cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Amoxicillin-clavulanate vs ciprofloxacin for the treatment of uncomplicated cystitis in women a randomized trial

ContextThe high prevalence of resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and other antimicrobials among Escherichia coli causing acute cystitis in women has led to increased use of alternative antibiotics. One such antibiotic, amoxicillin-clavulanate, has not been well studied.ObjectiveTo compare the efficacy of a 3-day regimen of amoxicillin-clavulanate to that of a 3-day regimen of ciprofloxacin in the treatment of acute cystitis in women. The primary study hypothesis was that the amoxicillin-clavulanate and ciprofloxacin treatment groups would differ in clinical cure.Design, Setting, and PatientsRandomized, single-blind treatment trial of 370 women, aged 18 to 45 years, with symptoms of acute uncomplicated cystitis and a urine culture with at least 102 colony-forming units of uropathogens per milliliter from a university student health center or a health maintenance organization.InterventionsWomen were randomly assigned to receive amoxicillin-clavulanate (500 mg/125 mg twice daily) or ciprofloxacin (250 mg twice daily) for 3 days and were followed up for 4 months.Main Outcome MeasuresThe main outcome measure was clinical cure. Secondary study outcomes of interest were microbiological cure and vaginal E coli colonization at the 2-week follow-up visit.ResultsClinical cure was observed in 93 (58%) of 160 women treated with amoxicillin-clavulanate compared with 124 (77%) of 162 women treated with ciprofloxacin (P<.001). Amoxicillin-clavulanate was not as effective as ciprofloxacin even among women infected with strains susceptible to amoxicillin-clavulanate (65 [60%] of 109 women in the amoxicillin-clavulanate group vs 114 [77%] of 149 women in the ciprofloxacin group; P = .004). The difference in clinical cure rates occurred almost entirely within the first 2 weeks after therapy. Microbiological cure at 2 weeks was observed in 118 (76%) of 156 women treated with amoxicillin-clavulanate compared with 153 (95%) of 161 women treated with ciprofloxacin (P<.001). At this visit, 45% of women in the amoxicillin-clavulanate group compared with 10% in the ciprofloxacin group had vaginal colonization with E coli (P<.001).ConclusionsA 3-day regimen of amoxicillin-clavulanate is not as effective as ciprofloxacin for the treatment of acute uncomplicated cystitis, even in women infected with susceptible strains. This difference may be due to the inferior ability of amoxicillin-clavulanate to eradicate vaginal E coli, facilitating early reinfection.
Fast Charging Systems for NiCd Batteries

A discussion of the requirements and problems encountered in designing fast charging systems for nickel-cadmium cells is presented including discussion of some of the special cells available.
Geochronology and climate change of the Pleistocene–Holocene transition in the Darb el Arba'in Desert, Eastern Sahara

More than 25 years of geoarchaeological investigations in the hyperarid regions of southwestern Egypt and northwestern Sudan, the Darb el Arba'in desert, demonstrate that Holocene pluvial conditions began about 9800 yr B.P., essentially at the end of Younger Dryas cooling. The eastern Sahara changed from a hyperarid, lifeless desert dominated by eolian activity and deflation to an arid to semiarid savanna that attracted Sudano-Sahelian fauna and Neolithic pastoralists to the region until about 5000 yr B.P., when the current episode of hyperaridity ensued. In the lake and playa basins of the eastern Sahara, Younger Dryas time, about 10,800–9700 yr B.P., is represented by an erosional hiatus, during which deflation of basins occurred. The only deposition that may have occurred during this hyperarid period is sand sheet aggradation and dune formation consistent with the Sahara being hyperarid during the glacial periods. Younger Dryas-age eolian deposits have yet to be identified by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). The current hyperaridity would imply that glacial conditions exist in the northern hemisphere, yet the opposite is the case. Perhaps global glaciation lags the onset of Saharan hyperaridity by several millennia, and the area is in a transitional phase much like the Bolling and Allerod periods. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Alcohol expectancies and motives in a substance abusing male treatment sample

Although prior research has demonstrated the utility of both alcohol expectancies and drinking motives in the prediction of alcohol use and problems, the specific relationship between these domains has not been examined in a clinical sample. One-hundred, forty-seven veterans on an inpatient substance abuse unit completed questionnaires measuring alcohol expectancies and alcohol motives and provided information on their alcohol consumption and related problems. Covariance structure modeling was used to test four theoretically competing models. Findings indicated that: (1) motives mediate the effects of expectancies on use and problems and expectancies do not exert an independent influence on consumption and alcohol problems and (2) contrary to past findings, alcohol use only partially mediates the relationship between enhancement motives and alcohol problems.
Linear Impulse Osteotome for Rhinoplasty

The 2500 Impactor linear impulse osteotome (MicroAire® Surgical Instruments, Charlottesville, VA) is a new power instrument for the rhinoplasty surgeon. Air pressure drives the osteotome in linear,...
Enzyme-based logic gates switchable between OR, NXOR and NAND Boolean operations realized in a flow system

The enzyme-based system performing a biocatalytic cascade reaction was realized in a flow device and was used to mimic Boolean logic operations. Chemical inputs applied to the system resulted in the activation of additional reaction steps, allowing the reversible switch of the logic operations between OR, NXOR and NAND gates for processing of two other biomolecular inputs.
Reactive attachment disorder in maltreated toddlers.

