cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
False Positive Hepatitis C Virus Serologies in Pediatric Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Devices

Introduction Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) are being used more frequently in pediatric patients with advanced heart failure as a bridge to transplant. Pediatric centers began implanting the HeartMate 3 LVAD in 2017 and it has become the LVAD of choice at many centers, including our own. Allosensitization is commonly observed after LVAD placement, resulting in higher frequencies of auto-antibodies, though the pathophysiology of this phenomenon is not well understood. Viral hepatitis screening is done prior to transplant, but there are no current guidelines on type of testing and timing with regards to LVAD placement. Case Report Three pediatric patients, aged 7-12 years old, each received an LVAD as bridge to orthoptic heart transplant (OHT) between May 2019 - September 2020. All were otherwise healthy and had negative hepatitis C (HCV) antibody tests prior to Heartmate 3 LVAD placement as part of the pre-transplant infectious work up. Repeat HCV serologic testing obtained shortly before cardiac transplant were positive in all three patients. The patients had no signs or symptoms of acute HCV infection, received infrequent blood transfusions between LVAD placement and OHT, and had no increased risk behaviors. Concurrent HCV quantitative PCR testing was done in two patients and both were negative. HCV antibody testing repeated within six weeks from LVA removal was negative in all three patients. Summary False positive HCV serology secondary to immunogenicity of LVADs has been described in adult literature. Our case series is the first, to our knowledge, to be described in pediatric patients. Adult data suggests that the false positive HCV serology can occur in 16-59% of cohorts post-LVAD. This is thought to be due to immunogenicity of the LVAD as serologies revert after the LVAD is explanted. Our experience demonstrates the importance of standardizing HCV testing in patients both pre- and post-LVAD as a bridge to OHT. Furthermore, acquisition of hepatitis C infection is rare in children and pediatric cardiac transplant providers should be aware of the possibility of false positive HCV antibody tests in this clinical scenario and the importance of confirmatory testing with quantitative PCR if concerned.
EVALUATION OF METAL-FOIL STRAIN GAUGES FOR CRYOGENIC APPLICATION IN MAGNETIC FIELDS*

The requirement for the design and construction of large superconducting magnet systems for fusion research has raised a number of new questions regarding the properties of composite superconducting conductors. One of these, the effect of mechanical stress on the current-carrying capacity of Nb3Sn, is of major importance in determining the feasibility of constructing large magnets with this material. A typical experiment for determining such data involves the measurement of critical current vs. magnetic field while the conductor is being mechanically strained to various degrees. Techniques are well developed for the current and field measurements, but much less so for the accurate measurement of strain at liquid helium temperature in a high magnetic field. For this reason, a study of commercial, metal-foil strain gauges for use under these conditions was undertaken. The information developed can also be applied to the use of strain gauges as diagnostic tools in superconducting magnets.
Practical pattern matching

Humans are fascinated by patterns, and they can spot them well - in fact, that's one area where humans excel over computers. But research is producing interesting competition as scientists discover and employ new methods of automated pattern recognition. Practical applications include finding genes, detecting cancer-causing chemicals in molecules, searching out potential terrorists, and predicting terrorist threat levels, as well as recognizing speech patterns and creating a nanotechnology resource library.
Abstract P039: Dietary Patterns are Associated with Cognitive Function in US Adults

Introduction: As America ages, identifying factors that contribute to the preservation of cognitive function is of growing importance to maintain quality of life in advanced years. Of modifiable risk factors, diet quality has emerged as a promising candidate to impact cognition. Although the Mediterranean diet pattern has been associated with cognitive benefits, few other dietary patterns have been considered. Hypothesis: We assessed the hypothesis that empirically-derived dietary patterns are associated with cognitive function. Methods: The REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study is a national cohort study of 30,239 black and white participants (age > 45). Previously, five dietary patterns (Convenience, Plant-based, Sweets/fats, Southern, and Alcohol/salads) were derived with principal component analysis using data assessed by the Block98 FFQ. Baseline cognitive impairment (a score ≤4) was assessed using the Six-Item Screener. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the o...
Auto-Selection of the Sampling Period for a Class of Pole-Placement Controllers

For a class of discrete-time pole-placement controllers that utilize a single non-zero pole, the effect of varying the control sampling period, both on the optimal location of the closed-loop pole and on the size of the feasible pole location region, has been considered. With both deterministic and stochastic optimality measures, fast sampling yields an optimal pole location close to 1 with a very narrow feasible operating region. Conversely, slow sampling yields an optimal pole location at 0 with a much wider feasible operating region; however, the closed-loop response characteristics for slow sampling are much poorer. Sampling at a rate which yields an optimal closed-loop pole in the range 0.2-0.7 is seen to avoid the excessive system sensitivity (as when located closer to 1) and a somewhat degraded system response (when located at 0). These results suggest the basis of an ad hoc design technique for on-line selection of the sampling period which is demonstrated using a nonlinear model of a fixed-bed chemical reactor.
Physical and Catalytic Properties of the Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylases from Cells and Spores of Bacillus cereus T

