cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Psychologic factors and risk of mortality after spinal cord injury.

Abstract Krause JS, Carter R, Zhai Y, Reed K. Psychologic factors and risk of mortality after spinal cord injury. Objective To identify the association of 2 distinct psychologic constructs, personality and purpose in life (PIL), with risk of early mortality among persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Design Prospective cohort study with health data collected in late 1997 and early 1998 and mortality status ascertained in December 2005. Setting A large rehabilitation hospital in the southeastern United States. Participants Adults (N=1386) with traumatic SCI, at least 1 year postinjury. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures We first evaluated the significance of a single psychologic predictor (a total of 6 scales) while controlling for biographic and injury predictors using Cox proportional hazards modeling and subsequently built a comprehensive model based on an optimal group of psychologic variables. Results There were a total of 224 (16.2%) observed deaths in the full sample. The total number of deaths was reduced to 164 in the final statistical model (of 1128 participants) because of missing data. All 6 psychologic factors were statistically significant in the model that was adjusted for biographic and injury factors, whereas only 3 psychologic factors were retained in the final comprehensive model, including 2 personality scales (Impulsive Sensation Seeking, Neuroticism-Anxiety) and the PIL scale. The final comprehensive model only modestly improved the overall prediction of survival compared with the model with only biographic and injury variables, because the pseudo- R 2 increased from 0.121 to 0.129, and the concordance increased from 0.730 to 0.747. Conclusions The results affirm the importance of psychologic factors in relation to survival after SCI.
Performance evaluation of a DySER FPGA prototype system spanning the compiler, microarchitecture, and hardware implementation

Specialization and accelerators are being proposed as an effective way to address the slowdown of Dennard scaling. DySER is one such accelerator, which dynamically synthesizes large compound functional units to match program regions, using a co-designed compiler and microarchitecture. We have completed a full prototype implementation of DySER integrated into the OpenSPARC processor (called SPARC-DySER), a co-designed compiler in LLVM, and a detailed performance evaluation on an FPGA system, which runs an Ubuntu Linux distribution and full applications. Through the prototype, this paper evaluates the fundamental principles of DySER acceleration. Our two key findings are: i) the DySER execution model and microarchitecture provides energy efficient speedups and the integration of DySER does not introduce overheads – overall, DySER’s performance improvement to OpenSPARC is 6X, consuming only 200mW ; ii) on the compiler side, the DySER compiler is effective at extracting computationally intensive regular and irregular code. For non-computationally intense irregular code, two control flow shapes curtail the compiler’s effectiveness, and we identify potential adaptive mechanisms. Finally, our experience of bringing up an end-to-end prototype of an ISA-exposed accelerator has made clear that two particular artifacts are greatly needed to perform this type of design more quickly and effectively: 1) Open-source implementations of high-performance baseline processors, and 2) Declarative tools for quickly specifying combinations of known compiler transforms.
Impairment of gastric nitrergic and NRF2 system in apolipoprotein E knockout mice.

Background and Aim Gastric motility dysfunction is most commonly seen in diabetic and idiopathic gastroparesis patients. Recently we reported that impaired nitrergic relaxation and a reduced NO (nitric oxide) bioavailability were responsible for gastric motility dysfunction in diabetic female rats. One of the main factors involved in the inactivation of the nitrergic system is oxidative stress commonly seen in diabetic patients. Hyperlipidemia may also be one of the detrimental causes for impaired gastric motility associated with diabetes. In the current study, we investigated whether apolipoprotein E knockout mice (ApoE-KO), an oxidative stress animal model with a hyperlipidemia burden, also displays an impaired nitrergic system. To test this, nitrergic relaxation (AUC/mg tissue) was measured at 2 Hz through electric field stimulation using gastric pyloric strips prepared from C57BL WT or ApoE-KO female mice. Protein expression was determined by Western blots.
Lymphocyte Antigenicity Loss with Retention of Responsiveness

During culturing at 22 degrees C for more than 4 days, human peripheral blood lymphocytes lose their ability to stimulate allogeneic lymphocytes in mixed lymphocyte cultures. The cells retain their ability to respond to allogeneic lymphocytes or phytohemagglutinin for up to 10 days of culturing. The findings are relevant to reports on successful transplantation of cultured skin.
The ATP-grasp enzymes

The ATP-grasp enzymes consist of a superfamily of 21 proteins that contain an atypical ATP-binding site, called the ATP-grasp fold. The ATP-grasp fold is comprised of two α+β domains that "grasp" a molecule of ATP between them and members of the family typically have an overall structural design containing three common conserved focal domains. The founding members of the family consist of biotin carboxylase, d-ala-d-ala ligase and glutathione synthetase, all of which catalyze the ATP-assisted reaction of a carboxylic acid with a nucleophile via the formation of an acylphosphate intermediate. While most members of the superfamily follow this mechanistic pathway, studies have demonstrated that two enzymes catalyze only the phosphoryl transfer step and thus are kinases instead of ligases. Members of the ATP-grasp superfamily are found in several metabolic pathways including de novo purine biosynthesis, gluconeogenesis, and fatty acid synthesis. Given the critical nature of these enzymes, researchers have actively sought the development of potent inhibitors of several members of the superfamily as antibacterial and anti-obseity agents. In this review, we will discuss the structure, function, mechanism, and inhibition of the ATP-grasp enzymes.
Developmental expression and phylogenetic conservation of alternatively spliced forms of the C-terminal binding protein corepressor

