cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Cattle Grazing and BMPs on Stream Water Quality

Cattle production is a major component of Kentucky’s agricultural economy, accounting for approximately 15% of the total agricultural sales in 2000. There are over 2.2 million beef cattle and calves in the state making Kentucky the number one beef producer east of the Mississippi River. Research into the effects of cattle grazing on stream water quality has been well documented in the western portion of the United States with some estimates indicating that 80% of the damage to riparian areas was caused by grazing livestock. However, the impacts of grazing cattle in a humid environment may differ significantly from those witnessed in the arid West. Furthermore, relatively little information exists regarding the effectiveness of grazing best management practices (BMPs), such as alternate water sources, alternate shade sources, supplemental feeding, and riparian buffers, for improving the water quality of streams in grazed watersheds of the humid region. As part of a larger research endeavor into cattle production practices in the humid region, water samples were collected over a two year period at the project site located on the University of Kentucky’s Animal Research Center. The project sites consisted of two replications of three treatments: control, selected BMPs with free access to the stream, and selected BMPs with limited access to the stream. Grab samples were collected at the upstream and downstream pasture edges. Samples were analyzed for nitrate-nitrogen, ammonium-nitrogen, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, dissolved orthophosphate, total phosphorus, total suspended solids, pH, chemical oxygen demand, five-day biochemical oxygen demand, fecal coliforms, and fecal streptococci. Results indicated that minimal water quality benefits were incurred by implementing the BMP systems (i.e. treatments). One of the most substantial understandings gleaned from the project was the importance of upstream land use, and to some degree soils, when attempting to identify significant treatment effects within a small reach. Additionally, the karst geology, which is characteristic of the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky, influenced the rate of transport (i.e. flashy system with quick response time to rainfall) of nutrients from upland areas (i.e. row crops), especially along Pin Oak. These external factors may have resulted in the lack of uniformity in significant constituent concentration differences between the two streams when cattle were present. Furthermore, the background constituent concentration levels may have prohibited the identification of treatment effects. Results from this project indicated that minimal water quality benefits were incurred by implementing a BMP system (with or without a partially excluded riparian zone). However, these results may differ if cattle were completely excluded from the stream or if the BMP system was implemented at a site with larger pastures, different geology (nonkarst), soils (low in phosphorus), or stream morphology (nonbedrock bottom channel).
Effect of Nonadditive Repulsive Intermolecular Interactions on the Light Scattering of Concentrated Protein−Osmolyte Mixtures

The static light scattering of three globular proteins, bovine serum albumin, ovalbumin, and ovomucoid, and binary mixtures of each protein and trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) containing between 10 and 70% protein, were measured as a function of total weight per volume concentration up to 100 g/L. The observed dependence of scattering upon concentration may be accounted for quantitatively by an effective hard sphere model incorporating an extension that takes into account the nonadditive nature of the repulsive intermolecular interaction between protein and TMAO.
Excitonic and Raman properties of ZnSe/Zn1−xCdxSe strained‐layer quantum wells

The optical properties of strained‐layer ZnSe/Zn0.86Cd0.14Se single quantum wells have been studied. The photoluminescence under direct and indirect excitation is investigated in detail. The temperature dependence of photoluminescence and resonant Raman scattering are investigated. Very strong 2LO‐phonon Raman scattering has been observed with Zn0.86Cd0.14Se quantum wells, where the scattered photon energy is in resonance with an exciton transition. Experimental exciton energies are compared with a finite‐square‐potential quantum‐well model including band nonparabolicity and the strain effect. Based on Hill’s theory [J. Phys. C 7, 521 (1974)] we have computed the band gap of Zn1−xCdxSe as a function of composition x.
A real-time, event-triggered storm surge forecasting system for the state of North Carolina

Abstract A new real-time, event-triggered storm surge prediction system has been developed for the State of North Carolina to assist emergency managers, policy-makers and other government officials with evacuation planning, decision-making and resource deployment during tropical storm landfall and flood inundation events. The North Carolina Forecast System (NCFS) was designed and built to provide a rapid response assessment of hurricane threat, accomplished by driving a high-resolution, two-dimensional, depth-integrated version of the ADCIRC (Advanced Circulation) coastal ocean model with winds from a synthetic asymmetric gradient wind vortex. These parametric winds, calculated at exact finite-element mesh node locations and directly coupled to the ocean model at every time step, are generated from National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast advisories the moment they are inserted into the real-time weather data stream, maximizing the number of hours of forecast utility. Tidal harmonic constituents are prescribed at the open water boundaries and applied as tidal potentials in the interior of the ocean model domain. A directional surface roughness parameterization that modulates the wind speed at a given location based on the types of land cover encountered upwind, a forest canopy sheltering effect, and a spatially varying distribution of Manning’s–n friction coefficient used for computing the bottom/channel bed friction are also included in the storm surge model. Comparisons of the simulated wind speeds and phases against their real meteorological counterparts, of model elevations against actual sea surface elevations measured by NOAA tide gauges along the NC coast, and of simulated depth-averaged current velocities against Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) data, indicate that this new system produces remarkably realistic predictions of winds and storm surge.
Characterization of a predominantly pistil-expressed gene encoding a gamma-thionin-like protein of Petunia inflata.

