cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Targeted diversity generation by intraterrestrial archaea and archaeal viruses

In the evolutionary arms race between microbes, their parasites, and their neighbours, the capacity for rapid protein diversification is a potent weapon. Diversity-generating retroelements (DGRs) use mutagenic reverse transcription and retrohoming to generate myriad variants of a target gene. Originally discovered in pathogens, these retroelements have been identified in bacteria and their viruses, but never in archaea. Here we report the discovery of intact DGRs in two distinct intraterrestrial archaeal systems: a novel virus that appears to infect archaea in the marine subsurface, and, separately, two uncultivated nanoarchaea from the terrestrial subsurface. The viral DGR system targets putative tail fibre ligand-binding domains, potentially generating >10(18) protein variants. The two single-cell nanoarchaeal genomes each possess ≥4 distinct DGRs. Against an expected background of low genome-wide mutation rates, these results demonstrate a previously unsuspected potential for rapid, targeted sequence diversification in intraterrestrial archaea and their viruses.
Proposal and proof of principle for a novel optical biopsy needle: modulating an optical needle’s reflectivity alters the average photon path in scattering media

We show through Monte Carlo simulations and experiments that a novel optical needle can be used to probe different volumes of tissue in the needle’s vicinity by simply modulating the needle’s reflectivity.
Engaging the third estate: the Transplant Growth and Management Collaborative

The Organ Donation and Transplantation Collaboratives that occurred within the United States from 2004 to 2008 helped contribute to a significant increase in organ donors and transplants across the country. Centers were needed to accommodate and maintain this increase in capacity to perform successful transplantations for candidates on the waiting list. The Transplant Growth and Management Collaborative was created to help fulfill this new performance level expectation. In 2007 the US Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration published a best-practice report based on high-performing centers that experienced a significant increase in volume while maintaining expected, or higher than expected, outcomes. The report produced a change package that outlined common strategies, key change concepts, and actions used at the best-practice centers that could be adapted by other transplant programs by using Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles to test the impact of the changes. This cha...
Curve Fitting Analysis of ESCA Ni 2p Spectra of Nickel-Oxygen Compounds and Ni/Al2O3 Catalysts:

Nonlinear least-squares curve fitting is used to analyze Ni 2p spectra obtained from various nickel-oxygen compounds and Ni/Al2O3 catalysts. Apart from NiO, which shows a characteristic discrete satellite peak 2 eV from the main 2p3/2 peak, all other spectra exhibit variable peak asymmetry assigned to multiplet splitting effects. By the use of a single extra peak to describe this asymmetry, the relative satellite/main peak intensity ratio can be used as an indication of the chemical state of nickel. Results for Ni/Al2O3 catalysts agree with reduction studies from previous work about the nature of nickel species on the surfaces of these catalysts at various nickel loadings.
Book Review: Current Perspectives on Ageism

Book reviewed in this article: T. D. Nelson (ed.), Ageism: Stereotyping and Prejudice against Older Persons
Concentration Distribution in a Supersonic Flow Recirculation Region

Flameholding in supersonic flow depends on the local conditions in the recirculation region and the mass transfer into and out of this region. Large gradients in local gas composition and temperature exist in the recirculation region; hence, stability parameter correlations developed for premixed flames cannot be used to determine the blowout stability limits for nonpremixed flames encountered in practical devices. In the present investigation, mixture samples were extracted at different locations in the recirculation region and shear layer formed behind a rearward-facing step and were analyzed by a mass spectrometer to determine the distribution of species concentration in the region. Both nonreacting flow tests and combustion experiments were performed for a range of fuel-related parameters such as injection location, injection pressure, and fuel type. The difference between the local fuel mole fraction within the recirculation region determined from mass spectrometry and the global fuel mole fraction based on the total moles of air and fuel injected was identified. Planar-laser-induced fluorescence was used in nonreacting cases to provide a two-dimensional image of fuel distribution and complement the mass spectrometry measurements. Differences between local concentrations and estimates based on overall global injected mass flows were large, amounting to an order of magnitude. This implies significant differences in flame stability limits of a nonpremixed flame in supersonic flow compared to premixed flame.
Translational invariance and soliton models of the nucleon

