cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Left atrial volume, congestive heart failure, and obesity are associated with extent of left atrial fibrosis by late gadolinium enhancement.

Background The cardiovascular MRI late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) sequence has developed as a tool to evaluate fibrosis in the atrial walls. LA remodelling and fibrosis is theorized to precede the onset of and to increase with the persistence of AF. Pathological studies have demonstrated that other cardiac diseases are associated with LA fibrosis regardless of the presence of AF. Identifying conditions associated with LA LGE in the general population could be important for risk stratification of atrial fibrosis and AF development in patients with such comorbidities. This study aims to identify common clinical conditions associated with greater LA LGE.
Balance board rehabilitation device for ankle proprioception assessment

A three-dimensional accelerometer was incorporated into a balance board to report real-time ankle attitudes during ankle sprain rehabilitative treatment. The design consisted of an embedded sensory module wirelessly linked to an Android mobile device with a graphic user interface to assess proprioceptive improvements. Preliminary results demonstrated an ability to report ankle attitude at a rate of 6 Hz, thereby providing a useful real-time feedback during the rehabilitation.
The Spare Room

Have you ever asked yourself how much you would do for a terminally ill friend? Would it matter that she is bright and breezy, intent on seeking treatment from an “alternative” practitioner whom yo...
Immunohistologic studies of synoviocytes and synovial exudate cells.

Inclusions were demonstrated in normal polymorphonuclear cells incubated with rheumatoid factor-positive synovial fluid. These stained positively for IgG, IgM, and the β1C component of complement. When normal polymorphonuclear cells were incubated with factor-negative rheumatoid fluid, inclusions were not obtained. However, after addition of IgM rheumatoid factor to such fluids, discrete inclusions were observed with similar staining properties. In a minority of nonrheumatoid fluids, inclusions were also obtained after addition of IgM rheumatoid factor. The phagocytosis of inclusions from synovial fluids after addition of IgM rheumatoid factor suggests the presence of aggregated IgG in these fluids. Immunofluorescent staining of phagocytic synovial lining cells, isolated from synovial tissue by trypsin digestion, demonstrated a diffuse staining pattern for IgG and the β1C component of complement in cells from both seropositive and seronegative patients. In seropositive patients, discrete inclusions were also observed which stained positively for IgG, IgM, and β1C. These findings provide evidence of in vivo phagocytosis of immune complexes from the synovial fluid.
DBT Graduate Group Pilot Study: A Model to Generalize Skills to Create a “Life Worth Living”

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based program aimed at decreasing impulsive and self-harming behaviors. One part of this treatment is a skills training group, in which participants learn specific techniques to manage behaviors, interact with others and learn how to tolerate painful emotions. During this part of treatment, the focus is primarily on skills acquisition, but may not necessarily provide the chance to strengthen the skills or generalize the skills into day-to-day problems. One possibility to address this issue is to implement a DBT graduate group, in which clients can continue to develop the skills they have learned. This article presents a pilot study for a DBT graduate group in which 11 clients created specific target goals and then used the skills to work toward these goals, overcome barriers and experience emotions related to life problems. Results from this study indicate an improvement in mood based on decreases in depression scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire ...
A Comparison of Pt(II) and Pt(IV) Chloride Precursors for Strong Electrostatic Adsorption Synthesis of Pt/Alumina and Pt/Carbon Catalysts

Platinum (II) tetrachloride (PTC) has been studied as an anionic metal precursor in strong electrostatic adsorption method of catalyst preparation. Compared to the conventionally used platinum (IV) hexachloride precursors, PTC exhibited greater pH stability in aqueous solution. As a result, PTC uptake on high PZC supports remained nearly unchanged irrespective of precursor aging. Upon reduction of these PTC catalysts small (~2.0 nm) and well-dispersed Pt nanoparticles were obtained on alumina, whereas on carbon, Pt sizes were significantly larger (4–10 nm).
Telavancin demonstrates activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin, daptomycin, and linezolid in broth microdilution MIC and one-compartment pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic models

