cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A phase II study on the postsurgical management of stage II malignant melanoma with a Newcastle disease virus oncolysate

A Newcastle disease virus lysate of malignant melanoma cells was examined for its possible value in delaying the progression of malignant melanoma with palpable regional node disease (Stage II) to disseminated melanoma (Stage III). This Phase II study was carried out in a group of 32 patients following therapeutic lymphadenectomy. The patients were not prospectively randomized. In each patient, the viral oncolysate was administered subcutaneously at regular intervals over 3 years. The cumulated progressions to disseminated disease at 1, 2 and 3 years were 6%, 8% and 12% of the study group, respectively. These experienced losses were considerably lower than in the control group and in similar control groups described by other investigators. The results suggest that an oncolysate prepared with Newcastle disease virus is a helpful adjunct to surgery in the management of Stage II malignant melanoma.
Growth of a black hole

Abstract This paper studies the interpretation of physics near a Schwarzschild black hole. A scenario for creation and growth is proposed that avoids the conundrum of information loss. In this picture the horizon recedes as it is approached and has no physical reality. Radiation is likely to occur, but it cannot be predicted.
Smart walking: A new method for Boltzmann sampling of protein conformations

A new Monte Carlo algorithm is presented for the efficient sampling of protein conformation space called the Smart-Walking (S-Walking) method. The method is implemented using a hybrid Monte Carlo protocol. The S-Walking method is closely related to the J-Walking method proposed by Frantz et al. (J. Chem. Phys. 93, 2769, 1990). Like the J-Walking method, the S-Walking method runs two walkers, one at the temperature of interest, the other at a higher temperature which more efficiently generates ergodic distributions. Instead of sampling from the Boltzmann distribution of the higher temperature walker as in J-Walking, S-Walking first approximately minimizes the structures being jumped into, and then uses the relaxed structures as the trial moves at the low temperature. By jumping into a relaxed structure, or a local minimum, the jump acceptance ratio increases dramatically, which makes the protein system easily undergo barrier-crossing events from one basin to another, thus greatly improving the ergodicity o...
The independent distribution of amino acid near neighbor pairs into polypeptides.

Abstract With the assumption that individual amino acids are independently distributed into naturally occurring polypeptide chains, it is shown that amino acid pairs with 0–2 arbitrary intervening residues are also independently distributed, with a few possible exceptions. This is not true of N- and C-terminal amino acids.
P2G-2 Capacitively Coupled VHF Silicon Bulk Acoustic Wave Filters

This work reports on the implementation of VHF MEMS bandpass filters by capacitive coupling of Silicon Bulk Acoustic wave Resonators (SiBAR) fabricated using the HARPSS-on-SOI fabrication process. Such resonators operate in their horizontal width extensional modes with quality factors (Q) in the range of 10,000-100,000. With the comparatively large electrode area and deep submicron capacitive transduction gaps these resonators have also exhibited relatively low impedances. Compared with existing technologies such as quartz crystals, SAW filters, capacitively-coupled SiBARs have demonstrated the smallest form factor high-Q filters in the VHF range that can be integrated with silicon electronics on a common substrate. Filters with center frequencies up to 150MHz are demonstrated by coupling of two SiBAR resonators in their fundamental width- extensional modes. Tuning of the filter bandwidth by varying the DC polarization voltages on the resonators is investigated.
Mechanisms of valve competency after mitral valve annuloplasty for ischaemic mitral regurgitation using the Geoform ring: insights from three-dimensional echocardiography

Aims Left ventricular remodelling leads to functional mitral regurgitation resulting from annular dilatation, leaflet tethering, tenting, and decreased leaflet coaptation. Mitral valve annuloplasty restores valve competency, improving the patient’s functional status and ventricular function. This study was designed to evaluate the mechanisms underlying mitral valve competency after the implantation of a Geoform® annuloplasty ring using three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography. Methods and results Seven patients (mean age of 65 years) with ischaemic mitral regurgitation underwent mitral valve annuloplasty with the Geoform ring and coronary artery bypass surgery. Pre- and post-operative 3D echocardiograms were performed. Following mitral annuloplasty, mitral regurgitation decreased from 3.4 ± 0.2 to 0.9 ± 0.3 ( P -value < 0.0001), mitral valve tenting volume from 13 ± 1.7 to 3.2 ± 0.3 mL ( P -value < 0.001), annulus area from 12.6 ± 1.0 to 3.3 ± 0.2 cm2 ( P -value < 0.0001), valve circumference from 13 ± 0.5 to 7.3 ± 0.3 cm ( P -value < 0.0001), septolateral distance from 2.1 ± 0.1 to 1.4 ± 0.06 cm ( P -value < 0.01) and intercommissural distance from 3.4 ± 0.1 to 2.7 ± 0.03 cm ( P -value < 0.03). There was significant decrease in the septolateral distance at the level of A2–P2 with respect to other regions. These geometric changes were associated with the improvement in the NYHA class from 3.1 ± 0.3 to 1.3 ± 0.3 ( P -value < 0.002). Conclusion The mitral valve annuloplasty with the Geoform® ring restores leaflet coaptation and eliminates mitral regurgitation by effectively modifying the mitral annular geometry.
Hyperglycemic hyperosmolar non-ketotic syndrome in children with type 2 diabetes*.