The C-terminal binding protein (CtBP) is an evolutionarily conserved transcriptional corepressor found in multicellular eukaryotes. Multiple forms of the protein are typically found in animal cells, produced from separate genes and by alternative splicing. CtBP isoforms have also been implicated in cytoplasmic functions, including Golgi fission and vesicular trafficking. All forms of CtBP contain a conserved core domain that is homologous to α-hydroxyacid dehydrogenases, and a subset of isoforms (CtBPL) contain extensions at the C terminus. Despite distinct developmental profiles and knockout phenotypes in the mouse, the properties of different isoforms of the protein are found to be similar in many transcriptional assays. We have investigated the expression and conservation of distinct isoforms of the CtBP protein in insects and found that the expression of multiple, developmentally regulated isoforms is widely conserved. In a variety of Drosophila species, the relative abundance of CtBPL to CtBPS drops sharply after embryogenesis, revealing a conserved developmental shift. Despite the overall lower levels of this isoform, bioinformatic analysis reveals that exons encoding the C-terminal extension in CtBPL are conserved from Diptera to Coleoptera, suggesting that the CtBPL isoform contributes an important, evolutionarily conserved function.
Management of patients with cochlear implants and ventriculoperitoneal shunts

AbstractObjectivesThe aim of this study is to provide an overview of each device, discuss conditions that may predispose to the requirement of both devices, and consider pre- and post-operative issues arising from the co-existence of advanced technologies. In addition, relevant surgical anatomy and technique in the placement of both cochlear implant (CI) after ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) and VPS after CI are reviewed.MethodsReview of literature.ResultsIssues relevant to CI and VPS include predisposing conditions, magnetic resonance imaging compatibility, infectious risk, surgical technique, complication management, and a host of other issues.DiscussionPatients with hydrocephalus and severe-to-profound hearing loss are a unique patient population with unique pre-, intra-, and post-operative issues. Thorough understanding of the indications, radiology, anatomy, technology, and potential complications can allow for these patients to achieve the full benefit of these lifechanging surgeries.
An assessment of the United Nations scale of assessments from a developing-country standpoint

Abstract The United Nations apportionment of its expenses among its member countries is examined in a public-choice context. The special nature of UN-produced public goods, the UN voting rules, and its zero-sum method of allocating expenses all act to reduce the size of UN output and to exacerbate country-group conflict. The developing-country groups throw a disproportionate burden of UN financing on the developed countries. This result is captured by a model of UN burden-sharing both more rational and simpler than the UN practice. (JEL F33, H41).
Cutpoint-Adjusted Interest Group Ratings

While it is very common for Congressional researchers to use interest group ratings as measures of legislator policy preferences, this paper argues that the manner in which such ratings are calculated implies that they may poorly approximate the underlying legislator preferences on which they are based. In light of this, the paper develops a technique designed to adjust interest group ratings so that they more closely correlate with legislator preferences. It argues based on Monte Carlo simulations that the technique produces adjusted ratings that improve on unadjusted ratings, and it applies the adjustment technique to historical ratings published by the Americans for Democratic Action.
A new passive sampler for regulated workplace aldehydes

A new solid sorbent passive air sampler for aldehydes had a silicone membrane atop a cylindrical diffusion path of 1.1 cm length and 1.3 cm diameter above a 10 percent (w/w) O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine hydrochloride (PFBHA) Tenax TA pellet. Known vapor concentrations of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)regulated aldehydes near their permissible exposure limits were generated from a syringe pump dynamic air dilution system that was connected to an exposure chamber. The Ooxime derivatives from aldehyde reaction with PFBHA were desorbed with hexane, and quantified by capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) or gas chromatography/electron capture detection (GC/ECD). The capacity for aldehydes with one carbonyl group was 30-35 mu moles, and 15 mu moles for the dialdehyde, glutaraldehyde. The experimental sampling rates in mL/min were 8.86 0.38, acetaldehyde; 11.69 0.32, chloroacetaldehyde; 7.85 0.19, crotonaldehyde; 9.97 0.10, formaldehyde; 6.47 0.42, furfural;...
Effect of turbulence on film permeability in cross-flow membrane filtration

Abstract A previously developed model for the laminar cross-flow membrane filtration of coagulating particulate suspensions is extended to account for turbulence. This is made possible by utilizing certain existing semi-empirical expressions for turbulence induced coagulation rates in pipe flow and applying them to the present model. One of the important results obtained here is that in certain situations turbulence induced coagulation has a significant impact on the filter cake structure, and thereby on the flux decline rate. In such cases, therefore, in addition to the influence of turbulence induced diffusivity at the cake-solution interface on cake growth rate (and consequently on the flux decline rate), the effects of coagulation caused by turbulence must also be considered.
Erythrocyte differentiation of naturally occurring isotopic lithium abundances

