cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Self-assessed sleep quality in chronic kidney disease.

Background: Although sleep complaints are commonly reported in persons with end stage renal disease (ESRD), little is known about the prevalence of sleep complaints in chronic kidney disease (CKD), and the relation of sleep quality to the severity of kidney disease. Methods: We administered the Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQOL) sleep scale to 156 subjects, 78 with ESRD and 78 with CKD. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was estimated using the six variable Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation and used to stratify subjects with CKD as mild-moderate (GFR >25 ml/min/1.73 m2) and advanced (GFR <25 ml/min/1.73 m2). We used multivariable linear regression to determine independent predictors of KDQOL sleep scale scores. Higher scores indicate higher self-reported quality of sleep. Results: Median scores on the KDQOL sleep scale were 59 (interquartile range 40–80) in subjects with ESRD and 69 (interquartile range 53–80) in subjects with CKD (P=0.04). Thirty-four percent of subjects with ESRD, 27% of subjects with advanced CKD, and 14% of subjects with mild to moderate CKD had sleep maintenance disturbances (P=0.05). Thirteen percent of subjects with ESRD, 11% of subjects with advanced CKD, and no subjects with mild-moderate CKD had complaints of daytime somnolence (P=0.03). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of sleep adequacy complaints in persons with ESRD versus CKD. In multivariable analyses, only age and ESRD status (vs. CKD) were significant predictors of lower KDQOL sleep scores. Among subjects with CKD, there was a significant direct association between estimated GFR and scores on the KDQOL sleep scale in non-African American subjects (P=0.01). Conclusions: Sleep complaints are common in persons with CKD and ESRD and may be associated with the severity of kidney disease.
Adolescent stress and neural plasticity in hamsters: a vasopressin-serotonin model of inappropriate aggressive behaviour.

Animal studies show that arginine vasopressin facilitates aggression, while serotonin (5-HT) inhibits aggression by blocking the activity of the vasopressin system. Clinical studies report that subjects with a history of ‘fighting and assault’ show a significant positive correlation between cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of vasopressin and aggression in the presence of a hyporeactive 5-HT system. Thus, in animals and humans, a hyporeactive 5-HT system may result in enhanced vasopressin activity and increased aggression. Can the stress of emotional and physical insult, i.e. threat and attack, during adolescence affect the development of the vasopressin and 5-HT systems and alter normal aggressive behaviour in early adulthood? Adolescent male golden hamsters were weaned at postnatal day 25, and stressed for 2 weeks by daily 1 h bouts of threat and attack by adult hamsters. Male littermates were run in a parallel stress study using daily 1 h trials of isolation in a novel environment. During early adulthood, on postnatal day 45, 3 days after the cessation of stress trials, animals were tested for aggression in a resident: intruder model. The results show a context-dependent change in aggression. Animals with a history of abuse show exaggerated attack behaviour toward smaller males compared to littermates with a history of isolation stress. Conversely, when confronted by males of equal size, animals with a history of abuse show diminished aggression and increased submission compared to controls. It was determined that the density of vasopressin fibres and neurones in the hypothalamus is lower in abused animals compared to controls. In contrast, the number of 5-HT terminals within the hypothalamus is higher in abused animals compared to controls. These results provide evidence in an animal model that stress in the form of threat and attack during adolescence can alter the balance between vasopressin and 5-HT in the brain, resulting in inappropriate aggressive behaviour in early adulthood.
Nitrite reduction in Rhizobium “hedysari” strain HCNT 1

Rhizobium “hedysari” strain HCNT 1 rapidly reduced nitrite to N2O, only slowly reduced nitrate to nitrite and did not exhibit nitrous oxide reductase activity. Nitrite reduction in this rhizobium strain may be a detoxification mechanism for conversion of nitrite, which inhibits O2 uptake, to non-toxic N2O. Concentrations of nitrite as small as 3 μM diminished O2 uptake in whole cells. The bacterium did not couple energy conservation with nitrate or nitrite reduction. Cells neither grew anaerobically at the expense of these nitrogen oxides nor translocated protons during reduction of nitrite. Induction of nitrite reductase activity was not a response to the presence of nitrate or nitrite, but occurred instead when the O2 concentration in culture atmospheres fell to <16.5% of air saturation. Sensitivity of cytochrome o, which is synthesized only in cells grown under O2-limited conditions, may account for the toxicity of nitrite in strain HCNT 1.
Excessive Weight Gain in Primigravidas With Low-Risk Pregnancy: Selected Obstetric Consequences