Objective: Hyperglycemic hyperosmolar non-ketotic (HHNK) syndrome is thought to be a rare entity in the pediatric population, associated with significant mortality based on case reports in the literature. As obesity and type 2 diabetes in childhood grow in prevalence, such related complications may also increase. This study will serve to provide updated information regarding typical clinical course and sequelae of HHNK syndrome in childhood. Methods: Patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) over a period of 5 yr were screened retrospectively for any laboratory evidence of previous episodes of HHNK syndrome. The standard diagnostic criteria of blood glucose >600 mg/dL and serum osmolality >330 mOsm/L with only mild acidosis (serum bicarbonate >15 mmol/L and small ketonuria 15 mg/dL or less) were utilized. Results: The records of all patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) diagnosed over a 5-yr period were reviewed (n = 190). Seven patients were found to have one episode of HHNK syndrome by diagnostic criteria (five males, mean age at presentation 13.3 yr, age range 10.1–16.9 yr), yielding a frequency of 3.7%. All were African-American. HHNK syndrome was the clinical presentation at diagnosis of new onset diabetes for all seven children. Three of seven children had a previously diagnosed developmental delay. The average Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score at presentation was 13 (range 9–15). Mean body mass index (BMI) at presentation was 32.7 kg/m2 (n = 6). Mean serum osmolality was 393 mOsm/L (n = 7), and mean blood glucose was 1604 mg/dL (n = 7). The average time until mental status returned to baseline among survivors was 3 d (range 1–7 d). The average number of hospital days for survivors was 10 (range 5–24 d). Four of seven patients had an uncomplicated course. One patient developed multisystem organ failure and died on hospital day 4. The case fatality rate was 14.3% (one of seven). Survivors had no appreciable neurodevelopmental sequelae. Conclusions: This retrospective chart review provides updated information regarding the entity of HHNK syndrome in children. This study supports the need for increased awareness of type 2 diabetes in children so that morbidity and mortality related to HHNK syndrome can be prevented.
A conscious‐authentic leadership approach in the workplace: Leading from within

This study combines components of the relatively nascent concepts of conscious leadership and authentic leadership. It is a synopsis of a recent empirical study comparing two groups of companies and their respective CEOs. Each group is comprised of three companies. Group I is led by CEOs who use a conscious-authentic leadership approach in the workplace. They infuse their personal values, beliefs, and relational leadership behavior into the policies, practices, and employee programs within their respective organizations to achieve specific organizational outcomes. Group II CEOs do not use this leadership approach. The companies selected for study were categorized by disinterested third parties in the business community. This study explores the perceptions of the employees of both groups and the impact of the conscious-authentic leadership model on organizational behavior and specific organizational outcomes in the workplace. The organizational outcomes tested in this study are voluntary employee-withdrawal behavior and absenteeism during the period 2003–2005. An employee questionnaire was administered to the employees of both groups to measure organizational behavior. The same questionnaire was administered to the CEOs to determine their level of self-awareness and their sense of the reality of the human condition within their respective organization. A separate leadership questionnaire was administered to the CEOs for a self-assessment of personal attributes and leadership style. The findings provide a working definition of conscious-authentic leadership behavior and a working model of the components of this approach as implemented by Group I CEOs in the workplace.
Health-risk behaviors and dating violence victimization: an examination of the associated risk behaviors among detained female youth

There are many health-risk behaviors that may elevate the risk of adolescents engaging in teenage dating violence. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the health-risk behaviors that are associated with a sample of female juvenile offenders to identify the extent to which those behaviors contribute to dating violence. The survey assessed respondents' health-risk behaviors prior to incarceration, their perceptions of quality of life, post-incarceration expectations, psychosocial factors, and other social determinants. Results indicated youth exposure to dating violence, alcohol, drug, and risky sexual behaviors in the year prior to incarceration. These findings demonstrate the need to address teen dating violence with at-risk adolescents in addition to risky behaviors.
A Fragment Liberated from the Escherichia coli CheA Kinase That Blocks Stimulatory, but Not Inhibitory, Chemoreceptor Signaling

