cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epidemiology of Ebstein anomaly: Prevalence and patterns in Texas, 1999–2005†

Ebstein anomaly is a rare but serious cardiac defect, however, little is known about the etiology of this condition. The goal of this study was to expand our limited understanding of the epidemiology of Ebstein anomaly. Data for cases with Ebstein anomaly, as well as all live births, were obtained from the Texas Birth Defects Registry (TBDR) and Center for Health Statistics for the period 1999–2005. Descriptive analyses and estimates of birth prevalence and crude prevalence ratios were used to characterize this defect in Texas during the study period. There were 188 definite cases of Ebstein anomaly identified in the TBDR. The overall prevalence was 0.72 per 10,000 live births. Variables associated with an increased prevalence of non-syndromic Ebstein anomaly included: maternal age >39 years (compared to those 20–24 years), maternal residence along the Texas–Mexico border (compared to non-border residence), and conception in fall or winter (compared to summer). In addition, infants with Ebstein anomaly were at a greater risk of preterm birth and being small for gestational age. These findings help to define subgroups of women at increased risk of having offspring affected by Ebstein anomaly. Furthermore, our findings add to the limited body of literature on this rare but serious malformation. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Rapid synthesis of nanostructured Cu–TiO2–SiO2 composites for CO2 photoreduction by evaporation driven self-assembly

Nanostructured copper doped titania–silica (Cu–TiO2–SiO2) photocatalyst composite particles were directly formed in a rapid manner by evaporation driven self-assembly of nanocolloids in a furnace aerosol reactor (FuAR). Aqueous suspensions of nanosized TiO2 and SiO2 colloids and copper nitrate solution were used as precursors. The size, composition, and porosity of the composite particles were tailored by manipulating the precursor concentration, stoichiometric ratio, and synthesis temperature, respectively. The as-prepared composite particles were characterized by means of SEM, TEM, XRD, UV-VIS, and nitrogen physisorption measurements, to determine particle diameter, morphology, crystallinity, absorption band, surface area, and pore size. CO2 photoreduction was conducted inside a quartz reactor under illumination of UV light followed by GC analysis. The results revealed that the composite particles were submicrometre-sized mesoporous spheres with average pore sizes of 20 to 30 nm, having optimal molar percentages of TiO2 and Cu to the whole particle of 2% and 0.01%, respectively, achieving a relatively high CO2 conversion efficiency, i.e. a CO yield of approximately 20 μmol/g TiO2/h.
Modifying a branched surface to carry a foliation

Abstract We consider C 1 nonsingular flows on a closed 3-manifold under which there is no transverse disk that flows continuously back into its own interior. We provide an algorithm for modifying any branched surface transverse to such a flow ϕ that terminates in a branched surface carrying a foliation F precisely when F is transverse to ϕ . As a corollary, we find branched surfaces that do not carry foliations but that lift to ones that do.
Acceleration of Wound Healing with High Voltage, Monophasic, Pulsed Current

The purpose of this study was to determine whether high voltage electrical stimulation accelerates the rate of healing of dermal ulcers. Sixteen patients with stage IV decubitis ulcers, ranging in age from 20 to 89 years, participated in the study. The patients were assigned randomly to either a Treatment Group (n = 9) or a Control Group (n = 7). Patients in the Treatment Group received daily electrical stimulation from a commercial high voltage generator. Patients in the Control Group had the electrodes applied daily but received no stimulation. The ulcers of patients in the Treatment Group healed at a mean rate of 44.8% a week and healed 100% over a mean period of 7.3 weeks. The ulcers of patients in the Control Group increased in area an average of 11.6% a week and increased 28.9% over a mean period of 7.4 weeks. The results of this study suggest that high voltage stimulation accelerates the healing rate of stage IV decubitis ulcers in human subjects.
Pretransplant lymphopenia is a novel prognostic factor in cytomegalovirus and noncytomegalovirus invasive infections after liver transplantation

Infection after liver transplantation (LT) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The risk of infection after LT is highest in those who are most immunosuppressed, but to date, no standard blood marker of one's degree of immunosuppression or risk index has been established. The purpose of this study was to determine whether pretransplant lymphopenia (absolute lymphocyte count < 500 cells/mm3 within 24 hours before LT) is a candidate marker of immunosuppression and could be useful in predicting the risk of cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease and non-CMV invasive infections after LT. Data were extracted from medical records for all primary, solitary LT procedures performed at Tufts Medical Center from 1999 to 2009. Two hundred seventy-six patients had sufficient data to be included in the analysis. Among these patients, 52% developed CMV or non-CMV invasive infections within 5 years of LT. Within 2 years, 23 (8%) had CMV disease, and 103 (37%) at least 1 non-CMV invasive infection. More lymphopenic patients than nonlymphopenic patients developed CMV (21% versus 4%, P < 0.001) and non-CMV invasive infections (50% versus 33%, P = 0.02). In a multivariate survival analysis, pretransplant lymphopenia was the strongest independent predictor of CMV disease [hazard ratio (HR) = 5.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.31-13.1, P = 0.001] after adjustments for known risk factors, including CMV serostatus (HR = 4.72, 95% CI = 2.01-11.1, P < 0.001). Both pretransplant lymphopenia (HR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.14-2.53, P = 0.03) and CMV (HR = 2.93, 95% CI = 1.23-6.92, P = 0.02) independently predicted non-CMV infections. Our results suggest that pretransplant lymphopenia is a novel independent predictor of both CMV disease and non-CMV invasive infections after LT and is a candidate marker of immunosuppression in LT recipients. Liver Transpl 20:1497-1507, 2014. © 2014 AASLD.
Sample transparency effects in tin determination by x-ray fluorescence