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates have arisen with reduced susceptibility to several anti-MRSA agents. Telavancin (TLV), a novel anti-MRSA agent, retains low MICs against these organisms. Our objective was to determine the MICs for TLV, daptomycin (DAP), vancomycin (VAN), and linezolid (LZD) against daptomycin-nonsusceptible (DNS) S. aureus, vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA), heteroresistant VISA (hVISA), and linezolid-resistant (LZDr) S. aureus. We also evaluated these agents against each phenotype in pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) models. Seventy DNS, 100 VISA, 180 hVISA, and 25 LZDr MRSA isolates were randomly selected from our library and tested to determine their MICs against TLV, DAP, VAN, and LZD via broth microdilution and a Trek panel. Four isolates were randomly selected for 168-h in vitro models to evaluate treatment with TLV at 10 mg/kg of body weight/day, DAP at 10 mg/kg/day, VAN at 1 g every 12 h (q12h), and LZD at 600 mg q12h. The MIC50/90 for TLV, DAP, VAN, and LZD against 70 DNS S. aureus isolates were 0.06/0.125 μg/ml, 2/4 μg/ml, 1/2 μg/ml, and 2/2 μg/ml, respectively. Against 100 VISA isolates, the MIC50/90 were 0.06/0.125 μg/ml, 1/1 μg/ml, 4/8 μg/ml, and 1/2 μg/ml, respectively. Against 170 hVISA isolates, the MIC50/90 were 0.06/0.125 μg/ml, 0.5/1 μg/ml, 1/2 μg/ml, and 1/2 μg/ml, respectively. Against 25 LZDr isolates, the MIC50/90 were 0.03/0.06 μg/ml, 1/1 μg/ml, 2/2 μg/ml, and 8/8 μg/ml, respectively. The TLV MIC was >0.125 μg/ml for 10/365 (2.7%) isolates. In PK/PD models, TLV was universally bactericidal at 168 h and statistically superior to all antibiotics against DNS S. aureus strain R2334. These data further establish the potency of TLV against resistant MRSA. The model data demonstrate in vitro bactericidal activity of TLV against hVISA, VISA, DNS S. aureus, and LZDr S. aureus strains. Further clinical research is warranted.
INDO-MO study of ϵ-CH proton EPR hyperfine couplings in radicals derived from allyl ethyl ethers

Abstract Previous experimental work has shown that the EPR spectra of the radicals HOCH2ĊHCH2OCH2CH3 and HOCH2ĊHCH2OCH2CH2OH, generated in aqueous solution using a TiCl3H2O2 flow system, display long-range ϵ-CH proton couplings, the first reported for aliphatic radicals. This paper seeks to clarify the assignment by use of detailed INDO-MO calculations on these species considering all possible bond rotations. The results of the calculations demonstrate that these radicals are constrained into analogous low-energy cyclic-type structures, resulting in ϵ-CH proton couplings of about the same size as those found experimentally and due mainly to a spin-polarization mechanism. Geometrical calculations show that, in these cyclic-type structures, the average internuclear distance between the radical center and the ϵ-CH protons in each radical is 3 A.
Human-Computer Interaction in the Control of Dynamic Systems

Modes of human-computer interaction in the control of dynamic systems are discussed, and the problem of allocating tasks between human and computer considered. Models of human performance in a variety of tasks associated with the control of dynamic systems are reviewed. These models are evaluated in the context of a design example involving human-computer interaction in aircraft operations. Other examples include power plants, chemical plants, and ships.
Systemic profiles of antigen-specific lymphocytes in animals chronically exposed to staphylococcus antigen in the mammary region.

Abstract Systemic profiles of lymphocytes were assessed in goats exposed chronically with Staphylococcus antigens in the supramammary region. Animals were inoculated three times subcutaneously in the right supramammary region with heat-killed Staphylococcus aureus antigen (HKS) at 1 month intervals. Prior to immunization and 1 week following each injection, 3 and 6 day cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells were made to determine proliferative responses of lymphocytes to HKS and the polyclonal T cell mitogen phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Peripheral blood lymphocytes responded significantly to both HKS and PHA in 3 day cultures after the second injection and showed peak responses after the final immunization, suggesting that repeated local injection of S. aureus antigen at the supramammary region, can induce an anamnestic response to the antigen in the peripheral blood of these animals with a concomitant increase in the responsiveness to the polyclonal mitogen, PHA. In contrast, initial antigen challenge induced little, if any, increase in responses to the specific antigen or mitogen when compared to pre-injection states. These data may also suggest that non-reactivity of perpheral blood lymphocytes to the HKS antigen immediately after the primary injection of antigen may be the result of local retention of antigen-reactive cells at the sites of infection.
Physiological control of brain catechol synthesis by brain tyrosine concentration.

Abstract Treatments that raise or lower brain tyrosine concentrations in rats cause parallel changes in the rates at which their brains accumulate DOPA (after aromatic L -amino acid decarboxylase is inhibited by RO4-4602). When the neutral amino acid drug ρ-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) was injected i.p. into rats (100mg/kg), it decreased brain tyrosine concentrations over a wide range, partly by competing with tyrosine for uptake into the brain. Brain DOPA accumulation after RO4-4602 decreased in parallel. At this dosage, PCPA did not inhibit tyrosine hydroxylase activity in vivo, and, at very high concentrations (10−3 M) in vitro, it inhibited the enzyme only slightly. Hence, the decrease in DOPA accumulation probably derived from a decrease in the availability of tyrosine (the substrate for tyrosine hydroxylase) rather than from a change in enzyme activity. Similarly, the neutral amino acids, valine and isoleucine (which have been used previously to modify brain tyrosine concentrations and, hence, catechol synthesis), had no effect on tyrosine hydroxylase activity in vitro in concentrations up to 10−3 M. At high concentrations (10−3 M), leucine slightly inhibited the enzyme. When rats ingested a single meal containing 40 per cent casein, their brain evidenced increases in both tyrosine levels and catechol synthesis. Thus, the availability of tyrosine to the brain may be one of the factors normally controlling brain catecholamine synthesis.
Distribution of CdSe nanoparticles synthesized in porous SiO x matrix

