cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In-scene wavelength calibration of the airborne hyperspectral imaging sensor MAHI

We describe an in-scene technique for accurate wavelength calibration of our airborne MAHI (Mid-infrared Airborne Hyperspectral Imager) sensor using modelled atmospheric spectral features. MAHI operates in the 3.3 to 5.4 μm region with a spectral sampling of 3.3 nm. The new technique significantly improves the accuracy over a lab technique using plastic film spectral features. We demonstrate the technique’s performance against: poorly known spectral response function; error in the initial wavelength grid guess; and deviation of the measured pixel spectra from the reference atmospheric spectrum. Performance of the new calibration technique for a recent airborne campaign in the Los Angeles area is demonstrated.
Aberrant localized LTB4 production exacerbates methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin infection in diabetic mice.

A major cause of severe skin infections is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Immunotherapeutic strategies are needed to treat infections. Neutrophils and macrophages control MRSA skin infection but undue inflammation causes injury. The bioactive eicosanoid leukotriene B 4 is a potent chemoattractant and enhances phagocyte effector functions in naive mice. However we have shown that diabetic mice produce chronic LTB 4 which promotes susceptibility to sepsis but the role of LTB 4 in localized infections is unknown. We hypothesize that aberrant LTB 4 drive excessive inflammation during MRSA skin infection in diabetics. Diabetic mice at day 1 post infection had larger infected areas, bacterial and apoptotic cell burdens than nondiabetic controls. By intravital microscopy we observed more neutrophil recruitment in diabetic mice. These effects correlated with high levels of LTB 4 and its receptor BLT1. At day 9 post infection nondiabetic mice were nearly healed but diabetic mice still had cell infiltration, high bacterial and apoptotic burdens, which associated with high levels of inflammatory mediators. To test whether chronic LTB 4 causes uncontrolled infection, diabetic mice were treated daily with a topical ointment containing BLT1 antagonist. The treatment reduced infection area, bacterial burden and neutrophil recruitment. We also detected fewer apoptotic cells and lower expression of inflammatory mediators. These findings reveal that LTB 4 is detrimental for diabetics by chronically inducing a damaging inflammatory response. We observe that topical BLT1 antagonist treatment improves host defense in diabetic mice and promises to be an effective therapeutic to treat MRSA infections in diabetic patients.
Malignant paraganglioma presenting as a mandibular metastasis.

Background Metastatic paragangliomas are rare neuroendocrine tumors. Bony metastases most commonly occur in the ribs, vertebrae, and pelvis. Few cases of mandibular metastases have been reported. Methods A 75-year-old female presented with a 6-month history of an enlarging mandibular mass. A biopsy was consistent with a paraganglioma. Results Staging workup with 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography demonstrated 2 hypermetabolic intra-abdominal lesions adjacent to the inferior vena cava. These were confirmed as paraganglioma by biopsy and presumed as the primary lesions. The patient underwent left segmental mandibulectomy and neck dissection with osteocutaneous fibula free tissue reconstruction. Conclusion A rare case of malignant paraganglioma presenting as a mandibular metastasis is described. Nuclear medicine studies for paraganglioma are reviewed.
Specialty income and career decision making: a qualitative study of medical student perceptions.

Context Medical educators in the USA are interested in the ways medical students make career choices because shortages in key specialties, particularly primary care specialties, limit access to care. Although anticipated specialty income is a strong predictor of student interest, no studies have qualitatively explored the reasons why income is important to students. By better understanding students' perspectives on income and specialty choice, educators can help students make choices that fit their goals and better educate students about the specialties in which the need for expansion is greatest. Methods In 2012, Year-2 students at one USA medical school were invited to write an essay about how debt and anticipated income levels influence their career choices. A total of 132 essays (response rate: 67%) were qualitatively analysed using a hermeneutic phenomenology approach to conventional content analysis, in which themes emerge inductively from the data. Researchers employed peer debriefing, modified member checking, thick description, code-recode strategies, audit trails and reflexivity to ensure quality and rigour. Although this analysis initially focused on student perceptions of specialty income, prestige also emerged as an important related theme. Results Three major findings emerged. Income is of varying importance to different students. Students value income because it provides freedom and flexibility, and power and security. Students recognise that high income confers social prestige. Students also define specialty prestige in other ways, including match competitiveness, perceived expertise, opportunities for advancement through fellowships, and power and autonomy. Conclusions Medical students' perspectives of specialty income, specialty choice and prestige are more complex than previously reported. Medical educators should frame conversations about specialty choices in ways that incorporate varied perspectives on income and prestige. Health policymakers should recognise that income and prestige influence medical students' decisions in complex ways. These insights may inform strategies to counteract shortages in key specialties, including primary care specialties.
CHANGES OF OPEN CHROMATIN REGIONS REVEAL STAGE-SPECIFIC TRANSCRIPTIONAL NETWORK DYNAMICS IN HUMAN IPSC-DERIVED NEURONS

