (10 cm) x 4 (10 cm) loin special trimmed, generated more lean and fat trimmings and bone, resulting in lower percentage of total retail yields than loin style #1, 0 (0 cm) x 1 (2.5 cm) loin special trimmed (P < .05). Results indicated that bone-in subprimals and sections required more processing time if fabricated into a boneless end point. In addition, as the number of different retail cuts increased, processing times also increased.     

Abdominal T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the gamma/delta type in a patient with selective immunoglobulin A deficiency

A 28-year-old man presented with selective immunoglobulin A deficiency and severe diarrhea responding to a gliadin-free diet. Biopsy samples of the small intestine showed dense T-cell infiltrations in the lamina propria and a slight increase of intraepithelial T-lymphocytes. No clonal rearrangement of the T-cell receptor c-beta chain genes was detectable by Southern blotting. Four years later, at the age of 32, the patient was hospitalized again with liver failure, abdominal lymphadenopathy, pancytopenia, and recurrent bacterial infections. Retrospective polymerase chain reaction analysis of formalin-fixed tissues of the intestinal biopsy samples obtained 4 years earlier showed monoclonal T-cell receptor gamma-chain gene rearrangement. Lymphoid cells of the peripheral blood showed an immunophenotype of CD3-positive gamma/delta T cells with a negativity for CD4 and CD8. A clonally rearranged T-cell receptor delta chain gene and a germline configuration of the c-beta chain genes was found by Southern blotting. Cytogenetics showed an abnormal karyotype with unbalanced translocations t(1;5) and t(9;13). The patient died of extensive lung infiltrations by gamma/delta T cells; autopsy showed a peripheral T-cell lymphoma of the gamma/delta type in the enlarged abdominal lymph nodes. This is the first report of an abdominal T-cell lymphoma of the gamma/delta type in a patient with selective immunoglobulin A deficiency.     

小鹰500飞机获颁型号许可证

中国民用航空局向中航通飞华北飞机工业有限公司颁发了小鹰500飞机型号合格证（TC证）。这标志着中航通色华北公司将完全拥有了小鹰500飞机设计、制造知识产权。     

Surgical management of total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage: impact of coexisting cardiac anomalies

BACKGROUND: Recent reports have cited improving results for surgical management of isolated total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage. Complex cases (with other cardiac anomalies) are less frequently reported and are associated with higher mortality. METHODS: Retrospective review identified 170 consecutive patients treated for total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage from 1982 to 1996: 44 cases were "complex" (with significant associated cardiac lesions) and 126 cases were "simple." RESULTS: Operative mortality for simple cases decreased from 26% to 8%, and mortality for complex cases remained constant at 52%. Age, size, and the presence of atrial isomerism were univariate predictors of mortality. Multivariable analysis identified only univentricular hearts and associated cardiac lesions as predictors of operative mortality. Pulmonary artery (n = 16) and arteriopulmonary (n = 7) shunting strategies for complex cases resulted in less than 30% long-term survival. CONCLUSIONS: Despite improvement in survival for simple cases, management of total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage with single-ventricle hearts or other associated cardiac lesions remains problematic.     

Gremlin: an interactive visualization model for analyzing genomic rearrangements

In this work we present, apply, and evaluate a novel, interactive visualization model for comparative analysis of structural variants and rearrangements in human and cancer genomes, with emphasis on data integration and uncertainty visualization. To support both global trend analysis and local feature detection, this model enables explorations continuously scaled from the high-level, complete genome perspective, down to the low-level, structural rearrangement view, while preserving global context at all times. We have implemented these techniques in Gremlin, a genomic rearrangement explorer with multi-scale, linked interactions, which we apply to four human cancer genome data sets for evaluation. Using an insight-based evaluation methodology, we compare Gremlin to Circos, the state-of-the-art in genomic rearrangement visualization, through a small user study with computational biologists working in rearrangement analysis. Results from user study evaluations demonstrate that this visualization model enables more total insights, more insights per minute, and more complex insights than the current state-of-the-art for visual analysis and exploration of genome rearrangements.     

Using visual design experts in critique-based evaluation of 2D vector visualization methods

We describe an experiment in which art and illustration experts evaluated six 2D vector visualization methods. We found that these expert critiques mirrored previously recorded experimental results; these findings support that using artists, visual designers and illustrators to critique scientific visualizations can be faster and more productive than quantitative user studies. Our participants successfully evaluated how well the given methods would let users complete a given set of tasks. Our results show a statistically significant correlation with a previous objective study: designers' subjective predictions of user performance by these methods match users measured performance. The experts improved the evaluation by providing insights into the reasons for the effectiveness of each visualization method and suggesting specific improvements.     

Scientific sketching for collaborative VR visualization design

We present four studies investigating tools and methodologies for artist-scientist-technologist collaboration in designing multivariate, virtual reality (VR) visualizations. Design study 1 identifies the promise of 3D drawing-style interfaces for VR design and also establishes limitations of these tools with respect to precision and support for animation. Design study 2 explores animating artist-created visualization designs with scientific 3D fluid flow data. While results captured an accurate sense of flow that was advantageous as compared to the results of study 1, the potential for visual exploration using the design tools tested was limited. Design study 3 reveals the importance of a new 3D interface that overcomes the precision limitation found in study 1 while remaining accessible to artist collaborators. Drawing upon previous results, design study 4 engages collaborative teams in a design process that begins with traditional paper sketching and moves to animated, interactive, VR prototypes "sketched" by designers in VR using interactive 3D tools. Conclusions from these four studies identify important characteristics of effective artist-accessible VR visualization design tools and lead to a proposed formalized methodology for successful collaborative design that we expect to be useful in guiding future collaborations. We call this proposed methodology Scientific Sketching.     

Arthrodial joint markerless cross-parameterization and biomechanical visualization

Orthopedists invest significant amounts of effort and time trying to understand the biomechanics of arthrodial (gliding) joints. Although new image acquisition and processing methods currently generate richer-than-ever geometry and kinematic data sets that are individual specific, the computational and visualization tools needed to enable the comparative analysis and exploration of these data sets lag behind. In this paper, we present a framework that enables the cross-data-set visual exploration and analysis of arthrodial joint biomechanics. Central to our approach is a computer-vision-inspired markerless method for establishing pairwise correspondences between individual-specific geometry. Manifold models are subsequently defined and deformed from one individual-specific geometry to another such that the markerless correspondences are preserved while minimizing model distortion. The resulting mutually consistent parameterization and visualization allow the users to explore the similarities and differences between two data sets and to define meaningful quantitative measures. We present two applications of this framework to human-wrist data: articular cartilage transfer from cadaver data to in vivo data and cross-data-set kinematics analysis. The method allows our users to combine complementary geometries acquired through different modalities and thus overcome current imaging limitations. The results demonstrate that the technique is useful in the study of normal and injured anatomy and kinematics of arthrodial joints. In principle, the pairwise cross-parameterization method applies to all spherical topology data from the same class and should be particularly beneficial in instances where identifying salient object features is a nontrivial task.