cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antiarrhythmic efficacy of Ethmozine (moricizine HCl) compared with disopyramide and propranolol.

Abstract In the investigation of new antiarrhythmic drugs, comparative trials with clinically available antiarrhythmic agents provide a perspective from which to judge the new investigational agent. Two clinical investigations of moricizine HCl, each using a placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover design, are summarized. In the first study, 18 patients with ≥ 30 ventricular premature complexes (VPCs) per hour (mean 369 ± 95) were given propranolol (120 mg daily) compared with moricizine HCl (816 ± 103 mg daily). Propranolol suppressed 38% of VPCs in the study group, moricizine HCl, 81% of VPCs, and the combination of both drugs, 87%. Moricizine HCl was more effective than propranolol in suppressing VPCs at all individual levels > 70% (p 70% (p
Acetate metabolism and aging: An emerging connection

Sirtuins are NAD + -dependent protein deacetylases that regulate gene silencing, energy metabolism and aging from bacteria to mammals. SIRT3, a mammalian mitochondrial sirtuin, deacetylates acetyl-CoA synthetase (AceCS2) in the mitochondria. AceCS2 is conserved from bacteria to humans, catalyzes the conversion of acetate to acetyl-CoA and enables peripheral tissues to utilize acetate during fasting conditions. Here, we review the regulation of acetate metabolism by sirtuins, the remarkable conservation of this metabolic regulatory pathway and its emerging role in the regulation of aging and longevity.
Classic adamantinoma in a 3-year-old

Classic adamantinoma of the long bones is a rare, low-grade malignant neoplasm arising most often in the tibia and usually in patients during the second to fifth decades. Although adamantinomas have been described in children, the histologic pattern in this age group is different from that seen in adults and resembles osteofibrous dysplasia. The usual pattern of adamantinoma in children has been termed “differentiated adamantinoma” and follows a benign course. We report a case of adamantinoma in the proximal tibia of a 3-year-old patient. The lesion had abundant epithelial component with formation of keratin pearls, a pattern that has been described only in classic adamantinoma occurring in adults. Since differentiated adamantinomas are essentialy benign and classic adamantinomas are low-grade malignancies, the finding of a classic variant at this young age raised important therapeutic and prognostic issues.
The Transactional Framework of Sharecropping: Further Implications

In this paper, the transactional framework of sharecropping, recently published, is used to explore various controversies in cropsharing. Conventional sharecropping theories have resulted in a plethora of propositions, making the empirical verification of them confusing. It is difficult to tell which proposition holds for the real world and which holds under perfectly competitive conditions. The transactional framework proposed provides a simple, prosaic underpinning for some of these arguments. Consistent explanations for the main cropsharing issues are possible, using the transactional framework Dans cet article, le nouveau cadre transactionnel pour le metayage est utilise pour scruter les con-troverses qui entourent cette pratique. Les theories classiques ont suscite une plethore de propositions, dont la verification empirique est devenue tres deroutante. Il est difficile de determiner quelle proposition vaut dans les conditions reelles et quelle vaut dans des conditions de parfaite concurrence. Le nouveau cadre transactionnel apporte une base simple, accessible, pour l'explication de certains de ces arguments. Des explications coherentes des grandes questions touchant le metayage sont possibles en recourant au cadre transactionnel
New weak beta transition from 88Y

Abstract By means of a germanium pair spectrometer, a weak 3.24 MeV gamma ray has been found in the photon spectrum of 88 Y, indicating the presence of an electron capture branch to the 3.24 MeV level of 88 Sr. The log f 1 t was found to be 8.2±0.2, which is consistent with a ΔI = 2 yes beta transition and with the spin-parity assignment 2 + for this level.
Minimal inhibitory concentrations of broad spectrum β-lactam antibiotics for bacterial control strains

Abstract The minimal inhibitory concentrations of 21 broad spectrum β-lactam antibiotics for five bacterial control strains, as determined by a microtube method in cation-supplemented Mueller-Hinton broth, are reported.
The adenosine-triphosphate–sensitive potassium-channel opener pinacidil is effective in blood cardioplegia

Abstract Background . This study was designed to evaluate the adenosine-triphosphate–sensitive potassium channel opener pinacidil as a blood cardioplegic agent. Methods . Using a blood-perfused, parabiotic, Langendorff rabbit model, hearts underwent 30 minutes of normothermic ischemia protected with blood cardioplegia (St. Thomas' solution [n = 8] or Krebs-Henseleit solution with pinacidil [50 μmol/L, n=8]) and 30 minutes of reperfusion. Percent recovery of developed pressure, mechanical arrest, electrical arrest, reperfusion ventricular fibrillation, percent tissue water, and myocardial oxygen consumption were compared. Results . The percent recovery of developed pressure was not different between the groups (52.3 ± 5.9 and 52.8 ± 6.9 for hyperkalemic and pinacidil cardioplegia, respectively). Pinacidil cardioplegia was associated with prolonged electrical and mechanical activity (14.4 ± 8.7 and 6.1 ± 3.9 minutes), compared with hyperkalemic cardioplegia (1.1 ± 0.6 and 1.1 ± 0.6 minutes, respectively; p p p Conclusions . Systolic recovery was not different between groups, demonstrating comparable effectiveness of pinacidil and hyperkalemic warm blood cardioplegia.
Constraints and thev2n+1 theorem

