cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using business intelligence and data visualization to understand the characteristics of failed appointments in dental school clinics

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES Broken appointments are an important cause of waste in health care. Patients who fail to attend incur costs to providers, deny trainees learning opportunities, and impact their own health as well as that of other patients who are waiting for care. METHODS A total of 410,000 appointment records over 3 years were extracted from our electronic health record. We conducted exploratory data analysis and assessed correlations between appointment no-shows and other attributes of the appointment and the patient. The University of Michigan Medical School's Committee on Human Research reviewed the study and deemed that no Institutional Review Board oversight was necessary for this quality improvement project that was, retrospectively, turned into a study with previously de-identified data. RESULTS The patient's previous attendance record is the single most significant correlation with attendance. We found that patients who said they are "scared" of dental visits were 62% as likely to attend as someone reporting "no problem." Patients over 65 years of age have better attendance rates. There was a positive association between receiving email/text confirmation and attendance. A total of 94.9% of those emailed a reminder and 92.2% of those who were texted attended their appointment. CONCLUSION(S) We were able to identify relationships of several variables to failed and attended appointments that we were previously unknown to us. This knowledge enabled us to implement interventions to support better attendance at Dental Clinics at the University of Michigan, improving patient health, student training, and efficient use of resources.
Art Practice as Policy Practice: Framing the Work of Artists Embedded in Government

Embedded artists in government incorporate connect art methods and esthetic perspectives in non-arts contexts, working in collaboration with government staff whether through their own professional ...
In Memoriam: Charles Ross Hatcher Jr, MD, 1930-2021.

Raised in a small Georgia town, Charles Ross Hatcher Jr was trained by surgical legends Alfred Blalock and Francis Moore and developed into a superior cardiac surgeon at Emory University. Years before others, as President of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association (1983-1984) and The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (1986-1987), he recognized and spoke of the challenges facing medicine and our specialty. He focused in the last half of his career on the delivery of value in patient-centered health care and participation in the governance of health care.
Evolving Demographics of Nephrology Research Workforce in the United States.

As two National Institutes of Health (NIH)–funded physician-scientists who graduated from US and non-US medical schools and represent both sexes, the title of the article by Abood and colleagues piqued our interest. Of the 1 million physicians in the United States, there are only 14,000 physician-
Borland C++ in depth

Part 1 The Borland compiler and C/C++ programming: the Borland C and C++ compiler package getting started in the integrated environment writing and compiling simple C/C++ programs advanced compiler features. Part 2 C and C++ programming foundations: C and C++ programming foundations data control writing and using functions arrays pointers complete I/O in C an introduction to I/O in C++ structures, unions and miscellaneous items advanced C and C++ programming topics. Part 3 Foundations for object-oriented programming inC++: an introduction to object-oriented programming C++ classes complete I/O in C++ working in an object-oriented environment. Part 4 Special libraries: power programming - tapping important C and C++ libraries. Part 5 Foundations for Win32 programming: concepts and tools for Windows procedure-oriented C programming adding resources to C programs.
Knowledge Discovery from Databases with the Guidance of a Causal Network

The advancement of knowledge discovery from databases (KDD) has been hampered by the problems such as the lack of statistical rigor, overabundance of patterns, and poor integration. This paper describes a new model for KDD that applies a causal network to guide the discovery processes. The new model not only allows the user to express what kind of knowledge to be discovered, but also uses the user intention to alleviate the overabundance problem. In this new model, the causal network is applied to represent the relevant variables and their relationships in the problem domain, and in due course updated according to the extracted knowledge. An interactive data mining process based on this model is described. The approach allows a knowledge discovery process to be conducted in a more controllable manner. Fundamental features of the new model are discussed, and an example is provided to illustrate the discovery processes using this model.
Matrix metalloproteinase mediated degradation of basement membrane proteins in Trembler J neuropathy nerves.

A single point mutation in peripheral myelin protein 22 (pmp22) of the Trembler-J (TrJ) mouse models the human peripheral neuropathy, Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease type 1 A (CMT1A). An unexplored aspect of this disease is the gradual remodeling of the extracellular matrix in affected nerves. To elucidate the mechanism responsible for these changes, the levels of the extracellular matrix molecules laminin, collagen IV, and fibronectin were determined. In TrJ nerves, laminin is modestly increased while full-length forms of collagen IV and fibronectin are decreased. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are known to degrade multiple matrix molecules; therefore, nerves were assayed for MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteins. In neuropathy nerves, elevated levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were detected on western blots, and gelatin zymography confirmed the up-regulation of gelatinalytic activity in affected samples. Immunostaining studies revealed an increase in the numbers of MMP-2- and MMP-9-expressing cells in TrJ nerves. Cell type-specific immunolabeling showed that infiltrating macrophages are a significant source of both MMP-2 and MMP-9. Finally, the degradation of exogenous collagen IV by TrJ nerve lysates was prevented with a specific MMP inhibitor. Together these observations suggest that infiltration by MMP-expressing macrophages contributes to the remodeling of the TrJ nerve matrix.
Simulation as a Teaching Tool in Finance