Lithium is effective in the treatment of mania. There are two naturally occurring stable lithium isotopes, Li-7 (92.6%) and Li-6 (7.4%). Usually there is little differentiation between isotopes of an element, but chemical and behavioural data suggest dissimilarities exist between lithium isotopes. Results are now reported indicating that a group of manic patients given lithium chloride were able to differentiate Li-6 from Li-7 at the membrane level. Blood samples were drawn, erythrocytes separated from plasma and the isotopic abundances of Li-6 and Li-7 determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The ratio of abundances of Li-6 in the erythrocyte and plasma was 1.274 indicating the erythrocyte membrane had the in vivo capability of isotope fractionation.
Organizing user information: A way to hold fewer hands

In the past few years, we have seen a rapid increase in the number of new users in the academic computing environment, and this increase is likely to continue. Several factors are involved in bringing this about: microcomputers are more accessible and inexpensive; software is easier to use; high-quality printing devices and text-processing packages make the computer a more attractive tool for preparing documents; and high-level, specialized languages make it a more practical teaching aid. In general, people are learning that the computer can be a useful tool, in many cases enabling them to perform tasks which they were not able to perform, at least not easily, before. Consequently, many of the people we deal with in the user services context are “new users” in the sense that they have had very little computing experience before coming to us.In many ways we have not been adequately prepared to deal with this changing user community. Most of our traditional documentation, workshops and shortcourses assume a higher level of technical training than our new users possess. We in user services have the information needed by this new clientele; but it has not been in a form which is easily accessible to them. As a result, people either turn away or, in order to satisfy their own information needs, turn to the only source available to them - the user services consultant. Often, the easiest and most convenient way for new users to obtain information is simply to call or visit a consultant. Consequently, an increasing proportion of consultants' time is spent “holding hands” -that is, teaching in-office shortcourses on a one-on-one basis, giving individual “how to” demonstrations on a variety of topics, and answering long lists of questions on beginning level topics.Of course, as user services consultants, it is our job to assist people in the use of our computer system and to teach new users how to use that system. The problem we face is that an increasing proportion of consulting time is spent in individual tutoring sessions at an elementary level and, therefore, less time is allocated to other important functions such as shortcourse and workshop development and the development of new documentation -activities which, in the long term, would benefit the new user in a more effective and efficient manner. We believe that one solution to this problem lies in organizing user information in a way which makes it more accessible and more suitable for users at a given level of experience.In this paper, we describe a model for organizing and developing documentation and instruction which is based upon the varying skill levels of our users. This model provides a framework for defining user needs at each skill level, for identifying those areas in which documentation or instruction is lacking, and for developing new material to meet those needs.
Hydration during the first days of life and the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in low birth weight infants

We conducted a case-control study of antecedents of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in 223 infants enrolled in a prospective, randomized clinical trial of phenobarbital prophylaxis for intracranial hemorrhage. The trial took place at three Boston neonatal intensive care units between June 1981 and April 1984. The 76 babies with BPD had radiographic evidence of the condition and requlred oxygen therapy for 28 days or more. All 147 control babies survived until day 28 of life without meeting either of these criteria for BPD. Compared with control infants, those with BPD received greater quantities of total, crystalloid, and colloid fluids per kilogram per day in the first 4 days of life. In addition, infants with BPD generally had a net weight gain in the first 4 days of life in contrast to the normal pattern of weight loss seen in control infants. Finally, the infants with BPD were more likely to be given a clinical diagnosis of patent ductus arteriosus and to have received furosemide on days 3 and 4 of life. From these observations we infer that early postnatal phenomena such as excessive fluid therapy may be important in the pathogenesis of BPD.
A Validity Study of an Implicit Phonological Awareness Paradigm

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the validity of a nonsense-word-pairs paradigm as an implicit phonological awareness task. For this task one member of each nonsense-word-pair violated the rules of consonant combination in English (e.g., /∫kib/), and the other did not (e.g., /∫rib/). The subjects were required to choose the member of the pair that contained permissible consonant sequence(s). Eighty-one normally developing first- and second-graders were given the implicit phonological awareness task, 3 explicit phonological awareness tasks, 2 reading tasks, and a multisyllabic word production task. There were significant correlations between the implicit phonological awareness task and all of the experimental tasks, with the exception of one. Additionally, the implicit phonological awareness task was sensitive to developmental differences between the first- and second-grade readers.
High quality metabolomic data for Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The green eukaryote alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a unicellular model to study control of metabolism in a photosynthetic organism. We here present method improvements for metabolite profiling based on GC-TOF mass spectrometry focusing on three parameters: quenching and cell disruption, extract solvent composition and metabolite annotation. These improvements facilitate using smaller cell numbers and hence, smaller culture volumes which enable faster and more precise sampling techniques that eventually lead to a higher number of samples that can be processed, e.g. for time course experiments. Quenching of metabolism was achieved by mixing 1 ml of culture to 1 ml of -70°C cold 70% methanol. After centrifugation, cells were lyophilized and disrupted by milling using 2-6E6 lyophilized cells, around 500-fold less than previously reported. Glass beads were compared to metal balls for milling, and five different extraction solvents were tested. Additionally, all peaks were annotated in an automated way using the GC-TOF database BinBase instead of manual investigation of a single reference chromatogram. Median precision of analysis was used to decide for the eventual procedure which was applied to a proof-of-principle study of time dependent changes of metabolism under standard conditions.
Protonation-Induced Transient Amphiphilicity Drives the Self-Assembly of Conjugated Polymers into Spheres and Other Aggregates