Abstract Objective: To determine if Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) can be reliably identified in maltreated toddlers in foster care, if the two types of RAD are independent, and to estimate the prevalence of RAD in these maltreated toddlers. Methods: Clinicians treating 94 maltreated toddlers in foster care were interviewed regarding signs of attachment disorder at intake in an intervention program. Results: Using categorical and continuous measures, both types of RAD can be reliably identified in maltreated toddlers. Both continuous scores and categorical diagnoses indicated that a substantial minority of maltreated young children do exhibit signs of attachment disorders sufficient to meet criteria in DSM-IV and ICD-10. The two types were moderately convergent and at times co-occurred in the same child. Prevalence of RAD in this high-risk sample was 38–40%. Indiscriminate/disinhibited RAD was identified in children with and without an attachment figure. Within this maltreated group, toddlers whose mothers had a history of psychiatric disturbance were more likely to be diagnosed with attachment disorders. Conclusions: RAD may be reliably identified in maltreated toddlers. Emotionally withdrawn/inhibited and indiscriminate/disinhibited types of RAD are not entirely independent.
EFFECT OF HYPOPHYSECTOMY OF THE PREGNANT RAT ON I131 METABOLISM OF THE FETAL THYROID GLAND.

Pregnant rats were hypophysectomized on the 12th to 13th days of pregnancy and killed 8 to 9 days later. Seventeen to 18 hr before they were killed, carrier-free I/sup 131/ was injected either into the mothers or directly into the fetuses in utero. Hypophysectomy of the mother failed to influence fetal thyroid weight and had no significant influence on I/sup 131/ uptake by the fetal thyroid gland; nor did hypophysectomy of the mother change the pattern of distribution of I/sup 131/ among iodinated amino acids liberated by thyroglobulin hydrolysis of the fetal thyroid glands. These findings support the view that the hypophysial-thyroid axis functions in the rat before birth and that the deficiency of thyrotropic hormone induced in the mother by hypophysectomy does not affect the I/sup 131/ metabolism of the fetal thyroid gland. I/sup 131/ metabolism in the thyroid glands of hypophysectomized pregnant and hypophysectomized nonpregnant rats was compared. In the pregnant rats, I/sup 131/ uptakes were higher, and labeling of thyroidal thyroxine was higher and that of monoiodotyrosine lower than in corresponding nonpregnant rats. (auth)
Stranger than fiction? [AP-S Turnstile]

This paper describes the notable predictions from futurist, Ray Kurzweil. Some of these predictions include memory backups for people, medical applications of nanobots, increased human longevity, and the emergence of rejuvenation medicine
Chromosome abnormalities in early chicken (Gallus domesticus) embryos.

Chromosome studies were undertaken to determine if early embryonic mortality in chicken (Gallus domesticus) embryos is associated with chromosome aberrations. A rapid cytological technique was developed for screening large numbers of embryos for euploidy and aneuploidy. — Of 115 embryos examined, 6 or 5.2% had aberrant chromosome complements. All of these chromosome aberrations occurred in embryos that were phenotypically abnormal. Of 45 macroscopically abnormal embryos, 13.3 % were chromosomally aberrant. These included two cases of haploidy (A-Z), one case of trisomy-1, a case of trisomy-2 and two cases of triploidy (3A-ZZW and 3A-ZWW). — Possible modes of origin for euploid and aneuploid embryos are discussed and consideration given to the significance of these aberrations in relation to embryo viability, constancy of chromosome numbers and nucleolar organization.
Approval plans and faculty selection: Are they compatible?

This article reviews the use of an approval plan to accomplish two goals: to develop a more rounded collection with faculty involvement and to simplify the acquisitions budget process. The article provides a brief background of the faculty involvement in collection development at the University of Montana before the approval plan pilot project, results of the pilot project, and the anticipated results once it is fully implemented.
Nursing assistants' response to participation in the pilot worksite heart health improvement project (WHHIP): a qualitative study.

Despite nursing assistants’ high risk for cardiovascular disease, few studies have aimed to reduce their cardiovascular disease risk. The purpose of this article is to explore factors that facilitated and hindered nursing assistants’ participation in a pilot physical-activity- and diet-focused worksite health promotion program that aimed to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Three focus groups were conducted with 12 (67%) participants of the program. Four themes emerged: motivation to participate in a worksite health promotion program, program participation facilitators, barriers to program participation, and suggestions for future programs. This data can aid future program development.
Thomas precession: Its underlying gyrogroup axioms and their use in hyperbolic geometry and relativistic physics