Abstract Purine nucleoside phosphorylase (inosine + Pi ⇌ hypoxanthine + α-d-ribose-1-phosphate, EC 2.4.2.1) from vegetative cells and spores of Bacillus cereus T was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity. The vegetative cell enzyme was shown to have a molecular weight of 88,000 to 92,000 in 50 mm Tris-HCl buffer, pH 7.5, containing 10 mm 2-mercaptoethanol in the presence or absence of 10 mm potassium phosphate by the high speed equilibrium method at low protein concentration. Spore purine nucleoside phosphorylase had a minimal molecular weight of 47,000 in the absence of phosphate and 95,000 in the presence of 10 mm phosphate. The cell and spore enzymes sedimented as single symmetrical peaks with unextrapolated S20, w values of 5.5 S and 5.3 S, respectively, in the absence of phosphate. In 10 mm phosphate the spore purine nucleoside phosphorylase had a S20, w value of 5.7 S and the cell enzyme was unchanged. The cell enzyme was a tetramer while that from spores underwent a phosphate-induced association from dimer to tetramer. Subunit analysis indicated that the polypeptide chains from the cell and spore enzymes had molecular weights of 24,000. The catalytic properties of both the spore and cell enzymes were similar. The Michaelis constants with inosine for the cell and spore enzymes were 4.6 x 10-4 m and 7.0 x 10-4 m, respectively. The Michaelis constant with phosphate was 1.5 x 10-3 m for the vegetative cell enzyme and 1.3 x 10-3 m for the spore enzyme. Both enzymes had similar turnover numbers.
Automatic frequency transition detection from an L/sub p/ normed model based Wigner distribution via the KLT

Joint time-frequency signal representations, such as the Wigner-Ville distribution, have been applied to the analysis of signals containing transients. The authors estimate the Wigner distribution via robust linear predictive methods, followed by application of the Karhunen-Loeve transformation in order to capture frequency transients. Use of this technique may lead to reliable speech acoustic subword segmentation. >
Lost Visions and New Uncertainties: Sandinista Profesionales in Northern Nicaragua.

Lost Visions and New Uncertainties: Sandinista Profesionales in Northern Nicaragua. Inger Lundgren. Stockholm: Stockholm Studies in Social Anthropology, Almqvist and Wiksell International, 2000. 258 pp.
Synthesis, structure and characterization of two new antimony oxides–LaSb3O9 and LaSb5O12: Formation of LaSb5O12 from the reaction of LaSb3O9 with Sb2O3

Two new lanthanum antimony oxides, LaSb3O9 and LaSb5O12, have been synthesized as bulk phase powders and single crystals by solid state reactions using La2O3 (or La(NO3)3·xH2O), Sb2O3 and Sb2O5 as reagents. The structures of LaSb3O9 and LaSb5O12 were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. LaSb3O9 contains exclusively Sb5+ cations, whereas LaSb5O12 contains both Sb3+ and Sb5+ cations. LaSb3O9 has a novel three-dimensional framework consisting of edge- and corner-shared Sb5+O6 octahedra. LaSb5O12 exhibits a layered crystal structure consisting of corner-shared Sb5+O6 octahedra. The Sb3+O3 groups cap the SbO6 layers from above and below. The Sb3+ cations are in asymmetric coordination environments attributable to their stereo-active lone-pair. We also report on the reaction of three-dimensional LaSb3O9 with Sb2O3 to form the two-dimensional LaSb5O12. Infrared, thermogravimetric and dielectric analyses are also presented.
The Formation of Stellar Systems from Interstellar Molecular Clouds

Star formation, a crucial link in the chain of events that led from the early expansion of the universe to the formation of the solar system, continues to play a major role in the evolution of many galaxies. Observational and theoretical studies of regions of ongoing star formation provide insight into the physical conditions and events that must have attended the formation of the solar system. Such investigations also elucidate the role played by star formation in the evolutionary cycle which appears to dominate the chemical processing of interstellar material by successive generations of stars in spiral galaxies like our own. New astronomical facilities planned for development during the 1980's could lead to significant advances in our understanding of the star formation process. Efforts to identify and examine both the elusive protostellar collapse phase of star formation and planetary systems around nearby stars will be especially significant.
Neuropsychology of reward learning and negative symptoms in schizophrenia

We used the Iowa Gambling Test (IGT) to examine the relationship of reward learning to both neuropsychological functioning and symptom formation in 65 individuals with schizophrenia. Results indicated that compared to controls, participants with schizophrenia showed significantly reduced reward learning, which in turn correlated with reduced intelligence, memory and executive function, and negative symptoms. The current findings suggested that a disease-related disturbance in reward learning may underlie both cognitive and motivation deficits, as expressed by neuropsychological impairment and negative symptoms in schizophrenia.
THE EFFECTS OF URIDINE AND THYMIDINE ON THE DEGRADATION OF 5-FLUOROURACIL (5-FU), URACIL AND THYMINE BY RAT LIVER DIHYDROPYRIMIDINE DEHYDROGENASE (DPD): 213