We present a relativistic model of nucleon structure which places particular emphasis on translational invariance. An analysis of the field equations of the Friedberg-Lee soliton model is presented which avoids the static approximation. The matrix element of the quark-field operator between a nucleon state and a "diquark" state is written in terms of a quark wave function, and an equation which determines this wave function is given. We do not solve this equation here. Instead, we introduce a simple parametrization of the quark wave functions and proceed to calculate various nucleon observables. We present a calculation of nucleon electromagnetic form factors using a vector dominance model. We also calculate the axial current form factors and discuss the Goldberger-Treiman and partially-conserved axial vector current relations in our model. In our calculations the nucleon magnetic moment is given as the sum of three terms: a recoil moment, a confinement moment, and a mesonic term, the latter term contributing about 50 percent of the proton (or neutron) moment. We find that the recoil part of the proton moment is equal to $(\frac{3}{5}){g}_{A}$, where ${g}_{A}$ is the ratio of the axial vector coupling constants, ${g}_{A}=\frac{{G}_{A}}{{G}_{V}}$. Other models of the nucleon moment usually stress only one aspect of the calculation. For example, in the (static-cavity) MIT bag models the moment is entirely a "confinement moment," the calculated moment being proportional to the confinement radius. In nonrelativistic quark models the quarks are assigned an anomalous magnetic moment and the entire nucleon moment is explained on that basis; in our calculations the analogous contribution to the magnetic moment, the "mesonic term," contributes only about 50 percent of the total moment, as noted above.NUCLEAR STRUCTURE: Intermediate energy; analysis of the Friedberg-Lee soliton model; matrix elements of quark currents; nucleon electromagnetic form factors, magnetic moments and axial form factors.
Fluorescence Decay Times Of Multicomponent Microscopic Materials By Pulsed Laser Excitation

A fast analog technique developed for the determination of fluorescence emission parameters of microscopic geological particles is applied to a variety of samples. Presented here are fluorescence data from liptinite coal macerals, analysis of fluorescence emitted from crude oils, applications to fiber analysis and plastic scintillators. Characteristic decay times in the nanosecond and subnanosecond range are given along with time-resolved emission spectra.
EARLY FEEDING IN PRETERM INFANTS INCREASES LACTASE ACTIVITY. † 1904

We evaluated whether lactase activity is affected by EARLY feeding compared with STANDARD onset of feeding in a randomized trial in premature infants. The EARLY group (birthweight 1001 ± 173, gestational age 28 ± 1; mean ± SD) received milk (20 mL·kg-1·d-1) plus parenteral nutrition from day 4 to 15 days of age. The STANDARD group(birthweight 1099 ± 153, gestational age 28 ± 1) received only parenteral nutrition until day 15 at which time milk feedings were begun at 20 mL·kg-1·d-1. Milk intake then was advanced similarly in both groups. Lactase activity was measured at 10, 20, and 30 d of age using the urinary lactose/lactulose (L/LL) excretion ratio. Lactose and lactulose were administered in milk or water for 30 h. During the last 6 h, urine was collected for determination of the L/LL ratio. The ratio of urine to milk L/LL was calculated. Lactase activity is inversely related to the L/LL ratio. RESULTS: The L/LL ratio declined in both EARLY and STANDARD groups between 10 and 20 d (p < 0.01). The ratio was significantly lower in the EARLY group compared with that in the STANDARD group at 10 and 20 d of age:Table Conclusions: 1) Feedings begun at 4 d compared with those at 15 d resulted in greater lactase activity as measured by the urine to milk L/LL ratio; 2) Since early feeding appears to stimulate the development of lactase activity, feedings should not be withheld because of concerns about low lactase activity.
Sputtering of multicomponent materials: The diffusion limit

Abstract Bombardment of systems such as binary alloys normally results in the preferential sputtering of one component combined with a subsurface depletion of the same component. Driving forces for preferential loss include mass differences, chemical binding differences, and Gibbsian or similar segregation. We are here concerned with the simpler profiles which are set up in the absence of segregation. This problem has most commonly been reduced to one of conventional diffusion, governed by relocation and surface recession but not conserving lattice sites. More recently, a ballistic treatment was introduced which in its most complete form allowed for relocation, surface recession, and conservation of lattice sites. We show that the ballistic treatment can be re-expressed in a diffusion limit such that conservation of lattice sites is retained and that, moreover, a closed-form steady-state solution exists. It is further shown that the diffusion limit satisfactorily defines the various diffusion coefficients, the steady-state surface compositions, the sputtering yields, and the overall profile shape.
10E12Z CLA alters adipocyte differentiation and adipocyte cytokine expression and induces macrophage proliferation

The trans-10, cis-12 (10e12z) conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomer of CLA is responsible for loss of lipid storage or adipose tissue in vitro or in vivo. This isomer also induces inflammatory signaling in both mouse and human adipocytes in vitro. However, when these events occur and whether they are significant enough to affect other cell types are unclear. In these experiments, the 3T3-L1 cell line has been used to examine the interaction between inflammatory signaling and decreased differentiation or lipid storage induced by 10e12z CLA. In assays measuring both lipid accumulation and gene expression, differentiating 3T3-L1 cells exhibit concurrent induction of inflammatory signaling, as measured by cyclooxygenase-2 expression, and a decrease in adipocyte marker gene expression. Furthermore, in fully differentiated adipocytes, as identified in microarray assays and confirmed with real-time polymerase chain reaction, 10e12z CLA also significantly affected expression of both matrix metalloprotein-3 (MMP-3), collagen VI α 3 ColVI alpha 3 (VIα3) and the cytokine epiregulin, demonstrating that the effects of 10e12z broadly impact adipocyte function. In agreement with other experimental systems, 10e12z CLA inhibited RAW 264.7 cell proliferation; however, in response to adipocyte-conditioned media, 10e12z-CLA-treated adipocytes induced proliferation of this cell line, suggesting that the effect of 10e12z CLA is context dependent. These results are largely consistent with the known activation of the inflammatory mediator nuclear factor-κB in adipocytes in vitro and in vivo by 10e12z CLA treatment and demonstrate that adipose is an important target tissue of this isomer that impacts other cell types.
5-Fluoro-1-octanoyl­uracil

