cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In vitro toxicity of alternative oxidase inhibitors salicylhydroxamic acid and propyl gallate on Fusicladium effusum

Pecan scab, caused by the fungus Fusicladium effusum (syn. Cladosporium caryigenum and Fusicladosporium effusum), is the most devastating disease of the commercial pecan (Carya illinoinensis) production in Southeastern United States. Disease control depends primarily on multiple applications of fungicides per season. Fungicides available for scab control include those in the quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) group. QoI fungicides have a high level of resistance risk and in vitro sensitivity assays are essential to monitor development of resistance in populations of F. effusum. In vitro assays were conducted to determine sensitivity of F. effusum to the QoI fungicide azoxystrobin. In vitro assays were conducted with and without the addition of salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM) to inhibit alternative oxidase (AOX) and eliminate the rescue impact of AOX on fungal respiration in the presence of QoI fungicides. When 0.653 mM SHAM was added to the medium, growth of a majority of the isolates was significantly reduced, even in the absence of fungicide. Of the 89 isolates tested, only 21 showed a dose response to azoxystrobin. Growth of the other 68 isolates was insufficient to measure a dose response. Only 18 isolates showed a clear dose response to azoxystrobin both with and without SHAM, but the calculated EC50 values were significantly different (P < 0.0001). Further experiments were performed to investigate the effects of different concentrations of SHAM and another AOX inhibitor, propyl gallate (PG) on hyphal growth derived from mycelial fragments of F. effusum in liquid medium in microtiter plates and hyphal growth derived from germinated conidia on solid medium in the absence of fungicide. Even at the lowest concentrations tested, both SHAM and PG (0.01 and 0.25 mM, respectively) inhibited hyphal growth of F. effusum in liquid medium and on solid medium. These results suggest the role of AOX and possible auxiliary toxicity of these inhibitors in F. effusum physiology. Due to the toxic effects of these AOX inhibitors on F. effusum in vitro, future sensitivity profiling for QoIs will be performed without the addition of these inhibitors.
Combinatorial Electrochemical Synthesis and Screening of Mesoporous ZnO for Photocatalysis

Automated electrochemical synthesis was used to create combinatorial libraries of mesoporous materials using tri-block copolymers as structure directing agents (SDA). An example library of 56 ZnO samples was synthesized, varying concentrations (0-15 wt.-%) of poly(ethylene oxide) -block-poly(propylene oxide)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) - EO20PO70EO20. High-throughput photoelectrochemical screening for the measurement of water-splitting photocatalysis identified peak performance at 3 wt.-% of the SDA. Lamellar structures and disordered mesopores were observed by TEM and XRD.
Small is not necessarily beautiful: the case against microcomputers

Ladies and gentlemen. Unlike our previous speaker I believe that the subject we are discussing this morning is so important that I intend to be perfectly serious and not attempt to entertain you with spurious humour.
Optimal techniques for class-dependent attribute discretization

Preprocessing of raw data has been shown to improve performance of knowledge discovery processes. Discretization of quantitative attributes is a key component of preprocessing and has the potential to greatly impact the efficiency of the process and the quality of its outcomes. In attribute discretization, the value domain of an attribute is partitioned into a finite set of intervals so that the attribute can be described using a small number of discrete representations. Discretization therefore involves two decisions, on the number of intervals and the placement of interval boundaries. Previous approaches for quantitative attribute discretization have used heuristic algorithms to identify partitions of the attribute value domain. Therefore, these approaches cannot be guaranteed to provide the optimal solution for the given discretization criterion and number of intervals. In this paper, we use linear programming (LP) methods to formulate the attribute discretization problem. The LP formulation allows the discretization criterion and the number of intervals to be integral considerations of the problem. We conduct experiments and identify optimal solutions for various discretization criteria and numbers of intervals.
Extension of methods for jellyfish and ctenophore trophic ecology to large-scale research

Science has rapidly expanded its frontiers with new technologies in the 20th Century. Oceanography now is studied routinely by satellite. Predictive models are on global scales. At the same time, blooms of jellyfish and ctenophores have become problematic, especially after 1980. Although we have learned a great deal about gelatinous zooplankton ecology in the 20th Century on local scales, we generally have not scaled-up to estimate the extent, the causes, or effects of large blooms. In this age of global science, research on gelatinous zooplankton needs to utilize large-scale approaches and predictive equations. Some current techniques enable jellyfish populations (aerial, towed cameras), feeding (metabolic rates, stable isotopes), and dynamics (predictive modeling) to be studied over large spatial and temporal scales. I use examples of scyphomedusae (Aurelia spp., Cyanea capillata, Chrysaoraquinquecirrha) and Mnemiopsis leidyi ctenophores, for which considerable data exist, to explore expanding from local to global scales of jellyfish trophic ecology. Regression analyses showed that feeding rates of Aurelia spp. (FR in copepods eaten medusa−1 d−1) generally could be estimated ±50% from in situ data on medusa wet weight (WW) and copepod density; temperature was not a significant factor. FR of C. capillata and C.quinquecirrha were similar to those of Aurelia spp.; the combined scyphomedusa regression underestimated measured FR of C.quinquecirrha and Aurelia spp. by 50% and 180%, respectively, and overestimated measured FR of C. capillata by 25%. Clearance rates (CR in liters cleared of copepods ctenophore−1 d−1) of M. leidyi were reduced in small containers (≤20 l), and a ratio of container-volume to ctenophore-volume of at least 2,500:1 is recommended for feeding experiments. Clearance rates were significantly related to ctenophore WW, but not to prey density or temperature, and estimated rates within 10–159%. Respiration rates of medusae and ctenophores were similar across habitats with greatly ambient different temperatures (10–30°C), and can be predicted from regressions using only mass. These regressions may permit estimation of feeding effects of gelatinous predators without exhaustive collection of feeding data in situ. I recommend that data on feeding and metabolism of jellyfish and ctenophores be entered in a database to allow generalized predictive relationships to be developed to promote inclusion of these important predators in ecosystem studies and models.
Crystal Structure and Nonhomologous End-joining Function of the Ligase Component of Mycobacterium DNA Ligase D