CheA, a cytoplasmic histidine autokinase, in conjunction with the CheW coupling protein, forms stable ternary complexes with the cytoplasmic signaling domains of transmembrane chemoreceptors. These signaling complexes induce chemotactic movements by stimulating or inhibiting CheA autophosphorylation activity in response to chemoeffector stimuli. To explore the mechanisms of CheA control by chemoreceptor signaling complexes, we examined the ability of various CheA fragments to interfere with receptor coupling control of CheA. CheA[250-654], a fragment carrying the catalytic domain and an adjacent C-terminal segment previously implicated in stimulatory control of CheA activity, interfered with the production of clockwise flagellar rotation and with chemotactic ability in wild-type cells. Epistasis tests indicated that CheA[250-654] blocked clockwise rotation by disrupting stimulatory coupling of CheA to receptors. In vitro coupling assays confirmed that a stoichiometric excess of CheA[250-654] fragments could exclude CheA from stimulatory receptor complexes, most likely by competing for CheW binding. However, CheA[250-654] fragments, even in vast excess, did not block receptor-mediated inhibition of CheA, suggesting that CheA[250-654] lacks an inhibitory contact site present in native CheA. This inhibitory target is most likely in the N-terminal P1 domain, which contains His-48, the site of autophosphorylation. These findings suggest a simple allosteric model of CheA control by ternary signaling complexes in which the receptor signaling domain conformationally regulates the interaction between the substrate and catalytic domains of CheA.
Accumulation of 6, 7-Dimethyl-8-Ribityllumazine by Auxotrophic Mutant of Bacillus subtilis

One of adenine-riboflavin doubleless mutants derived from Bacillus subtilis strain AJ 1987, an adenine requiring and inosine producing strain, was found to accumulate a fluorescent material in the culture medium. This material was identified as 6,7-dimethyl-8-ribityl-lumazine (LUM). Several culture conditions for LUM formation were studied. In general, accumulation of LUM reached approximately 90 mg per 100-ml medium in 3 days.
First North American case of Hemoglobin Shepherds Bush (β 74[E18] Gly → Asp) in a central Pennsylvania family

Hemoglobin Shepherds Bush (Human Genome Variation Society name: HBB:c.224G > A) is an unstable hemoglobin variant resulting from a β 74 GGC to GAC mutation (Gly to Asp) that manifests clinically as hemolytic anemia or gall bladder disease due to chronic subclinical hemolysis. We report a Pennsylvania family of English descent with this condition, first noticed in a 6-year-old female. The proband presented with splenomegaly, fatigue, dark urine and an elevated indirect bilirubin. Hemoglobin identification studies and subsequent genetic testing performed according to a systematic algorithm elucidated the diagnosis of Hb Shepherds Bush. This is the first case of this rare hemoglobin variant identified in North America to our knowledge. It was identified using a systematic algorithm of diagnostic tests that should be followed whenever considering a rare hemoglobinopathy as part of the differential diagnosis.
Climate Change Record in Subsurface Temperatures: A Global Perspective

Analyses of underground temperature measurements from 358 boreholes in eastern North America, central Europe, southern Africa, and Australia indicate that, in the 20th century, the average surface temperature of Earth has increased by about 0.5 degreesC and that the 20th century has been the warmest of the past five centuries. The subsurface temperatures also indicate that Earth's mean surface temperature has increased by about 1.0 degreesC over the past five centuries. The geothermal data offer an independent confirmation of the unusual character of 20th-century climate that has emerged from recent multiproxy studies.
Application of adaptive filters to noninvasive acoustical detection of coronary occlusions before and after angioplasty

Isolated diastolic heart sounds taken from recordings made at the patient's bedside were modeled using the autoregressive (AR) and autoregressive moving average (ARMA) methods after adaptive line enhancement (ALE). Decisions were made in a blind fashion without prior knowledge of whether a given recording was made before or after angioplasty. Resulting model frequency spectra showed greater high frequency components (between 400 and 800 Hz) in preangioplasty patients, and a consistent shift in amplitude of the second pole pairs of the AR and ARMA methods with surgery. Blind assessment based on frequency spectra and poles, correctly classified the diastolic recordings in 18 of 20 cases. These results provide evidence supporting the hypothesis that coronary stenoses produce detectable sounds during diastole. >
Biogenic Sedimentary Fabrics Associated with Pioneering Polychaete Assemblages: Modern and Ancient

ABSTRACT Organically enriched terrigenous marine sediments are commonly associated with near-bottom waters containing low concentrations of dissolved oxygen, as well as with sediment pore waters high in dissolved sulfides. Today such habitats are typically dominated by dense aggregations of opportunistic polychaetes which intensively pelletize surface sediments while deposit-feeding. Laboratory study of one such species, Capitella sp. I, indicates that these polychaete aggregations and their associated agglutinated tubes have a low probability of direct preservation in the sedimentary column. Synthetic lutites prepared from these sediments, however, contain pelletal sedimentary fabrics indicative of the former presence of polychaetes. To evaluate the effectiveness of these criteria for paleoecological reconstructions of OMZs, we undertook a study of the Sonyea Group (Upper Devonian Catskill Shelf and Basin). Wedge-shaped thin sections of rocks from a range of environments in the Upper Devonian Catskill Shelf and Basin Complex were examined. Only sections from the slope facies fulfilled the necessary criteria for postulating the presence of an OMZ. Methods are given for the preparation of synthetic lutites in order to identify these cryptic, yet paleocologically important, sedimentary fabrics. Recognition of such fabrics in otherwise "barren" shales may allow for more detailed reconstructions of ancient hypoxic and anoxic basins.
A Method of Crowd-Sourced Information Extraction From Large Data Files

