cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-bandwidth positioning control of small payloads mounted on a flexible structure

This paper considers the problem of high-bandwidth positioning and pointing of a small mass mounted on a flexible structure. A potential application would be the positioning of mirrors in a space-based interferometer. For high-performance control it is a general rule that a sufficiently accurate model of the plant is needed in the control bandwidth, particularly at crossover. Determining a sufficiently accurate model of a flexible structure over a broad frequency band is a very difficult problem. This paper points out that, for small payloads, the plant transfer function from control actuation to sensing is only lightly perturbed from what it would be if the structure was rigid. The paper identifies a bound on the gain and phase perturbations of the plant as a function of the ratio of the payload mass to modal mass of the structure. It is shown that, when this ratio is small enough, a high-performance stable controller can be designed without further consideration of the structural dynamics. Experimental results are presented that quantitatively support the predictions.
Two RNA-binding motifs in eIF3 direct HCV IRES-dependent translation

The initiation of protein synthesis plays an essential regulatory role in human biology. At the center of the initiation pathway, the 13-subunit eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 (eIF3) controls access of other initiation factors and mRNA to the ribosome by unknown mechanisms. Using electron microscopy (EM), bioinformatics and biochemical experiments, we identify two highly conserved RNA-binding motifs in eIF3 that direct translation initiation from the hepatitis C virus internal ribosome entry site (HCV IRES) RNA. Mutations in the RNA-binding motif of subunit eIF3a weaken eIF3 binding to the HCV IRES and the 40S ribosomal subunit, thereby suppressing eIF2-dependent recognition of the start codon. Mutations in the eIF3c RNA-binding motif also reduce 40S ribosomal subunit binding to eIF3, and inhibit eIF5B-dependent steps downstream of start codon recognition. These results provide the first connection between the structure of the central translation initiation factor eIF3 and recognition of the HCV genomic RNA start codon, molecular interactions that likely extend to the human transcriptome.
Biomimetic engineered muscle with capacity for vascular integration and functional maturation in vivo

Tissue-engineered skeletal muscle can serve as a physiological model of natural muscle and a potential therapeutic vehicle for rapid repair of severe muscle loss and injury. Here, we describe a platform for engineering and testing highly functional biomimetic muscle tissues with a resident satellite cell niche and capacity for robust myogenesis and self-regeneration in vitro. Using a mouse dorsal window implantation model and transduction with fluorescent intracellular calcium indicator, GCaMP3, we nondestructively monitored, in real time, vascular integration and the functional state of engineered muscle in vivo. During a 2-wk period, implanted engineered muscle exhibited a steady ingrowth of blood-perfused microvasculature along with an increase in amplitude of calcium transients and force of contraction. We also demonstrated superior structural organization, vascularization, and contractile function of fully differentiated vs. undifferentiated engineered muscle implants. The described in vitro and in vivo models of biomimetic engineered muscle represent enabling technology for novel studies of skeletal muscle function and regeneration.
Effect of the Daguerreotype Process on Morton’s Part in History

Abstract Because daguerreotype photographs are usually reversed laterally from actuality, images of W.T.G. Morton falsely suggest that he sometimes changed the side of the part in his hair. Because of daguerreotype image reversal, a statue of Apollo in the Ether Dome at the Massachusetts General Hospital appears to have been moved for the 50th anniversary of Ether Day.
On the impact of functional imaging accuracy on selective boosting IMRT

Abstract In order to quantify the impact of loss of functional imaging sensitivity and specificity on tumor control and normal tissue toxicity for selective boosting IMRT four selective boosting scenarios were designed: SB91-81 (EUD = 91 Gy for the high-risk tumor subvolume and EUD = 81 Gy for a remaining low-risk PTV (rPTV)), SB80-74, SB90-70, and risk-adaptive optimization. For each sensitivity loss level the loss in tumor control probability (ΔTCP) was calculated. For each specificity loss level, the increase in rectal and bladder toxicity was quantified using the radiobiological indices (equivalent uniform dose (EUD) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP)) as well as %-volumes irradiated. The impact of loss in sensitivity on local tumor control was maximal when the prescription dose level for rPTV had the lowest value. The SB90-70 plan had a ΔTCP = 29.6%, the SB91-81 plan had a ΔTCP = 9.5%, while for risk-adaptive optimization a ΔTCP = 4.7% was found. Independent of planning technique loss in functional imaging specificity appears to have a minimal impact on the expected normal tissue toxicity, since an increase in rectal or bladder toxicity as a function of loss in specificity was not observed. Additionally, all plans fulfilled the rectum and the bladder sparing criteria found in the literature for late rectal bleeding and genitourinary complications. Our study shows that the choice of a low-risk classification for the rPTV in selective boosting IMRT may lead to a significant loss in TCP. Furthermore, for the example considered in which normal tissue complications can be limited through the use of a tissue expander it appears that the therapeutic ratio can be improved using a functional imaging technique with a high sensitivity and limited specificity; while for cases were this is not possible, an optimal balance between sensitivity and specificity has to be found.
The Christian Executioner: Christianity and Chieftaincy as Rivals