The crystal structure of 5-fluoro-1-octanoyl­uracil [5-fluoro-1-octanoyl­pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione, C12H17FN2O3], a lipophilic prodrug of 5-fluoro­uracil, is described. The 5-fluoro­pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione moiety is similar to the known structure of 1-acetyl-5-fluoro­uracil. The 1-octanoyl group and the 5-fluoro­uracil moiety are essentially coplanar, with the octanoyl carbonyl group oriented towards the the ring C—H group and away from the nearer ring carbonyl group. The torsion angle C—N—C—O (from the ring CH group to the octanoyl carbonyl group) of 9.2 (2)° is similar to the corresponding torsion angles reported for 1-acetyl-5-fluoro­uracil (17.3 and 1.6°) and 1,3-di­acetyl-5-fluoro­uracil (8.8°).
Spectroscopic and Electronic Structural Studies of Blue Copper Model Complexes. 2. Comparison of Three- and Four-Coordinate Cu(II)−Thiolate Complexes and Fungal Laccase

To evaluate the importance of the axial ligand in blue Cu centers, the electronic structure of a three-coordinate model compound LCuSCPh3 (2, L = β-diketiminate ligand) is defined using low-temperature absorption, magnetic circular dichroism (MCD), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and resonance Raman (rR) profiles coupled with density functional calculations. Using these excited-state spectroscopic methods the electronic structure of 2 is compared to that of a four-coordinate blue Cu model compound LCuSCPh3 (1, L = tris(pyrazolyl)hydroborate ligand) and the three-coordinate blue Cu center in fungal laccase. The spectral features of 2 are substantially altered from those of 1 and reflect a trans influence of the β-diketiminate ligand that involves a strong interaction with the Cu dx2-y2 orbital, concomitant with a decreased S pπ interaction with the Cu dx2-y2 orbital. The lack of an axial ligand coupled with the influence of this equatorial donor leads to many of the perturbed spectral features of 2 re...
Studies on milk fat globule membranes

Abstract The fat globules in milk are surrounded by a membraneous envelope about 90 A thick. Ghosts can be formed by freeze-thawing or sonication. Membrane preparations were found to contain alkaline phosphomonoesterase, acid phosphomonoesterase, phosphodiesterase, glucose-6-phosphatase, Mg 2+ -activated ATPase, (Na + K + Mg 2+ )-activated ATPase, true cholinesterase, xanthine oxidase and aldolase. In the main, the enzyme activities found in the fat globule membranes are found in the fraction of other tissues thought to contain plasma membranes. Enzymes characteristic of other tissues fractions were generally absent from the fat globule membranes. Antisera to fat globule membranes agglutinated and hemolyzed bovine erythrocytes. The fat globules appear to be freely permeable to potassium. The fat globule membrane appears to be a derivative of the cell membrane of the mammary cells.
A computer algorithm for representing spatial–temporal structure of human motion and a motion generalization method

Inspired by the generalized motor program (GMP) theory, this study presents a symbolic motion structure representation (SMSR) algorithm that identifies a basic spatial–temporal structure of a human motion.The algorithm resolves each joint angle–time trajectory of a multi-joint motion into a sequence of elemental motion segments and labels each motion segment with a symbol representing its shape (‘U’: monotonically increasing; ‘D’: monotonically decreasing; ‘S’: stationary).By concatenating symbols according to their order in time, the spatial–temporal structure of a joint angle–time trajectory is represented as a symbolic string.The structure of a multi-joint motion is then represented as a set of symbolic strings.A sample motion, whose structure is identified by the SMSR algorithm, can be generalized to produce an infinite number of similar motion variants.To generate a variant of a sample motion, segment boundary points of the sample motion are first relocated to new locations in the angle–time space, and then individual motion segments of the original joint angle trajectories are shifted and proportionally rescaled to fit the new segment boundary points.This motion generalization method provides a basis for developing GMP-based motion simulation models, and exploring ideas and hypotheses related to the GMP theory through simulation.As an application of the motion generalization method, a motion modification (MoM) algorithm is presented, which adapts existing reach motions for new target locations.Some examples generated by the MoM algorithm are illustrated. r 2004 Elsevier Ltd.All rights reserved.
Remote-powered high-performance strain sensing microsystem