The effects of various nucleosides and nucleotides on the activity of DPD partially purified from rat liver was studied using 5-FU, uracil and thymine as substrates. 5-FU was found to have a Km similar to those of uracil and thymine. DPD showed the highest specific activity when utilizing 5-FU as substrate (Table). Uridine was found to be a potent non-competitive inhibitor of DPD for all three substrates. Thymidine is much less potent as an inhibitor. Compared to 5-FU and uracil, thymine reduction is the most susceptible to inhibition by uridine and thymidine (Table). Uridine may enhance 5-FU cytotoxicity more than thymidine.
Analysis of QCD corrections to the decay Z-->W + hadrons

The QCD corrections to the decay rate for $Z\ensuremath{\rightarrow}W+\mathrm{hadrons}$ are analyzed. The decay rate is shown to be insensitive to nonperturbative QCD effects and calculable using perturbation theory in ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{s}({M}_{Z}\ensuremath{-}{M}_{W})$. The logarithms of $\frac{s}{{M}_{Z}^{2}}$, where $s$ is the invariant mass of the hadrons, are summed to all orders in the leading-logarithm approximation. Making a naive order-of-magnitude estimate for the remaining QCD corrections, the branching fraction for this decay mode in the standard model is estimated to be (1.1 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.3) \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}7}$.
Innate Immune Network in the Retina Activated by Optic Nerve Crush

PURPOSE Innate immunity plays a role in many diseases, including glaucoma and AMD. We have used transcriptome profiling in the mouse to identify a network of genes involved in innate immunity that is present in the normal retina and that is activated by optic nerve crush (ONC). METHODS Using a recombinant inbred (RI) mouse strain set (BXD, C57BL/6 crossed with DBA/2J mice), we generate expression datasets (Illumina WG 6.2 arrays) in the normal mouse retina and 2 days after ONC. The normal dataset is constructed from retinas from 80 mouse strains and the ONC dataset is constructed from 62 strains. These large datasets are hosted by GeneNetwork.org, along with a series of powerful bioinformatic tools. RESULTS In the retina datasets, one intriguing network involves transcripts associated with the innate immunity. Using C4b to interrogate the normal dataset, we can identify a group of genes that are coregulated across the BXD RI strains. Many of the genes in this network are associated with the innate immune system, including Serping1, Casp1, C3, Icam1, Tgfbr2, Cfi, Clu, C1qg, Aif1, and Cd74. Following ONC, the expression of these genes is upregulated, along with an increase in coordinated expression across the BXD strains. Many of the genes in this network are risk factors for AMD, including C3, EFEMP1, MCDR2, CFB, TLR4, HTA1, and C1QTNF5. CONCLUSIONS We found a retina-intrinsic innate immunity network that is activated by injury including ONC. Many of the genes in this network are risk factors for retinal disease.
Properties of cutoff corrugated surfaces for corrugated horn design

Corrugated horns involve a junction between the corrugated surface and a conducting groundplane. Proper horn design requires an understanding of the electromagnetic properties of the corrugated surface and this junction. An integral equation solution has been used to study the influence of corrugation density and tooth thickness on the power loss, surface current, and the scattering from a groundplane-corrugated surface junction.
Nucleoside Modifications Affect the Structure and Stability of the Anticodon of tRNALys,3

Abstract NMR spectroscopy was used to determine the solution structures of RNA oligonucleotides comprising the anticodon domain of tRNALys,3. The structural effects of the pseudouridine modification at position 39 were investigated and are well correlated with changes in thermodynamic parameters. The loop conformation differs from that seen in tRNAPhe and provides an explanation of the critical role of modification in this tRNA.
Impact of spatial sampling and antenna polarization on 3D GPR fracture detection

Three-dimensional Ground Penetrating Radar (3D GPR) surveys are needed to reconstruct subsurface fracture networks in terms of strike, dip and interconnectivity. This particular GPR study conducted in the Madonna della Mazza quarry (Italy) compares the impact of a dense acquisition grid versus antenna polarization on the characterization of subvertical fractures. 3D GPR data were acquired using a 250 MHz antenna over a 20×20m area with a grid bin size of 5×5cm. According to the quarter-wavelength criterion, profile spacing of 5 cm allows to properly sample also the high-frequency content of the signal spectrum. The results demonstrate that, rather than repeated surveys with different antenna orientation but larger profile spacing, a single survey with a regular and highly sampled grid is a preferred approach for high-resolution characterization of three-dimensional fracture networks.
Herd factors affecting the selection and success of intervention strategies in the program for eradication of pseudorabies (Aujeszky's disease) virus from Illinois swine farms.