Photoluminescence spectra of CdSe nanoparticles synthesized by the chemical method from an aqueous solution are studied in relation to nanoparticle location over depth in the porous SiOx layer consisting of a set of distinct SiOx columns ∼(10–100) nm in diameter. An analysis of radiative characteristics of this structure shows that the distributions of different-size nanoparticle fractions over the nanocomposite layer depth are different. A model explaining the cause of such distributions is considered. Within this model the parameter defining the “constrained geometry” notion for the used conditions of CdSe nanoparticles’ growth in the SiOx matrix is estimated.
Web-Based Assessment of Outcomes After Subarachnoid and Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A New Patient Centered Option for Outcomes Assessment

Clinical outcomes are typically assessed by trained staff. We tested the hypothesis that outcomes reported by the patient or a caregiver on the web would be correlated with a validated interview. We assessed surviving patients with intracerebral and subarachnoid hemorrhage at 1- , 3- , and 12-month follow-up with a validated interview for the modified Rankin Scale (mRS, a validated ordinal scale from 0, no symptoms to 5, severe disability). Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed on the web with NIH Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) and Neuro-QOL using computer adaptive testing by the patient, proxy reporting by a caregiver, or proxy entry by study staff. A coincident mRS and HRQoL assessment was available for 149 (71 %) of 209 patients at one, three, or 12 months. There were 89 assessments with proxy entry by study staff, 89 by the patient on the web, and 58 with proxy report by a caregiver on the web. PROMIS physical function assessments were completed in median of 4 questions, and T scores were associated with the mRS (P < 0.001), regardless of respondent. Mean T scores in every category of the mRS were different from every other category (P ≤ 0.003 for all). Results were similar for Neuro-QOL mobility. Web-based HRQoL assessment with NIH PROMIS and Neuro-QOL is feasible and correlated with a validated interview for the mRS. T scores distinguished between individual categories of the mRS, detecting modest differences in physical function and mobility HRQoL that are difficult to detect with the mRS. PROMIS and Neuro-QOL provide powerful and sensitive outcomes for potentially large cohorts.
A Longitudinal Study: Casino Gambling Attitudes, Motivations, and Gambling Patterns Among Urban Elders

Guided by self-determination theory, the main purpose of this study was to explore demographic characteristics, attitudes toward casinos, and self-reported intrinsic and extrinsic reasons for casino gambling by urban elders. The study hypothesized that individuals would more frequently report intrinsic motivations for casino gambling (e.g., entertainment, enjoyment) rather than extrinsic motivation (e.g., financial gain). This longitudinal sample included 247 urban elders older who were 60 years and older and who had participated in surveys in 2002 and 2004. The initial survey consisted of (a) demographic items, (b) five items to measure attitudes toward casino gambling, (c) questions inquiring about motivations for casino gambling, and (d) questions about gambling frequency. The follow-up survey was an expanded questionnaire which still included these items. The sample consisted of the 247 participants, over 200 of whom were African-Americans, 188 were female, and 98 of the participants had a post graduate education. About half were widowed, and the sample generally reported a low income. The results supported the theoretical perspective underlying the project. The hypothesis that more participants would endorse intrinsic motivations for casino gambling rather than extrinsic motivations was supported. The implications of these findings represent for social workers, gambling counselors and health care services providers an important step toward understanding the attitudes, behaviors, and motivational factors involved in casino gambling among older adults.
Endoanal ultrasound for detection of sphincter defects following childbirth.

The objectives of this study were to estimate the rates of sonographically detected anal sphincter defects within 72 h of childbirth and to evaluate intra- and interobserver agreement using three-dimensional (3-D) endoanal sonography data. This is a prospective observational study of primiparous women delivered vaginally. Women without clinically identified anal sphincter lacerations underwent endoanal ultrasonography within 72 h of delivery. Intra- and interobserver agreement for diagnosis of sphincter defects using 3-D endoanal sonography data was calculated using kappa statistics. The rate of sphincter defects in 107 women undergoing 3-D endoanal sonography was 12 %. Characteristics of women with sonographically detected sphincter defects, compared to those without, included a significantly increased rate of clinically diagnosed second-degree lacerations (54 vs 20 %, p 0.008). The intra- and interobserver agreement for diagnosis of sphincter defects using 3-D endoanal sonography data was 0.82 [confidence interval (CI) 0.66–0.99] and 0.72 (CI 0.54–0.92), respectively. Anal sphincter defects detected using endoanal sonography are common, occurring in 12 % of primiparous women, and are significantly associated with other less severe perineal lacerations. Overall and combining sonographically detected defects with clinically diagnosed lacerations, we estimate that 17.8 % of primiparous women delivered vaginally sustain anal sphincter injuries. The intraobserver agreement for diagnosis of sphincter defects is very good and the interobserver agreement is good.
Experience With Voice Recognition in Surgical Pathology at a Large Academic Multi-Institutional Center