We isolated a cDNA clone from a pistil cDNA library of Petunia inflata which encodes a protein, PPT, with sequence similarity to γ-thionins. Characterization of a genomic clone containing a PPT gene revealed the presence of a single intron. Northern analysis revealed that the PPT gene was predominantly expressed in the pistil during all stages of flower development. Since thionins have been implicated in plant defense against pathogens, PPT may play a role similar to that of other defense-related proteins found in the pistil, defending the pistil against pathogen infection.
Distance and the Use of Social Space by Nursing Home Residents

OBJECTIVE: This study focuses on how far and under what circumstances nursing home residents walk to access social spaces within the home. Its findings provide information on nursing home design to be used by design researchers and practitioners. RESEARCH DESIGN: A sample of 960 residents served as a pool for 30 days of behavior observations in five nursing homes. Data were collected on how many and in what context residents were observed in social spaces. Fifty residents were interviewed and kept diaries to provide data on (a) when they went out of their bedroom, (b) where they went, (c) what prompted their travel. ANALYSIS: A log-linear analysis and Hests (N=378) served to assess whether the use of social spaces was correlated with the distance between bedrooms and social spaces and to uncover factors influencing this dynamic. Qualitative data were classified through a content analysis. Interjudge agreements, means, and percentages served to summarize results. KEY FINDINGS: The study identified factors influencing the decisions of nursing home residents about their travel through nursing homes to access social spaces. Such factors included whether residents go to social spaces to take a walk and exercise, to see a new bronze sculpture, or to participate in an activity. CONCLUSION: The study highlights an array of positive behaviors among the residents, benefiting design theory and practice. By providing the right settings, features, and context, designers can encourage walking and the use of social spaces among residents.
Reserpine sensitivity of catecholamine metabolism in murine neuroblastoma clone N1E-115.

—Neuroblastoma cells of clone NIE-115, originally obtained from the murine tumor C1300, resemble normal noradrenergic neurons in that they have high levels of tyrosine 3-monooxygenase (EC 1.14.16.2; l-tyrosine, tetrahydropteridine: oxygen oxidoreductase (3-hydroxylating)) and dopamine β-monooxygenase (EC 1.14.17.1; 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethylamine, ascorbate: oxygen oxidoreductase (β-hydroxylating)) activities, dense core versicles (100–300 nm in dia), long neurites and excitable membranes. These studies show that reserpine, a blocker of vesicular uptake in noradrenergic neurons, inhibits the accumulation and storage of catecholamines, as well as the conversion of dopamine to NE in neuroblastoma cells. Differentiated monolayer cultures took up [3H]dopamine [10−4] at a rate of 37 pmol/min per mg protein. Reserpine [5 × 10−5m] did not affect the initial rate of uptake, but reduced the extent of uptake at saturation by 60%. Chromatographic examination of cell extracts showed that dopamine was converted to NE in control cultures, but not in reserpine treated cultures. Cells labelled with [3H]dopamine for 60 min and then exposed to release buffer without dopamine for an additional 60 min, retained approximately 40% of the label, 10% as dopamine and 30% as NE. Thirty-five per cent of the radioactivity retained was found, after homogenization and high speed centrifugation, to be associated with a particulate, subcellular fraction. Reserpine, present during release incubations, also reduced the ability of cells to store catecholamines. These results show that N1E-115 cells synthesize and store NE by reactions similar to those in normal noradrenergic neurons.
Using apatite to dispel the “trapped liquid” concept and to understand the loss of interstitial liquid by compaction in mafic cumulates: an example from the Stillwater Complex, Montana

The size, paragenetic setting, distribution, and composition of apatite grains in 16 thin sections from one sample of an olivine gabbro from the Stillwater Complex, Montana were documented to determine whether they grew from trapped interstitial liquid or in an open system. The grains show extreme variability in cross-sectional area, ranging from 300,000 μm2. The apatite grains are not associated with quartz, Fe–Ti oxides, or evolved overgrowths on cumulus grains as expected for the crystallization of a trapped liquid, which suggests that they grew in an open system. The grains are very irregularly distributed, with a single cluster comprising almost 25% of the cumulative apatite cross-sectional area from all 16 slides. The spatial patterns of the apatite indicate that the interstitial liquid moved in tubular channels during the final stages of compaction. The trace-element composition of liquids calculated from apatite and silicate mineral compositions are similar, indicating that the apatite crystallized from liquids that were not dramatically enriched in incompatible elements. We conclude that the interstitial liquid never actually became trapped, that liquid was lost in an open system to essentially zero porosity, and that the model of cumulates as a combination of cumulus grains and trapped liquid should be discarded.
Note on program IRREG

