cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characteristics and Outcomes of Left Ventricular-Assist Device-Associated Cerebrovascular Events in Setting of Infectious Intracranial Aneurysms.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The study aims to identify the characteristics and neurological outcomes of the left ventricular-assist device (LVAD)-associated cerebrovascular events (CVE) and infections, particularly in the setting of infectious intracranial aneurysms (IIA). METHODS A single-center retrospective review of patients having undergone LVAD implantation between 2011 and 2017 was conducted using institutional registries and screened for CVE. Patients with CVE were assessed for concurrent bacteremia; neurovascular imaging was then used to isolate patients with IIA. A review of comorbidities, imaging characteristics, and management were performed to determine predictors of neurological outcomes, as defined by the 90-day modified Rankin scale (mRS) scores. RESULTS Of the 383 HeartMate II LVAD implantations performed, 43 all-cause stroke events were identified across 35 (9%) patients. The majority of the events were hemorrhagic CVE (n=28) with 21 events complicated by bacteremia. Of patients with hemorrhagic CVE and bacteremia, Staphylococcus aureus (n=10) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n= 8) infection were the most frequently associated organisms. Severe disability or death (90-day mRS > 4) was observed in 15 patients (63%). Seven patients had confirmed findings of IIA on diagnostic cerebral angiogram and were associated with distal middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory involvement (n=6; 86%) with concurrent Staphylococcus (n=5, 71%) and/or Pseudomonas (n=4, 57%) infections. Overall, a higher incidence of acute and chronic bacteremia was observed in the hemorrhagic CVE subgroup compared to the ischemic CVE subgroup (74% vs 36% & 71% vs 29%, respectively; p <0.05). Despite endovascular and/or surgical intervention in patients with IIA, four patients failed management and elected for comfort measures. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that P. aeruginosa and S. aureus bacteremia are associated with a greater incidence of intracranial hemorrhage and worse neurological outcomes. Future management considerations may include pre-implantation cerebrovascular imaging to assess vascular pathology including prior aneurysms and intracranial atherosclerotic disease burden as a screen for higher-risk patients, as well as more aggressive antibiotic therapy at bacteremia onset.
Automation of Data Acquisition Strategies in Model Calibration for System Models: Sensor Placement

Model calibration is a challenging process for large-scale system models with a non-trivial number of variables. Although domain heuristics are often called for to guide the model calibration process, in particular, the scheduling of data acquisition on model variables, there lacks a general automatic framework for this strategic task. This problem points to the well-known sensor placement problem in physical dynamic systems, and existing approaches are ready to be translated to system models in social and economic sciences. The sensor placement problem on system models addresses the following question: with the model at hand and a pre-existing data availability, what are the (next) k model variables that would bring the largest utility to model calibration, once their datasets are acquired? In this study, we first translate two established solution approaches of this optimization problem, the information entropy approach and the miss probability approach, from physical dynamic systems to social science system models. Next, based on the idea of Data Availability Partition and drawing on the insights of the two existing solutions, we propose a new objective function for this optimization problem, constructed from the individual utilities of model variables, which could be understood from the entropy perspective. The new solution could essentially be embedded in the broader theoretical framework of the evaluation of side information. On the basis of graph theory, analytical results of the optimal placement solution under the new objective function are derived for binary and multi-ary trees; for a general tree structure with n nodes, an algorithm to determine the optimal placement is devised, with complexity upper bounded by O(nlog2(n)). For arbitrary model structures, approximate solution schemes for this combinatorial problem are pinned down. Our new solution scheme is compared with the two translated approaches on a sample model structure, and results suggest the advantages of our solution. In this study, in-depth discussions on the design of data acquisition strategies for system models are carried out, which may bring important insights for system modeling practice in social and economic sciences.
Nonlinear Feedback Controllers for Self-Powered Systems with Non-Ideal Energy Storage Subsystems

A self-powered system is a control actuation technology that derives all energy to power its operations, from the dynamic response of the plant in which it is embedded. In order to maintain persistent operation, it must not exhaust its rechargeable energy storage subsystem. If the technology were perfectly efficient, this constraint would require that feasible feedback laws be passive. In the non-ideal case the constraint is more restrictive than mere passivity, because it must account for dissipations in the transduction network. One of the most significant factors limiting overall efficiency is the dissipation incurred when power is transmitted to or from storage. In the presence of these losses, the domain of feasible control laws includes a sub-domain of static colocated feedback laws, for which a certain static constraint holds for the feedback gain matrix. To obtain superior performance, this static feedback gain can be adapted in real-time, based on feedback measurements. This paper presents a nonlinear control design technique that accomplishes this adaptation while also guaranteeing feasibility. Although sub-optimal, the technique is guaranteed to improve upon the performance of the optimized static gain. The methodology is demonstrated in a simulation example pertaining to the self-powered control of a five-story civil structure subjected to seismic excitation.
Molecular Microbiology: A New Vision and Expanded Scope