Objective: To determine whether a group of normal weight women with a low-risk pregnancy who increased their prepregnant weight by more than 25% experienced a longer second stage of labor or a higher proportion of operative deliveries than a group of normal weight women who increased their prepregnant weight by 25% or less. Design: Comparative, descriptive, retrospective chart review. Setting: A 480-bed tertiary care medical center. Participants: One hundred four primigravidas who had normal weight for height at conception and who experienced low-risk pregnancy. Main outcome measures: Length of second stage labor and mode of delivery. Results: A statistically significant difference was found in the mean length of second stage labor between the two groups, t(94) = -2.05, p = 0.02. A higher proportion of operative deliveries (vacuum, forceps, or cesarean section) occurred in the group that increased their prepregnant weight by more than 25%, X2(3, N = 104) = 15.87, p = 0.001. Conclusions: The amount of weight gained during pregnancy influences progress and intervention during the second stage of labor.
Regulation of opioid gene expression

Opioid peptides are synthesized in the form of large precursors, which contain the information for more than one biologically active peptide. Using recombinant DNA technology, three opioid precursors have been sequenced: pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), proenkephalin and prodynorphin. Analysis of the structures of these three precursors and their corresponding genes show striking similarities suggesting a common evolutionary mechanism. Regulation of POMC gene expression has been analyzed in different rat tissues. Detection of POMC mRNA in brain tissues supports the hypothesis that ACTH and endorphin peptides are synthesized in these tissues. Quantitation of POMC mRNA levels in pituitaries of rats subjected to adrenalectomy and glucocorticoid treatment shows that the feedback effect of the glucocorticoids occurs at the level of the rate of transcription of POMC mRNA.
T cell-microglial dialogue in Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: are we listening?

Neuroinflammation is a pathological hallmark in Parkinson's disease (PD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and is characterized by activated microglia and infiltrating T cells at sites of neuronal injury. In PD and ALS, neurons do not die alone; neuronal injury is non-cell-autonomous and depends on a well-orchestrated dialogue in which neuronally secreted misfolded proteins activate microglia and initiate a self-propagating cycle of neurotoxicity. Diverse populations and phenotypes of CD4 + T cells crosstalk with microglia, and depending on their activation status, influence this dialogue and promote neuroprotection or neurotoxicity. A greater understanding of the T cell population that mediates these effects, as well as the molecular signals involved should provide targets for neuroprotective immunomodulation to treat these devastating neurodegenerative diseases.
DNA microarray analysis of predominant human intestinal bacteria in fecal samples

A microarray method was developed for the detection of 40 bacterial species reported in the literature to be predominant in the human gastrointestinal tract. The 40 species include seven species each of Bacteroides and Clostridium, six species of Ruminococcus, five species of Bifidobacterium, four species of Eubacterium, two species each of Fusobacterium, Lactobacillus and Enterococcus, and single species each of Collinsella, Eggerthella, Escherichia, Faecalibacterium and Finegoldia. Three 40-mer oligos specific for each bacterial species were designed based on comparison of the 16S rDNA sequences available in the GenBank database, and were used to make the DNA-array on epoxy slides. Using two universal primers, the 16S rRNA gene from bacteria present in fecal samples were amplified and labeled with Cyanine5-dCTP by PCR, and then hybridized to the DNA-array. After resolving some difficulties caused by sequence conflicts in GenBank and inaccurate reference strains, all 40 bacterial reference species gave positive results. The microarray method was used to screen fecal samples obtained from 11 healthy human volunteers for the presence of these intestinal bacteria. The results indicated that 25-37 of the 40 species could be detected in each fecal sample and that 33 of the species were found in a majority of the samples.
Boundary-element analysis of wave scattering from cracks

A multi region boundary-element method is employed to study the scattering of time-harmonic waves by cracks in a three-dimensional elastic solid. Special shape functions are employed to model the near-crack singularity. The multi region formulation enables removal of singularities from all boundary integral equations. The matter of fictitious eigenfrequencies is discussed and resolved. Values of dynamic stress intensity factors for three problems involving penny-shaped cracks are compared with results of other investigators.
Counter-regulatory responses to continuous and intermittent therapy with nitroglycerin.

BACKGROUNDVasodilator therapy may be associated with reflex counter-regulatory responses, and these responses may play a role in the development of tolerance to nitroglycerin (GTN).METHODS AND RESULTSStanding systolic blood pressure, body weight, urinary sodium, and hormonal responses to continuous (n = 10) and intermittent (n = 10) transdermal GTN administration were studied in normal volunteers. There was rapid attenuation of the hypotensive response to transdermal GTN therapy in the continuous but not in the intermittent therapy group. Significant weight gain and sodium retention occurred during continuous but not during intermittent GTN therapy. This was accompanied by a greater decrease in hematocrit in the continuous group, a finding that suggests that plasma volume expansion occurred during continuous GTN therapy. Continuous GTN therapy was associated with increases in plasma norepinephrine, atrial natriuretic peptide, arginine, vasopressin, and plasma renin activity. A different pattern of neuroho...
Advancing supercomputer performance through interconnection topology synthesis

