cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Up for the Challenge: Eliminating Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Infections in a Complex Patient Population

Abstract Background In response to Medicare reimbursement changes related to central line-associated blood stream infection (CLABSI) effective January 2011, a long-term acute care hospital implemented quality improvement measures to reduce these health care-associated infections. Improvements included alcohol-impregnated port protectors, chlorhexidine gluconate barrier dressings, and didactic/hands on training for care and maintenance. During 2010 the peripherally inserted central line (PICC) team at a neighboring Magnet hospital was asked to partner and develop strategies to further decrease CLABSI. Methods The PICC team evaluated the effects of an antimicrobial PICC device in an effort to further reduce the incidence of CLABSI. Upon initiation of the evaluation phase, a database was created to track infection/thrombus rate, insertion-related complications, dwell time, diagnosis, tip location, infusate, vein used, and catheter size. Data collection and reporting was managed by the PICC team. Results Across a 2-year period (July 2011-July 2013), 100 devices were inserted with a total of 1,705 line days without any reported CLABSI. The majority of patients received a 4.5F single lumen device (59%). Dwell time ranged from 1 to 57 days with an average of 17 days. To date, no CLABSIs related to this device have been reported at the long-term acute care hospital. Conclusions Based on 100 insertions yielding no infections this new product appears to improve patient safety and quality of care. Relative to these results sole use of this product has become their institutional standard for long-term intravenous needs.
Adaptive Global Testing for Functional Linear Models

This article studies global testing of the slope function in functional linear regression models. A major challenge in functional global testing is to choose the dimension of projection when approximating the functional regression model by a finite dimensional multivariate linear regression model. We develop a new method that simultaneously tests the slope vectors in a sequence of functional principal components regression models. The sequence of models being tested is determined by the sample size and is an integral part of the testing procedure. Our theoretical analysis shows that the proposed method is uniformly powerful over a class of smooth alternatives when the signal to noise ratio exceeds the detection boundary. The methods and results reflect the deep connection between the functional linear regression model and the Gaussian sequence model. We also present an extensive simulation study and a real data example to illustrate the finite sample performance of our method. Supplementary materials for ...
Outcome of Pregnancies at Risk for Neonatal Hemochromatosis Is Improved by Treatment With High-Dose Intravenous Immunoglobulin

Objectives Neonatal hemochromatosis is the result of severe fetal liver injury that seems to result from maternal-fetal alloimmunity. Women who have had an infant affected with neonatal hemochromatosis are at high risk in subsequent pregnancies for having another affected infant. This study was designed to determine whether therapy directed at limiting the severity of gestational alloimmunity can reduce the occurrence of severe neonatal hemochromatosis in infants of women at risk. A secondary objective was to use a prospectively collected data set to examine questions of vital interest about neonatal hemochromatosis. Methods Women with a history of pregnancy ending in documented neonatal hemochromatosis were treated with intravenous immunoglobulin at 1 g/kg of body weight weekly from week 18 until the end of gestation. Extensive data were prospectively collected regarding the gestational histories of the subjects. The outcomes of treated pregnancies were compared with those of previous affected pregnancies, which were used as historical controls. Results Forty-eight women were enrolled to be treated during 53 pregnancies. The gestational histories of these women demonstrated the high risk of occurrence of neonatal hemochromatosis: 92% of pregnancies at risk resulted in intrauterine fetal demise, neonatal death, or liver failure necessitating transplant. In contrast, with gestational therapy, the 53 at-risk gestations resulted in 3 failures and 52 infants who survived intact with medical therapy alone. When compared on a per-woman or per-infant basis, the outcome of gestation at risk for neonatal hemochromatosis was improved by gestational therapy. Conclusions Neonatal hemochromatosis seems to be the result of a gestational alloimmune disease, and occurrence of severe neonatal hemochromatosis in at-risk pregnancies can be significantly reduced by treatment with high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin during gestation.
The skinny on neurotrophins.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is best known as a regulator of brain development and plasticity. New evidence suggests that BDNF is also a component of the hypothalamic melanocortin pathway that controls body weight in adults.
Phase transformation and preferred orientation in carboxylate derived ZrO2 thin films on silicon substates

Phase transformation and preferred orientation in ZrO 2 thin films, deposited on Si(111) and Si(100) substrates, and prepared by heat treatment from carboxylate solution precursors were investigated. The deposited films were amorphous below 450 °C, transforming gradually to the tetragonal and monoclinic phases on heating. The monoclinic phase developed from the tetragonal phase displacively, and exhibited a strong (111) preferred orientation at temperature as low as 550 °C. The degree of preferred orientation and the tetragonal-to-monoclinic phase transformation were controlled by heating rate, soak temperature, and time. Interfacial diffusion into the film from the Si substrate was negligible at 700 °C and became significant only at 900 °C, but for films thicker than 0.5 μm, overall preferred orientation exceeded 90%.
Reply to comment on bounds on time-correlation functions via the infinite-order maclaurin expansion