Molecular Microbiology is announcing a new vision for the journal and is expanding both its scope and editorial board to cover innovative and emerging areas across all domains of microbiology. A new vision: Molecular Microbiology will encompass all areas of microbiology, from basic to translational research. The journal aims at attracting research content of the highest quality and novelty. It will publish studies of all microbes (Bacteria, Archaea, eukaryotic microorganisms, and Viruses), while retaining its historical emphasis on studies that provide significant new biological insights into the systems under study.
The Interprofessional Education Exchange: The Impact of a Faculty Development Program in Interprofessional Palliative Oncology Education on Trainee Competencies, Skills, and Satisfaction

Background: The interprofessional education exchange (iPEX) provides education, training, and mentoring to select interprofessional faculty trainee teams for development and implementation of inter...
A limiting example for the local “fuzzy” sum rule in nonsmooth analysis

We show that assuming all the summand functions to be lower semicontinuous is not sufficient to ensure a (strong) fuzzy sum rule for subdifferentials in any infinite dimensional Banach space. From this we deduce that additional assumptions are also needed on functions for chain rules, multiplier rules for constrained minimization problems and Clarke-Ledyaev type mean value inequalities in the infinite dimensional setting.
Chapter 67 Incentive-compatible Mechanisms for Pure Public Goods: A Survey of Experimental Research

Publisher Summary The presence of public goods seriously challenges traditional or “natural” solutions for the allocation of private goods. Important policy questions, of whether this chapter can rely on the market to provide optimal amounts of public goods such as air pollution, and how much we can rely on “natural” processes such as voluntary contribution to solve environmental problems, boil down to fundamental issues about human nature, i.e., about whether people are selfish or cooperative. Existing experiments on incentive-compatible mechanisms have focused on a few mechanisms. The data, combined with theoretical investigation, give us a fresh perspective on implementation among real people. For these mechanisms that have been studied in the laboratory, need more replications and robustness tests. Meanwhile, many mechanisms have never been tested in the laboratory. Equilibrium selection problem is almost untouched in this context. Therefore, more experiments should be conducted in this exciting field.
Management Impacts on Labor Productivity

This paper uses a simplified model of specific building operations in order to recognize and determine basic influences of management on labor productivity. By making continuous on-site observations of many jobs of the same building operation with differing levels of management, the effect of management actions on labor productivity can be determined. By modeling the building operation around one of its major activities that has a quantifiable labor input and work output, a variety of jobs can be compared in spite of their lack of similarity. It is suggested that by applying the measurable work rate of the modeled activity to the percentage of productive work, a labor productivity index can be derived and used for comparison. The study indicated that labor productivity, even in a trade as simple as tile laying, can be improved 100% or better where work specialization, work supervisation, on-site coordination, job security, motivations, and long-term pacing are employed and encouraged.
Topological Sweep in Degenerate Cases

Topological sweep can contribute to efficient implementations of various algorithms for data analysis. Real data, however, has degeneracies. The modification of the topological sweep algorithm presented here handles degenerate cases such as parallel or multiply concurrent lines without requiring numerical perturbations to achieve general position. Our method maintains the O(n2) and O(n) time and space complexities of the original algorithm, and is robust and easy to implement. We present experimental results.
All Kinds of Behavior are Possible in Chemical Kinetics: A Theorem and its Potential Applications to Chemical Computing

Until the late 1950s, it was believed that the processes described by the equations of chemical kinetics are simple: in the course of each chemical reaction, concentrations of some chemical substances decrease while concentrations of other substances increase. This belief was shattered when the first periodic reaction – the famous Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction – was discovered. Since then, it was shown that many other types of unusual behavior are possible for chemical systems. This discovery led to the possibility of finding chemical reactions that emulate non-trivial transformations that occur during computations – and thus, perform computations “in vitro”, by actually performing the corresponding chemical reactions. The potential advantages of such chemical computing are numerous, the main advantage is that with 10 molecules performing computations in parallel, we have a potential for an unheard-of-parallelization – and thus, of an unheard-of speed-up. The possibility of computing “in vitro” was at first only theoretically conjectured, but then, in 1994, L. Adleman has actually performed successful chemical computations. This started a current boom in chemical computing, with many new ideas and devices appearing all the time. From both practical and theoretical viewpoints, chemical computing has been a clear success story. However, one open problem remained in this area: while many types of behavior have been shown to occur in chemical kinetics, it has been not know whether all types of behavior are possible. In this paper, we prove that every possible behavior can indeed be implemented in an appropriate chemical kinetics system. This result has the following direct implication for chemical computing: no matter what computational device one invents, with whatever weird behavior, it is, in principle, possible to emulate this device by appropriate chemical reactions. In this sense, chemical computing is truly ubiquitous.
CFTR Expression Regulation by the Unfolded Protein Response