Gyrogroup theory and its applications is introduced and explored, exposing the fascinating interplay between Thomas precession of special relativity theory and hyperbolic geometry. The abstract Thomas precession, called Thomas gyration, gives rise to grouplike objects called gyrogroups [A, A. Ungar, Am. J. Phys.59, 824 (1991)] the underlying axions of which are presented. The prefix gyro extensively used in terms like gyrogroups, gyroassociative and gyrocommutative laws, gyroautomorphisms, and gyrosemidirect products, stems from their underlying abstract Thomas gyration. Thomas gyration is tailor made for hyperbolic geometry. In a similar way that commutative groups underlie vector spaces, gyrocommutative gyrogroups underlie gyrovector spaces. Gyrovector spaces, in turn, provide a most natural setting for hyperbolic geometry in full analogy with vector spaces that provide the setting for Euclidean geometry. As such, their applicability to relativistic physics and its spacetime geometry is obvious.
Two isomeric di­deoxy­nucleosides

We have synthesized two isomeric di­deoxy­nucleosides. 4(S)-(6-Amino-9H-purin-9-yl)-3-methyl­ene-2,3,4,5-tetra­hydrofuran-2(S)-yl­methanol, C11H13N5O2, is an analogue of the anti-HIV compound (S,S)-isodi­deoxy­adenosine (isoDDA) with an exocyclic methyl­ene group and is found to be anti-HIV inactive. The solid-state comformation is very similar to that of isoDDA. 4(S)-(6-Amino-3H-purin-3-yl)-3-methyl­ene-2,3,4,5-tetra­hydro­furan-2(S)-ylmethanol, C11H13N5O2, has an isomeric arrangement of the carbohydrate and base moieties, as confirmed by the crystal structure analysis. The asymmetric unit contains two independent mol­ecules that differ in conformations at the sugar moiety.
Validation of an inventory of social connectedness

Digital technologies are often designed to enhance a sense of social connection between users across physical space. Currently no quantitative scale has been validated to determine how effective a tool is in establishing social connection. This proposal outlines 3 studies designed to rigorously validate a scale of social connection in mediated spaces. To do this, a 24-item scale was developed and tested. In Study 1 the scale was given to 177 people to establish internal and convergent validity. Preliminary analyses suggests good overall internal reliability and convergent validity. Future studies intend to establish predictive validity across systems (Study 2) and within a single system (Study 3). The inventory should prove useful for tests of usability and theory. In the last section I describe its role in my dissertation.
On the Right Idea of a Conceptual Scheme

Adoptant une perspective critique nietzscheenne concernant les notions de sexe, genre et sexualite, l'A. analyse leur contenu du point de vue de l'idee d'egalite sexuelle dans le cadre de la theorie feministe, d'une part, et etudie le probleme des differences sexuelles dans le cadre du corps ethologique defini par Deleuze, d'autre part. Soulevant la question d'une pratique genealogique des ethologues, l'A. montre que les themes de l'egalite sexuelle et de la difference ethologique definissent une nouvelle conception de l'ethique, du politique et de la temporalite, ou la liberte humaine se realise comme praxis
The association between glucose levels and hospital outcomes in patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND: Corticosteroids used for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations can cause hyperglycemia in hospitalized patients, and hyperglycemia may be associated with increased mortality, length of stay (LOS), and re-admissions in these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We did three retrospective studies using charts from July 2008 through June 2009, January 2006 through December 2010, and October 2010 through March 2011. We collected demographic and clinical information, laboratory results, radiographic results, and information on LOS, mortality, and re-admission. RESULTS: Glucose levels did not predict outcomes in any of the studied cohorts, after adjustment for covariates in multivariable analysis. The first database included 30 patients admitted to non-intensive care unit (ICU) hospital beds. Six of 20 non-diabetic patients had peak glucoses above 200 mg/dl. Nine of the ten diabetic patients had peak glucoses above 200 mg/dl. The maximum daily corticosteroid dose had no apparent effect on the glucose levels. The second database included 217 patients admitted to ICUs. The initial blood glucose was higher in patients who died than those who survived using bivariate analysis (P = 0.015; odds ratio, OR, 1.01) but not in multivariable analysis. Multivariable logistic regression analysis also demonstrated that glucose levels did not affect LOS. The third database analyzing COPD re-admission rates included 81 patients; the peak glucose levels were not associated with re-admission. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that COPD patients treated with corticosteroids developed significant hyperglycemia, but the increase in blood glucose levels did not correlate with the maximum dose of corticosteroids. Blood glucose levels were not associated with mortality, LOS, or re-admission rates.
Threshold estimation: the state of the art.

