cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recent Carbonate Shoal Complexes in Northern British Honduras: ABSTRACT

In two separate areas on the continental shelf of British Honduras, the accumulation of Recent carbonate mud results in a series of mud shoals, herein termed mud shoal complexes. These shoal complexes range in depth from 1-5 feet and are dissected by tidal channels 6-10 feet deep. The tidal channels have slopes approximating 15° and divide each of the mud complexes into many individual mud mounds. The long axes of these mud mounds are essentially at right angles to the long axis of each mud shoal complex. Both mud shoal complexes are represented by 7-9 feet of silt- and clay-size carbonate overlying a Pleistocene erosion surface. However, the mineralogical and biological characteristics of the two mud shoal complexes differ. With respect to mineralogy, one mud shoal complex, the Bulkhead, contains a lower percentage of aragonite and a higher percentage of low-magnesium carbonate in both the muds and adjacent sandy sediments than the Ambergris-Cangrejo mud shoal complex. With respect to biota, the Bulkhead shoal is characterized by a relative paucity of turtle grass, whereas the opposite is true for the other mud shoal complex. In the former case, mud deposition apparently results from the confluence of currents, the deposited mud being stabilized rapidly by the mucilagenous products of diatoms and other algae and less rapidly by the production of mucous-bound fecal pellets of worms. On the Ambergris-Cangrejo shoal, mud deposition and stabilization may be a product of the current-baffling and sediment-stabilizing attributes of the dense covering of turtle grass. The mineralogical and biological differences between these two mud shoal complexes are not likely to be preserved in the geologic record. Inversion of aragonite and high-magnesium calcite to low-magnesium calcite, decay of plants, and possible dissolution of the opal tests of diatoms will undoubtedly occur during diagenesis. Thus the tendency of diagenesis may be to reduce the lithologic and biologic distinctiveness of mud mounds of dissimilar origin. Consequently, the origin of similar-appearing ancient mud mounds may not be identical, and any theory of origin of any particular mud mound should be evaluated with respect to the source of the mud, the cause of local mud accumulation and stabilization, and the possible relation of the mound to a mud shoal complex. End_of_Article - Last_Page 367------------
Individually addressable, submicrometer band electrode arrays. 2. Electrochemical characterization

We report extensive cyclic voltammetric evaluation of gold submicrometer edge band electrodes with different widths, from 25.3 to 143.5 nm. Fabrication of these band electrodes from layers of gold and silicon nitride using conventional microfabrication techniques, was reported in the preceding companion paper. Gold film thicknesses and, thus, the electrode widths were measured by surface profilometry, X-ray interferometry, and atomic force microscopy. The electrodes exhibit typical sigmoidal-shaped cyclic voltammograms at slow scan rates ( 25 V/s). Capacitance of the edge band electrodes is high (187−0.206 mF/cm2 for 71.2-nm edge band electrodes for scan rates of 0.010−204 V/s) and scan rate dependent. Values a...
Effect of heat treatment and sputtering conditions on the structure and superconducting transition of BiSrCaCuO films

Abstract The morphology of BiSrCaCuO films sputtered on single crystal MgO substrates, after heat treatment, depends upon the sputtering conditions. Sputtering of films in argon without oxygen present results in the formation of crystallites in the form of terraced islands with a preferred orientation. Sputtering with oxygen present results in more uniform films. In both cases, the films in the as-deposited condition are amorphous. Annealing the films in the temperature range from 750 to 865 °C results in highly textured crystalline films and produces changes in the superconducting properties. It has been found that part of the film goes superconducting at 115 K after a three step annealing process in which the highest temperature was 865 °C.
Mathematical biophysics of cellular forms and movements

Rashevsky's equations for describing the joint variation of cell shape and concentration of a metabolite are discussed. Conditions for the existence of non-spherical equilibria and the location of these are obtained and involve only two parametersa andA. Sufficient (but not necessary) conditions for the stability of these equilibria can also be expressed in terms of these parameters alone. Necessary conditions involve in some cases a third parameterB. Quasi-periodic fluctuations about a stable nonspherical equilibrium may occur, but only in caseB lies on a certain finite range which can be defined in terms ofa andA.
Factorization of residues of off-shell string amplitudes

Abstract All normalization factors are supplied for the calculation of off-shell string amplitudes in the formalism of Cohen et al. Wave function normalization constants are determined from the residues of poles in the two-point function. For amplitudes with one or two string off-shell and an arbitrary number of on-shell particles, the residue of a pole in an off-shell channel factorizes into the product of the square root of the wave function normalization constant and the correctly normalized amplitude with the particle in the relevant channel on-shell. Factorization requires the same relation between the coupling constant defined by the topological term in the action and the coupling constant appearing in vertex operators that was derived previously from unitary of S -matrix elements.
Interaction of selenium and mercury in the rat.