In todaypsilas many-core era, the interconnection networks have been the key factor that dominates the performance of a computer system. In this paper, we propose a design flow to discover the best topology in terms of the communication latency and physical constraints. First a set of representative candidate topologies are generated for the interconnection networks among computing chips; then an efficient multi-commodity flow algorithm is devised to evaluate the performance. The experiments show that the best topologies identified by our algorithm can achieve better average latency compared to the existing networks.
Brief paper: A method for high order linear system reduction and nonlinear system simplification

Efficient least-squares based algorithms are presented for reducing the complexity of a system. One algorithm is capable of reducing a high order linear system in the frequency domain while another is developed for simplifying a nonlinear system in the time domain. In both cases an optimal simplified model is obtained from the set of all admissible models of the system. In the case of linear systems, the admissible set of models are those which are formed from linear combinations of any and all of the partial fractions (coefficients in the expansion are not needed) associated with the system transfer function. In the nonlinear case, linear combinations of the nonlinear terms form the admissible set of models. In either situation, each possible model structure is then represented as a node in a tree. To avoid designing and testing all possible models a cost is assigned, based on a least square error criterion, as a measure of the reduction in error that results when a term is added to a particular model. Basically, this assigns a weight to the relative importance of each component of the model. These costs appear on the branches of the tree and are derived such that the optimal n term model is the maximum cost path from the root to a node at depth n. The above approach insures that no cumbersome matrix inversion is done and so it allows the consideration of a large number of model candidates in a short period of time. Finally, the reduction of an eighth order linear system and the simplification of a three-state nonlinear system with eight nonlinear terms are presented.
Properties of SiAlO2N protective coatings on surface acoustic wave devices

Abstract The use of a protective wear-resistant amorphous SiAlO 2 N thin film overlayer (amorphous SiO 2 –AlN alloy) on top of surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices is demonstrated on both quartz and langatate substrates. SiAlO 2 N films were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering onto sapphire substrates, quartz SAW devices, and langatate SAW devices. The SiAlO 2 N layer had an amorphous structure, a density of 2.8 ± 0.1 g/cm 3 , a roughness less than 1 nm as measured by X-ray reflectivity, and a dielectric permittivity of 7.5 ± 0.05 as determined from microfabricated SiAlO 2 N capacitors. SiAlO 2 N elastic constants C 11 and C 44 were extracted using a numerical implementation of the matrix method for SAWs traveling in multilayer structures, and were found to be C 11 = 160 ± 30 GPa and C 44 = 55 ± 5 GPa. The operating frequencies of quartz SAW devices covered with SiAlO 2 N coatings were only slightly perturbed, but the temperature coefficient of delay (TCD) near 100 °C increased significantly by 250 ppm/°C. For langatate SAW devices, the SiAlO 2 N coating contributed an additional 8.5 dB to device transmission loss but the TCDs were minimally affected for SiAlO 2 N thicknesses up to 800 nm. This result suggests that langatate SAW devices for which temperature-frequency characteristics are important can be designed without consideration of the multi-layer structure, which greatly simplifies device design and modeling.
Contending Tradeoffs: IRCA, Immigrants, and the Southern California Restaurant Industry

The impact of immigrant labor in the Service sector is best understood by focusing on the organization of production within firms and its effect on employer demand for labor. This analysis of the San Diego restaurant industry identifies a two tier occupational structure, where employers have selectively recruited undocumented immigrants to fill back-house positions. Conversely, the target hiring of the U.S.-born for visible front-house positions completes the cost-effective symmetry which has allowed this industry to flourish. Although the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) threatens this arrangement, its policy effectiveness remains extremely problematic.
Sickness behaviors following medial frontal cortical contusions in male rats.

Behaviors associated with sickness (food consumption, weight maintenance, exploratory activity and grooming frequency) were examined on post-surgical days 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 in male rats treated with progesterone (4 mg/kg) and/or vehicle. Rats with medial frontal cortex contusions showed reduced food consumption on days 1 and 3 (p 0.05). Progesterone did reduce lesion size at 9 days after injury (p < 0.05). Our results suggest sickness behaviors occur after traumatic brain injury and that they might not respond to some neurosteroidal agents.
Designing a Systematized Program in Instructional Design and Development.

The Instructional Design and Development (IDD) Program at Florida State University is described and offered as a role model for other institutions. The planning and design of the IDD program include consideration of factors such as career fields of graduates and areas of competency in instructional systems. The matching of career fields and competency areas is then carried out. The IDD program itself is an example of applying systems thinking to an educational problem.
Baker's Yeast as a Protein Supplement in Corn Meal Muffins1