DNA ligase D (LigD) is a large polyfunctional enzyme involved in nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) in mycobacteria. LigD consists of a C-terminal ATP-dependent ligase domain fused to upstream polymerase and phosphoesterase modules. Here we report the 2.4 A crystal structure of the ligase domain of Mycobacterium LigD, captured as the covalent ligase-AMP intermediate with a divalent metal in the active site. A chloride anion on the protein surface coordinated by the ribose 3′-OH and caged by arginine and lysine side chains is a putative mimetic of the 5′-phosphate at a DNA nick. Structure-guided mutational analysis revealed distinct requirements for the adenylylation and end-sealing reactions catalyzed by LigD. We found that a mutation of Mycobacterium LigD that ablates only ligase activity results in decreased fidelity of NHEJ in vivo and a strong bias of mutagenic events toward deletions instead of insertions at the sealed DNA ends. This phenotype contrasts with the increased fidelity of double-strand break repair in ΔligD cells or in a strain in which only the polymerase function of LigD is defective. We surmise that the signature error-prone quality of bacterial NHEJ in vivo arises from a dynamic balance between the end-remodeling and end-sealing steps.
Pyoderma gangrenosum and Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in a diabetic man: pathogenic role or coincidence?

Abstract Chlamydia Pneumoniae is not a known cause of skin infections, but unusual pathogens cause chronic infections in diabetic patients. Multiple idiopathic pyoderma gangrenosum–like (PG-like) lesions were refractory to multiple therapeutic agents in a diabetic patient who had C pneumoniae identified by serologic tests and polymerase chain reaction. Based on complete resolution by prolonged anti-chlamydial antibiotic therapy and concomitant decrease in serologic and titers determined by polymerase chain reactions, the PG-like lesions were presumed to be due to C pneumoniae . (J Am Acad Dermatol 2000;42:295-7.)
Infrared absorption cross section data needed for the satellite remote sensing of CFC-14

Highly accurate absorption cross-sections, k (cm1atm1), have been measured in the 7.8 ,m band of CFC- 14 (CF4) at temperatures between 180 and 296 K using a high-resolution Fourier-transform spectrometer. The measured absorption cross-sections are free from instrumental distortion, since the spectra were recorded at spectral resolution that was sufficiently high at broadening pressures corresponding to tropospheric and stratospheric layers. Our data were obtained at pressures and temperatures which characterize commonly adapted model atmospheres and represent tangent heights in solar occultation type remote sensing observations of the atmosphere, have also been extended to conditions to be encountered in the atmosphere at Arctic and Antarctic latitudes. The combined absolute intensity of the bands contributing to the absorption around 7.8 m is 1.926 0.012 x 1016 cm molecule .© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Giant ureteral stones

Three cases of giant ureteral cast stones are described. Conditions of development of such big stones are discussed.
In Search of Direct Realism

It is fairly standard in accounts of the epistemology of perceptual knowledge to distinguish three main alternative positions: representationalism (also called representative realism or indirect realism), phenomenalism, and a third view that is called either naive realism (usually by its opponents) or direct realism (usually by those who are more sympathetic to it). I have always found the last of these views puzzling and elusive. My aim in this paper is to try to figure out what direct realism amounts to, mainly with an eye to seeing whether it offers a genuine epistemological alternative to the other two views and to representationalism in particular. My main thesis will be that it does not that what is right in direct realist views turns out to have little bearing on the central epistemological issue concerning perceptual knowledge. Both for reasons of space and to allow a focus on the issues that I regard as the most important, my discussion will be restricted in the following ways: First, I will give no consideration at all to phenomenalism. The numerous and to my mind entirely decisive objections to the phenomenalist view are by now very well known. Second, I will also give no attention to the standard externalist views of justification, of which reliabilism is the most familiar. Though it is very easy within a reliabilist framework to defend something that might perhaps be characterized as "direct realism," the point of such a characterization and of the alternatives that it implicitly suggests is largely lost in that context. Third, although I started by speaking of perceptual knowledge, I will pay no real attention to the concept of knowledge as such, focusing instead on the issue of whether and how perception yields a good reason or basis for thinking that a belief about the material world is true the issue of justification, as at least one version of internalism understands it.2 Fourth, I will follow the usual philosophical practice of concen-
A stickiness coefficient for longitudinal data