The estimation of thresholds is the oldest project in psychophysics, and the search for appropriate methodology has almost as long a history. There are two broad strategies for measuring thresholds. The first (and earlier) is the construction of complete psychometric functions, in which detectability or discriminability increases from zero or chance to perfect performance as a function of stimulus level or stimulus difference. In a detection experiment, a particular point on the psychometric function is taken as the absolute threshold, and in a discrimination experiment, the difference between two points is the difference threshold, or just noticeable difference. In both cases, the slope of the function provides information about the reliability of the threshold estimate. The second, more modern strategy is to use an “adaptive” procedure, in which stimulus values are chosen on the basis of the observer’s previous trial-by-trial performance.
Fluid Shear Stress Characteristics of the Ventricular Surface Versus the Aortic Surface of the Aortic Valve: An In Vitro Study

Aortic valve calcification is a degenerative disease with high prevalence, especially amongst the elderly, and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Ex vivo experiments has shown that aortic valve leaflets are sensitive to their mechanical environment in a magnitude dependent manner. Fluid shear stresses, specifically, has been shown to affect inflammatory and remodeling responses relevant to aortic valve calcification [1,2]. Consequently, it has been proposed that the phenomenon of diseased calcium nodules developing exclusively on the aortic surface as opposed to the ventricular surface is due to the exposure of the aortic surface to disturbed shear stresses, whereas undisturbed shear stresses on the ventricular surface do not trigger calcification [3,4]. Additionally, it has been observed that the non-coronary leaflet of the AV is more susceptible to calcification, which is hypothesized to be due to reduced shear stresses from the lack of diastolic coronary flow [5].© 2011 ASME
Flavin-linked Erv-family sulfhydryl oxidases release superoxide anion during catalytic turnover

Typically, simple flavoprotein oxidases couple the oxidation of their substrates with the formation of hydrogen peroxide without release of significant levels of the superoxide ion. However, two evolutionarily related single-domain sulfhydryl oxidases (Erv2p; a yeast endoplasmic reticulum resident protein and augmenter of liver regeneration, ALR, an enzyme predominantly found in the mitochondrial intermembrane) release up to ∼30% of the oxygen they reduce as the superoxide ion. Both enzymes oxidize dithiol substrates via a redox-active disulfide adjacent to the flavin cofactor within the helix-rich Erv domain. Subsequent reduction of the flavin is followed by transfer of reducing equivalents to molecular oxygen. Superoxide release was initially detected using tris(3-hydroxypropyl)phosphine (THP) as an alternative reducing substrate to dithiothreitol (DTT). THP, and other phosphines, showed anomalously high turnover numbers with Erv2p and ALR in the oxygen electrode, but oxygen consumption was drastically ...
Changing technologies in immunodiagnosis: Enzyme immunoassays versus immunofluorescence assays

Abstract EIA methodology is rapidly superseding IFA as the technique of choice for serologic testing. Advantages include lower cost, economy of scale for large volume tests, ease of use, nonsubjective results, and greater accuracy and precision. Disadvantages include the requirement for new instrument purchase, lack of complete correlation with IFA, and lack of user familiarity with the results data if IFA titers are currently being used. Challenges to laboratorians interested in converting to EIA methodology include choosing equipment and test kits among the large and increasing number available, educating physicians in the new data expression, establishing the degree of correlation with IFA, and determining the significance of borderline or equivocal EIA results.
Knowledge or Skills: Which Do Administrators Learn from Experience?

Is increased knowledge or enhanced skills the primary result of learning from experience? This study addresses this question by examining the effects of experience of administrators and the average experience of the administrators' units on four aspects of information-processing performance: need for breadth of information, need for depth of information, receiving more information than needed, and receiving less information than needed. That is, the administrator is viewed as an individual learner operating within an ecology of other learning administrators. Researchers have assumed that skills information processing abilities gained from learning by doing are more important than knowledge the relatively formal and established facts, rules, policies, and procedures within the organization in predicting how the individual and context effects of experience affect administrators' information-processing performance. However, using a survey of administrators in a multi-unit organization N = 415, it is demonstrated that a model that assumes that knowledge is the primary intervening variable between experience and enhanced information processing correctly predicts both the individual and context effects of experience on information processing, such as the negative relationship between individual experience and the need for breadth and depth of information and getting less information than needed, and the negative relationships between average experience of an administrators' unit and receiving more information than needed. A model based on skills-acquisition as the primary intervening variable between experience and information-processing performance predicts contrary, and hence incorrect, results, leading us to conclude that knowledge is the primary result of experience for administrators. The experience/knowledge relationship is argued to have implications for understanding worker satisfaction and the liability of newness.
A problem for the alternative difference measure of confirmation

Among Bayesian confirmation theorists, several quantitative measures of the degree to which an evidential proposition E confirms a hypothesis H have been proposed. According to one popular recent measure, s, the degree to which E confirms H is a function of the equation P(H|E) − P(H|~E). A consequence of s is that when we have two evidential propositions, E1 and E2, such that P(H|E1) = P(H|E2), and P(H|~E1) ≠ P(H|~E2), the confirmation afforded to H by E1 does not equal the confirmation afforded to H by E2. I present several examples that demonstrate the unacceptability of this result, and conclude that we should reject s (and other measures that share this feature) as a measure of confirmation.
Neuromorphic implementation of a software-defined camera that can see through fire and smoke in real-time

Software-defined Cameras (SDC) based on Boltzmann’s molecular thermodynamics can “see” through visually-degraded fields such as fire, fog, and dust in some situations. This capability is possible by means of unsupervised learning implemented on a neuromorphic algo-tecture. This paper describes the SDC algorithm design strategy with respect to nontrivial solutions, stability, and accuracy. An example neuromorphic learning algorithm is presented along with unsupervised learning stopping criteria.
The impact of taxes and transfer payments on the distribution of income: A parametric comparison