Robust, luminescent, spherical, and ribbonlike aggregates were self-assembled from nonamphiphilic π-conjugated polymers, poly(4-alkylquinoline)s, in toluene/trifluoroacetic acid solution. The spherical and ribbonlike aggregates in solution or in the solid state exhibited yellow fluorescence that was characterized by microscopy and spectroscopy. The 1−10-μm-diameter spherical aggregates of poly(4-hexylquinoline) and poly(4-tridecylquinoline) were shown by laser scanning confocal microscopy to be solid spheres. We propose that the novel self-assembly is driven by the amphiphilicity of transient poly(4-alkylquinolinium) activated by protonation of poly(4-alkylquinoline). Beyond the self-assembly of electronic and photonic polymer microstructures, the concept of transient amphiphilicity may find other applications in supramolecular chemistry and biomimetic systems.
Evidence for two different types of x-ray damage revealed by analysis of retardation of budding in Saccharomyces.

Abstract 1. 1. An analysis of retardation of budding by x-rays in Saccharomyces has revealed that two different and independent types of damage occur. 2. 2. Type II damage increases exponentially throughout the entire period of treatment. 3. 3. Type I damage accumulates exponentially until dose D x (characteristic for the cell) has been received. After this dosage has been delivered, all cells are protected from further injury of type I. 4. 4. The average maximal amount of type I damage accumulated per cell falls in the ratio 1:2:3:4 for haploid, diploid, triploid, and tetraploid. 5. 5. The dosage D x is inversely proportional to the sensitivity to type I damage. 6. 6. The effect of type I damage upon the inactivation process is negligible. 7. 7. No intensity effect was observed in either inactivation or budding retardation, when observations made at intensities of 70 r./min. and 1000 r./min. were compared. 8. 8. The inactivation rate is a linear function of the rate of budding retardation (for sufficiently large D ⩾ D x ). Thus, if either the rate of inactivation or the rate of retardation of division can be established empirically, the other may be inferred precisely. 9. 9. There exists an exponentially produced damage affecting the inactivation process which is independent of the number of targets. The rate at which this damage is produced is linearly related to the rate of accumulation of type II damage affecting the retardation of budding.
A patient education intervention does not improve satisfaction with emergency care

Study objectives: We determine whether a patient education intervention based on a previously validated model increases satisfaction with emergency department (ED) care. Methods: A single-page, patient education form was distributed on alternating 2-week time blocks for 8 weeks at the triage desk of a single, academic ED. Alert, discharged patients were administered an exit interview assessing satisfaction on a 5-point ordinal scale. Secondary outcomes included patient satisfaction measured on a bivariate scale, willingness to return, and process of care indicators previously demonstrated to be associated with satisfaction. Exclusion criteria included air or ground transport to the ED, inability to speak English or Spanish, and refusal to participate. Differences in patient satisfaction and other outcomes were adjusted for predefined covariates, including age, sex, triage severity, race, language, location in ED, total ED length of stay, and time to room, using multivariable logistic regression. Results: Of 1,934 patients discharged during study periods, 1,233 (63%) patients were approached and 860 (44%) patients were enrolled. There were no important covariate differences between the control and intervention groups. There was no important correlation between intervention and patient satisfaction on both univariate (odds ratio [OR] 0.840; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.650 to 1.086) and multivariate analysis (OR 0.874; 95% CI 0.672 to 1.136). There were no important correlations between the intervention and secondary outcomes on multivariate analysis. Conclusion: A triage-based, patient education intervention did not significantly improve patient satisfaction or performance on predictors of satisfaction at the study site.
2.3 Å crystal structure of the catalytic domain of DNA polymerase β

The crystal structure of the catalytic domain of rat DNA polymerase beta (pol beta) has been determined at 2.3 A resolution and refined to an R factor of 0.22. The mixed alpha/beta protein has three subdomains arranged in an overall U shape reminiscent of other polymerase structures. The folding topology of pol beta, however, is unique. Two divalent metals bind near three aspartic acid residues implicated in the catalytic activity. In the presence of Mn2+ and dTTP, interpretable electron density is seen for two metals and the triphosphate, but not the deoxythymidine moiety. The principal interaction of the triphosphate moiety is with the bound divalent metals.
Back and neck pain in children with cancer