La christianisation de l'Akuapem, un petit royaume du sud du Ghana a commence il y a 150 ans. Depuis, cette tentative d'evangelisation suscite le debat et l'incertitude de la part de la population locale. Pour comprendre l'experience de christianisation dans l'Afrique d'aujourd'hui, il est necessaire de posseder une connaissance detaillee des contextes historique et social. L'A. analyse les traditions de ce royaume, s'attache aux discours indigenes ainsi qu'aux facteurs qui conduisent la population a rester incertaine et indeterminee. Le christianisme n'est pas une categorie indifferenciee non soumise a la competition
The impact of calls of preferred stock on common shareholders' wealth

Abstract This paper examines the behavior of common stock prices around the announcement dates of calls of straight and convertible preferred stock. Our results indicate that calls of in-the-money convertibles result in a decrease in stock price. On the other hand, we find that calls of out-of-the-money convertibles are associated with stock price increases. In addition, our results indicate that the negative price impact of in-the-money calls is related to the reduction in cash dividend payout induced by the conversion of preferred stock to common stock, and not related to whether the call is underwritten or not, and the “moneyness” of the convertible preferred. Finally, we find that calls of straight preferred that are financed with debt result in an increase in stock price, while all other straight preferred calls have no impact on stock price.
Comparison of BHK-21 cell growth on microcarriers vs in suspension at 2L scale both in conventional bioreactor and single-use bioreactor (Univessel® SU)

Background BHK-21 cells are the most commonly used cells for vaccine production. Not all cell lines can be adapted to suspension growth. In general, anchorage-dependent cells (must be attached to a substrate to grow) will grow in suspension only with the use of microcarrier beads. However, some cell lines such as the BHK-21 can be adapted to grow in suspension. In recent years, the use of disposables in the pharmaceutical industry has increased extensively. The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of a single use bioreactor on the final cell production of BHK-21 cells when they are growing with microcarriers or in suspension which can do an impact on the final product quality. Cultivations on conventional 2L-bioreactors were compared with results obtained from 2L single use bioreactor (UniVessel SU).
Census Tracts and Urban Research

Abstract * Presented before the Census Tract Conference, American Statistical Association, meeting in Chicago, December 28, 1952. At the time of presentation the author was affiliated with the University of Rochester.
Aneurysm of the Basilar Artery

Many of the same principles which apply to the operative treatment of aneurysms of the anterior part of the circle of Willis are observed in the surgical therapy of aneurysms of the basilar artery. We have found no advantage in hypothermia or hypotensive techniques prior to ligating the aneurysm, for the possible advantages appear to be outweighed by the disadvantages. If the aneurysm should bleed at the time of exposure, hypothermia affords little extra protection and prolongs significantly anesthesia with an associated increase in postoperative problems. Also, pre-existing hypotension accentuates hypoxia and ischemic damage to the brain stem with fresh bleeding. However, controlled hyperventilation anesthesia is used as in all neurosurgical procedures as long as the patient is not in the sitting position. In the majority of our cases aneurysms of the basilar artery are reached via the subtemporal approach and this method is described.
3C-4 A Fast Nearfield Method for Calculating Pressures Generated by Rectangular Pistons with Polynomial Apodization

A fast nearfield method for calculating the pressure generated by a polynomial apodized rectangular piston is obtained. The fast method is based on the instantaneous impulse response given by Scarano et al. A trigonometric transform of the integrand is performed and the order of integration is exchanged to obtain the 1D integral for the apodized FNM. Comparisons between the 1D polynomial apodized FNM and the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld integral show that the 1D polynomial apodized FNM is 18.58, 81.17, and 205.11 times faster than the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld integral for 10%, 1%, and 0.1% peak normalized errors, respectively.
Beryllium localization in base metal dental casting alloys

Investigation of dissolution of base metal dental casting alloy constituents in aqueous solutions revealed an unexpectedly high level of beryllium as compared with the other constituents. Analysis of atomic emission spectroscopy is presented here showing the outer surface (0-100 A) is decidedly enriched in beryllium as compared with the bulk composition of the alloy. This localization is consistent in all samples and forms of the alloy tested.
Rituximab in the treatment of peripheral neuropathy associated with monoclonal gammopathy

Peripheral neuropathy associated with immunoglobulin (Ig)M gammopathy and anti-myelin-associated glycoprotein antibodies is frequently treatment-resistant and different treatment regimens carry substantial toxicity and side effects. More recently, the chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab has shown benefits in the treatment of peripheral neuropathy associated with IgM gammopathy with a favorable side-effect profile. There are no published reports of its use in the treatment of neuropathy associated with IgG and IgA gammopathies. Rituximab is usually given at 375 mg/m(2) intravenously with four weekly doses that may be repeated after 6-12 months. Large controlled studies are still pending but rituximab is an exciting and promising treatment offering another option in the treatment of peripheral neuropathy associated with IgM monoclonal gammopathy.
Parallel performance measures for volume ray casting