An excessive use of algebra and stochastic calculus in undergraduate finance courses is an impediment to learning because it shifts our attention from finance to mathematics; and also because, for most of our students, algebra serves to obfuscate rather than to clarify the basic concepts in finance that we are trying to teach. In this paper we demonstrate with examples, particularly on the subject of risk, that finance lectures may be given without algebra by replacing equations on a blackboard with simple interactive simulation computer screens integrated with the lecture.
Type IV Pilin Structure and Assembly: X-Ray and EM Analyses of Vibrio cholerae Toxin-Coregulated Pilus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAK Pilin

Abstract Pilin assembly into type IV pili is required for virulence by bacterial pathogens that cause diseases such as cholera, pneumonia, gonorrhea, and meningitis. Crystal structures of soluble, N-terminally truncated pilin from Vibrio cholera toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP) and full-length PAK pilin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa reveal a novel TCP fold, yet a shared architecture for the type IV pilins. In each pilin subunit a conserved, extended, N-terminal α helix wrapped by β strands anchors the structurally variable globular head. Inside the assembled pilus, characterized by cryo-electron microscopy and crystallography, the extended hydrophobic α helices make multisubunit contacts to provide mechanical strength and flexibility. Outside, distinct interactions of adaptable heads contribute surface variation for specificity of pilus function in antigenicity, motility, adhesion, and colony formation.
Molecular Imaging of Proteases in Cancer

Proteases play important roles during tumor angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis. Various molecular imaging techniques have been employed for protease imaging: optical (both fluorescence and bioluminescence), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and positron emission tomography (PET). In this review, we will summarize the current status of imaging proteases in cancer with these techniques. Optical imaging of proteases, in particular with fluorescence, is the most intensively validated and many of the imaging probes are already commercially available. It is generally agreed that the use of activatable probes is the most accurate and appropriate means for measuring protease activity. Molecular imaging of proteases with other techniques (i.e. MRI, SPECT, and PET) has not been well-documented in the literature which certainly deserves much future effort. Optical imaging and molecular MRI of protease activity has very limited potential for clinical investigation. PET/SPECT imaging is suitable for clinical investigation; however the optimal probes for PET/SPECT imaging of proteases in cancer have yet to be developed. Successful development of protease imaging probes with optimal in vivo stability, tumor targeting efficacy, and desirable pharmacokinetics for clinical translation will eventually improve cancer patient management. Not limited to cancer, these protease-targeted imaging probes will also have broad applications in other diseases such as arthritis, atherosclerosis, and myocardial infarction.
Quantitative estimates of the variability of in vivo sonographic measurements of the mouse aorta for studies of abdominal aortic aneurysms and related arterial diseases.

Objectives Burgeoning interest in reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) has led to experimental strategies to elucidate the disease process and attain pharmacologic regression using the apolipoprotein E−/− (ApoE−/−) mouse model of angiotensin-induced AAAs and in vivo sonography. However, the variability of in vivo sonographic measurements of the mouse aorta has not been established. Thus, our purpose was to determine quantitative estimates of the variability of in vivo sonographic measurements of the mouse aorta as a guide for the design and assessment of studies focused on regression of AAAs and related arterial diseases.
SEPARATION BY ETHANOL OF COMMON AND SOMATIC ANTIGENS OF ENTEROBACTERIACEAE

Abstract Suzuki, T. (Children's Hospital, Buffalo, N.Y.), E. A. Gorzynski, and E. Neter. Separation by ethanol of common and somatic antigens of Enterobacteriaceae. J. Bacteriol. 88:1240–1243. 1964.—Ethanol in a concentration of 85% permits separation from crude culture supernatant fluids of the common enterobacterial antigen and the O antigen, the former being ethanol-soluble, the latter being ethanol-insoluble. The evidence was obtained in hemagglutination, hemolysis, and hemagglutination-inhibition tests. In contrast to the crude antigens obtained from enteric bacteria other than Escherichia coli O14, the ethanol-soluble fraction is immunogenic in the rabbit upon intravenous injection, and antibodies against the common antigen are produced in relatively high titers. Aqueous mixtures of ethanol-soluble and -insoluble fractions engender antibodies against the common antigen in titers significantly lower than those stimulated by the soluble fraction alone. Ethanol-treated whole antigen fails to stimulate antibody formation against this antigen. These results suggest the presence of an inhibitor in the ethanol-insoluble fraction.
Activin A stimulates IkappaB-alpha/NFkappaB and RANK expression for osteoclast differentiation, but not AKT survival pathway in osteoclast precursors.