Background The application of human induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs)-differentiated neurons has served as a promising model for gaining insights into the molecular and cellular mechanisms of genetic risk for mental disorders. Multiple factors determine the fate and trajectory of neuronal cell differentiation, of which transcriptional regulation plays a major role. Chromatin accessibility (openness) to Transcription Factors (TF) strongly influences gene transcription and cell differentiation. However, the dynamic changes of open chromatin and the TF networks during neuronal differentiation from iPSCs are poorly understood. Methods Here, we performed a global mapping of Open Chromatin Regions (OCRs) using the Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin with high throughput sequencing (ATAC-Seq) at different cell stages of glutamatergic neuronal differentiation, examined the correlation of changes of open chromatin and mRNA abundances (assayed by RNA-Seq), and constructed the neuronal stage-specific TF networks through a genome-wide inference of TF-binding footprints in OCRs. Results We found that OCRs were highly dynamic during neuronal differentiation, and more importantly that OCR accessibility at core promoter regions was positively correlated with mRNA abundances at their respective cell stages. Furthermore, we found that the dynamic changes of OCRs during neuronal differentiation were accompanied by the binding events of cell stage-specific TFs. As expected, binding footprints of OCT4 and NANOG, genes that encode pluripotent stem cell-specific markers, are most enriched in iPSCs. Intriguingly, binding footprints of NEUROD1 and NEUROG2, the two TFs that have been reported to rapidly induce high efficient conversion of iPSCs to excitatory neurons, are among those most enriched in the relatively mature neurons. Discussion Further TF network analysis based on the inferred TF binding footprints in OCRs successfully identified core TF networks and their master regulators for different neuronal stages. Interestingly, both NEUROD1 and NEUROG2 are in the same core TF network specific to more mature neurons, suggesting their pivotal role in epigenetic control of neuronal differentiation and maturation.
Responses of Bacterial and Fungal Community Structure to Different Rates of 1,3-Dichloropropene Fumigation

1,3-Dichloropropene (1,3-D) is a well-known nematicidal soil fumigant on many crop species. Currently, little is known about its impact on soil microbial communities using culture-free methods. In ...
Re-visiting post-breast surgery pain syndrome: risk factors, peripheral nerve associations and clinical implications.

Aesthetic and reconstructive breast surgery is among the most common operations performed by plastic surgeons. The prevalence of persistent pain after breast surgery remains underappreciated by plastic surgeons. Post breast surgery pain syndrome (PBSPS) is reported to range between 20–60%. It is the purpose of this paper to revisit chronic pain as a combination of the breast intervention and relate this to the peripheral nerve(s) transmitting the pain message, in order to understand the underlying etiology and to improve breast pain treatment outcomes.
Isolation and identification of adipose-derived stromal/stem cells from breast cancer patients after exposure neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Isolation and identification of adipose-derived stromal/stem cells from breast cancer patients after exposure neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Damage initiation and fracture analysis of honeycomb core single cantilever beam sandwich specimens

Fracture testing and analysis of aerospace grade honeycomb core sandwich constructions using a single cantilever beam test methodology is presented here. Influence of various parameters such as fac...
Scaling and efficiency of prism in adaptive simulations of turbulent premixed flames

The dominant computational cost in modeling turbulent combustion phenomena numerically with high-fidelity chemical mechanisms is the time required to solve the ordinary differential equations associated with chemical kinetics. One technique applied toward reducing computational cost develops an inexpensive surrogate model that accurately represents the evolution of chemical kinetics. One such approach, PRISM, constructs a polynomial representation of the chemistry evolution in a local region of chemical composition space, to be stored for later use. Within this region the representation provides a good approximation to the kinetics. As the computation proceeds, the chemistry evolution for other points within the same region are computed by evaluating the polynomials instead of calling an ordinary differential equation solver. If chemistry evolution is required for a region for which a polynomial has not been defined, the methodology dynamically samples that region and constructs a new representation for it. In this paper we assess the PRISM methodology in the context of a turbulent premixed flame in two diniensions. The practicality is influenced by the size and number of regions necessary to model the subset of composition space that is active during a simulation. The number required grows with decreasing size in a manner that scales exponentially with the dimensionality of active composition space. We considered a range of turbulent intensities, ranging from weak turbulence that had little effect on the flame to strong turbulence that tore pockets of burning fluid from the main flame: for each case we explored the scaling behavior as a function of region size and turbulent intensity.
Mothers’ self‐reported emotion dysregulation: A potentially valid method in the field of infant mental health