The Luxembourg Income Study data is used to explore the impact of taxes and transfer payments on the distribution of income across 13 countries for different years. The five-parameter generalized beta distribution and 10 of its special cases are considered as models for the size distribution of income. Maximum likelihood methods are used to estimate the model with corresponding measures of goodness of fit and inequality reported. These results identify the best-fitting two-, three-, and four-parameter models as well as describe the inter-temporal patterns of inequality corresponding to earnings, total income, and disposable income. A general pattern of increasing inequality is observed for almost all countries considered along with significantly different distributional impacts of taxes and transfer payments across countries.
Geochemistry of mafic dikes in the Adirondack mountains: implications for late Proterozoic continental rifting

Mafic dikes of late Proterozoic age which cut Grenvillian crust in the northeastern Adirondack Mountains are mostly mildly alkaline basalts except for a few tholeiitic examples. All dikes are high in Ti, P, K, Zr, Y, and LREE, and plot in within-plate fields on tectonic discriminant diagrams. The dikes are similar in composition to Hudson Highland dikes in southern New York and New Jersey and to the Bakersville dike swarm in the southern Appalachians. They differ from the Grenville dike swarm in Ontario and Quebec in being alkaline and having higher Ti and P contents. Mesozoic alkaline dikes in the same geographic area as the Proterozoic ones are strongly enriched in Ba, K, Rb and LREE, and approach lamprophyre in composition. The Proterozoic dikes have low La/Nb and La/Ta ratios, suggesting that subduction-modified mantle lithosphere was not substantially involved in their genesis. This contrasts with certain Mesozoic tholeiitic dikes, associated with the opening of the Atlantic, which show sharp negative Nb or Ta anomalies relative to La indicating they were derived from subduction-modified lithospheric mantle. The trace element chemistry suggests that the source for the Proterozoic dikes was trace element-enriched asthenosphere (OIB-like source), as postulated for certain basalts erupted in the East African Rift system, and in parts of the Basin and Range Province of the southwestern United States of America. Finally, the Proterozoic dikes are chemically similar to rift volcanics from the western Vermont Appalachians, and thus they are thought to represent magmatism associated with extension of the Grenvillian crust prior to opening of the Iapetus ocean.
Size-dependent catalytic activity of zeolite-supported iridium clusters

Iridium carbonyl clusters approximated as Ir2(CO)8, Ir4(CO)12, and Ir6(CO)16 were synthesized by carbonylation under various conditions of Ir(CO)2(acac) sorbed in the cages of zeolite NaY. These supported clusters were decarbonylated by treatment in helium and used to catalyze ethene hydrogenation at atmospheric pressure and temperatures up to 80 °C. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy was used to characterize the decarbonylated clusters, which are approximated as Ir2, Ir4, and Ir6, respectively. The data are consistent with the inference that these clusters are the catalytically active species. The catalytic activities and apparent activation energies for ethene hydrogenation depend significantly on the cluster size, with the identity of the most active of the three catalysts depending on the temperature. There appears to be no simple explanation for the variation in catalytic performance with cluster size.
Magnetobraking for Mars return vehicles

Abstract It is proposed that magnetobraking may be used to dissipate hyperbolic excess velocity from a spacecraft returning from Mars to Earth orbit. In magnetobraking, an electrodynamic tether is deployed from the spacecraft. The Earth's magnetic field produces a force on electrical current in the tether, which can be used to either brake or accelerate the spacecraft without expenditure of reaction mass. The peak acceleration on the Mars return is 0.007 m/s 2 , and the amount of braking possible is dependent on the density and current-carrying capacity of the tether, but is independent of length. Since energy is produced as the spacecraft velocity decreases, no on-board power source is required. As the spacecraft approaches the Earth, the magnetic field increases and the power produced by the tether increases, reaching a maximum of about 800 W per kg of spacecraft mass at closest approach.
Candlelight on Disability

A work of poetry illustrative of sexuality within the context of disability and disfigurement. Expressive of a transcendent and resilient interrelatedness property. Universal in its portrayal of the affective and intuitive human desire for symbiosis indivisible from experiences of disability.
Cutaneous metastases of penile squamous cell carcinoma following en bloc resection of inguinal recurrence with immediate pedicle flap reconstruction.