Recent studies have reported that activin A enhances osteoclastogenesis in cultures of mouse bone marrow cells stimulated with receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand (RANKL) and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF). However, the exact mechanisms by which activin A functions during osteoclastogenesis are not clear. RANKL stimulation of RANK/TRAF6 signaling increases nuclear factor-kappaB (NFkappaB) nuclear translocation and activates the Akt/PKB cell survival pathway. Here we report that activin A alone activates IkappaB-alpha, and stimulates nuclear translocation of NFkappaB and receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB (RANK) expression for osteoclastogenesis, but not Akt/PKB survival signal transduction including BAD and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) for survival in osteoclast precursors in vitro. Activin A alone failed to activate Akt, BAD, and mTOR by immunoblotting, and it also failed to prevent apoptosis in osteoclast precursors. While activin A activated IkappaB-alpha and induced nuclear translocation of phosphorylated-NFkappaB, and it also enhanced RANK expression in osteoclast precursors. Moreover, activin A enhanced RANKL- and M-CSF-stimulated nuclear translocation of NFkappaB. Our data suggest that activin A enhances osteoclastogenesis treated with RANKL and M-CSF via stimulation of RANK, thereby increasing the RANKL stimulation. Activin A alone activated the NFkappaB pathway, but not survival in osteoclast precursors in vitro, but it is, thus, insufficient as a sole stimulus to osteoclastogenesis.
12 Effects of synchronized intestinal electrical stimulation on small intestinal motility in dogs

Our previous studies showed that synchronized gastric electrical stimulation enhanced antral contractions, accelerated gastric emptying in dogs. It has never been reported whether synchronized electrical stimulation could improve small intestinal motility. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of synchronized intestinal electrical stimulation (SIES) on small bowel motility in both fasting and fed states in dogs. Methods: Five healthy female dogs (18–24 kg) were equipped with a duodenal cannula for the measurement of small bowel motility using manometry. Two pairs of bipolar electrodes were implanted on the small intestinal serosa with an interval of 25 cm; the first one was 10 cm beyond the pylorus and used for stimulation. The experiment was consisted of four sessions in each dog with a randomized order. In the fasting state, 20 min after occurrence of phase III, SIES was initiated and maintained for 45 min, small bowel motility was recorded during the entire experiment, and no stimulation was performed in the control session. In other two sessions, dogs were fed with solid meal at the beginning of the experiment; glucagon (0.1 mg kg­1) was injected 20 min after feeding, SIES was initiated at the same time for 20 min followed by 20 min recovery period. The stimulus was composed of train of pulses with on-time of 0.5 s, frequency of 20 Hz, pulse width of 2 ms and amplitude of 4 mA. Results: 1). In the fasting state, SIES induced small intestinal contractions during phase I. The motility index was 5.2 ± 0.6 in the control session and significantly increased to 10.3 ± 0.7 with SIES (P = 0.003). 2). In the fed state, glucagon substantially and significantly inhibited small intestinal motility. The motility index was 11.3 ± 0.7 after feeding and reduced to 3.4 ± 0.5 with glucagon injection (P < 0.001). SIES significantly enhanced glucagon-induced small intestinal postprandial hypomotility. The motility index was 3.4 ± 0.5 in the control session and increased to 6.0 ± 0.3 with the presence of SIES (P = 0.03). Conclusions: Intestinal electrical stimulation synchronized with intestinal slow waves induces intestinal contractions during phase I and enhanced small intestinal postprandial hypomotility induced by glucagon. SIES may have the therapeutic potential for treating small intestinal motility disorders. (Supported by a grant from American Diabetes Association).
Post-Laminectomy Wound Infections: Colonized Seromas Mimicking Wound Infections

Objective: Post-operative laminectomy wounds are frequently accompanied by seromas. Post-operative wound drainage may be colonized or infected. The differentiation of wound colonization from infection is difficult for non-infectious disease physicians. Methods: External chart reviewers classified 31/1531 laminectomies (over three years) as post-operative wound infections. We re-evaluated these cases using infectious disease criteria, i.e., while pathogens may be cultured from both colonized and infected wounds, only wound infections have a purulent discharge with abundant white blood cells (WBCs) on Gram stain. Colonized wounds have positive wound cultures but no/few WBCs on Gram stain. Results: We found only 11/31 actual wound infections, the remainder were not bona fide wound infections, but were colonized seromas. Conclusion: Post-laminectomy colonized seromas that are culture positive for one or more organisms often mimic wound infections. In the era of public reporting of nosocomial infections, it is important that external reviewers differentiate colonization from infection to provide regulatory agencies with accurate data.
Same-Sex Gaze Attraction Influences Mate-Choice Copying in Humans

Mate-choice copying occurs when animals rely on the mating choices of others to inform their own mating decisions. The proximate mechanisms underlying mate-choice copying remain unknown. To address this question, we tracked the gaze of men and women as they viewed a series of photographs in which a potential mate was pictured beside an opposite-sex partner; the participants then indicated their willingness to engage in a long-term relationship with each potential mate. We found that both men and women expressed more interest in engaging in a relationship with a potential mate if that mate was paired with an attractive partner. Men and women's attention to partners varied with partner attractiveness and this gaze attraction influenced their subsequent mate choices. These results highlight the prevalence of non-independent mate choice in humans and implicate social attention and reward circuitry in these decisions.
Modeling and Multivariable Control of a High Precision Multidimensional Positioner