Abstract The relations among several methods of calculating time-correlation functions are discussed. In particular, it is pointed out that a recently proposed infinite-order partial Maclaurin expansion is a special case of the optimization procedure developed by Platz and Gordon.
Meeting Reports: 17th Annual ALS Users' Association Meeting and Workshops

It's not exactly Russian roulette, but scheduling October events outdoors is not risk-free, even in usually sunny California. An overflow crowd or more than 400 registered users, ALS staff, and vendors enjoyed a full indoor program featuring science highlights and work-shops spread over two and a half days from October 18 to October 20, 2004. However, a major storm, heralding the onset of the San Francisco Bay Area rainy season, posed a few weather challenges for the events on the ALS patio. Users' Executive Committee chair Dennis Lindle (University of Nevada, Las Vegas) started the meeting off with a warm welcome to new Berkeley Lab Director Stephen Chu. Coming from a laser-based science background, Chu confessed he was not yet intimately familiar with the ALS but was already hearing that it is one of the best facilities for users to do great science.
The role of lexical status on the phonetic categorization of speech in aphasia.

Abstract Recent results with normal subjects have shown that the locus of the phonetic boundary of a speech continuum may change as a function of the word/nonword status of the endpoint stimuli. This so-called lexical effect in phonetic categorization has been used as evidence for the role of top-down processing in speech perception. This study investigated whether aphasic patients show a similar influence of lexical status on phonetic categorization. Two test continua were created varying in voice-onset time: in one continuum, the two endpoint stimuli were word/nonword, i.e., "duke"-"tuke," and in the other continuum, they were nonword/word, i.e., "doot"-"toot." Twelve aphasic patients were tested including 6 Broca′s aphasics and 6 Wernicke/Conduction aphasics. The subject′s task was to determine whether the first sound of the stimulus was a "d" or "t." Broca′s aphasics showed a large lexical effect, with the magnitude of the effect being greater than that for normals. These results suggest that the Broca′s aphasics place a heavier reliance on a heuristic strategy than on the perceptual information embedded in the test stimuli in making a phonetic categorization. In contrast, Wernicke/Conduction aphasics did not show a lexical effect, suggesting that these patients are less likely than either normals or Broca′s aphasics to use heuristic strategies in lexical processing. The overall results are considered in relation to current views on language-processing deficits in aphasia.
An Exciting Approach to Student Learning in Analytical Chemistry: It’s Jeopardy!

The television game show Jeopardy has been adapted for use in teaching students Quantitative Analysis. The exercise shows students how to study, encourages the development of good team-working skills, and presents the study of analytical chemistry in a fun and exciting way. One unique aspect of in this approach involves the use of data from the primary analytical literature as the basis for one category of problems called “Real World.” These questions help students see the significance and relevance of the material presented in the course for solving real-world problems and in their future careers. The approach can be used effectively in both large and small classrooms and can be adapted for use in other undergraduate chemistry courses, such as General Chemistry.
Performance characterization of multicanonical Monte Carlo method applied to polarization mode dispersion

The numerical accuracy of the results obtained using the multicanonical Monte Carlo (MMC) algorithm is strongly dependent on the choice of the step size, which is the range of the MMC perturbation from one sample to the next. The proper choice of the MMC step size leads to much faster statistical convergence of the algorithm for the calculation of rare events. One relevant application of this method is the calculation of the probability of the bins in the tail of the discretized probability density function of the differential group delay between the principal states of polarization due to polarization mode dispersion. We observed that the optimum MMC performance is strongly correlated with the inflection point of the actual transition rate from one bin to the next. We also observed that the optimum step size does not correspond to any specific value of the acceptance rate of the transitions in MMC. The results of this study can be applied to the improvement of the performance of MMC applied to the calculation of other rare events of interest in optical communications, such as the bit error ratio and pattern dependence in optical fiber systems with coherent receivers.
Porous chitosan-hyaluronic acid scaffolds as a mimic of glioblastoma microenvironment ECM

Cancer therapeutics are developed through extensive screening; however, many therapeutics evaluated with 2D in vitro cultures during pre-clinical trials suffer from lower efficacy in patients. Replicating the in vivo tumor microenvironment in vitro with three-dimensional (3D) porous scaffolds offers the possibility of generating more predictive pre-clinical models to enhance cancer treatment efficacy. We developed a chitosan and hyaluronic acid (HA) polyelectrolyte complex 3D porous scaffold and evaluated its physical properties. Chitosan-HA (C-HA) scaffolds had a highly porous network. C-HA scaffolds were compared to 2D surfaces for in vitro culture of U-118 MG human glioblastoma (GBM) cells. C-HA scaffold cultures promoted tumor spheroid formation and increased stem-like properties of GBM cells as evidenced by the upregulation of CD44, Nestin, Musashi-1, GFAP, and HIF-1α as compared with 2D cultures. Additionally, the invasiveness of GBM cells cultured in C-HA scaffolds was significantly enhanced compared to those grown in 2D cultures. C-HA scaffold cultures were also more resistant to chemotherapy drugs, which corresponded to the increased expression of ABCG2 drug efflux transporter. These findings suggest that C-HA scaffolds offer promise as an in vitro GBM platform for study and screening of novel cancer therapeutics.
Agricultural information and empire building in the late 19 th century: national information policy, the people, and the USDA