A 40-year-old man was diagnosed in October 1993 with well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the glans penis with right inguinal and pelvic lymph node metastases but no evidence of distant metastasis. The patient underwent partial penectomy followed by 2 courses of systemic chemotherapy in December. Urethral resection margin was positive for squamous cell carcinoma, and revision of partial penectomy and right ilioinguinal lymph node dissection were performed in April 1994. Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma was present in 1 of 5 inguinal lymph nodes and in 1 of 12 Accepted for publication May 4, 2001. * Financial interest and/or other relationship with Amgen and Integrate Therapeutics. † Financial interest and/or other relationship with Introgen. ‡ Requests for reprints: Department of Urology, Box 446, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030.
Detection of recombination events in bacterial genomes from large population samples

Analysis of important human pathogen populations is currently under transition toward whole-genome sequencing of growing numbers of samples collected on a global scale. Since recombination in bacteria is often an important factor shaping their evolution by enabling resistance elements and virulence traits to rapidly transfer from one evolutionary lineage to another, it is highly beneficial to have access to tools that can detect recombination events. Multiple advanced statistical methods exist for such purposes; however, they are typically limited either to only a few samples or to data from relatively short regions of a total genome. By harnessing the power of recent advances in Bayesian modeling techniques, we introduce here a method for detecting homologous recombination events from whole-genome sequence data for bacterial population samples on a large scale. Our statistical approach can efficiently handle hundreds of whole genome sequenced population samples and identify separate origins of the recombinant sequence, offering an enhanced insight into the diversification of bacterial clones at the level of the whole genome. A data set of 241 whole genome sequences from an important pandemic lineage of Streptococcus pneumoniae is used together with multiple simulated data sets to demonstrate the potential of our approach.
Lasers in dentistry : An overview

Developments in laser dentistry have led to an increasing acceptance of this technology by both practitioners and the general public. This article provides an overview of laser systems and their dental applications.
Shell-model description of the charge form factor and the first excited state in /sup 4/He

A /sup 4/He shell-model formalism, including two- and three-body forces, is used to calculate ground and first excited state properties. Inclusion of the three-body force improves the calculated ground state rms radius, ground state form factor, and position of the /sup 4/He first excited state.
Slow light in various media: a tutorial

I consider the physical basics of slow light propagation in atomic media, photonic structures, and optical fibers. I show similarities and differences between all of the above media and develop set of criteria that are then used to compare different media. Special attention is given to dispersion of group velocity and loss, which are shown to limit the bandwidth and delay capacity of all the slow light schemes.
Anxiety levels in adolescents who stutter.

Abstract High levels of anxiety can negatively affect the lives of children and adolescents. Thirty-six adolescents who stutter and 36 adolescents who do not stutter were administered standardized scales for anxiety and self-esteem. Significant differences were found for the total T -scores for Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale for the two groups, although both groups mean T -scores were within normal range. Eighty-three percent of adolescents who stutter and 95% of adolescents who do not stutter earned scores in the normal range. No significant differences were found on the self-esteem scale, with 86% of adolescents who stutter and 97% of adolescents who do not stutter earning scores in the normal/positive range. Adolescents who stutter with co-occurring disorders displayed significantly higher levels of anxiety than adolescents who stutter with no co-occurring disorders. No significant differences were found between groups on ethnicity, socioeconomic class, gender and anxiety levels. A positive, significant correlation between anxiety scores and self-esteem scores was found for both groups. Learning outcomes : Readers will learn about and understand (a) the role of anxiety and self-esteem in stuttering; (b) the methods used to evaluate anxiety and self-esteem in adolescents; and (c) the similarities between adolescents who stutter and adolescents who do not stutter on anxiety and self-esteem scales.
Particle simulation of carbon dioxide bubbles in water

Abstract Using a molecular aggregate approach and classical molecular dynamics type formulas, a method that can be used to simulate the motion of fluid drops within fluids is described through a detailed study of a prototype problem, the motion of carbon dioxide bubbles in water. The resulting equations are solved numerically. The rise of the bubbles and the motion of the water near the bubbles are described.
Some recent developments in polysilane chemistry

(I) Ordered and disordered polysilane copolymers: Condensation of ClSiMe2Si(n-Hex)2SiMe2Cl with Na/K in toluene at 90°C produced a polymer with a strongly bimodal molecular weight distribution. The high-M w and low-M w portions were separated by fractional precipitation with 2-propanol, and the properties of the two fractions were investigated.29Si-NMR spectra show that the low-M w fraction is fully ordered but the high-M w fraction is randomized. (II) Liquid crystalline polysilanes: Condensation ofn-Bu(n-Hex)SiCl2 with Na in toluene led to a homopolymer which is a rubbery solid at 25°C. The polymer undergoes a second-order transition at −45°C and a first-order (melt) transition at −20°C. X-ray diffraction shows that the polymer has the same structure, a columnar hexagonal lattice, in all three phases; from −20 to >200°C, it exists in a columnar liquid crystalline mesophase. Similar hexagonal mesophases were observed at 25°C for the family of copolymers, (n-Hex2Si) n (Alk2Si) m , Alk =n-Pentyl,n-Bu,n-Pr, Et, Me.
Detection of complement activation by counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE)