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a chloride channel and key regulator of epithelial functions. Mutations in the CFTR gene lead to reduced or dysfunctional CFTR protein and cause cystic fibrosis (CF), a generalized exocrinopathy affecting multiple organs. In the airways, loss of CFTR function leads to thickened mucus, reduced mucociliary clearance, chronic infections, and respiratory failure. Common airway disorders such as bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) also present CF-like symptoms such as mucus congestion and chronic inflammation without mutations in CFTR. The primary risk factors for COPD and chronic bronchitis include environmental stress insults such as pollutants and infections that often result in hypoxic conditions. Furthermore, environmental factors such as cigarette smoke and reactive oxygen species have been implicated in reduced CFTR function. Activation of cellular stress responses by these factors promotes differential, stress-associated gene expression regulation. During our investigations on the mechanisms of CFTR expression regulation, we have shown that the ER stress response, the unfolded protein response (UPR), decreases CFTR expression at the transcriptional, translational, and maturational levels. Here, we provide a detailed description of the methods we employ to study CFTR expression regulation by the UPR. Similar approaches are applicable in studies on other genes and how they are affected by the UPR.
Einfluss des Deutschen Elements auf Gesellschaft und Kultur

Unter samtlichen Kunsten, die in den Vereinigten Staaten gepflegt werden, steht die Schauspielkunst am niedrigsten. Wohl sind grose Schauspieler bei uns aufgetreten, die es mit ersten Grosen anderer Lander aufnehmen konnten; doch kann weder von einer fortschreitenden Entwicklung auf dramatischem Gebiet die Rede sein, wie sie auf musikalischem zu verfolgen ist, noch hat die Schauspielkunst sich ahnlich hohe Ziele gesteckt wie die Malerei oder die Skulptur. Schon in dem amerikanischen Ausdruck „to go to a show“ liegt eine unbewuste Kritik. Eine Schaustellung, je auffalliger, um so besser, — Darsteller, je mehr, je lieber, — glanzende Kostume, grosartige Szenerie, das ist es, was der Amerikaner verlangt, und solange das Theater auf dieser Stufe stehen bleibt, kann von Kunst naturlich keine Rede sein. Man denkt unwillkurlich an das Monsterkonzert Gilmores im Jahre 1872 mit seinen 20 000 Mitwirkenden, einem Aufwand an Kraft und Mitteln, den wir heute nicht mehr als Kunst gelten lassen. Der Entwicklung hoherer dramatischer Kunst stellen sich in Amerika verschiedene Hindernisse entgegen. Einerseits hat der Theatertrust, dieser grose Polyp, die besten Theater aller groseren Stadte des Landes in seiner Gewalt.1 Damit wird jeglicher Wettbewerb ausgeschaltet und ein Heer willfahriger Kunstler erzeugt, die sich kaum uber eine gewisse Mittelmasigkeit erheben konnen.
Evaluation of Low Temperature Ground Coupled Vertical Heat Exchanger in South Louisiana

Geothermal energy is a clean and sustainable form of energy. A shallow geothermal heat exchanger system with a vertical closed loop uses the temperature difference between the atmosphere and the soil to heat and cool buildings. In this paper a four-story building in New Orleans was evaluated for the potential use of geothermal energy through the building's foundation piles. Among its 145 driven piles only 16 piles were selected as energy piles. Using industry popular GLD 2012 software it was found that the 16 energy piles with a length of 24.38 m each altogether can extract a maximum of 29.31 (kW/hr) cooling load and 26.93 (kW/hr) heating load. This energy is equivalent to 19.9% of the total cooling demand and 68.12% of the total heating demand of the entire building. Using economic and environmental impact analysis it was found that, if the building only uses geothermal energy for its Heating, Venting and Air Conditioning (HVAC), it will be at least 13 times less costly than using natural gas or electricity only for heating and cooling. In this paper, research was done in sensitivity analysis on pile diameter, concrete thermal conductivity, soil thermal conductivity, soil temperature, U-tube diameter and U-tube flow rate. By varying those parameters, the total pile length needed was calculated if total HVAC demand was met by using geothermal energy.
Temperature adaptation of enzymes : lessons from laboratory evolution

Publisher Summary This chapter outlines the evolutionary protein design methods that are used to help uncover the molecular basis for temperature adaptation in enzymes. The chapter explains how temperature affects protein stability and enzyme activity. The chapter also discusses some of the results of comparative studies of enzymes isolated from the organisms adapted to different temperatures. The chapter reveals small number of studies on natural thermophilic proteins that has identified various thermodynamic strategies for stabilization. Laboratory evolution makes it possible to ask, for example, whether proteins have adopted these different strategies by chance, or whether certain protein architectures favor specific thermodynamic mechanisms. It will also be possible to determine how other selective pressures, such as the requirement for efficient low temperature activity, influence stabilization mechanisms. Directed evolution can also be used to probe the boundaries of protein function, for example, the role of protein stability in setting the upper temperature limits for life. The combination of directed evolution with high resolution structural studies and detailed characterization of dynamics promises to provide insights into the molecular basis of stability and catalysis.
EVIDENCE THAT RSEC, A GENE IN THE RPOE CLUSTER, HAS A ROLE IN THIAMINE SYNTHESIS IN SALMONELLA TYPHIMURIUM