A method is presented for the accurate trace determination of tin by wavelength-dispersive x-ray fluorescence with a rhodium tube. Because Sn Kα radiation and the incident radiation are very penetrating, sample transparency corrections and special background corrections are required. Explicit equations are derived for transparency corrections with polychromatic incident radiation. The 1/r2 dependence of incident intensity strongly affects the corrections. Using a simple, semi-empirical correction procedure, and synthetic standards ranging from Al2O3 to Fe2O3, a calibration graph had a standard error of the estimate of only 1.8%. The detection limit is typically 3.5–4 ppm.
Predictors of Violent Behavior in an Early Adolescent Cohort: Similarities and Differences Across Genders

The authors assessed a cohort of 2,335 students from the Minneapolis, Minnesota, area to identify predictors of violent behavior and to determine whether the predictors varied by gender. The sample was 76% White; boys and girls were equally represented. The majority lived with two parents. A measure of violent behavior collected at the end of the eighth-grade year (2000) was entered into Poisson regression against baseline data collected at the beginning of the seventh-grade year (1998). Predictors of violent behavior influencing both boys and girls included depressive symptoms, perceived invulnerability to negative future events, paternal nonauthoritative behavior, and drinking alcohol. Additional predictors of violent behavior specific to girls included both risk and protective factors.
Work in Progress: Project MathWORKS! Introducing Operations Research to High Schools

Project MathWORKS! reaches out to high school math and science instructors, introduces them to operations research methods that help solve real-world problems, and excites them into teaching math in ways that help improve student learning. Instructors and undergraduates at the United States Military Academy conduct workshops that relate mathematical ideas to familiar context - such as reducing waiting time in a fast food restaurant, maximizing profit for a manufacturing company, or choosing of the most appropriate college upon graduating from high school - so that high school instructors can then incorporate the material into their classrooms. MathWORKS! seeks to introduce practical methods and tools that help promote the love of learning, dispel the notion that mathematics is incomprehensible, and empower teachers and students alike with the capacity and imagination to leverage math in the solution of everyday problems. In short, MathWORKS! aims to show that math does actually work
Cardiac monitoring after phenytoin overdose

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether patients admitted to the hospital with oral phenytoin overdose should receive cardiac telemetry monitoring. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review over a 4-year period. SETTING: Eastern United States community teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Forty-four patients admitted with a diagnosis of oral phenytoin overdose, with a toxic serum concentration defined as a peak level higher than 20 micrograms/ml, who had electrocardiography performed both at the time of admission and after the phenytoin level had decreased below the toxic threshold. INTERVENTIONS: None. RESULTS: Chi-square, t test, and Fisher's exact tests were used for analysis. Mean peak phenytoin concentration was 36.7 +/- 12.1 micrograms/ml, with a maximum concentration of 75 micrograms/ml. Electrocardiograms recorded at the time of hospital admission in all 44 cases revealed no clinically significant abnormalities attributable to phenytoin when toxic and posttoxic states were compared. There were no circulatory complications or deaths. CONCLUSION: Patients admitted with oral phenytoin overdose with serum concentrations as high as 75 micrograms/ml did not experience any significant cardiovascular arrhythmias or complications. Patients with oral phenytoin overdose do not warrant routine admission to a telemetry bed for management of their condition.
Variation and sensitivity in spectral thermal IR emissivity measurements

Changes of spectra due to changes of variations in the physical features of the surface and view angle can impact the processing and exploitation of thermal IR hyperspectral images and need to be understood. To help accomplish this, FTIR spectrometer measurements were made on a set of known targets over a period of three days in order to assess the precision and repeatability of thermal IR spectral emissivity measurements of the effects of view direction and surface roughness. These measurements are intended to provide validation data for the model and advance our capability to make precise measurements of emissivity in the field. Two types of rock targets, each with three roughness classes and at three view nadir angles were measured over three consecutive days. The results within days were very consistent. Emissivity for the 60 degree view was shifted downward: a sensitivity analysis was conducted to explain this and other variations and is discussed in this paper. The spectra for the large rock size class tended to be lower than targets with smaller rocks. Preliminary modeling results will be presented.
Ailanthus altissima Wilt and mortality: etiology.