In this paper, we introduce the stickiness coefficient, a summary statistic for time-course and longitudinal data, which is designed to characterize the time dynamics of such data. The stickiness coefficient provides a simple, intuitive and informative measure that captures key information contained in time-course data. Under the assumption that the data are generated by the trajectories of a smooth underlying stochastic process, the stickiness coefficient illuminates the relationship between the value of the process at one time with the value it assumes at another time via a single numeric measure. In particular, the stickiness coefficient summarizes the extent to which deviations from the mean trajectory tend to co-vary over time. The estimation scheme we propose will allow for estimation even in the case that the longitudinal data are sparsely observed at irregular times and may be corrupted by noise. We demonstrate an estimation procedure for the stickiness coefficient and establish asymptotic consistency as well as asymptotic convergence rates. We illustrate the resulting stickiness coefficient with some theoretical calculations as well as several economic and health related data examples.
Porcine alveolar macrophages discriminate between self and nonself in lectin-mediated cellular cytotoxicity☆

Abstract The pulmonary alveolar macrophages (AM) from specific pathogen-free Minnesota miniature swine were tested for their ability to discriminate between xenogeneic and autologous red blood cell (RBC) targets in lectin-mediated cellular cytotoxicity measured by an 18-hr 51 Cr-release assay. It was found that the porcine AM would lyse xenogeneic chicken and sheep RBC but not autologous pig RBC in the presence of PHA. It was also shown that pig RBC was susceptible to lysis by the AM in a PHA-mediated assay if the effector AM were from rabbits. It is postulated that a nonspecific signal in conjunction with foreign recognition is able to trigger the AM lytic mechanism.
Space Superiority: Wernher von Braun’s Campaign for a Nuclear-Armed Space Station, 1946-1956

Abstract The literature on the history of spaceflight has depicted the early 1950s Collier’s articles mostly as a forerunner to the peaceful and scientific exploration of space. Yet the centerpiece of Wernher von Braun's plan was a manned space station that would serve as reconnaissance platform and orbiting battle station for achieving “space superiority” over the USSR. One its roles could be the launching of nuclear missiles. When challenged as to the station's defensibility, von Braun even posited pre-emptive atomic strikes from space as a response to the development of a hostile anti-satellite capability.
Studies of femtosecond laser induced damage of HfO2 thin film in atmospheric and vacuum environments

The single pulse femtosecond laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) of hafnia and silica films is not affected by the ambient gas pressure. In vacuum, the multiple pulse LIDT drops to ~10% (~10%) of its atmospheric value for hafnia (silica). The water vapor content of the ambient gas was found to control the change in the LIDT. The LIDT of bulk fused silica surfaces did now show any dependence on the ambient gas pressure. Hydrocarbons (toluene) did not change the multiple pulse LIDT for Hafnia films
Considerations for Modeling Particle Entrainment into the Wake of a Circular Cylinder

The objective of this work is to evaluate the performance of the steady state Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models for estimating concentration of low Stokes number aerosols (Stk = O(10−4)) in the wake of a bluff body. These simulations are compared with experimental data. In the simulations and experiments, particles are released upstream of the body and convected downstream, where some are entrained into the wake. The air velocity is computed using a steady state renormalized group k ∼ ϵ model. Lagrangian particle trajectory simulations are performed in conjunction with each airflow model to calculate concentrations. The experiments are performed in an aerosol wind tunnel in which phase Doppler velocimetry measurements are obtained for the velocity field and aerosol concentration. The RANS model yields a wake concentration deficit that extends downstream past x/D = 10, while the experiments produce elevated concentrations immediately downstream of the near wak...
Alzheimer's risk variants in the clusterin gene are associated with alternative splicing

Genetic variation in CLU encoding clusterin has been associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) through replicated genome-wide studies, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Following earlier reports that tightly regulated CLU alternative transcripts have different functions, we tested CLU single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including those associated with AD for quantitative effects on individual alternative transcripts. In 190 temporal lobe samples without pathology, we found that the risk allele of the AD-associated SNP rs9331888 increases the relative abundance of transcript NM_203339 (P=4.3 × 10−12). Using an independent set of 115 AD and control samples, we replicated this result (P=0.0014) and further observed that multiple CLU transcripts are at higher levels in AD compared with controls. The AD SNP rs9331888 is located in the first exon of NM_203339 and therefore, it is a functional candidate for the observed effects. We tested this hypothesis by in vitro dual luciferase assays using SK-N-SH cells and mouse primary cortical neurons and found allelic effects on enhancer function, consistent with our results on post-mortem human brain. These results suggest a biological mechanism for the genetic association of CLU with AD risk and indicate that rs9331888 is one of the functional DNA variants underlying this association.
Energy Enhancement of Mode-Locked Fiber Lasers with Sinusoidal Transmission

A generalized master mode-locking model is shown to support high-energy pulses that are not predicted by the master mode-locking theory, thus providing a platform for optimizing high-energy laser performance.
Role of spectral presaturation attenuated inversion-recovery fat-suppressed T2-weighted MR imaging in active inflammatory bowel disease.