Describes a technique for achieving fast volume ray-casting on parallel machines, using a load-balancing scheme and an efficient pipelined approach to compositing. We propose a new model for measuring the amount of work one needs to perform in order to render a given volume, and we use this model to obtain a better load-balancing scheme for distributed memory machines. We also discuss in detail the design trade-offs of our technique. In order to validate our model, we have implemented it on the Intel iPSC/860 and the Intel Paragon, and conducted a detailed performance analysis. >
A comparison of ICD-10 and DSM-III-R criteria for substance abuse and dependence

As part of DSM-IV field trials for substance use disorders, 100 inpatients from two psychiatric substance abuse units were interviewed using a modified version of the Substance Abuse Module (SAM) to ascertain substance use diagnoses according to ICD-10 and DSM-III-R criteria. Both criteria sets developed from the theoretical framework presented by Gross and Edwards (1976) and thus, they should demonstrate close concurrence in diagnoses of dependence and abuse/harmful use. The kappa scores obtained in these analyses demonstrate good to excellent agreement on the diagnoses of dependence across substances. There was poor agreement between DSM-III-R and ICD-10 for abuse/harmful use diagnoses. Although there is generally good agreement between DSM-III-R and ICD-10 for substance dependence diagnoses, important differences exist between the two criteria sets both for the diagnoses of abuse and harmful use, and for the diagnosis of marijuana dependence. These differences are primarily due to the inclusion of soci...
Evolution of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus during Sequential Passages in Pigs

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) viruses are recognized as possessing a high degree of genetic and antigenic variability. Viral diversity has led to questions regarding the association of virus mutation and persistent infection in the host and has raised concerns vis-a-vis protective immunity, the ability of diagnostic assays to detect novel variants, and the possible emergence of virulent strains. The purpose of this study was to describe ongoing changes in PRRS virus during replication in pigs under experimental conditions. Animals were inoculated with a plaque-cloned virus derived from VR-2332, the North American PRRS virus prototype. Three independent lines of in vivo replication were maintained for 367 days by pig-to-pig passage of virus at 60-day intervals. A total of 315 plaque-cloned viruses were recovered from 21 pigs over the 367-day observation period and compared to the original plaque-cloned virus by virus neutralization assay, monoclonal antibody analysis, and sequencing of open reading frames (ORFs) 1b (replicase), 5 (major envelope protein), and 7 (nucleocapsid) of the genome. Variants were detected by day 7 postinoculation, and multiple variants were present concurrently in every pig sampled over the observation period. Sequence analysis showed ORFs 1b and 7 to be highly conserved. In contrast, sequencing of ORF 5 disclosed 48 nucleotide variants which corresponded to 22 amino acid variants. Although no epitopic changes were detected under the conditions of this experiment, PRRS virus was shown to evolve continuously in infected pigs, with different genes of the viral genome undergoing various degrees of change.
Optical Fiber Sensor Network Integrating Communication and Sensing Functions Using Hetero-core Spliced Fiber Optic Sensors

In this paper, we propose a novel optical fiber system integrating both functions of high-speed communication and open/closed state detection by using hetero-core spliced fiber sensors. We call the optical fiber system an "Optical Sensory Nerve network (OSN)". The OSN does not need power to be supplied to the sensors. The OSN also has sufficient capacity to be available for use as a normal information network. Therefore, we believe that our system will considerably reduce problems associated with wireless sensor networks, such as short battery life-time and various communication constraints. In this paper, we present results of the evaluation of the performance of our proposed system with respect to communication and measurement characteristics. In addition, our investigation of a trial environment, in which we simulated a real life application, demonstrated the feasibility of our developed system.
Effects of Amiloride on Gustatory Quality Descriptions and Temporal Patterns Produced by NaCl

The amiloride-sensitivity of perceived taste qualities and time-intensity patterns for NaCl, and interactions between amiloride and NaCl as taste stimuli, were explored using caffeine as the control treatment. NaCl at 100, 250 and 500 mM, dissolved in 10 or 100 microM amiloride, or in caffeine concentrations matched to the amiloride taste, was flowed over 39.3 mm2 of the anterodorsal tongue for 4 s using a closed stimulus delivery system. Amiloride, caffeine and NaCl in H2O were also presented. It was found that NaCl-amiloride mixtures were most frequently described as salty, with the incidence of salty descriptions directly associated with NaCl concentration but not significantly associated with the presence or concentration of amiloride. Amiloride in H2O was called 'bitter', and the incidence of bitter descriptions was significantly associated with the presence of amiloride. The perceived temporal patterns varied with NaCl concentration but did not change with the presence of amiloride, except for an increase in perceived duration. No evidence was found for a dependence upon specific amiloride-sensitive mechanisms of human description of NaCl as salty or of gustatory temporal patterns evoked by NaCl.
Color-detection thresholds in rhesus macaque monkeys and humans