Extensive, unprecedented wilt and mortality of the highly invasive tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) occurred recently within mixed-hardwood forests in south-central Pennsylvania. Until this study, the cause of the epidemic was unknown. Verticillium albo-atrum was consistently isolated from symptomatic Ailanthus seedlings and trees in areas having high levels of mortality, whereas V. dahliae was isolated from small scattered patches of diseased Ailanthus. Inoculations of potted Ailanthus seedlings in the greenhouse, as well as canopy trees in the field, revealed that both V. albo-atrum and V. dahliae were capable of infecting Ailanthus, but V. albo-atrum was more pathogenic. All Ailanthus seedlings and canopy trees inoculated with V. albo-atrum died within 3 months. In contrast, Ailanthus seedlings and canopy trees inoculated with V. dahliae became symptomatic, but 84% were still living 1 year following inoculation. We conclude that the major cause of Ailanthus wilt within forests of south-central Pennsylvania is V. albo-atrum. Pending further studies, including risk analysis, V. albo-atrum may be considered as a possible biocontrol agent for invasive Ailanthus.
A case-control analysis of survival outcomes in sinonasal carcinosarcoma.

Abstract Purpose Carcinosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor of mixed epithelial and mesenchymal origin. In the head and neck, carcinosarcoma most commonly affects the salivary glands. Primary sinonasal carcinosarcoma (SN-CS) is exceedingly rare. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 15 cases of SN-CS obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database from 1973 to 2010. Case-matched cohorts of non-sinonasal carcinosarcoma (NS-CS), salivary gland carcinosarcoma (SG-CS) and carcinosarcoma at all other head and neck sites (NonSNSG-CS) were used for comparison. Results Women made up 60.0% of the SN-CS cohort and whites 73.3%. Tumors originated in the nasal cavity in 46.7% of cases, and from the maxillary sinus in 33.3%. In 66.7% of cases, tumors were poorly differentiated (histologic grades III and IV). Surgery with radiotherapy was the primary treatment modality in 46.7% of cases. Five-year disease-specific survival (DSS) was 48.5% for SN-CS compared to 65.5% for the case-matched SG-CS cohort (p = 0.2950), whereas it was 76.9% for the case-matched NonSNSG-CS cohort (p = 0.0406). Conclusion SN-CS is a rare tumor. Here we present the largest known cohort of SN-CS and report on its demographic, clinicopathologic and survival features. Our results suggest that patients with SN-CS have DSS comparable to the case-matched cohort of SG-CS patients. However, SN-CS patients have significantly poor survival outcomes compared to the case-matched cohort of NonSNSG-CS patients.
Progress in Greenhouse Climate Modeling

This article discusses past greenhouse climates with an emphasis on recent progress in the comparison of models and data in the Eocene. These past climates—about 10°C warmer than mod- ern—provide valuable lessons in the climate dynamics of a world with higher-than-modern greenhouse- gas concentrations, reduced temperature gradients, and a lack of polar ice. Some key points that emerge from this analysis are: 1) Past greenhouse climates are characterized by warmer-than-modern global mean temperatures and winter season warmth, as well as strong polar amplification of warming that generates weak meridional temperature gradients. 2) A trade-off exists between heat transport in a warmer world and a world with smaller temperature gradients; a range exists in which a warmer world with weak tem- perature gradients can transport as much heat as a cooler world with stronger gradients. 3) These features can be reproduced in models if global mean and tropical temperatures are allowed to increase signifi- cantly over modern values. 4) Local radiative-convective feedbacks play an important role, perhaps dominating over transport, or acting in conjunction with transport to maintain relatively warm, weak tem- perature gradient climates. 5) Past greenhouse climates appear to have many of the modern modes of variability from orbital to interannual. 6) Modeling efforts are most useful when done independently of proxy data; model output can then be compared with proxies to evaluate potential weaknesses in the model. 7) Model-data mismatch might be due to incorrect boundary or initial conditions or resolution, or to missing or incomplete representation of relevant physics. 8) Refinements and new developments in proxies for temperature and other variables offer much potential for discriminating among the next gen- eration of modeled scenarios, thereby allowing a better understanding of the conditions under which greenhouse climates exist.
Estimating gluconeogenic rates in NIDDM.