Quality characteristics of corn meal muffins supplemented with 10, 20, and 30 percent baker's yeast protein (BYP), based on the levels of corn meal in the formulation, were compared to those of control muffins. These characteristics included volume; percentage of moisture; tenderness determined with a shear press; and sensory evaluations for surface appearance, interior color, texture, tenderness, moistness, and flavor. The volume index of the muffins was slightly improved with higher levels of BYP supplementation. Shear values were similar for all four muffin variables; however, the percentage of moisture was progressively lower with increasing BYP supplementation. Sensory evaluations indicated that all muffins possessed similar characteristics of texture, tenderness, and moistness. Surface appearance of the muffins improved with 20 percent BYP supplementation, but color and flavor scores decreased. All muffins, however, received scores of 4 or higher on a 7-point descriptive score card, with 7 the optimum score. Calculated protein and amino acid composition data indicated that protein quantity increased with increasing levels of BYP supplementation. The protein score for lysine increased from 70 for the control muffin to over 100 for the muffin with 30 percent BYP supplementation.
Solar spectroscopy from Rowland to SOT

Abstract In 1882, through the entrance of H. A. Rowland, there began a completely new period of spectral analysis. Using a new principle, Rowland succeeded in producing a practically error-free screw. With this screw he built an engine for ruling optical gratings which placed all prior accomplishments deep in shadow. A principal accomplishment of Rowland was that he did not confine himself to ruling plane surfaces, as had been done exclusively until then; he went on to rule gratings on concave surfaces. These concave gratings project a sharply focussed spectrum without the interposition of any lens whatsoever. Rowland went on to investigate the action of the concave grating theoretically, and described the most useful type of mounting [the ‘Rowland’ mounting]. These gratings, with ruled surfaces of more than one hundred thousand lines, gave spectroscopists a means of producing spectra of dispersion and sharpness not even dreamed of until then. Rowland's calculations showed that with the largest gratings one could obtain a resolving power so great that to produce it with a prism would require a prism having a base length of 1 1/4 meters — ridiculously large of course.
The role of protein synthesis and digestive enzymes in acinar cell injury

The exocrine pancreas is the organ with the highest level of protein synthesis in the adult--each day the pancreas produces litres of fluid filled with enzymes that are capable of breaking down nearly all organic substances. For optimal health, the pancreas must produce sufficient enzymes of the right character to match the dietary intake. Disruption of normal pancreatic function occurs primarily as a result of dysfunction of the acinar cells that produce these digestive enzymes, and can lead to acute or chronic diseases. For many years, the prevailing dogma has been that inappropriate intracellular activation of the digestive enzymes produced by acinar cells was the key to pancreatic inflammatory diseases, as digestive enzymes themselves are potentially harmful to the cells that secrete them. However, we now know that many stressors can affect pancreatic acinar cells, and that these stressors can independently trigger pancreatic pathology through various mechanisms. This Review focuses on protein synthesis and active digestive enzymes--two key stressors faced by the acinar cell that are likely to be the major drivers of pathology encountered in the pancreas.
Nonlinear time-varying compensation for simultaneous performance

Abstract This short note considers the use of nonlinear time- varying compensation for linear time-invariant discrete-time plants. It is shown via counterexample that the problem of simultaneous performance presents fundamental limitations which cannot be overcome by nonlinear time-varying compensation. This result is in contrast to results on simultaneous stabilization which show that limitations due to linear compensation may be removed using nonlinear time-varying compensation. As a corollary of these results, the conjecture that achievable disturbance rejection over stable nonlinear time-varying compensation equals that for linear compensation is refuted.
Variation in accuracy of textured contact lens detection based on sensor and lens pattern

Automatic detection of textured contact lenses in images acquired for iris recognition has been studied by several researchers. However, to date, the experimental results in this area have all been based on the same manufacturer of contact lenses being represented in both the training data and the test data and only one previous work has considered images from more than one iris sensor. Experimental results in this work show that accuracy of textured lens detection can drop dramatically when tested on a manufacturer of lenses not seen in the training data, or when the iris sensor in use varies between the training and test data. These results suggest that the development of a fully general approach to textured lens detection is a problem that still requires attention.
Estimations homogénéisées pour les composites hyperélastiques et applications aux élastomères renforcés

Abstract This Note is concerned with the development of variational estimates for the effective stored-energy function of hyperelastic composites undergoing finite deformations. It makes use of a suitable generalization of the “second-order procedure” of Ponte Castaneda, the key idea being the introduction of an optimally chosen “linear thermoelastic comparison composite”, which can then be used to convert available homogenization estimates for linear systems directly into new estimates for hyperelastic composites. The resulting estimates are known to be exact to second order in the contrast. An application is given for particle-reinforced rubbers.
Nutrient regulates Tor1 nuclear localization and association with rDNA promoter