Macaque monkeys are a model of human color vision. To facilitate linking physiology in monkeys with psychophysics in humans, we directly compared color-detection thresholds in humans and rhesus monkeys. Colors were defined by an equiluminant plane of cone-opponent color space. All subjects were tested on an identical apparatus with a four-alternative forced-choice task. Targets were 2° square, centered 2° from fixation, embedded in luminance noise. Across all subjects, the change in detection thresholds from initial testing to plateau performance (“learning”) was similar for +L − M (red) colors and +M − L (bluish-green) colors. But the extent of learning was higher for +S (lavender) than for −S (yellow-lime); moreover, at plateau performance, the cone contrast at the detection threshold was higher for +S than for −S. These asymmetries may reflect differences in retinal circuitry for S-ON and S-OFF. At plateau performance, the two species also had similar detection thresholds for all colors, although monkeys had shorter reaction times than humans and slightly lower thresholds for colors that modulated L/M cones. We discuss whether these observations, together with previous work showing that monkeys have lower spatial acuity than humans, could be accounted for by selective pressures driving higher chromatic sensitivity at the cost of spatial acuity amongst monkeys, specifically for the more recently evolved L − M mechanism.
A simplified, single-lead unipolar transvenous cardioversion-defibrillation system.

BACKGROUNDTransvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillators provide significant advantages in the treatment of patients with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. However, present technology requires considerable electrophysiology expertise, multiple incisions, and long operative times for successful implementation.METHODS AND RESULTSIn this study, we present a prototype of a new, easy-to-insert unipolar transvenous defibrillation system that has the reliability of epicardial defibrillation but the ease of pacemaker insertion. This system incorporates a single anodal right ventricular defibrillation electrode using a 65% tilt biphasic pulse delivered to a 108-cm2 surface area pulse generator titanium alloy shell as an active cathode placed in a left infraclavicular pocket. Testing of this system was performed before implantation of a standard nonthoracotomy-transvenous defibrillation system in 40 consecutive patients with a history of ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation. The simplified unipolar ...
Integrated economic, hydrologic, and institutional analysis of policy responses to mitigate drought impacts in Rio Grande Basin

In the Rio Grande Basin of North America, water is overappropriated and demand for water grows while supplies are constrained by drought and climate change. The Basin is currently in its seventh year of drought, and reservoirs are at historically low levels. Thus agricultural and municipal river diversions have been sharply curtailed, and low flows threaten endangered species. A central policy challenge is the design and implementation of plans that efficiently and fairly allocate the Basin’s water supplies. Such plans are complicated by the demands of existing water users, potential new users, three state governments, and two sovereign nations. To address these issues, an integrated basinwide nonlinear programming model was designed and constructed for the purpose of optimizing water allocations and use levels for the Basin. The model tests whether institutional adjustments can limit damages caused by drought and identifies changes in water uses and allocations that result from those adjustments. Compare...
Dynamic-Programming Approximations for Stochastic Time-Staged Integer Multicommodity-Flow Problems

In this paper, we consider a stochastic and time-dependent version of the min-cost integer multicommodity-flow problem that arises in the dynamic resource allocation context. In this problem class, tasks arriving over time have to be covered by a set of indivisible and reusable resources of different types. The assignment of a resource to a task removes the task from the system, modifies the resource, and generates a profit. When serving a task, resources of different types can serve as substitutes of each other, possibly yielding different revenues. We propose an iterative, adaptive dynamic-programming-based methodology that makes use of linear or nonlinear approximations of the value function. Our numerical work shows that the proposed method provides high-quality solutions and is computationally attractive for large problems.
Treatment of Intoxication with Charcoal Hemadsorption

(1982). Treatment of Intoxication with Charcoal Hemadsorption. Drug Metabolism Reviews: Vol. 13, No. 4, pp. 681-693.
Regression Survival Analysis with an Assumed Copula for Dependent Censoring: A Sensitivity Analysis Approach

In clinical studies, when censoring is caused by competing risks or patient withdrawal, there is always a concern about the validity of treatment effect estimates that are obtained under the assumption of independent censoring. Because dependent censoring is nonidentifiable without additional information, the best we can do is a sensitivity analysis to assess the changes of parameter estimates under different assumptions about the association between failure and censoring. This analysis is especially useful when knowledge about such association is available through literature review or expert opinions. In a regression analysis setting, the consequences of falsely assuming independent censoring on parameter estimates are not clear. Neither the direction nor the magnitude of the potential bias can be easily predicted. We provide an approach to do sensitivity analysis for the widely used Cox proportional hazards models. The joint distribution of the failure and censoring times is assumed to be a function of their marginal distributions. This function is called a copula. Under this assumption, we propose an iteration algorithm to estimate the regression parameters and marginal survival functions. Simulation studies show that this algorithm works well. We apply the proposed sensitivity analysis approach to the data from an AIDS clinical trial in which 27% of the patients withdrew due to toxicity or at the request of the patient or investigator.
Late Quaternary activity and seismic potential of the Santa Monica fault system, Los Angeles, California