There are few reports of institutional use of voice recognition technology in clinical practice. We describe our experience with voice recognition-integrated synoptic-like dictation, associating templates with key spoken phrases, that we have used in gross examination of common specimens and as a major component of our workflow since 2001. The primary application is VoiceOver Enterprise (Voicebrook, Lake Success, NY), which uses Dragon NaturallySpeaking Medical Edition (Nuance Communications, Burlington, MA) as its speech engine. This integrates with the anatomic pathology laboratory information system (APLIS) and other applications, such as Microsoft Office (Microsoft, Redmond, WA). The largest user group, pathology assistants, mainly dictates biopsy reports, numbering approximately 210,000 specimens since 2001. The technology has been useful in our anatomic pathology workflow and provided a good return on investment, including marked improvements in turnaround time, results standardization, error reduction, and cost savings. The most helpful features of the software are templating, the seamless integration with APLIS, and the voice command creation tools.
Autocorrelation and Density Dependence in Organizational Founding Rates

This article assesses the robustness of recent estimates of the effect of density on the founding rates in organizational populations. It reports reanalyses of data on founding rates of six populations of organizations using a generalization of quasi-likelihood estimation that allows specification of autocorrelation processes. Autocorrelation is indeed present in five of the six data sets. However, the main substantive finding of earlier research proves to be robust-a nonmonotonic relationship between density and founding rate-continues to hold in most cases even when autocorrelation is taken into account. In other words, the predicted pattern of nonmonotonic density dependence is robust with respect to the form of autocorrelation investigated.
Power Spectral Density of Nonlinear System Response: The Recursion Method

Spectral densities of the response of nonlinear systems to white noise excitation are considered. By using a formal solution of the associated Fokker Planck Kolmogorov equation, response spectral densities are represented by formal power series expansion for large frequencies. Alternatively, a J fraction representation of spectral densities can be achieved by using a generalization of the Lanczos algorithm for matrix tridiagonalization, known as the recursion method. Sequences of rational approximations of increasing order are obtained
Modeling dynamic spatial relations with global properties for natural language-based human-robot interaction

We present a methodology for the representation of dynamic spatial relations (DSRs) with global properties as part of an approach for enabling robots to follow natural language commands from non-expert users, with particular focus on the development of spatial language primitives. Our approach to modeling DSRs is based on related research in the fields of linguistics, cognitive science, and neuroscience, and contributes novel extensions to the semantic field model of spatial prepositions. We describe novel representations of the DSRs for “to”, “through”, and “around”, discuss their applicability in path classification scenarios, and provide implementation details of path generation routines instantiating these DSRs for use in robot task planning. The paper concludes with an evaluation of our robot architecture implemented on a simulated mobile robot in a 2D home environment.
Delayed intracerebral abscess due to retained bike wheel valve cap

We present a case of delayed intracerebral abscess due to retained bike wheel valve cap after head trauma.
Ion-Induced Mixing in Ni-SiO2 Bilayers

We report on our studies of Ni transport induced by 300 keV Xe irradiation of 25 nm Ni films evaporated on thermally grown SiO 2 at Xe fluences of 10 13 -10 16 cm -2 and at temperatures of 300-750 K during irradiation. Cross-sectional TEM, and selective etching combined with 2 MeV He backscattering spectrometry and ESCA were used to profile the Xe and Ni within the SiO 2 . At 300 K, backscattering shows cascade mixing dominates, although only ~ 1/35 that predicted by cascade theory, with most of the Ni in the SiO 2 contained in a resolution limited peak adjacent to the SiO 2 interface. TEM shows that this Ni is contained in a 5 nm band, 5 nm below the interface as Ni oxide clusters. Examination of the satellite structure of the Ni 2p line by XPS also shows this band is predominantly Ni 2+ . At 750 K, the near-surface peak vanishes and only recoil implantation is evident. Ni0 is evident by XPS in samples irradiated at 300 K, though not at higher temperatures. We explain our results in terms of phase separation during cooling of the collision cascade.
Gaussian waves in the Fitzhugh–Nagumo equation demonstrate one role of the auxiliary function H(x, t) in the homotopy analysis method

We apply the method of homotopy analysis to study the Fitzhugh–Nagumo equation. ut=uxx+u(u-α)(1-u), which has various applications in the fields of logistic population growth, flame propagation, neurophysiology, autocatalytic chemical reaction, branching Brownian motion process and nuclear reactor theory. In particular, we focus on the case of Gaussian wave forms, which has not previously been discussed in the literature. Through an application of homotopy analysis, we are able to demonstrate an interesting role of the auxiliary function H(x, t). In particular, we show that while we are free to pick specific forms of H(x, t), there are certain forms which permit both (i) regularity of solutions by cancelling possible singularities and (ii) ease the process of integrating when computing the higher order terms in the homotopy expansion. In addition to the discussion on the choice of H(x, t), we are able to deduce the behavior of Gaussian waveform solutions in the Fitzhugh–Nagumo model for various values of both the wave speed and the ambient concentration parameter (α).
Estimation of cytoplasmic and vacuolar pH in higher plant cells by 31P NMR.

