cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implementing a scalable ASC processor

Previous papers (Walker et al. (2001); Wu et al. (2002)) have described our implementation of a small prototype processor and control unit for associative computing, called the ASC processor. That initial prototype was implemented on an Altera education board using an Altera FLEX 10K FPGA, and was limited to an unrealistic 4 processing elements (PE). This paper describes a more complete implementation - a scalable ASC processor that can scale up to 52 PE on an Altera APEX 20KE board, or further on larger FPGA. This paper also proposes extensions to support multiple control units and control parallelism.
The Addition of Contingent Valuation and Conjoint Analysis to the Required Body of Knowledge for the Estimation of Environmental Damages to Real Property

Executive Summary: A problem often exists when using traditional approaches to valuation in assessing damages to contaminated real property. Cost, income, and sales comparison approaches may understate the impact on value when historical and recent sales are limited or nonexistent, or when potential buyers are unaware of or not fully knowledgeable regarding the nature and extent of the contamination. When one or more of these conditions is present, reliance on traditional methods is limited in developing an opinion of damages for litigation. Three complementary survey-based techniques are presented as supplementary tools in estimating damages in impaired property situations: contingent valuation, conjoint analysis and perceived diminution. Due to the fact these approaches may be employed when conditions limit the use of other methods, the approaches presented are an important addition to the required body of knowledge for any analyst addressing impaired property value. This study briefly explores the theo...
Moderating effects of nurses' organizational justice between organizational support and organizational citizenship behaviors for evidence-based practice

Background Lack of existing literature on the correlation among organizational justice, organizational support, and organizational citizenship behaviors has created a research gap in previous evidence-based practice (EBP) studies on nursing personnel. Aims To investigate whether organizational justice among nurses has a moderating effect between their organizational support and organizational citizenship behaviors in order to bridge such a gap of existing literature with the EBP study on nursing personnel. Methods Nursing staff of one large and influential hospital in Taiwan was surveyed. Four hundred questionnaires were distributed, and 386 were collected with a valid response rate of 96.50%. SPSS 17.0 and Amos 17.0 statistical software packages were used for data analysis. Results Nurses’ organizational support positively influences their organizational citizenship behaviors, and their organizational justice perception has a positive moderating effect between organizational support and organizational citizenship behaviors. Linking Evidence to Action Results call hospitals’ attention to the type of individual behaviors that may improve organizational performance. When nursing staff perceive fair and impartial treatment by the organization and supportive emotional attachment, behaviors beneficial for the organization are expressed in return. Subjective perceptions of nursing staff play an important role in organizational exchange relationship; the higher the degree of nursing staff's perceived organizational justice, the higher the degree of their organizational support, perception, and exhibition of organizational citizenship behaviors such as altruistic behavior and dedication to the work.
Regulated tissue fluidity steers zebrafish body elongation

The tailbud is the posterior leading edge of the growing vertebrate embryo and consists of motile progenitors of the axial skeleton, musculature and spinal cord. We measure the 3D cell flow field of the zebrafish tailbud and identify changes in tissue fluidity revealed by reductions in the coherence of cell motion without alteration of cell velocities. We find a directed posterior flow wherein the polarization between individual cell motion is high, reflecting ordered collective migration. At the posterior tip of the tailbud, this flow makes sharp bilateral turns facilitated by extensive cell mixing due to increased directional variability of individual cell motions. Inhibition of Wnt or Fgf signaling or cadherin 2 function reduces the coherence of the flow but has different consequences for trunk and tail extension. Modeling and additional data analyses suggest that the balance between the coherence and rate of cell flow determines whether body elongation is linear or whether congestion forms within the flow and the body axis becomes contorted.
Review: In patients with heart failure, β-blockers reduce mortality but do not differ from each other

Source Citation Chatterjee S, Biondi-Zoccai G, Abbate A, et al. Benefits of beta blockers in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction: network meta-analysis. BMJ. 2013;346:f596. 23...
Regulated degradation of Chk1 by chaperone-mediated autophagy in response to DNA damage

Chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) is activated in response to cellular stressors to prevent cellular proteotoxicity through selective degradation of altered proteins in lysosomes. Reduced CMA activity contributes to the decrease in proteome quality in disease and ageing. Here, we report that CMA is also upregulated in response to genotoxic insults and that declined CMA functionality leads to reduced cell survival and genomic instability. This role of CMA in genome quality control is exerted through regulated degradation of activated checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) by this pathway after the genotoxic insult. Nuclear accumulation of Chk1 in CMA-deficient cells compromises cell cycle progression and prolongs the time that DNA damage persists in these cells. Furthermore, blockage of CMA leads to hyperphosphorylation and destabilization of the MRN (Mre11-Rad50-Nbs1) complex, which participates in early steps of particular DNA repair pathways. We propose that CMA contributes to maintain genome stability by assuring nuclear proteostasis.
Energy compensation of an ISOLDE-type isotope separator