Abstract The program for eradication of pseudorabies virus (PrV) from swine herds in Illinois was evaluated with respect to compliance with Livestock Conservation Institute (LCI) guidelines for selection of intervention strategies and for the effectiveness of these interventions under different herd conditions. The sample consisted of 395 swine operations quarantined between 1988 and 1994. These herds were followed until the end of 1996. The association of herd characteristics (number of sows, sow PrV seroprevalence, type of housing, number of PrV-seropositive farms within 1.5 mi) at the time of quarantine with the producer's selection of an initial intervention strategy (vaccination, offspring segregation, test-and-removal, depopulation-and-repopulation) was analyzed using logistic multiple regression. The interaction of herd characteristics with intervention strategies to affect the duration of quarantine was analyzed using multivariable Cox regression. Factors favoring selection of vaccination were increased herd size, higher sow PrV seroprevalence, and more PrV-seropositive farms within 1.5 mi. Offspring segregation was preferred when sow PrV seroprevalence was higher, and test-and-removal was preferred when seroprevalence was lower. Depopulation-and-repopulation was more likely in outdoor operations. Except for depopulation-and-repopulation, selection of an intervention strategy was in accordance with LCI guidelines. Vaccination and offspring segregation were associated with longer times under quarantine, and test-and-removal and depopulation-and-repopulation with shorter times. Test-and-removal was more effective in reducing the duration of quarantine when sow PrV seroprevalence was low. Vaccination increased the duration of quarantine less when sow PrV seroprevalence was high. Vaccination increased the duration of quarantine more when there were one or more PrV-seropositive farms within 1.5 mi than when there were no PrV-seropositive farms within 1.5 mi. It is apparent that herd characteristics affect the duration of quarantine and therefore need to be taken into account in the selection of a PrV-intervention strategy.
Simple Spectrophotometric Determination of Ferrous Iron in Twelve French Geochemical Reference Standards

Iron (II) oxide in silicate rocks can readily be measured after digestion with HF and HCl by reaction with KI and KIO3. The iodine produced during the digestion is trapped in CCl4 and measured at 512 nm spectrophotometrically. Results for ten accepted and two new geochemical reference standards are presented.
Control of carboxylic acid and ester groups on chromium (VI) binding to functionalized silica/water interfaces studied by second harmonic generation.

Resonantly enhanced surface second harmonic generation (SHG) measurements carried out at pH 7 and room temperature were performed to study how surface-bound carboxylic acid and methyl ester functional groups control the interaction of chromate ions with fused silica/water interfaces. These functional groups were chosen because of their high abundance in humic and fulvic acids and related biopolymers commonly found in soils. They were anchored to the silica surface using organosilane chemistry to avoid competing complexation processes in the aqueous solution as well as competitive adsorption of the organic compounds and chromate. The SHG experiments were carried out at room temperature and pH 7 while using environmentally representative chromate concentrations ranging from 1 ×10-6 to 2 × 10-4 M. Chromate is found to bind to the acid- and ester-functionalized silica/water interfaces in a reversible fashion. In contrast to the plain silica/water interface, chromate binding studies performed on the functional...
Liberation of functional p53 by proteasome inhibition in human papilloma virus-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells promotes apoptosis and cell cycle arrest

Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection represents an emerging risk factor in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). In contrast to HPV-negative HNSCC, most cases of HPV-positive HNSCC encode wild-type p53, although the p53 protein in these cells is rapidly degraded via HPV E6-mediated ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation. This unique feature of HPV-positive HNSCC has raised hope that liberation of wild-type p53 from the E6 protein may have therapeutic benefit in this disease. Indeed, suppression of E6 expression promotes apoptosis in HPV-positive HNSCC cell lines. However, the role of p53 in mediating this cell death has not been determined. Here, we demonstrate that siRNAs targeting the E6/E7 RNA, or treatment with the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib, resulted in upregulation of functional p53 and p53 gene targets in three HPV-positive HNSCC cell lines, but not in HPV-negative HNSCC cells. Apoptosis induced by E6/E7 siRNA in HPV-positive cells was found to be dependent on p53, while bortezomib-induced cell death was modestly p53-dependent. Treatment with subtoxic doses of bortezomib led to cell cycle arrest in HPV-positive, but not HPV-negative HNSCC cells. Moreover, this cell cycle arrest was mediated by p53 and the cell cycle inhibitor p21, the product of a p53 target gene. Collectively, these findings establish that wild-type p53 encoded by HPV-positive HNSCC cells, once liberated from HPV E6, can play important roles in promoting apoptosis and cell cycle arrest.
Dynamics and architecture for neural computation

Abstract Useful computation can be performed by systematically exploiting the phenomenology of nonlinear dynamical systems. Two dynamical phenomena are isolated into primitive architectural components which perform the operations of continuous nonlinear transformation and autoassociative recall. Backpropagation techniques for programming the architectural components are presented in a formalism appropriate for a collective nonlinear dynamical system. It is shown that conventional recurrent backpropagation is not capable of storing multiple patterns in an associative memory which starts out with an insufficient number of point attractors. It is shown that a modified algorithm can solve this problem by introducing new attractors near the to-be-stored patterns. Two primitive components are assembled into an elementary machine and trained to perform invariant pattern recognition with respect to small arbitrary transformations of the input pattern, provided the transformations are sufficiently small. The machine realizes modular learning since error signals do not propagate across the boundaries of the components.
Neuropathogenicity of mouse hepatitis virus JHM isolates differing in hemagglutinin-esterase protein expression