Purpose To retrospectively evaluate the efficacy of spectral presaturation attenuated inversion-recovery (SPAIR) fat-suppressed (FS) partial Fourier single shot (SSH) T2-weighted (T2W) and gadolinium-enhanced (Gd) FS 3D-gradient echo (3DGRE) T1-weighted (T1W) delayed phase MRI to differentiate active bowel inflammation from fibrotic disease in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). Materials and Methods MRI studies of 81 patients (mean age, 43 years; range, 22–77 years; M:F ratio 33:48) had T2W and T1W imaging including SPAIR-SSH and delayed Gd-3DGRE. The ability to assess disease activity in bowel segments affected were retrospectively evaluated by a grading scheme based on subjective analysis of signal intensities. These results were compared against the standard clinical parameters of disease activity. Results SPAIR-SSH images correlated better (r = 0.74, P < 0.0001) with activity than delayed Gd-3DGRE (r = 0.39, P = 0.0003), with a significant difference between the two techniques (P < 0.0001). SPAIR-SSH images showed higher specificity in detection of severely active disease in per patient (98%) and segmental (98%) analysis compared to Gd-3DGRE (57%, 70%). Gd-3DGRE technique showed significantly higher sensitivity (P = 0.01) in identifying active disease in per patient (83%) and segmental (85%) analysis compared to SPAIR-SSH (70%, 64%). Conclusion SPAIR-SSH detects actively diseased CD bowel segments with a high level of specificity. Noninflammatory bowel fibrosis corresponds to abnormal uptake on delayed phase Gd-3DGRE images but without associated elevated abnormal signal on SPAIR-SSH. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2008;28:1133–1140. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
How to control the Internet: Comparative political implications of the Internet's engineering

The spread of the Internet has had a profound impact on the social sciences, but understanding of how the engineering realities of the Internet’s construction shape its political effects still lags. This article presents a framework and rich examples from multiple countries in order to describe how national differences in the implementation of the Internet cause different strategic calculations by political actors. This paper’s goal is to provide a starting point for social scientists to treat the Internet as a strategic construction of regime and people, rather than a technical black box.
Urine cytology discrepancies: frequency, causes, and outcomes.

Although urine cytology is used for the early detection and surveillance of urothelial carcinoma, there has been little study of the frequency, causes, and outcomes of cytologic-histologic discrepancies. We obtained histologic follow-up in 361 (6.2%) of 5,785 voided, 124 (19.5%) of 636 lower tract instrumented, and 23 (33%) of 69 upper tract urinary cytologic specimens from 1 institution during a 2-year timeframe to determine diagnostic discrepancy frequency and outcomes. Cytologic-histologic discrepancies were observed in 208 (40.9%) cases with histologic followup, and the cause of discrepancy was interpretation and sampling in 35.1% and 63.0%, respectively. Of all discrepancies, 101 (48.6%) resulted in minimal or mild harm, consisting mainly of repeated testing and/or diagnostic delays. Severe harm never was observed. We conclude that current screening and surveillance methods that incorporate urine cytology are accurate in diagnosing urothelial cancer. However, the current protocols result in potentially reducible errors that lead to unnecessary testing and diagnostic delays. Urine cytology is used for the primary or recurrent diagnosis of urothelial carcinoma, and the sensitivity and specificity vary by collection method and tumor grade. 1-3 False-negative test results generally are attributed to inability to sample some lesions (eg, voided urine specimens may not contain shed neoplastic cells) or to difficulties in diagnosing some entities (eg, low-grade cancers cytologically resemble nonneoplastic urothelium). 2-5 False-positive test results often are
Long-Term Stability Test System for High-Voltage, High-Frequency SiC Power Devices