In Salmonella typhimurium, the genetic loci and biochemical reactions necessary for the conversion of aminoimidazole ribotide (AIR) to the 4-amino-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methyl pyrimidine (HMP) moiety of thiamine remain unknown. Preliminary genetic analysis indicates that there may be more than one pathway responsible for the synthesis of HMP from AIR and that the function of these pathways depends on the availability of AIR, synthesized by the purine pathway or by the purF-independent alternative pyrimidine biosynthetic (APB) pathway (L. Petersen and D. Downs, J. Bacteriol. 178:5676-5682, 1996). An insertion in rseB, the third gene in the rpoE rseABC gene cluster at 57 min, prevented HMP synthesis in a purF mutant. Complementation analysis demonstrated that the HMP requirement of the purF rseB strain was due to polarity of the insertion in rseB on the downstream rseC gene. The role of RseC in thiamine synthesis was independent of rpoE.
Educating Urban African American Children Placed At Risk: A Comparison of Two Types of Catholic Middle Schools

Although the number of urban Catholic schools has declined in recent years, Nativity model middle schools, first developed by the Jesuits over 35 years ago, have appeared throughout the nation to address the need for effective alternative education for urban children placed at risk. The present study compares the effectiveness of two types of high-poverty Catholic schools for 322 African American middle school students. Result show that Nativity schools are more successful than traditional Catholic schools in effecting student gains in standardized test score performance. Results also suggest that features such as small school and class size, small student-teacher ratios, and an extended academic day contribute to these gains. The quality of the school and classroom environment, as perceived by students, that contributed to the amount of engaged learning time also may have contributed to their stronger academic performance. Implications for urban schooling for African American middle school children placed at risk are discussed.
Biostratigraphy of the Emsian to Eifelian in the Holy Cross Mountains (Poland)

The paper give a biostratigraphic interpretation of the Emsian to Eifelian in the Łysogory and Kielce regions of the Holy Cross Mountains, based on the different groups of microfossils: miospores, conodonts, ostracods and foraminifers. Four miospore zones were identified in the uppermost Pragian, Emsian and lowermost Eifelian: Verrucosisporites polygonalis–Dibolisporites wetteldorfensis (PW), Emphanisporites annulatus–Brochotriletes bellatulus (AB), Emphanisporites foveolatus–Verruciretusispora dubia (FD) and Acinosporites apiculatus–Grandispora protea (AP). In the Łysogory region, the Emsian and lowermost Eifelian comprises four conodont zones: serotinus, patulus, partitus and costatus, three ostracod assemblages and several foraminifer assemblages. In the Kielce region, deposits from the Emsian/Eifelian boundary interval yield conodonts from the patulus and partitus zones, two ostracod assemblages and assemblages of agglutinated foraminifers. The joint biostratigraphic analysis allows a tentative correlation of the lithostratigraphic units from both areas. It also provides independent control/calibration on the different biostratigraphical systems. The Pragian/Emsian boundary is located in the lower part of the Barcza Formation and in the lower part of the Haliszka Formation, whereas the Emsian/Eifelian boundary lies in the upper part of the Grzegorzowice Formation and in the upper part of the Winna Formation.
Optimal matching algorithm for multidimensional sensor readings

Multisensor fusion is a method which is of current importance for improving sensor reliability. Because individual sensors are prone to transient errors, mechanical failures, and noise, as well as being of limited accuracy, it is advisable to fuse readings from many heterogeneous sensors. This allows several different sensor technologies to be used together to measure the value of a physical variable. Using a multitude of sensor technologies makes the overall system less sensitive to the failures of any one technology. Unfortunately, it is a non-trivial task to glean the best interpretation from a large number of partially contradictory sensor readings. A number of methods exist for finding the best approximate match for this type of redundant, but possibly faulty, data. This paper presents a new algorithm which finds the best possible interpretation of partially contradictory sensor readings, some of which are incorrect, that contain data of greater than two dimensions. Currently available algorithms return interpretations which are larger than the optimal. This has been done to avoid excessive computational complexity. The algorithm presented here is based on data structures from computational geometry and provides the smallest possible region satisfying the constraints of the problem with a reasonable computational complexity.
Introduction to colloquium.

Symmetry has always fascinated humans. Why? It is around us in the physical and biological world. Greeks were obsessed with symmetry and tried to construct an understanding of the heavens in terms of the most symmetrical objects: spheres, and circles. Even Kepler’s formulation of the heliocentric planetary systems was based …
Effects of Rotation Patterns on Tread Life Evaluation

Abstract The effects of making tread life evaluations using different patterns of rotation are reported. It is shown that the estimated average tread life for a tire was not statistically different in experiments with four tires in fixed wheel position, on fixed axles, or fully rotated to all wheel positions. The fully rotated procedure produced the same average for a pair of tires or for four tires; the variability of the data was significantly smaller than in the other rotation patterns.
Cross protection between two strains of corn stunt virus in an insect vector.