This paper presents an RF remote-powered high-performance strain sensing microsystem. A MEMS capacitive strain sensor converts an input strain to a capacitance change, followed by low-noise integrated sensing electronics converting the capacitive signal to an output voltage with an overall sensitivity of 420 /spl mu/V//spl mu//spl epsiv/. An RF to DC converter based on inductive coupled coils converts a 50 MHz AC signal to a stable DC supply of 2.8 V with a current driving capability of 2 mA, sufficient to power the interface sensing electronics. The prototype microsystem achieves a minimum detectable strain of 0.09 HE over a 10 kHz bandwidth with a dynamic range of 81 dB. The sensing electronics consume 1.5 mA from a 2.8 V supply.
Talisman: commodity realtime 3D graphics for the PC

A new 3D graphics and multimedia hardware architecture, code-named Talisman, is described which exploits both spatial and temporal coherence to reduce the cost of high quality animation. Individually animated objects are rendered into independent image layers which are composited together at video refresh rates to create the final display. During the compositing process, a full affine transformation is applied to the layers to allow translation, rotation, scaling and skew to be used to simulate 3D motion of objects, thus providing a multiplier on 3D rendering performance and exploiting temporal image coherence. Image compression is broadly exploited for textures and image layers to reduce image capacity and bandwidth requirements. Performance rivaling high-end 3D graphics workstations can be achieved at a cost point of two to three hundred dollars.
A Note on Helioseismic Tomography

Helioseismic tomography is a form of the tomographic techniques adapted to image the interior of the Sun from observations of the acoustic oscillations at the surface. The important adaptation is the computation of travel time. Phase travel time, a measure of the time a wave packet takes to travel between two spatially separated surface locations, is computed by cross-correlating the oscillation signals and identifying a zero-crossing of the correlation function. To improve the signal-to-noise ratio, the oscillation signals, or individual correlation functions, are spatially averaged. It is tacitly assumed that the travel time of the averaged signal, or correlation function, is the average of the individual travel times. In general, this assumption is false; the phase travel time of the average signal is a solution to a nonlinear equation and depends on the amplitudes of the individual correlation functions. This demands suitable modifications of the computation of travel times and the tomographic equations.
Diffraction efficiencies of thin phase gratings with arbitrary grating shape

Diffraction by thin refractive-index gratings of arbitrary periodic shape is treated. Three analytical approaches are indicated and are shown to be equivalent. Resultant expressions for the diffraction efficiencies are given for all diffracted orders.
The simulation and implications of thermal plumes produced by Arctic construction in smooth terrain

In smooth snow covered Arctic terrain human construction produces extreme local variations in the aerodynamic roughness length. These features have been identified on thermal imagery and simulated on a digital computer. The analysis of these features provides a powerful tool for (1) assessing the spatial-temporal integrity of meteorological sites, (2) identifying cultural features in snow covered flat terrain in the relatively low resolution thermal imagery which will be acquired from spacecraft in the next decade, and (3) assessing and attenuating the environmental impact resulting from Arctic construction.
A game theoretic approach to network coding

We introduce a game theoretic framework for studying a restricted form of network coding in a general wireless network. The network is fixed and known, and the system performance is measured as the number of wireless transmissions required to meet n unicast demands. Game theory is here employed as a tool for improving distributed network coding solutions. We propose a framework that allows each unicast session to independently adjust his routing decision in response to local information. Specifically, we model the unicast sessions as self-interested decision makers in a noncooperative game. This approach involves designing both local cost functions and decision rules for the unicast sessions so that the resulting collective behavior achieves a desirable system performance in a shared network environment. We compare the performance of the resulting distributed algorithms to the best performance that could be found and implemented using a centralized controller. We focus on the performance of stable solutions - where stability here refers to a form of Nash equilibrium defined below. Results include bounds on the best- and worst-case stable solutions as compared to the optimal centralized solution. We show that our bounds on the best- and worst-case stable performance cannot be improved using cost functions that are independent of the network structure. Results in learning in games prove that the best-case stable solution can be learned by self-interested players with probability approaching 1.
The HRD Eustress Model: Generating Positive Stress With Challenging Work

Building on existing conceptualizations of stress, we present a model that provides an alternate explanation of the efficacy of human resource development (HRD) interventions. Unlike most stress research that emphasizes the negative side of stress, we view eustress—good stress—as a positive individual and organizational outcome. The HRD eustress model extends theory from the positive psychology and positive organizational behavior literature and positions a role for HRD in creating positive stress as a means to improve performance. We describe how HRD professionals can help challenge employees as a means of attaining individual goals and personal development.
Topological aspects of controllability and observability on the manifold of singular and regular systems

Abstract In a previous article (J. D. Cobb, J. Math. Anal Appl., Nov. 1986) we considered the class of all singular and regular linear time-invariant systems and proved some basic topological properties of that set. In this paper we examine specific implications of those results to control theory and demonstrate, among other things, that controllability and observability are generic properties even when singular systems are included in the construction. We also derive related results for other important subclasses of systems, proving that only some of the remaining fundamental system properties are generic. Finally, we extend existing results on connectedness and show that the number of connected components of the controllable and observable sets is diminished whenever singular systems are brought into the picture.
Haptic display of contact states