Cunningham et al. (Comput. Progr. Biomed., vol.2, p.192-9, 1972) have described an elegant technique for calculating the scatter dose at an arbitrary point in an external photon beam of irregularly shaped cross section. Known as program IRREG, their algorithm is an efficient adaptation of an earlier scatter summation technique due to Clarkson (Br. J. Radiol., vol.14, p.265-8, 1941). Although program IRREG can be applied to arbitrary irregular fields and yields the correct results, the authors are left somewhat dissatisfied about the lack of a mathematical discussion concerning the particular choice of the weighting factors Gj. The purpose of this note is not to present any new data, but rather to provide what might constitute a mathematical appendix to program IRREG. It is shown that the expressions for the scatter dose at a point Q and also the weighting factor Gj follow directly from first principles.
The Trouble With Electricity Markets: Understanding California's Restructuring Disaster

Abstract In June 2000, after two years of fairly smooth operation, California's deregulated wholesale electricity market began producing extremely high prices and threats of supply shortages. The upheaval demonstrated dramatically why most current electricity markets are extremely volatile: demand is difficult to forecast and exhibits virtually no price responsiveness, while supply faces strict production constraints and prohibitive storage costs. This structure leads to periods of surplus and of shortage, the latter exacerbated by sellers' ability to exercise market power. Electricity markets can function much more smoothly, however, if they are designed to support price-responsive demand and long-term wholesale contracts for electricity.
Anesthesia with propofol induces insulin resistance systemically in skeletal and cardiac muscles and liver of rats.

Hyperglycemia together with hepatic and muscle insulin resistance are common features in critically ill patients, and these changes are associated with enhanced inflammatory response, increased susceptibility to infection, muscle wasting, and worsened prognosis. Tight blood glucose control by intensive insulin treatment may reduce the morbidity and mortality in intensive care units. Although some anesthetics have been shown to cause insulin resistance, it remains unknown how and in which tissues insulin resistance is induced by anesthetics. Moreover, the effects of propofol, a clinically relevant intravenous anesthetic, also used in the intensive care unit for sedation, on insulin sensitivity have not yet been investigated. Euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp study was performed in rats anesthetized with propofol and conscious unrestrained rats. To evaluate glucose uptake in tissues and hepatic glucose output [3H]glucose and 2-deoxy[14C]glucose were infused during the clamp study. Anesthesia with propofol induced a marked whole-body insulin resistance compared with conscious rats, as reflected by significantly decreased glucose infusion rate to maintain euglycemia. Insulin-stimulated tissue glucose uptake was decreased in skeletal muscle and heart, and hepatic glucose output was increased in propofol anesthetized rats. Anesthesia with propofol induces systemic insulin resistance along with decreases in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal and heart muscle and attenuation of the insulin-mediated suppression of hepatic glucose output in rats.
PROTECTIVE ACTION OF ISOQUINOLINESULFONAMIDES IN IN VITRO MODELS OF NEURONAL APOPTOSIS

We have previously reported that a group of isoquinolinesulfonamide kinase inhibitors (H7, 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine; H8, N-[2-(methylamino)ethyl]-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide; and H9, N-2-(aminoethyl)-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide) prevents apoptosis triggered in neurons by an inhibition of phosphatases 1 and 2A with okadaic acid, and by inhibition of protein kinase C with staurosporine and chelerythrine. In the present study we assessed the capability of isoquinolinesulfonamides (IQS) to prevent different types of apoptosis in primary cultures of cerebellar granule neurons. We induced apoptosis by: a) serum removal, b) potassium deficiency, c) serum removal + potassium deficiency, and d) beta-amyloid peptide (beta AP). The IQS prevented apoptosis in all the above models. Thus, it appears that the IQS-sensitive pathway is a common mechanism in different types of neuronal apoptosis, and that it might be used as a target in the development of novel neuroprotective drugs.
Hue-balls and lit-tensors for direct volume rendering of diffusion tensor fields

With the development of magnetic resonance imaging techniques for acquiring diffusion tensor data from biological tissue, visualization of tensor data has become a new research focus. The diffusion tensor describes the directional dependence of water molecules' diffusion and can be represented by a three-by-three symmetric matrix. Visualization of second-order tensor fields is difficult because the data values have many degrees of freedom. Existing visualization techniques are best at portraying the tensor's properties over a two-dimensional field, or over a small subset of locations within a three-dimensional field. A means of visualizing the global structure in measured diffusion tensor data is needed. We propose the use of direct volume rendering, with novel approaches for the tensors' coloring, lighting, and opacity assignment. Hue-balls use a two-dimensional colormap on the unit sphere to illustrate the tensor's action as a linear operator. Lit-tensors provide a lighting model for tensors which includes as special cases both lit-lines (from streamline vector visualization) and standard Phong surface lighting. Together with an opacity assignment based on a novel two-dimensional barycentric space of anisotropy, these methods are shown to produce informative renderings of measured diffusion tensor data from the human brain.
Charge Carrier Mobility in Blends of Poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) and Poly(3-hexylthiophene)