Abstract A general formula is derived from which, knowing the variational parameters and Lagrange multipliers through order v n one can calculate the variational energy through order v 2 n +1 .
The Vatican, the American Bishops, and the Church-State Ramifications of Clerical Sexual Abuse

•JO RENEE FORMICOLA (B.S., LeMoyne College; M.A., Georgetown University; Ph.D., Drew University) is professor of political science at Seton Ilall University, South Orange, N.J. She is author of The Catholic Church and Human Rights; John Paul II: Prophetic Politician-, co-author of Faith-Based Initiatives and the Bush Administration; The Politics of School Choice; and co-editor/author of Religious Leaders and Faith-Based Politics; and Everson Revisited. Her articles have appeared in Polity, Momemtum, American Review of Politics, Journal of Church and State, and Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practiice, among others. Special interests include Catholic politics, religion and U.S. politics, and parties and politics.
An early 15th-century algebra codex: A description

Abstract What may be the most reliable manuscript copy of the algebra of Master Dardi of Pisa has recently 1986 entered the public domain. This article describes the character and contents of the codex containing the copy. As such it complements an earlier article, “The Algebra of Master Dardi of Pisa,” by Warren Van Egmond (Historia Mathematica10 (1983) , 399–421), which for the most part discusses the algebraic content of Dardi's text in other manuscripts. Attention here is paid to the author, scribe, and dating of the codex, mathematical expressions found therein, and the possibility that this codex was used by Mordecai Finzi for his translation of Dardi's algebra into Hebrew.
Antimicrobial Prophylaxis to Prevent Surgical Site Infection

Antimicrobial prophylaxis reduces the incidence of surgical site infection for many procedures1. Nonetheless, these medications are not always given appropriately2. This failure may stem from a diffusion of responsibility3: both the surgeon and the anesthesiologist may assume that the other has attended to this issue. The root cause, we believe, is the reliance on human action, which invites avoidable error and demands fail-safe routines. To that end, we have incorporated a check on antimicrobial prophylaxis into the “time-out” mandated by the United States Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) in the “Universal Protocol for Preventing Wrong Site, Wrong Procedure, Wrong Person Surgery.”4 Our time-out comprises four questions, the first three of which are part of the JCAHO standard: 1. Who is the patient? 2. What procedure is being done? 3. Which is the correct operative side? 4. Have antibiotics been administered? These four questions are summarized by the mnemonic “The 4 Ps,” which stand for patient, procedure, position (operative side), and prophylactic antibiotics. The “4P” method is a fail-safe, a compensatory process, to prevent undetected error. It is not intended to be the primary means of ensuring that antimicrobial prophylaxis is administered. This is a practical distinction. Consider the following situation: a patient is allergic to penicillin, and the drug of choice may be vancomycin, which must be infused slowly. If the fact the patient did not receive prophylaxis is discovered only at the last minute—when asking the fourth question—then there may be long delay, during which time the patient remains under anesthesia. (What is worse is that the patient may have received a spinal anesthetic with a duration of action that is not long enough to account for both the delay and procedure itself. Thus, the delay in starting the procedure may create a …
Propagation of nonparaxial beams with a modified Arnoldi method

We have developed a modified Arnoldi method that includes a complex square-root approximation, which excels at modeling the propagation of highly diverging beams in various media. Simulations of one transverse dimensional beam with an ultranarrow width and of cylindrical Gaussian beams with various divergence angles reveal the strength of this nonparaxial-beam propagation method.
Hydroxy-L-proline- and 2,2'-Dipyridyl-Induced Phenovariations in the Liverwort Nowellia curvifolia.

Two antagonists of "normal" proline-hydroxyproline-protein synthesis, 2,29-dipyridyl and hydroxy-L-proline, induced the same kind of phenovariation in Nowellia curvifolia (Dicks) Mitt. (Cephaloziaceae) as they do in Scapania nemorosa (Scapaniaceae). This finding supports a hypothesized cardinal role for proline-hydroxyproline-protein in modulating aspects of morphogenesis and phylogeny in the leafy liverworts.
Biological and Cognitive Responses to an In Vivo Interpersonal Stressor: Longitudinal Associations with Adolescent Depression

Social stress occurring during adolescence is considered a risk factor for the development of adolescent depressive symptoms. However, the specific mechanisms through which social stress may affect depressive symptoms are not well-established. The current prospective study considered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity and social problem-solving deficits occurring in response to an acute interpersonally themed stressor as longitudinal predictors of depressive symptoms. Sixty-two adolescents (ages 12–16; 73% female) were recruited using oversampling techniques intended to include adolescents with a wide range of depressive symptoms. HPA axis reactivity was established by collecting Cortisol samples before and after an in vivo interpersonally themed social stressor task. Similarly, adolescents completed a structured performance-based social problem-solving task before and after the stressor to provide a measure of stress-induced social problem-solving deficits. Depressive symptoms were asse...
Potent synergistic effect of IL-3 and TNF on matrix metalloproteinase 9 generation by human eosinophils