Abstract Adult female rats were given orally a toxic (40 μmole/kg) or non-toxic (13 μmole/kg) dose of 203HgCl2 or 75Se-sodium selenite alone, 203HgCl2 plus various amounts of 75Se-selenite, non-labeled sodium selenate, seleno-methionine or seleno-cystine and 75Se-selenite plus non-labeled phenylmercuric acetate (PMA), or methylmercuric chloride (MMC). Tissue accumulation, subcellular incorporation and soluble protein binding of 203Hg and 75Se in the liver and kidney were studied. Treatment with sodium selenite modified the tissue distribution, subcellular binding and soluble protein binding of 203Hg in the rat. The 203Hg content of all tissues with the exception of kidney was higher in the selenite-treated rats, and the magnitude of increase was higher with higher dose up to a Se/Hg ratio = 1. In contrast, the 203Hg content of the kidney was decreased. Other selenium compounds also gave similar effect and the order of effectiveness is as follows: seleno-methionine > seleno-cystine > selenate > selenite. All four selenium compounds increased the incorporation of 203Hg into the crude nuclear and mitochondrial fractions and decreased that in the soluble fraction. Higher selenium dosages resulted in greater alterations. In the kidney the influence by sodium selenite on the incorporation of 203Hg was erratic and appeared to be dependent on the ratio of selenite and mercuric chloride dosages. 203Hg binding to liver-soluble proteins was altered by selenite and it was dosage-dependent. However, no significant change in 203Hg binding pattern of the kidney soluble protein was observed by simultaneously dosing with selenite. A reduction of 75Se-selenite in most tissues was caused by dosing with Hg2+, and the effect was dosage dependent. PMA and MMC gave different changes suggesting that their interactions with selenite were indeed complex. Neither mercury compound showed any effect on subcellular distribution of 75Se in both liver and kidney. However, high Hg2+ dosage abolished the two minor 75Se protein peaks in the liver and kidney soluble fractions.
Young's modulus of two-dimensional ice from the electrostatic compression of mercury/water/mercury tunnel junctions.

Solid-water films thinner than 0.8 nm were confined between the mercury surfaces of a squeezable tunnel junction at 265[plus minus]3 K. Uniaxial compression of the films was performed electrostatically by changing the junction bias. Mean compressive displacements were calculated from the nonlinear current response of the junction. Young's moduli of stable ice bilayers were estimated to be 134 MPa[plus minus]18%(stat)[plus minus]70%(sys), or about 1%--2% of the value of bulk ice I[sub [ital h]]. Moduli of ice double bilayers'' decreased with increasing film thickness, from a maximum of [similar to]20% of the bulk value.
Current and emerging treatment options for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

In this article, we focus on the current and emerging treatments in nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). A detailed evolution of the current standard of care, and new techniques and treatment options will be reviewed. Intergroup 0099 established the role for chemoradiotherapy (chemo-RT) in the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Multiple randomized Phase III trials have shown the benefit of chemo-RT; however, none of these studies utilized modern radiotherapy (RT) techniques of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). IMRT has the ability to deliver high doses of radiation to the target structures while sparing adjacent bystander healthy tissues, and has now become the preferred RT treatment modality. Chemotherapy also has had a shifting paradigm of induction and/or adjuvant chemotherapy combined with RT alone, to the investigation with concurrent chemo-RT. New treatment options including targeted monoclonal antibodies and small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors are being studied in NPC. These new biologic therapies have promising in vitro activity for NPC, and emerging clinical studies are beginning to define their role. RT continues to expand its capabilities, and since IMRT and particle therapy, specifically intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT), has reports of impressive dosimetric efficacy in-silica. Adaptive RT is attempting to reduce toxicity while maintaining treatment efficacy, and the clinical results are still in their youth. Lastly, Epstein– Barr virus (EBV) DNA has recently been studied for prediction of tumor response and its use as a biomarker is increasingly promising to aid in early detection as well as supplementing the current staging system. RT with or without chemotherapy remains the standard of care for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Advances in RT technique, timing of chemotherapy, biologically targeted agents, particle therapy, adaptive RT, and the incorporation of EBV DNA as a biomarker may aid in the current and future treatment of nasopharyngeal cancer.
Picosecond nonlinear optical response of copper clusters created by ion implantation in fused silica

We have embedded nm-size Cu clusters in optically dense, thin ({approximately} 150 nm) layers using standard ion implantation techniques. The size and size distribution of the clusters can be altered by varying such ion-implantation parameters as total dose and current density. The layers exhibit both a thermo-optic and an electronic nonlinear optical response, depending on the mode of laser excitation. The electronic nonlinearity has a response time no longer than 5 ps.
Enhancing Self-Efficacy for Optimized Patient Outcomes through the Theory of Symptom Self-Management