Lactate and alanine are the major precursors of glucose formed in liver by gluconeogenesis. However, incorporation of 14C, when those precursors are labeled with 14C, cannot be used to quantitate rates of gluconeogenesis. That is because an intermediate in the formation of the glucose is oxaloacetate, i.e. alanine and lactate → pyruvate → oxaloacetate → glucose, and oxaloacetate is also an intermediate in the tricarboxylic acid cycle(Figure 1). Consequently, labeled carbon in oxaloacetate, formed from the labeled precursors, exchanges with unlabeled carbon in oxaloacetate formed in the cycle from acetyl-CoA.
Condensate-enclosed chiral-bag model of the proton and pp elastic scattering at LHC 13 TeV

Our investigation of high energy pp and pp elastic scattering over the last ten years has led us to consider that the proton has three regions: (i) an outer region consisting of a quark–antiquark (qq) condensate ground state (also described as quark–antiquark outer cloud), (ii) an inner shell of topological (geometrical) baryonic charge of size ∼ 0.44 fm, and (iii) a core of size ∼ 0.2 fm, where the three valence quarks of a proton with baryonic charges are confined. The proton structure that has emerged leads to four main elastic scattering processes in pp scattering. The first process (which gives rise to diffraction scattering) is described by a profile function. The second process involves multiple ω-exchanges. The third process in pp scattering is quark–quark scattering via gluon–gluon interaction. The fourth process — which appears for the first time in our investigation of pp scattering — is a glancing collision at the boundary of a proton with that of the other proton. To describe quantitatively the four processes, their parameters have to be determined. For this purpose, we investigate: (i) pp 7 TeV dσ/dt measured by the TOTEM Collaboration and (ii) pp 1.96 TeV dσ/dt measured by the D0 Collaboration. Once the parameters are satisfactorily obtained, we calculate pp dσ/dt at 7 TeV and compare with the TOTEM data. We also calculate pp dσ/dt at 1.96 TeV and compare with the D0 data. We then predict pp elastic dσ/dt at 13 TeV which will soon be measured at LHC by the TOTEM Collaboration. This measurement will establish how well we have predicted the 13 TeV dσ/dt and determined the structure of the proton.
EARTHQUAKE SYSTEM SCIENCE: POTENTIAL FOR SEISMIC RISK REDUCTION

Earthquakes in megacities such as Tehran and Los Angeles pose huge risks that could jeopardize national prosperity and social welfare. Quantifying urban seismic risk is a di cult problem because it requires detailed knowledge of the natural and the built environments, as well as an understanding of both earthquake and human behaviors. Risk assessments can be improved through international collaborations that combine the expertise of earthquake scientists and engineers. The most e ective strategies are seismic safety engineering, enforced through stringent building codes and disaster preparations informed by realistic scenarios of large earthquake cascades. These strategies rely on the ability to forecast earthquakes and their e ects and to monitor earthquake cascades in near real time. The practical problems of risk reduction are, thus, coupled to the basic problems of earthquake system science: the interseismic dynamics of fault systems and the coseismic dynamics of fault rupture and groundmotion excitation. In the United States, the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) coordinates an extensive research program in earthquake system science, which includes major e orts to improve time-dependent earthquake rupture forecasts through better understanding of earthquake predictability and to develop attenuation relationships that correctly model the physics of seismic wave propagation. Earthquake system science relies on the premise that detailed studies of fault systems in di erent regions can be synthesized into a generic understanding of earthquake phenomena. Achieving such a synthesis will depend on international partnerships that facilitate the development and comparison of well-calibrated regional models, and it will require the deployment of a cyberinfrastructure that can facilitate the creation and ow of information required to predict earthquake behavior. In the not-too-distant future, we will be able to incorporate much more physics into seismic hazard and risk analysis through physics-based, system-level simulations.
Probing Protein 3D Structures and Conformational Changes Using Electrochemistry-Assisted Isotope Labeling Cross-Linking Mass Spectrometry

This study presents a new chemical cross-linking mass spectrometry (MS) method in combination with electrochemistry and isotope labeling strategy for probing both protein three-dimensional (3D) structures and conformational changes. For the former purpose, the target protein/protein complex is cross-linked with equal mole of premixed light and heavy isotope labeled cross-linkers carrying electrochemically reducible disulfide bonds (i.e., DSP-d0 and DSP-d8 in this study, DSP = dithiobis[succinimidyl propionate]), digested and then electrochemically reduced followed with online MS analysis. Cross-links can be quickly identified because of their reduced intensities upon electrolysis and the presence of doublet isotopic peak characteristics. In addition, electroreduction converts cross-links into linear peptides, facilitating MS/MS analysis to gain increased information about their sequences and modification sites. For the latter purpose of probing protein conformational changes, an altered procedure is adopted, in which the protein in two different conformations is cross-linked using DSP-d0 and DSP-d8 separately, and then the two protein samples are mixed in 1:1 molar ratio. The merged sample is subjected to digestion and electrochemical mass spectrometric analysis. In such a comparative cross-linking experiment, cross-links could still be rapidly recognized based on their responses to electrolysis. More importantly, the ion intensity ratios of light and heavy isotope labeled cross-links reveal the conformational changes of the protein, as exemplified by examining the effect of Ca2+ on calmodulin conformation alternation. This new cross-linking MS method is fast and would have high value in structural biology.
The Methodist Mission to the Slaves, 1829-1844