The information work of the United States Department of Agriculture in its first years as an independent federal agency---1862 to 1888---was exceptional and contested. It engaged the public to collect information relevant to farming, markets, and trade. Through a close historical analysis of the Department's annual reports and supplementary materials, I examine that information work and situate it within the context of the emergence of the modern state, American empire, and industrializing capitalism using Marxist historiography and the political economy of information as my conceptual framework.
Understanding performance, power and energy behavior in asymmetric multiprocessors

Multiprocessor architectures are becoming popular in both desktop and mobile processors. Among multiprocessor architectures, asymmetric architectures show promise in saving energy and power. However, the performance and energy consumption behavior of asymmetric multiprocessors with desktop-oriented multithreaded applications has not been studied widely. In this study, we measure performance and power consumption in asymmetric and symmetric multiprocessors using real 8 and 16 processor systems to understand the relationships between thread interactions and performance/power behavior. We find that when the workload is asymmetric, using an asymmetric multiprocessor can save energy, but for most of the symmetric workloads, using a symmetric multiprocessor (with the highest clock frequency) consumes less energy.
Femoral mononeuropathy induced by the lithotomy position: A report of 5 cases with a review of literature

We report 5 young women who developed femoral mononeuropathy (FMN) after placement in the lithotomy position. Three had uncomplicated vaginal deliveries and 2 underwent exploratory laparoscopies. EMG was performed on 3 patients. The lesions were localized to the inguinal ligament and probably demyelinating, accounting for their excellent prognosis. On reviewing the literature, however, we believe that lithotomy position can cause FMN, not only by nerve compression at the inguinal ligament, but also by stretching of the nerve by excessive hip abduction and external rotation. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Reaction of nickelocene with 1,3-dimesitylimidazolium chloride

Abstract Treatment of nickelocene with 1,3-dimesitylimidazolium chloride affords the corresponding carbene complex, (η5-C5H5)NiCl(carbene) (5). The structure of 5 was determined by X-ray crystallography. The distorted trigonal planar nickel atom is attached to an η5-Cp, a carbene, and a chloride ligand. Compound 5 reacts with MeLi to afford (η5-C5H5)Ni(Me)(carbene).
A 16-channel 8-parameter waveform electrotactile stimulation system

A general-purpose electrotactile (electrocutaneous) stimulation system has been developed as a research tool for studying psychophysiological performance associated with various stimulation waveforms. An experimenter-defined command file specifies the stimulation current and waveform of each of the 16 channels. The system provides a burst onset delay of 0-20 ms, a phase current of 0-50 mA, an interphase interval of 0-1000 mu s, 1-100 pulses per burst, a pulse repetition rate of 0.1-25 kHz, a phase width of 2-1000 mu s, and functionally monophasic pulses (with zero DC current) or balanced-biphasic pulses (with equal positive and negative phases). The system automatically delivers the desired stimulation, prompts the subject for responses, and then logs subject responses. Key features of the system are (1) the very flexible choice of bursts of pulsatile waveforms, (2) the real-time control of all of the waveform parameters as mathematical functions of external analog inputs, and (3) the high-performance electrode-driver circuitry. >
Harvey W. Cushing

Surgical Career In 1899, Cushing first became seriously interested in the challenges of surgery on the nervous system, leading Osler to remark that Cushing had “opened the book of surgery in a new place” [1]. Cushing married Katharine S. Crowell in 1902, and they had five children. He eventually left Johns Hopkins in 1913 to become the first surgeon-in-chief at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, where he insisted that the institution provide an x-ray facility. Cushing subsequently helped recruit a number of radiologists, including one of the fathers of neuroimaging, Merrill C. Sosman. Some years later, after retiring from surgery, he joined the medical faculty of his undergraduate alma mater, Yale University. There he served as both professor of neurology in the School of Medicine and director of studies in the History of Medicine. While actively engaged in the practice of neurosurgery, Cushing quickly established a reputation for his painstaking technique, careful attention to hemostasis, and rigorous preand postoperative care, traits he had learned from Halsted. When he entered neurosurgery, mortality rates exceeded 50%, but his techniques lowered them to 10% [1]. Cushing made numerous contributions to neurosurgery. He adopted and promulgated new surgical techniques, including the transsphenoidal approach to brain tumors, which dramatically reduced morbidity and mortality. Cushing’s refinement of the transsphenoidal technique was a great success, and he applied it to 227 patients, with an operative mortality rate of only 5.2% [2]. It remains the operative approach of choice for pituitary tumors. He used electrical stimuli to study the sensoHarvey W. Cushing
Problems Related to Redo Cardiac Surgery