During manual assembly or manipulation of objects, different contact states between the object held by the human operator and other objects in the environment should result in different kinds of haptic sensations to the operator. In this paper, we address haptic rendering by taking into account the type of contact state and the effects of friction and gravity. We present a method to model the haptic force and moment caused by a principal contact between a virtually "held" polyhedral solid and another virtual polyhedral solid. We further describe how to identify a contact state between the virtual objects in real time, which is essential for the corresponding haptic rendering. The feasibility of our methods are verified by experiments.
Anisotropic thermal expansion of barium hexaferrite using dynamic high-temperature x-ray diffraction

Barium hexaferrite is a well-known ceramic permanent magnet and due to its high coercivity, remanence, and large uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, finds applications that compete with metallic magnets. Even though a number of the high-temperature properties of barium hexaferrite have been studied extensively, its anisotropic thermal expansion has not been reported so far. Dynamic high-temperature x-ray diffraction (HT-XRD) is one powerful method to obtain thermal expansion data for anisotropic polycrystalline materials in a very short period of time. In this paper the anisotropic nature of the thermal expansion coefficient of the barium hexaferrite phase is reported with the use of a dynamic HT-XRD setup. The thermal expansion coefficient (linear fit) was determined to be 8.36 × 10−6 K−1 along the a–b plane to 1.4 × 10−5 K−1 along the c axis between the temperature range of 293 to 1343 K.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae: an underutilized model for bacterial cell biology

In recent decades, bacterial cell biology has seen great advances, and numerous model systems have been developed to study a wide variety of cellular processes, including cell division, motility, assembly of macromolecular structures, and biogenesis of cell polarity. Considerable attention has been given to these model organisms, which include Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Caulobacter crescentus, and Myxococcus xanthus. Studies of these processes in the pathogenic bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae and its close relatives have also been carried out on a smaller scale, but this work is often overlooked, in part due to this organism's reputation as minimalistic and simple. In this minireview, I discuss recent work on the role of the M. pneumoniae attachment organelle (AO), a structure required for adherence to host cells, in these processes. The AO is constructed from proteins that generally lack homology to those found in other organisms, and this construction occurs in coordination with cell cycle events. The proteins of the M. pneumoniae AO share compositional features with proteins with related roles in model organisms. Once constructed, the AO becomes activated for its role in a form of gliding motility whose underlying mechanism appears to be distinct from that of other gliding bacteria, including Mycoplasma mobile. Together with the FtsZ cytoskeletal protein, motility participates in the cell division process. My intention is to bring this deceptively complex organism into alignment with the better-known model systems.
Sea Ice Deformation Rates From Satellite Measurements and in a Model

Abstract The deformation of sea ice is an important element of the Arctic climate system because of its influence on the ice‐thickness distribution and on the rates of ice production and melt. New data obtained from the Radarsat Geophysical Processor System (RGPS) using satellite synthetic aperture radar images of the ice offers an opportunity to compare observations of the ice deformation to estimates obtained from models. The RGPS tracks tens of thousands of points, spaced roughly at 10‐km intervals, for an entire season in a Lagrangian fashion. The deformation is computed from cells formed by the tracked points, typically at 3‐day intervals. We used a coupled ice/ocean model with ice‐thickness and enthalpy distributions that covers the entire Arctic Ocean with a 40‐km grid. Model‐only and model‐with‐data‐assimilation runs were analysed. The data assimilation runs were analysed in order to determine the validity of the comparison techniques and to find the comparisons under the best of circumstances, wh...
Detection Of Muerto Canyon Virus Rna In Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells From Patients With Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome

To determine if Muerto Canyon Virus (MCV) RNA is present in the peripheral blood of patients with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for MCV RNA was used on blood samples from 20 seropositive case-patients. RNA was prepared from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) or blood clot (or both) from 19 and from plasma from 11 case-patients. All 12 blood clot, all 13 PBMC, and 8 of 11 plasma preparations produced an MCV amplification product after RT-PCR with primers from the G2 gene. All of 5 PBMC RNA preparations tested were positive using unnested primers in S segment. Nucleotide sequences were determined for 16 G2 amplimers and 4 S segment amplimers, verifying that unique MCV cDNA sequences were amplified. Viral RNA became undetectable in 5 of 7 convalescent samples tested but was present up to day 23 of illness in 2 case-patients.
Risedronate for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women

Risedronate sodium is an N-containing bisphosphonate that has been approved for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. An increase in the rate of bone remodelling is a regular feature of oestrogen withdrawal during the menopausal transition, but excessive remodelling leads to bone fragility. Risedronate and similar compounds reduce the rate of bone remodelling by suppressing the action of osteoclasts. The antifracture efficacy of risedronate is impressive. In large clinical trials of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis-related fracture(s) at entry, the risk of incident vertebral and non-vertebral fractures was reduced by approximately 40%. In older women at risk for hip fracture, incident hip fractures were also reduced by approximately 40%. Antifracture efficacy develops within the first 6 months, and treatment has been followed for as long as 5 years without deleterious effects on bone. We await reports of experience with risedronate in 'real-world' cases of greater complexity (i.e., in patients with co-morbidities and medications that would have excluded them from published clinical trials).
The dialysis patient and attitudes towards work.