7HIE abolitionists were quite insistent that by classifying people as property, the institution of slavery tended to the dehumanization of the slaves. In reply, one southern Methodist editor, William Capers, retorted that slavery "tended TO THE SALVATION OF THE NEGROES."' From his own experience Capers believed that the abolitionists were overstating their case, for he was not only the editor of the Southern Christian Advocate but also the foremost promoter of the Methodist mission to the slaves. While not taken seriously by some historians, and only casually mentioned by most, the mission to the slaves was the South's conscientious alternative to antislavery activity-the Methodist Episcopal Church's peculiar work in the peculiar institution. And although a survey of the mission demonstrates the extent of Methodist subservience to slavery, it also reveals the nature of the only institution in the South which could and did work for the Negroes. The Methodists had always claimed to preach a gospel which benefitted the slaves, but their mission was founded against a background of compromise. That compromise was first made with slaveholders after Baptists and Methodists converted many Negroes in revolutionary Virginia during the evangelical revivals. Prompted by John Wesley's hatred of slavery, by Quaker example, and by their own consciences, Methodists preached salvation and emancipation until wary masters proscribed the work among the Negroes. Consequently the Church gradually modified its rules on slavery as Bishop Francis Asbury led his circuit riders in making preaching to the slaves the alternative to preaching against slavery.2
Glycocalyx Remodeling with Proteoglycan Mimetics Promotes Neural Specification in Embryonic Stem Cells

Growth factor (GF) signaling is a key determinant of stem cell fate. Interactions of GFs with their receptors are often mediated by heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs). Here, we report a cell surface engineering strategy that exploits the function of HSPGs to promote differentiation in embryonic stem cells (ESCs). We have generated synthetic neoproteoglycans (neoPGs) with affinity for the fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and introduced them into plasma membranes of ESCs deficient in HS biosynthesis. There, the neoPGs assumed the function of native HSPGs, rescued FGF2-mediated kinase activity, and promoted neural specification. This glycocalyx remodeling strategy is versatile and may be applicable to other types of differentiation.
The Ghetto Marketing Life Cycle: A Case of Underachievement:

The author describes the life cycle of research on ghetto marketing and concludes that the contribution has been too little, too trivial, and too late. Recommendations for further research as well ...
DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF A PHYSIOLOGICALLY BASED PHARMACOKINETIC MODEL FOR ETHANOL IN THE MOUSE

The purpose of the present study was to develop a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model in the mouse and to utilize it to evaluate the relative contribution, if any, of gastric alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) to the bioavailability of ethanol. The PBPK model developed in Swiss Webster male mice accurately simulated blood and brain ethanol concentrations following an intraperitoneal administration of 0.82 and 3.2 g of ethanol/kg body weight Application of the model illustrated that inclusion of gastric ADH into the model provided a less accurate fit to the experimental data, and therefore gastric ADH did not contribute to the overall disposition of an orally administered ethanol dose of 0.75 g/kg. Furthermore, the model also indicated that changes in percentage cardiac output to the liver had a minimal effect on the blood ethanol concentration (BEQ time curve. The results illustrate the validity of the PBPK model developed for ethanol and demonstrate that in the Swiss Webster male mouse the bioavailability of ethanol is minimally affected, if at all, by metabolism by gastric ADH.
An optimization model for improving highway safety

Abstract This paper developed a traffic safety management system (TSMS) for improving safety on county paved roads in Wyoming. TSMS is a strategic and systematic process to improve safety of roadway network. When funding is limited, it is important to identify the best combination of safety improvement projects to provide the most benefits to society in terms of crash reduction. The factors included in the proposed optimization model are annual safety budget, roadway inventory, roadway functional classification, historical crashes, safety improvement countermeasures, cost and crash reduction factors (CRFs) associated with safety improvement countermeasures, and average daily traffics (ADTs). This paper demonstrated how the proposed model can identify the best combination of safety improvement projects to maximize the safety benefits in terms of reducing overall crash frequency. Although the proposed methodology was implemented on the county paved road network of Wyoming, it could be easily modified for potential implementation on the Wyoming state highway system. Other states can also benefit by implementing a similar program within their jurisdictions.
Role of cytokines in myocardiac remodeling

Structural remodeling of the ventricular wall is a key determinant of clinical outcome in heart disease.The triggers of cytokine release in the acute infarction period include mechanical deformation,ischemic stimulus,and cytokine selfamplification pathways.Acutely,the release of tumor necrosis factor,IL-1 and IL-6,transforming growth factor families of cytokines,contribute to survival or deaths of myocytes,modulation of cardiac contractility.This leads to myocardiac remodeling but also initiates the processes of wound healing.Chronically,sustained presence of cytokines leads to myocyte phenotype transition and activation of matrix metalloproteinases.Such remodeling involves the production and destruction of extracellular matrix proteins,cell proliferation and migration,and apoptotic and necrotic cell death.Cardiac fibroblasts are crucially involved in these processes,producing growth factors and cytokines that act as autocrine and paracrine factors,as well as extracellular matrix proteins and proteinases.This in turn alters the local collagen composition and also the integrins that constitute the interface between myocytes and the matrix.
81‐4: Glass Light Guide Plate for Large Edge Lit LED LCD TV Application

Coring Iris™ Glass is a new high transmission glass for LCD back lighting applications. This paper reviews its mechanical and optical properties, contrasts them with polymeric materials currently in use, and demonstrates its benefit in ultra-slim LCD TV applications.
Post-translational processing of chicken bone phosphoproteins. Identification of the bone phosphoproteins of embryonic tibia.