The hemagglutinin-esterae (HE) protein of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) is an optional envelope protein present in only some MHV isolates. Its expression is regulated by the copy number of a UCUAA pentanucleotide sequence present in the leader sequence of the viral genomic RNA. The functional significance of this viral protein so far is not clear. In this report, we compared the neuropathogenicity of two MHV isolates, JHM(2) and JHM(3), which express different amounts of HE protein. Intracerebral inoculation of these two viruses into C57BL/6 mice showed that JHM(2), which expresses an abundant amount of HE protein, was more neurovirulent than JHM(3), which expresses very little HE. Histopathology showed that early in infection, JHM(2) infected primarily neurons, while JHM(3) infected mainly glial cells. JHM(3) eventually infected neurons and caused a delayed death relative to JHM(2)-infected mice, suggesting that the progression of JHM(3) infection in the central nervous system was slower than JHM(2). In vi...
IDENTIFICATION OF A CG/LH BINDING SITE IN TWO STRAINS OF MYCOBACTERIUM VACCAE

We have previously reported the presence of a chorionic gonadotropin-like (CG-like) protein in the bacterium Xanthomonas maltophilia (X. maltophilia). We have also shown that X. maltophilia possesses a unique binding site for the native ligand and hCG, but not for human luteinizing hormone (hLH), and that binding of the native ligand or hCG to the receptor causes changes in the growth rates of culturing X. maltophilia. In this study we have characterized a CG/LH binding site in two strains of Mycobacterium vaccae. The binding site is specific for hCG and hLH, and Scatchard analysis reveals a biphasic, high affinity binding pattern. This is the second identified bacterial species to possess a CG-specific binding site.
Time-dependent drift degradation due to the progressive failure of rock bridges along discontinuities

An important element of time-dependent drift degradation is the progressive failure of intact segments along discontinuities, referred to as rock bridges. A fracture mechanics model is developed to simulate the time-dependent failure of rock bridges along discontinuities. The time dependence of the rock bridge failure process is modeled utilizing subcritical crack growth. The rock bridges give an effective cohesion to the discontinuities, and this cohesion is time-dependent due to the time-dependent failure of the rock bridges. The resulting first-order differential equation for joint cohesion is implemented into the UDEC distinct element numerical code to model time-dependent drift degradation. The model and its implementation into UDEC are validated using several simple examples, including a direct shear test and a rigid block on a slope. Two time-dependent drift degradation examples are then shown, one with and one without thermal loading. These examples used similar geometry, material parameters and in situ stresses as for the proposed underground drifts for the storage of nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain. Both with and without thermal loading, a large zone develops around the excavation where the joint cohesion and tensile strength drop to zero due to the failure of rock bridges. This in turn results in an excavation that is significantly less stable than if time dependence was not included. The results demonstrate the importance of time-dependence on the stability of underground excavations in hard rock.
Is high concentration of parvalbumin a requirement for superfast relaxation

It is generally thought that the rapid relaxation of fast muscles is facilitated by the Ca2+ binding protein parvalbumin (Parv). Indeed superfast swimbladder (SWB) muscle of toadfish contains the largest concentration of this protein ever observed (up to 1.5 mM). At 15°C toadfish perform a 100 Hz call, 400 ms in duration, followed by a long (5–15 s) intercall interval. It has been proposed that Parv helps sequester the Ca2+ during the call, and then Ca2+ unbinds and is pumped back into the sarcoplasmic reticulum during the long intercall interval. Midshipman (Porichthys notatus) is another fish which calls at a high frequency; 80–100 Hz at a temperature of 12–15°C. However, unlike toadfish, midshipman call with a 100% duty cycle. Without an intercall interval, Parv would seem of little use as it would become saturated early in calling. Here we show that the midshipman SWB has only about 1/8th of the Parv in toadfish. Moreover, total Parv content in calling male midshipman SWB was not different from that in the non-calling female and the much slower locomotory muscles. These data suggest that Parv does not play a large role in the calling of midshipman, which is accomplished without a high concentration of this protein. Native gel-electrophoresis also revealed presence of three major (PA-I, PA-II and PA-III) and two minor (PA-Ia and PA-IIIa, <5% of total content) Parv isoforms in adult toadfish SWB. Midshipman SWB contained about equal amounts of PA-I and PA-II and also a small (~10%) amount of PA-III. By amino acid composition, toadfish PA-Ia and PA-I isoforms were different from PA-II and PA-III isoforms (by 24 and 14 residues, respectively).
Bayesian analysis of groundwater quality in a semi-arid coastal county of south Texas