A system and a method is proposed for collecting and aggregating crowd-sourced data from data files based on parameters and measures of relevance of underlying content provided by the intelligent crowd. A user’s data may be combined with already existing collective data to generate relevant mark-ups for a document or other consumable data file, such as audio or video. The marked-up version of the document or data fie is then displayed to other users to, inter alia, enhance efficiency and comprehension for reading, listening or viewing.
Targeting cannabinoid agonists for inflammatory and neuropathic pain

The cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 are class A G-protein-coupled receptors. It is well known that cannabinoid receptor agonists produce relief of pain in a variety of animal models by interacting with cannabinoid receptors. CB1 receptors are located centrally and peripherally, whereas CB2 receptors are expressed primarily on immune cells and tissues. A large body of preclinical data supports the hypothesis that either CB2-selective agonists or CB1 agonists acting at peripheral sites, or with limited CNS exposure, will inhibit pain and neuroinflammation without side effects within the CNS. There has been a growing interest in developing cannabinoid agonists. Many new cannabinoid ligands have been synthesized and studied covering a wide variety of novel structural scaffolds. This review focuses on the present development of cannabinoid agonists with an emphasis on selective CB2 agonists and peripherally restricted CB1 or CB1/CB2 dual agonists for treatment of inflammatory and neuropathic pain.
Palladium catalyzed cyclopropyl-substituted trimethylenemethane cycloadditions

Abstract The influence of cyclopropyl substitution on the nature of a palladium complexed trimethylenemethane intermediate was probed.
Gene expression analysis with an integrated CMOS microarray by time-resolved fluorescence detection

DNA microarrays have proven extraordinarily powerful for differential expression studies across thousands of genes in a single experiment. Microarrays also have the potential for clinical applications, including the detection of infectious and immunological diseases and cancer, if they can be rendered both reliable and cost-effective. Here we report the first practical application of an active microarray based on integrated circuit technology, completely obviating the need for external measurement instrumentation while employing protocols compatible with traditional fluorescence-based surface bioassays. In a gene expression biodosimetry study, we determine the differential activity of genes from leucocytes in irradiated human blood. Quantum dots are used as fluorescence labels to realize filterless, time-gated fluorescence detection on an active complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) microarray with 100-pM sensitivity. Improvements in surface chemistry should allow sensitivities that approach the microarray hardware limit of less than 10 pM. Techniques for covalent attachment of DNA capture strands to the CMOS active microarrays allow integrated sensors to be placed in immediate proximity to hybridized analyte strands, maximizing photon collection efficiencies. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The discovery of transcriptional modules by a two-stage matrix decomposition approach

Motivation: We address the problem of identifying gene transcriptional modules from gene expression data by proposing a new approach. Genes mostly interact with each other to form transcriptional modules for context-specific cellular activities or functions. Unraveling such transcriptional modules is important for understanding biological network, deciphering regulatory mechanisms and identifying biomarkers. Method: The proposed algorithm is based on two-stage matrix decomposition. We first model microarray data as non-linear mixtures and adopt the non-linear independent component analysis to reduce the non-linear distortion and separate the data into independent latent components. We then apply the probabilistic sparse matrix decomposition approach to model the 'hidden' expression profiles of genes across the independent latent components as linear weighted combinations of a small number of transcriptional regulator profiles. Finally, we propose a general scheme for identifying gene modules from the outcomes of the matrix decomposition. Results: The proposed algorithm partitions genes into non-mutually exclusive transcriptional modules, independent from expression profile similarity measurement. The modules contain genes with not only similar but different expression patterns, and show the highest enrichment of biological functions in comparison with those by other methods. The usefulness of the algorithm was validated by a yeast microarray data analysis. Availability: The software is available upon request to the authors. Contact: zhanmi@mail.nih.gov
Intrinsic Charge Transport on the Surface of Organic Semiconductors

The air-gap field-effect technique enabled realization of the intrinsic (not limited by static disorder) polaronic transport on the surface of rubrene (C42H28) crystals over a wide temperature range. The signatures of this intrinsic transport are the anisotropy of the carrier mobility, mu, and the growth of mu with cooling. Anisotropy of mu vanishes in the activation regime at low temperatures, where the transport is dominated by shallow traps. The deep traps, introduced by x-ray radiation, increase the field-effect threshold without affecting mu, an indication that the filled traps do not scatter polarons.
Experiencing Sexually Objectifying Environments: A Qualitative Study

Research examining the tenets of objectification theory has given little attention to increasing scholars’ understanding of specific environments and subcultures, such as beauty pageants, cheerleading, and cocktail waitressing, that exist within U.S. culture where sexual objectification of women is encouraged, promoted, and socially sanctioned. The purpose of this qualitative study was to provide an in-depth, descriptive contextual understanding of the experiences of 11 women who work in a sexually objectifying restaurant environment. Data classification via the constant comparative method resulted in nine themes: reasons for involvement, ambivalence, counterfeit intimacy, sexual objectification, resistance strategies, power, negative relationships with women, changes over time, and judgment. Corresponding subthemes are also described, and interpretation is provided in light of the relevant literature.
GAME Based QoS Provisioning in Multimedia Wideband CDMA Networks