Abstract The placement of an electric dipole following the magnet in an ISOLDE-type isotope separator can compensate for the energy dispersion introduced by the magnet. This allows the injection into such a separator of ion beams with energy spreads of up to ±3% at mass A = 120, an order of magnitude larger than previously possible. Calculations are presented applying this technique to an IGISOL (ion guide isotope separator on-line) facility, where such energy spreads occur under the conditions where the highest yields are available.
Effect of Windshield Veiling Glare on Driver Visibility

This paper presents results of a veiling glare prediction model that was developed by modeling veiling glare luminance measurements and by using Blackwell's visual contrast threshold data. A critical visibility condition for a driver approaching a tunnel with the sunlight falling on the windshield and attempting to detect a target inside the tunnel was modeled. The luminance of windshield reflections of 38 instrument panel samples was measured in a specially designed veiling glare simulator by varying the sun angle, the windshield angle, and the instrument panel angle. The measurements were used to develop a regression model to predict the veiling glare coefficient as a function of windshield angle, sun angle, instrument panel angle, and instrument panel material gloss value. The developed visibility-distance prediction model was exercised by varying eight factors: (a) windshield angle, (b) instrument panel angle, (c) sun angle, (d) sun illumination incident on the windshield, (e) gloss level of the instr...
A publication process model to enable privacy-aware data sharing

As the Internet continues to permeate and connect communities, businesses, and things, there is an increasing demand for new approaches and technologies to analyze and synthesize data generated from diverse and distributed sources. In addition, this data must be accessible to a set of users having different analytic objectives and viewpoints. We examine these topics in light of the growing number of data consortia in sectors such as finance and healthcare, whose role is to share data among a set of contributing members. We address the need for data consortia to apply data customization and context-alignment services to make heterogeneous data relevant for its subscribers. Such services include record linkage, record selection, and scaling and homogeneity analysis. In addition, the often personal or business-sensitive nature of such data requires that privacy-preservation methods be employed to avoid improper disclosures. We provide a publication process model for data consortia that allow users to extract the maximum amount of information from these heterogeneous databases in a privacy-aware manner. We describe the Operational Riskdata eXchange (ORX) as a successful case study to illustrate these concepts.
An auto focus framework for computer vision systems

Capturing a clean video from a source camera is crucial for accurate results of a computer vision system. In particular, blurry images can considerably affect the detection, tracking and pattern matching algorithms. This paper presents a framework to apply quality control by monitoring captured video with the ability to detect whether the camera is out of focus or not, thus identifying blurry defective images and providing a feedback channel to the camera to adjust the focal length. The framework relies on the use of a no reference objective quality metric for the loopback channel to adjust the camera focus. The experimental results show how the framework enables reduction of unnecessary computations and thus enabling a more power efficient cameras.
Thyroid radioactivity after nuclear weapons tests.

In 1954 it was shown that nuclear weapons tests had produced radioactive materials (primarily iodine-131) that were accumulated and detectable in the thyroid glands of livestock in the United States (I). Further survey values for both man and animals have been presented in U.S. Atomic Energy Commission reports and in the open literature (2-4). The magnitude and pattern with time of radioactivity levels in the thyroids are of interest because (i) there is provided an alert to any build-up of potentially hazardous levels; (ii) as relationships are developed, radioiodinc measurements could serve as a sensitive monitoring system for other fallout nuelides less easili detected in the hiosphere; (iii) information may be obtained on the movement of radioiodine particularly in the biological system; and (iv) there could be an interference with medical diagnostic tests that employ low levels of radioiodine. This paper (5) summarizes the information that has been obtained on the levels of iodine-13 1 in human and cattle thyroids and presents an estimate of milk levels in the United States during the period from January 1955 to December 1956. Correlation with known bomb tests is noted, and some inferences are drawn about routes of exponire.
On the Graphical Computation of the Montgomery Streamfunction

Abstract A thermodynamic diagram useful in the graphical computation of the Montgomery streamfunction is developed. Examples of the use of the diagram are shown together with an analysis of error for the graphical technique.
A Person-Centered Investigation of Academic Motivation and Its Correlates in High School.

Abstract This study used a person-centered approach to identify naturally occurring combinations of intrinsic motivation and controlled forms of extrinsic motivation (i.e., introjected and external regulation) and their correlates in an academic context. 1061 high school students completed measures of academic motivation, performance, and school-related correlates. Cluster analysis revealed four motivational profiles characterized by comparably high levels of all types of motivation ( high quantity ), high intrinsic motivation relative to introjected and external regulation ( good quality ), low intrinsic motivation and introjected regulation relative to external regulation ( poor quality ), and very low intrinsic motivation and introjected regulation relative to external regulation ( low quantity with poor quality ). Students in the high quantity and good quality profiles reported the strongest academic performance and greatest overall extracurricular participation, with students in different motivational profiles likely to participate in different types of activities. Students in the high quantity profile, moreover, perceived the most teacher support and school relatedness. These findings suggest that controlled forms of extrinsic motivation may not be associated with maladaptive outcomes at the high school level when coupled with high levels of intrinsic motivation.
Minimally important differences were estimated for six Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Cancer scales in advanced-stage cancer patients