TNF (designated as TNF-α under previous nomenclature) is the preeminent activator of MMP-9 generation from a variety of cells including eosinophils. We have previously established that TNF strongly synergizes with IFN-γ and IL-4 for eosinophil synthesis of Th1- and Th2-type chemokines respectively. Thus, we sought to determine if TNF-induced synthesis of MMP-9 would be enhanced by the presence of Th1, Th2, or the eosinophil-associated common beta chain (βc) cytokines. Human blood eosinophils were cultured with TNF alone or in combination with either IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-3, IL-5, or GM-CSF. Concentrations and activities of MMP-9 in eosinophil culture supernates were measured by ELISA and gelatin zymography, mRNA transcription and stabilization by quantitative real-time PCR, and signaling events by immunoblotting and intracellular flow cytometric analysis. Individually, TNF, GM-CSF, or IL-3, but not IL-4 or IFN-γ, induced relatively small ( GM-CSF>IL-5. Zymography revealed that eosinophils release MMP-9 in its pro-form. Eosinophil stimulation with the combination of IL-3 plus TNF led to increased steady-state levels of MMP-9 mRNA, prolonged mRNA stabilization, and enhanced activation of ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Inhibition of NF-κB, MEK kinase, or p38 MAP kinase, but not JNK signaling pathways, diminished IL-3/TNF-induced MMP-9 mRNA and protein production. Thus, the synergistic regulation of eosinophil MMP-9 by IL-3 plus TNF likely involves cooperative interaction of multiple transcription factors downstream from ERK, p38, and NF-κB activation as well as post-transcriptional regulation of MMP-9 mRNA stabilization. Our data indicate that within microenvironments rich in βc-family cytokines and TNF, eosinophils are an important source of proMMP-9 and highlight a previously unrecognized role for synergistic interaction between TNF and βc-family cytokines, particularly IL-3, for proMMP-9 synthesis.
IMPERFECTION SENSITIVITY AND RELIABILITY USING SIMPLE BAR-SPRING MODELS FOR STABILITY

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate how simple bar-spring models can illustrate elementary and advanced structural behavior, including stability, imperfection sensitivity, and plastic collapse. In addition, the same bar-spring models also provide a ready means for assessing structural reliability. Bar-spring models for a column (both post-buckling stable and unstable), a frame, and a plate are all developed. For each model the influence of geometric imperfections are explicitly introduced and the ultimate strength considering plastic collapse of the supporting springs derived. The developed expressions are compared to material and geometric nonlinear finite element analysis models of analogous continuous systems, using yield surface based plastic hinge beam elements (in MASTAN) for the column and frame and shell elements (in ABAQUS) for the plate. The results show excellent qualitative agreement, and surprisingly good quantitative agreement. The developed bar-spring models are used in Monte Carlo simulations and in the development of first order Taylor Series approximations to provide the statistics of the ultimate strength as used in structural reliability calculations. Good agreement between conventional first order second moment assumptions and the Monte Carlo simulations of the bar-spring models is demonstrated. It is intended that the developed models provide a useful illustration of basic concepts central to structural stability and structural reliability.
Accelerated aging of bituminous sealants: small kettle aging

Bituminous sealants used in the maintenance of roadways are installed hot and heated to 150–200°C during installation. High temperatures can degrade polymers in sealants, but there is no standard method to account for this possible degradation. In an attempt to find such a method, the aging of two sealants in large kettles during field applications was compared to that obtained in the laboratory by heating in a small kettle. The results indicate that 4 h of small kettle aging at the highest suggested sealant application temperature (HiSAT), or about 2 h at HiSAT + 10°C, provided as much copolymer aging as that found in sealants sampled midway through installation.
Telehealth and Humanitarian Assistance in Otolaryngology

A significant worldwide need exists for humanitarian assistance in the specialty of otolaryngology. The field of telehealth has provided applications that have successfully expanded access to care in many fields of medicine, in both developed and developing countries. Collaboration, planning, and persistence are essential to developing successful telehealth applications. This article describes the need for otolaryngologic specialty care, current humanitarian outreach within the field of otolaryngology, and examples of successful programs that incorporate telehealth in otolaryngology care.
Building Word Knowledge: Opportunities for Direct Vocabulary Instruction in General Education for Students with Reading Difficulties