Yeast Tor1 is dynamically distributed in the cytoplasm and nucleus, and its association with the rDNA promoter is important for 35S rRNA synthesis and cell growth. TOR is the target of the immunosuppressant rapamycin and a key regulator of cell growth. It modulates diverse cellular processes in the cytoplasm and nucleus1,2,3,4,5, including the expression of amino acid transporters, ribosomal RNAs and ribosomal proteins. Despite considerable recent progress, little is known about the spatial and temporal regulation of TOR signalling, particularly that leading into the nucleus. Here we show that Tor1 is dynamically distributed in the cytoplasm and nucleus in yeast. Tor1 nuclear localization is nutrient dependent and rapamycin sensitive: starvation or treatment with rapamycin causes Tor1 to exit from the nucleus. Tor1 nuclear localization is critical for 35S rRNA synthesis, but not for the expression of amino acid transporters and ribosomal protein genes. We show further that Tor1 is associated with 35S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) promoter chromatin in a rapamycin- and starvation-sensitive manner; this association is necessary for 35S rRNA synthesis and cell growth. These results indicate that the spatial regulation of TOR complex 1 (TORC1) might be involved in differential control of its target genes. TOR is known as a classic cytoplasmic kinase that mediates the cytoplasm-to-nucleus signalling by controlling the localization of transcription factors. Our data indicate that TOR might be more intimately involved in gene regulation than previously thought.
Analysis of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) Using Expert Ratings of Job Categories

Background Few epidemiologic studies have addressed the exposure–response relationships between work activities and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA). This analysis used data from a national survey and ergonomists’ ratings to address this issue. Methods Interview and knee X-ray data were obtained from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Occupational ratings were obtained using ergonomists. A weighted logistic regression was used. Results Among men, a significant exposure–response relationship was found between symptomatic knee OA and kneeling. In both genders, there was a significant trend in heavy lifting and severe symptomatic knee OA. Approximately 20.7% of knee OA can be attributed to kneeling >14% of the workday among men. Conclusions The significant exposure–response relationships suggest that modest reductions in certain occupational activities can reduce the burden of knee OA. The study was limited by unvalidated expert ratings. Research is needed to identify hazardous characteristics of work activities and to clarify exposure–response relationships. Am. J. Ind. Med. 51:37–46, 2008. 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Laser surface modification of metal-coated ceramics

Pulsed excimer laser radiation has been successfully employed in the improvement (> 50%) of fracture strength of metal-coated ceramics. Thin metallic layers (∼500 A) of nickel were deposited on silicon nitride and silicon carbide substrates and further irradiated with pulsed excimer (xenon chloride, krypton fluoride) laser pulses. The laser energy density was varied from 0.4 to 2.0 J cm −2 to optimize the formation of mixed interfacial layers. The formation of interfacial layers was studied by transmission electron microscopy and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry techniques. Detailed heat flow calculations using implicit finite difference methods were performed to simulate the effects of intense laser irradiation on metal-coated ceramic structures. Three different mechanisms were found to play an important role in the improvement in the fracture strength of these ceramics. Theoretical calculations showed that the displacement of the crack tip away from the free surface by laser surface modification can lead to a 100% improvement in the fracture strength of the ceramic.
Germanium(IV) adsorption from aqueous solution using a kelex-100 functional adsorbent

The removal of germanium from acid solution systems using a Kelex-100 [7-(4-ethyl-1-methyloctyl)-8-hydroxyquinoline] functional sol−gel adsorbent was investigated. Kelex-100 has been used for separating metals such as Ga(III), Co(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), and Cu(II) from aqueous solution by solvent extraction and liquid membranes. The goal of this work was to demonstrate that elutable mesoporous organo-ceramic adsorbents based on Kelex-100 can be synthesized for the selective separation of germanium from simulated leachate solution. The speciation diagram of Ge(IV) in an aqueous system with varying pH was prepared and evaluated by analysis of the equilibrium equations. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm was found to provide a satisfactory fit of the adsorption data, and the uptake capacity at pH 6.0 was found to be 0.33 mmol/g (23 mg/g). A kinetics study conducted on a germanium(IV) solution in a batch reactor at different pH values showed a high rate of adsorption relative to other adsorbents [Inukai et al. Ana...
Solar Radiation Over the Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico

Solar radiation was measured and recorded on a 5-minute, hourly and daily basis at a number of sites on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico (located from 18° to 18° 30’N latitude and from 65° 30’ to 67° 15’W longitude) over a 24 calendar month time frame. The global solar radiation was measured at four sites (namely: Aguadilla, Ponce, Gurabo, and San Juan). The global solar radiation data was measured by an Eppley Precision Spectral Pyranometer (model PSP) mounted on a horizontal surface. This pyranometer is sensitive to solar radiation in the range of 0.285 ≤ λ ≤ 2.8 μm wavelengths. Statistical analysis such as the daily average, monthly average hourly, monthly average daily, and annual average daily global radiation are presented in this paper. Despite its small size, a 13 percent variation in the global solar radiation has been observed within the island. Reasonable solar radiation values, for solar energy conversion system installation, seem to exist at and possibly around Aguadilla.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Comparison of Binding Platforms Yields Insights into Receptor Binding Differences between Shiga Toxins 1 and 2