A precision positioner using a novel concentrated-field permanent-magnet matrix is presented in this paper. This integrated multidimensional positioner is actuated by three novel planar motors, which are attached on the bottom of the positioner. It can generate all 6-DOF motions with only a single moving part. The integrated multi-dimensional positioner offers a unique combination of range and precision: a planar traveling range of 160 mm × 160 mm with a position resolution of 30 nm and position noise of 10 nm rms. The repeatability of the positioner is as good as 30 nm. The maximum velocity achieved so far is 0.5 m/s with 5-m/s2 acceleration. With direct-quadrature (DQ) decomposition theory, the positioner is modelled as a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) electromagnetic system: it has six inputs (currents) and six outputs (displacements). After the state-space model of the system is derived, multivariable controllers are designed for this high-precision positioner. To eliminate the steady-state error, discrete time integrator combined Linear Quadratic Regulation (LQR) and reduced order Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) control methodologies are applied and implemented. Finally, the experimental results are presented in this paper. Several experimental results verified the utility of this positioner in precision applications, such as semiconductor manufacturing.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Quantification of two variant strains contained in freeze-dried Japanese BCG vaccine preparation by real-time PCR

Japanese bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine preparation contains two types of variant strains, Type I, which has a 22-base-pair deletion in the RD16 region, and Type II, which has an identical sequence to those of other BCG strains. In this study, we established a method to quantify the percentage of variant strain Type II contained in freeze-dried BCG product with real-time PCR. With this method we examined the master seed lot Tokyo 172, two secondary seed lots, Tokyo 172-1 and Tokyo 172-2, which were produced from Tokyo 172, and four commercial lots produced form Tokyo 172-1. Tokyo 172, Tokyo 172-1, and Tokyo 172-2 contained 55.1%, 19.5%, and 3.6% of Type II variant strain, respectively. Commercial lots contained 1.5%, 4.5%, 7.4%, and 4.3% of Type II variant strain, respectively. These results indicated that the two variant strains contained in the master seed lot continued to coexist in subsequently produced lots with a decrease in population of variant strain Type II. This method would be useful for quality control of commercial Japanese BCG vaccine preparations.
Online Server and Workload Management for Joint Optimization of Electricity Cost and Carbon Footprint Across Data Centers

Internet data centers, typically distributed across the world in order to provide timely and reliable Internet service, have been increasingly pressurized to reduce their carbon footprint and electricity cost. Particularly, data centers will soon be required to abide by carbon capping polices which impose carbon footprint limits to encourage brown energy conservation. We propose an online algorithm, called OnlineCC, for minimizing the operational cost while satisfying the carbon footprint reduction target of a set of geo-distributed data centers. OnlineCC makes use of Lyapunov optimization technique while operating without long-term future information, making it attractive in the presence of uncertainties associated with data center information e.g., input workload. We prove that OnlineCC achieves a near optimal operational cost (electricity cost) compared to the optimal algorithm with future information, while bounding the potential violation of carbon footprint target, depending on the Lyapunov control parameter, namely V. We also give a heuristic for finding V which significantly shortens the search space to adjust its value. Finally, we perform a trace-based simulation study and a small scale experiment to complement the analysis. The results show that OnlineCC reduces cost by more than 18% compared to a prediction-based online solution while resulting in equal or smaller carbon footprint.
Fibroblasts That Overexpress 15-Lipoxygenase Generate Bioactive and Minimally Modified LDL