Background In today's world, greater patient empowerment is imperative because 90 million Americans live with 1 or more chronic conditions such as cancer. Evidence reveals that healthy behaviors such as effective symptom self-management can prevent or reduce much of the suffering from cancer. Oncology nurses play a pivotal role in developing a symptom self-management plan that is critical to optimizing a patient's symptom self-management behaviors. Objective This article uses exemplars to describe how oncology nurses can apply a tested middle-range theory, the Theory of Symptom Self-management, to clinical practice by incorporating interventions to increase a patient's perceived self-efficacy to optimize patient outcomes. Methods The Theory of Symptom Self-management provides a means to understand the dynamic aspects of symptom self-management and provides a tested framework for the development of efficacy-enhancing interventions for use by oncology nurses in clinical practice. Results Exemplars based on the Theory of Symptom Self-management depict how oncology nursing can use perceived self-efficacy-enhancing symptom self-management interventions to improve the functional status and quality of life of their patients. Conclusion Guided by a theoretical approach, oncology nurses can have a significant positive impact on the lives of their patients by reducing the symptom burden associated with cancer and its treatment. Implications for practice Oncology nurses can partner with their patients to design tailored approaches to symptom self-management. These tailored approaches provide the ability to implement patient-specific behaviors that recognize, prevent, relieve, or decrease the timing, intensity, distress, concurrence, and unpleasant quality of symptoms.
Magnetic Moment of Pd to 150 kG: Limits of Exchange Enhancement in Pd

Magnetic moment data are presented for high-purity Pd at 4.2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The magnetic moment is a linear function of $B$ up to 150 kG. On the basis of Wohlfarth's recent analysis of the high-field enhanced Pauli paramagnetism of Pd, the experiments determine limits of exchange enhancement for Pd and increase the minimum field for field-induced ferromagnetism in Pd.
Choline Level and Its Effect on Egg Weight in the Japanese Quail

Abstract A PREVIOUS study to determine why egg weight was less when Japanese quail were fed purified diets than when fed a practical diet showed that adding fiber, amino acids, more protein, a higher level of essential fatty acids and more potassium and phosphorus to the purified diet failed to significantly increase egg weight (Latshaw and Jensen, 1970). Adding the ash of the practical diet (minus vitamin and mineral supplement) to the purified diet also did not increase egg weight, thus indicating that the smaller egg size was not the result of a deficiency of an inorganic nutrient. This study was conducted in an attempt to find an organic component that would increase egg weight when added to a purified diet. EXPERIMENT 1 Procedure. The quail used in this experiment were raised and housed as previously described (Latshaw and Jensen, 1970), with nine females and two males per pen. When egg…
The concerns during assisted reproductive technologies (CART) scale and pregnancy outcomes

Abstract Objective To determine whether concerns specific to IVF/GIFT (i.e., side effects, surgery, anesthesia, not enough information, pain, recovery, finances, missing work, and live birth delivery) that were measured by the previously validated Concerns During Assisted Reproductive Technologies (CART) instrument are negatively associated with reproductive endpoints. Design Prospective study. Setting Seven centers in Southern California between July 1993 and June 1998. Patient(s) One hundred fifty-one women completed two questionnaires at baseline and at the time of the procedure. Intervention(s) None. Main outcome measure(s) Number of oocytes aspirated and fertilized, number of embryos transferred, pregnancy rates, and live birth delivery rates. Result(s) At baseline, women who were concerned about the medical aspects (i.e., side effects, surgery, anesthesia, not enough information, pain, and recovery) of the procedure had 20% fewer oocytes retrieved and 19% fewer oocytes fertilized, while simultaneously adjusting for female age, race, education, smoking status, parity, type of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) procedure (IVF or GIFT), type of infertility, and number of previous attempts. Women who were very concerned about missing work had 30% fewer ooyctes fertilized. For women who were moderately concerned about missing work, the odds ratio was 2.83 for not achieving a pregnancy. Women who were extremely concerned about the finances associated with the procedure had a very high risk (odds ratio [OR] = 11.62) of not achieving a successful live birth delivery. Conclusion(s) The CART scale identified two areas of concerns for women undergoing IVF or GIFT: "missing work/finances" and "medical aspects of the procedure."
Queueing processes and trade‐offs during ship‐to‐shore transfer of cargo

This article examines the ship-to-shore transfer of cargo from ships that are located offshore. Two different methods of modeling this ship-to-shore transfer of cargo are developed and applied. One is an analytic queueing model and the other is a more traditional simulation model. The analytice model is found to produce results quite similar to the simulation model.
Epitaxial growth and electronic structure of Au films of fcc (111) metals studied by electron reflection spectroscopy

The reflection coefficient for low-energy electrons on clean fcc (111) metal surfaces shows details determined by the electronic potential in the first few surface layers. This is used to monitor the epitaxial growth of Au overlay films on Pd, Ag, and Ni substrates. On Pd, the lattice constant of the initial Au layers contracts to conform to the Pd but after about three layers assumes the value for bulk Au. Observed shifts of the Au peaks are consistent with predictions of band theory. For Ag and Ni substrates the first few Au layers grow with the bulk lattice constant. The decrease of substrate peak intensity with thickness is consistent with layer-by-layer growth for all three substrate metals. On Pd, thicker Au films show quantum size-effect oscillations at low energies, implying film-thickness uniformity on an atomic scale. These results are compared with those of other techniques. We conclude that electron reflection is a sensitive and relatively simple way of monitoring the growth stages of epitaxial layers.
Motion of an Elastic Solid inside an Incompressible Viscous Fluid