A series of 10 binary blends of poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) and regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) were investigated and found to be phase separated and to exhibit high field-effect mobility of holes. The mobility of holes determined from blend thin film transistors was in the range of 2.0 × 10-4−1 × 10-3 cm2/(V s) in blends of 10−80 wt % poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene). A concave-upward dependence of hole mobility on blend composition was found with a minimum in mobility around the symmetric blend composition (50 wt %). The field-effect mobility of holes in poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) homopolymer could not be determined directly because of the barrier to charge injection from gold electrodes. However, from the composition-dependent field-effect mobility of holes in the series of binary blends, we estimated the hole mobility in poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) homopolymer to be (6−10) × 10-4 cm2/(V s), which is in good agreement with previous results obtained by the time-of-flight technique. These results demonstrate tha...
Developing and improving interdisciplinary health information technology certificate programs

Health Information technology (HIT) professionals are in increasing demand as healthcare providers need help in the adoption and meaningful use of electronic health record (EHR) systems while the HIT industry needs workforce skilled in HIT and EHR development. To respond to this increasing demand, the School of Computing and Software Engineering at Southern Polytechnic State University designed and implemented a series of HIT educational programs. An overview of HIT workforce development initiatives and major HIT and health information management (HIM) educational resources are provided. The paper summarizes our experience in the HIT curriculum development. Future improvement for the programs is also discussed.
Angelman syndrome: Drugs to awaken a paternal gene.

Genomic imprinting disorders arise owing to a loss of function of non-imprinted alleles expressed from one parent. In Angelman syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by dysfunction of the maternal allele of the Ube3a gene, the paternal allele remains intact but is epigenetically silenced. Benjamin Philpot and colleagues perform an unbiased drug screen on mouse cortical neurons expressing fluorescent Ube3a and identify topoisomerase inhibitors that are capable of activating paternal Ube3a, including topotecan, a cancer therapeutic approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. When the drug is delivered in vivo, paternal Ube3a is activated in multiple regions of the brain, and effects persist for several weeks after drug cessation. This demonstrates a potential method for reactivating dormant alleles of imprinted genes, which may be a therapeutic strategy in disorders such as Angelman syndrome.
Chronic central nervous system effects of acute organophosphate pesticide intoxication

Acute organophosphate pesticide poisonings cause substantial morbidity and mortality world wide; however, whether organophosphates cause chronic neurological sequelae has not been established. To see whether single episodes of acute unintentional organophosphate intoxication lead to chronic neuropsychological dysfunction, we carried out a retrospective study of agricultural workers in Nicaragua who had been admitted to hospital between July 1, 1986, and July 31, 1988, for occupationally related organophosphate intoxication. This "poisoned" group (36 men) was tested on average about two years after the episode of pesticide poisoning and compared with a matched control group. The poisoned group did much worse than the control group on all neuropsychological subtests, with significantly worse performance on five of six subtests of a World Health Organisation neuropsychological test battery and on 3 of 6 additional tests that assessed verbal and visual attention, visual memory, visuomotor speed, sequencing and problem solving, and motor steadiness and dexterity. Differences in neuropsychological performance could not be explained by other factors. The findings of a persistent decrease in neuropsychological performance among individuals with previous intoxication emphasise the importance of prevention of even single episodes of organophosphate poisoning.
Signal enhancement: a useful signal processing tool

A recently developed signal enhancement algorithm that can significantly improve the performance of many existing signal processing methods is reviewed. In this approach, the data being analyzed are first preprocessed using signal enhancement to clean up the data. This preprocessing operation seeks to modify the data appropriately so that the modified data satisfy known (or hypothesized) signal attributes. The modified data are then processed by an appropriate algorithm. The unity of this approach is demonstrated for the following examples: finding a positive sequence that approximates a given nonpositive sequence, detecting and identifying sinusoidal components in empirical data, and designing recursive digital filters. >
Multifocal iris melanoma treated with total anterior segment palladium-103 plaque radiation therapy

A 73-year-old patient presented in our clinic with multiple pigmented iris nodules in the left eye. Though asymptomatic, there was a reported increase in size and number of the nodules during the past year. Interventional case report describing a biopsy-proven multifocal iris melanoma treated with a palladium-103 plaque to include the entire anterior chamber within the targeted zone. Biopsy was performed utilizing a 25-gauge aspiration-cutter under viscoelastic. The cornea was protected during radiation therapy with the amniotic membrane buffer technique. Evaluation parameters included visual acuity and clinical assessments aided by slit-lamp photography as well as high-frequency ultrasound imaging. Plaque radiation therapy was well tolerated. Her visual acuity has remained within five letters at 20/25 at 1-year follow-up. Clinical evaluation revealed no evidence of corneal epitheliopathy, iris neovascularization, or visually significant cataract. High-frequency ultrasound imaging revealed a 15% reduction of the tumor’s height. Serial abdominal imaging revealed no metastatic uveal melanoma. We present a biopsy-proven iris diffuse melanoma treated with palladium-103 plaque radiation therapy. Though the entire anterior segment was irradiated, there were no significant side-effects. Local tumor control was excellent during the first postoperative year.
Improving the Standardized Patient Experience