Direct vocabulary instruction is 1 critical component of reading instruction. Although most students in the elementary grades need to continue building their vocabulary knowledge, students with reading difficulties are at the greatest risk of falling further behind each year in vocabulary and concept knowledge without effective instruction. This study examined the amount and type of direct vocabulary instruction available for students with reading difficulties during core classroom reading instruction and supplemental reading interventions. Fourteen 2nd-grade classroom and reading intervention teachers serving students with reading difficulties in 3 elementary schools in 3 states participated in the study. Results suggested that about 8% of core classroom reading instruction was devoted to direct vocabulary instruction with a focus on word definitions and providing examples of word meaning. Minimal amounts of direct vocabulary instruction occurred in supplemental reading interventions. Thus, students with...
Effect of the Nd: YAG laser on polymethylmethacrylate, HEMA copolymer, and silicone intraocular materials

Abstract Recent trends of cataract extraction feature both small surgical wounds and preservation of posterior capsules. The development of safe, reliable, and flexible implant materials that can withstand near impact with a Nd:YAG laser during secondary posterior capsule discissions are required. An in vitro experiment was performed to analyze the effects of Nd:YAG laser irradiation on polvmethyl methacrviate (PMMA), hydroxyethylinethacrylate (HEMA), hydroxyethylhydroxymethyl methacrylate (HEMA-MEMA) copolymer com bination, and a silicone compound. The HEMA and HEMA-MEMA compounds were the least susceptible to Nd:YAG laser damage in this laboratory setting.
P2X7 receptors and epithelial cancers

The P2X7A receptor is the main physiological pro-apoptotic mechanism in epithelia in vivo. The natural ligand of the P2X7A is ATP. The P2X7A is expressed abundantly in epithelial reserve (stem) cells, and it regulates epithelial-cell terminal differentiation. The high expression of P2X7A in reserve cells renders the cells sensitive to conditions of increased extracellular ATP, in particular upon neoplastic transformation, and to the induction of apoptosis. Cellular expression of the P2X7A is reduced in cancer cells of epithelia derived from the ectoderm, the urogenital sinus, and the distal paramesonephric duct. Low levels of P2X7A have been linked to cancer development because reserve cells harboring a defective P2X7A mechanism can escape P2X7A pro-apoptotic control. Mechanisms that induce reduced expression of P2X7A in cancer epithelial cells involve hypermethylation of the P2X7 gene and decreased transcription; enhanced degradation of the P2X7 transcript through the action of micro-RNAs miR-186 and miR-150; and epidermal growth factor (EGF) regulated, protein kinase-A (PKA)-mediated de-glycosylation of the P2X7A. Reduced cellular P2X7A content has been proposed as a biomarker for human breast, bladder, ectocervix, endocervix, and endometrial cancers. The chemotherapeutic potential of augmented P2X7A-dependent apoptosis of neoplastic epithelial cells was recently demonstrated in the mouse in vivo. Local treatment on the skin with the P2X7A-specific agonist benzoyl-ATP (BzATP) decreased the development of 7,12-dimethyl-benz(a)anthracene (DMBA)/12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced skin papillomas and skin cancers by 50%, by an effect that involves augmentation of keratinocytes reserve cells apoptosis. The P2X7A mechanism represents a novel pharmaceutical target for the prevention and treatment of epithelial neoplasia through the induction of apoptosis. WIREs Membr Transp Signal 2012,1:349–371. doi: 10.1002/wmts.33 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Information Transmission in Cercal Giant Interneurons Is Unaffected by Axonal Conduction Noise

What are the fundamental constraints on the precision and accuracy with which nervous systems can process information? One constraint must reflect the intrinsic “noisiness” of the mechanisms that transmit information between nerve cells. Most neurons transmit information through the probabilistic generation and propagation of spikes along axons, and recent modeling studies suggest that noise from spike propagation might pose a significant constraint on the rate at which information could be transmitted between neurons. However, the magnitude and functional significance of this noise source in actual cells remains poorly understood. We measured variability in conduction time along the axons of identified neurons in the cercal sensory system of the cricket Acheta domesticus, and used information theory to calculate the effects of this variability on sensory coding. We found that the variability in spike propagation speed is not large enough to constrain the accuracy of neural encoding in this system.
Epicurus on Pleasure and the Complete Life

So when we say that pleasure is the end, we do not mean the pleasures of the dissipated and those that consist in having a good time, as some out of ig norance and disagreement or refusal to understand suppose we do, but freedom from pain in the body [apon?a] and from disturbance in the soul [ataraxia]. For what produces the pleasant life is not continuous drinking and parties or pederasty or womanizing or the enjoyment of fish and the other dishes of an ex pensive table, but sober reasoning which tracks down the causes of every choice and avoidance, and which banishes the opinions that beset souls with the greatest confusion.1
The Pbx family of proteins is strongly upregulated by a post-transcriptional mechanism during retinoic acid-induced differentiation of P19 embryonal carcinoma cells