In the current study, we evaluated the extent to which mothers reported emotion dysregulation on the Difficulties with Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (DERS) (a) converged with physiological indices of emotion dysregulation while parenting, (b) correlated with maternal sensitivity, and (c) predicted infant attachment disorganization and behavior problems in a sample of 259 mothers and their infants. When infants were 6 months old, mothers' physiological arousal and regulation were measured during parenting tasks and mothers completed the DERS. Maternal sensitivity was observed during distress-eliciting tasks when infants were 6 and 14 months old. Infant attachment disorganization was assessed during the Strange Situation when infants were 14 months old and mothers reported on infants' behavior problems when infants were 27 months old. Mothers who reported greater emotion regulation difficulties were more physiologically dysregulated during stressful parenting tasks and also showed lower levels of maternal sensitivity at 6 months. Mother-reported dysregulation predicted higher likelihood of infant attachment disorganization and more behavior problems. Results suggest that the DERS is a valid measure of maternal emotional dysregulation and may be a useful tool for future research and intervention efforts aimed toward promoting positive parenting and early child adjustment.
Modeling the dissolution of thermosetting polymers and composites via solvent assisted exchange reactions

Abstract Thermosetting polymers and composites featuring chemical cross-linking are usually regarded as unrecyclable. Recently, novel thermosets containing dynamic chemical bonds or labile bonds have been developed to achieve chemical recycling under mild conditions via solvent assisted exchange or cleavage reactions. This concept has been extended to recycle conventional thermosets and composites using a proper catalyst/solvent system by selective bond cleavage. In this paper, we develop a modeling framework to probe into the complicated reaction-diffusion coupling and reveal the effect of reinforcement, such as carbon fiber, on the dissolution process of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy (CFRE). A model involving chemical species concentration dependent diffusion and reaction rates is developed to inquire into the evolution of different functional group concentrations and network structure via solvent assisted exchange reactions. We further apply the reaction-diffusion based model to a multiphase structure to simulate the CFRE dissolution process. The model is experimentally validated by the mass evolution of a virgin cured epoxy-anhydride resin matrix in an alcohol/catalyst solution proceeding with transesterification. The established model can predict the influence of dissolution processing parameters including catalyst concentration and solvent diffusivity. Parametric studies are used to further assess the structural parameters of fiber loading on the dissolution rate. This work provides a deep understanding on the dissolution of thermosets and their fiber-reinforced composites and can guide the future engineering application of sustainable recycling approaches of thermosets and composites.
A Historical Perspective of Simulation in Emergency Medicine

The history of modern healthcare simulation from a perspective of emergency medicine dates to the early days of when the specialty was formerly recognized. The diverse training required to prepare and maintain competence within the discipline of emergency have traditionally relied on a multi-modal education strategy combining knowledge base learning with attempts to create safe pathways to learning and performing procedural skills.
Effect of Capillary Induced Flow on CO2 Residual Trapping

Residual trapping is one of the main mechanisms for immobilizing CO2 after the injection phase of a geological sequestration project. Residual trapping results from capillary forces at the pore scale which lead to snap-off and bypass of CO2. For heterogeneous systems, there is, in addition to the capillary potential at the pore scale, a capillary potential at the scale of the heterogeneity which will result in capillary induced flows and trapping. We investigate the impact of capillary induced flow on multiphase flow behavior and its implications for residual trapping of CO2 by performing experimental and numerical core-flood tests. Results show that the magnitude and spatial extent of the heterogeneity impact the local capillary forces and, therefore, the capillary pressure and saturation distribution. In certain cases, even in the capillary dominated regime, local capillary disequilibrium was observed, leading to capillary induced flow when the system relaxed. This work shows that for layered rock with small variations in permeability, laminations direction has minimal impact on the local capillary forces and does not effect the residual trapping potential. Further research is needed to investigate if lamination direction impacts the residual trapping potential in the case of layered rocks with larger variations in permeability.
Workload-driven systems optimization: things are getting real!

In this talk, I will describe how workload-driven system optimization has quickly evolved from a researcher's dream into a production reality. In particular, I will provide a high-level overview of a large collection of efforts that build upon careful telemetry collection and analysis to tune and optimize large-scale distributed systems in production at Microsoft. While the opportunities are staggering (e.g., improving system efficiencies to the tune of 10s of millions of dollars per year), the challenges are equally daunting. I will discuss some of the ways we handle the challenges at MS and point at open problems along the way.
Density results for Graovac-Pisanski’s distance number

The sum of distances between every pair of vertices in a graph G is called the Wiener index of G . This graph invariant was initially utilized to predict certain physico-chemical properties of organic compounds. However, the Wiener index of G does not account for any of its symmetries, which are also known to effect these physico-chemical properties. Graovac and Pisanski modified the Wiener index of G to measure the average distance each vertex is displaced under the elements of the symmetry group of G ; we call this the Graovac-Pisanski (GP) distance number of G . In this article, we prove that the set of all GP distance numbers of graphs with isomorphic symmetry groups is dense in a half-line. Moreover, for each finite group Γ and each rational number q within this half-line, we present a construction for a graph whose GP distance number is q and whose symmetry group is isomorphic to Γ . This construction results in graphs whose vertex orbits are not connected; we also consider an analogous construction which ensures that all vertex orbits are connected.
OtoXNet - Automated Identification of Eardrum Diseases from Otoscope Videos: A Deep Learning Study for Video-representing Images