Background: As the facilitator of the standardized patient rotation at the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine (now Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine [KSUCPM]) for the past 4 years, I have felt that there is underused time in the program. Therefore, I sought the views of podiatric medical students at KSUCPM who have completed the standardized patient rotation to see how they felt their time in the course was used and whether they felt that the course was useful to them in terms of advancing their podiatric medical education. Methods: A survey was administered to 105 third-year podiatric medical students. These students had already completed the standardized patient rotation, which at KSUCPM is in the second year. Results: Seventy-seven students completed the survey. Most of these students felt that there was improperly used time in the course, and many recommended ways of improving the course organization. Conclusions: The students answered positively that the standardized patient rotatio...
The economic resilience of U.S. counties during the great recession

A regional economy perturbed by a shock may move onto a new growth path by reestablishing economic linkages both internally and with other regions. This dynamic property of regions has recently been explained in terms of regional economic resilience. In this paper, we introduce a more refined measure of economic resilience and then apply it to monthly employment data for US counties in the 2007-2009 downturn. We suggest that describing and analyzing the distinct response patterns during this downturn are important starting points for policy makers to understand the spatial resilience of the US economy.
N-Acetylgalactosaminide α2,6-sialyltransferase II is a candidate enzyme for sialylation of galactose-deficient IgA1, the key autoantigen in IgA nephropathy

Background Galactose-deficient O-glycans in the hinge region (HR) of immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) play a key role in the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy (IgAN). O-Glycans of circulatory IgA1 consist of N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) with a β1,3-linked galactose; both sugars may be sialylated. In patients with IgAN, α2,6-sialylated GalNAc is a frequent form of the galactose-deficient O-glycans. Prior analyses of IgA1-producing cells had indicated that α2,6-sialyltransferase II (ST6GalNAc-II) is likely responsible for sialylation of GalNAc of galactose-deficient IgA1, but direct evidence is missing.
Credit constraints and firm export: Microeconomic evidence from Italy☆

Abstract This paper estimates the impact of credit rationing on firms' export. We use detailed survey data from Italian manufacturing firms that provide a firm-specific measure of credit rationing based directly on firms' responses to the survey rather than indirectly on firms' financial statements. After controlling for productivity and other relevant firm attributes, and accounting for the endogeneity of credit rationing, we find that the probability of exporting is 39% lower for rationed firms and that rationing reduces foreign sales by more than 38%. While credit rationing also appears to depress domestic sales, its impact on foreign sales is significantly stronger. The analysis also suggests that credit rationing is an obstacle to export especially for firms operating in high-tech industries and in industries that heavily rely on external finance.
Costs of group size: lower developmental and reproductive rates in larger groups of leaf monkeys

Feeding competition is suggested as a major factor constraining group size in social foragers. It has, however, been challenging to demonstrate consequences of reduced energy gain in terms of fitness, possibly because social foragers may compensate negative effects of scramble competition via adjustments in time budgets. Herbivorous animals are particularly interesting in this context because their fibrous diet and slow digestion process may make it difficult to adjust time budgets. Here we investigate infant development and reproductive rates in Phayre’s leaf monkeys (Trachypithecus phayrei) at Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand. The diet of the species consists of 39.0% leaves (maximum 81.2% per month). Our analysis is based on data for 3 groups (185 group months) of different sizes (mean 11.4, 18.3, and 25.8 individuals, respectively). Infant development was significantly slower in the large group, in which infants changed to the adult coat later than in the medium-sized group (20.3 vs. 26.3 weeks) and were older when weaned (18.3, 19.7, and 21.4 months, respectively). The interbirth interval after a surviving infant significantly increased with group size (21.3, 22.8, and 24.5 months) while rearing success did not differ (77.8%, 76.5%, and 82.4%, survival to 2 years). Thus, infants in the large group developed more slowly were weaned later and females reproduced more slowly. With similar infant survival rates, these different reproductive rates indicate fitness differences across groups. As in other herbivores, these group-specific differences may reflect scramble competition for food or differences in habitat quality. Key words: infant development, infant mortality, interbirth interval, reproductive costs, scramble competition, Trachypithecus phayrei. [Behav Ecol]
The role of migrating oil field brines in the formation of sediment-hosted Cu-rich deposits