Retinoic acid (RA) induces expression of genes encoding the Hox family of transcription factors, whose differential expression orchestrates developmental programs specifying anterior-posterior structures during embryogenesis. Hox proteins bind DNA as monomers and heterodimers with Pbx proteins. Here we show that RA upregulates Pbx protein abundance coincident with transcriptional activation of Hox genes in P19 embryonal carcinoma cells undergoing neuronal differentiation. However, in contrast to Hox induction, Pbx upregulation is predominantly a result of post-transcriptional mechanisms. Interestingly, Pbx1, Pbx2, and Pbx3 exhibit different profiles of upregulation, suggesting possible functional divergence. The parallel upregulation of Pbx and Hox proteins in this model suggests an important role for transcriptional control by Pbx-Hox heterodimers during neurogenesis, and argues for precise control by RA.
A numerically stable and efficient technique for the maintenance of positive definiteness in the Hessian for Newton-type methods

Abstract Unconstrained optimization problems using Newton-type methods sometimes require that the Hessian matrix, G, calculated at each iteration, be modified to G ∗ in order to insure that the direction of search is downhill. It is shown that several previously proposed methods modify G in such a manner that G ∗ becomes extremely ill-conditioned even when G itself is well conditioned. The method proposed here is a modification of Greenstadt's, where bounds on the eigenvalues of G ∗ may be imposed such that G ∗ has a spectral condition number identical to G when G is well-conditioned but indefinite. The modification updates G by the addition of rank-one matrices, which are obtained by a partial eigenvalue decomposition of G, rather than a complete one as originally proposed by Greenstadt. The matrix G ∗ obtained in this manner is identical to the G ∗ obtained by Greenstadt's method, but may be computed in substantially less time.
Thermalization in ultrarelativistic nuclear collisions. II. Entropy production and energy densities at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and the CERN Large Hadron Collider.

The dynamics of partons in ultrarelativistic $^{197}\mathrm{Au}$+$^{197}\mathrm{Au}$ collisions in the future collider experiments at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and the CERN Large Hadron Collider during the first 3 fm/c is simulated in full six-dimensional phase space within a parton cascade model to compute the entropy production and the space-time-dependent energy densities, temperatures, etc., in the central collision region. The partons' evolution from preequilibrium towards the formation of a thermalized quark-gluon plasma is investigated and compared to the Bjorken scenario. Moreover, an equation of state is extracted together with initial conditions for the further hydrodynamical space-time evolution of the matter. For central $^{197}\mathrm{Au}$+$^{197}\mathrm{Au}$ collisions with $\sqrt{s}=200\ensuremath{-}6300A$ GeV the predictions for the energy densities and associated temperatures at $t=3$ fm/c after the first instant of the collisions are $\ensuremath{\varepsilon}=15\ensuremath{-}31$ GeV/${\mathrm{fm}}^{3}$ and $T=297\ensuremath{-}343$ MeV, respectively. The multiplicity of final pions from the plasma is estimated from the amount of entropy produced, yielding a huge $\frac{d{N}^{(\ensuremath{\pi})}}{\mathrm{dy}\ensuremath{\simeq}1900\ensuremath{-}3400}$.
Influence of soybean oil in high fiber diets fed to nonlactating cows on ruminal unsaturated fatty acids and nutrient digestibility.

Abstract An experiment with a 5 × 5 Latin square design was conducted to determine the effects of the addition of soybean oil to high fiber diets on ruminal fermentation and ruminal lipid concentrations. Diets were 50% bermudagrass hay and 50% concentrate. Soybean oil was added to diets at 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8% of the dietary dry matter (DM). Ruminal samples were collected every 2h on the last day of each period and analyzed for volatile fatty acids and lipids. The addition of soybean oil decreased DM and organic matter intake but increased fatty acid intake. Soybean oil had no effect on total tract digestibility of DM, organic matter, N, or neutral detergent fiber but decreased digestibility of fatty acids. The addition of soybean oil decreased total volatile fatty acid concentrations and the acetate to propionate ratio. Ruminal concentrations of unsaturated free fatty acids increased non-linearly as soybean oil in the diets increased but remained
Racial variations in major depressive disorder onset among immigrant populations in the United States

Background and Aims. Considering the heterogeneity within the immigrant population, this study aimed to examine racial variations in major depressive disorder (MDD) onset and the factors associated with it among immigrants in the United States.Methods. Data from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys were analyzed. The Kaplan–Meier method was employed to estimate survival functions by race. The Cox proportional hazards model was employed to explore the factors associated with MDD onset after controlling for socio-demographic and immigration-related sample characteristics.Results. Asians showed the highest survival function, followed by African Americans. A Cox proportional hazards model indicated that those who were younger, female, and non-Asian were more likely to experience an MDD onset than were their older, male, and Asian counterparts. None of the immigration-related characteristics were found to be significantly associated with MDD onset among foreign-born individuals.Conclusions. Findi...
rNMR: open source software for identifying and quantifying metabolites in NMR spectra.