Abstract The Rio Grande (R. G.) strain of corn stunt virus (Chlorogenus zeae var. riograndensis Mar.) and the Mesa Central (M. C.) strain (C. zeae var. mexicanus Mar.) were acquired in feeding periods of 1 day and transmitted after an incubation period of 2–3 weeks by either Dalbulus maidis DeL. & W. or D. elimatus Ball. When a 1-day acquisition period for one strain was followed immediately by a 1-day acquisition period for the other, initial transmissions were of either type, irrespective of the order of acquisition; in subsequent weeks R. G. virus was transmitted predominantly and finally exclusively. When individuals of D. maidis first acquired M. C. virus and 2 weeks later R. G. virus, they transmitted the M. C. strain first and the R. G. strain later. When R. G. virus was acquired first, only it was transmitted. In plants simultaneously infected with both viruses, symptoms of M. C. disease often were observed in the beginning, while later the more severe R. G. disease developed. The fact that the R. G. virus protected against M. C. virus, but not vice versa, indicates that R. G. virus may multiply faster, move more rapidly or be more virulent than the other strain, pre-empting certain insect and plant tissues and thus suppressing transmission or multiplication of the M. C. virus.
Family Relationships and Adolescent Cigarette Smoking: Results from a National Longitudinal Survey:

The current study used national survey data to identify which aspects of family relationships are predictive of experimental and daily cigarette smoking. A multi-wave longitudinal survey periodically assessed adolescents aged 11 to 17 (N = 1,725) over a seven year follow-up period. Parent interviewers were obtained at the initial screening. Nineteen indicators of family relationships were used based on parent and child interviews. Several indicators of smoking were used including first time cigarette smoking, a nine-point scale of intensity of experimentation with cigarettes, an indicator of daily smoking, and an indicator of smoking at least five or more cigarettes per day. Logistic and multiple regression analyses that controlled for ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status found that family relationships were only predictive for subjects under the age of 18. Significant predictors were (a) indices of parental attachment, (b) indices of time spent with one's family, (c) having older siblings who smok...
Interaction of the erythrocyte--membrane protein, spectrin, with model membrane systems.

Abstract Spectrin causes an increased rate of solute diffusion from liposomes. The protein binds both to negatively charged and positively charged liposomes. Binding to negative liposomes appears to be insensitive to ionic strength of the medium. It appears that hydrophobic bonding of this membrane protein to lipid is the likely mode of interaction in the erythrocyte membrane.
Alkalinity Losses from Ammonium Fertilizers Used in Fish Ponds

Abstract Alkalinity losses resulting from nitrification in laboratory mud-water systems treated with compounds used for ammonium fertilizers agreed with stoichiometric calculations of potential alkalinity losses. Each milligram/liter of nitrogenous compound can destroy the following amounts of total alkalinity (in milligrams/liter as CaCO3): NH4NO3, 1.25; (NH4)2SO4, 1.52; (NH4)2HPO4, 1.14; NH4H2PO4, 0.87; urea, 1.67: Poly N (10–34-0 liquid fertilizer), 0.72. These data may be used to estimate the amounts of agricultural limestone required to neutralize the maximum acidity that could result from complete nitrification of ammonium applied to ponds in these fertilizers. Amounts of limestone needed to neutralize the maximum acidity possible from other nitrogenous fertilizers may be calculated from stoichiometric relationships.
Stereochemical studies of the formation of chiral internucleotide linkages by phosphoramidite coupling in the synthesis of oligodeoxyribonucleotides

Abstract HPLC-fractionated ( R p)- and ( S p)-phosphoramidites underwent tetrazole-catalyzed coupling to support-bound nucleosides to give intermediary phosphates with epimerization at phosphorus, as shown by conversion to epimerized mixtures of dinucleoside phosphorothioates.
Selection of polynomial chaos bases via Bayesian model uncertainty methods with applications to sparse approximation of PDEs with stochastic inputs