Oil field brines commonly contain ppm quantities of Zn, Pb, and H 2 S but negligible quantities of Cu. Theoretical analysis of the water-rock interactions expected during migration through evaporitic and red-bed sequences suggests that these reducing oil field brines can become transformed into far more oxidized fluids capable of transporting Cu, Pb, Zn, and sulfate and of forming sediment-hosted Cu-rich deposits. Calculation of the chemical mass transfer accompanying reaction of a typical reducing brine with anhydrite, hematite, and quartz, followed by the assemblage quartz, K-feldspar, muscovite, hematite, chlorite, and cuprite, reveals that the aqueous phase becomes greatly undersaturated with respect to sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, bornite, pyrite, and pyrrhotite as it achieves log f (sub O 2 ) values well above the magnetite-hematite buffer consistent with saturation with respect to anhydrite, hematite, and chalcocite and ore-forming concentrations of copper and sulfate. Consequently, evaporites are not only possible sources of salinity and (oxidized) sulfur for evolving basinal brines but may be crucial to the development of the f (sub O 2 ) conditions required to transport Cu in ore-forming concentrations. Reaction of the oxidized brine with organic matter (approximated by graphite) and diagenetic pyrite results in precipitation of the zonation sequence chalcocite, bornite, chalcopyrite, and pyrite with variable amounts of hematite, covellite, sphalerite, and galena, depending on the relative rates of reaction of the graphite and pyrite.
A case of lethal kwashiorkor caused by feeding only with cereal grain

= Abstract = Kwashiorkor is a syndrome of severe protein malnutrition which manifests itself in hypoalbuminemia diarrhea dermatitis and edema. It can be life-threatening due to associated immune deficiency and an increased susceptibility to infections. Kwashiorkor should be treated early with nutritional support and the control of infection. Dilated cardiomyopathy may develop during the treatment and in such cases a poor prognosis is expected. Kwashiorkor has been known as a common disease of poor countries. To date in fact there has been no report of kwashiorkor leading to death in technically advanced countries. We here report a fatal case of a baby girl admitted with kwashiorkor. She had been fed only with cereal grain mixed with juice without any protein supplement for 2 months. This diet was deficient not because of poverty but due to the illiteracy of her parents. The patient suffered from diarrhea whole body edema hypothermia and dermatitis. Laboratory findings revealed an immune-deficient state featuring leukopenia and decreased immunoglobulin. Blood and urine cultures revealed Alcaligenes Xylosoxidans growth. The patient was fed frequent small amounts of protein-containing formula and intravenous albumin and micronutrients were administered for nutritional support. She was also treated with intravenous immunoglobulin and antibiotics in order to control infection. Nevertheless she developed dilated cardiomyopathy and multi-organ failure and died. We review this case in light of the literature. (Korean J Pediatr 2008;51:329-334
Educational levels of clinical engineers

The author presents information from a study of clinical engineering in medium-to-large community hospitals. Several factors were found to vary with the educational level of clinical engineering program directors in these hospitals. Clinical engineers with higher educational levels were more likely to be licensed professional engineers and certified clinical engineers, to be found in larger hospitals and in hospitals with greater sophistication of medical technology, to direct larger technical staffs, and to have fewer levels between themselves and the head of the hospital. Administrative perceptions regarding clinical engineers are examined. >
Lung Cancer Presenting as Acrometastasis to the Finger: A Case Report

Lung cancer is the commonest cause of acrometastatic disease to the fingers. Here we describe a case of occult lung cancer presenting as unrelenting finger pain and swelling from a metastatic phalangeal fracture. The patient's management was largely palliative and he died soon after discovery of the primary tumor. Digital acrometastatic disease rarely becomes symptomatic before the primary lung cancer is diagnosed and, as observed in this case, carries a very poor prognosis. Clinicians should be cognizant of the strong association between digital acrometastases and bronchogenic carcinoma and vigilant in screening high-risk patients with importunate finger symptoms.
Investigating effects of correlated service times on system performance: Implications in border crossing operations

Many transportation systems rely on information technology (IT) for effective and efficient system operations. When the IT systems or resources are shared among various processes or servers, the service times of these processes or servers become correlated. Failure to recognize such correlations in model development may lead to significant inaccuracies. The effects of various types of correlation in the context of border crossing operations were investigated. Several possible reasons for correlation among servers and the ways in which such correlations may affect system operations are explained. Three scenarios are investigated through numerical experimentation: correlated tandem queues, correlated parallel queues, and the impact of correlated parallel queues on a downstream service station. Models are developed with and without consideration for the correlation for these three cases. Ignoring correlation in the performance analysis (i.e., assuming that the servers are independent) leads to inaccurate results, especially when system use is great, that is, at high levels of congestion. In the case of parallel queues, independence assumption leads to overestimated system capacity and to underestimated capacity in tandem queues.
A low-state packet marking framework for approximate fair bandwidth allocation