Despite the extensive use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for metabolomics, no publicly available tools have been designed for identifying and quantifying metabolites across multiple spectra. We introduce here a new open source software tool, rNMR, which provides a simple graphics-based method for visualizing, identifying, and quantifying metabolites across multiple one- or two-dimensional NMR spectra. rNMR differs from existing software tools for NMR spectroscopy in that analyses are based on regions of interest (ROIs) rather than peak lists. ROIs contain all of the underlying NMR data within user-defined chemical shift ranges. ROIs can be inspected visually, and they support robust quantification of NMR signals. ROI-based analyses support simultaneous views of metabolite signals from up to hundreds of spectra, and ROI boundaries can be adjusted dynamically to ensure that signals corresponding to assigned atoms are analyzed consistently throughout the dataset. We describe how rNMR greatly reduces the time required for robust bioanalytical analysis of complex NMR data. An rNMR analysis yields a compact and transparent way of archiving the results from a metabolomics study so that it can be examined and evaluated by others. The rNMR website at http://rnmr.nmrfam.wisc.edu offers downloadable versions of rNMR for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux platforms along with extensive help documentation, instructional videos, and sample data. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The efficacy and effect of racial profiling: A mathematical simulation approach

Racial profiling—the use of race, ethnicity, or national origin by law enforcement officials to make judgments of criminal suspicion—is assessed in terms of its effect on targeted populations and on law enforcement efficiency. A mathematical simulation, comparing multiple profiling and non-profiling scenarios, is employed. This analysis indicates that racial profiling exacerbates incarceration disparities between groups whether or not the groups differ in criminality rates, and that the long-term effects of profiling in terms of criminal captures depend on the calibration of profiling rates to criminality rates. The highest long-term criminal capture rates appear to occur when stop rate ratios match, or are slightly below, criminality rate ratios between groups. When the possibility of a deterrent effect is modeled, profiling appears to yield fewer criminal captures and have little or no crime reduction effect, and may even increase overall crime rates. © 2006 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management
Effect of atrial fibrillation pattern on survival in a community-based cohort

The clinical presentation of recurrent atrial fibrillation (AF) has been categorized into 3 general patterns: paroxysmal, persistent, and permanent AF. This community-based cohort study characterized the effect of the AF pattern on survival. Community residents in Olmsted County, Minnesota, with electrocardiographically proven new-onset AF during 1996 and 1997 were retrospectively identified and prospectively followed. Observed survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the expected survival. Log-rank tests were used for group comparisons. The association between the baseline variables and mortality was assessed using Cox proportional hazards models. Of 270 patients (mean ± SD age 73 ± 14 years; 148 men [55%]), 143 had paroxysmal AF, 40 had persistent AF, and 87 had permanent AF. The cohort’s observed survival was significantly worse than expected (p
Clinical outcomes using accelerated partial breast irradiation in patients with invasive lobular carcinoma

Purpose We compared clinical outcomes of women diagnosed with either invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) or invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) treated with accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI). Methods and Materials A total of 16 patients with ILC received APBI as part of their breast-conservation therapy (BCT) and were compared with 410 patients with IDC that received APBI as part of their BCT. Clinical, pathologic, and treatment related variables were analyzed including age, tumor size, hormone receptor status, surgical margins, lymph node status, adjuvant hormonal therapy, adjuvant chemotherapy, and APBI modality. Clinical outcomes including local recurrence (LR), regional recurrence (RR), disease-free survival (DFS), cause-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. Results Median follow-up was 3.8 years for the ILC patients and 6.0 years for the IDC patients. ILC patients were more likely to have positive margins (20.0% vs. 3.9%, p = 0.006), larger tumors (14.1 mm vs. 10.9 mm, p = 0.03) and less likely to be node positive (0% vs. 9.5%, p p = 0.59). No differences were seen in the rates of RR (0% vs. 0.7%, p = 0.80), distant metastases (0% vs. 3.5%, p = 0.54), DFS (100% vs. 94%, p = 0.43), CSS (100% vs. 97%, p = 0.59), or OS (92% vs. 89%, p = 0.88) between the ILC and IDC patients, respectively. Additionally, when node-positive patients were excluded from the IDC cohort, no differences in the rates of LR (0% vs. 2.2%, p = 0.62), RR (0% vs. 0%), DFS (100% vs. 95%, p = 0.46), CSS (100% vs. 98%, p = 0.63), or OS (92% vs. 89%, p = 0.91) were noted between the ILC and IDC patients. Conclusion Women with ILC had excellent clinical outcomes after APBI. No difference in local control was seen between patients with invasive lobular versus invasive ductal histology.
Efficient backward elimination algorithm for sparse signal representation using overcomplete dictionaries

A sparse representation of a signal, i.e., a representation using a small number of vectors chosen from a dictionary of vectors, is highly desirable in many applications. Here, we extend the backward elimination sparse representation algorithm presented by Reeves (see ibid., vol.6, p.266-68, Oct. 1999) to allow for an overcomplete dictionary and develop recursions for its implementation. In the overcomplete case, the representation error cannot be used as a general criterion for elimination of a dictionary vector and other criteria must be considered. Simulation on a test-case dictionary shows that the performance of the proposed algorithm can improve upon that of forward selection methods.
Characterization of the metal-semiconductor and metal-insulator-semiconductor junctions between single-walled carbon nanotube films and Si substrates