Several lines of evidence suggest that the cellular enzyme 15 lipoxygenase (15-LO) may be important in promoting the oxidation of lipoproteins in vivo. In previous studies we have shown that fibroblasts transfected with 15-LO "seed" LDL with lipoperoxides such that subsequent oxidation readily generates an LDL that is taken up by macrophages through scavenger receptors. We now demonstrate that LDL incubated with 15-LO cells is "minimally modified" and has bioactive properties. Characterization of LDL incubated with 15-LO cells reveals that lipid peroxidation is modest, with low levels of TBARS generated (12.6 +/- 4.7 nmole MDA per mg protein) and small amounts of 18:2 lost as a result of oxidation (7%, compared with extensive loss [82%] with copper oxidation). The 15-LO-conditioned LDL showed mildly increased electrophoretic mobility on agarose gels, and on polyacrylamide gels it showed only mild protein degradation compared with copper-oxidized LDL. Additionally 15-LO-conditioned LDL competed very well for the LDL receptor of fibroblasts but did not compete for macrophage uptake of 125I-acetylated LDL. Importantly, compared with LDL incubated on beta-galactosidase (lac Z)-transfected control cells, LDL incubated on 15-LO cells stimulated monocyte chemotaxis (15-LO-LDL, 6.9 +/- 1.2 monocytes per field versus lac Z-LDL, 0 +/- 0.9 monocytes per field) and when added to endothelial cells enhanced adhesion (15-LO-LDL, 31.1 +/- 5.0 monocytes per field versus lac Z-LDL, 0 +/- 2.0 monocytes per field). Preincubation of 15-LO cells with 15-LO inhibitors significantly inhibited the generation of bioactive LDL. Lipid extracts of LDL conditioned on 15-LO cells showed chemotactic activity not related to lysophosphatidylcholine levels. Preincubation of target endothelial cells with several different platelet-activating factor receptor antagonists prevented stimulation of monocyte adhesion by 15-LO-conditioned LDL. When probucol- or vitamin E-enriched LDL was incubated with 15-LO cells it was less oxidized and less bioactive, which suggests that these cells seed LDL with LOOH, which then requires further propagation of lipid peroxidation to yield bioactivity. These studies demonstrate that fibroblasts expressing 15-LO reliably produce a bioactive "minimally modified" LDL, which may explain in part how cellular 15-LO activity may generate atherogenic LDL in vivo.
U.S. stock market uncertainty and cross-market European stock returns

Abstract We investigate the cross-market differential relations of U.S. stock market uncertainty (VIX) with U.S. and European stock market returns before and during the European equity market crisis. Also, we examine whether VIX has predictive ability with respect to short-run European stock market returns. We find a strong negative contemporaneous relation between VIX changes and European stock returns that was twice as large during the equity market crisis period than before it. Changes in VIX have significant predictive ability for daily returns in the major European equity markets during the European equity market crisis period but not before it. The VIX fears persist longer in European markets than in the U.S. market, suggesting market frictions and limitations in information-processing capabilities of investors.
DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES IN ARGININE: X AMIDINOTRANSFERASE ACTIVITY IN STREPTOMYCIN-PRODUCING STRAINS OF STREPTOMYCES.

Abstract Among a number of microorganisms tested, only streptomycin- and hydroxystreptomycin-producing strains of Streptomyces contained high levels of the enzyme L -arginine: X amidinotransferase, so named because the physiological formamidine acceptor is not known. Of the several reactions common to known amidinotransferases, arginine: NH 2 OH transamidination was chosen for exploratory assays because of its unique compatibility with both single- and double-displacement reaction mechanisms. In high-enzyme strains, Streptomyces griseus ATCC 12475, Streptomyces bikiniensis ATCC 11062, and Streptomyces griseocarneus ATCC 12628, amidinotransferase activity is low from 0–24 h of growth on complex media, but increase 30-fold within the next 24 h. Lysozyme extracts of the derepressed mycelia have the highest amidinotransferase activity yet observed in nature. Mycelia harvested at 24 h and shaken in 1% NaCl exhibit a similar activity increase; this phenotypic change is prevented by low levels of neomycin. Since earlier workers have shown that streptomycin formation follows a similar time-course, the evidence is strong that X is an early precursor of the streptidine moiety of streptomycin. Biosynthesis of netropsin probably does not involve a transamidination. Arginine: X amidinotransferase activity is strongly inhibited in vitro by cystine, cystamine, formamidine disulfide, and the mixed disulfide of cysteine and thiourea, but not by oxidized glutathione. These inhibitions are reversed by 2-mercaptoethanol.
Large-scale variation in flight feather molt as a mechanism enabling biennial breeding in albatrosses

Laysan and black-footed albatrosses, Phoebastria immutabilis and P. nigripes, exhibit both annual and biennial breeding frequencies, and annually replace flight feathers in patterns that can be described as large, small or medium in extent. Large molts are temporally incompatible with successful breeding. Small molts are temporally compatible with the longest breeding seasons. Medium molts are compatible with shorter, but still successful breeding seasons. On average, large and small molts combined replace the same feathers with the same frequencies as two medium molts combined. Thus, large and small annual molt patterns combined provide a mechanism for ‘‘transferring time from one year to another’’ enabling extended breeding seasons every other year, and thus biennial breeding. Medium-sized molts are compatible with annual breeding. Among multiple albatross species, large-scale, annual molt patterns can shift in response to shifting breeding frequencies, but there may be a time lag in the response. A newly identified period of rapid fattening following molt termination and preceding colony arrival suggests albatrosses maintain low fat stores throughout active molt to reduce wing-loading, intensifying temporal trade-offs between flight feather molt and breeding.
Performance assessment of multi-column bents with extended pile-shafts under lateral earthquake loads