It has recently been emphasised that the intracellular pH of plant cells must be actively regulated to offset acid–base imbalances that occur during metabolism and solute uptake (for review see ref. 1). Changes in cytoplasmic pH might be important (1) in controlling various aspects of metabolism2, including enzyme activities responsible for malate synthesis during cation accumulation1,2, (2) in polar transport of the plant hormone, auxin3, and (3) in intracellular responses to substances such as auxin and the phytotoxin fusicoccin, which cause proton extrusion1,4,5. Almost no direct measurements of cytoplasmic pH have been made on the small cells typical of higher plants1. The task is hampered by the presence of a generally acidic vacuole which occupies much of the cell volume. Use of the indirect method of 14C-5, 5-dimethyloxazolidine-2, 4-dione (DMO) distribution is subject to considerable uncertainties because of corrections needed for vacuolar pH and volume, and DMO metabolism6,7. Here we report the use of 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to estimate the pH of vacuole and cytoplasm in maize root tips.
Contact nucleation of MgSO4·7H2O in a continuous MSMPR crystallizer

Abstract A frequent problem encountered in crystallizers is the control of the crystal size distribution (CSD) produced in the crystallizer. The most effective means of controlling the CSD is to control the nucleation rate. In most crystallizers the dominant type of nucleation is contact nucleation. This investigation was initiated in order to learn more about the mechanism of contact nucleation and the parameters affecting it. It was established that periodic contacting of a MgSO4·7H2O crystal mounted in a continuous MSMPR crystallizer produced a concentration of nuclei that could be measured with a Coulter counter. Based on the CSD, the number of nuclei produced per contact was obtained. This number was related to the system parameters–supersaturation, residence time, contact energy and frequency of contact. The number of nuclei produced per contact increased with an increase in the supersaturation. A deterioration of the nucleating properties of the crystal surface was noted at a contact frequency of about 8 per min. The energy of contact affects the number of nuclei produced per contact. This number initially increased to a maximum value and then declined with a further increase in the contact energy.
Geometric structure of Be(101-bar0).

The structure of clean Be(10{bar 1}0) was determined by low-energy electron-diffraction (LEED) {ital I}({ital V}) analysis and the result compared to first-principles calculations. Both theory and experiment indicate that from the two possible terminations of the truncated bulk, the one with the shorter first-interlayer spacing is realized. The values for the multilayer relaxations obtained by LEED essentially coincide with the theoretical prediction. Although the magnitude of the first- to second-layer relaxation fits well into the trend observed on other simple metal surfaces, the driving force is probably different for beryllium. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
Elastin expression and elastic fibre width in the anterior vaginal wall of postmenopausal women with and without prolapse

OBJECTIVES To compare elastin expression and elastic fibre width in the anterior vaginal wall of postmenopausal women with and with no bladder prolapse. PATIENTS AND METHODS Full-thickness specimens were obtained from the upper lateral anterior vaginal wall of women having a large cystocele repaired (stage III or IV; prolapse group, 33) and the same location in patients with no prolapse having radical cystectomy (control group, 10). The percentage of elastin-positive tissue and elastic fibre width were measured by immunohistochemistry on 6 µm thick tissue sections from 10 random field readings per sample using image analysis software. The examiner was unaware of sample identity and the patients’ clinical history. RESULTS The age was comparable between the control and prolapse groups (median 70.5 years), and the parity, vaginal deliveries, hormone replacement use, cigarette smokers and body mass index were no different between the groups. Immunohistochemical staining and morphometric analysis indicated that elastin expression in the prolapse group was 10.6%, vs 14.4% in the control group (P = 0.049). The median width of elastic fibres was 0.9 µm in the prolapse and 1.8 µm in the control groups (P < 0.001). Elastin expression and elastic fibre width appeared to be stable with increasing age in the prolapse group. CONCLUSIONS In this case-control study investigating elastin changes in postmenopausal women with prolapse, the elastin expression and fibre width were significantly lower in the vaginal wall of patients with a large cystocele than in controls of a similar age.
Microbial and nutrient activity in soils from three different subtropical forest habitats in Belize, Central America before and during the transition from dry to wet season

Abstract Significant variations were found in soil texture, levels of organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, nitrate, and nitrification rates in the upper 20 cm of soil from three distinct Uplands forest, Cohune Palm forest, and Bajo forest habitats within the subtropical rainforest of Northwestern Belize. The Cohune Palm forest soils had the most organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, nitrate, and highest nitrification rates, while the soils from the Bajo forests had the lowest levels of these parameters. The heterogeneity in the soil composition is even more significant given that the three habitats studied are part of the same ‘forest’ and are within 2 km of each other. The first rains at the beginning of the wet season had a rapid and significant effect on various components in the soil. A rapid increase in the microbial biomass carbon, organic carbon, and nitrification rates and a decrease in nitrate occurred in the soil from all three habitats within hours after what locals anecdotally consider the start of the wet season. The greatest percent change in all factors following the rains occurred within the soil from the Bajo forests, while the smallest percent change occurred within soil from the Uplands forest. There were also significant correlations found between soil moisture levels and organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, and nitrification rates. The variations in the measured parameters were also associated with the amount of clay in the soil. It appears, then, that the amounts of moisture and clay are most critical soil composition factors which when combined with microbial biomass carbon, organic carbon, and nitrification rates may be good predictors of soil quality in these forests.
Photoluminescence and Electronic Structures of Gold Interactions TL2PT(CN)4 and TL[AU(CN)2]: Evidence for Direct Thalliumgold Interactions