This paper presents a test system developed for long-term stability characterization of 10 kV Silicon Carbide (SiC) power MOSFETs and SiC diodes under 20 kHz hard switching conditions. The system is designed to test a single power switch and a single power diode for continuous or burst switching conditions up to 5 kV and 5 A. The test system includes a 4.5 kV to 5 kV boost converter to emulate a 22.5 kW hard switching power converter. An additional DC-DC converter is used to recover the power processed by the boost converter. The design criteria, simulation, and construction of the test system are discussed in this paper and the system operation is demonstrated using various high voltage devices including 4.5 kV Silicon IGBTs, 10-kV SiC MOSFETs and 15 kV stacked silicon diodes.
Human placental growth hormone causes severe insulin resistance in transgenic mice.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: The insulin resistance of pregnancy is considered to be mediated by human placental lactogen, but the metabolic effects of human placental growth hormone have not been well defined. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of placental growth hormone on insulin sensitivity in vivo using transgenic mice that overexpress the human placental growth hormone gene. STUDY DESIGN: Glucose and insulin tolerance tests were performed on 5 transgenic mice that overexpressed the human placental growth hormone variant gene and 6 normal littermate controls. The body composition of the mice was assessed by dual-energy radiograph absorptiometry, and free fatty acid levels were measured as a marker of lipolysis. RESULTS: The human placental growth hormone levels in the transgenic mice were comparable to those attained in the third trimester of pregnancy. These mice were nearly twice as heavy as the control mice, and their body composition differed by a significant increase in bone density and a small decrease in percentage of body fat. Fasting insulin levels in the transgenic mice that overexpressed placental growth hormone were approximately 4-fold higher than the control mice (1.57 ± 0.22 ng/mL vs 0.38 ± 0.07 ng/mL; P P P CONCLUSION: Human placental growth hormone causes insulin resistance as manifested by fasting and postprandial hyperinsulinemia and minimal glucose lowering in response to insulin injection. Human placental growth hormone is a highly likely candidate to mediate the insulin resistance of pregnancy. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;186:512-7.)
Aging and Filtering by Movement in Visual Search

We examined the ability of younger and older adults to selectively process moving items and ignore stationary items in a task that required the search for a target defined by a conjunction of movement and form (i.e., search for a moving X among moving Os and stationary Xs) in displays of 5, 9, 17, and 25 stimuli (Experiment 1) and displays of 5, 10, and 20 stimuli (Experiment 2). We also investigated subjects' performance in two feature search tasks, the search for a target defined by movement or form. Finally, we examined the influence of practice on feature and conjunction search. Younger and older adults searched the displays at similar rates in the feature and conjunction search tasks. Older and younger adults also benefited equivalently from practice. These data suggest age-equivalence in the processes which underlie feature search in dynamic environments as well as those processes responsible for the segregation of moving and stationary objects in the visual field. Language: en
Introduction: For Better or Worse: Intimate Relationships as Sources of Risk or Resilience for Girls' Delinquency

The recent rise in arrest rates for violent offenses among girls has sparked an increased interest in understanding the risk and protective factors associated with girls' aggression. Particular attention has been drawn to the role that girls' intimate relationships may play in promoting persistence or desistence from delinquency. To this end, a number of independent laboratories have been engaged in conducting prospective longitudinal studies to uncover the influence of romantic relationships on girls' antisocial behavior through the transition from adolescence to emerging adulthood, which are gathered together in this special section. This article introduces the contributions to the special section and considers both the lessons provided and the directions needed for future research devoted to understanding girls' delinquency and aggression.
Low-k interconnect stack with metal-insulator-metal capacitors for 22nm high volume manufacturing

We describe interconnect features for Intel's 22nm high-performance logic technology, with metal-insulator-metal capacitors and nine layers of interconnects. Metal-1 through Metal-6 feature a new ultra-low-k carbon doped oxide (CDO) and a low-k etch stop. Metal-7 and Metal-8 use a low-k CDO. New materials and process optimization provide 13–18% capacitance improvement. Single-exposure patterning for 80nm pitch layers makes the process cost-effective.
Delta V as a Predictor of Significant Injury for Children Involved in Frontal Motor Vehicle Crashes

One of the most important determinants of the severity of injury sustained by occupants in motor vehicle crashes is the instantaneous change in velocity, the delta V, at the time of impact. Historically, delta V has been of limited use clinically because the calculation of delta V required a detailed crash investigation to systematically measure the crush of the vehicles involved and to determine travel velocities at the time of impact. This crash information was not generally available in a time frame useful for clinical decision making. With the installation of event data recorders (EDRs) in many newer model vehicles, delta V can now be measured directly at the time of the crash and is potentially immediately available for use in trauma triaging. Previous studies that have demonstrated the relationship between delta V and overall injury risk as well as injury risk to specific body regions have been primarily focused on adult occupants.1–5 As children have unique safety needs, these results cannot be directly applied to the pediatric population. To determine whether and to what degree delta V is predictive of injury risk in child occupants involved in motor vehicle crashes, we correlated the delta V determined during detailed crash investigation from a large child specific surveillance system with specific anatomic injury data.
Samuelson maps: recent results

Samuelson maps are maps whose Jacobian matrix has nowhere vanishing leading principal minors. This paper surveys some recent results on invertibility of Samuelson maps and their decomposition into maps that fix all but one coordinate. The most noteworthy result is that real, rational, everywhere defined Samuelson maps are invertible. Proofs are sketched or omitted entirely.
Utilization of Pharmacist Responders as a Component of a Multidisciplinary Sepsis Bundle