Protein−glycan interactions are typically very weak, and avid binding is achieved when proteins express multiple glycan binding sites. Shiga toxin (Stx) uses glycan receptors to enter cells. Stx has five identical binding subunits, each with three nonidentical glycan binding sites. Previous studies examined binding to biantennary glycans expressing Pk trisaccharide mimics immobilized on streptavidin, resulting in display of four trisaccharides per streptavidin face. Stx1 preferred the Pk trisaccharide of its native receptor, globotriaosylceramide (Gb3), while the more potent and clinically relevant variant, Stx2, preferred the Pk trisaccharide with the terminal galactose replaced with N-acetylgalactosamine (NHAc-Pk). In the present study, binding of Stxs to Pk analogues was examined using two experimental platforms, ELISA and surface plasmon resonance (SPR). ELISA was more sensitive than SPR. Sensitivity in the ELISA was due to high streptavidin density, suggesting that avid binding may require engagement...
Problems with spontaneous ectromelia (mouse pox) in a virus laboratory.

SummaryTrentin(3) has recently reported an outbreak of ectromelia (mouse pox) in his mouse colony at the Yale University School of Medicine. Another spontaneous epizootic in a different colony at the School is described in the present report. The virus was isolated and was shown to be related to vaccinia virus by cross hemagglutination tests and cross neutralization tests. The infected colony as well as harvests of other viral agents prepared from mice in the colony have been destroyed.
Absence of photoinduced electron transfer from the excitonic electron-hole bound state in polydiacetylene conjugated polymers.

We present the results of comparative studies of photoinduced electron transfer from semiconducting polymers onto ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$, focusing on the effect of strong Coulomb correlations, which lead to excitons (bound electron-hole pairs) as the primary photoexcitations. For this purpose, we investigated two different soluble polydiacetylene (PDA) derivatives in which the lowest-energy photoexcitations are excitons with a binding energy of approximately 0.5 eV. The experimental studies (absorption and emission spectroscopy, subpicosecond and millisecond photoinduced absorption spectroscopy, and picosecond transient and near-steady-state photoconductivity) were carried out in pristine materials and in composites of PDA with ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$. The PDA data are compared with the results of similar studies on semiconducting conjugated polymers such as poly(para-phenylene-vinylene) and its derivatives, the PPV's, and polythiophene and its derivatives, the P3AT's. The results show clearly that in contrast to the high quantum efficiency photoinduced electron transfer discovered earlier in the PPV's and the P3AT's, the excitonic bound state of the electron and hole inhibits photoinduced electron transfer from PDA onto ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$. We conclude that in the PPV's and the P3AT's, the Coulomb interaction is sufficiently well screened that upon photoexcitation free carriers are created, thereby making possible facile electron transfer to a nearby acceptor.
Race and Gender Differences in Religiosity Among Older Adults: Findings From Four National Surveys

Using data from four national surveys, this article presents findings on racial and gender differences in religiosity among older adults. Surveys include the second Quality of American Life study, the Myth and Reality of Aging study, wave one of Americans' Changing Lives, and the 1987 sample of the General Social Survey. These four data sources collectively include a broad range of items which tap the constructs of organizational, nonorganizational, and subjective religiosity. In all four studies, and for most indicators, results revealed significant racial and gender differences which consistently withstood controlling for sociodemographic effects, including age, education, marital status, family income, region, urbanicity, and subjective health.
[Comment on “Multidisciplinary program studies land‐atmosphere interactions in semi‐arid regions”] San Pedro Riparian Corridor recently was treeless

Readers may be intrigued by a fascinating footnote to the article on the Semi-Arid Land Surface Atmosphere Program (SALSA) study of the Upper San Pedro River Basin (USPB) in Arizona (Eos, November 14, 1995, p. 465). Along the banks of the San Pedro River within the first congressionally designated Riparian National Conservation Area, the “narrow riparian corridor (50–300 m wide)” that has been declared one of the “12 Great Places of the Western Hemisphere” by the Nature Conservancy, has existed for no more than half a century! [See Richard Hereford, 1993 Geological Society of America Special Paper 282, 46 pp.]
Depth and temperature of the blue marlin, Makaira nigricans, observed by acoustic telemetry

Multiplex acoustic transmitters were used to monitor the depth, swimming speeds, body temperature and water temperature preference of six blue marlin, Makaira nigricans (Lacepede), near the Hawaiian islands in July and August 1989. The blue marlin ranged in size from 60 to 220 kg and were tracked for 1 to 5 d. All of the fish moved away from the point of capture and were followed up to 253 km from the island of Hawaii. The blue marlin tracked remained in the top 200 m of the water column, spending half the time in the upper 10 m, and rarely ventured below the thermocline. In the nearsurface waters the temperature was uniformly warm (25 to 27°C). The coldest water temperature, 17°C, was encountered on the deepest descent recorded (209 m). Depth changes occurred rapidly and excursions below 10 m were usually less than 60 min in duration. Muscle temperature was similar to water temperature except for a 2°C elevation in muscle temperature observed at the beginning of tracking one individual. This initial rise in body temperature was associated with the anaerobic muscle activity during capture and is an indication of the physiological stress involved in capture.
Joint classifier and feature optimization for comprehensive cancer diagnosis using gene expression data.