Abstract Counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE) was used as a method of detecting activation of the third component of the complement system (C3). Highly purified C3, normal human serum (NHS), EDTA-treated plasma and serum activated with aggregated human immunoglobulin (agg-IgG) or inulin were used as sources of C3 and/or C3 split products. Activation of the alternative pathway of complement was assayed in the presence of EGTA (10 mM) and MgCl 2 (0.3 mM), conditions which block activation of the classical pathway. When purified native C3, fresh NHS and fresh EDTA-plasma were tested in CIE against either antisera to whole C3 or to C3 split products, only one precipitin line was found, which was identified as native C3. However, when serum activated with agg-IgG or inulin were tested against the same reagents, two precipitin lines were seen. The first, with more cathodal mobility was identical to that of native C3. The second line had a more anodal mobility, was distinctly separated from the first and contained C3c and C3d as shown immunochemically with specific antisera. Native C3 and split products of C3 were identified by this CIE method in patients showing evidence of activated complement by having subnormal total complement (CH50) levels. When C3 split products were identified, the C3c-C3d precipitin line could always be distinguished from native C3 by its different electrophoretic mobility, even when C3 concentrations in serum varied from 0.25 mg/ml to 1.5 mg/ml. The sensitivity of CIE was compared to that of CH50 by assaying at different time intervals after agg-IgG was added to fresh NHS. C3c-C3d split products were detected by CIE before any fall in CH50 and at all times when a significant decrease in CH50 was present. This study shows that the CIE technique is a highly sensitive, specific and rapid method for detecting activation of the complement system via classical or alternative pathways in human disease.
Wave-Packet Interferometry and Molecular State Reconstruction: Spectroscopic Adventures on the Left-Hand Side of the Schrödinger Equation

This article summarizes theoretical studies of molecular state determination by wave-packet interferometry (WPI) and recounts some recent experimental applications of molecular WPI. Calculations predict that two-color nonlinear WPI data can be used to reconstruct a rovibronic target wave packet evolving under an incompletely characterized nuclear Hamiltonian. This can be accomplished by the isolation via phase cycling or wave-vector matching of an exhaustive collection of overlaps between the unknown target and the members of a family of reference wave packets whose form is known by construction. This review highlights recent experiments employing WPI to gain amplitude-level information about the photoexcited-state dynamics of small molecules in the gas phase and in rare-gas crystals. I briefly describe a new semiclassical theory for condensed-phase WPI and other coherence-spectroscopy measurements, such as time-resolved coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering, and mention our initial studies of nonlinear WPI from electronic energy-transfer complexes.
Design of seat mounted ECG sensor system for vehicle application

The causes of deaths in traffic accidents are predominantly human factors such as careless or "heedlessness" driving; recently, accidents that are believed to be due to deteriorated physical conditions, such as heart attacks, have been reported. Non-contact electrocardiography(ECG) monitor for continuous ECG detection while driving is needed to reduce a number of fatal accident by human error like this. Recently there are a lot of papers to detect cardiac electricity using capacitance coupling between human body and electrode. This sensor system must be adopted appropriate high input impedance circuit and noise reduction technique as a function of source impedance value especially for a seat mounted sensor. We investigated the impedances of the intermediary materials such as a seat cover and clothing for installing vehicle use by dielectrics measurement system can measure extra-high impedance (100TΩ), and designed an effective circuit configuration for common noise resistance, considering the effect of the sitting posture according to their results. The sensor system employed the DRL (Driven Right Leg) circuit is composed of two sensor head mounted into the seat cover and a electrode mounted on a steering wheel for reducing well common mode noise in cardiac electricity frequency. We have succeeded in attaining stable detection of cardiac electrical impulses during two driving conditions, stable driving at the average speed of 70km/h and driving with frequent changes at the speed of 0-30km/h, operations of the accelerator, brake, steering wheel, and direction indicator. Language: en
Extensive Household Outbreak of Urinary Tract Infection and Intestinal Colonization due to Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase–Producing Escherichia coli Sequence Type 131

Background. Reasons for the successful global dissemination of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131) are undefined, but may include enhanced transmissibility or ability to colonize the intestine compared with other strains. Methods. We identified a household in which 2 young children had urinary tract infection (UTI) caused by an extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)–producing, multidrug-resistant ST131 E. coli strain. We assessed the prevalence of ST131 intestinal colonization among the 7 household members (6 humans, 1 dog). Fecal samples, collected 3 times over a 19-week period, were cultured selectively for E. coli. Isolates were characterized using clone-specific polymerase chain reaction to detect ST131 and its ESBL-associated H30Rx subclone, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, extended virulence genotyping, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Results. In total, 8 different E. coli pulsotypes (strains) were identified. The index patient's urine isolate represented ST131-H30Rx strain 903. This was the most widely shared and persistent strain in the household, colonizing 5 individuals at each sampling. In contrast, the 7 non-ST131 strains were each found in only 1 or 2 household members at a time, with variable persistence. The ST131 strain was the only strain with both extensive virulence and antimicrobial resistance profiles. Conclusions. An ESBL-producing ST131-H30Rx strain caused UTI in 2 siblings, plus asymptomatic intestinal colonization in multiple other household members, and was the household's most extensively detected and persistent fecal E. coli strain. Efficient transmission and intestinal colonization may contribute to the epidemiologic success of the H30Rx subclone of E. coli ST131.
Operations and Performance of RHIC as a Cu-Cu Collider