Abstract Objective We combined anchor- and distribution-based methods to establish minimally important differences (MIDs) for six Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-Cancer scales in advanced-stage cancer patients. Study Design and Setting Participants completed 6 PROMIS-Cancer scales and 23 anchor measures at an initial ( n =101) assessment and a follow-up ( n =88) assessment 6–12 weeks later. Three a priori criteria were used to identify usable cross-sectional and longitudinal anchor-based MID estimates. The mean standard error of measurement was also computed for each scale. The focus of the analysis was on item response theory-based MIDs estimated on a T -score scale. Raw score MIDs were estimated for comparison purposes. Results Many cross-sectional (64%) and longitudinal (73%) T -score anchor-based MID estimates were excluded because they did not meet a priori criteria. The following are the recommended T -score MID ranges: 17-item Fatigue (2.5–4.5), 7-item Fatigue (3.0–5.0), 10-item Pain Interference (4.0–6.0), 10-item Physical Functioning (4.0–6.0), 9-item Emotional Distress-Anxiety (3.0–4.5), and 10-item Emotional Distress-Depression (3.0–4.5). Effect sizes corresponding to these MIDs averaged between 0.40 and 0.63. Conclusions This study is the first to address MIDs for PROMIS measures. Studies are currently being conducted to confirm these MIDs in other patient populations and to determine whether these MIDs vary by patients' level of functioning.
Type-specific primer-mediated direct sequencing of consensus primer-generated PCR amplicons of human papilloma viruses: a new approach for the simultaneous detection of multiple viral type infections

Consensus degenerate primers specific for the L1 and E1 regions were used to amplify anogenital HPV-DNA fragments. The mixture of the viral fragments was then directly sequenced with HPV-6, -11, -16, -18 and -33 type-specific computer-designed oligonucleotides as sequencing primers. The linking of a consensus primer-generated PCR amplification with type-specific primer-mediated direct sequencing and computer data bank analysis provided precise, more objective viral detection in the simultaneous presence of different HPV types. The method was successfully adapted for viral typing in clinical lesions which simultaneously contained different anogenital HPV sequences.
Centralized vs. Distributed PACS for Intensive Care Units

One clinical environment which can immediately benefit from the implementation of a radiologic PACS is the intensive care unit (ICU). Our previous study has demonstrated the feasibility and timeliness of routine image transmission to an ICU. In anticipation of future expansion of this service, we have investigated two different models for a hospital-wide ICU PACS. These models included a centralized and a distributed processing PACS configuration. Their comparison indicated that although the distributed model offers some major advantages over the centralized model, the latter may hold a rightful place in the inter-departmental service, especially if the cost issue is a critical factor.
A Method for the Rapid Estimation of Sublimation Rates of Organic Compounds at Standard Temperature and Pressure

A method for the rapid estimation of the sublimation rates of organic compounds at standard temperature and pressure (STP; 298 K and 101.3 kPa, respectively) is presented. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to obtain accelerated sublimation rates for anthracene at a series of elevated temperatures and reduced pressures. An empirical equation relating these parameters was used to extrapolate to the STP sublimation rate. This value is in good agreement with the measured value.
Calculation of the Pressure Drop Effect in Gas Chromatography

Abstract Analysis by statistical moments permits the effect of pressure drop on the performance of a gas chromatography column to be understood more clearly. Through the use of the first three statistical moments, exact equations are derived for both the standard deviation and the skewness of the breakthrough curve following a pulse, input. Higher statistical moments can be derived and by their use the breakthrough curve can be determined to any desired accuracy.
Highly Hydroxylated Triterpenes from Salvia kronenburgii

The three new triterpenes (1−3) and five known triterpenes and a sterol were isolated from the acetone extract of a Turkish collection of Salvia kronenburgii. The structures of the new triterpenes were established as 1β,2α-dihydroxy-3β-acetoxy-11-oxours-12-ene (1), 2α,20β-dihydroxy-3β-acetoxyurs-9(11),12-diene (2), and 1β,2α-dihydroxy-3β-acetoxyurs-9(11),12-diene (3) on the basis of spectral analyses, including 1D and 2D NMR and mass spectroscopy. It is probable that compounds 2 and 3 are artifacts from dehydration of the corresponding allylic alcohols. 1β,2α,3β,11α-Tetrahydroxyurs-12-ene (5), the most abundant compound in the extract, was found to be highly cytotoxic to renal, non-small cell lung, and breast cancer cell lines.
Reversible stages of the low-pH-triggered conformational change in influenza virus hemagglutinin.

The refolding of the prototypic fusogenic protein hemagglutinin (HA) at the pH of fusion is considered to be a concerted and irreversible discharge of a loaded spring, with no distinct intermediates between the initial and final conformations. Here, we show that HA refolding involves reversible conformations with a lifetime of minutes. After reneutralization, low pH‐activated HA returns from the conformations wherein both the fusion peptide and the kinked loop of the HA2 subunit are exposed, but the HA1 subunits have not yet dissociated, to a structure indistinguishable from the initial one in functional, biochemical and immunological characteristics. The rate of the transition from reversible conformations to irreversible refolding depends on the pH and on the presence of target membrane. Importantly, recovery of the initial conformation is blocked by the interactions between adjacent HA trimers. The existence of the identified reversible stage of refolding can be crucial for allowing multiple copies of HA to synchronize their release of conformational energy, as required for fusion.
Comparison of the nucleotide sequence of soybean 18S rRNA with the sequences of other small-subunit rRNAs