Background: Sepsis and septic shock remain a significant burden on the US health care system. A multidisciplinary response system (Coordinated Response to Sepsis, CaRTS) that included a pharmacist responder was implemented for patients with newly suspected sepsis. Objective: To evaluate the time to appropriate antibiotic administration among patients with the CaRTS intervention compared with historical controls. Method: The CaRTS intervention included an electronic order set as well as activation of a multidisciplinary team of pharmacy and nursing personnel to coordinate resuscitation and medication administration. The CaRTS group was compared to historical controls. The primary outcome of the study was the proportion of patients with appropriate antibiotic administration within 1 hour of recognition of sepsis. Secondary outcomes included achievement of mean arterial pressure (MAP) ≥65 mm Hg and central venous pressure (CVP) of 8 to 12 mm Hg within 6 hours. Result: The CaRTS intervention was used for 49 p...
Genome-Wide Association Study of Theta Band Event-Related Oscillations Identifies Serotonin Receptor Gene HTR7 Influencing Risk of Alcohol Dependence

Event-related brain oscillations (EROs) represent highly heritable neuroelectrical correlates of human perception and cognitive performance that exhibit marked deficits in patients with various psychiatric disorders. We report the results of the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) of an ERO endophenotype—frontal theta ERO evoked by visual oddball targets during P300 response in 1,064 unrelated individuals drawn from a study of alcohol dependence. Forty-two SNPs of the Illumina HumanHap 1 M microarray were selected from the theta ERO GWAS for replication in family-based samples (N = 1,095), with four markers revealing nominally significant association. The most significant marker from the two-stage study is rs4907240 located within ARID protein 5A gene (ARID5A) on chromosome 2q11 (unadjusted, Fisher's combined P = 3.68 × 10−6). However, the most intriguing association to emerge is with rs7916403 in serotonin receptor gene HTR7 on chromosome 10q23 (combined P = 1.53 × 10−4), implicating the serotonergic system in the neurophysiological underpinnings of theta EROs. Moreover, promising SNPs were tested for association with diagnoses of alcohol dependence (DSM-IV), revealing a significant relationship with the HTR7 polymorphism among GWAS case–controls (P = 0.008). Significant recessive genetic effects were also detected for alcohol dependence in both case–control and family-based samples (P = 0.031 and 0.042, respectively), with the HTR7 risk allele corresponding to theta ERO reductions among homozygotes. These results suggest a role of the serotonergic system in the biological basis of alcohol dependence and underscore the utility of analyzing brain oscillations as a powerful approach to understanding complex genetic psychiatric disorders. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Geophysical Monitoring of a Field-Scale Biostimulation Pilot Project

The USGS conducted a geophysical investigation in support of a U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southern Division field-scale biostimulation pilot project at Anoka County Riverfront Park (ACP), downgradient of the Naval Industrial Reserve Ordnance Plant, Fridley, Minnesota. The goal of the pilot project is to evaluate subsurface injection of vegetable oil emulsion (VOE) to stimulate microbial degradation of chlorinated hydrocarbons. To monitor the emplacement and movement of the VOE and changes in water chemistry resulting from VOE dissolution and/or enhanced biological activity, the USGS acquired cross-hole radar zero-offset profiles, traveltime tomograms, and borehole geophysical logs during five site visits over 1.5 years. Analysis of preand postinjection data sets using petrophysical models developed to estimate VOE saturation and changes in total dissolved solids provides insights into the spatial and temporal distribution of VOE and ground water with altered chemistry. Radar slowness-difference tomograms and zero-offset slowness profiles indicate that the VOE remained close to the injection wells, whereas radar attenuation profiles and electromagnetic induction logs indicate that bulk electrical conductivity increased downgradient of the injection zone, diagnostic of changing water chemistry. Geophysical logs indicate that some screened intervals were located above or below zones of elevated dissolved solids; hence, the geophysical data provide a broader context for interpretation of water samples and evaluation of the biostimulation effort. Our results include (1) demonstration of field and data analysis methods for geophysical monitoring of VOE biostimulation and (2) site-specific insights into the spatial and temporal distributions of VOE at the ACP.
BER-Optimal Analog-to-Digital Converters for Communication Links

In this paper, we propose low precision BER-optimal analog-to-digital converters (ADC) where quantization levels and thresholds are set nonuniformly to minimize the bit-error rate (BER ) in a high data rate communication link. This is in contrast to how ADCs are used today, in which they act as transparent waveform preservers. Simulations for various communication channels show that for 2-PAM modulation, the BER-optimal ADC achieves shaping gains that range from 2.5 dB for channels with low intersymbol interference (ISI) to more than 30 dB for channels with high levels of ISI. Moreover, a 3-bit BER -optimal ADC achieves the same or even lower BER than a 4-bit uniform ADC. With a DFE and a high-ISI channel, a 3-bit BER -optimal ADC achieves lower BER than a 5-bit uniform ADC.
Recognition and management of unusual cutaneous tumors.

Basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma are sometimes referred to as the big three because they are the most commonly encountered cutaneous malignancies. There are several other important, although less commonly seen, cutaneous carcinomas that must be remembered to provide a comprehensive and accurate differential diagnosis of cutaneous neoplasms. Many times, these unusual cutaneous cancers mimic a basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma. The correct diagnosis is often missed preoperatively mainly because of the rarity of these tumors. This article discusses several of these unusual tumors that all dermatologists encounter, including dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP), atypical fibroxanthoma (AFX), malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH), angiosarcoma, extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD), Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), leiomyosarcoma, and sebaceous carcinoma.
Nitrofurantoin solubility in aqueous urea and creatinine solutions

Experiments were carried out to determine the effect of urea and creatinine on the solubility of nitrofurantoin in water at different temperature and pH conditions. The addition of urea to aqueous media increased nitrofurantoin solubility up to a maximum concentration level and then decreased solubility at higher urea concentrations. The amount of urea needed to bring about maximum nitrofurantoin solubility was dependent on temperature and ranged between 1.75 and 2.50%. Spectral studies suggest a possible interaction between urea and nitrofurantoin molecules. Nitrofurantoin solubility increased with an increasing creatinine concentration ranging from 0.05 to 1.6%. Spectral studies indicate a strong interaction between creatinine and nitrofurantoin molecules in solution. The combined effect of urea and creatinine of the solubility of nitrofurantoin could account for the absence of crystalluria with this drug, even though unusually high concentrations in urine have been reported.
Surgical considerations of coronary arterial fistula.

Abstract Coronary arterial fistulas into the cardiac chambers are rare lesions. Severity of symptoms is dependent upon the size and location of the fistulous opening. Although the fistula may communicate with any of the cardiac chambers, communication between the right coronary artery and right ventricle is the most common type. Seven cases of this type are reported with 5 surviving surgical correction and 2 dying without operative interruption of the fistula. In 6 cases the fistula was of the right coronary artery into the right ventricle, and in the remaining case the left circumflex branch emptied into the right ventricle. A technic of surgical repair is described which provides for obliteration of the fistula with preservation of arterial continuity. This method prevents subsequent complications from myocardial ischemia. Operation is recommended in all patients with coronary arterial fistulas producing a significant circulatoryshunt.
Energy-delay tradeoffs in 32-bit static shifter designs

This paper compares the energy-delay tradeoff curves of 32-bit static barrel and funnel shifters. The Stanford Circuit Optimization Tool (SCOT) is used to determine best transistor sizes in a 90 nm process. The paper evaluates the effect of multiplexer valency, circuit design, and physical placement. It also quantifies the costs of various shift operations. A funnel shifter using 4- and 8-input static multiplexer stages gives the best energy-delay tradeoff, with a knee at 440 ps (15 FO4 inverter delays) consuming 0.9 pJ per shift.
In vivo photoacoustic microscopy with 7.6-µm axial resolution using a commercial 125-MHz ultrasonic transducer

Photoacoustic microscopy has achieved submicron lateral resolution, but its axial resolution is much lower. Here an axial resolution of 7.6 μm, the highest axial resolution validated by experimental data, has been achieved by using a commercial 125 MHz ultrasonic transducer for signal detection followed by the Wiener deconvolution for signal processing. Limited by the working distance, the high-frequency ultrasonic transducer can penetrate 1.2 mm into biological tissue from the ultrasound detection side. At this depth, the signal-to-noise ratio decreases by 11 dB, and the axial resolution degrades by 36%. The new system was demonstrated in imaging melanoma cells ex vivo and mouse ears in vivo.
Split Hopkinson resonant bar test for sonic-frequency acoustic velocity and attenuation measurements of small, isotropic geological samples

Mechanical properties (seismic velocities and attenuation) of geological materials are often frequency dependent, which necessitates measurements of the properties at frequencies relevant to a problem at hand. Conventional acoustic resonant bar tests allow measuring seismic properties of rocks and sediments at sonic frequencies (several kilohertz) that are close to the frequencies employed for geophysical exploration of oil and gas resources. However, the tests require a long, slender sample, which is often difficult to obtain from the deep subsurface or from weak and fractured geological formations. In this paper, an alternative measurement technique to conventional resonant bar tests is presented. This technique uses only a small, jacketed rock or sediment core sample mediating a pair of long, metal extension bars with attached seismic source and receiver—the same geometry as the split Hopkinson pressure bar test for large-strain, dynamic impact experiments. Because of the length and mass added to the s...
Measurement of angular and distance correlation properties of log-normal shadowing at 1900 MHz and its application to design of PCS systems

This paper investigates the correlation properties of shadow fading as a function of the angle between two PCS base stations over urban, light urban, and suburban terrain. Results from this study are relevant to the analysis of interference, handoff gain, and to various frequency planning applications in modern cellular and PCS systems. Using a significantly larger data set than previous experiments, we observed that on the average, the shadow fading components of the signals are not correlated, even at small angles. Our results contradict the conventional wisdom, as expressed in several papers, which says that there is relatively high correlation at small angles. Our results indicate that a mathematically simpler uncorrelated model for the relationship between signals from multiple base stations at small angles can be used in analysis tools. Distance correlation measurements computed by forming the autocorrelation function on a large number of data sets showed that the correlation distance of the shadowing process ranges from about 25 to 100 m.
Statistical theory of nonferrous metal separator performance