Redo cardiac surgery has several inherent challenges that can increase mortality and also morbidity to the patient. This chapter will discuss various problems associated with technical aspects of redo cardiac surgical procedures. Some aspects will be covered in more detail by other authors in subsequent chapters.
Heating of the Moon by heterogeneous accretion

Monte Carlo models of lunar accretion are developed by randomly sampling mass and velocity distributions of objects in the solar nebula in circumsolar and circumterrestrial orbits. The thermal effect of an impact is expressed as the volume of melt produced; the melt volumes produced by each Monte Carlo case are sorted into regions to produce percentage melt estimates as a function of radius. One-hundred cases are calculated to obtain a range of plausible thermal histories for lunar accretion. The average melt percentage estimates show substantial deep melting, but the spread of melt percentage values about the mean from the random sampling procedure is wide enough to include 0% melting for radii below 100 km and 100% melting for radii below 500 km.
Using the Relative Operating Characteristic to Quantify Certainty in Prediction of Location of Land Cover Change in India

This paper describes a methodology by which modelers, ecologists and planners can quantify the certainty in predicting the location of change for a given quantity of change. The specification of the quantity of a land cover category and the specification of the location of a land cover category are two distinct fundamental concepts in geographical analysis. It is crucial that scientists have appropriate quantitative tools to analyze each of these two concepts independently of one another. This paper gives methods whereby a scientist can convert a map of relative propensity for disturbance to a map of probability of future disturbance, based on a quantifiable validation of a map’s predictive ability. The required inputs are: (1) maps that show a Boolean categorical variable at times 0, 1 and 2, (2) a technique to create a map that shows the relative propensity for membership in the Boolean category, and (3) a predicted proportion of the category at time 3.
Analyzing fundamental propagation modes in V-groove plasmonic waveguides

In this paper, we analyze the fundamental subwavelength modes in V-groove channel plasmon polariton (CPP) waveguides and their propagation properties using an improved full-vectorial finite difference frequency-domain technique (FDFD). We show that CPP propagation properties mainly depends on the groove angle rather than its depth.
Estimating Eddy Stresses by Fitting Dynamics to Observations Using a Residual-Mean Ocean Circulation Model and Its Adjoint

A global ocean circulation model is formulated in terms of the “residual mean” and used to study eddy–mean flow interaction. Adjoint techniques are used to compute the three-dimensional eddy stress field that minimizes the departure of the coarse-resolution model from climatological observations of temperature. The resulting 3D maps of eddy stress and residual-mean circulation yield a wealth of information about the role of eddies in large-scale ocean circulation. In eddy-rich regions such as the Southern Ocean, the Kuroshio, and the Gulf Stream, eddy stresses have an amplitude comparable to the wind stress, of order 0.2 N m � 2 , and carry momentum from the surface down to the bottom, where they are balanced
Computer-based analyses of the protein constituents of transport systems catalysing export of complex carbohydrates in bacteria

Bacteria synthesize and secrete an array of complex carbohydrates including exopolysaccharides (EPSs), capsular polysaccharides (CPSs), lipopolysaccharides (LPSs), lipo-oligosaccharides (LOSs) and teichoic acids (TCAs). We have analysed the families of homologous proteins that appear to mediate excretion of complex carbohydrates into or across the bacterial cell envelope. Two principal families of cytoplasmic-membrane transport systems appear to drive polysaccharide export: polysaccharide-specific transport (PST) systems and ATP-binding cassette-2 (ABC-2) systems. We present evidence that the secretion of CPSs and EPSs, but not of LPSs, LOSs or TCAs via a PST or ABC-2 system requires the presence of a cytoplasmic-membrane-periplasmic auxiliary protein (MPA1 or MPA2, respectively) in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as an outer-membrane auxiliary (OMA) protein in Gram-negative bacteria. While all OMA proteins are included within a single family, MPA1 and MPA2 family proteins are not demonstrably homologous to each other, even though they share common topological features. Moreover, MPA1 family proteins (which function with PST systems), but not MPA2 family proteins (which function with ABC-2 systems), possess cytoplasmic ATP-binding domains that may either exist as separate polypeptide chains (for those from Gram-positive bacteria) or constitute the C-terminal domain of the MPA1 polypeptide chain (for those from Gram-negative bacteria). The sizes, substrate specificities and regions of relative conservation and hydrophobicity are defined allowing functional and structural predictions as well as delineation of family-specific sequence motifs. Each family is characterized phylogenetically.
Object Relations Theory and the Language of Art Tools for Treatment of the Borderline Patient