Home dialysis is considered as work and as the home patient's main job. Reasons for the belief of many staff members that employment is the only acceptable form of work and some of the effects this has on patient attitudes and planning are discussed. The physical and emotional stresses under which dialysis patients have to live are described as being similar to those of soldiers in combat. Helping patients to develop and utilize financial and other resources is viewed as an aid in reducing the incidence of “combat fatigue” and as fostering positive patient-staff relationships. The advantages of staff members' confining performance expectations as much as possible to the treatment area and of helping patients to maintain direction and control of their personal affairs, including decisions concerning employment, are stressed.
A systematic review of busways

Busways are controlled-access facilities dedicated for bus service separated from general traffic. The concept of busways was first given serious consideration in the 1960s; however, only a few of them have been constructed in North America. This paper examines the potential of busway transit in providing urban environments with cost-effective mobility. The review makes the case that there are some misconceptions concerning the cost and level-of-service characteristics of busways. In the final section, a comparison is made between busways and their most prominent competitor, light rail. The comparison is done in the framework of the four most cited advantages of light rail, and concludes that busways, in most cases, are likely to be a superior mode of transit to light rail.
Estimation of very low BER using Quasi-Analytical method

This paper proposes to estimate very low system BER using quasi-analytical (QA) method. The results from both theoretical analysis and simulation show that QA estimation is unbiased. Based on calculation of the simulation variance and improvement ratio for QA estimation, the QA is very effective for estimation of very low BER for system with intersymbol interference (ISI), jitter and additive noise.
SEU cross sections derived from a diffusion analysis

A simple theoretical prediction of single-event upset (SEU) cross section versus linear energy transfer (LET) is derived from a diffusion analysis, and the result is compared to some real device curves. It was found that at least some real device curves show two regimes. One regime (high-LET) is characterized by a very good fit to the theoretical prediction, and the other (low-LET) is characterized by a very bad fit. The existence of a high-LET regime provides additional credibility for the increasingly popular postulate that diffusion has an important effect on the shape of the cross-sectional curve.
Control theory-based regulation of hippocampal CA1 nonlinear dynamics

We are developing a biomimetic electronic neural prosthesis to replace regions of the hippocampal brain area that have been damaged by disease or insult. Our previous study has shown that the VLSI implementation of a CA3 nonlinear dynamic model can functionally replace the CA3 subregion of the hippocampal slice [1]. As a result, the propagation of temporal patterns of activity from DG→VLSI→CA1 reproduces the activity observed experimentally in the biological DG→CA3→CA1 circuit. In this project, we incorporate an open-loop controller to optimize the output (CA1) response. Specifically, we seek to optimize the stimulation signal to CA1 using a predictive dentate gyrus (DG)-CA1 nonlinear model (i.e., DG-CA1 trajectory model) and a CA1 input-output model (i.e., CA1 plant model), such that the ultimate CA1 response (i.e., desired output) can be first predicted by the DG-CA1 trajectory model and then transformed to the desired stimulation through the inversed CA1 plant model. Lastly, the desired CA1 output is evoked by the estimated optimal stimulation. This study will be the first stage of formulating an integrated modeling-control strategy for the hippocampal neural prosthetic system.
Growth of the Flattened Musk Turtle, Sternotherus depressus Tinkle and Webb

Abstract Sternotherus depressus (Flattened Musk Turtle) is a threatened endemic of the Black Warrior River basin in northern Alabama. Carapace lengths taken from recaptures of turtles individually marked over an 18-year period were used to generate von Bertalanffy growth curves for both sexes. Females grew faster than males early in life and reached estimated asymptotic size at a younger age. Size-at-sexual-maturity data from previous studies indicate that males reach maturity in 10–12 years, while females mature at 12–15 years. Compared to a spring-dwelling Florida population of S. minor (Loggerhead Musk Turtle), the Flattened Musk Turtle has a slower growth rate, a greater age at maturity, and a smaller asymptotic size. These differing life-history characteristics likely reflect cooler water temperatures and reduced food availability in Flattened Musk Turtle habitats.
A Dynamic Model of Individual and Collective Learning Amid Disruption