Misbehaving, non-congestion-reactive traffic is on the rise in the Internet. One way to control misbehaving traffic is to enforce local fairness among flows. Locally fair policies, such as fair-queueing and other fair AQM schemes, are inadequate to simultaneously control misbehaving traffic and provide high network utilization. We thus need to enforce globally fair bandwidth allocations. However, such schemes have typically been stateful and complex to implement and deploy. In this letter, we present a low state, lightweight scheme based on stateless fair packet marking at network edges followed by RIO queueing at core nodes, to control misbehaving flows with more efficient utilization of network bandwidth. Additionally, with low-state feedback from bottleneck routers, we show that, in practice, we can approximate global max-min fairness within an island of routers. We show, using simulations, that we can indeed control misbehaving flows and provide more globally fair bandwidth allocation.
High Prevalence of Occult Pulmonary Venous Hypertension Revealed by Fluid Challenge in Pulmonary Hypertension

Background—Determining the cause for pulmonary hypertension is difficult in many patients. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is differentiated from pulmonary venous hypertension (PVH) by a wedge pressure (PWP) >15 mm Hg in PVH. Patients undergoing right heart catheterization for evaluation of pulmonary hypertension may be dehydrated and have reduced intravascular volume, potentially leading to a falsely low measurement of PWP and an erroneous diagnosis of PAH. We hypothesized that a fluid challenge during right heart catheterization would identify occult pulmonary venous hypertension (OPVH). Methods and Results—We reviewed the results of patients undergoing fluid challenge in our pulmonary hypertension database from 2004 to 2011. Baseline hemodynamics were obtained and repeated after infusion of 0.5 L of normal saline for 5 to 10 minutes. Patients were categorized as OPVH if PWP increased to >15 mm Hg after fluid challenge. Baseline hemodynamics in 207 patients met criteria for PAH. After fluid challe...
Cutaneous herpetic infections complicating burns

Abstract Many people harbor herpes simplex virus, often with a known history of “cold sores”. During the relatively immunosuppressed state associated with a serious burn, recrudescence of such infections can occur. We report four adults and two children who developed severe herpetic ulceration, over the face and neck in five patients and in a partial thickness wound in one patient. Herpetic infection was diagnosed by culture and direct immunofluorescence testing and treatment was immediately instituted with systemic and topical Acylovir® (Zovirax, Glaxo Wellcome). Ulceration healed under treatment and did not leave visible scarring in any of the patients. Although these infections are rapidly progressive, they respond to prompt treatment with antiviral chemotherapy. Rapidly progressive vesicles and ulceration appearing on the face or in the wounds of burn patients should prompt immediate evaluation for herpetic infection.
Exploring the constraints of human behavior representation

Human behavior representation (HBR) is an elusive, yet critical goal for many in the simulation community. Requirement specifications related to HBR often exceed current capabilities. There exist a number of tools, techniques and frameworks to model and simulate HBR, but they are constrained and do not generalize well. Even with a vibrant research community, certain HBR characteristics remain beyond our grasp, unless some unforeseen disruptive technologies emerge. We survey the state of the practice for HBR, discuss ongoing research, and identify what appear to be insurmountable challenges. Along with exposing the essential characteristics of HBR and their current level of maturity, we propose a generational framework for considering HBR capabilities. While a number of HBR issues have been addressed in the literature, there is no published discussion explicitly detailing its constraints and limitations.
Metallomic Analysis of Macrophages Infected with Histoplasma capsulatum Reveals a Fundamental Role for Zinc in Host Defenses

The fungal pathogen Histoplasma capsulatum evades the innate and adaptive immune responses and thrives within resting macrophages. Cytokines that induce antimicrobial activity, such as granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), inhibit H. capsulatum growth in macrophages. Conversely, interleukin 4 inhibits the killing of intracellular pathogens. Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, we examined alterations in the metal homeostasis of murine H. capsulatum-infected macrophages that were exposed to activating cytokines. Decreases in the levels of iron (Fe(2+) and Fe(3+)) and zinc (Zn(2+)) were observed in infected, GM-CSF-treated macrophages compared with those in infected controls. Interleukin 4 reversed the antifungal activity of GM-CSF-activated macrophages and was associated with increased intracellular Zn(2+) levels. Chelation of Zn(2+) inhibited yeast replication in both the absence of macrophages and the presence of macrophages. Treatment of cells with GM-CSF altered the host Zn(2+) binding species profile. These results establish that Zn(2+) deprivation may be a host defense mechanism utilized by macrophages.
A Regression Based Technique for ATE-Aware Test Data Volume Estimation of System-on-Chips

Conventional methods to assess the test data volume (TDV) of logic in system-on-chips (SoCs) use intuitive formulae that are often agnostic of the target automatic test equipment (ATE) hardware or the ATE test program compilation process. In this paper, we first show that such ATE-unaware approaches lead to a significant gap between these estimates and the actual tester memory consumed. We also provide a generic solution to this problem by using statistical regression techniques to build an ATE-aware TDV model that accurately estimates test program memory consumption as a function of the design and test pattern characteristics. We have implemented this methodology using an off-the-shelf regression solver in the context of a production test flow. We show that the estimator can be used to compute TDV with very high accuracy for logic tests of various industrial IP cores and SoCs.
Detection of Fringe Pattern Information Using a Computer Based Method