In this paper, we present a novel scheme that maximizes the number of admissible mobiles while preserving quality of service and resources in wideband CDMAn etworks. We propose the manipulation of two main control instruments in tandem when previous work has focused on handling them separately: transmitter power level and bit rate. The active component of this scheme is the Genetic Algorithm for Mobiles Equilibrium (GAME). The base station measures each mobile received signal quality, bit rate and power. Accordingly, based on an evolutionary computational model, it recommends the calculated optimum power and rate vector to everyone. Meanwhile, a standard closed loop power control command is maintained to facilitate real time implementation. The goal here is to achieve an adequate balance between users. Thereof, each mobile can send its traffic with a suitable power to support it over the different path losses. In the mean time, its battery life is being preserved while limiting the interference seen by neighbors. Consequently, more mobiles can be handled. As ignificant enhancement in cell capacity, signal quality and power level has been noticed through several experiments on combined voice, data and video services.
Neurotensin facilitates release of substance P in the guinea‐pig inferior mesenteric ganglion.

1. Intracellular, electrophysiological techniques were combined with radio-immunological, chromatographic and pharmacological techniques to determine if nerve terminals containing substance P mediated transient depolarizing responses of principal ganglion cells induced by neurotensin. Experiments were performed in vitro on guinea-pig inferior mesenteric ganglia. 2. In 61% of principal ganglion cells tested in normal ganglia, neurotensin caused a transient membrane depolarization. In ganglia which were removed from animals which had been pre-treated with capsaicin, transient responses to neurotensin were virtually abolished. 3. In normal ganglia, neurotensin increased the amplitude and duration of noncholinergic slow EPSPs evoked by electrical stimulation of the lumbar colonic nerve. Such increases were absent in ganglia obtained from animals pre-treated with capsaicin. 4. In guinea-pigs pre-treated with capsaicin, the content of substance P-like material was significantly reduced in inferior mesenteric and coeliac ganglia, dorsal root ganglia and lumbar spinal cord, compared to control animals. The content of substance P-like material in segments of distal colon was slightly reduced. The content of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-, cholecystokinin- and bombesin-like material in the same tissues from animals pre-treated with capsaicin was not significantly different from control animals. 5. Chromatographic analysis using HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) techniques revealed that the material depleted from inferior mesenteric and coeliac ganglia, dorsal root ganglia and lumbar spinal cord by capsaicin pre-treatment co-eluted with synthetic substance P. 6. Electrical stimulation of the lumbar colonic nerve released substance P-like material from isolated inferior mesenteric ganglia as determined by radioimmunoassay of samples of superfusate. Exogenous administration of neurotensin caused a significant increase in the amount of substance P-like material released during nerve stimulation. 7. Transient depolarizing responses evoked by neurotensin were markedly attenuated when ganglion cells were postsynaptically desensitized to exogenously administered substance P. 8. Taken together, these findings suggest that transient depolarizations mediated by an indirect action of neurotensin and facilitation of electrically evoked non-cholinergic slow EPSPs by neurotensin involved presynaptic release of substance P from collateral nerve terminals of primary afferent nerve fibres in the inferior mesenteric ganglion. 9. It was suggested that under normal in vivo conditions, neurotensin or a C-terminal-related peptide contained in central preganglionic nerve endings might function as an excitatory neuromodulator to enhance the release of substance P from primary afferent nerve terminals thereby facilitating non-cholinergic peripheral afferent synaptic input to prevertebral ganglion cells.
Mapping of the monoclonal antibody W6/32: sensitivity to the amino terminus of β2-microglobulin

The monoclonal antibody W6/32 is one of the most commonly used pan-HLA-ABC antibodies in studying human MHC I structure and function. We have discovered that the reactivity of W6/32 is absolutely sensitive to the amino terminus of human beta2-microglobulin (hbeta2m). Bacterially expressed recombinant forms of hbeta2m that have been extensively used in structural and biochemical studies of MHC I molecules often have an additional methionine at their amino terminus. Cell surface MHC I molecules reconstituted with allele-specific peptides and recombinant hbeta2m are reactive with various HLA-specific mAbs, but not W6/32. In contrast, cell surface HLA molecules reconstituted with peptide and native hbeta2m, which has no amino terminal methionine, are recognized by W6/32 as well as other HLA-specific mAbs. Thus, the specificity of W6/32 includes the amino terminus of hbeta2m.
Flip-Flop Hardening and Selection for Soft Error and Delay Fault Resilience