Abstract Background The lack of an objective method to evaluate the eardrum is a critical barrier to an accurate diagnosis. Eardrum images are classified into normal or abnormal categories with machine learning techniques. If the input is an otoscopy video, a traditional approach requires great effort and expertise to manually determine the representative frame(s). Methods In this paper, we propose a novel deep learning-based method, called OtoXNet, which automatically learns features for eardrum classification from otoscope video clips. We utilized multiple composite image generation methods to construct a highly representative version of otoscopy videos to diagnose three major eardrum diseases, i.e., otitis media with effusion, eardrum perforation, and tympanosclerosis versus normal (healthy). We compared the performance of OtoXNet against methods with that either use a single composite image or a keyframe selected by an experienced human. Our dataset consists of 394 otoscopy videos from 312 patients and 765 composite images before augmentation. Results OtoXNet with multiple composite images achieved 84.8% class-weighted accuracy with 3.8% standard deviation, whereas with the human-selected keyframes and single composite images, the accuracies were respectively, 81.8% ± 5.0% and 80.1% ± 4.8% on multi-class eardrum video classification task using an 8-fold cross-validation scheme. A paired t-test shows that there is a statistically significant difference (p-value of 1.3 × 10−2) between the performance values of OtoXNet (multiple composite images) and the human-selected keyframes. Contrarily, the difference in means of keyframe and single composites was not significant (p = 5.49 × 10−1). OtoXNet surpasses the baseline approaches in qualitative results. Conclusion The use of multiple composite images in analyzing eardrum abnormalities is advantageous compared to using single composite images or manual keyframe selection.
A week during COVID-19: Online social interactions are associated with greater connection and more stress

Who thrives while socially distancing? In this exploratory study, we polled over 500 participants from the United States on April 8, 2020—during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic when the practice of social distancing was at its peak. Above and beyond other social and nonsocial activities, living arrangements, employment circumstances, personality traits, and demographics, people who spent more time interacting with close others—in person or online—felt more socially connected. In contrast, people who spent more time interacting with weak ties, specifically online, experienced greater negative affect and more stress. In sum, much like in-person interactions, online social interactions are associated with greater social connectedness, but unlike in-person interactions, online interactions are simultaneously related to greater negative affect and more stress.
Goethe’s Zur Farbenlehre

While Goethe is considered to be Germany’s greatest literary genius, his scientific studies have been appreciated by few. Yet he himself valued them highly, and for us they provide an insight into his philosophy of Nature which in turn aids us in a deeper understanding of his literary creations. His universal mind embraced the literature of the world, and it embraced with the same universality all realms of natural science: geology, comparative anatomy, botany, meteorology, and the physics and physiology of colors. His two-volume treatise Zur Farbenlehre (Theory of Colors) which appeared in 1810, when he was 61 years old, is his most comprehensive scientific achievement, the result of decades of observations and experiments. His subject is viewed under the broadest possible perspective: the physical basis of colors, their perception by the eye, the way they are experienced subjectively, their aesthetic effects and their use in painting. Goethe was an excellent observer of natural phenomena; to him, the eye was the noblest of the senses. But what makes this work unique in the scientific literature is the intuitive and symbolic (in contrast to inductive) interpretation of the phenomena.
Imaging of Adrenal Neoplasms

Lesions of the adrenal glands rarely present clinically and are usually detected as incidental findings on imaging. The incidence of adrenal masses found at computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the abdomen has been reported to be 4–6 %, with the overall number of lesions having increased significantly in recent years given the rapid expansion of abdominal imaging in clinical practice. This incidence varies greatly with age: patients between 20 and 29 years of age, for example, have a 0.2 % incidence of adenomas detected on CT, compared with 7–10 % in elderly patients.
Commensurability oscillations of hole-flux composite fermions.

We report the observation of commensurability oscillations of hole-flux composite fermions near a filling factor of $\ensuremath{\nu}=1/2$ in a high-mobility two-dimensional hole system confined to a GaAs quantum well and subjected to a weak, strain-induced, unidirectional periodic potential modulation. The oscillations, which are consistent with ballistic transport of fully spin-polarized composite fermions in a weak periodic effective magnetic field, are surprisingly strong and exhibit up to third-order minima. We extract a ballistic mean-free path of about $0.1\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ for the hole-flux composite fermions.
Tobacco as a Cardiovascular Risk Factor

