cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Generation and validation of a Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 clone set for protein expression and phage display.

A comprehensive gene collection for S. oneidensis was constructed using the lambda recombinase (Gateway) cloning system. A total of 3584 individual ORFs (85%) have been successfully cloned into the entry plasmids. To validate the use of the clone set, three sets of ORFs were examined within three different destination vectors constructed in this study. Success rates for heterologous protein expression of S. oneidensis His- or His/GST- tagged proteins in E. coli were approximately 70%. The ArcA and NarP transcription factor proteins were tested in an in vitro binding assay to demonstrate that functional proteins can be successfully produced using the clone set. Further functional validation of the clone set was obtained from phage display experiments in which a phage encoding thioredoxin was successfully isolated from a pool of 80 different clones after three rounds of biopanning using immobilized anti-thioredoxin antibody as a target. This clone set complements existing genomic (e.g., whole-genome microarray) and other proteomic tools (e.g., mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis), and facilitates a wide variety of integrated studies, including protein expression, purification, and functional analyses of proteins both in vivo and in vitro.
Development of a metacognitive effort construct of empathy during clinical training: A longitudinal study of the factor structure of the jefferson scale of empathy

Empathy is crucial for effective clinical care but appears to decline during undergraduate medical training. Understanding the nature of this decline is necessary for addressing it. The Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) is used to measure medical students’ clinical empathy attitudes. One recent study described a 3-factor model of the JSE. This model was found in responses from matriculating medical students, but little is known about how the factor structure of the scale changes during clinical training. The Learning Environment Study is a longitudinal prospective study of two cohorts from 28 medical schools. At matriculation and at the end of each subsequent year, students self-reported clinical empathy attitudes using the JSE. Data from 4,797 students were randomly partitioned for exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses using responses from preclinical and clinical years of medical school. Five models were compared for confirmatory factor analysis: two null models for control, the recent 3-factor model, and the two models resulting from the EFAs of preclinical and clinical year responses. Preclinical year responses yielded a 3-factor model similar to the recent 3-factor model. Clinical year responses yielded a 4-factor model (“feelings,” “importance,” “ease,” and “metacognitive effort”) suggesting changes in the structure of clinical empathy attitudes over time. Metacognitive effort showed the largest decline over time. The model is a better fit for both preclinical and clinical responses and may provide more insight into medical students’ clinical empathy attitudes than other models. The emergence of metacognitive effort in the clinical years suggests empathy may become more nuanced for students after clinical exposure and may account for much of the observed decline in clinical empathy attitudes.
Self-organized porous-alumina implantation masks for generating nanoscale arrays

Abstract Starting from two-step anodizing recipes available in the literature, we fabricated self-supporting ordered ion-implantation masks that are several mm2 in area and approximately 2 μm thick. SEM micrographs reveal self-organized structures with straight open pores, 50–150 nm in diameter, extending completely through the mask. As reported previously, the pore diameter and spacing depend critically upon the anodization parameters, e.g. type of acid and its molality, the applied voltage and the solution temperature. Ion-milling procedures were developed for opening the bottoms of the anodized pores. These masks appear quite robust during exposure to ion beams of 1 MeV He, Ne and Kr. The steps necessary to fabricate the implantation masks, including opening the pores, are described. Measurements are reported of the angular dependence of the transmitted ion current; these results are consistent with the physical dimensions of the opened pores. TEM images of an implanted array are also shown.
Wiener filtering of laser-generated multiple-pulse narrow-band ultrasound for enhanced detectability by a laser interferometer

Abstract A digital filtering procedure is presented for enhancing the detectability of multiple-pulse laser-generated narrowband ultrasound. Regarding their spectral characteristics, multiple-pulse laser-generated acoustic signals offer several advantages as compared with conventional single-pulse laser-generated ultrasound. In particular, multiple-pulse signals exhibit considerably narrower spectral content and offer the possibility for tuning the ultrasonic frequency, and yet still retain the high degree of temporal resolution possible with a single-pulse signal. For applications in non-destructive evaluation, adapting the frequency response of an interferometer to match the comb-like spectral signature of the multiple-pulse ultrasound would facilitate remote ultrasonic inspection with enhanced sensitivity. Towards this goal, the steps are outlined for applying a digital Wiener filtering method to multiple-pulse ultrasonic signals generated with a long cavity length mode-locked Nd: YAG laser and detected with a path-stabilized Michelson interferometer. Experimental results are presented for multiple-pulse waveforms generated at a pulse repetition frequency of 5 MHz, which demonstrate that Wiener filtering yields a significant improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio that is not possible with single-pulse laser ultrasonic methods.
Associations of chronic hepatitis C with metabolic and cardiac outcomes.