Neck and back pain are frequent complaints of patients with pediatric cancer, second only to headaches as a cause of neurologic consultation. The importance of this symptom, however, has not been studied in the pediatric cancer patients. This report is a review of the consultations as a result of neck and back pain in patients with pediatric cancer, with analysis of clinical presentation, etiology, underlying cancer, and neuroradiologic findings. The etiology of the complaint varied with the underlying cancer, although metastatic disease to the spine was frequent in patients with solid tumors, in younger children, and in patients admitted to the hospital. Back or neck pain is a serious complaint in children with systemic cancer, because the incidence of metastatic disease is high. Magnetic resonance imaging of the whole spine should be obtained if metastatic disease can not be excluded clinically, particularly for young patients and in children with advanced disease.
Predictors of ascending aortic dilation in bicuspid aortic valve disease: a five-year prospective study.

Abstract Background Bicuspid aortic valves are associated with aortic dilation and dissection. There is a paucity of prospective studies evaluating changes in aortic size over time in adult subjects with bicuspid aortic valves. Methods A total of 115 subjects with asymptomatic bicuspid aortic valves were enrolled from 2003 to 2008 and followed prospectively over 5 years. Clinical and family histories, as well as transthoracic echocardiograms, were obtained at baseline, and echocardiograms were performed annually thereafter. Results The mean age of subjects was 41.8 ± 12.8 years, and 61% were male. Ascending aortic size at baseline averaged 35.5 ± 5.6 mm and increased in 71.1% of subjects (mean, 0.66 ± 0.05 mm/y; range, 0.2-2.3 mm/y) over an average of 4.8 years. In 15.6% of subjects, the rate of change exceeded 1 mm/y. The average rate of ascending aortic dilation for all subjects was 0.47 ± 0.05 mm/y ( P P = .029) and logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, gender, and body surface area (odds ratio, 13.7; P = .021). Multivariate analysis did not find leaflet orientation or moderate to severe aortic valve dysfunction as independent predictors of aortic dilation. Conclusions We found that in subjects with bicuspid aortic valve, studied prospectively, there was an annual rate of ascending aortic dilation of 0.47 mm/y. In contrast to previous reports, leaflet orientation and aortic valve dysfunction were not independent predictors of aortic dilation. A family history of aortic valve disease was associated with a significantly increased risk of increasing ascending aortic size.
Nonlinear cosmological matter power spectrum with massive neutrinos: The halo model

Measurements of the linear power spectrum of galaxies have placed tight constraints on neutrino masses. We extend the framework of the halo model of cosmological nonlinear matter clustering to include the effect of massive neutrino infall into cold dark matter (CDM) halos. The magnitude of the effect of neutrino clustering for three degenerate mass neutrinos with m{sub v{sub 1}} = 0.9 eV is of order {approx}1%, within the potential sensitivity of upcoming weak lensing surveys. In order to use these measurements to further constrain--or eventually detect--neutrino masses, accurate theoretical predictions of the nonlinear power spectrum in the presence of massive neutrinos will be needed, likely only possible through high-resolution multiple particle (neutrino, CDM and baryon) simulations.
Staphylococcus aureus haem oxygenases are differentially regulated by iron and haem.

Summary Iron acquisition is a vital process for most pathogenic bacteria, as iron is a limiting nutrient during infection. Staphylococcus aureus, an increasingly important pathogen, acquires iron from host haem via elaboration of the iron-regulated surface determinant system (Isd). IsdG and IsdI are haem oxygenases that have been proposed to degrade exogenous haem in the bacterial cytoplasm as a mechanism to liberate free iron for use as a nutrient source. Herein, we report that IsdG and IsdI are both important for S. aureus growth on haemin as a sole iron source and are necessary for full S. aureus pathogenesis. Investigations into the regulation of these enzymes revealed that IsdG and IsdI are differentially regulated by iron and haem through both transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms. Additionally, IsdI was found to be expressed in infected tissues at the sites of abscess formation, suggesting that abscesses are iron-starved microenvironments inside the host. These findings suggest that S. aureus differentially regulates IsdG and IsdI in response to alterations in iron and haem availability during infection.
Neuroinflammation: modulating mighty microglia.

The small molecule inflachromene was discovered as a microglia-selective inhibitor of the central nervous system proinflammatory response and found to target HMGB2 and HMGB1 to impair proinflammatory signaling in microglia, resulting in neuroprotection.
Three-axis rapid steering of optically propelled micro/nanoparticles.

This paper presents the design and implementation of a three-axis steering system, wherein a micro/nanoparticle is optically trapped and propelled to serve as a measurement probe. The actuators in the system consist of a deformable mirror enabling axial steering and a two-axis acousto-optic deflector for lateral steering. The actuation range is designed and calibrated to be over 20 μm along the two lateral axes and over 10 μm along the axial direction. The actuation bandwidth of the two lateral axes is over 50 kHz and the associated resolution is 0.016 nm (1σ). The axial resolution is 0.16 nm, while the bandwidth is enhanced to over 3 kHz by model cancellation method. The performance of the three-axis steering system is illustrated by three sets of experiments. First, active Brownian motion control of the trapped probe is utilized to enhance trapping stability. Second, a large range three-dimensional (3D) steering of a 1.87 μm probe, contouring a complex 3D trajectory in a 6×6×4 μm3 volume, is demonstrate...
Propranolol and sotalol augment the coronary vasodilatory action of prostacyclin (PGI2) in rabbit isolated hearts.