The traditional test model of go/no-go testing being questioned by increasing delay fault manifestations has become even further challenged as a result of unpredictable soft errors. Consequent probabilistic fault manifestations shift the focus to fault resilience mechanisms and tradeoffs of false alarms vs. escapes. Fault manifestation at flip-flops necessitates solutions that rely on their hardening, possibly imposing inordinate cost as flip-flops constitute a significant fraction of current designs. A two-pronged approach for resolving this challenge is necessitated, consisting of frugal flip-flop designs, capable of withstanding such faults, and an economic rationalization model to enable a prioritized flip-flop selection within an overall design budget. In this paper, we propose a hardened flip-flop that increases circuit tolerance to soft errors and delay faults simultaneously and the associated selective hardening scheme guided by a unified quality evaluation framework. The proposed flip-flop supersedes previous research efforts and simulation results show that the outlined framework delivers yield recovery and FIT reduction at a minimized hardware cost.
Relationship Between Serum Glycolate and Falsely Elevated Lactate in Severe Ethylene Glycol Poisoning

In the setting of ethylene glycol (EG) poisoning, a falsely elevated serum lactate concentration is suggested to be an assay cross-reaction with glycolate, but a concentration-dependent relationship has never been identified. We correlate serum lactate and glycolate concentrations in a case of severe EG poisoning. Serial EG [by gas chromatography (GC)], glycolate (derivatized to methyl glycolate, analysis by GC), and lactate (both enzymatic spectrophotometry and GC) concentrations were correlated at five time points. False-positive lactate was confirmed by absence of lactate on GC analysis. The correlation coefficient (Pearson's r) between lactate (by enzymatic spectrophotometry) and glycolate was 0.984 and was statistically significant (p < 0.01). The mean lactate/glycolate conversion factor was 2.58 +/- 0.95. We demonstrate the linear correlation between falsely elevated serum lactate and glycolate concentrations in a case of severe EG poisoning. Our data provide further support to the belief that the lactate assay may cross-react with glycolate in EG poisoning.
Fuzzy Segmentation Of Natural Scenes Using Fractal Geometry

Segmentation of an image into meaningful regions is a crucial component in intelligent scene understanding. In images of natural scenes there is a high degree of variability and uncertainty in the features which represent the regions and objects. In previous papers, new features, based on fractal geometry, were introduced to describe natural textured regions. In this paper, those fractal features are utilized as descriptors in segmentation algorithms which produce fuzzy partitions of the image plane. In particular, segmentation schemes based on the fuzzy K-nearest-neighbors and split-and-merge are implemented to segment digital images.
Marriage, Family Systems, and Economic Opportunity in the USA Since 1850

The decline of marriage over the past half century ranks among the most profound demographic transformations in American demographic history. This chapter puts recent change into historical context by providing new estimates of long-run trends in marriage. I then describe change in the family economy and explore the impact of economic changes on marriage behavior. I conclude with a discussion of cultural and structural explanations for change and their implications for the future.
The Association of Brain MRI Characteristics and Postoperative Delirium in Cardiac Surgery Patients

Abstract Purpose Delirium is common after cardiac surgery and is associated with adverse consequences, including cognitive decline. Identification of vulnerable older adults might allow for early implementation of delirium-prevention strategies. Brain MRI findings provide insight into structural brain changes that may identify vulnerable patients. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between brain MRI characteristics potentially associated with delirium vulnerability and the development of postoperative delirium in a nested cohort of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Methods We identified 79 cardiac surgery patients who had brain MRI imaging after cardiac surgery, as part of an ongoing randomized trial evaluating the efficacy of blood pressure management based on cerebral autoregulation monitoring versus standard management for improving neurological outcomes. Cerebral lateral ventricular size, cortical sulcal width, and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) on brain MRI scans were graded on a validated 0 to 9 scale, and categorized into tertiles. New ischemic lesions were characterized as present or absent. Delirium was assessed using a validated chart-review. Neuropsychological testing performed before surgery was used to establish preoperative cognitive baseline. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the independent association between MRI characteristics and postoperative delirium. Findings The average age of patients was 70.1 ± 7.8 years old, and 72% were male. Twenty-eight of 79 (35.4%) patients developed postoperative delirium. Patients with delirium had higher unadjusted ventricular size (median 4 vs. 3, P = 0.003), and there was a trend towards higher sulcal sizes and WMH grades. Increasing tertiles of ventricular size (Odds Ratio [OR] 3.59; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.59-8.12; P = 0.002) and sulcal size (OR 2.15; 95%CI 1.13-4.12; P = 0.02) were associated with postoperative delirium, with a trend for tertiles of WMH grade (OR 1.91; 95%CI 0.99-3.68; P = 0.05). In multivariable models adjusted for logistic EuroSCORE, baseline cognitive status, bypass time, and any postoperative complication, each tertile of ventricular size was associated with increased odds of postoperative delirium (OR 3.23 per tertile increase in ventricular size; 95%CI 1.21-8.60; P = 0.02). There were no differences in odds of delirium by tertiles of sulcal grade, tertiles of white matter grade, or presence of new ischemic lesions, in adjusted models. Implications Increased brain ventricular size was independently associated with delirium after cardiac surgery. These results suggest that cerebral atrophy may contribute to increased vulnerability for postoperative delirium. Baseline brain MRIs may be useful in identifying cardiac surgery patients at high risk for postoperative delirium, who might benefit from targeted perioperative approaches to prevent delirium. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00981474.
Records of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera, Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) with a description of a new species of Sergentomyia França & Parrot from Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