The motion of an elastic solid inside an incompressible viscous fluid is ubiquitous in nature. Mathematically, such motion is described by a PDE system that couples the parabolic and hyperbolic phases, the latter inducing a loss of regularity which has left the basic question of existence open until now. In this paper, we prove the existence and uniqueness of such motions (locally in time), when the elastic solid is the linear Kirchhoff elastic material. The solution is found using a topological fixed-point theorem that requires the analysis of a linear problem consisting of the coupling between the time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations set in Lagrangian variables and the linear equations of elastodynamics, for which we prove the existence of a unique weak solution. We then establish the regularity of the weak solution; this regularity is obtained in function spaces that scale in a hyperbolic fashion in both the fluid and solid phases. Our functional framework is optimal, and provides the a priori estimates necessary for us to employ our fixed-point procedure.
Radiation coupled shock layer including upstream absorption effects

Abstract The method of Heaslet and Baldwin is extended with the introduction of a cold, black and porous wall, so as to effectively alter the downstream boundary condition for absorbing shock layers. It is shown that the general problem may be resolved into five subcases related to the net variation of radiative flux transfer across the shock with change in shock stand-off distance. The gas ahead of the shock may be either heated or cooled. For certain cases of interest this precursory heating may be significant.
Electronic band-structure methods for XAS

Abstract The advantages and disadvantages of electronic band structure (EBS) methods for x-ray absorption structure (XAS) are reviewed and compared to more conventional multiple-scattering approaches in both the near edge (XANES) and far edge (EXAFS) regions.
Hard or Soft Classification? Large-margin Unified Machines.

Margin-based classifiers have been popular in both machine learning and statistics for classification problems. Among numerous classifiers, some are hard classifiers while some are soft ones. Soft classifiers explicitly estimate the class conditional probabilities and then perform classification based on estimated probabilities. In contrast, hard classifiers directly target the classification decision boundary without producing the probability estimation. These two types of classifiers are based on different philosophies and each has its own merits. In this article, we propose a novel family of large-margin classifiers, namely large-margin unified machines (LUMs), which covers a broad range of margin-based classifiers including both hard and soft ones. By offering a natural bridge from soft to hard classification, the LUM provides a unified algorithm to fit various classifiers and hence a convenient platform to compare hard and soft classification. Both theoretical consistency and numerical performance of...
The role of enterovirus 71 and coxsackievirus A strains in a large outbreak of hand, foot, and mouth disease in 2012 in Changsha, China

Summary Background During 2012, Changsha experienced a large outbreak of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), resulting in 25 438 cases, including 42 severe cases and eight deaths. Methods Seven hundred and forty-six clinical specimens were collected from hospital-based surveillance for HFMD in 2012. The detection and genotyping of enterovirus were performed by real-time RT-PCR and sequencing of the VP1 regions; phylogenetic analysis was performed based on the VP1 sequences. Results A total of 545 (73.1%) enterovirus-positive samples were identified, with the most frequently presenting serotype being enterovirus 71 (EV-71; n =364, 66.8%), followed by coxsackievirus A16 (CV-A16; n =84, 15.4%), CV-A6 ( n =22, 4.0%), and CV-A10 ( n =19, 3.5%). Most of the affected patients were children aged ≤5 years ( n =524, 96.1%). EV-71 was the major pathogen in the severe and fatal cases ( n =22, 78.6%). Phylogenetic analysis of VP1 gene sequences showed the EV-71 isolates to belong to subgenotype C4a, and the CV-A16 isolates to belong to subgenotype B1. The Changsha CV-A6 and CV-A10 circulating strains were homologous to strains circulating in other areas of mainland China. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that EV-71 was the primary causative agent responsible for the HFMD outbreak in Changsha in 2012, and the co-circulation of other coxsackievirus A strains posed a potential risk to public health.
Dynamic Task Scheduling in Hard Real-Time Distributed systems

This algorithm for scheduling tasks with hard real-time constraints—that is, tasks that must meet their deadlines-works dynamically on loosely coupled distributed systems.
Increased risk of cholestatic hepatitis C in recipients of grafts from living versus cadaveric liver donors

Histologic injury caused by recurrent hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been reported in up to 90% of HCV-infected patients who undergo liver transplantation with a cadaveric graft. However, the natural history of HCV after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is not well described. We performed a retrospective analysis of 68 consecutive HCV-infected adult patients: 45 recipients of cadaveric grafts (CAD) were compared with 23 LDLT patients. Elevated serum transaminases, positive HCV RNA, and liver biopsy consistent with histologic evidence of HCV defined recurrence. When comparing CAD with LDLT, both the incidence of HCV recurrence and time to recurrence were not different. The overall incidence of severe sequelae of HCV recurrence, either cholestatic hepatitis, grade III-IV inflammation, and/or HCV-induced graft failure requiring retransplantation, was also not different when comparing CAD with LDLT. However, when comparing CAD versus LDLT, no CAD patient developed cholestatic hepatitis C, compared with 17% of LDLT who developed this complication (P = .001). Thus, in this patient population, the timing and incidence of HCV recurrence were not different when comparing CAD versus LDLT, but the incidence of cholestatic hepatitis was significantly greater in patients with HCV who underwent LDLT.
Trace Explosives Signatures from World War II Unexploded Undersea Ordnance