Tobacco use in the form of cigarettes has long been established as a major risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). It is the most preventable cause of mortality. Each year, cigarette smoking causes more than 400,000 deaths in the United States alone, more than the number of American lives lost during World War I, Korea, and Vietnam combined (1,2). Not only does this modifiable behavior cause pain and suffering, but it poses a significant economic burden. Total US Medicaid expenses caused by tobacco use are more than $6 billion a year (3). Total direct health care costs are in excess of $75 billion a year. Indirect losses, usually because of lost productivity, increase that figure by another $80 billion a year (3,4). For every cigarette pack sold in the United States, the country spends approx $7.18 in health care-related and lost productivity costs (5). In the mid1990s, state attorneys general participated in legal action with tobacco companies in hopes of winning back money spent on Medicaid expenses. In 1998, an out-of-court settlement was reached giving states billions of dollars upfront and billions more in annual payments (6). Since then, most states have failed to allocate the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-recommended funding for tobacco prevention, despite the fact that states are taking in record amounts of tobacco-generated revenue from the settlement and from increased cigarette taxes (7).
TLR4 signaling regulates PI3 kinase activation and macrophage exophagy (796.16)

We have characterized a novel process that macrophages use to degrade species such as aggregated lipoproteins (agLDL) that are too large to be internalized via conventional phagocytosis. Macrophage...
The Sources of Social Power: Neoliberalism, rise and faltering, 1970–2000

Introduction: Neoliberalism Here I will chart the shift in the dominant form of political economy from neo-Keynesianism to neoliberalism before moving onto neoliberal tribulations as the century ended. Chapter 11 will follow up by analyzing what I call the Great Neoliberal Recession of 2008. I already introduced neo-Keynesianism in Chapters 2 and 5, so I only need to recapitulate it briefly here The postwar political economy was not actually Keynesian but a synthesis between it and classical market economics, labeled variously as neo-Keynesianism (the term I will use), commercial Keynesianism, or embedded liberalism. The synthesis resulted from introducing Keynesian mechanisms into neoclassical general equilibrium models. This aimed at full employment through mildly inflationary stimulation though within budgets that were near balance. Neo-Keynesianism was not merely economic policy. It was also the product of a broader ideology of reformism that embodied some pragmatic compromise of the class struggle that swept across the Western world as a result of World War II. This war, like the Great War, had a radicalizing effect on the world. The explosion of labor unrest after the war resembled that after World War I though it was less in the advanced countries and a lot higher in the colonies (Silver, 2003: 125–30). And whereas unrest in the colonial world led on to political revolutions, the outcome in the advanced world was consistently reformist, essentially because the victors were by now themselves reformist – even the United States – and because they occupied and reconstructed the vanquished powers. Across almost the whole West and in Japan this intensified social citizenship in the sense of the pursuit of full employment, state redistribution through the tax system, full recognition of the rights of labor unions and of free collective bargaining, and the welfare state. This was the golden age of capitalism.
Do Black Holes Exist

Proof that black holes exist will likely require confirmation of the existence of event horizons. The common assumption that the mere existence of large compact masses proves the case for black holes is an unwarranted extrapolation of General Relativity into a strong-field regime where it has not been adequately tested. Neither the large compact masses of galactic nuclei nor the massive compact objects of stellar mass in the x-ray binaries prove the existence of black holes. In contrast to the case for galactic nuclei, we have the necessary tools for obtaining either proof or disproof of event horizons in the x-ray binaries. Observations of kHz QPOs may decide the event horizon issue very quickly. If not, we can still obtain proof by comparing predictions of gravity theories that differ primarily by the presence or absence of an event horizon. Detailed analysis of models of x-ray binaries would then decide the issue.
Orchestrating Environmental Research and Assessment for Remediation

The interface between science, assessment, and policy have come to the forefront of national attention recently, and the issues involved were summarized for the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program (NAPAP). The authors of this letter consider if the lessons learned in NAPAP are being applied to the remediation of contaminated sites in the U.S. DOE nuclear weapons complex. A figure giving the authors'prospective of the role science should play in a risk management problems is presented. Three major lessons from the NAPAP experience are discussed in reference to DOE: (1) objectives must be clearly spelled out early in the assessment; (2) the importance of peer review throughout the scientific evaluation phase, including publication of a significant amount of research in peer-reviewed journal in a timely fashion; (3) the risk associated with remediation alternative should be included in any assessment. 30 refs., 1 fig.
Temporally regulated delivery of VEGF in vitro and in vivo.

The exposure duration and tissue distribution will likely dictate the success of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in therapeutic angiogenesis. We hypothesized that these variables can be regulated via the manner in which the VEGF is incorporated into polymer constructs (formed with a gas foaming technique) used for its delivery. VEGF was incorporated directly into poly(lactide-co-glycol- ide) (PLG) scaffolds or pre-encapsulated in PLG micro- spheres used to fabricate scaffolds. Protein release kinetics and tissue distribution were determined using iodinated VEGF. VEGF was positioned predominantly adjacent to scaffold pores when incorporated directly and was released rapidly (40 - 60% in 5 days). Pre-encapsulation led to the VEGF being more deeply embedded and resulted in a de- layed release. Alterations in polymer composition, scaffold size, and matrix composition generated minor variations in release kinetics. In vivo, the released VEGF generated local protein concentrations above 10 ng/mL at distances up to 2 cm from the implant site for the 21 days of the experiment, with negligible release into the systemic circulation, and significantly enhanced local angiogenesis. These data indi- cate that VEGF can be administered in a sustained and localized fashion in vivo, and the timing of VEGF delivery can be altered with the mechanism of incorporation into polymer scaffolds used for its delivery. © 2006 Wiley Peri- odicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 79A: 176 -184, 2006
Molecular genetic analysis of a class B periplasmic-flagellum gene of Treponema phagedenis.