Abstract Abstract Low temperature photoluminescence lifetime and spectroscopic studies coupled with relativistic extended Huckel calculations are used to reveal the role played by TI-Pt and TI-Au interactions in T12Pt(CN)4 and TI[Au(CN)2], respectively.
Sir Kenelm Digby, F. R. S. (1603-1665)

A history should grauely and without affectation relate the counsailes and actions it treateth of; . . . And he that will be a Critike upon what he relateth in this kinde, ought thoroughly to understand men, and their politicall and Martiall actions; as well as bookes. Else he may write rather like a witty pedant than a solide Historian. Kenelm Digby (17) On the 11th of June 1603, three months after the death of Queen Elizabeth and four prior to that o f her personal physician, the scientist W illiam Gilbert, Kenelm Digby was bom at Gayhurst, the family seat in Buckinghamshire. Digby at heart was an Elizabethan romantic who took all knowledge for his province— uomo universale . Of the Founder Members of the Royal Society none could point to so many diverse achievements in spheres other than science. Precocious as a schoolboy, w ith a flair for languages, Digby early in life earned fame as diplomat, privateer, courtier, poet, critic, stylist, philosopher, collector and binder o f elegant books, and scientist o f some attainment. I. Forebears and Early Life The family genealogist, Lettice Digby (15) records that the Digby pedigree has been traced for 17 generations prior to James I and includes in each century prom inent warriors and statesmen, nearly all of whom were nonconformists, often at odds with the society in which they moved. Kenelm was no exception.
Time-Extended Policies in Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning

Many algorithms such as Q-learning successfully address reinforcement learning in single-agent multi-time-step problems. In addition there are methods that address reinforcement learning in multi-agent single-time-step problems. However, unmodified single-agent multi-time-step methods and multi-agent single-time-step methods cannot necessarily be combined to solve multi-agent multi-time-step problems due to strong coupling between multi-agent interactions between time steps. Rewards that result in multi-agent collaboration for a single time-step may result in poor collaboration in future time-steps. This paper shows how to avoid this problem.
The effect of graded hemorrhage and intravascular volume replacement on systolic pressure variation in humans during mechanical and spontaneous ventilation.

In dogs and humans, the magnitude of the variation in systolic pressure (SPV) over the respiratory cycle during mechanical ventilation appears to be inversely related to intravascular volume. Also reported to correlate with changes in volume status is Adown, the difference between systolic pressure at end-expiration and the lowest value during the respiratory cycle. These variables were examined during graded hemorrhage in eight anesthetized, mechanically ventilated subjects, and seven awake, spontaneously breathing subjects. SPV and Adown were measured in sequence at baseline, after 500 mL blood removal, after 1000 mL (total) blood removal, after 500 mL hetastarch replacement, after 1000 mL (total) hetastarch replacement, and after 500 mL normal saline (NS). Repeatedmeasures analysis of variance was used to test the significance of the change in SPV and Adown among the interventions. During mechanical ventilation, each 500-mL hemorrhage significantly increased SPV and Adown, and each 500-mL hetastarch infusion significantly decreased SPV and Adown. After hetastarch, both SPV and Adown were smaller than at baseline and may explain why the infusion of NS caused nonsignificant reductions in SPV and Adown. A SPV of 5
The interactions of nitric oxide and oxygen with Ru(101̄0)

Abstract The interaction of nitric oxide with ruthenium (1010) has been studied using low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) techniques at substrate temperatures and reactant partial pressures as high as 950° C and 10 −6 Torr, respectively. Nitric oxide adsorption is rapid at temperatures below 200°C and results in the formation of c(2 × 4) and (2 × 1) ordered LEED structures at proposed coverages of 0.25 and 0.50 monolayers of dissociated adatoms. The nitrogen adatoms desorb if the sample temperature is raised above 200°C. Prolonged exposures at temperatures greater than 400°C result in the slow development of (7 × 1), c(4 × 8) or c(2 × 6) LEED structures depending upon the temperature and the fractional surface coverage of oxygen adatoms. A model involving the formation of non-stoichiometric surface oxide phases is proposed. The data are correlated with the results of earlier studies on the nitric oxide reduction reaction.
Identification of a selective RORγ ligand that suppresses T(H)17 cells and stimulates T regulatory cells

Nuclear receptors (NRs) are ligand-regulated transcription factors, many of which are validated targets for clinical purposes. The retinoic acid receptor-related orphan nuclear receptors alpha and gamma t (RORα and RORγt) are considered to be the master regulators of development of T(H)17 cells, a subset of T cells that have been implicated in the pathology of several autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We report here the identification of a novel RORγ-specific synthetic ligand, SR1555, that not only inhibits T(H)17 cell development and function but also increases the frequency of T regulatory cells. Our data suggests synthetic RORγ ligands can be developed that target both suppression of T(H)17 and stimulation of T regulatory cells, offering key advantages in development of therapeutics targeting autoimmune diseases.
A New Approach to Preservation Metadata for Scientific Data: A Real World Example