In rabbit isolated hearts perfused at constant flow with Krebs-Henseleit solution, prostacyclin (PGI2, 0.1–10.0 ng/heart) evoked dose-dependent reductions in coronary perfusion pressure. The magnitude of PGI2-induced vasodilator responses was augmented significantly by addition of either propranolol (1 μg/ml, P<0.0001) or sotalol(10 μg/ml, P=0.007) to the perfusate. These observations support the hypothesis that prostacyclin may be involved with the beneficial cardiovascular actions of β-adrenoceptor blocking agents.
Heterogeneity of precipitating antibodies in polymyositis and dermatomyositis

Precipitating antibodies occurring in 26 "pure" polymyositis (PM) patients and 22 "pure" dermatomyositis (DM) patients were studied by double immunodiffusion using calf thymus nuclear extract and whole calf thymus extract. Seventeen of 26 (65%) PM sera and 13 of 22 (59%) DM sera showed positive reactions, and 18, 10, and 2 sera exhibited 1, 2, and 3 precipitin lines, respectively. Common specificities were established by immunodiffusion for the 11 PM and 6 DM sera with strong precipitin lines. These were classed into three groups of shared specificity and six reactions specific for individual sera. These 9 calf thymus antigens were shown to be different from the known soluble tissue antigens Sm, nuclear RNP, Ro, and La. A 600-fold purification of the most frequently appearing system designated Jo-1 was achieved and its clinical specificity for patients with PM syndromes was established.
Synthesis, characterization, and dioxygen reactivity of tetracarboxylate-bridged Diiron(II) complexes with coordinated substrates.

The synthesis and characterization of [Fe2(μ-O2CArTol)4L2] complexes, where L is benzylamine or 4-methoxybenzylamine (BAp-OMe), are described. The reaction of the latter diiron(II) complex with dioxygen at −78 °C affords a metastable mixed-valent Fe(II)Fe(III) green intermediate. When O2 is introduced at ambient temperature, N-dealkyation occurs to yield anisaldehyde, eliminating N-oxidation as a viable pathway for the reaction. Use of [Fe2(μ-O2CArTοl)4(α-d1-BAp-OMe)2] allowed a deuterium kinetic isotope of ∼3 to be determined.
The Effects of Advertising on Brand Switching and Repeat Purchasing

In markets in which first-time purchases are rare, advertising, if it works at all, affects brand shares by either inducing switching or retaining customers who otherwise might switch. There are three possible consequences advertising exposure can have on a household's brand choice. It can increase the probability that the household will change brands (brand switching), it can induce the household to stay with the brand last purchased (repeat purchasing), or it can have no effect on choice probabilities.
1720 YENTILATORY EFFICIENCY OF NEONATES

The relationship of pulmonary minute volume to the prevailing oxygen consumption (V1/VO2), the convection requirement (CR) is a useful index of the overall efficiency of ventilation. This study was undertaken to determine the CR of healthy infants and the relationship of CR to the size and age of the infant. Continuous concurrent measurements of V1(bias flow pneumotachometry)and VO2 (open circuit indirect calorimetry) were made for 100 to 150 min. in 31 healthy infants, wt. 650 to 3380 grams, postconceptual age (PA)30 to 42 weeks. Spontaneous changes in V1 and VO2 followed changes in activity and feeding. Data were divided into 3 min. intervals and linear regression analysis of mean V1 vs mean VO2 and first differences, (ΔV1 vs ΔVO2)were performed following time series correction for lags. All infants showed significant positive correlations(V1 vs VO2 r=.79, mean slope=46, ΔV1 vs ΔVO2 r=.64, mean slope=37.2). Mean regression analysis of the relationship between the slope of individual V1 vs VO2 regression lines(S) & the infants BW,age,PA,GA & study wt. demonstrated significant negative correlations between S & several indices of the size & age of the infant. The V1 associated with VO2=8.5 ml/min.kg for individual infants was also negatively correlated with size and wt. We conclude that smaller & younger infants are at a relative disadvantage because of high CR,ie.they require a larger V1 for a given VO2 & relatively greater increases in V1 to meet increases in VO2. Measurement of CR should prove useful as a pulmonary function test in neonates with & without respiratory diseases.
Aqueous-based microcapsules are detected primarily in gut-associated dendritic cells after oral inoculation of mice