Under lateral earthquake loads, bridges supported by multi-column bents with extended pile-shafts may be subjected to a large curvature demand at the critical sections with potential for damage. The severity of local damage may however be controlled during design by limiting the curvature ductility demand in the potential plastic hinge region. In this paper, an analytical model capable of assessing the lateral strength and ductility demand of extended pile-shafts with top fixity is proposed. The curvature ductility demand depends on the strength and stiffness of the soil-pile system, as well as the location and length of equivalent plastic hinges. The model allows the severity of local damage in the pile-shafts to be assessed for a wide range of pile and soil properties, and is therefore useful in performance-based engineering. Illustration of the model is made using the Struve Slough Bridge, which collapsed during the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. Results indicate that the bridge failure was initiated by ...
Automation & delegation to reduce lab management workload

Ten years ago, the University of Florida employed over 80 students and 4 full-time staff members to run the public computer labs. Those 80+ students managed five lab locations containing 7 classrooms and 400+ computers. Today there are still over 60 student employees but only a single full-time staff member, to run the same number of facilities and classrooms. Software solutions and work procedures have been developed to continue to allow the same quality of service with increased lab hours and reduced staffing. The software solutions that were developed started as simple schedule management through a UNIX-based, student developed system. Today the Signin system manages time sheets, schedules, e-mail and phone lists, login locations and scheduling reports. Custom chat software makes it easier to interact with supervisors and co-workers, and a headcount system that is online and automated instead of on paper. Future improvements include changing the method of problem reporting and putting the employee database online. Procedurally we still need as much supervising today as we needed in the past. To make up for the lack of full-time staff we now have a crew of five to eight student supervisors. The student supervisors are each assigned to various tasks as well as keeping an eye on the students in the labs. They cover training new employees, scheduling the classes into the classrooms, updating the employee schedules and many other tasks.
Requirements for the emerging European constitution

Maybe the question, “did the US Constitution create the Volk!” would be better phrased, “did the Constitution create a national Volk in addition to the State Volk?” One could look to Madison, who would accept that neither the people of the state nor the people of the nation were wholly sovereign, but rather that Article V embodied the precise division. John Austin also recognized “joint sovereignty”, as well did Alexander Hamilton in Federalist 85, who acknowledged residual sovereignty retained by the states, arguing it would make national government more responsible. Thus, as one scholar proposes, the states were actually the “central components of the constitutional concept of sovereignty.” If indeed the founders could simultaneously conceptualize both a national and a state Vo/k, this has wider implications for other States looking to create constitutions. As in the case of 18th Century America, European sovereignty is in the hands of the people scattered amongst various states, and therefore does not exist as one, united “Volk.” This does not mean, however, that legitimacy would be weakened because it is exerted by “peoples,” rather they just represent a more organized level of the “people.” Indeed, the “constitution-making power” could legitimize itself by its very establishment, in whatever form it chooses, as in a “normative power of the factual,” as described by Georg Jellinek. Therefore the subject of a European Constitution could well be the People of the Member States, exerting their sovereignty as people to form a supranational entity, and in the process creating a new identity as a unified People.
The Physicality of Qualities and Consciousness: Concepts within the Theory of Consciousness

The recent transplantation of specific genes into experimental animals has enabled the animals to have consciousness of qualities they previously lacked. The genes code for proteins are referred to as “consciousness molecules” and “qualitative proteins.” These are regarded as having the ontologies of qualities. Thus, the qualities are considered to be physical entities, as well as the central elements of consciousness, which are integrated into the cognitive structures of the brain. The constitution of consciousness by a physical entity is elucidated.
Ecdysone triggered PGRP-LC expression controls Drosophila innate immunity

Throughout the animal kingdom, steroid hormones have been implicated in the defense against microbial infection, but how these systemic signals control immunity is unclear. Here, we show that the steroid hormone ecdysone controls the expression of the pattern recognition receptor PGRP-LC in Drosophila, thereby tightly regulating innate immune recognition and defense against bacterial infection. We identify a group of steroid-regulated transcription factors as well as two GATA transcription factors that act as repressors and activators of the immune response and are required for the proper hormonal control of PGRP-LC expression. Together, our results demonstrate that Drosophila use complex mechanisms to modulate innate immune responses, and identify a transcriptional hierarchy that integrates steroid signalling and immunity in animals.
Activation and control mechanisms of Hageman factor-dependent pathways of coagulation, fibrinolysis, and kinin generation and their contribution to the inflammatory response.

The activation of Hageman factor initiates the intrinsic coagulation pathway by conversion of precursor plasma thromboplastin antecedent (prePTA) to activated PTA,l kinin generation by conversion of prekallikrein to kallikrein2 and fibrinolysis by conversion of plasminogen proactivator to plasminogen activator.3 Additional constituents of the inflammatory response are also generated, including permeability factors* and chemotactic principles.5l ’ These pathways are controlled by intrinsic mechanisms such as the enzymatic feedback activation72 8 and fragmentation of Hageman factor”* lo and a nonspecific influence of plasma proteins upon Hageman factor activation,lO, I1 as well as by extrinsic mechanisms by which plasma inhibitors inactivate these enzymes and other pharmacologically active by-products. The enzymatic pathways initiated by the activation of Hageman factor, their amplification and control mechanisms, and their potential contribution to the inflammatory reaction will be considered.
Numerical Simulations of Observed Arctic Stratus Clouds Using a Second-Order Turbulence Closure Model