Abstract Treponema phagedenis is a host-associated spirochete with multiple polypeptides making up its periplasmic flagella (PFs). Each PF has a 39-kDa polypeptide making up the sheath (class A PF polypeptide) and two to four antigenically similar 33- to 34-kDa polypeptide species making up the core (class B PF polypeptides). A genetic analysis of the PF-deficient mutants T-40 and T-55 has shown that the PFs are involved in motility. To better understand the synthesis and assembly of these complex organelles and to compare the PF genes with those of other spirochetes, we cloned and characterized the T. phagedenis flaB2 gene, which encodes one class B polypeptide. The flaB2 gene consists of an open reading frame of 858 nucleotides capable of encoding a protein of 31.5 kDa. The predicted amino acid sequence of the FlaB2 polypeptide was 92% identical to that of T. pallidum FlaB2, with a 76% identity at the nucleotide level. These results confirm previous immunological and N-terminal-sequence analyses which suggested that the PF genes are well conserved in the spirochetes. Primer extension analysis of T. phagedenis flaB2 indicated that the start site of transcription was 127 nucleotides upstream from the ATG initiation codon. Preceding the start site is a DNA sequence similar to the sigma 28 consensus promoter sequence commonly found associated with motility genes. Northern (RNA) blots probed with a segment of flaB2 DNA revealed a 1,000-nucleotide monocistronic transcript in the wild type and in PF-deficient mutants T-40 and T-55. DNA sequencing of most of the flaB2 gene of the mutants revealed no differences from the wild-type gene. Because the mutants fail to synthesize detectable class B PF polypeptides yet synthesize extensive amounts of flaB2 mRNA, PF synthesis in T. phagedenis is likely to involve regulation at the translational level.
Electronic packaging education in an interdisciplinary, cooperative research environment

In this paper the content of and the experiences associated with the oldest electronic packaging education program in the U.S. will be discussed. This program, which started with the first electronic packaging class taught at the University of Arizona in 1983, has generated a wealth of data and experience in this field. It is the purpose of the paper to communicate what "works" and what has been found not to work in electronic packaging education at the University of Arizona.
An “independent visual background” reduced balance disturbance envoked by visual scene motion: implication for alleviating simulator sickness

Simulator sickness (SS) / virtual environment (VE) sickness is expected to become increasingly troublesome as VE technology evolves [20]. Procedures to alleviate SS / VE sickness have been of limited value [12]. This paper investigated a possible procedure to reduce SS and VE sickness. Postural disturbance was evoked by visual scene motion at different frequencies. Differences in disturbance were examined as a function of simultaneous exposure to an “independent visual background” (IVB). Eight subjects were tested at two scene motion frequencies and three different IVB conditions using a within-subjects design. An expected statistically significant interaction between IVB condition and frequency was observed. For low frequency scene movements, subjects exhibited less balance disturbance when the IVB was presented. We suggest that an IVB may alleviate disturbance when conflicting visual and inertial cues are likely to result in simulator or VE sickness.
Test Research on Phase-to-Ground Air-Gap Discharge Characteristics of UHV Substation

In order to optimize the design of UHV substation and reduce its construction investment, it is necessary to take further research of UHV substation air-gap discharge characteristics. In this paper, by using sub-conductor and tower to simulate UHV substation air-gap, lightning and switching impulse discharge characteristics tests of UHV substation are taken in the UHV AC test base of SGCC. The results show that, when the distance of conductor between tower is in range of 4m to 7m, the 50% lightning impulse and switching impulse discharge voltage rise along with the rise of air gap distance. As the air-gap increases, the switching impulse discharge voltage presents the trend of saturation. According to the analysis of test results, we can draw a conclusion that the gap factor of switching impulse discharge can be 1.22 when the minimum distance between conductors and tower is 5~8m.
Use Of The WYKO And Sommargren Profilers In Polishing Research

This paper compares the WYKO and Sommargren noncontact surface profilers, describes their utility and limitations, their accuracy and their use in polishing research. Surface readings below lA rms by these instruments are reported.
Presence of both odor identification and detection deficits in alzheimer's disease