Summary Background Chronic hepatitis C virus (CH-C) infection is associated with metabolic conditions such as insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (DM) and may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Aim To assess the association of CH-C with risk factors for cardiovascular diseases using US population data. Methods The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) collected between 1999 and 2010 were used. Results Of 19 741 participants considered eligible for the study, 173 individuals (0.88%) had detectable HCV RNA and were considered to have CH-C. Compared with controls, CH-C patients were predominantly African American (23.5% vs. 10.5%, P < 0.0001), men (66.6% vs. 46.1%, P = 0.0001), more likely to be between 45 and 55 years of age (41.9% vs. 20.4%, P = 0.0001), had higher rate of insulin resistance (44.1% vs. 31.1%, P = 0.0301), hypertension (40.1% vs. 28.9%, P = 0.0201), and history of smoking (76.2% vs. 29.9%, P < 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, in addition to known risk factors for insulin resistance, CH-C was independently associated with the presence of insulin resistance [OR (95% CI) = 2.06 (1.19–3.57)], DM [OR = 2.31 (1.18–4.54)] and hypertension [OR = 2.06 (1.30–3.24)]. Independent predictors of cardiovascular diseases included older age, presence of obesity and smoking. CH-C was independently associated with congestive heart failure subtype of cardiovascular diseases but not ischaemic heart disease and stroke. Conclusion Chronic hepatitis C virus infection is independently associated with presence of metabolic conditions (insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension) and congestive heart failure.
Hypothalamic origin of idiopathic hypopituitarism.

Abstract Two adult male patients with anterior pituitary insufficiency of unknown etiology were studied during acute challenge with thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) and aqueous vasopressin (AVP). Each patient had previously documented thyrotropin (TSH) adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and gonadotropin deficiencies dating back to childhood. Plasma growth hormone (GH) was undetectable in each following insulin and arginine stimuli. Intravenous administration of synthetic TRH produced in both patients a prompt rise in serum TSH similar to the response observed in normal subjects. AVP injection was followed by a significant elevation of plasma 17-hydroxycorticosteroids in each patient and a rise in plasma GH in one of them. These results demonstrate that the adenohypophysis of these two patients could respond to stimuli of hypothalamic origin. It is concluded that the anterior pituitary failure was due to a deficiency of hypothalamic “releasing factors” caused by a disorder of hypothalamic function of unknown etiology.
Anesthetic management of the drug-abusing parturient: are you ready?

Substance abuse is one of the major problems facing society today, with far-reaching implications on physicians not only in “inner city locations” but those in rural communities as well. Substance abuse is seen not only in indigent patients, but crosses socioeconomic as well as geographic borders. One area of particular concern to anesthesiologists is the substance-abusing patient who is pregnant, because drug abuse can have major implications to both mother and fetus and can interact with commonly used anesthetic agents. Anesthesiologists must deal not only with the drug-abusing patient in obstetrics, but in the main operating room as well. In an interesting public health study, Brookoff and colleagues assessed the United States Federal Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) and found that more than one third of patients who were treated in emergency rooms for major trauma tested positive for cocaine. Another interesting look at this subject was a study that tested drivers who were stopped for “reckless driving.” The authors reported that more than 50% of those tested who were not impaired by alcohol did test positive for illicit substances such as cocaine or marijuana. These studies, as well as hundreds of case reports, illustrate that drug abuse is a problem that is endemic in our society that impacts anesthetic care and is seen by anesthesiologists in all areas of practice, especially in the anesthetic care of emergencies and trauma. Although several reviews have described the perioperative implications of patients intoxicated with, or chronically abusing, alcohol or other illicit substances, much of the literature is out of date or nonspecific, and little has been written about the drug-abusing obstetric patient. Clinicians need to know how to recognize the substance-abusing patient, how commonly used illicit drugs interact with their anesthetics, and how to treat substance abuse-related complications. The review article by Krzysztof Kuczkowski, which appears in this issue of the Journal of Clinical Anesthesia, is an excellent start. It reviews the incidence of substance abuse in pregnancy and clearly describes the obstetric and anesthetic implications of commonly abused drugs. It is through publications of articles such as this one that awareness of this problem can increase, thus helping anesthesiologists appropriately deal with the potentially life-threatening dilemmas involved in the care of these patients. Kuczkowski suggests that it is “always difficult to predict the exact anesthetic implications in chronically dependent parturients.” True, but this description does not go far enough. Those of us who have provided anesthesia to drug-abusing parturients have learned that anything that can go wrong in these patients will go wrong.
From scripted instruction to teacher empowerment: supporting literacy teachers to make pedagogical transitions

The article describes a longitudinal professional development project in rural Florida (USA) schools that supports the efforts of inservice teachers to make pedagogical transitions from total reliance on prepackaged commercial programmes to making informed decisions about curriculum and pedagogy autonomously. It demonstrates that in order to initiate and sustain qualitative changes in teaching practices, conscious efforts must be made to address a multitude of barriers at the administrative, professional and personal levels. It suggests that professional development efforts in education must recognise the complex, multifaceted and lifelong nature of becoming and being an effective literacy teacher.
The cost of threat displays and the stability of deceptive communication