Abstract A high-resolution one-dimensional version of a second-order turbulence closure radiative-convective model, developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, is used to simulate the interactions among turbulence, radiation, and bulk cloud parameters in stratiform clouds observed during the Arctic Stratus Experiment conducted during June 1980 over the Beaufort Sea. The fidelity of the model to the underlying physics is assessed by comparing the modeled evolution of the cloud-capped boundary layer against data reported for two particular days of observations. Over the period encompassed by these observations, the boundary layer evolved from a well-mixed cloud-capped boundary layer overlying a stable cloudy surface layer to a shallower well-mixed boundary layer with a single upper cloud deck and a clear, diminished, stable surface layer. The model was able to reproduce the observed profiles of the liquid water content, cloud-base height, radiative heating rates, and the mean and turbulence variables over ...
HOW PEOPLE PREDICT THREE BALLS FALL INTO THREE CELLS

Ss completed a questionnaire, requiring them to predict how three balls fall into three cells as the result of a random process. They predicted that three balls fall into one cell, and that one ball falls into each of three cells, more often than would actually occur as the result of a random process. They predicted that two balls fall into one cell and the third falls into a second cell less often than would occur by chance.
Cancer of the Oral Cavity and Oropharynx

Cancers occurring in both the oral cavity and oropharynx can severely impair appearance and function, including speech, mastication, taste, and swallowing. The most common pathology of oral and oropharyngeal cancer is squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Common signs and symptoms in the oral cavity SCC include nonhealing painful ulcer, or ill-fitting denture. In more advanced cases, speech difficulty, dysphagia, otalgia, hypersalivation, and neck mass(es) are common. Sore throat and dysphagia are common presenting symptoms of tumors of the tonsils, soft palate, and posterior pharyngeal wall, but not in early tumors of the base of the tongue which often present with asymptomatic lymphadenopathy. Tissue from either primary tumor or neck lymphadenopathy is crucial for pathologic diagnosis. Accurate diagnosis and staging are based on history and physical examination, imaging, and laboratory studies. Single modality treatment with surgery or radiation therapy is preferred for early-stage oral cavity SCC. Surgery followed by adjuvant therapy or combined chemoradiation is needed for more advanced disease. Nonsurgical organ preservation therapy with chemoradiation therapy is preferred for most oropharyngeal cancer cases rather than a primary surgery approach. Improvements in imaging, radiation delivery (e.g., altered fractionation and intensity-modulated radiation therapy [IMRT]), and the use of combined chemotherapy and biological therapy have substantially improved treatment outcomes.
Adnexal torsion in a patient with hydrosalpinx who underwent tubal occlusion before in vitro fertilization.

Abstract Objective To report a rare case of adnexal torsion in an infertile patient with bilateral hydrosalpinges who had proximal tubal occlusion performed before IVF-ET 5 years earlier. Design A case report and literature review. Setting Reproductive endocrine division in a community teaching hospital. Patient(s) A 43-year-old infertile woman with acute left-side pelvic pain. Intervention(s) Laparoscopic bilateral salpingectomies. Main outcome measure(s) Diagnosis and etiology of pelvic pain with subsequent therapy to alleviate symptoms. Result(s) The patient experienced resolution of her pain and prophylactic prevention of further torsion status after bilateral salpingectomies. Conclusion(s) Although laparoscopic proximal tubal occlusion is an effective treatment of hydrosalpinges in patients undergoing IVF-ET, it carries the risk of torsion of the hydrosalpinx and the associated morbidities.
Telomere-Mediated Effects on Melanogenesis and Skin Aging

UV-induced melanogenesis (tanning) and "premature aging" or photoaging result in large part from DNA damage. This article reviews data tying both phenomena to telomere-based DNA damage signaling and develops a conceptual framework in which both responses may be understood as cancer-avoidance protective mechanisms.
Multilateral summation theorems for ordinary and basic hypergeometric series in U(n)

In this paper we prove generalizations of ${}_2 H_2 $, ${}_5 H_5 $, ${}_1 \psi _1 $, and ${}_6 \psi _6 $ summation theorems for hypergeometric series in $U(n)$. This includes a further generalization of Milne’s ${}_1 \psi _1 $ summation theorem for basic hypergeometric series in $U(n)$. These results are mostly obtained by use of contour integration together with Milne’s $U(n)$ generalizations of the Gauss, ${}_5 F_4 $ and ${}_6 \varphi _5 $ summation theorems.
Identification of coronary sinus septal defect (unroofed coronary sinus) by color Doppler echocardiography.