The Open Archival Information System (OAIS) Reference Model was developed by the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) in the late 1990s and was adopted as an ISO standard in 2003 (ISO14721:2003) [1]. Recently, many data centers and archives around the world have started to adopt this protocol. As a notable example, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States of America adopted the model for their Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System (CLASS). CLASS is expected to be the primary repository and access portal for NOAA's Earth science, satellite-remote-sensing data [2]. Because of the huge scale of these efforts, it is important to carefully consider the manner in which the OAIS Reference Model is implemented. The specifics of the implementation could impact the preservation and therefore the use and usability of vast quantities of remote sensing data for many years.
Experimental study of internal variable evolution in SS304L, at multiple rates and temperatures

Most metals exhibit a deformation-induced uniaxial yield strength asymmetry. Interpreted within the context of macroscale viscoplastic models, it is conventional to describe this yield strength asymmetry with an isotropic hardening variable, K, and a kinematic hardening variable, α. The focus of this work was to conduct a series of reverse yield experiments to directly measure the evolution of α and K in 304L stainless steel (SS304L) over large ranges of temperatures and strain rates. We found that the material exhibited inelastic behavior immediately on changing the straining direction. We discussed the ramifications of this behavior on our goal to directly measure α and K within the context of an isotropic/kinematic hardening model framework. We also explored the capability of the model to simulate the behavior of SS304L under different loading conditions across a wide range of temperatures and strain rates.
A comparative study of the human T-cell leukemia virus type 2 integrase expressed in and purified from Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris

The human T-cell leukemia virus type-2 (HTLV-2) integrase (IN) catalyzes the insertion of the viral genome into the host chromosome. HTLV-2 IN was expressed as an N-terminal hexa-histidine tagged protein in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris and as a C-terminal hexa-histidine fusion in Escherichia coli. Maximal IN expression was observed at 48h post-induction for the yeast system and 2h post-induction for E. coli. Effective purification strategies were developed using non-ionic and zwitterionic detergents for initial protein extraction, followed by a one-step nickel-chelating chromatography purification. IN from both sources was routinely greater than 90% pure with yields exceeding 1.5mg of purified IN per liter of culture for P. pastoris. The relative pI was defined for both INs, pH 5.0-5.4, by 2D-gel electrophoresis. Specific activities for IN purified from E. coli and P. pastoris were calculated from in vitro 3(') processing assays and were comparable. In vitro IN assays were also performed to optimize reaction buffer pH and metal concentrations for both 3(') processing and strand transfer assays. Strand transfer was optimal from pH 6.2-6.8, more than 1.5 pH units below the optimal 3(') processing pH of 8.3. IN from both sources showed no enhancement in activity with MnCl(2) concentrations greater than 5mM. The specific activity of P. pastoris purified IN was 0.35 product (pmol)/h/microg IN, and E. coli produced IN was 0.48 product (pmol)/h/microg IN.
A comparison of fingerprints of tryptic digests of human, horse and rat apoferritins.

Abstract 1. 1. Fingerprints of tryptic digests of apoferritins from a human liver, horse spleens and ACI rat livers were made by means of electrophoresis and chromatography on microcrystalline cellulose, and were compared. 2. 2. All tryptic peptides also present in apoferritins from the human liver and the horse spleens were also present in apoferritin from the rat livers. 3. 3. In the digests of horse and of rat apoferritin there was a peptide that was not present in the digests of human apoferritin. Another peptide was obtained from human and from rat apoferritin, but not from horse apoferritin. 4. 4. These results are consistent with immunological evidence on the overlap of antigenic specificities of human, horse and rat ferritins.
Performance characteristics of biomolecular simulations on high-end systems with multi-core processors

Biological processes occurring inside cell involve multiple scales of time and length; many popular theoretical and computational multi-scale techniques utilize biomolecular simulations based on molecular dynamics. Till recently, the computing power required for simulating the relevant scales was even beyond the reach of fastest supercomputers. The availability of petaFLOPS-scale computing power in near future holds great promise. Unfortunately, the biosimulations software technology has not kept up with the changes in hardware. In particular, with the introduction of multi-core processing technologies in systems with tens of thousands of processing cores, it is unclear whether the existing biomolecular simulation frameworks will be able to scale and to utilize these resources effectively. While the multi-core processing systems provide higher processing capabilities, their memory and network subsystems are posing new challenges to application and system software developers. In this study, we attempt to characterize computation, communication and memory efficiencies of biomolecular simulations on Teraflops-scale Cray XT systems, which contain dual-core Opteron processors. We identify that the application efficiencies using the multi-core processors reduce with the increase of the simulated system size. Further, we measure the communication overhead of using both cores in the processor simultaneously and identify that the slowdown in the MPI communication performance can significantly lower the achievable performance in the dual-core execution mode. We conclude that not only the biomolecular simulations need to be aware of the underlying multi-core hardware in order to achieve maximum performance but also the system software needs to provide processor and memory placement features in the high-end systems. Our results on stand-alone multi-core AMD and Intel systems confirm that combinations of processor and memory affinity schemes cause significant performance variations for our target test cases.
Detection of the early negative response in fMRI at 1.5 Tesla.