We present the sequence of the nuclearencoded ribosomal small-subunit RNA from soybean. The soybean 18S rRNA sequence of 1807 nucleotides (nt) is contained in a gene family of approximately 800 closely related members per haploid genome. This sequence is compared with the ribosomal small-subunit RNAs of maize (1805 nt), yeast (1789 nt),Xenopus (1825 nt), rat (1869 nt), andEscherichia coli (1541 nt). Significant sequence homology is observed among the eukaryotic small-subunit rRNAs examined, and some sequence homology is observed between eukaryotic and prokaryotic small-subunit rRNAs. Conserved regions are found to be interspersed among highly diverged sequences. The significance of these comparisons is evaluated using computer simulation of a random sequence model. A tentative model of the secondary structure of soybean 18S rRNA is presented and discussed in the context of the functions of the various conserved regions within the sequence. On the basis of this model, the short basepaired sequences defining the four structural and functional domains of all 18S rRNAs are seen to be well conserved. The potential roles of other conserved soybean 18S rRNA sequences in protein synthesis are discussed.
Toward Total Structural Analysis of Cardiolipins: Multiple-Stage Linear Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometry on the [M − 2H + 3Li]+ Ions

ESI multiple-stage linear ion-trap (LIT) mass spectrometric approaches for a near-complete structural characterization of cardiolipins (CLs), including identification of the fatty acyl substituents, assignment of the fatty acid substituents on the glycerol backbone, and location of the double-bond(s) or cyclopropyl group along the fatty acid chain are described. Upon collisionally activated dissociation (CAD) on the [M − 2H + 3Li]+ ions of CL in an ion-trap (MS2), two sets of fragment ions (designated as (a + 136) and (b + 136) ions) analogous to those previously reported for the [M − 2H + 3Na]+ ions were observed, leading to assignment of the phosphatidyl moieties attached to 1′- or 3′-position of the central glycerol. Further dissociation of the (a + 136) (or (b + 136)) ions (MS3) gives rise to the (a + 136 − R1(or 2)CO2Li) (or b + 136 − R1(or 2)CO2Li) ion pairs that identify the fatty acid moieties and their position on the glycerol backbone. This is followed by MS4 on the (a + 136 − R1(or 2)CO2Li) (or b + 136 − R1(or 2)CO2Li) ion to eliminate a tricylic glycerophosphate ester residue (136 Da) to yield the (a − R1(or 2)CO2Li) ion, which is then subjected to MS5. The MS5 spectrum contains the structural information that locates the double-bond(s) or cyclopropyl group of the fatty acid substituents. Finally, the subsequent MS6 on the dilithiated fatty acid ions generated from MS5 also yields feature ions that confirm the assignment.
Model observer based optimization of JPEG image compression

Recent work applied model observers to predict the effect of JPEG and wavelet image compression on human visual detection of simulated lesions embedded in real structured backgrounds (x-ray coronary angiograms). We extend the use of model observers to perform parameter optimization of image compression in order to maximize visual detection performance at a given compression ratio. A simulated annealing algorithm was used to find the optimal quantization matrix. In each iteration, the 64 quantization parameters of the JPEG algorithm were randomly perturbed (while preserving a fixed compression ratio). Each set of quantization parameters setting was used to compress 400 test images. Model observer performance (Pc) was then obtained for the images that had undergone compression. The simulated annealing algorithm converged (as determined by the 'annealing schedule') to an 'optimal' quantization matrix. A follow-up human psychophysical study with two naive observers was conducted to compare optimal quantization matrix with respect to the default JPEG quantization matrix. For both human observers visual detection performance improved significantly from the default to the optimized quantization matrix condition. Our results suggest that model observers can be successfully used for task-based performance optimization of image compression algorithms.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Kinetics and Mechanism of the Hydrolytic Degradation of Indinavir: Intramolecular Catalysis

ABSTRACT The pH-rate profile of first-order rate constants for the lactonization of Indinavir in aqueous solutions with ionic strength I = 1 (KCl) at 40°C is reported. The lactonization reaction is a subject of strong buffer catalysis with a nonlinear dependence of the first-order rate constants on the concentration of the buffer. The pH-rate profile is more complex than the pH-rate profiles for the hydrolysis of simple peptides and for the intramolecular OH-catalyzed hydrolysis of γ-hydroxyamides. This complexity appears unique to Indinavir and is a result of the cis -aminoindanol leaving group. The mechanistic pathways for the lactonization are discussed. The buffer catalysis data are consistent with kinetic general acid catalysis. The second-order rate constant for the specific-acid catalyzed hydrolysis of Indinavir at 40°C ( k H = 2.2 × 10 −4 M −1 min −1 ) is similar to that for a simple peptide indicating similar interactions in the rate limiting transition state for both reactions.
The effect of Carbonyl Containing Substituents in the Terminal chains on Mesomorophic Progerties in Aromatic Esters and Thioesters, 2. Acyloxy Groups on the Phenolic End