Trace explosives signatures of TNT and DNT have been extracted from multiple sediment samples adjacent to unexploded undersea ordnance at Halifax Harbor, Canada. The ordnance was hurled into the harbor during a massive explosion some 50 years earlier, in 1945 after World War II had ended. Laboratory sediment extractions were made using the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) method in seawater and detection using the Reversal Electron Attachment Detection (READ) technique and, in the case of DNT, a commercial gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS). Results show that, after more than 50 years in the environment, ordnance that appeared to be physically intact gave good explosives signatures at the parts per billion level, whereas ordnance that had been cracked open during the explosion gave no signatures at the 10 parts per trillion sensitivity level. These measurements appear to provide the first reported data of explosives signatures from undersea unexploded ordnance.
The 5′-terminal dinucleotides of the separated strands of T7 bacteriophage deoxyribonucleic acid

Selective labeling of the 5′-hydroxyl termini of DNA by polynuclcotide kinase has been used to study the 5′-terminal residues of T7 DNA. After separation and isolation, one strand of the duplex molecule was found to be terminated at its 5′-end by deoxyadenylate, and the complementary strand by deoxythymidylate. The 5′-terminal dinucleotides of T7 DNA were identified after hydrolysis of the DNA by exonuclease I from Escherichia coli . The results indicate that one strand is terminated by d-pApG and the other by d-pTpC.
A boundary-element approach to transient simulation of three-dimensional integrated circuit interconnect

The authors demonstrate that boundary-element techniques can be used to perform very efficient transient simulation of three-dimensional interconnect structures, fast enough to easily be included in a circuit simulator. Two boundary element approaches are investigated, and it is shown that the most straight-forward approach leads to unacceptable discretization errors and a less intuitive second approach yields good results even with coarse surface meshes. Results of numerical experiments demonstrating the effectiveness of the second approach in calculating cross-talk are presented. >
New directions in research: report from the 10th International Conference on AIDS

Research findings presented at the 10th International Conference on AIDS, held in Yokohama, Japan, in August 1994, indicate that few advances have been made in standard antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection. The perinatal administration of AZT (zidovudine) was reported to reduce transmission of HIV from mother to child, and its use in combination with acyclovir appears to improve survival among patients with advanced disease. Other research has focused on asymptomatic patients with long-standing HIV infection. Their survival may be related to the activity of cell antiviral factor, a cytokine produced by CD8+ cells. In gene therapy research, one approach involved the genetic alteration of target cells to enable them to render the virus harmless. A second approach consisted of enhancing the function of CD8+ cells to allow them to compensate for dysfunctional CD4+ cells. The author believes that gene therapy may offer the greatest hope of an effective treatment for HIV infection.
General anesthetic agents in relation to analgesia

Unitary theories of general anesthesia, in which analgesia is one endpoint in a progression of stages that apply to all agents, have been replaced by the concept that general anesthetics exert multiple actions that are specific to each agent. Analgesia at concentrations less than those required for general anesthesia is a property of some agents but not others. The decision about whether a given agent has analgesic properties is made difficult by considerations of sedation and anxiolysis versus analgesia. Agents may have both analgesic and hyperalgesic effects, depending on the receptors they act on and where those receptors are located in the central nervous system.
Swine in biomedical research: creating the building blocks of animal models.

(2005). Swine in Biomedical Research: Creating the Building Blocks of Animal Models. Animal Biotechnology: Vol. 16, No. 2, pp. 183-190.
Ciliary membrane tubulin and associated proteins: a complex stable to Triton X-114 dissociation

Abstract When either membranes from scallop gill cilia or reconstituted membranes from the same source are solubilized with Triton X-114 and the detergent is condensed by warming, no significant fraction of any major membrane protein partitions into the micellar detergent. Rather, most of the membrane lipids condense with the detergent phase, forming mixed micelles from which nearly pure lipid vesicles may be produced by adsorption of detergent with polystyrene beads. One minor membrane protein, with a molecular weight of about 20000, is associated consistently with these vesicles. The aqueous phase contains a fairly homogeneous protein-Triton X-114 micelle sedimenting at 2.6 S in the analytical ultracentrifuge. Sucrose gradient velocity analysis in a detergent-free gradient indicates moderate size polydispersity but constant polypeptide composition throughout the sedimenting protein zone. Sucrose gradient equilibrium analysis (also in a detergent-free gradient) results in a protein-detergent complex banding at a density of 1.245 g/cm 3 . Sedimentation of the protein-detergent complex in the ultracentrifuge, followed by fixation and normal processing for electron microscopy, reveals a fine, reticular material consisting of 5–10-nm granules. These data are consistent with previous evidence that membrane tubulin and most other membrane proteins exist together as a discrete lipid-protein complex in molluscan gill ciliary membranes.
Monitoring by rheumatologists for methotrexate-, etanercept-, infliximab-, and anakinra-associated adverse events.