Recent experimental studies have revealed an initial decrease in magnetic resonance (MR) signal that is consistent with optical imaging results. This initial response, thought to arise from a transient increase in deoxyhemoglobin concentration, is probably more localized to the site of neuronal activation. However, with MR imaging, this early response has only been demonstrated at high fields. In this paper, the observation of the initial response at 1.5 T is reported. Compared with results obtained at 4 T, the present study reveals that the initial response grows more rapidly with the field strength than the late positive response, suggesting a more microvascular origin of the initial response. Magn Reson Med 41:1088‐1092, 1999. r 1999 WileyLiss, Inc.
Simulating the effect of spatial hole burning on the modulation responses of VCSELs

This work focuses on the effects of spatial hole-burning (SHB) on the modulation response of oxide-confined vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers. The comprehensive laser diode simulator, Minilase, as well as a simple 1-D rate equation models are used as simulation tools in the studies. We demonstrate that, due to the non-uniform transverse optical intensity, carriers at different locations of the quantum well (QW) have different stimulated recombination rates, and therefore exhibit different dynamic responses under direct modulation. This non-uniformity is revealed to be responsible for an over-damping of the relaxation oscillation and the reduction of the modulation bandwidth. Due to the limit of this nonlinear effect, VCSELs with small oxide apertures show lower intrinsic maximum bandwidth compared with that of large aperture structures. Further simulations demonstrate that this damping effect can be greatly reduced by making the electrical aperture smaller than the optical aperture, thereby significantly improving the modulation response.
Milk composition, ruminal characteristics, and nutrient utilization in dairy cows fed partially hydrogenated tallow.

Abstract Four Holstein cows (84 DIM) were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square with 21-d periods to determine the effects of increasing amounts of partially hydrogenated tallow in the diet. Tallow replaced ground shelled corn at 0, 2, 4, or 6% of total DM; diets contained 3.3, 5.1, 7.3, and 9.0% total fatty acids. Feces and urine were collected during d 16 to 21 of each period. Milk production (31.1, 31.7, 34.6, and 32.8kg/d), milk fat content, and DMI (21.2, 20.8, 22.2, and 21.5kg/d) were not significantly different among diets supplemented with 0, 2, 4, or 6% tallow. Tallow decreased contents of CP and SNF in milk but increased production of NPN. Percentages of short- and medium-chain fatty acids in milk fat decreased linearly, whereas percentage of C 18:1 increased with increasing dietary tallow. Ruminal Ph, concentrations of total VFA and NH 3 N, molar percentages of VFA, and acetate to propionate ratio did not differ among treatments. Total tract apparent digestibilities of DM, OM, NDF, ADF, cellulose, hemicellulose, ether extract, energy, and soluble residue did not differ among treatments. Digestibility of total fatty acids decreased in diets containing tallow. Increasing tallow linearly increased N apparently absorbed, but utilization of energy and N was not significantly different among treatments. Partially hydrogenated tallow included at 6% or less of dietary DM did not adversely affect DMI, digestibilities, or ruminal fermentation characteristics.
Prevention of reinjury.

This paper will address steps to be taken to prevent reinjury from becoming chronic. The focus is on helping workers to better understand and apply to themselves the nature of the healing process, the adverse effects of disuse, and how to distinguish pain from suffering. The impact of the person's understanding of the nature of pain and its implications for promoting healing will also be considered. Pain from tissue injury persists largely because of failure to apply what is known about healing and the effects of disuse. This failure interacts with patient misconceptions about pain and healing. The result is a confounding of pain with suffering and an unnecessary persistence of pain and disability. The interplay of perception or cognitive labelling, suffering and the influence of consequences should be considered.
A nor-sesquiterpene glycoside, rishitin-β-sophoroside, from tobacco☆

Abstract A new nor-sesquiterpene glycoside, isolated from flue-cured tobacco, was identified as rishitin-β-sophoroside. The absolute configuration of the aglycone, rishitin, was identical with that obtained from potato tuber tissue infected by pathogens.
SCOLYTIDAE ASSOCIATED WITH FELLED WHITE SPRUCE IN ALASKA

Pheromone baited traps and trap trees attracted an aggregate of 29 scolytid species associated with white spruce in three localities in Alaska. Species diversity was higher in the Fairbanks (lat. 64°45′) area than in the Brooks Range (lat. 68°15′) or Kenai Peninsula (lat. 60°37′). Scolytids were found inhabiting all bark-producing areas of the tree from the roots to small branches with the highest density in the tree bole. The most abundant scolytids were Ips perturbatus (Eichhoff), Ips tridens tridens (Mannerheim), Polygraphus rufipennis (Kirby), Dryocoetes affaber (Mannerheim), Trypodendron lineatum (Olivier), and Scolytus piceae (Swaine).