Several analyses of intraspecific animal communication have suggested that threat displays must convey reliable information about the abilities of the signaller in order to be evolutionarily stable. In this paper, a game-theoretic model shows that bluffing by animals of low fighting ability can persist as a profitable tactic in a stable communication system. It is assumed that use of the threat display depends upon variation in fighting ability that is not visible to the opponent and that there is a fitness cost, or “handicap”, paid by animals that threaten and subsequently lose. Analysis of the model shows that a handicap is necessary for stable communication and that the effectiveness of the threat increases with the magnitude of the handicap. However, the handicap does not ensure fully reliable communication and bluffing always forms part of the evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS). At the ESS, the very strongest and the very weakest members of the population threaten, while animals of intermediate strength do not. This is possible because, although weaker animals are liable to greater handicaps when they signal, they also gain greater benefits than strong animals using the same display. If all animals that threaten pay the handicap regardless of the outcome of the fight, then there is no ESS. These results provide a possible explanation for bluffing by the stomatopod crustacean,Gonodactylus bredini,a species in which animals weakened by molting successfully repulse stronger opponents by use of threat displays.
Detection of a Diffusive Two-Dimensional Gas of Amphiphiles by Lateral Force Microscopy

Sparsely adsorbed amphiphiles with high surface mobility play a central role in surfactant spreading and in the nucleation and growth of self-assembled monolayers. Here we show that lateral force m...
Nonlinear Ship Motion Computations Using a Time-Domain Body-Exact Slender-Body Approach

This paper continues the development of a computationally efficient potential flow code using a time-domain body-exact strip theory approach. The exact body boundary conditions and linearized free surface conditions are used. Present results include further improvements, validations, and comparisons. Two different formulations to obtain the forces on the vessel are studied: pressure and momentum. Panel distribution techniques, critical for large amplitude motions, are discussed. The slender-body assumption requires finding the longitudinal interaction between sections to compute the hydrodynamic forces. Finally, an equation of motion solver is implemented to predict the six degree-of-freedom motions of the vessel in regular waves, including nonlinear effects.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Martian centre of mass - Centre of figure offset.

A Fourier analysis of Martian radar topographic data is carried out to determine the magnitude and direction of the center-of-mass/center-of-figure offset of Mars. A value of about 1 km is obtained for the figure offset with respect to the center of mass in the general direction of Tharsis. It is noted that figure offsets of comparable magnitudes exist in the earth and the moon.
Pharmacological modulation of abnormal involuntary DOI-induced head twitch response movements in male DBA/2J mice: II. Effects of D3 dopamine receptor selective compounds

We recently reported on the characterization of the hallucinogen 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine's (DOI) ability to elicit a head twitch response (HTR) in DBA/2J mice and the ability of D2 vs. D3 dopamine receptor selective compounds to modulate that response. For these studies, the ability of D3 vs. D2 dopamine receptor selective compounds to attenuate the DOI-dependent HTR was examined. WC 10, a D3 dopamine receptor weak partial agonist with 40-fold binding selectivity for D3 vs. D2 dopamine receptors, produced a dose-dependent decrease in the DOI-induced HTR (IC50 = 3.7 mg/kg). WC 44, a D3 receptor selective full agonist, also inhibited the DOI-induced HTR (IC50 = 5.1 mg/kg). The effect of two D3 receptor selective partial agonists, LAX-4-136 and WW-III-55, were also evaluated. These analogs exhibit 150-fold and 800-fold D3 vs. D2 binding selectivity, respectively. Both compounds inhibited the HTR with similar potency but with different maximum efficacies. At 10 mg/kg WW-III-55 inhibited the HTR by 95%, while LAX-4-136 administration resulted in a 50% reduction. In addition, DOI (5 mg/kg) was administered at various times after LAX-4-136 or WW-III-55 administration to compare the duration of action. The homopiperazine analog LAX-4-136 exhibited greater stability. An assessment of our test compounds on motor performance and coordination was performed using a rotarod test. None of the D3 dopamine receptor selective compounds significantly altered latency to fall, suggesting that these compounds a) did not attenuate the DOI-dependent HTR due to sedative or adverse motor effects and b) may have antipsychotic/antihallucinogenic activity.
Experiments on a series of s-band crestatrons

In recent years, power klystrons, traveling-wave amplifiers (TWA), and various forms of crossed-field amplifiers and oscillators have been produced in relatively large numbers with essentially reproducible characteristics. Gradually these devices have found their way into more and more sophisticated systems applications with the logical result that they are competing with one another with regard to the most desirable set of characteristics. This competition deals with weight, efficiency, bandwidth, average power capability, and modulation characteristics, to name just a few items. In general it is not feasible to optimize or maximize all of these parameters in one tube and hence there seems to be room for all the above-mentioned device types, depending upon the particular application and which of the characteristics is most critical. The day of the high-gain high-power high-efficiency broad-bandwidth short-length lightweight low-noise amplifier to be powered by a solar cell is not yet here. The Crestatron amplifier to be described in this paper affords a means of optimizing several of these characteristics in one device.
Hematocrit Determination in Small Bore Tubes by Differential Spectrophotometry