Bayesian frameworks for comparing water quality information to a pre-specified standard or goal and comparing water quality characteristics among two different entities are presented and illustrated using chloride and total dissolved solids (TDS) measurements obtained in the shallower Chicot and the deeper Evangeline formations of the Gulf coast aquifer underlying Refugio County, TX. The Bayesian approach seeks to present evidence in favor of the competing hypotheses which are weighed equally and unlike classical statistics do not make a decision in favor of one hypothesis. When comparing water quality information to a specified goal, the Bayesian approach addresses the more practical question—given all the information, what is the probability of meeting the goal? Similarly, when comparing the water quality between two entities, the approach simply emphasizes the nature and extent of differences and as such is better suited for evaluative studies. Bayesian analysis indicated that average chloride concentrations in the Evangeline formation was 1.65 times the concentrations in the Chicot formation while the corresponding TDS concentration ratio was close to unity. The probability of identifying water with TDS ≤1,000 g/m3 was extremely low, especially in the more prolific Evangeline formation. The probability of groundwater supplies with mean chloride concentrations ≤500 g/m3 was relatively high in the Chicot formation but very low in the Evangeline formation indicating the possible need for blending groundwater with other sources to meet municipal water quality goals.
Generation of 2D and 3D (PtS, Adamantanoid) Nets with a Flexible Tetrahedral Building Block

The self-assembly of the flexible tetrahedral linker tetrakis[4-(carboxyphenyl)oxamethyl]methane acid with various transition metals (Cu, Co, and Mg) results in a 2D layered structure and 3D frameworks with PtS and adamantanoid topology. The PtS net exhibits permanent porosity, as confirmed by BET and gas adsorption experiments.
AnO(n logn) algorithm for the all-nearest-neighbors Problem

Given a setV ofn points ink-dimensional space, and anLq-metric (Minkowski metric), the all-nearest-neighbors problem is defined as follows: for each pointp inV, find all those points inV?{p} that are closest top under the distance metricLq. We give anO(n logn) algorithm for the all-nearest-neighbors problem, for fixed dimensionk and fixed metricLq. Since there is an ?(n logn) lower bound, in the algebraic decision-tree model of computation, on the time complexity of any algorithm that solves the all-nearest-neighbors problem (fork=1), the running time of our algorithm is optimal up to a constant factor.
Planar heterojunction bipolar transistor with an implanted base

A novel process to fabricate a planar emitter-up AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor HBT, has been developed relying on selective base implantation through the emitter and the heterojunction. The selective base definition means that all three transistor contacts can be made from the top surface, thereby making device integration easier because of the planar surface topology. This simple transistor fabrication process was examined using MOCVD material. Transistors with a DC current gain of 120 have been measured.
Accuracy of Femur Angles Estimated by IMUs During Clinical Procedures Used to Diagnose Femoroacetabular Impingement

We present a novel method for quantifying femoral orientation angles using a thigh-mounted inertial measurement unit (IMU). The IMU-derived femoral orientation angles reproduce gold-standard motion capture angles to within mean (standard deviation) differences of 0.1 (1.1) degrees on cadaveric specimens during clinical procedures used for the diagnosis of Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI). The method, which assumes a stationary pelvis, is easy to use, inexpensive, and provides femur motion trajectory data in addition to range of motion measures. These advantages may accelerate the adoption of this technology to inform FAI diagnoses and assess treatment efficacy. To this end, we further investigate the accuracy of hip joint angles calculated using this methodology and assess the sensitivity of our estimates to skin motion artifact during these tasks.
Messenger RNA reprogramming by spliceosome-mediated RNA trans-splicing

In the human genome, the majority of protein-encoding genes are interrupted by introns, which are removed from primary transcripts by a macromolecular enzyme known as the spliceosome. Spliceosomes can constitutively remove all the introns in a primary transcript to yield a fully spliced mRNA or alternatively splice primary transcripts leading to the production of many different mRNAs from one gene. This review examines how spliceosomes can recombine two primary transcripts in trans to reprogram messenger RNAs.
Particle-Hole Inversion in the Fermi Surface: A Symmetry Operation for Collective Excitations

The operation of transposing particles (or holes) on one side of a Fermi surface into holes (or particles) on the other side is shown to be a symmetry operation of the Bardeen, Cooper, and Schrieffer reduced Hamiltonian, and an approximate symmetry operation of the full two-particle scalar interaction Hamiltonian, insofar as particle-conserving collective excitations are concerned. Calling this operation $f$ inversion, and the conserved quantity associated with it $f$ parity, the zero-rest-energy collective excitations in a Fermi gas with weak attractive interactions prove to have $f\mathrm{parity}=\ensuremath{-}1$.
Screening and counseling for adolescent alcohol use among primary care physicians in the United States.