Abstract We previously found that aqueous-based microencapsulation enhanced virus-specific humoral immune responses after oral inoculation of mice. However, the mechanism by which microencapsulation enhances immunogenicity remains unclear. We found that spermine-alginate microcapsules were detected primarily in gut-associated dendritic cells (i.e. CD11c/CD18 + , Ia + , CD11b − , CD45R − ) after oral inoculation of adult mice. Microencapsulation may enhance immunogenicity by involving antigen presenting cells which are more efficient than those recruited during natural infection.
Signal peptide hydrophobicity is finely tailored for function

In order to titrate the dependence of individual steps in protein transport on signal peptide hydrophobicity, we have examined a series of mutants which involve replacement of the hydrophobic core segment of the Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase signal peptide. The core regions vary in composition from 10:0 to 0:10 in the ratio of alanine to leucine residues. Thus, a nonfunctional polyalanine-containing signal peptide is titrated with the more hydrophobic residue, leucine. Analysis of this series identified a midpoint for rapid precursor processing between alanine to leucine ratios of 6:4 and 5:5 [Doud et al. (1993): Biochemistry 32:1251-1256]. Examination of precursors that are processed more slowly indicates a lower limit of signal peptide hydrophobicity that permits membrane association and translocation. Analysis of precursors that are processed rapidly defines an intermediate range of hydrophobicity that is optimum; above this level precursors become insensitive to transport inhibitors such as sodium azide and carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) in parallel with substantial inhibition of beta-lactamase processing. Our data indicate that there is a surprisingly narrow range of signal peptide hydrophobicity which both supports transport of the protein to which it is attached and which does not have such a high affinity for the transport pathway that it disrupts the appropriate balance of other secreted proteins.
Volumes And weights of pyroclastic material, lava, and water erupted by Paricutin volcano, Michoacan, Mexico

Estimates of the weights of pyroclastic material and lava erupted by Paricutin Volcano from early 1943 to early 1952 have given a pyroclastic weight of some 2230 million metric tons and a lava weight of about 1330 million metric tons, making a total of 3560 million metric tons of solids. The weight of pyroclastic material ranged from a maximum daily average of more than 10 million metric tons in the first two weeks of eruption to a minimum of some 65,000 metric tons in 1951. The weight of lava ranged from a maximum daily average of about 650,000 metric tons in 1943 to a minimum of some 170,000 metric tons in the second half of 1950. The only period for which an estimate of the average daily weight of water vapor expelled by the Volcano could be made was the spring of 1945, when some 13,000 metric tons of water were expelled through the crater daily, besides some 500 metric tons contained in the lava extruded concurrently. Since the weight of pyroclastic material and lava erupted by Paricutin in the spring and summer of 1945 is estimated to have averaged about 1.2 million metric tons a day, the water expelled at that time amounted to about 1.1 pct of the total weight of material erupted. If the proportion of water had been nearly constant throughout the active life of the Volcano, the total weight of water would have amounted to some 39 million metric tons.
Successful Treatment of Chronic, Locked Posterior Shoulder Dislocations in Young Trauma Patients with the Modified McLaughlin Procedure

The objective of this study was to examine the functional outcome of the Neer and Hawkins modification of the McLaughlin procedure for chronic, locked posterior dislocations of the shoulder in young patients. A retrospective chart analysis was performed on six patients treated by a single orthopedic surgeon over an 11-year period. Complete medical records were available for four patients who were the subjects of this study. Each patient underwent a transfer of the lesser tuberosity into the anteromedial head defect (modified McLaughlin procedure), with subsequent immobilization and physical therapy. One patient required a staged rotational osteotomy with internal fixation 2 weeks after the index procedure. The mean age of the patients was 29.75 (range, 20–44), while the mean follow-up period was 12.5 months (range, 9–19 months). There was an average increase in abduction of 47°, an increase in forward flexion of 49°, an increase in external rotation of 23°, and an increase in internal rotation of 19°, when comparing the pre- and postoperative range of motion. Total UCLA scores post-operatively averaged 25.3 (range, 21–29) out of 35. All shoulders were stable without any episodes of redislocation at follow-up. This study supports the use of the Neer and Hawkins modification of the McLaughlin procedure in young patients with a chronic, locked posterior dislocation of the shoulder.
"Open rather than closed" malonate methano-fullerene derivatives. The formation of methanofulleroid adducts of Y3N@C80.

Cycloaddition of bromomalonates to Y3N@C80 unexpectedly gave rise to fulleroid derivatives with unusually high stability. Complete characterization of these derivatives is described including X-ray crystallography, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, HMQC, UV−visible, HPLC, MALDI-MS, and electrochemistry. Density functional theory calculations are also presented, which provide a rationale for the formation of the fulleroid and reveal the underlying thermodynamic basis for their stability.
On the Propagation and Coalescence of Delamination Cracks in Thermal Barrier Systems