The Santa Monica fault is a 40-km-long, oblique left-lateral reverse fault that extends through the densely urbanized northwestern Los Angeles, California, area and offshore parallel to the Malibu coast. The fault exhibits near-surface strain partitioning in paleoseismologic trenches, and has undergone at least six surface ruptures during the past ∼50 k.y. Although events may be missing from the older part of the record, and the ages of older events are based on poorly constrained soil age estimates, at least two and probably three events occurred after the well-dated burial of a prominent paleosol ca. 16–17 ka. The resulting ∼7–8 k.y. latest Pleistocene–Holocene average recurrence interval for events large enough to cause surface rupture is much longer than the ≤1.9–3.3 k.y. maximum interval we calculate for hypothetical M w 6.9–7.0 earthquakes generated by rupture of the entire Santa Monica fault. The pronounced disparity between the measured and calculated average recurrence intervals suggests that the Santa Monica fault undergoes infrequent, and therefore probably very large, earthquakes (M w ≥ 7.0). If such large earthquakes have occurred, we speculate that they may have been generated by simultaneous rupture of the Santa Monica fault with other faults in the Transverse Ranges Southern Boundary fault system, such as the Hollywood or Anacapa-Dume faults. The most recent definite Santa Monica fault surface rupture occurred between ca. 10 and 17 ka, although a more recent event probably occurred between ca. 1 and 3 ka.
Magnetostatic-forward-volume-wave-based guided-wave magneto-optic Bragg cells and applications to communications and signal processing

Realization of magnetostatic forward volume wave (MSFVW)-based guided-wave magneto-optic (MO) Bragg cells and their applications to communications and signal processing are reported. Bragg diffraction of guided-optical waves from the MSFVW in a noncollinear coplanar geometry is analyzed. The design of microstrip line transducers that facilitate wideband MO Bragg diffraction with electronically tunable microwave carrier frequencies (2.0 to 12.0 GHz) are briefly discussed. Experimental results obtained with the resulting Bragg cells in both pure and bismuth-doped yttrium-iron-garnet (YIG) waveguides and a comparison to the theoretical predictions are presented. Applications of the Bragg cells to light beam modulation, scanning/switching, and RF spectral analysis are presented in detail. >
The Justice Imperative in Scripture

The Hebrew Bible and New Testament reveal an abiding concern for the poor, including the creation of a just society. Economic stratification in the ancient world and the tendency for those in difficult circumstances to receive unfair treatment lead to a passionate defense of justice, which in many passages requires equitable treatment of all persons. This essay probes key biblical texts on such matters as interest, bribery, outreach to the poor, and the question of an afterlife to underscore a “justice imperative.” Despite arguments to the contrary, social justice and economic fairness are core themes in Scripture.
Linking sewage pollution and water quality to spatial patterns of Porites lobata growth anomalies in Puako, Hawaii

Sewage pollution threatens the health of coastal populations and ecosystems, including coral reefs. We investigated spatial patterns of sewage pollution in Puako, Hawaii using enterococci concentrations and δ(15)N Ulva fasciata macroalgal bioassays to assess relationships with the coral disease Porites lobata growth anomalies (PGAs). PGA severity and enterococci concentrations were high, spatially variable, and positively related. Bioassay algal δ(15)N showed low sewage pollution at the reef edge while high values of resident algae indicated sewage pollution nearshore. Neither δ(15)N metric predicted PGA measures, though bioassay δ(15)N was negatively related to coral cover. Furthermore, PGA prevalence was much higher than previously recorded in Hawaii and the greater Indo-Pacific, highlighting Puako as an area of concern. Although further work is needed to resolve the relationship between sewage pollution and coral cover and disease, these results implicate sewage pollution as a contributor to diminished reef health.
Trace proteins in biological fluids. IV. Physicochemical properties and sites of formation of gamma-trace and beta-trace proteins.