Objective. To examine the prevalence and quality of alcohol prevention services delivered to adolescents in the United States. Methods. A national, stratified random sample of pediatricians and family practitioners was drawn from the American Medical Association Masterfile. The response rate was 63%, and the final sample size was 1842 physicians. Quality of services delivered was assessed by 2 scales: quality of screening (percentage of patients screened and depth of screening questions used) and quality of education (level of effectiveness of educational methods used and frequency of use). Results. Although most physicians reported providing some degree of alcohol prevention services, their efforts were typically inconsistent, not in enough depth, and they failed to incorporate the most effective educational methods. Reported rates of universal screening and counseling were low, and younger adolescents were less likely to receive services. Physicians’ beliefs about their alcohol management skills and perceptions of resource availability were the most consistent correlates of higher quality service. Conclusions. Prospective studies that elucidate the conditions under which individual physicians do and do not screen, as well as future efforts to educate physicians about the most effective brief intervention approaches, seem warranted.
Intense Plasma Source For X-Ray Microscopy

A pulsed soft x-ray source for use in contact microscopy would provide high-resolution, high-contrast images with minimal radiation damage to the biological specimen involved. An x-ray plasma source offers some advantages over synchrotron radiation in terms of smaller physical size, lower cost, larger beam size, and higher flux per pulse. The operation of a pulsed plasma focus device is described and this system is compared to other plasma sources. Results of a radiation model calculation predict that the use of neon gas would produce 1.2- to 1.4-nm radiation in 50- to 100-J pulses (emitted into 47 sterradians) with an efficiency of 1%. The actual source is about 2 mm in diameter and the x-ray pulse lasts about 15 to 20 ns. By choosing the proper gas or electrode material, one can generate a combination of emission lines that cover the region between the carbon edge (300 eV) to 2 keV. The system operates in the pressure range of a few torr. With the x-ray resists being developed for submicron x-ray lithography, microradiographs can be produced that have resolutions of 0.1 pm. The intense pulsed output can provide enough flux to make possible the micrography of wet or alive specimens.
Watching the Fly Brain Learn

The peptidergic dorsal paired medial (DPM) neurons, which innervate the mushroom bodies in Drosophila, have been widely hypothesized to be part of the unconditioned stimulus (US) pathway of odor-shock classical conditioning. In the December 2 issue of Cell, Yu et al., using functional imaging techniques, report the surprising finding that DPMs contain odor-specific memory traces and send integrated information about the conditioned stimulus (CS) to the mushroom bodies. These findings provide important new insight into the circuitry of learning in Drosophila.
Possible climatic effect of supernova explosions

Gamma-rays from relatively distant supernova explosions may cause an increase of the NO inventory in the atmosphere, which in turn may lead to a reduction of O3 and a world-wide change in climate. Such an effect may be detectable in the temperature data obtained by the method of isotopic tree thermometers.
The Zeolite ZSM-5 membrane study; synthesis, permeation and modeling.

Zeolite particles formed in the synthesis solution assume a negative charge due to electrical double layer effects. The membranes synthesized via electrophoretic deposition produce a thin continuous zeolite ZSM-5 layer on the porous alumina substrates. The thickness of membranes can be controlled by varying the precursor concentration, applied potential, and synthesis time. The permeation for a variety of gases through the membranes is examined. The diffusion properties are measured at near ambient temperature and pressure. Selectivity of n-butane over iso-butane is observed on every membrane. The diffusion coefficient of gases on ZSM-5 is also evaluated by gas adsorption on zeolite powders. The results of these studies show an ability to predict the effective diffusion coefficients. The estimation of molar fluxes across the membranes using the Maxwell-Stefan approach predicts a higher flux for thinner membranes. However, the calculations also show that even minor defects in the membrane have a great effect on the permeation rates.
Pairing in asymmetrical Fermi systems with intra- and interspecies correlations

We explore ground states of asymmetrical Fermi systems where both inter- (g{sub o}) and intra- (g{sub 1}) species pairing interactions are present. Using the equation of motion method, we obtain coupled mean-field equations for superfluid gap functions and population densities. We construct a phase diagram across BCS-BEC regimes. At low polarizations P, we find stable superfluid phases on BCS and BCS sides of unitarity for g{sub 1}>g{sub 1}{sup c}, a critical value, for a given g{sub o}. For larger P, we find phase separations in both regimes. A superfluid phase exists for all polarizations deep in the BEC regime. Our results should apply to a broad range of Fermi systems.
Harbour oscillations generated by shear flow

A new mechanism that could be responsible for excitation of long-period oscillations in partially enclosed harbours is discussed. This mechanism is based on the interaction between a shear flow and the harbour-basin natural mode and does not suppose any external exciting forces caused by wind waves, tsunami, etc. The growth rate of harbour oscillations is found in terms of a plane-wave reflection coefficient integrated on the wavenumber spectrum of the oscillating outflow field near the harbour entrance. Analytical considerations for simple shear flows (vortex sheet and jet) show that the growth rate changes its sign depending on the ratio of oscillation frequency to flow speed.
Influence of Citric Acid on Reactions in the System 3CaO·Al2O3‐CaSO4·2H2O‐CaO‐H2O

The influence of citric acid on paste hydration of 3CaO· Al2O3 in the presence of CaSO4·2H2O and Ca(OH)2 was studied using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and conduction calorimetry. The time at which the citric acid is added (either prior to or with the mixing water) determines how it affects the reactivity of the aluminate. Immediately after the paste is gaged citric acid promotes a more rapid reaction, but later reactions are retarded. Hexagonal calcium aluminate hydrates, ettringite, and monosulfate were all detected as early hydration products. The influence of citric acid on the hydration of 3CaO·Al2O3 slabs immersed in saturated CaSO4·2H2O solutions was also studied and a reaction scheme proposed.
Auroral Effects and Excess Energy Electrons