Recent studies of Alzheimer's disease patients have demonstrated (a) marked structural and biochemical alterations in brain regions associated with olfactory function (including the olfactory bulb and entorhinal cortex) and (b) decrements in the ability to identify odorants. In light of such findings, we administered the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) and a forced-choice phenyl ethyl alcohol odor detection threshold test to a relatively large number of patients diagnosed, on the basis of stringent criteria, as having mild to moderately severe Alzheimer's disease. Compared to age-, gender-, and race-matched normal controls, these individuals evidenced consistent and marked decrements on both types of olfactory tests (ps<0.001). Surprisingly few of the patients were aware of their disorder, despite its appearance early in the disease process. These findings indicate that both odor identification and odor detection problems are present in dementia of the Alzheimer's type, and raise the possibility that the odor identification problem may be secondary to the odor detection problem.
THE “PANEL PARENT” AS AN ADJUNCT TO THE SPECTRUM OF NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE

Early maternal-newborn interaction and the concept of maternal infant bonding is stressed in neonatal ICU'S today. Parents are encouraged to touch, fondle and visit their infant immediately. An organized support program can play a prominent role in maintaining family stability during this period. Only the parent who has gone through the experience can appreciate all of the fears and doubts which must be understood and explained. We have designed a “Panel Parent Program” to augment our open visitation policy. These parents have been through the experience and are chosen on the basis of infant diagnosis, ethnic, social, educational and financial background. The panel parent contacts the family within 48 hours and subsequently communication varies depending upon the problem and parent availability. After the infant is discharged from the ICU the family evaluates their “Panel Parent”. Since adopting this policy we have noted less grief response and a greater degree of total family stability both during and after the infant's stay in our neonatal intensive care unit.
Commentary on reviews of erythropoietin for preventing red blood cell transfusion in preterm and/or low birth weight infants

This is a commentary on three Cochrane reviews, published in this issue of EBCH, first published as: Ohlsson A, Aher SM. Early erythropoietin for preventing red blood cell transfusion in preterm and/or low birth weight infants. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD004863. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004863.pub2; Aher S, Ohlsson A. Late erythropoietin for preventing red blood cell transfusion in preterm and/or low birth weight infants. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD004868. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004868.pub2; and Aher SM, Ohlsson A. Early versus late erythropoietin for preventing red blood cell transfusion in preterm and/or low birth weight infants. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD004865. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004865.pub2. Further information for these Cochrane reviews (early, late, and early vs late) is available in this issue of EBCH in the accompanying EBCH Summary (early, late, and early vs late) and Characteristics and Key Findings Tables (early, late, and early vs late) articles. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
FTIR-ATR analysis of brewed coffee: effect of roasting conditions.

FTIR-ATR was used to study the effect of roasting conditions on the flavor of brewed coffee using Guatemala Antigua coffee beans. The 1800−1680 cm-1 carbonyl region for vinyl esters/lactones, esters, aldehydes, ketones, and acids was found to provide a flavor-print of the brewed coffee. A study of light, medium, and dark roasts indicated that when the rate of heating to the onset of the first and second cracks was kept constant, the types of carbonyl compounds formed were similar, varying only in their concentration. This difference in concentration is apparently due to the additional heating of the coffee bean beyond the second crack. When the heating rate to the onset of the first and second crack was varied, both the types and concentration of the carbonyl compounds formed during roasting were affected. Thus, heating rates of green coffee beans to the onset of the first and second cracks are important determinants of the basic taste and aroma of brewed coffee. Keywords: Coffee; Guatemala Antigua; roast...
Physical Entrapment of Polyelectrolytes within Microporous Solids: the ``Jack-in-the-Box'' Effect

CATIONIC polymers are strongly adsorbed onto cellulose fibres by mechanisms which are regarded as primarily electrostatic1–5. Unexpectedly, however, the adsorption of polyethyleneimine (PEI) is apparently not completely reversible and this has been attributed to an intimate chain entanglement with polysaccharide molecules which inhibits its elution4,6. We now present evidence for a new general type of physical combination of polymers with microporous solids which is responsible for this apparent irreversible retention of PEI.
Effect of design of prefabricated post heads on core materials

This study investigated post-core adaptation as it relates to core materials and post-head configuration. A total of 360 samples that consisted of three prefabricated post systems and three core materials of amalgam and composite resin of 1 and 3 mm post-head-covering thicknesses were made. Composite resin with a post-head covering of 3 mm was most resistant to compression, whereas amalgam was most resistant to retentive forces. The addition of titanium to composite resin as a reinforcement filler did not improve resistance to either compressive or tensile forces.
Early diagnosis of staphylococcal toxaemia in burned children