Abstract The effect of replacingk an alkoxy (Y = OR') with an acyloxy (Y=OCOR') group on the phenolic end of the esters: on their mesomorphic properties has been studied. These esters were prepared by esterification of 4-acyloxyphenols with the appropriate acid chloride. The phenols were synthesized by acylation of 4-benzyloxyphenol with either an aliphatic acid or acid chloride followed by catalytic hydrogenolysis of the benzyl group. A comparison of the melting and clearing temperatures of these acyloxy esters with the corresponding known alkoxy ones showed small increases in both these temper-atures for the acyloxy esters. The same types of mcsophases (N. SA, Sc SB) were observed in both series. but the SB, was more favored when Y=OCOR'. The SC, phase was found to occur in the acyloxy series at chain lengths beyond which it disappeared in the alkoxy series. Comparisons werc also made with the mesomorphic properties previously reported for the corresponding alkyl and α-keto esters. Some correlation was ...
Genetic testing : The problems and the promise

Though several technical hurdles remain, effective and reliable genetic tests for multigene diseases should be available within the next five years.
Dissipation of Marine Stratiform Clouds and Collapse of the Marine Boundary Layer Due to the Depletion of Cloud Condensation Nuclei by Clouds

When the production of cloud condensation nuclei in the stratocumulus-topped marine boundary layer is low enough, droplet collisions can reduce concentrations of cloud droplet numbers to extremely low values. At low droplet concentrations a cloud layer can become so optically thin that cloud-top radiative cooling cannot drive vertical mixing. Under these conditions, model simulations indicate that the stratocumulus-topped marine boundary layer collapses to a shallow fog layer. Through this mechanism, marine stratiform clouds may limit their own lifetimes.
A standard error for the estimated state vector of a state-space model

Abstract This paper motivates an estimate of the variance of the estimated state vector xˆ t in a state-space model when the vector of parameters characterizing system dynamics ( θ ) must be estimated from the data.
Disposition of 9-nitrocamptothecin and its 9-aminocamptothecin metabolite in relation to ABC transporter genotypes.

Purpose: The source of the pharmacokinetic variability of 9-nitrocamptothecin (9NC) and its 9-aminocamptothecin (9AC) metabolite is unknown. ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters have been reported to modulate camptothecin analogues, are associated with camptothecin resistance, and might also affect 9NC and 9AC pharmacokinetics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the functional consequence of known single nucleotide polymorphisms in the transporter genes ABCB1, ABCC2, and ABCG2 on the pharmacokinetic disposition of 9NC and 9AC. Experimental design: Pharmacokinetic and genotyping studies were performed in 55 patients as part of two phase I studies of 9NC in patients with refractory solid tumors, a phase II study of 9NC in patients with advanced colon cancer, and a study evaluating the disposition of 9NC after administration of a single dose under fasting conditions. DNA was isolated from plasma and analyzed for variants in ABCB1, ABCC2, and ABCG2 genes. The ABCB1 1236C>T (n = 43), ABCB1 2677G>T/A (n = 43), ABCB1 3435C>T (n = 43), ABCC2 3972C>T (n = 39), and ABCG2 421C>A (n = 42) variants were analyzed using Pyrosequencing. Results: The ABCG2 421C>A genotype significantly affected the pharmacokinetics of 9AC. The mean 9AC lactone AUC/dose for wild-type (n = 25) and heterozygous (n = 2) patients were 14.3 ng/mL · h and 51.1 ng/mL. h, respectively (P = 0.032). The mean ± SD 9AC total AUC/dose for wild-type (n = 39) and heterozygous (n = 3) patients were 91.9 ± 78.3 ng/mL · h and 129.0 ± 90.5 ng/mL · h, respectively (P = 0.40). 9NC and 9AC disposition were not significantly influenced by variants in ABCB1, ABCC2, and ABCG2, and ABCB1 and ABCC2, respectively (P>0.05). Conclusion: These findings suggest that inter-individual variability in 9AC disposition, but not 9NC, may be influenced, in part, by ABCG2 genotype. In contrast, there was no evidence for a relationship between ABCG2 and the disposition of 9NC, or for relationships between ABCB1 and ABCC2 genotypes and the disposition of 9NC or 9AC.
The Gaussian Cloud Model Relations

Abstract Sommeria and Deardorff (1977) have derived turbulence closure relations which should be important to cloud modeling. To obtain these relations they have hade to invoke some analytical approximations and data from numerical statistical experiments. In the present paper, the analytical approximations have been eliminated. Somewhat surprisingly, results obtained here agree exactly with those obtained by the previous authors. Other new and useful relations are presented.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of antifungals

Application of pharmacodynamic principles to antifungal drug therapy of Candida and Aspergillus infections has provided and understanding of the relationship between drug dosing and treatment efficacy. Observations of the pharmacodynamics of triazoles and AmB have correlated with the results of clinical trials and have proven useful for validation of in vitro susceptibility breakpoints. Although there remain many unanswered questions regarding antifungal pharmacodynamics, available data suggest usefulness in the application of pharmacodynamics to antifungal clinical development. Future application of these principles should aid in the design of optimal combination antifungal therapies.
DENATURATION THERMOPROFILES OF SOME PROTEINS