With the advent of Object Relations Theory, art therapists have a new framework relevant to their work. This approach is particularly useful in understanding the patient whose unresolved issues involving separation and individuation result in borderline pathology. Borderline patients are often drawn to creative endeavors, and in clinical situations are referred to art therapy so that this strength can be tapped and used to expedite treatment. The art process as experienced by the borderline individuals parallels their internal dilemmas. D.W. Winnicott's concept of the transitional object phenomena is of importance for understanding this type of patient. The borderline's inclinations toward the creative process can be correlated with developmental arrest, pointing to the stage when transitional experiences did not lead to separation. The art provides a vehicle to remaster this deficit. The language of art, and the many methods through which art is taught can address these intrapsychic phenomena. The art th...
Optimum MMSE transceiver designs for the downlink of multicell MIMO systems

A novel decoder covariance optimization approach is proposed for jointly designing the minimum mean square error (MMSE) transceivers of downlink multicell multiuser multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems subject to general linear power constraints. Per-antenna power constraint (single cell or multicell), total power constraint (single cell) and per-cell power constraint (multicell) are presented as examples. With the source covariance matrices set as identity matrices and with the rank constraints on the decoders relaxed, the MMSE problem is reformulated as a convex optimization problem. The global optimum solution can then be found numerically by means of a primal-dual algorithm. Furthermore, the proposed approach is shown to be equivalent to another approach of ours, the newly developed generalized iterative approach when the decoder covariance optimization approach is applicable and when all decoders obtained from the MMSE design have full column rank. The global optimality and comparison of the two approaches are supported by numerical results.
The application of a vulnerable populations conceptual model to rural health

Background: This article describes the application of the vulnerable populations conceptual model to rural health. Vulnerable populations are social groups who have an increased susceptibility to adverse health outcomes. Evidence of this differential in vulnerability or increased risk includes premature mortality, comparative morbidity, decreased functional status, and diminished quality of life. Organizing Framework: The vulnerable populations conceptual model postulates that there are interrelationships among resource availability, relative risk, and health status. Resource availability speaks to socioeconomic and environmental resources that are operationalized in this model as income, jobs, education, housing, availability of health care, quality of health care, and patterns of family and community life. Relative risk addresses the likelihood of exposure to risk factors and is reflected in lifestyle behaviors and choices and exposure to stressful events. Health status is operationalized as morbidity and mortality. Findings: This review of the literature supports the utility of the vulnerable populations conceptual model in working with rural populations. Implications: This model has potential utility to inform nursing research, practice, and policy about the opportunities and resources needed to achieve and maintain health in rural communities.
All I really need to know I learned in CS1

Over the last 45 years as a student and faculty member in Computer Science, I have been involved in learning, teaching, and writing for the CS1 course. I have authored or co-authored textbooks for CS1 in nine different programming languages from Fortran to Java. Each new language was used because of a particular set of features it provided to solve the critical problem in programming or software development of the day. This talk will take a look back at these languages and the extent to which they succeeded. I will also take a look ahead to see what direction CS1 might be taking in the future.
Extreme-voltage stress vector generation of analog CMOS ICs for gate-oxide reliability enhancement

Extreme-voltage screening has been successfully implemented to enhance gate-oxide reliability of digital CMOS ICs. However, the success has not yet been extended to its analog counterparts. As a result, almost all the manufacturers employ the digital circuit screening process for the analog modules in mixed-signal CMOS ICs. Our pervious study had addressed the issues on how to properly stress analog circuits to enhance the gate-oxide reliability of mixed-signal CMOS integrated circuits, and the trade-off between the stress coverage and stress time. This paper presents two algorithms that generate a set of stress vectors for an analog circuit (1) to meet the stress coverage requirement and to result in a minimum stress time; and (2) to meet the stress time requirement and to result in a maximum stress coverage.
Incorporating sheep into dryland grain production systems: I. Impact on over-wintering larva populations of wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus Norton (Hymenoptera: Cephidae)

Wheat stem sawfly (WSS), Cephus cinctus Norton (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) is the most damaging insect pest to Montana’s $ 1 billion dollar per year grain industry. Current WSS control methods are either expensive, reduce wheat yields, or are not effective. Our objective was to compare burning, grazing, tilling, trampling and clipping wheat stubble fields on over-wintering WSS larval populations. Treatments were evaluated in three experiments using a randomized complete block design and four replications at each site. Eight, six, and two sites were used for Experiments 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Contrast statements were used to make pre-planned comparisons among treatments. For Experiment 1, treatments were fall tilled, fall grazed, spring grazed, fall and spring combined (Fall/Spr) grazed, and an untreated control. Five mature ewes were confined with electric fence to 111 m 2 plot for 24 h in the fall and spring grazed treatments resulting in a stocking rate of 452 sheep d/ha. For Fall/Spr, the stocking rate was 904 sheep d/ha. For Experiment 2, treatments were fall grazed, fall burned, fall tilled, and an untreated control. In Experiment 3, treatments were fall trampled, spring trampled, Fall/Spr trampled, hand clipped to a stubble height of 4.5 cm, and an untreated control. Trampled treatments were done at the same stocking rates as grazing treatments but sheep were muzzled to prevent intake. Wheat stem sawfly larval numbers were collected in the fall and spring, pre- and post-treatment, respectively, by collecting all plant material from three, 0.46 m lengths of row and counting the number of live larvae present. In Experiment 1, WSS mortality was greater (P 0.25) between fall (54%) and spring trampling (47%) but was greater (P = 0.01) for Fall/Spr (70.6%). No differences (P > 0.25) were detected for WSS mortality when grazing was compared to trampling. These results indicate the potential for using grazing sheep to control wheat stem sawfly infestations in cereal grain production systems. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Centrifugal Slump Test to Measure Yield Stress