Coatings subject to residual compression eventually fail by buckle-driven delamination. The phenomenon is most vivid in thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) used in gas turbines. The failure evolution commences with the formation of a large number of small cracks at geometric imperfections near the interface. These cracks spread upon thermal exposure, particularly upon thermal cycling, because of the formation of a thermally grown oxide (TGO) beneath the TBC, which introduces normal and shear stress near the interface. Experimental observations indicate that some of these cracks coalesce to form large-scale delaminations susceptible to buckling. The mechanics governing crack coalescence and the consequent failure are addressed in the present analysis. A model is introduced that simulates stresses induced in the TBC by spatial variations in TGO growth. Energy release rates for cracks evolving in this stress field are determined. Two related scenarios are considered, which differ in the way the TGO shape evolves. In both, contact between the crack faces and the consequent wedging action is responsible for ultimate coalescence. The wedging force induces a mode I stress intensity that becomes infinite as the cracks coalesce. The consequence is that, for some TGO shapes, the energy release rate is always nonzero, with a minimum at a characteristic crack length. This minimum establishes a criterion for crack coalescence and failure. Based on these insights, finite element simulations have been used to predict cyclic crack growth rates in a TBC system that correlate well with experimental observations.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Psychological aspects of adaptations for kin directed altruistic helping behaviors

In this questionnaire study light is shed on the psychological component of kin-selecting tendencies predicted by Hamilton’s (1964b) inclusive fitness theory of discriminatory altruistic behavior based on genetic similarity. Participants rated donations of assistance aiding survival and material wealth as more rational and ethical when these actions were performed for closer relatives. Participants also felt a greater obligation to perform these acts for a close relation. A comparison condition where assistance was unlikely to affect survival or reproductive success did not exhibit these tendencies.
Effects of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic learning on students' achievement in science class

The effects on students' achievement and attitudes of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic instruction were compared in ninth-grade physical science classes. Forty-four students were included in the study. Students were randomly assigned to conditions stratifying for sex. The results indicate that cooperative learning experiences promoted greater mastery and retention of the material being taught as well as more positive attitudes toward the experience than did competitive and individualistic learning experiences.
Optimizing Patient Adherence to Targeted Therapies in Renal Cell Carcinoma: Practical Management Strategies in the Second-Line Setting

The current standard of care for treating metastatic renal cell carcinoma is sequential therapy with vascular endothelial growth factor-targeted agents (i.e., axitinib, bevacizumab, pazopanib, sorafenib, and sunitinib) and mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors (i.e., everolimus and temsirolimus). To maximize adherence to and persistence with targeted therapy, which should help improve clinical benefit, a clear understanding of the tolerability profiles of these agents and implementation of early, appropriately aggressive adverse event (AE) prevention and management strategies are key. Active and aggressive AE management should improve the quality of life of patients during the course of their treatment. Nurses are in a unique position to educate patients on the potential AEs they may experience and their prevention and management. This article reviews the safety and tolerability of currently available targeted therapies recommended for use in the second-line treatment setting, as well as their management in the context of maximizing clinical outcomes and patient quality of life.
AirMISR laboratory calibration and in-flight performance results

An Airborne Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (AirMISR) instrument has been developed to assist in validation of the Earth Observing System (EOS) MISR experiment.
Thoracolumbar teratoma associated with meningomyelocele: common aetiology or coincidence?

Abstract Introduction. The association of teratoma and neural tube defects is very rare. Case report and discussion. A case of teratoma resembling bowel within a meningomyelocele is presented and the literature reviewed. Conclusion. The hypotheses of a possible common aetiology for this association include a single dysembryogenic process and neoplastic transformation of heterotopic primordial elements incorporated in the defect.
Language Structuring of Religious Awareness: A Lexicographic Approach

We take a semiotic approach to studying religion in order to assess how basic English conveys the structure of the institution of religion and provides the lay public with knowledge about religious identities. Our data consist of definitions of religious identities provided by two dictionaries. The identities we consider are from Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and other religions. From the dictionary definitions, we created a semantic network showing how the meaning of one identity is elucidated by references to other identities. The network can be interpreted as roughly mapping the institutional layout of religion. Identities in the network partition into clusters corresponding to the major faiths, and status hierarchies of some institutional structures like abbeys are evident within faiths. A few bridging identities link different faiths, so the overall structure is loosely connected apart from a few semantic isolates. Our results suggest that basic English biases its speakers' awaren...
Scan clustering: A false discovery approach

We present a method that scans a random field for localized clusters while controlling the fraction of false discoveries. We use a kernel density estimator as the test statistic and adjust for the bias in this estimator by a method we introduce in this paper. We also show how to combine information across multiple bandwidths while maintaining false discovery control.
Attitudes of military personnel toward homosexuals.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to assess attitudes of enlisted military personnel with regard to homosexuality. Seventy-two male members of the Marine Corps Reserve responded to a questionnaire exploring attitudes toward lesbians and gay men and attitudes toward homosexuals in the military. Results showed that attitudes with respect to these topics were mildly unfavorable. In addition, several predictor variables employed in similar studies with civilians were examined. Correlational evidence showed that participants expressing more negative attitudes tended to have more conservative political ideology, reported more religious attendance, and were more likely to have had no contact with a gay or lesbian person than those expressing less negative attitudes. These findings suggest that the attitudes held by enlisted military personnel are similar to those of their civilian counterparts.