Objective To determine what monitoring protocols rheumatologists use to identify adverse events in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with methotrexate (methotrexate), etanercept (etanercept), infliximab (infliximab), and anakinra (anakinra), how often rheumatologists encounter treatment-altering adverse events in their RA patients receiving these treatments, and how they feel about and comply with the current monitoring guidelines. Methods Three hundred ten physician members of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) were notified by e-mail of a survey that was posted on our rheumatology Web site. Questions were closed-ended and multiple choice in format. Results One hundred twenty-three responses were received (40%). Most rheumatologists reported that they utilize the ACR recommended screening tests at baseline before methotrexate treatment is initiated. Seventy-nine percent reported that treatment-altering abnormalities had occurred in <5% of their methotrexate-treated RA patients, and 88% reported that such abnormalities had occurred in <10% of such patients, in the previous 3 years. Forty-one percent believed liver function monitoring guidelines need to be changed; 59% said they would agree with new guidelines that would include a recommendation for liver function monitoring every 3–4 months. Most rheumatologists were not aware of any guidelines for monitoring by blood tests in RA patients treated with biologic agents, yet the majority reported that they order blood tests before patients start these therapies and on followup. Conclusion Our survey indicates that treatment-altering liver function abnormalities in methotrexate-treated RA patients are rare, and more than half of rheumatologists agree that a less stringent monitoring regimen should be considered. Rheumatologists and pharmaceutical companies might work together to develop guidelines for monitoring of patients treated with biologic agents.
Energy compression system design for the MIT-Bates Accelerator Center

The purpose of the energy compression system (ECS) is to reduce the energy spread of the beam from the linear accelerator. The benefits of the ECS will be to provide a beam with an energy spread lower than that currently available; to reduce the energy centroid shifts from operating fluctuations in the accelerator, and to ensure a beam energy spread commensurate with the requirements of the South Hall Ring (SHR), currently under construction. The last includes minimizing the required RF power for pulse stretcher and storage mode applications. The ECS is to operate with both single pass and recirculated beams. >
Evidence on the Benefits and Harms of Screening and Treating Pregnant Women Who Are Asymptomatic for Bacterial Vaginosis: An Update Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

To support the updated U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation in this issue, Nygren and colleagues performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of information from 7 new randomized, ...
A novel solution to multi-scale deconvolution of sensor array signals

The authors' model assumes that the data are generated as a convolution of an unknown wavelet with various time-scaled versions of an unknown reflectivity sequence. Their approach relies on exploiting the redundancy in the measurements due to time-scaling. No assumptions are made on the statistical properties of these signals. The deconvolution problem is solved as a quadratic minimization subject to a quadratic constraint. The results are illustrated with a simulation example. >
Modeling Web Request and Session Level Arrivals

This paper is focused on modeling Web request and session level arrival processes. We propose a statistically rigorous approach which includes testing for non-stationarity and Gaussianity, and uses model selection criterion. Furthermore, a goodness of fit test is applied to each candidate model - ARMA, ARIMA, FARIMA, and FGN - and for validation purpose real data is compared with data simulated from the models. The results based on data extracted from six Web servers with different workload intensities show that (1) there is no one-fits-all solution and (2) servers with high workloads have both request and session traffic modeled well with FARIMA model which is capable of capturing both long-range and short-range dependence.
Folding of a model three-helix bundle protein: a thermodynamic and kinetic analysis.

The kinetics and thermodynamics of an off-lattice model for a three-helix bundle protein are investigated as a function of a bias gap parameter that determines the energy difference between native and non-native contacts. A simple dihedral potential is used to introduce the tendency to form right-handed helices. For each value of the bias parameter, 100 trajectories of up to one microsecond are performed. Such statistically valid sampling of the kinetics is made possible by the use of the discrete molecular dynamics method with square-well interactions. This permits much faster simulations for off-lattice models than do continuous potentials. It is found that major folding pathways can be defined, although ensembles with considerable structural variation are involved. The large gap models generally fold faster than those with a smaller gap. For the large gap models, the kinetic intermediates are non-obligatory, while both obligatory and non-obligatory intermediates are present for small gap models. Certain large gap intermediates have a two-helix microdomain with one helix extended outward (as in domain-swapped dimers); the small gap intermediates have more diverse structures. The importance of studying the kinetic, as well as the thermodynamics, of folding for an understanding of the mechanism is discussed and the relation between kinetic and equilibrium intermediates is examined. It is found that the behavior of this model system has aspects that encompass both the "new" view and the "old" view of protein folding.
Strategies Resident-Physicians Use to Manage Sleep Loss and Fatigue