In order to understand the mechanism of the post-translational processing of bone phosphoproteins in embryonic bone, periosteal bone strips isolated from 12-day-embryonic-chick tibiae were cultured and the bone proteins labelled with Na2H32PO4. Of the total radiolabelled proteins recovered from the medium and bone extracts in the absence of SDS (‘medium’, ‘EDTA extract’ and ‘EDTA/guanidinium chloride extract’), nearly 80% of the radioactivity was found in the EDTA extract. The three major radiolabelled phosphoproteins in the EDTA extract of apparent Mr 68,000, 63,000 and 58,000 reacted with polyclonal as well as monoclonal antibodies raised against ‘32-kDa’ and ‘150-kDa’ bone phosphoproteins which were derived from 14-week-old chicken. Therefore these phosphorylated embryonic proteins are identified as chicken bone phosphoproteins. Judging from their common N-terminal sequences, differences in the patterns obtained by labelling them with several radioisotopes, and slightly different amino acid compositions, these components seem to have been derived from the same original protein by sequential proteolytic cleavage and other processing such as glycosylation and phosphorylation.
Large changes of transition-state structure during experimental evolution of an enzyme.

The question of whether, during the evolution of an enzyme, the transition state of the catalysed reaction is largely unchanged, or whether transition state and protein change together, was examined using the egb beta-galactosidases of Escherichia coli. Charge development at the first chemical state was assumed [Konstantinidis and Sinnott (1991) Biochem. J. 279, 587-593] to be proportional to delta delta G++, the ratio of second-order rate constants for the hydrolysis of beta-D-galactopyranosyl fluoride and 1-fluoro-D-galactopyranosyl fluoride, expressed as a free-energy difference. delta delta G++ (kJ.mol-1) falls from 10.4 for wild-type enzyme to 6.8 and 7.2 as a consequence of two different single amino-acid changes (which arise from single evolutionary events), to 6.3 as a consequence of the two amino-acid changes together, and then increases slightly to 7.3 as a consequence of a third single evolutionary change involving three further amino-acid changes.
The effect of shortening on energy liberation and high energy phosphate hydrolysis in frog skeletal muscle.

It is generally assumed that the increased rate of energy liberation (as heat and work, h+w) accompanying shortening stems from an increased rate of crossbridge cycling and ATP hydrolysis. Experiments were performed to test two premises of this assumption: first, is the increased rate of heat production accompanying shortening derived from crossbridge activity? This question was answered by measuring the amount of shortening heat produced by a fixed displacement of 0.3 μm/sarcomere in the sarcomere length range of 2.25–3.75 μm. Shortening heat declines linearly with decreasing amounts of thick and thin filament overlap and becomes zero at a sarcomere spacing of ca. 3.70 μm. Secondly, the extent to which the measured consumption of high energy phosphate accounts for the measured tetanic (h+w) production during and after shortening for 300 ms at a velocity of Vmax or ½Vmax was examined. The results of these experiments showed that within 700 ms of the end of shortening at both velocities, all the (h+w) could be explained by the hydrolysis of ATP. At Vmax all the (h+w) produced by the end of shortening could be explained by the measured ATP hydrolysis. However, at Vmax less than half of the (h+w) produced by the end of shortening could be explained by the measured ATP splitting and there was a high rate of ATP splitting after the end of shortening. These results suggest that while shortening at velocities ≦Vmax the energy liberation is indeed derived from an increased rate of ATP hydrolysis by crossbridges, at Vmax the crossbridge ATPase cycle differs somewhat from that at lower shortening velocities.
Brain stimulation and functional imaging with fMRI and PET

The use of functional brain imaging techniques, including positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), has allowed for monitoring neuronal and neurochemical activities in the living human brain and identifying abnormal changes in various neurological and psychiatric diseases. Combining these methods with techniques such as deep brain stimulation (DBS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has greatly advanced our understanding of the effects of such treatment on brain activity at targeted regions as well as specific disease-related networks. Indeed, recent network-level analysis focusing on inter-regional covarying activities in data interpretation has unveiled several key mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of brain stimulation. However, non-negligible discrepancies have been reported in the literature, attributable in part to the heterogeneity of both imaging and brain stimulation techniques. This chapter summarizes recent studies that combine brain imaging and brain stimulation, and includes discussion of future direction in these lines of research.
The Proteomics of Saliva in Sjögren's Syndrome.