The performance of the ramp-type nonferrous metal separator is analyzed on the basis of statistical considerations involving the probability of collisions between metal and nonmetal particles and entrapment of metal particles by nonmetal particles. A general mathematical theory is developed which allows calculation of grade and recovery for single- and double-pass tests as a function of divider positions and feedrates.
Relations Between PL Maps, Complementary Cones, and Degree in Linear Complementarity Problems

Let M be an n × n real matrix and q an n-vector. The problem $${\text{find z }} \in {{\text{R}}^{\text{n}}}{\text{ and w}} \in {{\text{R}}^{\text{n}}}{\text{such that}}$$ (I, -M, q) w = q + Mz, w ≥ 0, z ≥ 0, and $${{\rm{w}}^{\rm{T}}}{\rm{z = 0}}\left( {{\rm{i}}{\rm{.e}}{\rm{., }}{{\rm{w}}_{\rm{i}}}{\rm{ = 0 or }} {{\rm{z}}_{\rm{i}}}{\rm{ = 0 for i = l, }}...{\rm{, n}}} \right)$$ is called the linear complementarity problem (LCP). This problem is a canonical form for a variety of significant problems in mathematical progamming, economics and enginerring (e.g., references [2], [6], [9], [18–20], [24], [32]) and there is a wealth of literature on the problem (see, for example, references [3–5], [7], [10–17], [21–23], [25–28], [30–31], [33–43] and papers cited therein).
A Service Level Agreement Language for Dynamic Electronic Services

This paper proposes a novel language for Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for dynamic and spontaneous electronic services. In a cross-organizational setting, it is important for customers of a service to obtain, monitor and enforce quality of service (QoS) guarantees by service providers, usually expressed in the form of SLAs. Since the supervision and management of SLAs and the provisioning of corresponding systems should be automated for economic reasons, we need a formal language to define an SLA. If, moreover, providers and customers want to sign custom-made SLAs, the SLA language, correspondingly, must provide a large degree of flexibility. The SLA language described in this paper aims at providing the needed flexibility by means of an XML-based representation and a runtime system for SLAs. Using this language, parties to an SLA can describe how parameters are measured and computed from raw metrics, the guarantees they want with respect to those parameters and the involvement of third parties to, e.g., independently verify SLA compliance.
Motion discrimination in dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer disease

Objective: Visual processing abilities of patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) or Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia were assessed psychophysically using a simple horizontal motion discrimination task that engages the dorsal visual processing stream. Methods: Participants included patients with mild dementia with DLB, AD dementia or Parkinson disease (PD) with dementia (PDD), without dementia with PD, and normal controls. Participants indicated the left or right direction of coherently moving dots that were embedded within dynamic visual noise provided by randomly moving dots. The proportion of coherently moving dots was increased or decreased across trials to determine a threshold at which participants could correctly indicate their direction with greater than 80% accuracy. Results: Motion discrimination thresholds of patients with DLB and PDD were comparable and significantly higher (i.e., worse) than those of patients with AD dementia. The thresholds of patients with AD dementia and patients with PD were normal. These results were confirmed in subgroups of patients with DLB/PDD and AD dementia with autopsy-confirmed disease. A motion discrimination threshold greater than 0.23 distinguished between DLB/PDD and AD dementia with 67% sensitivity and 85% specificity. Conclusions: Differential deficits in detecting direction of simple horizontal motion suggest that dorsal processing stream dysfunction is greater in DLB and PDD than in AD dementia. Therefore, impaired performance on simple visual motion discrimination tasks that specifically engage occipitoparietal brain regions suggests the presence of Lewy body pathology.
Challenges and opportunities to advance pediatric neuro-oncology care in the developing world

Purpose As the morbidity and mortality associated with communicable diseases continue to decrease in the developing world, the medical burden of childhood cancer continues to expand. Although international aid and relief groups such as the World Health Organization recognize the importance of childhood cancer, their main emphasis is on the more easily treated malignancies, such as leukemias and lymphomas, and not pediatric brain tumors, which are the second most common malignancy in children and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the pediatric population. Addressing the needs of these children is a growing concern of several professional neuro-oncology-related societies. Thus, the goal of this review is to describe the current state of pediatric neuro-oncology care in the developing world, address the current and future needs of the field, and help guide professional societies’ efforts to contribute in a more holistic and multidisciplinary manner.
Cooperative learning for CS1 and beyond: making it work for you --- conference workshop

Cooperative learning is a well-known instructional strategy with many significant benefits for students. This workshop is designed to help you make the transition to using cooperative learning, so that you can enjoy the benefits of this technique in your own classes. We will focus on practical issues such as course planning, methods for guiding group processes, and other concerns brought up by participants, combining a theoretical framework with actual experiences from the classroom. The cooperative learning principles and workshop activities will be applicable throughout the curriculum. Workshop participants will also receive a complete set of class-tested cooperative learning activities that have raised test scores in CS1 by 25% at our institution. No prior experience with cooperative learning is necessary.