Abstract A method for the measurement of the hematocrit of blood flowing in small-bore glass tubes (HT) is examined which relies upon a linear relationship between the difference in optical densities (ΔOD) at two isobestic wavelengths for oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin (546 and 520 nm) and the product of HT and luminal diameter (DT). The foundation for the technique has been shown to be firmly based upon the principles that: (1) The total optical density of blood flowing in a smallbore glass tube may be expressed as the sum of a pure absorption term (ODabs), which is linear with HT, and a nonlinear scattering term (B); and (2) at two closely spaced wavelengths, the scattering terms are approximately equal such that subtraction of the two total optical densities results in a term linearly proportional to the product of the difference in molecular extinction coefficients (Δe), hemoglobin concentration, and path length, DT. These relationships were examined for the case of blood flowing in tubes ranging from 40 to 70 μm in luminal diameter and yielded a linear relationship of ΔOD = (e546 − e520)ccell × HTDT, where ccell is the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration. The slopes of these calibration curves, obtained for hemoglobin solutions and red cell suspensions, agreed with macrospectrophotometric values of Δe to within 2 and 12%, respectively. Simulation of a blanket application of the method to the measurement of HT in these tubes revealed an accuracy of 11.6% (rms error) between values of HT computed from the regression curve and those obtained by centrifugation. It is also shown that by choosing isobestic wavelengths with extinction coefficients in the ratio of 2:1, the scattering term may be computed from the relationship B = OD520 − ΔOD; and that variations in B attendant to red cell shape changes, as for example in the case of the sickling of Hb SS cells during deoxygenation, may be easily evaluated.
Patterns and perceptions of ecstasy use among young, low-income women

A significant number of young, low-income women experiment with ecstasy outside of club or rave settings. The current study examined patterns and risk factors of ecstasy use among this group of women. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 696 women aged 18 to 31 who sought gynecological care from two university clinics in southeast Texas between December 1, 2001, and May 30, 2003. Fifteen percent of participants reported ever using ecstasy. Of those, over 90% used it at a friend's home. Compared with women who used only marijuana or other illicit drugs, ecstasy users were more likely to be white, use a larger number of other drugs, be willing to use drugs in the future, and have more friends who used drugs. Fewer ecstasy users strongly disapproved of adult drug use than users of other illicit drugs. Future interventional efforts should target young, low-income women to prevent future experimentation with illicit drugs.
Comparison of supine and prone noninvasive measurements of breathing patterns in fullterm newborns

The current study was undertaken to ascertain whether shift from supine to prone posture alters the pattern of natural breathing in healthy fullterm newborns. Breathing patterns were measured in the supine and prone posture in 20 healthy fullterm infants using calibrated, noninvasive respiratory inductive plethysmography (RIP). The values for breathing pattern components in supine and prone postures expressed as means (+/- SD) were, respectively, tidal volume (VT), 14.1(+/- 3.2) and 18.9(+/- 4.9)mL; mean inspiratory flow 26.7(+/- 11.5) and 32.8(+/- 13.0)mL/s; and minute ventilation 232(+/- 75) and 288(+/- 96)mL/kg/min (P < 0.01). Less thoracoabdominal incoordination, expressed as the labored breathing index (LBI), occurred with shift from supine to prone posture in infants studied in the active behavioral stage, changing from 2.0(+/- 0.5) to 1.3(+/- 0.4) (P < 0.01). Placement of a facemask-pneumotachograph system increased VT measured with RIP by 26% in the supine, and 18% in the prone posture. Neither respiratory rate nor inspiratory time (Ti) changed with the postural shift. Therefore, change from supine to prone posture improved ventilation and increased respiratory drive as expressed by VT/Ti. Further, thoracoabdominal incoordination which took place during active sleep in the supine posture, lessened with change to the prone posture.
A near fatal case of pathological skin picking

Patient Female, 51 FINAL DIAGNOSIS: Patological skin picking Symptoms: Aphasia • headache • hemiparesis • incontinence Medication - Clinical Procedure: - Specialty: Dermatology. Objective Challenging differential diagnosis. Background Pathological skin picking (PSP) disorder is characterized by repetitive and compulsive picking of the skin resulting in tissue damage. PSP has been shown to affect 5.4% of a community sample, 4% of college students, and 2% of patients seen in a dermatology clinic. It can be associated with significant disfigurement. The diagnosis requires obtaining a careful history and high clinical suspicion. Case report We report a previously healthy 51-year-old Caucasian female with a history of "acne" who presented with new onset right-sided hemiparesis, mild aphasia and an episode of incontinence. She had memory loss of the prior few days. She also complained of a four-day history of intense headaches and dizziness. CT and MRI of the head showed encephalomalacia involving the left frontal and parietal lobes. Further history from the patient revealed that the patient had been picking at her forehead with a sewing needle and later with a long knitting needle. Conclusions PSP is a prevalent disorder, which can have potentially serious health consequences. Besides potential disfigurement and scarring, PSP can have significant morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment by clinicians are essential to prevent potentially fatal consequences.
Dynamic behavior of hydrogen bonding in hydrogen 5,6-acenaphthenedicarboxylate