Generalized polynomial chaos (gPC) expansions allow us to represent the solution of a stochastic system using a series of polynomial chaos basis functions. The number of gPC terms increases dramatically as the dimension of the random input variables increases. When the number of the gPC terms is larger than that of the available samples, a scenario that often occurs when the corresponding deterministic solver is computationally expensive, evaluation of the gPC expansion can be inaccurate due to over-fitting. We propose a fully Bayesian approach that allows for global recovery of the stochastic solutions, in both spatial and random domains, by coupling Bayesian model uncertainty and regularization regression methods. It allows the evaluation of the PC coefficients on a grid of spatial points, via (1) the Bayesian model average (BMA) or (2) the median probability model, and their construction as spatial functions on the spatial domain via spline interpolation. The former accounts for the model uncertainty and provides Bayes-optimal predictions; while the latter provides a sparse representation of the stochastic solutions by evaluating the expansion on a subset of dominating gPC bases. Moreover, the proposed methods quantify the importance of the gPC bases in the probabilistic sense through inclusion probabilities. We design a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampler that evaluates all the unknown quantities without the need of ad-hoc techniques. The proposed methods are suitable for, but not restricted to, problems whose stochastic solutions are sparse in the stochastic space with respect to the gPC bases while the deterministic solver involved is expensive. We demonstrate the accuracy and performance of the proposed methods and make comparisons with other approaches on solving elliptic SPDEs with 1-, 14- and 40-random dimensions.
Thermal Behavior of Alkylsiloxane Self-Assembled Monolayers on the Oxidized Si(100) Surface

The thermal behavior of alkyltrichlorosilane (CH3(CH2)n-1SiCl3) based self-assembled monolayers on the oxidized Si(100) surface has been examined under ultrahigh vacuum conditions for n = 4, 8, and 18. Using high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy and contact angle analysis, it is found that the monolayers are stable in vacuum up to about 740 K independent of chain length. Above 740 K the chains begin to decompose through C−C bond cleavage, resulting in the desorption of hydrocarbon fragments. Following this initial desorption step, methyl groups attached to silicon atoms are observed. The siloxane head groups remain on the surface following decomposition of the monolayers until about 1100 K.
Behavioral differentiation between itch and pain in mouse

The standard rodent model of itch uses scratching with the hind limb as a behavioral response to pruritic stimuli applied to the nape of the neck. The assumption is that scratching is an indicator of the sensation of itch. But because only one type of site-directed behavior is available, one cannot be certain that scratching is not a response to nociceptive or other qualities of sensations in addition to, or instead of, itch. To extend the model, we administered chemical stimuli to the cheek of the mouse and counted scratching with the hind limb as an indicator of itch and wiping with the forelimb as an indicator of pain. An intradermal injection of histamine and capsaicin, known to evoke predominantly itch and pain, respectively, in humans, each elicited hind limb scratching behavior when injected into the nape of the neck of the mouse. In contrast, when the same chemicals were injected into the cheek of the mouse, there were two site-directed behaviors: histamine again elicited scratching with the hind limb, but capsaicin evoked wiping with the forelimb. We conclude that the “cheek model of itch” in the mouse provides a behavioral differentiation of chemicals that elicit predominantly itch in humans from those that evoke nociceptive sensations. That is, the model provides a behavioral differentiation between itch and pain in the mouse.
The Theological Foundation of Hobbesian Physics: A Defence of Corporeal God

In 1668, the octogenarian Hobbes finally affirmed openly a doctrine that was unavoidable given his longstanding embrace of both theism and materialism: God is corporeal. However, this doctrine has generally been downplayed or dismissed by scholars, who have alleged that Hobbes's corporeal theism is irreconcilable with his more orthodox theological pronouncements or with his fundamental metaphysical principles. This paper defends the coherence of Hobbes's corporeal God against particularly vigorous criticisms of Douglas Jesseph and others. The aim of the paper is not, however, to situate Hobbes's deity safely within the boundaries of seventeenth century protestant theology, as defenders of Hobbesian theism have often wanted to do. Rather, the paper places the corporeal God at the metaphysical foundations of Hobbes's natural philosophy. Despite his early reticence about theological speculation, Hobbes eventually relied on God to provide a continuous, resistance-free source of motion or conatus to a material...
Temporal changes in the leaf monoterpenes of Sequoia sempervirens

Sequoia sempervirens leaf monotorpenes were analysed from bud burst through maturity. Significant changes occurred in both quantitative composition and total yield/dry wt during the first six months of leaf development. Composition then remained stable until initiation of twig abscission. Total yield also remained relatively stable except for a sharp increase at month 15, followed by a return to earlier levels and stability until initiation of abscission. The age of the shoot was important only for individuals less than 1 m high. Simulated herbivory by leaf removal showed only minor compositonal changes when plants were resampled one year later. Results support the concept that variation in individual compounds could provide an effective defensive strategy against herbivores and pathogens, and also establish a suitable time period for minimizing variation in sample collections.
Multipole moments of stellar oscillation modes