Recent research has demonstrated quite convincingly that accurate cancer diagnosis can be achieved by constructing classifiers that are designed to compare the gene expression profile of a tissue of unknown cancer status to a database of stored expression profiles from tissues of known cancer status. This paper introduces the JCFO, a novel algorithm that uses a sparse Bayesian approach to jointly identify both the optimal nonlinear classifier for diagnosis and the optimal set of genes on which to base that diagnosis. We show that the diagnostic classification accuracy of the proposed algorithm is superior to a number of current state-of-the-art methods in a full leave-one-out cross-validation study of five widely used benchmark datasets. In addition to its superior classification accuracy, the algorithm is designed to automatically identify a small subset of genes (typically around twenty in our experiments) that are capable of providing complete discriminatory information for diagnosis. Focusing attentio...
Factors associated with the use of procedural sedation during incision and drainage procedures at a children's hospital ☆

Abstract Objective The incidence of skin and soft tissue infections requiring incision and drainage has increased. Little evidence exists about the use of procedural sedation (PS) for these procedures in children. Our objective was to determine factors associated with the use of PS during incision and drainage procedures at a tertiary children's hospital. Methods This was a nested cohort study that combined a retrospective medical record review with prospectively collected data for children 2 months to 18 years old who had an incision and drainage procedure performed at a children's hospital over a 1-year period. Procedural sedation was defined as the use of pharmacologic agents to alter patient consciousness. Patient, lesion (eg, size and induration), provider (eg, years of experience), and emergency department (eg, patient volume and wait time) factors were analyzed. Emergency department physicians were divided into tertiles by frequency of sedation (high/medium/low) to assess provider practice variation. χ 2 Analysis and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with PS use. Results Of the 215 enrolled patients, 95 (44.2%) received PS. Ninety (94.7%) of 95 sedated patients received ketamine as their primary sedation agent. On univariate analysis, emergency department volume, wait time, duration of illness, and provider experience were not associated with PS use. With multivariable regression, patient age, abscess size, and provider frequency of sedation were all independently associated with the decision to sedate. Conclusions Patient age and abscess size are independent predictors of the use of PS for incision and drainage procedures. Provider practice patterns are also independently associated with PS use.
Characterization of gallium nitride microsystems within radiation and high-temperature environments

New milestones in space exploration can be realized through the development of radiation-hardened, temperature-tolerant materials, sensors and electronics. This enables lightweight systems (reduced packaging requirements) with increased operation lifetimes. Gallium nitride (GaN) is a ceramic, semiconductor material that is stable within high-radiation, high-temperature and chemically corrosive environments. Recently, this material platform has been utilized to realize sensors and electronics for operation under extreme harsh conditions. These devices exploit the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) formed at the interface between AlGaN/GaN heterostructures, which is used as the material platform in high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). In this paper, a review of the advancements in GaN manufacturing technology such as the growth of epitaxially deposited thin films, micromachining techniques and high-temperature metallization is presented. In addition, the compelling results of fabricating and operating micro-scale GaNbased sensors within radiation environments and at elevated temperatures are shown. The paper will close with future directions GaN-based microsystems technology for down-hole, propulsion and space exploration applications.
Reactions of coordinated arenes: Syntheses of substituted (η5-cyclohexadienyl) (η5-cyclopentadienyl)iron(II), and (η6-arene) (η4-cyclohexadiene)iron(0) complexes

Abstract The complexes obtained from the co-deposition of iron atoms with arenes react with cyclopentadiene to give the substituted (η5-cyclohexadienyl)-(η5-cyclopentadienyl)iron(II) complexes, and with hydrogen to give the (η6-arene)(η4-cyclohexadiene)iron(0) complexes. The latter reaction was used to demonstrate that the complex obtained in the case of toluene is not a 1 : 1 adduct.
Soft Magnetic Materials

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Eddy Currents Losses in Electrical Machines Electrical Steel Special Alloys Soft Ferrites Problems
Control of large, established tumor xenografts with genetically retargeted human T cells containing CD28 and CD137 domains

Mesothelin is a cell-surface molecule over-expressed on a large fraction of carcinomas, and thus is an attractive target of immunotherapy. A molecularly targeted therapy for these cancers was created by engineering T cells to express a chimeric receptor with high affinity for human mesothelin. Lentiviral vectors were used to express a single-chain variable fragment that binds mesothelin and that is fused to signaling domains derived from T-cell receptor zeta, CD28, and CD137 (4–1BB). When stimulated by mesothelin, lentivirally transduced T cells were induced to proliferate, express the antiapoptotic gene Bcl-XL, and secrete multiple cytokines, all features characteristic of central memory T cells. When transferred intratumorally or intravenously into NOD/scid/IL2rγ−/− mice engrafted with large pre-established tumors, the engineered T cells reduced the tumor burden, and in some cases resulted in complete eradication of the tumors at low effector-to-target ratios. Incorporation of the CD137 signaling domain specifically reprogrammed cells for multifunctional cytokine secretion and enhanced persistence of T cells. These findings have important implications for adoptive immunotherapy of cancer, especially in the context of poorly immunogenic tumors. Genetically redirected T cells have promise of targeting T lymphocytes to tumor antigens, confer resistance to the tumor microenvironment, and providing immunosurveillance.
A Cross-Level Exploratory Analysis of “Neighborhood Effects” on Urban Behavior: An Evolutionary Perspective