AURORAL displays are usually attributed to increased leakage of electrons from the outer radiation belt. The mechanism responsible for this increased leakage is not yet understood, but the leakage is known to occur following the arrival of corpuscular radiation from the Sun. The time delay between solar eruptions and the onset of auroral phenomena shows that any solar electrons involved must have energies below 100 eV. Because, on the other hand, auroral electrons typically have energies in the range of several tens of keV, an electron acceleration mechanism must exist, presumably within the radiation belt. The purpose of this communication is to point out similarities between auroral effects and laboratory observations of electron leakage from a magnetic mirror, accompanied by electron acceleration, and to suggest that the same basic mechanism may play a part in both cases.
Surgical trial investigating nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux and sleep (STINGERS)

Background: Nocturnal reflux is important in the pathogenesis of esophagitis. The relationship between reflux and sleep is poorly understood, although data support both paradigms of nocturnal reflux causing arousal and nocturnal arousal allowing reflux. Furthermore, the effect of fundoplication on sleep is unknown. Methods: Seven volunteers and 11 patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and nocturnal symptoms were studied with esophageal pH and polysomnography at baseline and at 8 to 10 weeks follow-up evaluation, with patients undergoing interval fundoplication. Gastrointestinal and sleep questionnaires were completed before each study. Results: Questionnaire data between the groups showed differences at baseline, which were eliminated by surgery. No objective differences in sleep were observed between the groups at baseline or at follow-up evaluation. However, the patient group significantly increased the fraction of the night spent in deeper sleep (49.6% vs 58.3%; p = 0.022). Reflux events were associated with arousals in sleep. Conclusions: Fundoplication improves both subjective and objective sleep quality in patients with nocturnal GERD symptoms.
Wood smoke contribution to winter aerosol in Fresno, CA.

In an effort to better quantify wintertime particulate matter (PM) and the contribution of wood smoke to air pollution events in Fresno, CA, a field campaign was conducted in winter 2003–2004. Coar...
Rapid Oxidation of Ru(NH3)63+ by Os(bpy)33+ within Nafion Coatings on Electrodes†

The oxidation of Ru(NH_3)_6^(3+) by Os(bpy)_3^(3+) is a very slow process in aqueous acid. The rate increases with pH but the reaction remains slow at pH 7. However, when the two reactants are incorporated in Nafion coatings on electrodes the oxidation can proceed much more rapidly, especially with Nafion coatings that are not fully hydrated. Rotating disk and cyclic voltammetry were employed to determine the stoichiometry of the reaction and to measure its kinetics both in solution and in Nafion coatings. The Ru(NH_3)_6^(3+) is oxidized to Ru(VII) at a rate that is first order in Ru(NH_3)_6^(3+) and Os(bpy)_3^(3+) and inverse first order in H^+. The reaction rate constant evaluated in solution was similar to that evaluated in Nafion. The higher reaction rate obtained when the reactants are incorporated in Nafion results from their higher concentrations, not from significant enhancement of their reactivities. The higher reaction rate obtained from partially dehydrated Nafion coatings is believed to result from a breakdown in cation permselectivity that permits the ionic current inside the coating during anodic current flow to be carried by anions instead of by the ejection of Ru(NH_3)_6^(3+) cations from the Nafion.
Benefits of synchronous collaboration support for an application-centered analysis team working on complex problems: a case study

A month-long quasi-experiment was conducted using a distributed team responsible for modeling, simulation, and analysis. Six experiments of three different time durations (short, medium, and long) were performed. The primary goal was to discover if synchronous collaboration capability through a particular application improved the ability of the team to form a common mental model of the analysis problem(s) and solution(s). The results indicated that such collaboration capability did improve the formation of common mental models, both in terms of time and quality (i.e., depth of understanding), and that the improvement did not vary by time duration. In addition, common mental models were generally formed by interaction around a shared graphical image, the progress of collaboration was not linear but episodic, and tasks that required drawing and conversing at the same time were difficult to do.
Calibration in 1976 and 1983 of didymium glass filters issued as NBS standard reference materials

In 1983, a new supply of didymium glass filters was prepared since the stock calibrated in 1976 has been very useful for wavelength calibration and the inventory has been depleted. Results for representative samples of the new filters are presented. The new supply of glass has been calibrated by the batch mode and will be designated Standard Reference Materials (SRM) 2009A and 2010A. During the latter part of 1976, research was begun to characterize didymium glass filters for use with visible spectrophotometers with bandwidth in the range 1.5 to 10.5 nm. These filters were found to produce a smaller wavelength uncertainty than previously issued filters. Also, it was found that points of inflection in the transmittance curve could be used to supplement the data for transmittance minima. The results of that research were SRM 2009, 2010, 2013, and 2014. The same techniques were applied in 1983. Also, the results from 1983 and 1976 for one of the Master filters are compared.