Using the methodology of system dynamics, we model the effects of disruptive events on learning and productivity in organizations. We leverage the learning-by-doing and transactive memory system theories to model the underpinnings of learning processes at the collective and individual levels. We simulate the impact of disruptive events on organizational productivity and performance, such as employee turnover, technological innovation, reorganization, and extreme events such as natural disasters, which disrupt individual knowledge, collective knowledge, or both. Finally, we discuss implications of our findings for future research on organizational learning and productivity. One implication is that representing organizational learning by a single power-law learning curve or even by multiple noninteracting learning curves may be in many cases inadequate. Another is that disruptions to individual learning can be beneficial to organizations in the long run, whereas disruptions to collective learning are detrimental in the short and long run. We discuss the factors that might help organizations mitigate the negative effects of disruption so that learning can occur amid even the most disruptive events.
A randomized, controlled trial of a simple emergency department intervention to improve the rate of primary care follow-up for patients with acute asthma exacerbations

Abstract Study Objective: We determined whether a simple emergency department intervention improves the likelihood of primary care provider (PCP) follow-up after ED discharge for an acute asthma exacerbation. Methods: This randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted in an urban university-based ED. Participants were patients with asthma between the ages of 16 and 45 years who were treated and discharged from the ED. The study intervention was usual care or an intervention that consisted of a free 5-day course of prednisone, vouchers for transportation to and from their PCP, and a 48-hour telephone reminder to make an appointment with their PCP. The main outcome was whether the patient received follow-up care as determined by PCP contact at 4 weeks. Results: One hundred ninety-two patients with asthma were enrolled over 8 months; 178 (93%) had complete follow-up. The intervention and control groups were similar with regard to age, sex, ethnicity, or years of education. The 2 groups were also comparable with respect to multiple measures of baseline access/barriers to care and severity of ED exacerbation. Patients receiving the intervention were significantly more likely to follow up with their PCP than control patients (relative risk 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1, 2.4). When adjusted for other factors influencing PCP follow-up care (ethnicity, prior PCP relationship, insurance status, regular car access), intervention patients were more likely to follow up with their PCP (odds ratio 3.1; 95% CI 1.5, 6.3). Conclusion: Providing medication, transportation vouchers, and a telephone reminder to make an appointment increased the likelihood that discharged patients with asthma obtained PCP follow-up. [Baren JM, Shofer FS, Ivey B, Reinhard S, DeGeus J, Stahmer SA, Panettieri R, Hollander JE. A randomized, controlled trial of a simple emergency department intervention to improve the rate of primary care follow-up for patients with acute asthma exacerbations. Ann Emerg Med. August 2001;38:115-122.]
Continuous, real-time monitoring of the oxygen uptake rate (OUR) in animal cell bioreactors.

A new method for real-time monitoring of the oxygen uptake rate (OUR) in bioreactors, based on dissolved oxygen (DO) measurement at two points, has been developed and tested extensively. The method has several distinct advantages over known techniques.It enables the continuous and undisturbed monitoring of OUR, which is conventionally impossible without gas analyzers. The technique does not require knowledge of k(L)a. It provides smooth, robust, and reliable signal. The monitoring scheme is applicable to both microbial and mammalian cell bioprocesses of laboratory or industrial scale. The method was successfully used in the cultivation of NSO-derived murine myeloma cell line producing monoclonal antibody. It was found that while the OUR increased with the cell density, the specific OUR decreased to approximately one-half at cell concentrations of 16 x 10(6) cells/mL, indicating gradual reduction of cell respiration activity. Apart from the laboratory scale cultivation, the method was applied to industrial scale perfusion culture, as well as to processes using other cell lines. (c) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Bulletpack: A Fast, Flexible Packing Algorithm for Particulate Media

We introduce a new particle packing code that mimics the process used to fabricate particulate media. It achieves realistic packing fractions, with values well above 40%, and high computational efficiency for nearly arbitrary particle shapes and distributions of geometric and magnetic properties. We perform recording simulations in combination with a modified version of the Magpar micromagnetic code to illustrate the importance of realistic packing. We find for the case of non-oriented platelets that the broadband signal-to-noise ratio drops by 1 dB when the packing fraction is reduced from 43% to 30%; this result is in agreement with scaling models.
Molecules into Cells: Specifying Spatial Architecture

A living cell is not an aggregate of molecules but an organized pattern, structured in space and in time. This article addresses some conceptual issues in the genesis of spatial architecture, including how molecules find their proper location in cell space, the origins of supramolecular order, the role of the genes, cell morphology, the continuity of cells, and the inheritance of order. The discussion is framed around a hierarchy of physiological processes that bridge the gap between nanometer-sized molecules and cells three to six orders of magnitude larger. Stepping stones include molecular self-organization, directional physiology, spatial markers, gradients, fields, and physical forces. The knowledge at hand leads to an unconventional interpretation of biological order. I have come to think of cells as self-organized systems composed of genetically specified elements plus heritable structures. The smallest self that can be fairly said to organize itself is the whole cell. If structure, form, and function are ever to be computed from data at a lower level, the starting point will be not the genome, but a spatially organized system of molecules. This conclusion invites us to reconsider our understanding of what genes do, what organisms are, and how living systems could have arisen on the early Earth.
High-Resolution Approaches in Stratigraphic Paleontology