SummaryTwo isolated trace proteins of beta and gamma mobility from human cerebrospinal fluid were studied to determine their sedimentation coefficients in the ultra-centrifuge and their sites of formation. Two sedimentation peaks were obtained for β-trace, 0.5 S and 2.1 S, and one for γ-trace, 1.6 S. The two values for β-trace were thought to be due to polymerization. Production of y-trace in vitro occurred in a number of Rhesus monkey tissues, but was most striking in the submaxillary gland where the protein was present in extractable amounts. A few cultures of choroid plexus, fimbriae of the Fallopian tube, and testis showed C14-amino acid incorporation into β-trace.
Synthetic Seismograms Using a Hybrid Broadband Ground‐Motion Simulation Approach: Application to Central and Eastern United States

Abstract Broadband synthetic time histories for central and eastern United States are generated using a proposed hybrid broadband simulation technique. The low‐frequency (LF) portion of synthetics is calculated using kinematic source modeling and deterministic wave propagation. Using the COMPSYN software package (Spudich and Xu, 2003), a discrete wavenumber/finite‐element method is implemented for the LF Green’s functions generation. The procedure makes use of the reciprocity theorem and numerical techniques to assess the representation theorem integrals on a fault surface. Spatial random field models are employed to characterize the complexity of the slip distribution on the heterogeneous fault. In this study, the variability of some of the kinematic source modeling’s parameters (e.g., hypocenter locations, slip distribution, source time function, and rupture propagation) is taken into account to produce multiple seismograms that contain a broader range of intensity measures such as peak ground motions and spectral accelerations. A stochastic finite‐fault simulation model is employed to attain the high‐frequency (HF) portion of synthetics. Combining HF and LF synthetics in a magnitude‐dependent transition frequency, the broadband seismograms are constructed for M 5.5, M 6.5, and M 7.5 earthquakes in a distance range of 2–200 km. Broadband synthetics will be compared with some of the existing ground‐motion prediction equations for spectral accelerations at 0.2, 1.0, and 3.0 s, and the results will be discussed. A compatibility assessment of the stochastic point source and the finite source is performed. The generated seismograms could be implemented in engineering seismology applications such as structural seismic analysis/design and seismic‐hazard analysis.
Thumb Site 2 Inhibitors of Hepatitis C Viral RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase Allosterically Block the Transition from Initiation to Elongation

Replication of the hepatitis C viral genome is catalyzed by the NS5B (nonstructural protein 5B) RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, which is a major target of antiviral drugs currently in the clinic. Prior studies established that initiation of RNA replication could be facilitated by starting with a dinucleotide (pGG). Here we establish conditions for efficient initiation from GTP to form the dinucleotide and subsequent intermediates leading to highly processive elongation, and we examined the effects of four classes of nonnucleoside inhibitors on each step of the reaction. We show that palm site inhibitors block initiation starting from GTP but not when starting from pGG. In addition we show that nonnucleoside inhibitors binding to thumb site-2 (NNI2) lead to the accumulation of abortive intermediates three-five nucleotides in length. Our kinetic analysis shows that NNI2 do not significantly block initiation or elongation of RNA synthesis; rather, they block the transition from initiation to elongation, which is thought to proceed with significant structural rearrangement of the enzyme-RNA complex including displacement of the β-loop from the active site. Direct measurement in single turnover kinetic studies show that pyrophosphate release is faster than the chemistry step, which appears to be rate-limiting during processive synthesis. These results reveal important new details to define the steps involved in initiation and elongation during viral RNA replication, establish the allosteric mechanisms by which NNI2 inhibitors act, and point the way to the design of more effective allosteric inhibitors that exploit this new information.
Follow-Up on Puberty Development and Final Height in 41 Children with Simple Virilizing Form of 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency

Objective To explore the puberty and height development in childern with congenital adrenal hyperplasia(CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency(21-OHD) with the simple virilizing(SV) form.Methods Patients of SV 21-OHD,diagnosed and treated in Tianjin Children's Hospital from Jan.1970 to Jan.2008,were treated with cortisone acetate or hydrocortisone after diagnosed,and blood investigations were performed as part of monitoring,and dosages were adjusted accordingly to obtain normal growth velocity and slow bone age(BA) development.Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist(Gn-RHa) was given after the appearance of central precocious puberty(CPP).Forty-one patients(18 females,23 males) had achieved final height before Dec.31st 2008,and their puberty and height development were analyzed in this longitudinal study by contrast the ages and statures of obtaining final height(FH),chronological age(CA) and BA of G2/B2 stage,duration from G2/B2 stage to obtain FH and stature development of different gender during this period and the influences of compliancy on the ages and statures of obtaining FH were contrasted.Results With regarding to the age of testicular volume ≥4 mL,78.26% boys were before 9 years old.As far as the age of breast development was concerned,38.89% girls were before 8 year old and 66.67% menarche occurred before 10 year old.The differences between the duration and stature development of the period from the state of G2/B2 to skeletal maturation of different gender were significant (Pa0.01,0.05).Different compliancies resulted in different age of skeletal maturation and FH(Pa0.01).Conclusions Patient with SV 21-OHD has early puberty development and significantly decreased total pubertal growth.Regular treatment can improve the prognosis.
Research on Optimization Tests of Cold-end System After Double-speed Retrofit of Circulating Water Pump

This paper introduces the optimization tests of cold-end system after the double-speed retrofit of the circulating water pump and carries out the calculation of variable working condition for the condenser through the theoretical analysis.It modifies the BTИ heat transfer coefficient by introducing the comprehensive correction factor of condenser heat transfer during theoretical calculation to make the calculation result conform to actual test situation and the desirable effect is achieved.The cold-end system optimization calculation is performed again according to the actual situation that high and low-speed switching operation function is added after the retrofit.The optimal combination under different unit loads and circulating water inlet temperatures is obtained and the economic benefit after the retrofit is analyzed.
Federal initiatives in information technology to improve patient safety and quality of care.