Single-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) film is a transparent, conductive, and flexible material that exhibits uniform physical and electronic properties1. Several promising optoelectronic and photovoltaic device applications of these films have recently been demonstrated2. However, in previous works, the properties of the junction between the CNT film and the semiconductor substrate (typically Si) have not been properly characterized2. Here, we analyze the interface and transport properties of the junction between the CNT film and Si substrates by fabricating metal-semiconductor (MS) and metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structures, where the CNT film acts as the metal and Si is the semiconductor. Our results help to better understand the electrical properties of the CNT film-Si contacts and to improve the design of optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices which use CNT films as transparent conductive electrodes. Device fabrication begins by preparing CNT films using a vacuum filtration approach1,3 (Fig. 1a) and opening windows in SiO 2 layers on 1015–1016 cm−3 doped n- and p-type Si substrates (Figs. 1c and 1d). For MIS structures, a thin oxide layer is then thermally grown on the exposed Si areas (Fig. 1d2). Next, the CNT films are deposited over both MS and MIS samples (Figs. 1d) and then patterned by O 2 plasma etching3 to form individual devices (Figs. 1e). Finally, metallic rings are deposited on the films for electrical probing (Figs. 1e). For comparison, control samples in which CNT film is replaced with a Ti/Au layer (10/90 nm) have also been fabricated and characterized. An optical image of a CNT film-Si MS structure is shown in Fig. 1b.
Integration of economic information with design and manufacturing systems

It is noted that most of the life-cycle cost of a product is determined by the decisions made during the preliminary product design stage. As competition causes a reduction in product lead times, an increase in demands for product quality, and an increase in the need for flexibility in product differentiation, the need for better cost estimation tools in the design stage also increases. During preliminary design, the cost implications of design decisions may not be computable with precision, but the information needed to make better informed cost tradeoffs can be made available to the designer. The authors present a methodology to compute the costs of product features for each of the stages in a product's life-cycle. They propose to integrate this methodology with an existing design system in order to give rapid feedback to the designer on the costs attributable to particular design features. They use these costs to provide economic feedback to the designer on the feasibility and economics of manufacture, assembly, testing, marketing, etc. >
Characterization of quasiholes in fractional Chern insulators

We provide a detailed study of the Abelian quasiholes of $\nu=1/2$ bosonic fractional quantum Hall states on the torus geometry and in fractional Chern insulators. We find that the density distribution of a quasihole in a fractional Chern insulator can be related to that of the corresponding fractional quantum Hall state by choosing an appropriate length unit on the lattice. This length unit only depends on the lattice model that hosts the fractional Chern insulator. Therefore, the quasihole size in a fractional Chern insulator can be predicted for any lattice model once the quasihole size of the corresponding fractional quantum Hall state is known. We discuss the effect of the lattice embedding on the quasihole size. We also perform the braiding of quasiholes for fractional Chern insulator models to probe the fractional statistics of these excitations. The numerical values of the braiding phases accurately match the theoretical predictions.
Permitted and Forbidden Sets in Symmetric Threshold-Linear Networks

The richness and complexity of recurrent cortical circuits is an inexhaustible source of inspiration for thinking about high-level biological computation. In past theoretical studies, constraints on the synaptic connection patterns of threshold-linear networks were found that guaranteed bounded network dynamics, convergence to attractive fixed points, and multistability, all fundamental aspects of cortical information processing. However, these conditions were only sufficient, and it remained unclear which were the minimal (necessary) conditions for convergence and multistability.We show that symmetric threshold-linear networks converge to a set of attractive fixed points if and only if the network matrix is copositive. Furthermore, the set of attractive fixed points is nonconnected (the network is multiattractive) if and only if the network matrix is not positive semidefinite. There are permitted sets of neurons that can be coactive at a stable steady state and forbidden sets that cannot. Permitted sets are clustered in the sense that subsets of permitted sets are permitted and supersets of forbidden sets are forbidden. By viewing permitted sets as memories stored in the synaptic connections, we provide a formulation of long-term memory that is more general than the traditional perspective of fixed-point attractor networks. There is a close correspondence between threshold-linear networks and networks defined by the generalized Lotka-Volterra equations.
Evaluation of ad hoc OLAP: in-place computation

Large-scale data analysis and mining activities, such as identifying interesting trends, making unusual patterns stand out and verifying hypotheses, require sophisticated information extraction queries. Being able to express these data mining queries concisely is of major importance not only from the user's, but also from the system's point of view. Recent research in OLAP has focused on data cubes and their applications; however, the expression and processing of ad-hoc decision support queries has been given very little attention. In this paper, we present an appropriate framework for these queries and introduce a syntactic construct to support it. This SQL extension allows most OLAP queries, such as complex intra- and inter-group comparisons, trends and hierarchical comparisons, to be expressed in a compact, intuitive and simple manner. However, this syntactic extension is not the focus of this paper. This succinct representation of a complex OLAP query translates immediately to a novel, simple and efficient evaluation algorithm. We show how to optimize, analyze and parallelize this algorithm and discuss issues such as multiple query analysis and scaling. This algorithm constitutes the main contribution of this paper. Finally, we introduce our implementation on top of a commercial system and present several experimental results of real-life queries that show orders of magnitude of performance improvement in certain cases. We argue that this tight coupling between representation and algorithm is essential to efficient processing of ad-hoc OLAP queries.
PROPERTIES OF ACATALASIC CELLS GROWING IN VITRO