ABSTRACT: The performance of a centrifugal viscometer (a new concept) was tested for its ability to accurately predict the yield stresses of semisolid foodstuffs. This instrument is based on the traditional slump test concept, but utilizes centrifugal force rather than gravitational force to cause deformation. Using dimensional analysis, there was a general agreement between the theoretical approximation of the yield stress, and experimental data generated using the vane method.
Interaction of phosducin and phosducin isoforms with a 26S proteasomal subunit, SUG1.

Purpose: Retinal phosducin (Phd) and phosducin-like protein 1 (PhLP1) selectively bind G-protein beta/gamma subunits (Gβγ). Our laboratory has recently identified two phosducin-like orphan proteins (PhLOP1 and PhLOP2) that lack the ability to interact with G βγ. In search of potential functional protein partner(s) for these phosducin orphans, we examined their protein-protein interactions using a yeast two-hybrid screen. Methods: A bovine retina yeast expression cDNA library was screened with the GAL4 DNA binding domain (BD) fusion of PhLOP1. Quantitative analysis of the selected positives with PhLOP1 and other Phd isoforms was assessed by growth and beta-galactosidase activity. Further molecular, biochemical, and immunological detection methods utilizing glutathione S-transferase (GST)-Phd isoform fusion proteins and the potential partner were also performed. Results: A member of the superfamily of putative ATPases was selected in the yeast two hybrid screen. Further characterization identified a direct interaction of this putative ATPase with PhLOP1, as well as Phd and PhLP1, but not with PhLOP2. A database search verified this ATPase as a bovine orthologue of the yeast SUG1 (ySUG1), a putative transcriptional mediator and a subunit of the 26S proteasome complex. Our experiments reveal that the carboxy-terminus of PhLOP1 is essential for the protein-protein interaction with SUG1, but it alone is not sufficient to mediate SUG1 interaction. Conclusions: Based on these experimental results, Phd, PhLP1 and PhLOP1 have protein-protein interaction with SUG1. PhLOP1, a truncated amino-terminal splice variant of Phd, is the best candidate for the interaction with SUG1 among the four Phd isoforms studied, which suggests a potential function for PhLOP1.
BRACHYMYRMEX PATAGONICUS (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE), AN EMERGING PEST SPECIES IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

Abstract Brachymyrmex patagonicus Mayr is a recently introduced species that is well established in the Gulf Coast region of the United States. This species is abundant in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana and has spread into other states. It has become a nuisance pest with occasional large infestations occurring in homes, hospitals, and other businesses. Brief descriptions and illustrations of all castes, biological and economic importance, and known distribution in the United States are given.
Entrenched Colonial Influences and the Dislocation of Health care in Africa

This paper argues that Africa’s colonial experience which mediated contact with Western medicine brought about a confrontation of values in the sphere of health, and that this offers some explanation for why the outlook of practitioners and, indeed, the practice of health care in Africa remains riddled with subtle colonial trappings. It attempts an analytic and systematic examination of this state of affairs and seeks a critical exploration of where, how and why contemporary medicine in Africa remains largely immune to her endogenous cosmological systems. Since colonialism was also the wheel through which Western medicine gained entry into America, the paper probes why American practitioners were able to incorporate a Western theoretical framework about disease while at the same time maintaining their cultural uniqueness. Ultimately, it suggests feasible ways to amend and address the African situation.
HERNIATION OF THE INTERVERTEBRAL DISC WITH REFERRED SCIATIC SYMPTOMS

1. In patients presenting symptoms of low-back pain and peripheral-nerve changes, an intraspinal compressive lesion should always be borne in mind. 2. The final diagnosis not infrequently is made at the time of the exploratory laminectomy, this procedure then being a combined diagnostic and therapeutic measure.
A phenomenological scattering model for order-independent transparency

Translucent objects such as fog, smoke, glass, ice, and liquids are pervasive in cinematic environments because they frame scenes in depth and create visually compelling shots. Unfortunately, they are hard to simulate in real-time and have thus previously been rendered poorly compared to opaque surfaces in games.This paper introduces the first model for a real-time rasterization algorithm that can simultaneously approximate the following transparency phenomena: wavelength-varying ("colored") transmission, translucent colored shadows, caustics, partial coverage, diffusion, and refraction. All render efficiently on modern GPUs by using order-independent draw calls and low bandwidth. We include source code for the transparency and resolve shaders.
Impaired sympathetic nervous system response to cognitive effort in early Alzheimer's Disease