In November 1999, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report that focused on patient safety in the United States (U.S.), in which it estimated that up to 98,000 people die in U.S. hospitals each year from medical errors. In March 2001, the IOM released a follow-up report encompassing a broader range of quality issues in the U.S. health care system. It concluded that health care in the U.S. is plagued by a variety of problems which stem from an outmoded system that does not provide high-quality care on a consistent basis. The IOM also outlined a strategy for redesigning U.S. healthcare to achieve safe, dependable, high-quality care, which emphasizes information technology as an integral part of the solution. In 2001, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) spent $50 million on initiatives to reduce medical errors and improve patient safety. The crux of these initiatives was a series of solicitations that form an integrated set of research and demonstration projects for reducing medical errors in multiple health care settings. This chapter will discuss some of these initiatives, focusing on the role of clinical informatics in the Agency's efforts to improve the safety and quality of health care in the U.S.
Defining Cancer Subtypes With Distinctive Etiologic Profiles: An Application to the Epidemiology of Melanoma.

ABSTRACTWe showcase a novel analytic strategy to identify subtypes of cancer that possess distinctive causal factors, that is, subtypes that are “etiologically” distinct. The method involves the integrated analysis of two types of study design: an incident series of cases with double primary cancers with detailed information on tumor characteristics that can be used to define the subtypes; a case-series of incident cases with information on known risk factors that can be used to investigate the specific risk factors that distinguish the subtypes. The methods are applied to a rich melanoma dataset with detailed information on pathologic tumor factors, and comprehensive information on known genetic and environmental risk factors for melanoma. Identification of the optimal subtyping solution is accomplished using a novel clustering analysis that seeks to maximize a measure that characterizes the distinctiveness of the distributions of risk factors across the subtypes and that is a function of the correlation...
How Do Stages of Change for Physical Activity Relate to Employee Sign-Up for and Completion of a Worksite Physical Activity Competition?

Introduction. This study evaluated whether stages of change for physical activity (PA) predict sign-up, participation, and completion in a PA competition. Method. Deidentified data were provided to...
The influence of cognitive ability on interviewee performance in traditional versus relaxed behavior description interview formats

Abstract Using an experimental condition that relaxed cognitive constraints in a behavior description interview (BDI), our results uncovered a pattern of low cognitive saturation in the traditional BDI format but significantly higher in the relaxed condition. Well over half of the time interviewees reported different experiences in the relaxed condition, and those experiences were rated higher by the interviewers and correlated more strongly with job performance. A potential implication is that inhibitive cognitive demands in traditionally administered BDIs result in a number of interviewees reporting relevant experiences that come to mind easily rather than ones that maximally portray their capabilities, thereby shifting BDIs more towards assessment of typical behavior. With reduced cognitive constraints, interviewees had greater opportunity to locate more maximally oriented experiences, with higher ability individuals benefitting the most.
Congenital Toxoplasmosis: Treatment and Outcome

Neurologic, cognitive, and motor outcomes for 36 children with congenital toxoplasmosis treated with pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine for 1 year are reported from Michael Reese Hospital, Chicago, IL, and other Centers.
Assessment of Surface Infiltration Performance and Maintenance of Two Permeable Pavement Systems in Louisville, Kentucky

AbstractThis study presents the infiltration performance of two permeable pavement systems installed in the parking lanes of an urban neighborhood. Both systems were subject to large (12.9 and 9.8)...
Developing critical thinking through student consulting projects

ABSTRACTThe authors present survey results from faculty at 44 universities on the role of student consulting projects in developing business students' critical thinking. They conclude that students can improve critical thinking by engaging in guided primary and secondary research to inform their business assumptions that underpin business planning and financial modeling in consulting projects. Results also suggest that instructors newer to the practice of using student consulting tend to emphasize objective results (e.g., application of disciplinary skills and research methods), whereas experienced users seem to focus on the subjective consulting process (e.g., managing client relationships and evaluating information quality and fit for the project).
Restoration and "Novel Ecosystems": Priority or Paradox?1