Males and females of Sergentomyia phasukae sp. nov., S. bailyi (Sinton), and S. barraudi (Sinton), and females of S. gomboki (Lewis & Wharton) and Phlebotomus (Euphlebotomus) sp. (Diptera, Psychodidae, Phlebotominae) were collected by Malaise traps and CDC traps in Khao Yai National Park, central Thailand. A new species is described and illustrated, collection records for described species are given, and some taxonomic problems concerning the subgenera of Sergentomyia are discussed.
Floral induction in woody angiosperms

The long juvenile period of trees is a severe impediment to study of reproductive biology and genetic inheritance, and is a serious constraint for traditional breeding programs. Very little effort has been directed toward the development of practical methods for inducing early flowering in most woody angiosperms, particularly members of the genus Populus. This review is intended to stimulate interest in, and provide direction for, future research in this area. An emphasis is placed on techniques that can be applied easily and inexpensively. Inductive treatments discussed include: phytohormones (gibberellins, cytokinins, abscisic acid, ethylene and auxin); growth retardants (paclobutrazol, uniconazole, daminozide, chlormequat and cimecthacarb); physical constraints (girdling, root restriction and shoot training); cultural conditions (photoperiod, mineral nutrition, moisture stress and temperature); and grafting. Recent reports on stimulation of flowering by genetic transformation with floral homeotic genes are also described. Several research avenues which appear promising are proposed for near-term study.
Expanding your practice goes beyond face-to-face

From the Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Disclosures: Author has nothing to disclose with regard to commercial support. Received for publication Feb 18, 2016; accepted for publication Feb 19, 2016. Reprint requests: Shanda H. Blackmon, MD, MPH, Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905 (E-mail: Blackmon.Shanda@mayo.edu). J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2016;151:1465 0022-5223/$36.00 Copyright 2016 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcvs.2016.02.045
Do Prior Foreign Equity and Debt Raisings Help or Hurt During a Systemic Liquidity Crisis? Evidence from the Asian Financial Crisis

Portfolio capital raised through foreign public issuances is seen as volatile and undesirable for countries with poorly regulated financial systems. An implication is that firms that finance themselves in part with such investment have worse outcomes during systemic liquidity crises. I investigate if this is true for East Asian firms that had raised equity and debt capital through foreign public issuances prior to the Asian financial crisis. I find that firms that had previously raised capital abroad, had better crisis and post-crisis period liquidity and other operational outcomes than otherwise comparable local firms. Specifically, foreign equity-raising firms and foreign debt-raising firms with robust capital structures prior to the crisis outperform comparable local firms during the crisis. I present evidence that foreign equity-raising firms were less financially constrained than similar local firms, while foreign debt-raising firms appear more financially constrained during and after the crisis. To highlight the liquidity constraints channel, I show that crisis and post-crisis period borrowing ability, and consequently firm outcomes, were impaired by pre-crisis level and composition of firm debt. My analysis underscores that foreign issuances had positive value during the crisis. Foreign capital financed firms whose growth plans were based on a mix of foreign equity and debt had better crisis-period outcomes than firms that relied primarily on foreign debt.
Relationship of protein intake to protein anabolic activity of testosterone propionate.

SummarygThe protein anabolic activity of testosterone propionate in adult male castrated rats was not altered by increasing the protein content of the diet from 18 to 28 and 43% by replacement of carbohydrate.
Mechaniken zur Einordnung retinierter oder impaktierter Zähne

Fur die Einstrellung von retinierten Eckzahnen ist ein einfaches und gleichzeitig effektives System zur Kraftubertragung erforderlich. Solche Systeme sollten den folgenden Anforderungen genugen: Richtung und Kraft des aktiven Vektors sollten beliebig verandert werden konnen. Die aktive Kraft sollte wahrend der Bewegung eines Eckzahnes moglichst lange unverandert bleiben. Die Mechanik sollte so einfach gestaltet werden, dass die Richtung des resultierenden Kraftvektors einfach zu erkennen ist. Mithilfe dieser Kriterien lasst sich die Behandlungsdauer und die Dauer der einzelnen Sitzungen verkurzen. Wiederholte Verzogerungen in der Bewegung eines Zahnes auf dem Weg in seine endgultige Position lassen sich so auf ein Minimum reduzieren.
An Assessment of the Current and Future State of Human Resource Management at the Local Government Level

As academics and practitioners continue to challenge traditional models regarding the nature of the public employee relationship with government, increased emphasis on the contributions of strategic planning, formal workforce planning, and performance measurement to the mission and goals of public organizations have occurred. This study evaluates the opinions of human resource management professionals at the local government level to determine the importance of numerous functions and activities to the practice of human resource management today. Survey respondents are also requested to project the importance of these same concepts in 2019. We find that many of the traditional HR management practices are still considered very essential by human resource professionals at the local level; and the four major principles of reinvented HRM anticipated to emanate over a decade ago have been adopted at a much slower pace than expected.
A Morphologic Classification and Incidence of Spontaneous Ovarian Neoplasms in Three Strains of Mice