Our purpose is to examine strategies or countermeasures resident-physicians used in dealing with the effects of sleep loss and fatigue during residency training. A total of 149 residents across five sites and six specialty areas were recruited for the study. Focus groups consisted of an average of 7 individuals in the same year of training and residency program, and included 60 interns and 89 senior residents. Trained moderators conducted focus groups using a semi-structured discussion guide. Transcripts were analyzed using the grounded theory tradition. The range of strategies adopted was: Chemical, Dietary, Sleep Management, Behavioral, and Cognitive. Residents exhibited a trial-and-error approach to identifying management strategies. None mentioned searching the scientific literature or consulting local sleep medicine experts. Residents relied on putative countermeasures even when they were aware of their negative effects. Our results document the need to educate resident physicians on self-care strategies during residency training.
A Model Vaccine Exploiting Fungal Mannosylation to Increase Antigen Immunogenicity

Ag mannosylation represents a promising strategy to augment vaccine immunogenicity by targeting Ag to mannose receptors (MRs) on dendritic cells. Because fungi naturally mannosylate proteins, we hypothesized that Ags engineered in fungi would have an enhanced capacity to stimulate T cell responses. Using the model Ag OVA, we generated proteins that differentially expressed N- and O-linked mannosylation in the yeast Pichia pastoris and compared them to their unglycosylated counterparts produced in Escherichia coli. We found that yeast-derived OVA proteins containing N-linkages, extensive O-linkages, or both were more potent than the unmannosylated Ags at inducing OVA-specific CD4+ T cell proliferation. This elevated response to fungal Ags was inhibited by mannan, suggesting involvement of MRs. However, the macrophage MR (CD206) was not essential, because macrophage MR-deficient dendritic cells were fully competent in presenting yeast-derived OVA Ags. Thus, the use of fungal glycosylation to provide N-linked and/or extensive O-linked mannosylation increased the capacity of the model Ag OVA to stimulate Ag-specific T cell responses in an MR-dependent manner. These data have implications for vaccine design by providing proof of principle that yeast-derived mannosylation can enhance immunogenicity.
Association of Coal Metamorphism and Hydrothermal Mineralization in Rough Creek Fault Zone and Fluorspar District, Western Kentucky: ABSTRACT

The ambient coal rank (metamorphism) of the Carboniferous coals in the Western Kentucky coalfield ranges from high volatile A bituminous (vitrinite maximum reflectance up to 0.75% Rmax) in the Webster syncline (Webster and southern Union Counties) to high volatile C bituminous (0.45 to 0.60% Rmax) over most of the remainder of the area. Anomalous patterns of metamorphism, however, have been noted in coals recovered from cores and mines in fault blocks of the Rough Creek fault zone and Fluorspar District. Coals in Gil-30 borehole (Rough Creek faults, Bordley Quadrangle, Union County) vary with no regard for vertical position, from high volatile C (0.55% Rmax) to high volatile A (0.89% Rmax) bituminous. Examination of the upper Sturgis Formation (Missourian/Virgilian) coals revealed that the higher rank (generally above 0.75% Rmax) coals had vein mineral assemblages of sphalerite, twinned calcite, and ferroan dolomite. Lower rank coals had only untwinned calcite. Several sites in Webster County contain various coals (Well [No. 8] to Coiltown [No. 14]) with vitrinite reflectances up to 0.83% Rmax and associated sphalerite mineralization. Mississippian and Lower Pennsylvanian (Caseyville Formation Gentry coal) coals in the mineralized Fluorspar istrict have ranks to nearly medium volatile bituminous (1.03% Rmax). Rank varies between fault blocks and, in places, shows unexpected vertical trends. The regional rank trend exhibited by the fault zones is generally higher rank than the surrounding areas. Sphalerite mineralization in itself is not unique within Illinois basin coals, but if it was partly responsible for the metamorphism of these coals, then the fluid temperature must have been higher within the above mentioned fault complexes. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1456------------
Fatality Involving Complications of Bupivacaine Toxicity and Hypersensitivity Reaction

This case represents unusual findings of elevated bupivacaine and tryptase concentrations following local anesthetic, bupivacaine, administered as a scalene nerve block for elective rotator cuff repair surgery. Following bupivacaine injection, the patient exhibited almost immediate seizure activity, bradycardia, and cardiac arrest. Resuscitative efforts including cardiopulmonary bypass restored a cardiac rhythm. However, the clinical medical status of the patient progressively declined and he died 7 h following administration of the local anesthetic. Autopsy revealed several abnormalities of the heart including cardiomegaly, myocardial bridging, and lipomatous hypertrophy of the intraatrial septum, which may have contributed to bradycardia and arrhythmia. Postmortem toxicology results revealed elevated bupivacaine and tryptase concentrations. Elevated postmortem bupivacaine concentrations 7 h following administration and abrupt onset of seizures indicate unintentional intravascular injection instead of nerve and tissue infiltration. An elevated postmortem tryptase concentration points to the possibility of a hypersensitivity reaction to bupivacaine.
An MRF-Based DeInterlacing Algorithm With Exemplar-Based Refinement