The practice of ecological restoration is challenged by accelerating rates and expanding scales of anthropogenic ecosystem change. The concept of “novel ecosystems” has become a focal point of intramural debate, leading restoration practitioners and researchers to reject, defend, revise, and reframe prior premises and goals. In a world of rapid environmental change, restoration can be seen, depending on one's perspective, as more necessary than ever, or as essentially futile. By revisiting restoration's history and defining a more nuanced approach to the realities of ecosystem change, we may be able to find space for reconciliation, or at least accommodation, of these divergent views. Aldo Leopold recognized as early as the 1930s that human impacts on the “biotic community” are pervasive; that “wilderness is a relative condition”; that conservationists must recognize “the dynamics of [the land's] past history and probable future.” At the same time, he pursued restoration as a necessary new dimension of conservation and proposed his “land ethic” as “a mode of guidance for meeting ecological situations so new or intricate” that society had not yet evolved an effective ethical response. Since Leopold's generation, the “great acceleration” in global environmental change has altered the context in which we assess the promise and potential of restoration. It has only deepened, however, the need for conservation science, policy, ethics, and practice to engender resilient landscapes. Ecological restoration remains an essential means of doing so, albeit with redefined aims and methods.
Glucose Intolerance in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) develop glucose intolerance and diabetes at rates that are among the highest known for women of reproductive age: the prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance is estimated to be between 30 and 40%, whereas that of type 2 diabetes has been placed between 5 and 10%. A number of genetic factors influence the risk for diabetes in PCOS. In addition, several distinct environmental factors are emerging as important influences on predisposition to glucose intolerance in PCOS. Among those proposed are the rate of in utero growth and development, as well as exposure to excess androgen concentrations from the maternal circulation. Women with PCOS appear to have an increased risk for developing gestational diabetes mellitus, although this has not been firmly established.
Synaptic Tau Seeding Precedes Tau Pathology in Human Alzheimer's Disease Brain

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is defined by the presence of intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) composed of hyperphosphorylated tau aggregates as well as extracellular amyloid-beta plaques. The presence and spread of tau pathology through the brain is classified by Braak stages and thought to correlate with the progression of AD. Several in vitro and in vivo studies have examined the ability of tau pathology to move from one neuron to the next, suggesting a "prion-like" spread of tau aggregates may be an underlying cause of Braak tau staging in AD. Using the HEK293 TauRD-P301S-CFP/YFP expressing biosensor cells as a highly sensitive and specific tool to identify the presence of seed competent aggregated tau in brain lysate-i.e., tau aggregates that are capable of recruiting and misfolding monomeric tau-, we detected substantial tau seeding levels in the entorhinal cortex from human cases with only very rare NFTs, suggesting that soluble tau aggregates can exist prior to the development of overt tau pathology. We next looked at tau seeding levels in human brains of varying Braak stages along six regions of the Braak Tau Pathway. Tau seeding levels were detected not only in the brain regions impacted by pathology, but also in the subsequent non-pathology containing region along the Braak pathway. These data imply that pathogenic tau aggregates precede overt tau pathology in a manner that is consistent with transneuronal spread of tau aggregates. We then detected tau seeding in frontal white matter tracts and the optic nerve, two brain regions comprised of axons that contain little to no neuronal cell bodies, implying that tau aggregates can indeed traverse along axons. Finally, we isolated cytosolic and synaptosome fractions along the Braak Tau Pathway from brains of varying Braak stages. Phosphorylated and seed competent tau was significantly enriched in the synaptic fraction of brain regions that did not have extensive cellular tau pathology, further suggesting that aggregated tau seeds move through the human brain along synaptically connected neurons. Together, these data provide further evidence that the spread of tau aggregates through the human brain along synaptically connected networks results in the pathogenesis of human Alzheimer's disease.
Designing an intelligent information system interface

An information system, in our sense, arises when a person, with some goals and intentions, recognizes that her/his state of knowledge is inadequate for attaining the goal. To resolve this anomaly, the person goes to some information provision mechanism (IPM). The IPM, in general, consists of a knowledge resource and some intermediary access mechanism. Thus, the information system consists of a user, who instigates the system, a knowledge resource (KR), which contains the texts which might be relevant, and an intermediary mechanism (IM), which mediates between the user and the KR. Some typical systems of this type are in student advisory services, social security benefits offices and bibliographic retrieval systems. The system as described is certainly a joint cognitive system (Woods, this vol.; Hollnagel, this vol.), and the IPM has the basic characteristics of a classic decision support system.
Dual-Layer Cooperative Error Control for Transient Error

Datalink-layer adaptive error control methods have been investigated in Chap. 3. In this chapter, we extend the error control adaptation to a two-layer approach communicating between the datalink and network layers to further reduce energy consumption. We employ end-to-end error control in the network interface in low noise conditions, and enhance the error control capability in high noise regions by turning on hop-to-hop error control in the router. Simply combining end-to-end error control with hop-to-hop error control typically results in huge energy consumption. Consequently, we apply the concept of product code to the NoC, performing cross-layer cooperative error control. Another major contribution is a protocol to switch between network-layer ECC and datalink-layer ECC at runtime.