SUMMARY– Denaturation thermoprofiles of raw beef muscle tissue and egg albumin were determined. Irreversible changes occurred in two stages: the first peak was observed at 65° and 73°C and the second at 82° and 83°C, respectively for beef muscle tissue and egg albumin. Pertinent calculations suggest that the second peak is due to changes in the water structures. It may be hypothesized that protective, semicrystalline water structures surrounding the nonpolar amino acid radicals of proteins were collapsed by heat, followed by the formation of hydrophobic bonding yielding aggregated denatured state. Thermodynamic information was obtained from the thermoprofiles.
Intracranial meningioma and ionizing radiation in medical and occupational settings

In a population-based case-control study of 200 cases and 400 controls in western Washington State, the authors assessed associations between meningioma and ionizing radiation in medical and occupational settings. No significant associations were observed for diagnostic studies or occupational settings, but associations were observed for radiation therapy to head or neck (odds ratio 3.7, 95% CI 1.5 to 9.5), especially for neoplastic conditions. Only four patients (2%) had meningiomas that followed high-dose cranial radiation.
Luce Irigaray and the 'Mutterdämmerung'

(2000). Luce Irigaray and the 'Mutterdammerung' Psychoanalytic Studies: Vol. 2, No. 4, pp. 385-394.
Impact of Sun-Synchronous Diurnal Sampling on Tropical TOA Flux Interannual Variability and Trends

AbstractSatellite observations of the earth’s radiation budget (ERB) are a critical component of the climate observing system. Recent observations have been made from sun-synchronous orbits, which provide excellent spatial coverage with global measurements twice daily but do not resolve the full diurnal cycle. Previous investigations show that significant errors can occur in time-averaged energy budgets from sun-synchronous orbits if diurnal variations are ignored. However, the impact of incomplete diurnal sampling on top-of-atmosphere (TOA) flux variability and trends has received less attention. A total of 68 months of 3-hourly tropical outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) and reflected shortwave radiation (RSW) fluxes from the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) synoptic (SYN) data product is used to examine the impact of incomplete diurnal sampling on TOA flux variability. Tropical OLR and RSW interannual variability and trends derived from sun-synchronous time sampling consistent with t...
Obstetric care and payment source: do low-risk Medicaid women get less care?

OBJECTIVES: This study examined whether Medicaid-insured women at low risk receive less adequate obstetrical care than privately insured women. METHODS: Low-risk women who were cared for by a random sample of obstetrical providers in Washington State were randomly selected. Information on all prenatal and intrapartum services was abstracted from medical records. Service information was aggregated into standardized resource-use units. Results compared Medicaid-insured women with those who were privately insured. RESULTS: Medicaid-insured women were significantly younger (22.5 years vs 26.9 years) and averaged 6% fewer visits than privately insured women. Nonetheless, Medicaid status had no meaningful association with prenatal, intrapartum, or overall resource use. Some variation occurred in individual resources received. Medicaid-insured women had 38.8% more resources expended on testing for sexually transmitted diseases. Privately insured women had more resources expended on alpha-fetoprotein testing and ...
Polyaniline, a dynamic block copolymer: key to attaining its intrinsic conductivity?

Abstract Photoluminescence studies of spun films of polyaniline base (emeraldine oxidation state) show that films prepared from NMP solution in air having a relative humidity between 43±2 and 57±2% (21°C) exhibit photoluminescence at 401 nm, which persists when the films are held in a dynamic vacuum. Films prepared from NMP solution containing water show similar behavior to those prepared in the above humidity range. When protonated (“doped”) with HCl the above photoluminescence disappears and is replaced by a photoluminescence peak at 467 nm. The reverse behavior occurs on deprotonation with NH 3 vapor, the 467 nm peak disappearing and the 401 nm peak reappearing. These results, together with photoluminescence studies on the phenyl/phenyl end-capped tetramer of aniline in both the emeraldine and leucoemeraldine oxidation states, lead to the conclusion that in solution the emeraldine base is a dynamic block copolymer in which reduced (benzenoid/amine) and oxidized (quinoid/imine) units are constantly interchanging positions via a tautomeric (hydrogen migration) process between nitrogen atoms. This process is promoted by water. The resulting production of long sequences of the reduced and oxidized units, which separate long sequences of the emeraldine base, persist when the NMP solvent is removed, resulting in microphase segregation of these sequences in the solid film. Since only the emeraldine base sequences can be doped by acids, the conductivity of the doped film is less than that of its predicted intrinsic conductivity.
EXPERIMENTS WITH TRIANEA ON ANTAGONISM AND ABSORPTION

These experiments were undertaken in order to check by a different technique observations previously reported (27) in which seedlings of Phaseolus sp. and Lupinus albus were used. The following phenomena were observed: (1) that small concentrations of the Fe ion increased the growth rate of seedlings; (2) that the presence of the Ca ion inhibited, if it did not eliminate, the killing effect of certain otherwise lethal concentrations of Fe; and (3) that relatively high temperature (approximately 29° C.) increased the degree of permeability of the roots even though great amounts of Ca were present. The data to be presented here confirm the foregoing observations and present evidence indicating that Ca decreases the degree of permeability of cells to a marked extent.
1S,3R-ACPD-preferring inward current in rat dorsolateral septal neurons is mediated by a novel excitatory amino acid receptor.