Acatalasia, a disease due to homozygosity for a Mendelian gene, is characterized by the absence of the enzyme catalase from the tissues of the human body. Red cells from heterozygotes have enzyme activities about one-half normal. In this paper, the development of cell lines from skin biopsies on an affected homozygote, a heterozygote, and eight control patients is described. The cell type is the euploid "fibroblast." It was found that acatalasic cells lacked the enzyme, even after growing for many months in a medium rich in catalase. The control lines all had mean catalase activities double or more that of the heterozygous line. Selection experiments, in which the growth of cells exposed for 20 minutes to varying concentrations of hydrogen peroxide was measured, did not provide a system for preferentially eliminating acatalasic cells. Certain other experiments bearing on the enzymatic defect in this disease were performed.
From Neologisms to Social Practice: An Analysis of the Wanding of America

In this article I discuss how individuals and communities in the United States re-present themselves in the context of the September 11 tragedy and its complex aftermath. My aim is to explore the "American" discourse on inclusion and discrimination by examining the neologisms and social practices that were amplified by the attack in local and national debates.
Case study: an environment for understanding protein simulations using game graphics

We describe a visualization system designed for interactive study of proteins in the field of computational biology. Our system incorporates multiple, custom, three-dimensional and two-dimensional linked views of the proteins. We take advantage of modern commodity graphics cards, which are typically designed for games rather than scientific visualization applications, to provide instantaneous linking between views and three-dimensional interactivity on standard personal computers. Furthermore, we anticipate the usefulness of game techniques such as bump maps and skinning for scientific applications.
Analysis of long‐range interactions in a model denatured state of staphylococcal nuclease based on correlated changes in backbone dynamics

An expanded, highly dynamic denatured state of staphylococcal nuclease exhibits a native-like topology in the apparent absence of tight packing and fixed hydrogen bonds (Gillespie JR, Shortle D, 1997, J Mol Biol 268:158-169, 170-184). To address the physical basis of the long-range spatial ordering of this molecule, we probe the effects of perturbations of the sequence and solution conditions on the local chain dynamics of a denatured 101-residue fragment that is missing the first three beta strands. Structural interactions between chain segments are inferred from correlated changes in the motional behavior of residues monitored by 15N NMR relaxation measurements. Restoration of the sequence corresponding to the first three beta strands significantly increases the average order of all chain segments that form the five strand beta barrel including loops but has no effect on the carboxy terminal 30 residues. Addition of the denaturing salt sodium perchlorate enhances ordering over the entire sequence of this fragment. Analysis of seven different substitution mutants points to a complex set of interactions between the hydrophobic segment corresponding to beta strand 5 and the remainder of the chain. General patterns in the data suggest there is a hierarchy of native-like interactions that occur transiently in the denatured state and are consistent with the overall topology of the denatured state ensemble being determined by many coupled local interactions rather than a few highly specific long-range interactions.
On the effects of path correlation in multi-path video communications using FEC over lossy packet networks

In this paper, we investigate the effect of path correlation on video communications when path-diversity routing techniques are employed together with forward error correction (FEC). We study the statistical properties of packet losses when correlation between paths exists and demonstrate that the effects of path correlation on received video quality depend on various factors, such as the effectiveness of error control strategies (passive error concealment, FEC, etc.) and the existing channel conditions. We demonstrate that, contrary to common belief, path correlation need not be detrimental to the system performance. The results are expected to have some impact on the development of explicit multi-path routing strategies.
Cyber Worlds: New Playgrounds for Bullying.

The experiences of 247 middle school children around cyberbullying were examined through in-class questionnaires. Their use of different media, their experiences with cyberbullying, and the relationships among school type, gender, and grade level were analyzed. Of the students in this sample 33% of female and 20% of male students reported being a cybervictim or a bully. Social networking sites and cell phones were the media most often used. Interesting results included a nonlinear relationship between Internet use and cyberbullying and the increase in cyberbullying throughout middle school. Also, students perceived that neither teachers nor parents were prepared to assist them with cyberbullying problems.
Ultrasound screening for fetal spina bifida: Bernard et al

340 American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology Twenty years ago, the US Public Health Service recommended that women of childbearing age ingest 400 mcg of folic acid daily to help prevent neural tube defects in their babies. To further ensure sufficient intake, the government mandated supplementation of enriched cereal grain products by January 1998. This simple measure is associated with a 31% drop in the prevalence of spina bifida and generally, an estimated 1000 fewer cases of neural tube defect per year. Still, about 1500 babies are born with spina bifida yearly in the United States. A new study suggests that basic measurements can predict diagnosis earlier in about half of affected pregnancies.