Coronary sinus septal defect (CSSD) (unroofed coronary sinus) is a defect in the wall that divides the left atrium from the coronary sinus. It is frequently associated with persistent left superior vena cav8.l When it occurs in association with intracardiac anomalies, such as tetralogy of Fallot2 or tricuspid atresia, 3, 4 there can be significant residual right-to-left shunting through the defect in the early postoperative period, if it is not recognized at the time of repair. The echocardiographic detection of this anomaly depends on the identification of the wall between the left atrium and the coronary sinus. Although this may not be difficult in the case of a neonate who can be scanned from multiple windows with 5.0 and 7.5 MHz transducers, resolution of this thin wall in the older infant or child with 2.5 or 3.5 MHz transducers can be a formidable challenge. Using color Doppler flow echocardiography, we recently prospectively diagnosed coronary sinus septal defects in a 20month-old infant (case l), a 32-month-old infant (case 2), and a ‘I-year-old child (case 3). Fig. 1. Subcostal frontal view of a normal patient with a dilated coronary sinus (and persistent left superior vena cava). Note the presence of the coronary sinus roof (unlabelled arrows). cs, Coronary sinus; LA, left atrium; RA, right atrium; rpu, right lower pulmonary vein.
Experimental demonstration of automated scatter-glare correction in fluoroscopic images

Fluoroscopic images are degraded by scattering of x-rays from within the patient and by veiling glare in the image intensifier. Both of these degradations are well described by a response function applied to primary intensity. We can automatically estimate the parameters of the response function with the aid of a reference object placed in the imaging field. Subtraction of the true reference signal yields artifacts unless proper scatter-glare correction is performed. We adjust the scatter-glare parameters in order to minimize these artifacts. We demonstrate this technique using an anthropomorphic phantom plus additional scattering material. Root mean square error in densitometric measurements of an x-ray phantom is reduced by 54 percent compared with no correction and by 36 percent compared with subtraction of uniform scatter measured under a beam stop.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Impact of ethanol on the natural attenuation of MTBE in a normally sulfate-reducing aquifer.

Side-by-side experiments were conducted in an aquifer contaminated with methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) at a former fuel station to evaluate the effect of ethanol release on the fate of pre-existing MTBE contamination. On one side, for ∼9 months we injected groundwater amended with 1−3 mg/L benzene, toluene, and o-xylene (BToX). On the other side, we injected the same, adding ∼500 mg/ L ethanol. The fates of BToX in both sides (“lanes”) were addressed in a prior publication. No MTBE transformation was observed in the “No Ethanol Lane.” In the “With Ethanol Lane”, MTBE was transformed to tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) under the methanogenic and/or acetogenic conditions induced by the in situ biodegradation of the ethanol downgradient of the injection wells. The lag time before onset of this transformation was less than 2 months and the pseudo-first-order reaction rate estimated after 7−8 months was 0.046 d-1. Our results imply that rapid subsurface transformation of MTBE to TBA may be expected in situations where...
How and why cells grow as rods

The rod is a ubiquitous shape adopted by walled cells from diverse organisms ranging from bacteria to fungi to plants. Although rod-like shapes are found in cells of vastly different sizes and are constructed by diverse mechanisms, the geometric similarities among these shapes across kingdoms suggest that there are common evolutionary advantages, which may result from simple physical principles in combination with chemical and physiological constraints. Here, we review mechanisms of constructing rod-shaped cells and the bases of different biophysical models of morphogenesis, comparing and contrasting model organisms in different kingdoms. We then speculate on possible advantages of the rod shape, and suggest strategies for elucidating the relative importance of each of these advantages.
NECROTIZING ENTEROCOLITIS SYNDROME IN SYMPTOMATIC INFANTS WITH CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE

Recent studies suggest an association between congenital heart disease (CHD) and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in term infants. To examine this relationship, the records of 76 infants less than 6 weeks of age with CHD requiring cardiac catheterization (CC) and/or surgery (S) during the last 2 years were reviewed. 18 patients (23%) had symptoms of ischemic bowel disease, including abdominal distention, bloody or bilious gastric aspirates, and bloody stools. Only 3 were premature. 7 patients had documented NEC: 5 had intramural air (IA) on abdominal x-ray; 2 others had pathology-proven lesions. 3 infants died from NEC. Of the 18 infants with evidence of ischemic bowel disease, 9 had cyanotic CHD. 5 of these 9 had hypotension during CC or S. 6 had NEC with IA or positive pathology. One pt. developed symptoms before CC, 4 after CC alone, and 4 after CC and S. The other 9 cases occurred among 18 infants who had surgical resection of coarctation, with cross-clamping of the aorta. 2 displayed symptoms after CC and 7 after S. In general, these pts. had a similar, but milder symptom complex; only 1 developed IA. In summary, symptoms of ischemic bowel disease were seen in 23% of 76 infants with CHD; 7 pts. (9%) had documented NEC. Experience with 7 other pts. indicates that post-coarctectomy syndrome in infants may be a form of this disease. Early recognition and therapy of NEC syndrome may reduce the morbidity and mortality among infants with CHD who require early CC and/or surgery.