Abstract The dynamic hydrogen bond behavior of hydrogen 5,6-acenaphthenedicarboxylate has been studied using NMR spectroscopy at variable concentration and temperature. From the concentration experiments, it is clear that there is an equilibrium between monomeric (intramolecularly hydrogen bonded) and aggregated (intermolecularly hydrogen bonded) species at room temperature. Upon cooling, the equilibrium shifts completely toward intramolecular hydrogen bonding, thereby overcoming the steric cost required to form the necessary eight-membered ring. This compound is one of the few examples which exhibits such behavior, and the first within the series of hydrogen dicarboxylates where it has been observed by NMR spectroscopy.
Sequence of the 16S rRNA gene from the thermoacidophilic archaebacterium Sulfolobus solfataricus and its evolutionary implications

The sequence of the small-subunit rRNA from the thermoacidophilic archaebacterium Sulfolobus solfataricus has been determined and compared with its counterparts from halophilic and methanogenic archaebacteria, eukaryotes, and eubacteria. The S. solfataricus sequence is specifically related to those of the other archaebacteria, to the exclusion of the eukaryotic and eubacterial sequences, when examined either by evolutionary distance matrix analyses or by the criterion of minimum change (maximum parsimony). The archaebacterial 16S rRNA sequences all conform to a common secondary structure, with the S. solfataricus structure containing a higher proportion of canonical base pairs and fewer helical irregularities than the rRNAs from the mesophilic archaebacteria. S. solfataricus is unusual in that its 16S rRNA-23S rRNA intergenic spacer lacks a tRNA gene.
Endometrioid Adenocarcinoma Metastatic to the Thyroid, Presenting Like Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer

Metastasis of uterine cancer to the head and neck is extremely rare. We report what we believe to be the first documented case of endometrioid adenocarcinoma metastasizing to the thyroid gland. An 80-year-old woman was referred to the otolaryngology service with a rapidly growing neck mass. The mass appeared to originate from the thyroid gland. Her clinical presentation was consistent with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. A tracheostomy was performed. An open biopsy established the diagnosis of moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, consistent with a gynecologic primary. The patient had undergone a hysterectomy 5 years prior for endometrioid adenocarcinoma. The thyroid tumor histology and immunophenotype corresponded well with her prior endometrial carcinoma, indicating that the thyroid mass was a metastasis from the endometrial primary. Radiotherapy appears to offer good local disease control in this rare case of endometrioid adenocarcinoma metastatic to the thyroid.
The uses of race and ethnicity in human microbiome research

Research on the human microbiome is beginning to address factors associated with between-group differences. Recognition of the social and political nature of traditional race and ethnicity categories will allow microbiome research to contribute to reduction of health disparities while avoiding attribution of causal inference to specific race and ethnicity categories.
Expression of MAGE-1, MAGE-3 and MART-1 genes in neuroblastoma

The human MAGE-1, MAGE-3 and MART-1 genes code for antigens that are specifically recognized by cytolytic T lymphocytes in a MHC-restricted manner. The MAGE-1 and MAGE-3 genes are expressed in tumors of different histotypes but not in normal adult tissues (with the exception of testis), while the MART-1 gene appears to be selectively expressed in melanoma. MAGE-1, MAGE-3 and MART-1 antigens may therefore constitute useful targets for specific anti-tumor immunization of cancer patients. Here we have investigated the expression of MAGE-1, MAGE-3 and MART-1 in 11 neuroblastoma (NB) cell lines and 73 NB tumor masses. MAGE-1 and MAGE-3 transcripts were detected simultaneously in 36% of the cell lines and in 16% of tumor samples. The MAGE-1 gene was never expressed alone except in one tumor. In contrast, MAGE-3 mRNA was found in approximately 40% of the NB tumor samples in the absence of MAGE-1 mRNA. No expression of the MART-1 gene was observed in any cell line or tumor sample. No correlation was found between MAGE gene expression and clinical stage, event-free survival and presence or absence of N-myc amplification.
Development of Cellular Dependence on Infective Organisms: Micrurgical Studies in Amoebas

Nuclei and cytoplasm were transferred between a normal strain anda variant strain of Amoeba discoides heavily infected with bacteria. After 5 years of infection, the infective bacteria that were initially harmful to the host cells became harmless, and the nucleus of the host cell became dependent on the infective organisms for its normal functions.
A Cloud Physical Parameterization Method Using Movable Basis Functions: Stochastic Coalescence Parcel Calculations