Abstract Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) form a receptor family that consists of diverse receptor subtypes; now, numbering 8—exclusive of splice variants. (1 S ,3 R )-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (1 S ,3 R -ACPD) has been suggested to be a selective agonist for the mGluRs. We have recently reported that, in rat dorsolateral septal nucleus (DLSN) neurones, a 1 S ,3 R -ACPD-preferring inward current (ACPD i ) persists in pertussis toxin-treated rats. We now report that this ACPD i -current: (1) persists in DLSN neurones dialyzed with a stable analog of GTP, namely, GTPγS; (2) exhibits a negative slope region with inward rectification in its I – V relationship; (3) persists in neurones superfused with tetrodotoxin or low calcium solutions; (4) is dependent upon both sodium and calcium ions; and (5) is independent of a reduction in temperature. Furthermore, pharmacological data suggest that this current may be activated by a unique type of excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptor, i.e. a receptor which prefers “metabotropic” EAA agonists and is insensitive to AP5 or CNQX. Activation by ACPD of inward currents associated with a conductance increase have also been reported at cultured mouse cerebellar Purkinje neurones; in slices of rat hippocampal CA1 neurones and slice cultures of hippocampal CA3 neurones. We suggest that this ACPD i current may play an important role within the CNS in the induction of long-term potentiation and other neurological processes; processes attributed previously to currents associated with NMDA receptor activation.
A kinetic model of steady state phosphorus fixation in a batch reactor—I. Effect of soil/solution ratio

Abstract A model was developed which includes Langmuir type adsorption followed by a chemical reaction for a reactor with steady input of phosphorus. Measurements at pH = 5 with different soil/solution ratios all reached steady state and followed a Michaelis-Menten type equation as predicted for the catalytic process. Maximum rates of reaction showed a linear correlation with soil mass as expected. The involvement of an additional soil component in the adsorption process was inferred, but not confirmed.
USE OF FLY ASH IN REDUCING TOXICITY OF AND HEAVY METALS IN WASTEWATER EFFLUENT

Abstract Fly ash is one of the most abundant waste materials; its major components make it a potential agent for the adsorption of heavy metal contaminants in water and wastewaters. The objective of this study was to measure the changes in toxicity of and heavy metals in a municipal (Salisbury, MD) wastewater treatment plant (SWTP) effluent on treatment with fly ash. The effluent from SWTP after treatment with fly ash for 4 h showed a significant reduction in toxicity, Cu and Pb, and PO43− and NO3− contents. Toxicity of the effluent was measured using the marine luminescent microorganisms—Vibrio fischeri (‘Microtox’ test). Heavy metals (Cu, Pb and Zn) were measured using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. Fly ash removed Cu and Pb from the effluent (through adsorption), and the removal of these toxic heavy metals resulted in the reduction of toxicity.
Paralog-selective ligands for bcl-2 proteins.

There is considerable current interest in molecules that bind intra- or extracellular protein surfaces and inhibit protein−protein interactions. Previously we have reported that miniature proteins based on pancreatic-fold polypeptides can recognize even shallow α-helix binding clefts with high affinity and selectivity against unrelated proteins. One such miniature protein, PPBH3-1, binds the anti-apoptotic protein paralogs Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL with nanomolar affinity and a ΔΔG = 1.2 kcal·mol-1 preference for Bcl-XL. Here we describe the directed evolution of PPBH3-1 into two new miniature proteins, PPBH3-5 and PPBH3-6, whose paralog specificity is reversed relative to PPBH3-1. PPBH3-5 and PPBH3-6 bind Bcl-2 with nanomolar affinity and a ΔΔG = 0.9−1.3 kcal·mol-1 preference for Bcl-2 over Bcl-XL. Experiments with Bcl-XL variants suggest that PPBH3-5 and PPBH3-6 achieve high paralog specificity by exploiting subtle structural or electrostatic differences in the Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL molecular landscapes. PPBH3-5 and ...
Learning invariance through imitation

Supervised methods for learning an embedding aim to map high-dimensional images to a space in which perceptually similar observations have high measurable similarity. Most approaches rely on binary similarity, typically defined by class membership where labels are expensive to obtain and/or difficult to define. In this paper we propose crowd-sourcing similar images by soliciting human imitations. We exploit temporal coherence in video to generate additional pairwise graded similarities between the user-contributed imitations. We introduce two methods for learning nonlinear, invariant mappings that exploit graded similarities. We learn a model that is highly effective at matching people in similar pose. It exhibits remarkable invariance to identity, clothing, background, lighting, shift and scale.
Tracers of atmospheric transport

Schema des trajectoires des masses d'air d'apres le projet SEAREX. Transport des aerosols et des traceurs: 210 Pb et 7 Be
Effect of Somatotrophin and Oxytocin on the Mammary Gland Development of Goats Treated with Estrogen and Progesterone