Sympathetic nervous system responses to a cognitive challenge and a physiologic stimulus (upright posture) were compared in 10 patients with early Alzheimer's Disease and a group of healthy older adults. Plasma catecholamine and cardiovascular responses to upright posture were similar in the two groups. However, sympathetic activation during mental effort was impaired in the patient group; this difference did not appear to be attributable to motivational factors. Alzheimer's Disease is associated with a defect in sympathetic nervous system function that is specifically linked to cognitive effort and appears early in the course of the disease.
Kinetics of Formation of Cx-Reactive Protein

SummaryStudies on the kinetics of formation of CxRP in rabbits have been carried out. By measuring relative specific activities of CxRP and serum albumin in rabbits given glycine-1-C14 and induced with typhoid vaccine to form CxRP, evidence has been obtained to suggest that CxRP is being manufactured constantly and appears in the serum on challenge.I wish to acknowledge the kind and generous counsel of Dr. Chandler A. Stetson in the design and execution of these experiments.
Large-scale mobilization and isolation of CD34+ cells from normal donors.

We describe collection and purification of peripheral blood CD34+ cells from volunteer, normal donors and allogeneic stem cell donors. A total of 98 aphereses were performed on 68 volunteer donors using peripheral venous access. The mean number of nucleated cells collected was 4.6 × 1010 which included 1.9 × 108CD34+ cells corresponding to 2.7 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg. The number of CD34+ cells collected did not differ between males and females but did correlate with the donor's weight and the total number of nucleated cells collected. The Nexell Isolex 300i cell separator was used to isolate CD34+ cells from 30 of the collections. A mean of 0.36% of the total cells was recovered and included 43 ± 18% of the CD34+ cells. CD34+ cells represented 85 ± 11% of the recovered cells. The total number of CD34+ cells recovered was not influenced by the number of nucleated cells placed on the Isolex 300i. The percentage of CD34+ cells recovered was not related to the number of CD34+ cells placed on the Isolex 300i. The purity of the final product was influenced by the number of CD34+ cells but not the total number of nucleated cells. An additional 38 CD34+ cell isolations were performed on normal allogeneic stem cell donors with similar results. These observations further support the safety and feasibility of peripheral blood CD34+ cell collection and purification. Bone Marrow Transplantation (2000) 26, 1271–1279.
Set-based joint test of interaction between SNPs in the VEGF pathway and exogenous estrogen finds association with age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible visual loss in developed countries. Its etiology includes genetic and environmental factors. Although VEGFA variants are associated with AMD, the joint action of variants within the VEGF pathway and their interaction with nongenetic factors have not been investigated.
Wertigkeit des Fax-EKGs im Management von Patienten mit Arrhythmien

Die Beurteilung von Herzrhythmusstorungen im Oberflachen-EKG macht in der taglichen Praxis immer wieder Probleme. Mit dem Fax-EKG sollte die von medizinischen Abteilungen, Rehabilitationszentren und niedergelassenen Internisten gestellte EKG-Diagnose mit der eines spezialisierten Zentrums verglichen werden. Auserdem sollte untersucht werden, inwieweit Empfehlungen fur das weitere Management auf Grund des Fax-EKG gegeben werden konnen. Es wurden die Fax-EKGs von 967 konsekutiven Patienten ausgewertet. Ein Drittel der Fax-EKG wurden ohne Diagnose ubermittelt. Von den ubermittelten Diagnosen stimmten 2/3 mit der des spezialisierten Zentrums uberein. Bei der Halfte der Patienten kann das weitere Management auf Grund des Fax-EKG festgelegt werden. Die Organisation eines flachendeckenden Fax-EKG-Programms ist sowohl aus medizinischen als auch okonomischen Grunden sinnvoll und stellt eine Verbesserung der Betreuung von Patienten mit Herzrhythmusstorungen dar.
Pressor and myotrophic activities of incubated plasma.

SummaryIncubation of normal human, dog or rat plasma at 37°C for 12 or 24 hours unmasks a pressor and myotrophic activity which is not due to known vasoactive substances.
Determination of Carbonic Anhydrase in the Epiphysis of Endochondral Bone.

SummaryCarbonic anhydrase activity was found in the epiphysis of endochondral bone and not in cartilage or ossified material. These findings, taken together with earlier negative results on epiphyseal growth following CA inhibition, lead to the hypothesis that the CA activity in the epiphyseal region may be due to undifferentiated osteogenic cells, some of which are precursors for hemopoiesis.
Chloride ion-pairing with Ru(II) polypyridyl compounds in dichloromethane.