Abstract Numerical simulations of stochastic coalescence in a parcel framework are presented using a series of distribution functions. The equations governing the distribution parameter tendencies are derived using a variational approach with constraints. Solutions with two and three log-normal distribution functions are compared with a conventional benchmark model and the distribution model is shown to produce accurate solutions. Although only coalescence is considered within this paper, the procedures for including further physical processes is discussed. All of the simulations presented use the log-normal distribution although the method is general enough that it could be adapted to use other distributions such as the gamma distribution. A decrease in the number of dependent variables by as much as by a factor of 10 as well as an equivalent reduction in computation time required for the treatment of the coalescence equation makes the distribution model attractive for multi-dimensional cloud model simul...
Diagnostic value of lymphocyturia in renal allograft rejection in man

Abstract Fresh urine specimens in 34 selected renal allograft recipients were examined for the presence of pyronine-positive lymphocytes on 678 occasions during a two-year follow-up period. During the period of observation 15 clinical episodes of allograft rejection diagnosed by a variety of other tests and frequently confirmed by biopsy, correlated 100 per cent with the presence of a significant number of urinary pyronine-positive lymphocytes. No false positive or negative results were noted. These episodes occurred up to nine months after renal allotransplantation. In more than 80 per cent of instances in this carefully selected series, the pyronine-positive urinary lymphocytes were detected two to seven days prior to the clinical diagnosis of renal allograft rejection by other means. Thus this test is a valuable tool for follow-up monitoring of renal allograft recipients.
Transaction Costs, Risk Aversion, and the Choice of Contractual Arrangements

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses transaction costs, risk aversion, and the choice of contractual arrangements. Every transaction involves a contract, and the transactions conducted in the marketplace entail outright or partial transfers of property rights among individual contracting parties. The contractual arrangements through which these transfers are negotiated are several and varied. The chapter presents a theory that states that economic efficiency is the same under various land tenure arrangements subject to the constraint of private property rights. Although transaction costs exist in the real world, the theory enables the understanding of much of the farming behavior. However, the presence of a variety of contractual arrangements under the same constraint of competition poses the question of the choice of these arrangements. If a firm can increase efficiency in production by employing productive resources of more than one resource owner, a contract to combine the resources will be obtained. The formation of the contract involves partial transfers of property rights in one form or another, such as leasing, hiring, or mortgaging.
Models for transportation level of service

Abstract The paper describes the development of models for predicting travel times of door to door trips for both transit and automobile trips. The models for access times have a distribution associated with them and permit a truly disaggregate assignment of travel time components. The equations for linehaul travel time of the highway using modes (bus, auto) are volume dependent and can thus be used in equilibrating travel demand and level of service. All the models are related directly to transportation policy options—changing bus line spacings, bus headways, number of (priority) lanes, etc.—and translate the effects of such policies into specific values of the level-of-service attributes without the need to code networks and run paths. The use of the models in a practical application is also discussed.
Localization and Tracking of Objects Using Cross-Correlation of Shadow Fading Noise

Multipath and shadow fading are the primary cause for positioning errors in a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) based localization scheme. While fading, in general, is detrimental to localization accuracy, cross-correlation and divergence properties of shadow fading residuals may be utilized to improve localization and tracking accuracy of mobile IEEE 802.15.4 transmitters. Therefore, this paper begins by presenting a stochastic filter that models the fast changing multipath fading as a mean reverting Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (OU) process followed by a Generalized Auto Regressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) filtering to isolate the slow changing shadow fading residuals from measured RSSI values. Subsequently, a novel wireless transmitter localization scheme that combines the measured cross-correlation in shadow fading residuals between adjacent receivers using a Student-t Copula likelihood function is proposed. However, the long convergence time for this highly non-convex copula function might render our method unsuitable for tracking applications. Therefore, we present a faster tracking method where the velocity and heading of a mobile transmitter are estimated from α-Divergence between shadow fading signals and an onboard gyroscope respectively. To bind the localization error in this tracking method, the transmitter location estimates are smoothed by a Bayesian particle filter. The performance of our proposed localization and tracking method is validated over simulations and hardware experiments.
Boundary-driven mixing