The oscillating mass 2(exp l)-pole moment, M(sub nl), of a star in a given (normalized) oscillation mode determines the energy that can be absorbed by the mode in a tidal interaction and the power radiated by the mode in gravitational waves, both of which are proportional to (absolute value of M(sub nl))(exp 2). The coefficients in the expansion of the vector fields del(r(exp l)Y(sub lm)(theta, phi)) in terms of the displacement fields of modes of given l and m are proportional to M(sub nl). This expansion leads to a sum rule sum over n(absolute value of M(sub nl))(exp 2) = constant. For stars of weak to moderate central condensation (such as neutron stars), the f-mode is well approximated by the vector field being expanded, and therefore it takes the lion's share of the sum. Thus the multipole moments of all other modes must be small. In there numerical evaluation, it is necessary to know the shape of the eigenfunctions quite precisly, since a small f-mode contamination can significantly increase the obtained values. This contamination occurs in some `hybrid' numerical computations of neutron star oscillations with relativistic equilibrium stars and Newtonian dynamics (e.g., McDermott et al. 1988). In this case, it is due to a slight inconsistency in the models and leads to a large overestimate of the power radiated in gravitational waves by modes other than the f-mode, although their oscillation periods are nearly unaffected.
Direct Imaging of Surface and Bulk Structures in Solvent Cast Polymer Blend Films

We have used laser confocal fluorescent microscopy and atomic force microscopy to study surface and bulk morphologies in solvent cast poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/polystyrene (PS) films. The solvent evaporation rate strongly affects the surface morphology. Sufficient suppression of solvent evaporation results in a periodic distribution of highly monodisperse PMMA-rich domains. Formation of the surface pattern is interpreted in terms of diffusion-driven coarsening of the minor phase and flow induced by the diffusive transport of PMMA molecules from the bulk of the liquid film to the air−film interface.
EGF shifts human airway basal cell fate toward a smoking-associated airway epithelial phenotype

The airway epithelium of smokers acquires pathological phenotypes, including basal cell (BC) and/or goblet cell hyperplasia, squamous metaplasia, structural and functional abnormalities of ciliated cells, decreased number of secretoglobin (SCGB1A1)-expressing secretory cells, and a disordered junctional barrier. In this study, we hypothesized that smoking alters airway epithelial structure through modification of BC function via an EGF receptor (EGFR)-mediated mechanism. Analysis of the airway epithelium revealed that EGFR is enriched in airway BCs, whereas its ligand EGF is induced by smoking in ciliated cells. Exposure of BCs to EGF shifted the BC differentiation program toward the squamous and epithelial–mesenchymal transition-like phenotypes with down-regulation of genes related to ciliogenesis, secretory differentiation, and markedly reduced junctional barrier integrity, mimicking the abnormalities present in the airways of smokers in vivo. These data suggest that activation of EGFR in airway BCs by smoking-induced EGF represents a unique mechanism whereby smoking can alter airway epithelial differentiation and barrier function.
An intermediate seeks instant gratification.

Φ-value analysis of the four-helix protein Im7 reveals that a folding intermediate with non-native structure rapidly forms en route to the native state, even though the protein topology is very simple. Energetic frustration, at least partially induced by functional constraints, appears to play a significant role.
So Many Projects, So Few Resources: Using Effective Project Management in Technical Services

Successful project management can lead to improved effectiveness and efficiency in technical services and large-scale collection management. Using project management as a tool helps academic research libraries find overlapping objectives, maximize staffing resources, and accomplish large goals that would otherwise not be possible given ongoing financial constraints. By thinking creatively about the intersection of short-term projects and long-term needs, librarians will be better able to enhance access to collections in meaningful and timely ways.
Banach ideals of operators with applications to the finite dimensional structure of Banach spaces

We present a few applications of the theory of Banach ideals of operators. In particular, we give operator characterizations of the ℒ p spaces, compute the relative projection constant of isometric embeddings of Hilbert spaces inL p -spaces, and show that Π1 (E, F), the space of absolutely summing operators, is reflexive ifE andF are reflexive andE has the approximation property.
Risk factors for dementia in patients over 65 with diabetes.

Objective This study identified factors in patients with diabetes associated with risk of developing dementia. Research Design and Methods This retrospective, longitudinal study used a national cohort of US Veterans with diabetes 65 years or older to examine incidence of dementia over 2 years. A multivariable Cox regression model was used to estimate risk of developing dementia associated with sociodemographic factors, use of diabetes medications, and duration of diabetes. Results In all, 377 838 patients (average age, 75.53 ± 6.07 years) were studied. Over the 2 year follow-up, 14 580 (3.85%) were diagnosed with dementia. Major risk factors for dementia were age >75 years (75–85 years, hazard ratio [HR] 2.092, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.017–2.169; ≥85 years, HR 3.468, CI 3.274–3.672), race black versus white, HR 1.218, CI 1.164–1.274), Southern residence (HR = 1.181, CI 1.133–1.232), and diabetes duration (HR for 5 years or more, 1.428, CI 1.357–1.504). There was a reduced HR for dementia with use of an oral hypoglycemic agent (HR 0.940, CI 0.909–0.972) and HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (HR, 0.875, CI 0.846–0.906). There was no change in HR with insulin use (HR 1.024, CI 0.983–1.067). Conclusions Several important factors were identified that are associated with increased dementia risk, and two factors were identified that are associated with reduced risk. It will be important to ascertain whether risk-factor modification reduces the HR for dementia in persons with diabetes, and to further examine effects of medication use for comorbid conditions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Toward More Continuous and Practical Artifact Analyses: Defining and Learning From Key Dimensions of Fort Ancient Triangular Projectile Points in the Miami Valleys