One of the main characteristics of primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) is chronic dysfunction and destruction of the salivary and lacrimal glands; their secretory biofluids should reflect the glandular biological status. Saliva is a heterogeneous biofluid comprised of biomolecules and omics constituents that are altered in response to various diseases. Scientific effort has evaluated saliva proteome to diagnose, monitor, and prognosticate pSS. This article reviews the recent advances in salivary proteomics in the context of pSS, highlighting the most significant and promising findings. Determining saliva as a credible means of early disease detection could lead to translational advantages and significant clinical opportunities for pSS.
The Indian Novel

Despite occasional puzzlements, critics judged Howards End to be not only Forster’s best but ‘the most significant novel of the year’. It was ‘head and shoulders above the great mass of fiction now claiming a hearing’. It was ‘a novel of high talent — the highest’, ‘a book in which his highly original talent has found full and ripe expression’. The Standard’s reviewer declared that Mr Forster had arrived, ‘and, if he never writes another line, his niche should be secure’.1
Insurgency and counterinsurgency

Any discussion of insurgency and counterinsurgency must begin with a definition of terms, for the language of irregular warfare has become as elusive as the guerrillas themselves. ‘Revolution’, ‘subversion’, ‘guerrilla warfare’, ‘partisan warfare’, and ‘insurgency’ are spoken of with little precision, as though they were synonymous. The confusion is compounded by the fact that the language of what Donald Robinson has called the ‘dirty wars’ has become emotionally charged.1
Results and Open Questions in the Asymptotic Theory of Reaction-Diffusion Equations

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the global bounded solutions of reaction–diffusion equations Ut = DΔu + f(u), and more particularly, about these solutions' possible long-time asymptotic states. It presents an assumption, where u is an ℝm-valued function of x belongs to ℝn and t belongs to ℝ+, D is a matrix with non-negative elements (most commonly diagonal), and Δ is the Laplace operator. Systems of this type have wide application in various physical and biological sciences. When these systems are used to model natural phenomena, it is often desirable to study the ultimate behavior of their solutions. For example, it is important to know which solutions exist globally, which approach constant equilibrium states as t →∞, and whether other stable spatial and/or temporal structures appear. The chapter focuses on the conditions under which the latter is the case and, even more specifically, under which x-dependent asymptotic structures appear.
Prototype for X (PFX): A holistic framework for structuring prototyping methods to support engineering design

While scholars have studied benefits and drawbacks of prototype development, few have attempted to create a holistic framework to structure prototyping and combine insights from across technical domains. An extensive literature review of prototyping research and study of novice designers' mental models of prototyping is used to develop and validate a set of specifications for a holistic and structured prototyping framework. This work then introduces a novel framework to help structure prototyping, Prototype for X (PFX), as an alternative to traditional prototyping approaches in engineering design. Early results highlight the potential impact PFX can have on the design process and on the final design product compared to those achieved through ‘prototyping in the wild’. Future research directions are also discussed.
On-chip inductor DCR self-calibration technique for high frequency integrated multiphase switching converters

Phase current imbalance could cause hazardous hot spots and severe heat distribution issues in integrated multiphase converters. Targeting at one most significant cause of phase current imbalance — inductor DC resistance (DCR) mismatch, this paper presents an online self-calibration technique that detects the DCR mismatch and calibrates the phase average inductor currents automatically. The circuits associated with the technique add ignorable power and silicon cost to the system, but balance phase currents effectively and precisely. The technique is verified in a four phase current-mode hysteretic controlled buck converter that is designed in a 0.35μm CMOS process. The converter delivers 9.6W peak power with a maximum chip power density of 5W/mm2 and a peak efficiency of 87.2% at 10MHz. At a nominal load of 4A and with ±20% industrial standard L and DCR mismatches, the proposed technique reduces the maximum phase current imbalance from 460mA to 25mA and improved the efficiency by about 1%.
Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections in the Setting of Mesh Implants

Mid-urethral polypropylene mesh slings are widely accepted as a standard for surgical management of stress urinary incontinence due to a low complication rate and superior efficacy. Synthetic mesh implants used to augment female pelvic prolapse repairs gained popularity following introduction of these slings. Mesh implants for prolapse have been under increased scrutiny after the FDA safety notification was published in 2008 due to a higher than anticipated complication rate. While the complication rate of mesh slings used for incontinence is low, both incontinence mesh and prolapse mesh are associated with similar types of complications. These include mesh exposure, pain, voiding dysfunction, and infections. The majority of available literature describes the incidence of acute urinary tract infections in the immediate postoperative period, specifically after mid-urethral sling procedures for incontinence. The rates of de novo recurrent urinary tract infections and risk factors for these infections after polypropylene mesh placement are not well-characterized. The incidence of recurrent urinary tract infections after polypropylene mesh-augmented surgery for stress urinary incontinence and for pelvic organ prolapse is low. Risk factors for recurrent urinary tract infections after surgery include urinary retention, need for indwelling or intermittent catheterization, and preoperative history of recurrent urinary tract infections. While multiple theories exist, the current literature has not been able to determine risk factors for de novo recurrent urinary tract infections after mesh-augmented surgery in women without urinary retention or prior history of recurrent urinary tract infections. While some have suggested that the implant is coated with a bacterial biofilm resulting in chronic low levels of bacterial shedding, and thus predisposing certain individuals to chronic recurrent urinary tract infections, this theory remains unproven. It is also not known if revision of the mid-urethral slings or if removal of the mesh implant in women in this subgroup will result in the resolution of recurrent infections.
Skin Surface Temperatures Measured by Thermal Imaging Aid in the Diagnosis of Cellulitis.