There are two separate mechanisms which can generate a boundary flow in a non-rotating, stratified fluid. The Phillips–Wunsch boundary flow arises in a stratified, quiescent fluid along a sloping boundary. Isopycnals are deflected from the horizontal in order to satisfy the zero normal mass flux condition at the boundary; this produces a horizontal density gradient which drives a boundary flow. The second mechanism arises when there is an independently generated turbulent boundary layer at the wall such that the eddy diffusion coefficients decay away from the wall; if the vertical density gradient is non-uniform the greater eddy diffusion coefficients near the wall result in a greater accumulation or diminution of density near the wall. This produces a horizontal density gradient which drives a boundary flow, even at a vertical wall. The turbulent Phillips Wunsch flow, in which there is a vigorous recirculation in the boundary layer, develops if the wall is sloping. This recirculation produces an additional dispersive mass flux along the wall, which also generates a net volume flux along the wall if the density gradient is non-uniform.We investigate the effect of these boundary flows upon the mixing of the fluid in the interior of a closed vessel. The mixing in the interior fluid resulting from the laminar Phillips–Wunsch-driven boundary flow is governed by \[ \rho_t = \frac{\kappa_{\rm m}}{A}(\rho z A)_z. \] The turbulence-driven boundary flow mixes the interior fluid according to \[ \rho_\frac{1}{A}\left(\kappa_{\rm e}\rho z\int\delta\,{\rm d}s\right)z. \] Here ρ is the density, κm and κe are the far-field (molecular) and effective boundary (eddy) diffusivities, including the dispersion, A is the cross-sectional area of the basin and ∫ δ ds is the cross-sectional area of the boundary layer. The interior fluid is only mixed significantly faster than the rate of molecular diffusion if there is a turbulent boundary layer at the sidewalls of the containing vessel which either (i) varies in intensity with depth in the vessel or (ii) is mixing a non-uniform density gradient. These mixing phenomena are consistent with published experimental data and we consider the effect of such mixing in the ocean.
Vestibular flap urethroplasty in women with recurrent distal intramural urethral pathology

Introduction To report our experience with vestibular flap urethroplasty in case of recurrence of distal intramural urethral pathology (DIU) after unsuccessful urethral dilation under anesthesia. Methods Following Independent Review Board approval, charts of non-neurogenic women who underwent urethroplasty for DIU were reviewed. Vestibular flap urethroplasty was offered to patients who failed one or two dilations. Success was defined as improvement on the single quality of life questionnaire (QoL, rated 1–10) with either a final score three or less, or a decrease of four QoL points from baseline and no related repeat procedure at any time during follow-up, with a minimum follow-up at 6 months. Results From 1998 to 2012, 28/30 patients had adequate follow-up and 19 met the criteria for success. Mean age at time of urethroplasty was 51 in both the success and failure groups. Mean follow-up was 52 ± 49 months in the success group and mean time to failure was 17 ± 20 months in the failure group. Mean QoL in the success group improved from 7.0 ± 2.1 preoperatively to 2.0 ± 1.7 postoperatively. Mean QoL in the failure group did not improve (from 7.0 ± 1.6 to 6.4 ± 1.5). Urethral wall fibrosis was confirmed in all tissue samples excised. No patient experienced new onset or exacerbation of stress urinary incontinence. Failure group was managed by repeat urethroplasty, clean intermittent catheterization or other methods. Conclusion Vestibular flap urethroplasty is a viable long-term treatment option in women with DIU who have failed at least one dilation. Neurourol. Urodynam. 34:213–218, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
High multiplication factor capacitor multiplier for an on-chip PLL loop filter

A capacitor multiplier with a high multiplication factor and low power consumption is proposed to integrate a large capacitor of a phase-locked loop (PLL) filter in a small chip area. The proposed capacitor multiplier makes capacitance of 516.8 pF using an on-chip capacitor of 7.95 pF with current consumption of 100 A. An integer-N PLL with a channel space of 1 MHz was fabricated with a 0.18 m CMOS technology to employ the proposed capacitor multiplier.
Working With What We’ve Got: Perceptions of Barriers and Supports Among Small-Metropolitan-Area Same-Sex Adopting Couples

In seeking to adopt, lesbians and gay men may confront various barriers and obstacles. Ideally they have access to a variety of support resources that can help to buffer the negative effects of these barriers. However, lesbians and gay men living in small-metropolitan communities may have limited access to support resources. The current qualitative study examined the perceptions of 37 same-sex couples who were pursuing adoption while living outside of large metropolitan cities, with attention to the barriers these couples encountered during the adoption process, and the resources they drew upon to cope with such challenges. Findings indicated that same sex couples living in small-metropolitan areas confronted several major barriers in the adoption process, such as a lack of geographically accessible gay-friendly adoption agencies. Despite limited access to support, participants showed evidence of notable resourcefulness. For example, participants with limited access to formal support groups sought out informal supports instead.
Memory training interventions: What has been forgotten?

Memory training for older adults often produces gains that are limited to the particular memory tasks encountered during training. We suggest that memory training programs may be misguided by an implicit “generalist” assumption—memory training on a couple of memory tasks will have a positive benefit on memory ability in general. One approach to increase memory-training benefits is to target training for the everyday memory tasks for which older adults struggle. Examples include training retrieval strategies, prospective memory strategies, and strategies for learning and remembering names. Another approach is to design training to foster transfer. Possible elements to improve transfer are increasing the variation that is experienced during the course of training at the level of stimuli and tasks, incorporating “homework” that guides the older adult to become attuned to situations in which the strategies can be applied, and providing older adults with a better understanding of how memory works. Finally, incorporating aerobic exercise into memory training programs may potentiate the acquisition and maintenance of the trained cognitive strategies.
Employing Behavioral Economics And Decision Science In Crucial Choices At End Of Life