AbstractArtifact typologies are routinely created, debated, and modified, but too rarely is the goal to focus on small geographic regions and to define key axes of variation. Our goal is to further this practice by examining the utility of a long-standing artifact typology from the U.S. Midwest, one associated with discerning temporal changes in triangular projectile-point forms. Our samples are derived from nine well-dated Fort Ancient villages along the Great and Little Miami Rivers of southwest Ohio and southeast Indiana. Our approach statistically explores numeric and nominal measurements of projectile-point morphology. Findings reveal significant differences among formal variables that are consistent with most of the typology as recently amended by other researchers. However, by focusing on numeric variables, we also have found that there are a series of additional significant temporal changes. Collectively, we identify a series of distinctions in temporal, morphological, and geographical variation a...
Effect of steroid structure on the inhibition of lanosterol demethylation by steroid hormones.

Steroid hormones inhibit the oxidative demethylation of lanosterol that is catalyzed by testicular microsomal enzymes. The apparent inhibition constant, K i ′, for more than 40 steroids varies 100-fold from 0.05 to 5 mM. Thus, considerable structural specificity is demonstrated. However, relatively high concentrations of all steroids are required for inhibition and testosterone, a major testicular steroid metabolite, is only a moderately active inhibitor (K i ′, 0.04 mM). Thus, conclusions regarding the physiological significance of this apparent end product inhibition should be tempered until the process is examined by other experimental approaches.
Preparation of Escherichia coli pyruvate oxidase utilizing a thiamine pyrophosphate affinity column.

Abstract An improved procedure is reported for the purification of Escherichia coli pyruvate oxidase (pyruvate:ferricytochrome b 1 oxidoreductase, EC 1.2.2.2), a peripheral membrane flavo-enzyme, which is much more reproducible and requires considerably less time than the original purification scheme. The key element in this protocol is a new Sepharose-based affinity resin designed for the isolation of thiamine pyrophosphate-requiring enzymes. The synthesis, partial characterization, and use of two such affinity resins is described. Pyruvate oxidase is a pure, homogeneous protein as it is eluted from the affinity resin. The enzyme is a tetramer with a subunit molecular weight of approx. 60 000. The subunits appear to be identical. The isoelectric point of pyruvate oxidase is 5.6.
Lack of Correlation Between Arterial and Venous β-Adrenergic Receptor Sensitivity

The regulation of vascular beta-adrenoceptor responses in humans has been studied in vivo in both arteries and veins. Because venous responses can be studied less invasively than arterial responses, they are an attractive substitute for the measurement of arterial responses, provided that venous responses are representative of responses in resistance arteries. However, although venous, particularly hand vein response, has been extensively studied, arterial and venous beta-adrenergic sensitivities, in the same individuals, have not been compared. Measures of venous and arterial beta-adrenergic sensitivities were compared in 10 healthy normotensive subjects. Forearm blood flow, after administration of increasing doses of isoproterenol into the brachial artery, was measured by strain-gauge plethysmography and was used for determination of arterial beta-adrenoceptor sensitivity, expressed as the IP500 (the dose of isoproterenol resulting in a fivefold [500%] increase in baseline forearm blood flow). Venous sensitivity to isoproterenol, expressed as the IP15 (the dose of isoproterenol resulting in 15% venodilation), was measured in a dorsal hand vein using the linear variable differential transformer. Administration of isoproterenol into the hand vein and brachial artery resulted in venodilation and increased forearm blood flow, respectively. However, there was no correlation between the measures of venous (log IP15) and arterial (log IP500) measures of vascular beta-adrenergic sensitivity (r = -.12, P = .74). We conclude that since arterial and venous sensitivities to isoproterenol in healthy white men did not correlate, venous and arterial beta-adrenergic responses are regulated differently and that studies examining vascular beta-adrenoceptor sensitivity would most appropriately be performed in a vessel representative of the vascular bed of interest.
Network Science and Literary History

Abstract This paper introduces a method for applying network analysis to the sociological study of literary history. Focusing on “little magazines” and poetry journals in the U.S., Japan, and China, the authors utilize bibliographic records to construct weighted, bipartite graphs of poets and journals linked by publication. Through visual and quantitative analysis of the resulting networks, the authors aim to augment traditional hermeneutics with empirical measures that isolate aspects of the social structures from which literary modernism emerged.
Potential Impact of Incorporating a Patient-Selected Support Person into mHealth for Depression.

Background Although telephone care management improves depression outcomes, its implementation as a standalone strategy is often not feasible in resource-constrained settings. Moreover, little research has examined the potential role of self-management support from patients’ trusted confidants.