Peter J. Harries, Ed., 2003, Topics in Paleobiology, Volume 21, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 474 p. (Hardcover, US$ 175.00) ISBN: 1-4020-1443-0 These are good times for stratigraphic paleontology. Event and sequence stratigraphy have transformed the field of stratigraphy over the past decade. Numerous analytic methods are available to correct for incompleteness in the fossil record and uneven sampling. Computational power has increased to the point that simulation and optimization methods that would have required a supercomputer not long ago can now be performed on the desktop. Paleontologists increasingly undertake studies of the fossil record at fine temporal and spatial scales, not only to improve the precision of correlation, but also to address ecological and evolutionary problems. This collection of papers seeks to highlight state-of-the-art approaches to stratigraphic paleontology, to show how different types of data sets may be integrated, and to consider the limitations of the fossil record. The volume springs from a 1999 GSA symposium sponsored by the Paleontological Society in honor of Erle Kauffman's contributions to stratigraphic paleontology. Its thirteen chapters progress broadly from the theoretical to the applied. The first four …
Measuring Business Performance: Emerging Perspectives Of The Balanced Scorecard

Benchmarking business performance over time is an emerging managerial capability that is used for continuous improvement of existing value adding activities and processes that become leading indicators of strategic success. To achieve this success, corporations first define success, and then they decide how to get there from where they are presently. Financial information has long been the language of business with accountants adding up the numbers and defining success in bottom-line figures. What have been missing are the non-financial elements of business enterprises, elements that can be quantified and linked to the bottom line as predictors of financial success. This paper utilizes Kaplan & Norton’s Balanced Scorecard (BSC) and an extensive pilot study of ski resorts to explore an awareness of using non-financial information as a supplement to financial information in explaining overall strategic performance in one segment of the tourism industry. Leading and lagging indicators of a non-financial nature were used in the study to help focus on the strategic and operational management practices at selected ski resorts in Colorado, Montana, Canada, and the Pacific Northwest. A list of potential critical success factors and non-critical success factors that help build value and best business practices for ski resort management, were identified through written and oral interview survey techniques following a combination Delphi & Nominal Group Techniques. Previous work on the balanced scorecard by Kaplan and Norton aided in the identification and description of indicators within each of four balanced perspectives. Recognition of the intuitive elements of non-financial measures represents a departure from prevalent theory that favors the more traditional financial perspective.
Augmented Reality in Surgery

Augmented reality (AR) has taken great strides in the last 20 years as microchips and heads-up displays have become ever smaller. The benefits afforded medical practitioners continues to be explored across many specialties. Head mounted displays have become more accessible and more affordable. While physicians are becoming acquainted with this new technology, researchers are pushing the envelope of bionanotechnology so that patients may benefit in addition to their medical practitioners. Our group has sought to find the utility of this new technology in limb salvage, resident education, and virtual consultation. However, this is just a fraction of what other investigators have attempted across subspecialties. Surgeons are constantly faced with the task of mentally integrating two-dimensional radiographs and the three-dimensional surgical field, which is the very reason that augmented reality is so attractive. AR has the potential to increase surgical precision, increase patient safety, and facilitate physician education. Until recently, augmented reality had neither the correct form factor to make intraoperative and in-clinic use practical, nor the efficacy to justify its application. Additionally, we must consider that the quest for increased efficiency could paradoxically result in decreased quality of care. Early simulation conducted by NASA in the 1980s revealed a risk of inattentional blindness during the use of head-up displays; therefore, it is unlikely that there will be one perfect system or technology that will suit every specialty. Further works will be required in this area in order to identify the requisite balance, but facilitating education, increasing safety, and improving care are not virtual goals, but are virtuous and ultimately realistic.
Dosage-Time Relationships Between 80:20 (CCl4:CS2) and Adult Rice Weevils, Sitophilus oryzae

The dosage-time relationship of 80:20 (CCl.4:CS2 as a fumigant was estimated for the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.), a major pest of stored grain. Bioassays were conducted for 9 exposure periods, ranging from 8 to 120hr, and the LD50 and LD90 were estimated by the probit method. The relationships between log exposure time and the LD60 and LD90 as determined separately are: LD50=95.61-39.32 log t and LD90=124.91-51.17 Log t.
Cultural Speak: Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Experiential Learning in a Public Speaking Classroom

This study describes the efficacy of modifications made to a higher education Latina/o public speaking course to enhance student growth and understanding. The changes included the addition of a ser...
Main Points in Writing Quality Standards of Health Foods

As quality standard takes an important part in health food's registration and declaration, The contents of the essentials,technic requests,test methods,appendices and the edit of high-lighted items were summarized, so that applicants could refer to and write a copy of satisfying and integrate application.