A program created by physician Scott Halpern employs multidisciplinary teams to help patients and family members make end-of-life decisions that track with their goals.
The Association of Coronary Artery Calcification and Carotid Artery Intima-Media Thickness With Distinct, Traditional Coronary Artery Disease Risk Factors in Asymptomatic Adults

Coronary artery calcification (CAC) and common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) are measures of subclinical vascular disease. This 2000-2006 study aimed to characterize the associations among coronary artery disease risk factors, CAC quantity, and CIMT and to estimate shared genetic and environmental contributions to both CAC and CIMT among 478 asymptomatic Amish adults in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Heritability for CAC quantity and CIMT, adjusted for age and sex, was 0.42 (P = 0.0001) and 0.29 (P = 0.003), respectively. CAC quantity and CIMT were modestly correlated (adjusted r = 0.14, P = 0.003) but showed little evidence of shared genetic or environmental factors. However, significant genetic correlations were found for CAC quantity and total cholesterol (0.44 (standard error, 0.19); P = 0.03), for CAC quantity and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (0.55 (standard error, 0.17); P = 0.005), and for CIMT and waist circumference (0.58 (standard error, 0.25); P = 0.046), suggesting shared genes for these risk factors and measures of subclinical disease. Results suggest that some of the same genes influence variation in CAC and low density lipoprotein cholesterol, whereas a different set of genes influences variation in CIMT and waist circumference.
External-cavity quantum cascade lasers with fast wavelength scanning

Fast wavelength scanning of an external-cavity quantum cascade laser (EC-QCL) has been developed us- ing a modified Littrow-type cavity configuration. Scan rates up to 5 kHz and tuning ranges up to 7 cm −1 have been real- ized using folded cavity arrangement with a fast piezoac- tuated intracavity mirror to vary the effective diffraction grating angle. High-resolution molecular spectroscopy, lim- ited primarily by the effective laser linewidth, has been demonstrated in pulsed and CW mode using direct absorp- tion spectroscopy of ammonia and ethylene in the 10-µm wavelength region. A high-resolution broadband spectral scan employing mode-hop-free tuning of a set of discrete laser modes within the fast frequency scan has been devel- oped. The method has been demonstrated by performing high-resolution broadband spectrum of ethylene under at- mospheric and reduced pressures.
Fabrication of Ga-templates Using a Focused Ion Beam

There are many factors that have the potential to limit significant advances in device technology. These include the ability to arrange materials at shrinking dimensions and the ability to successfully integrate new materials with better properties or new functionalities. To overcome these limitations, the development of advanced processing methods that can organize various combinations of materials at nano-scale dimensions with the necessary quality and reliability is required. We have explored using a gallium focused ion beam (FIB) as a method of integrating highly mismatched materials with silicon by creating template patterns directly on Si with nanoscale resolution. These templates are potentially useful as a means of locally controlling topography at nanoscale dimensions or as a means of locally implanting Ga at specific surface sites. We have annealed these templates in vacuum to study the effects of ion dosage on local Ga concentration and topography. We have also investigated the feasibility of creating Ga nanodots using this method that could eventually be converted to GaN through a nitridation process. Atomic force microscopy and electron microscopy characterization of the resulting structures are shown for a variety of patterning and processing conditions.
F-18 Fluoromisonidazole for Imaging Tumor Hypoxia: Imaging the Microenvironment for Personalized Cancer Therapy

Hypoxia in solid tumors is one of the seminal mechanisms for developing aggressive trait and treatment resistance in solid tumors. This evolutionarily conserved biological mechanism along with derepression of cellular functions in cancer, although resulting in many challenges, provide us with opportunities to use these adversities to our advantage. Our ability to use molecular imaging to characterize therapeutic targets such as hypoxia and apply this information for therapeutic interventions is growing rapidly. Evaluation of hypoxia and its biological ramifications to effectively plan appropriate therapy that can overcome the cure-limiting effects of hypoxia provides an objective means for treatment selection and planning. Fluoromisonidazole (FMISO) continues to be the lead radiopharmaceutical in PET imaging for the evaluation, prognostication, and quantification of tumor hypoxia, one of the key elements of the tumor microenvironment. FMISO is less confounded by blood flow, and although the images have less contrast than FDG-PET, its uptake after 2 hours is an accurate reflection of inadequate regional oxygen partial pressure at the time of radiopharmaceutical administration. By virtue of extensive clinical utilization, FMISO remains the lead candidate for imaging and quantifying hypoxia. The past decade has seen significant technological advances in investigating hypoxia imaging in radiation treatment planning and in providing us with the ability to individualize radiation delivery and target volume coverage. The presence of widespread hypoxia in the tumor can be effectively targeted with a systemic hypoxic cell cytotoxin or other agents that are more effective with diminished oxygen partial pressure, either alone or in combination. Molecular imaging in general and hypoxia imaging in particular will likely become an important in vivo imaging biomarker of the future, complementing the traditional direct tissue sampling methods by providing a snap shot of a primary tumor and metastatic disease and in following treatment response and will serve as adjuncts to personalized therapy.