In this paper, we propose an MRF-based deinterlacing algorithm that combines the benefits of rule-based algorithms such as motion-adaptation, edge-directed interpolation, and motion compensation, with those of an MRF formulation. MRF-based interpolation and enhancement algorithms are typically formulated as an optimization over pixel intensities or colors, which can make them relatively slow. In comparison, our MRF-based deinterlacing algorithm uses interpolation functions as labels. We use seven interpolants (three spatial, three temporal, and one for motion compensation). The core dynamic programming algorithm is, therefore, sped up greatly over the direct use of intensity as labels. We also show how an exemplar-based learning algorithm can be used to refine the output of our MRF-based algorithm. The training set can be augmented with exemplars from static regions of the same video, as a form of ldquoself-learningrdquo.
The Court of Appeals of Virginia Uses Integer Programming and Cloud Computing to Schedule Sessions

Each spring, a deputy clerk of the Court of Appeals of Virginia manually schedules panel sessions and assigns judges to sessions for the following calendar year. The information technology department for the Supreme Court of Virginia, the head of the judicial branch of government in Virginia, also serves the Court of Appeals of Virginia. In the spring of 2010, the staff of the Court of Appeals of Virginia and the information technology staff contacted Virginia Commonwealth University to explore a computational approach to generating schedules. Together, we developed a tool that uses integer programming to generate schedules; we used the method to generate the 2011 schedule, resulting in savings of up to 150 hours of work annually. The schedule satisfies all the constraints required by the court by properly distributing panel sessions among its districts throughout the year. The court places great importance on its members not becoming parochial; to that end, judges sit in disparate panels to hear litigants, who convene in regions throughout the state, to ensure a more uniform application of the law. The court used industrial-strength integer programming software to generate the 2011 schedule at low cost by using resources available on the Cloud.
A Study of Parallel Implicit and Explicit Information Processing in Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

OBJECTIVE: This study examined implicit sequence learning in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) under dual-task conditions. Frontal-striatal networks support implicit learning and are implicated in the pathophysiology of OCD. Neuroimaging data suggest that during implicit learning, OCD patients use neural systems normally active during explicit learning to compensate for striatal dysfunction. METHOD: The authors examined implicit sequence learning in 25 OCD patients and 25 healthy comparison subjects using a dual-task paradigm, with subjects simultaneously engaged in an explicit memory task and an implicit learning task. They predicted that implicit learning in OCD subjects would be disrupted because concurrent explicit information-processing demands would prevent use of compensatory processes. RESULTS: OCD patients failed to show evidence of implicit learning and exhibited a significant deficit in comparison with healthy subjects. CONCLUSIONS: These results are consistent with the hypothes...
Gas-liquid kinetics: The absorption of carbon dioxide in diethanolamine

The absorption of carbon dioxide in pure diethanolamine was studied in a gas-liquid stirred reactor at 85°, 95°, and 105°F. Over forty runs were made but only nineteen were reported here since several were invalidated by difficulties with the stirring mechanism and reaction-temperature control. The absorption was followed by pressure-time measurements with the carbon dioxide pressure ranging between 30 and 4 cm. of mercury. Experimental data were consistent and reproducible. An equation describing the gas-liquid absorption system was derived and then simplified by considering only the kinetic region. The experimental data were correlated with the simplified equation by both integral and differential methods and indicate that the reaction follows a third-order rate equation: first order in carbon dioxide and second order in diethanolamine. A mechanism explaining the observed order is described. Justification for assuming kinetic control of the absorption was demonstrated by doubling and tripling the stirring speed which produced no significant change in the absorption rate. Also, the temperature dependence of the pseudo-rate constants was out of the range of ordinary mass transfer control. This agrees with the results of a theoretical model reported previously (6).
Raise Taxes, Cut Services, or Fire People?: Citizens in the Fiscal Retrenchment Process

Advocates of citizen participation argue that a greater role for citizens in the budget process can help city governments undergoing fiscal retrenchment by improving budget choices and citizens’ willingness to pay, among others. A contrary view suggests that citizens are free riders who want lower taxes, but oppose service cuts. How has citizen input influenced the choice of fiscal retrenchment strategies in municipal governments during the Great Recession? The analysis shows that when it comes to budget cutting, participatory cities have a higher probability of adopting highly contentious strategies including eliminating services and laying off workers compared to non-participatory cities. In raising revenues, participatory cities avoid increasing property taxes. Citizens’ fiscal choices raise questions about the future of local autonomy, and ultimately, citizens’ ability to influence policymaking in the evolving intergovernmental system.
Working in Resource-Challenged Environments

Working with limited resources in unfamiliar and/or austere environments can be some of the most challenging but also most rewarding experiences in life. The operations performed in places where patients do not have ready access to quality care and needed expertise can be life changing for these individuals. The challenges often create the need for innovation, flexibility, and the use of extra precautions to avoid complications.