Abstract The features of toxic shock syndrome in burned children have been described in a review of seven patients (J. D. Frame et al., Bums 1985; 11, 234). These include a ‘prodromal’ 24–48h period with diarrhoea, vomiting, general malaise, pyrexia, tachycardia and tachypnoea. The white cell count and haemoglobin concentration fall prior to the 'shock' phase, which occurs 3–4 days postburn. Once ‘shock’ has occurred the mortality of the condition is approximately 50 per cent; in the absence of ‘shock’ it is much reduced. We have undertaken a retrospective review of six burned children who were admitted in a 2-year period to the Mount Vemon NHS Trust Burns Unit with a clinical diagnosis of toxic shock syndrome. The evidence from our patients suggests that reliable early diagnostic signs are a rapidly developing severe pyrexia of 39.5°C or above, and a simultaneously increasing tachycardia and tachypnoea to high levels. There is a sudden profound fall in the white cell count and haemoglobin concentration over a period of hours between 1 and 3 days from injury. Specific treatment should be instituted before the onset of 'shock'. The name staphylococcal toxaemia might promote earlier diagnosis and treatment of this condition and so reduce its mortality.
4,5-Bis(chloromethyl)uracil

A one-step synthesis of 4,5-bis(chloromethyl)uracil from readily available starting materials has been accomplished. This substance is a stable, crystalline solid which undergoes facile nucleophilic attack to produce various di-substituted uracil derivatives.
The effect of the extracorporeal shock wave lithotriptor on the bone-cement interface in dogs

The extracorporeal shock wave lithotriptor (ECSWL) is a machine that generates shock waves that transfer energy through biologic materials. This study focused the wave at a composite bone-cement (polymethylmethacrylate) interface and evaluated the effects both quantitatively and qualitatively. Six matched sets of dog femora were selected. The intramedullary canals were packed uniformly with cement. One of the set was randomly selected for treatment with impulses while the other served as the control. The bone was then sectioned transversely into discs, and scanning electron microscopy and mechanical push-out studies were performed. The results indicated that the ECSWL does have a loosening effect on the bone-cement interface. Using a paired Student's t-test, the shear strength was significantly less in the treated group than in the control (p less than 0.003). Microscopically, the treated specimens revealed relative sparing of the surrounding bone. At the bone-cement interface, however, microfractures, loose bodies, and widening were seen. Revision total arthroplasty has a significant morbidity, which can be partially attributed to cement extraction. The results of this study indicate that the ECSWL may be a useful adjunct in revision surgery by facilitating the extraction of polymethylmethacrylate and thereby reducing the morbidity.
Comparative circulatory effects of isoproterenol and dopamine in lambs with experimental cyanotic heart disease.

ABSTRACT: To determine whether the hemodynamic responses to adrenergic agonists are altered during chronic hypoxemia secondary to an intracardiac right to left shunt, we studied seven lambs with surgically created pulmonic stenosis and atrial septal defect and nine controls during infusions of isoproterenol at 0.1 and 0.5 μ/kg/min and dopamine at 5 and 20 μ/kg/min. Isoproterenol increased heart rate by 89 ± 17% in control but only 46 ± 6% in experimental lambs (p < 0.05). However, because resting heart rate was higher in experimental lambs (213 ± 7 versus 177 ± 12 beats/min, p < 0.05), maximal heart rates were similar (310 ± 7 versus 326 ± 6 beats/min; NS). Cardiac output increased during isoproterenol from 219 ± 20 to 425 ± 54 mL/min/kg in experimental lambs (p < 0.05) and, similarly, from 180 ± 20 to 425 ± 71 in controls (p < 0.05) (experimental versus control; NS). Dopamine also increased cardiac output similarly in both groups, at both doses, but without changing heart rate. Isoproterenol did not alter aortic oxygen saturation and increased systemic oxygen transport more than oxygean consumption. In contrast, dopamine at both doses decreased aortic oxygen saturation in experimental lambs (rest, 71 ± 2% versus dopamine, 59 ± 2%; p < 0.05). With dopamine, the increase in systemic oxygen transport was equalled by an increase in oxygen consumption. Thus, circulatory responses to isoproterenol are similar in lambs with experimental cyanotic heart disease and controls, although higher resting heart rate in the experimental lambs reduces chronotropic reserve. Circulatory responses to dopamine are different, mainly due to the decrease is oxygen saturation in the experimental lambs. Inasmuch as the oxygen cost/benefit ratio of adrenergk agonists may be altered by chronic hypoxemia and associated hemodynamic abnormalities, further evaluation of this ratio in hypoxemic human infants receiving these agents is indicated.
The re:search engine: simultaneous support for finding and re-finding

Re-finding, a common Web task, is difficult when previously viewed information is modified, moved, or removed. For example, if a person finds a good result using the query "breast cancer treatments", she expects to be able to use the same query to locate the same result again. While re-finding could be supported by caching the original list, caching precludes the discovery of new information, such as, in this case, new treatment options. People often use search engines to simultaneously find and re-find information. The Re:Search Engine is designed to support both behaviors in dynamic environments like the Web by preserving only the memorable aspects of a result list. A study of result list memory shows that people forget a lot. The Re:Search Engine takes advantage of these memory lapses to include new results where old results have been forgotten.