It is now generally accepted that spatially-based neighborhood or contextual attributes influence individual behaviors. However, studies of contextual effects often operationalize “neighborhoods” as static, single-level administrative units that are chosen for data availability rather than theoretical reasons. This practice has led to new calls for sound conceptual models that guide data collection efforts and statistical analyses related to these phenomena. While many such models are in use or being proposed in the social sciences, this article argues that research in the field of evolutionary studies offers alternative and interesting ways of investigating neighborhood effects. Accordingly, the article pursues two objectives. First, it makes connections between neighborhood effects research in the social sciences and relevant literature in evolutionary game theory and evolutionary urban geography. Second, these interdisciplinary interactions guide the development of a cross-level conceptual model of neighborhood effects on urban social behavior. The conceptual model is then translated into an empirical model that tests whether and how property maintenance behavior in a selected U.S. study area changes as a function of neighborhood context. The findings reveal that neighborhood effects operate at multiple, interacting spatial levels in the study area, which suggests that conventional single-level administrative boundaries are not equipped to capture these effects. While they are proffered as exploratory, the results nonetheless imply that insights from evolutionary research can add depth and theoretical grounding to contextual effects studies in the social sciences.
Intensity and Attachment: How the Chaotic Enrollment Patterns of Community College Students Relate to Educational Outcomes

This study examines the relationship between community college enrollment patterns and student outcomes—credential completion and transfer to a 4-year institution—introducing a new way of visualizi...
Analysis of Automated External Defibrillator Device Failures Reported to the Food and Drug Administration

Study objective Automated external defibrillators are essential for treatment of cardiac arrest by lay rescuers and must determine when to shock and if they are functioning correctly. We seek to characterize automated external defibrillator failures reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and whether battery failures are properly detected by automated external defibrillators. Methods FDA adverse event reports are catalogued in the Manufacturer and User Device Experience (MAUDE) database. We developed and internally validated an instrument for analyzing MAUDE data, reviewing all reports in which a fatality occurred. Two trained reviewers independently analyzed each report, and a third resolved discrepancies or passed them to a committee for resolution. Results One thousand two hundred eighty-four adverse events were reported between June 1993 and October 2008, of which 1,150 were failed defibrillation attempts. Thirty-seven automated external defibrillators never powered on, 252 failed to complete rhythm analysis, and 524 failed to deliver a recommended shock. In 149 cases, the operator disagreed with the device's rhythm analysis. In 54 cases, the defibrillator stated the batteries were low and in 110 other instances powered off unexpectedly. Interrater agreement between reviewers 1 and 2 ranged by question from 69.0% to 98.6% and for most likely cause was 55.9%. Agreement was obtained for 93.7% to 99.6% of questions by the third reviewer. Remaining discrepancies were resolved by the arbitration committee. Conclusion MAUDE information is often incomplete and frequently no corroborating data are available. Some conditions not detected by automated external defibrillators during self-test cause units to power off unexpectedly, causing defibrillation delays. Backup units frequently provide shocks to patients.
A complexity analysis of space-bounded learning algorithms for the constraint satisfaction problem

Learning during backtrack search is a space-intensive process that records information (such as additional constraints) in order to avoid redundant work. In this paper, we analyze the effects of polynomial-space-bounded learning on runtime complexity of backtrack search. One space-bounded learning scheme records only those constramts With limited size, and another records arbitrarily large constraints but deletes those that become irrelevant to the portion of the search space being explored. We find that relevance-bounded learning allows better runtime bounds than size-bounded learning on structurally restricted constraint satisfaction problems. Even when restricted to linear space, our relevance-bounded learning algorithm has runtime complexity near that of unrestricted (exponential space-consuming) learning schemes.
Generation of tunable coherent far-infrared waves based on backward optical parametric oscillation in gallium selenide

We show that it is possible to use backward optical parametric oscillation in GaSe to obtain tunable output in the 13–20-μm range with the minimum threshold intensity as low as a few 108 W/cm2. We may be able to use this configuration to achieve large amplification factors for a coherent weak beam in the far-infrared region. It is also possible to generate coherent far-infrared waves in the presence of pump and signal waves.
Linearized Two-Dimensional Fluid Transients

Analyse numerique des problemes d'ecoulements lents transitoires bidimensionnels. La methode s'apparente a la methode des caracteristiques