Chloride ion-pairing with a series of four dicationic Ru(II) polypyridyl compounds of the general form [Ru(bpy)3–x(deeb)x](PF6)2, where bpy is 2,2′-bipyridine and deeb is 4,4′-diethylester-2,2′-bipyridine, was observed in dichloromethane solution. The heteroleptic compounds [Ru(bpy)2(deeb)]2+ and [Ru(bpy)(deeb)2]2+ were found to be far less sensitive to ligand loss photochemistry than were the homoleptic compounds [Ru(bpy)3]2+ and [Ru(deeb)3]2+ and were thus quantified in most detail. X-ray crystal structure and 1H NMR analysis showed that, when present, the C-3/C-3′ position of bpy was the preferred site for adduct formation with chloride. Ion-pairing was manifest in UV–visible absorption spectral changes observed during titrations with TBACl, where TBA is tetrabutyl ammonium. A modified Benesi–Hildebrand analysis yielded equilibrium constants for ion-pairing that ranged from 13 700 to 64 000 M–1 and increased with the number of deeb ligands present. A Job plot indicated a 2:1 chloride-to-ruthenium compl...
325 FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH SURVIVAL IN HIV PATIENTS WITH PROGRESSIVE MULTIFOCAL LEUKOENCEPHALOPATHY.: Table

Background Treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has improved survival in HIV patients with PML, but mortality rates in certain groups of patients remain high. We sought to identify characteristics associated with prognosis. Methods We reviewed clinical data with particular emphasis on antiretroviral treatment history. Survival time was calculated from the time of PML diagnosis to the date of the last clinic visit or death. Survival according to HAART status was analyzed through Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Results Forty patients met inclusion criteria for this study. Eighty-six percent had a CD4 count 3 and 52% had a prior history of AIDS-defining illness; no baseline factors were significantly associated with survival except HAART status. Fifteen patients received cidofovir in addition to HAART, but cidofovir was not associated with improved survival. Conclusion HAART-naive patients started on HAART treatment after PML diagnosis have a significantly better prognosis.
Advanced Research on Mechanism of Phosgene Poisoning and Its Treatment

Phosgene poisoning can cause pulmonary edema and even ARDS.This article summarized the current research on mechanism of phosgene poisoning and the treatment,in an attempt to provide scientific basis for the clinical treatment of phosgene poisoning.
Application Status and Prospect of Computer Simulation of Purex

It is so important to do research on the computer simulation of Purex used in nuclear fuel reprocessing system based on the datum relating to Purex since the simulated program can be used in analyzing the influence of input parameter on Purex and optimizing the input parameter of Purex.In other countries,such studies carried out earlier,a semi-theoretical model named Richardson model was formed as the representative of the distribution model.Based on the stirred tank model and the dispersion model respectively,so many simulation program were developed to simulating the extraction behavior of the mixer-settler contractor and the pulsed column.Because computer simulation of Purex was carried out later in China,there are only some researches on the distribution model and the simulation of the mixer-settler contractor,a large gap is still existed.
The Stages Model of High-Tech Venture Founding: Tried but True?:

Recent large sample studies of start-up event sequences reported more stochasticity at a population level of analysis than the stages model would have predicted. This study examined a random sample...
Conclusion: the Historical Novel, from Postcolonial Reconciliation to Environmental Crisis

The preceding chapters constitute the most systematic analysis of the contemporary postcolonial historical novel yet produced. In this detailed exploration of the genre I have focused simultaneously on the aesthetics of combining invented and documented elements to represent the past, and on how the resulting narratives engage with public debate in contexts where interpretations of history are subject to dispute. By examining texts written by Nigerian, Australian, and New Zealand authors, I have revealed that notwithstanding its diversity of theme, style, and subject matter, the postcolonial historical novel is linked by the shared poetics of allegorical realism. As Chapter 2 explains, this term describes how historical novels offer interpretations of a putatively actual past through narratives composed of elements that signify across epistemological and ontological registers. Imaginary characters, objects, events, or settings represent documented phenomena via their oscillation between typical and singular significations. This process intertwines affective and abstract relations to the past, and generates temporal ambivalence. I have argued that my model of allegorical realism contributes to both postcolonial and historical novel scholarship by illuminating features of the genre elided by critical tendencies in both.
Broadening Participation of Women and Underrepresented Minorities in STEM through a Hybrid Online Transfer Program

The Microbiology and Cell Science (MCS) Department at the University of Florida (UF) developed a new model of a 2 + 2 program that uses a hybrid online approach to bring its science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum to students. In this paradigm, 2-year graduates transfer as online students into the Distance Education in MCS (DE MCS) bachelor of science program. The program has broadened access to STEM with a steadily increasing enrollment that does not draw students away from existing on-campus programs. Notably, half of the DE MCS students are from underrepresented minority (URM) backgrounds and two-thirds are women, which represents a greater level of diversity than the corresponding on-campus cohort and the entire university. Additionally, the DE MCS cohort has comparable retention and academic performance compared with the on-campus transfer cohort. Of those who have earned a BS through the DE MCS program, 71% are women and 61% are URM. Overall, these data demonstrate that the hybrid online approach is successful in increasing diversity and provides another viable route in the myriad of STEM pathways. As the first of its kind in a STEM field, the DE MCS program serves as a model for programs seeking to broaden their reach.