Summary Neither the addition of somatotrophin nor oxytocin to estradiol and progesterone injections caused an increase in the udder alveolar surface area or milk production of virgin yearling goats as compared to estradiol and progesterone alone. The total alveolar surface area and milk production resulting from any combination of hormones used for inducing mammary gland growth was less than half of that of the goats whose udders were developed through pregnancy. All hormone-treated groups showed a deficiency of total alveolar surface area. The correlation of previous 4-wk. milk production and total alveolar surface area was 0.947. Goats injected with growth hormone started out at a higher level of milk production than the two other hormonally induced groups. No histological abnormalities were observed in the hormone-treated groups.
Preparation of GaSb substrates for GaSb and GaInAsSb growth by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy

Abstract The preparation of GaSb substrates for epitaxial growth of GaSb and GaInAsSb is reported. The effects of several wet chemical etchants and ambient atmosphere during substrate heating on surface morphology and interfacial impurities were investigated. Based on surface roughness and interfacial contamination, which were determined by atomic force microscopy and by secondary ion mass spectroscopy, respectively, the most suitable etchant is one that does not attack GaSb and preferentially removes only the oxide layer. Characterization of metastable GaInAsSb epilayers shows that the starting surface roughness can impact the extent of phase separation, and higher material quality is achieved for a smoother GaSb substrate surface. These results indicate that morphological undulations associated with surface roughness can enhance alloy decomposition, and are detrimental for growth of metastable alloys.
A fuzzy based credibility evaluation of recommended trust in pervasive computing environment

The performance of indirect trust computation models (based on recommendations) can be easily compromised due to the subjective and social-based prejudice of the provided recommendations. Eradicating the influence of such recommendation remains an important and challenging issue in indirect trust computation models. A fuzzy logic based technique is proposed for indirect trust computation that measures the credibility of recommendation (rather than credibility of recommender)to determine the influence of each honest recommendation.
Design of conformationally rigid dimeric MRI agents

The conformational flexibility of the linkage mechanism or tether between paramagnetic metal centers is explored to assess optimal structural characteristics of multimeric MRI contrast agents. Two dimeric paramagnetic chelates differing in linkage flexibility but similar in symmetry are compared. Relaxivity, water hydration number, and reorientational times of the chelate groups are obtained, and the results demonstrate that greater linkage flexibility reduces overall relaxivity.
Suspension Stability of Erythrocytes in Solutions of Gum Acacia.

SummaryThe factors responsible for alterations in the suspension stability of erythrocytes is independent of the corpuscles. Solutions of gum acacia reduce the suspension stability of the blood. A solution of 3 or 4% of acacia is the minimal amount that will produce the maximal instability of erythrocyte sedimentation. The rapidity of formation and the size of agglutinated erythrocyte masses progresses parallel to the increase in concentration of acacia in solution. The curve of sedimentation for rapidly sedimenting bloods is not a rectilinear function.
Gene expression at early stages of Brassica napus seed development as revealed by transcript profiling of seed-abundant cDNAs

Approximately 5,000 plaques derived from a Brassica napus L. (canola) seed-cDNA library representing 15 days after pollination (DAP) were differentially screened for highly expressed genes at the early stages of seed development. Analysis of 104 differentially expressed sequence tags revealed 54 unique genes, of which 33 had putative homologues described in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. or B. napus. These encoded diverse proteins, ranging from proteins of unknown function to metabolic enzymes and proteins associated with cell structure and development. Twenty-five genes were only expressed in seeds, and 11 of these started to express as early as 5 or 10 DAP. The majority of the seed-specific genes that are expressed at early stages of seed development encoded proteins with high similarity to hypothetical Arabidopsis proteins. Tissue-specificity determined by Northern analysis revealed that four seed-specific genes were expressed only in seed coats and another five in both embryos and seed coats. Analysis of transcript profiles of seed-abundant as well as seed-specific genes, and their expression patterns, implies that the B. napus seed is undergoing an active cell proliferation during 10–20 DAP, while establishing metabolic networks for subsequent seed maturation.
Calculation of the Radio Interference Statistics of Transmission Lines

The procIedure of predicting the radio noise (RN) performance of transmission lines, including ultrahigh voltage (UHV) levels, is outlined. The innovations against former publications on this subject are: 1) A complex eigenvalue/eigenvector analysis using Carson's earth correction terms is applied to RN analysis; 2) A new method of treating the phase correlation between modal noise fields is incorporated; 3) The METIFOR weather model is applied, yielding expected radio reception quality in statistical terms.
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis of oxidized Fe-16Cr-16Ni-2Mn-1Mo-2Si austenitic stainless steel

Depth profile analysis (argon ion etching/X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) was conducted on a series of Fe–16Cr–16Ni–2Mn–1Mo–2Si austenitic stainless steel samples oxidized at 973 and 1073 K with exposure times of 25, 100, 193, 436 and 700 h. Surface and near surface rearrangement following oxidation resulted in a region of high Cr concentration on all oxidized samples. Temperature and time dependence to O2 penetration depth was observed. In general, O2 penetration depth was found to increase with increasing exposure up to 436 h. No increase in depth was observed between 436 and 700 h exposure time.