Ovarian tumors were reviewed and classified in 5,404 control inbred BALB/c, C57BL/6, and C3H mice. In descending order of frequency, the most common types in the C3H mice were the tubular mesothelioma (adenoma), thecoma, luteoma, granulosa cell tumor, and cystadenoma. In descending order the most common types in the BALB/c mice were the luteoma, tubular mesothelioma, granulosa cell tumor, thecoma, and cystadenoma. The tubular mesothelioma was the only ovarian tumor of significance in the C57BL/6 mice. Most of the ovarian tumors were rare before 1 year of age, but they increased with age after 1 year.
Surveillance of food-borne diseases sentinel hospital in Miyun county of Beijing,2013

Objective To understand the epidemiological distribution of diarrhea disease common foodborne pathogens in Miyun,Beijing city,as well as to improve the early identification and traceability of food borne disease. Methods According to the national standard GB 4789. 4,GB 4789. 5,GB 4789. 7 and GB 4789. 6,Salmonella,Shigella,Vibrio parahaemolyticus and 5 kinds of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli( EPEC,ETEC,EIEC,EHEC,EAEC) detection were conducted in anal swab samples collected from patients with food borne illness in sentinel hospitals. Results Among 227 cases of food borne disease,11 pathogen strains were detected,the detection rate was 4. 85%. in which 8 strains of V. parahaemolyticus,2 strains of Salmonella and 1 enteropathogenic Escherichia coli( EPEC) strain were isolated. Conclusion Among 8 kinds of pathogenic bacteria whose detection were performed in patients with food borne disease in Miyun,Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Salmonella were dominant.We should continue to strengthen the active monitoring to decrease the sporadic incidence of food borne disease.
Calcium glycerophosphate preserves transepithelial integrity in the Caco-2 model of intestinal transport

Calcium glycerophosphate preserves transepithelial integrity in the Caco-2 model of intestinal transport
New strategies for mechanical ventilation. Lung protective ventilation.

Mechanical ventilation can be life sustaining in the critically ill patient; however, there is much data to confirm that mechanical ventilation can also damage the lungs. Although there is no concrete evidence that will allow us to prescribe the ultimate ventilation strategy, research in this area is ongoing. This article reviews current "lung protective" strategies and their implications for the critical care nurse.
How to Stay Current in Social Media to Be Competitive in Recruitment and Selection

With social media currently being used in employee recruitment and selection, organizations need to make sure they are looking at and engaging with the right social media sites. This issue is complicated by the fact that technology advances rapidly and the social media sites people use can change significantly over time. This chapter helps practitioners to deal with these issues by offering processes and criteria to be used to keep current on social media. It is discussed how organizations can keep current on social media sites used, existing practice, existing laws, and existing research related to social media use. Processes organizations can use to keep current and use appropriate social media data is discussed, as well as how organizations can create audits of social media use. The chapter concludes by highlighting developing technologies and other developments that could have significant impact on how social media is best used by organizations.
‘Turkish, Dutch, gay and proud’: Mapping out the contours of agency in homonationalist times

In 2012 Amsterdam Gay Pride Canal Parade hosted a Turkish Boat, organized by Dutch citizens of Turkish decent. The newspaper articles consistently emphasized what an advancement this was for the Turkish migrants, considering their ‘cultural background.’ Simultaneously, public opinion on the former immigrants from Turkey and Morocco as intolerant towards LGBTI people and how they are ‘gay bashing on the streets’ was still present. The scholarship on homonationalism and gay imperialism has been dealing with questions of Orientalism, islamophobia and racism since the 2000s. The question of agency within this scholarship, however, was not dealt with extensively. This paper will engage with this question by mapping out Dutch homonationalism and focusing on how this specific context produces historically contingent subject positions – such as gay, lesbian, Muslim, Turkish or Moroccan-Dutch – that are hierarchized within the Dutch public sphere. None of them is innocent of power or neutral, the power configurati...
RAPTOR: A REST API translaTOR for OpenFlow controllers

Many Software-Defined Networking (SDN) controllers support a “northbound interface” by which applications can interact with the SDN controller and (indirectly) control the underlying SDN network. The absence of a standard for the northbound interface of these controllers makes it difficult for application developers to create interoperable/portable code (i.e., code that works with any SDN controller). Developers are forced to re-write almost all of their code every time they want to support a new controller. This tedious and time consuming process is typically a start-over software development cycle that involves learning new APIs, data models, and controller-specific conventions. In this paper, we present RAPTOR, a REST-based API translaTOR service for SDN networks that allows users to develop their network control software independent of any particular SDN controller. RAPTOR exposes its own REST-based API functions and data models to user applications and translates application requests into controller-specific northbound interface calls. To demonstrate the viability of RAPTOR, we implemented and deployed RAPTOR in GENI and used it in conjunction with different types of controllers. We also developed GENI Desktop modules that interacted with RAPTOR to install, list, delete and monitor end-to-end flows regardless of the controller used for controlling the underlying switches.