The 5thyear of RHIC operations, started in November 2004 and expected to last till June 2005, consists of a physics run with Cu-Cu collisions at 100 GeV/u followed by one with polarized protons (pp) at 100 GeV [1]. We will address here the overall performance of the RHIC complex used for the first time as a Cu-Cu collider, and compare it with previous operational experience with Au, PP and asymmetric d-Au collisions. We will also discuss operational improvements, such as a squeeze to 85cm in the high luminosity interaction regions from the design value of 1m, system improvements, machine performance and limitations, and address reliability and uptime issues.
Deficiency of interleukin-2 production upon addition of soluble egg antigen to cultures of isolated hepatic granulomas or hepatic granuloma cells from mice infected with Schistosoma japonicum

Schistosoma japonicum-infected C57BL/6 mice show similar dynamics of hepatic granulomatous inflammation and delayed hypersensitivity elicited by soluble egg antigens (SEA) which reach peak levels at 9 weeks of infection and then spontaneously regress. In an attempt to link the level of interleukin 2 (IL-2) production to the spontaneous regression of hepatic granulomatous inflammation, the study determined the dynamics of IL-2 production by SEA-challenged isolated hepatic granulomas (HG) and cells isolated enzymatically from the HG. The production of IL-2 by SEA-stimulated HG or HG cells reached its peak when these preparations from 9-week-infected mice were stimulated and fell thereafter. Some possible mechanisms that might explain the IL-2 deficiency were examined. This deficiency is not due to the in vitro binding of IL-2 by the HG cells of infected mice and is, therefore, due rather to underproduction of IL-2. The deficiency was also not explained by reduced numbers of antigen-presenting cells (macrophages or B cells) or of L3T4+ T lymphocytes. In vitro SEA-induced IL-2 production by HG cells from acutely infected mice was suppressed consistently by Lyt-2+ T cells from the spleens and in the majority of our experiments by Lyt-2+ T cells from the HG of mice infected for 10 weeks. These findings are consistent with the main features of our working hypothesis, but it remains to be proven that in vivo deficiency of lymphokine(s) such as IL-2 is responsible for the spontaneous decrease in granulomatous inflammation and that this lymphokine deficiency is a result of suppression.
Reducing Need for Collocated Ground and Satellite based Observations in Statistical Aerosol Optical Depth Estimation

One of the biggest challenges of current climate research is to characterize and quantify the effect of aerosols on the global and local weather. This requires an accurate prediction of aerosol optical density (AOD) which is defined as the amount of loss a beam of light incurs when it passes through the atmosphere. In this paper a neural network-based data-driven prediction model is considered which uses collocated satellite (MODIS) observation and ground-based (AERONET) AOD retrievals as predictors and target respectively. This paper studies an active learning-based data collection method which will facilitate the learning of a sufficiently accurate AOD prediction model using a minimal set of labeled training data by querying the labels of only the most informative data points.
Role of economics in developing fertilizer best management practices

Abstract To reduce agricultural water quality impacts, many US states and other countries rely on agricultural best management practices (BMPs). Although fertilizer BMP rates are supposed to ensure the economic viability of agricultural production, BMPs are frequently based on agronomic, rather than economic, research; moreover, some producers resist BMP adoption, citing profit reductions. In this study, we examine the effect of production and market risks, as well as producers’ risk aversion, on producers’ fertilizer rate and BMP adoption decisions. We focus on potato production in the Lower St. Johns River Basin, northern Florida. Using historical data, we estimate the linear stochastic plateau production function that explicitly incorporates production risks related to weather. We develop a financial model and use Monte Carlo simulation and empirical fertilizer and potato sale price distributions to estimate the distributions of ten-year net present values (NPVs) for alternative fertilizer rates. The results show that the preferred fertilizer rate depends on the assumption about potato sale prices and producers’ risk aversion levels. Risk-neutral producers prefer lower fertilizer rates than do risk-averse producers to avoid the downward risk caused by the high fertilizer expense and low yields. BMP adoption can also lead to profit loss when the BMP is designed for a low price scenario while market conditions are favorable. Hence, BMP development should be based on comprehensive analysis of production and market risks, as well as producers’ risk perceptions. It should also be recognized that to achieve water quality targets, BMP adoption may lead to reductions in profits if a subset of possible production and/or market conditions are realized. Insurance-type policies to compensate agricultural producers for the profit losses may be developed.
Clinical pharmacology, biomarkers and personalized medicine: education please

Over the past decades, the scope of clinical pharmacology within the pharmaceutical industry has widened considerably. Key growth has been in the area of translational science and exploratory medicine, where clinical pharmacologists are nowadays the mediator between basic research and establishment of clinical usefulness. This role has led to and is supported by the rapid developments in pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic modeling and simulation, a strong focus on biomarkers for early informed decision-making, and the advent of pharmacogenomics into safety and efficacy predictions and evaluations. The ultimate goal – safer, more efficacious drug prescription – is shared with that of today’s drive for more personalized medicine. This article reviews the evolution of clinical pharmacology within the industry, the regulatory, clinical and societal drivers for this evolution, and the analogy with the establishment of personalized medicine in clinical practice. Special attention is given to the integration of bio...