Information encoded in fringe patterns requires a process of extraction to put it in a form accessible to the human observer. In the middle sixties, to obtain an economical and accurate method of fringe pattern analysis, research work in the use of analog and digital computers for this purpose, was started. To this date, numerous papers have been published with contributions in this field. Important developments in the computer technology in the 1970’s and 1980’s have made possible very important advances in this area, leading to fully automated methods.
No Association between Caffeine Intake and Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Incidence in the Iowa Women's Health Study

The association of caffeine intake and postmenopausal breast cancer incidence was assessed among 34,388 Iowa women aged 55-69 years in 1986 and followed through 1990. Caffeine intake was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire. Median caffeine intake was 212 mg/day in women who developed breast cancer (n = 580) and 201 mg/day in women who remained free of the disease (p = 0.95). There was no apparent association between breast cancer occurrence and quintile of caffeine intake, either adjusted for age or for multiple breast cancer risk factors. The same was true for regular coffee and other caffeine-containing foods.
Radiolabeled Guanine Derivatives for the in Vivo Mapping of O6-Alkylguanine-DNA Alkyltransferase: 6-(4-[18F]Fluoro-benzyloxy)-9H-purin-2-ylamine and 6-(3-[131I]Iodo-benzyloxy)-9H-purin-2-ylamine

Two radiolabeled analogues of 6-benzyloxy-9H-purin-2-ylamine (O6-benzylguanine; BG) potentially useful in the in vivo mapping of O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) were synthesized. Fluorine-18 labeling of the known 6-(4-fluoro-benzyloxy)-9H-purin-2-ylamine (FBG; 6) was accomplished by the condensation of 4-[18F]fluorobenzyl alcohol with 2-aminopurin-6-yltrimethylammonium chloride (4) or 2-amino-6-chloropurine in average decay-corrected radiochemical yields of 40 and 25%, respectively. Unlabeled 6-(3-iodo-benzyloxy)-9H-purin-2-ylamine (IBG; 7) was prepared from 4 and 3-iodobenzyl alcohol. Radioiodination of 9, prepared from 7 in two steps, and subsequent deprotection gave [131I]7 in about 70% overall radiochemical yield. The IC50 values for the inactivation of AGT from CHO cells transfected with pCMV-AGT were 15 nM for IBG and 50 nM for FBG. The binding of [18F]6 and [131I]7 to purified AGT was specific and saturable with both exhibiting similar IC50 values (5−6 μM).
The impact of state legislative term limits on the supply of congressional candidates

Do term limits affect the probability that an incumbent state legislator will run for the United States Congress? The theory of strategic politicians suggests that by reducing legislators' opportun...
MOLECULAR-BASED GRADING IN IDH-MUTANT LOWER GRADE GLIOMAS

BACKGROUND: As diffuse grade II-III gliomas are further characterized using genome-wide studies, additional markers could be used clinically to stratify patients into distinct risk groups A rational grading system for lower grade gliomas might account for IDH status, since this marker defines 2 biologic groups of diffuse gliomas. Methylation profiling using the Illumina 450k array provides a source of possible biomarkers for patient outcome. This study examined factors associated with prognosis in IDHmut tumors from the TCGA LGG study. METHODS: Illumina 450k data and associated clinical were available on 164 cases in the TCGA LGG study. Average beta-values in clinically favorable versus unfavorable outcome patients for progression-free and overall survival (using cutoffs of 2 years and 5 years, respectively) were calculated from the highly variable CpG sites among the 164 samples. Approximately 800 CpG sites showed a fold change of >1.5 or 0.2 for both). A score from the 38 markers was calculated and high methylation score-cases showed improved outcome compared to low methylation score-cases for both PFS (7.1 years vs. 3.1 years) and OS (9.0 years vs. 4.5 years, both p < 0.01, log rank). In multivariate analysis, methylation score remained significantly associated with outcome (p < 0.01) after adjustment for patient age and 1p/19q status. Interestingly, the prognostic methylation score derived from IDHmut cases was not prognostic when applied to IDHwt cases. CONCLUSIONS: WHO histologic grade (II vs. III) may not be optimal for IDHmut diffuse gliomas, indicating a need for alternative modalities to stratify patients into clinically distinct risk groups. Genome-wide studies, including Illumina 450k data offer a promising source of markers. As more cases and data are analyzed, additional markers will be identified from TCGA data and this study provides proof-of-principle that set of markers from can be identified that stratifies distinct risk groups of patients with IDHmut tumors. Future stratification of diffuse gliomas into clinical risk groups should account for distinct biologic subtypes based on early genetic lesions such as IDH status. SECONDARY CATEGORY: n/a.