Warmth is a characteristic but nondiagnostic feature of cellulitis. We assessed the diagnostic utility of skin surface temperature in differentiating cellulitis from pseudocellulitis. Adult patients presenting to the emergency department of a large urban hospital with presumed cellulitis were enrolled. Patients were randomized to dermatology consultation (n = 40) versus standard of care (n = 32). Thermal images of affected and unaffected skin were obtained for each patient. Analysis was performed on dermatology consultation patients to establish a predictive model for cellulitis, which was then validated in the other cohort. Of those evaluated by dermatology consultation, pseudocellulitis was diagnosed in 28%. Cellulitis patients had an average maximum affected skin temperature of 34.1°C, which was 3.7°C warmer than the corresponding unaffected area (95% confidence interval = 2.7–4.8°C, P P = 0.44). Temperature differences between sites were greater in cellulitis patients than in pseudocellulitis patients (3.7 vs. 0.2°C, P = 0.002). A logistic regression model showed that a temperature difference of 0.47°C or greater conferred a 96.6% sensitivity, 45.5% specificity, 82.4% positive predictive value, and 83.3% negative predictive value for cellulitis diagnosis. When validated in the other cohort, this model gave the correct diagnosis for 100% of patients with cellulitis and 50% of those with pseudocellulitis. A difference threshold of 0.47°C or greater between affected and unaffected skin showed an 87.5% accuracy in cellulitis diagnosis.
Double Indirect Interlayer Exciton in a MoSe2/WSe2 van der Waals Heterostructure

An emerging class of semiconductor heterostructures involves stacking discrete monolayers such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) to form van der Waals heterostructures. In these structures, it is possible to create interlayer excitons (ILEs), spatially indirect, bound electron–hole pairs with the electron in one TMD layer and the hole in an adjacent layer. We are able to clearly resolve two distinct emission peaks separated by 24 meV from an ILE in a MoSe2/WSe2 heterostructure fabricated using state-of-the-art preparation techniques. These peaks have nearly equal intensity, indicating they are of common character, and have opposite circular polarizations when excited with circularly polarized light. Ab initio calculations successfully account for these observations: they show that both emission features originate from excitonic transitions that are indirect in momentum space and are split by spin–orbit coupling. Also, the electron is strongly hybridized between both the MoSe2 and WSe2 layers, wit...
Common-mode noise reduction with impedance balancing in DC-fed motor drives

Unlike conventional passive or active filters, an impedance balancing circuit reduces the common-mode (CM) electromagnetic interference (EMI) noise by establishing an impedance balancing bridge. The EMI noise can be significantly reduced when the impedance bridge is designed to be well balanced. This paper investigates impedance balancing circuits in Dc-fed motor drive systems where both DC input and AC output need to meet EMI standards and thus EMI filters are needed for both sides. An impedance balancing circuit is proposed to reduce both DC and AC side CM noise. Two auxiliary branches are added to the conventional passive filters to establish an impedance bridge and reduce CM noise. The design criteria are presented, and the impact of the proposed impedance balancing circuit on both sides CM noise are investigated. It shows that the proposed impedance balancing circuit can reduce DC side and AC side CM noise based on different mechanisms. The CM noise reduction performance of the proposed method does not depend on the motor and cable models. Experiment results are presented to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.
Study of Residual Networks for Image Recognition.

Deep neural networks have demonstrated a high potential on image classification tasks while presenting new computational challenges to the machine learning community. Due to the complexity and vanishing gradient problem, it normally takes longer time and more computational power to train deeper neural networks. To address some of these issues, deep Residual Networks (ResNets) can expedite the training process and attain more accuracy compared to their equivalent neural networks without the residual connections. ResNets often achieve this improvement by adding a simple skip connection parallel to convolutional layers in neural networks. Although over the past few years, ResNets have proven to be effective in advancing the performance of deep learning models, the best practices and trade-offs regarding adding residual connections to deep networks, and the exact improvement and disadvantages of these connections during the learning process are not well understood. In this project, we designed ResNet models that can perform a simple image classification task on the Tiny ImageNet datasets. For control, we then compare the performance of these ResNet models with their equivalent Convolutional Network (ConvNet) by removing the residual connections. Our findings illustrate that despite their higher accuracy, ResNets are more prone to overfitting, and that may depend on the depth of the network. We show that several methods to prevent overfittings, such as adding dropout layers and stochastic augmentation of the training dataset can be effective in attenuating this problem in ResNets.