cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The relationship of histochemically reactive histidine to histidase activity in the epidermis of growing rats.

The histochemical localization of histidine in the epidermis and its relationship to skin histidase activity was described in rats varying in age from 17 days post-coitum to 240 days post partum. In the fetal rat, the earliest histidase activity developed coincidentally with the first appearance of stainable histidine in the keratohyalin granules. In the neonatal period, histidase activity increased rapidly to several times the normal adult levels, corresponding in time to a period when the epidermal histidine-containing zone was especially thick. As the thickness of this zone varied in subsequent periods during the life of the rat, parallel changes were observed in epidermal histidase activity suggesting the existence of a close interrelationship of histidine and histidase at the site of epidermal keratinization during the maturation of normal skin.
New diamino-diheterophenol ligands coordinate iron(III) to make structural and functional models of protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase

Three diamino, dihetero-phenol ligands were synthesized by sequential Mannich condensations. These ligands were combined with FeCl3 to produce three five-coordinate Fe(III) complexes that are structural models for the enzyme 3,4-PCD. The three Fe(III) complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, single crystal X-ray diffraction studies, UV-vis spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. Combining the Fe(III) complexes with 3,5-di-t-butylcatechol and O2 resulted in oxidative cleavage similar to the function of 3,4-PCD.
Patients' expectations for medical care: an expanded formulation based on review of the literature.

An expanding literature on patients' expectations for medical care suffers from definitional confusion and lack of a conceptual model linking patients' expectations to important antecedents and consequences. This article aims to (1) provide a clear and inclusive definition of patients' expectations for care, (2) place patients' expectations in a conceptual framework built around patient satisfaction, and (3) develop a taxonomy of patients' expectations that promotes improved clinical care and research. Patients' expectations may be understood as beliefs or attitudes that interact with perceived occurrences to produce care-related evaluations. Research over the past 30 years indicates that patients' expectations may express probabilities or values related to a specific visit or to ongoing care, that the content of patients' expectations is broad, and that it makes a difference when expectations are elicited. This framework raises numerous questions for future research.
The Electrical Conductivity of a Partially Ionized Gas

The electrical conductivity of a low density and partially ionized gas where both electron-neutral particle and Coulomb type collisions play important roles is discussed. The effects of inelastic collisions and a steady magnetic field are not considered. We assume that the ionized gas is perturbed by a weak electric field, and obtain the velocity distribution function for the electrons by solving the Boltzmann equation; the collision between neutral and charged particles is accounted for by the hard sphere model for the particles, while the collision between the charged particles is taken care of by the Fokker-Planck terms. Explicit expressions for ac and dc conductivity are given for various cases. To the extent that the assumptions made for the collision models are valid, the expressions for conductivity given here are quite general and can be used for any degree of ionization.
Coerced treatment for drug-abusing criminal offenders: a referral device for use in New York city

A large proportion of criminal offenders in New York City, and many other urban areas, are also persistent drug abusers. Getting these otherwise recalcitrant offenders into treatment could help reduce both crime and drug abuse. Many researchers and practitioners are examining the potential for using arrest to intercede into both criminal and drug use careers, simultaneously, such as by waiving all or a portion of a sentence if a convicted offender agrees to enter and remains in drug treatment. This article reviews the arguments for such coerced treatment. The identification of drug abusers from among arrestees presents a secondary problem. Voluntary admission and urine testing are two approaches, which have their problems. This case study presents a third approach, a screening device, called the Serious Drug Abuser Scale, which indicates the probability that urinalysis would have detected recent use of cocaine or heroin based on factors associate with their use in New York City. The Brooklyn Treatment Cou...
Reducing analytical variation between point-of-care and laboratory HbA1c testing.

Background Point-of-care (POC) HbA1c testing allows for timely treatment changes, improved glycemic control, and patient and provider satisfaction. Substantial variation between POC and laboratory HbA1c results has been reported. At our university hospital diabetes clinic, we observed significant negative bias in HbA1c with the DCA Vantage™ (Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Tarrytown, NY, USA) compared with the Tosoh G8 HPLC laboratory analyzer (Tosoh Bioscience, San Francisco, CA, USA). This led us to systematically analyze the bias with the goal of recalibrating the DCA to minimize bias. Methods We analyzed 45 patient samples, with HbA1c ranging between 5% and 10.8%, concurrently on two DCA analyzers and on the Tosoh G8 machine. The bias for each sample was the difference between the value on the DCA and the Tosoh G8 analyzer. Based on regression equations derived from the data, a correction factor for each DCA analyzer was calculated. The analyzers were recalibrated and retested for bias. Results At baseline, the mean bias (range) was −0.5229 (+0.1 to −1.3) for Analyzer 1 and −0.5348 (0.0 to −1.6) for Analyzer 2. After recalibration, the mean bias (range) was 0.000 (+0.6 to −0.6) and 0.0003 (+0.5 to −0.5) for Analyzers 1 and 2, respectively, and the systematic negative bias seen prior to the calibration was almost eliminated. Conclusions We recommend periodic recalibration of POC analyzers to eliminate systematic unidirectional bias and to harmonize results between the POC and central laboratory analyzers within a healthcare system. Calibration may need to be repeated with any change in the reagent lot. 摘要 背景 床边（POC）HbA1c检验有助于及时改变治疗方案，改善血糖控制以及患者与检验员的满意度。目前已经报告了HbA1c的POC与实验室结果之间的主要变异。在我们的大学医院糖尿病门诊中观察后发现，与使用东曹G8高效液相色谱实验分析仪（东曹生命科学公司, 圣弗兰西斯科，加利福尼亚州，美国）所检测的HbA1c结果相比较，使用DCA Vantage™（西门子医疗诊断公司，塔里敦，纽约，美国）所检测的HbA1c结果有显著的负偏移。这促使我们对偏倚进行系统分析，目的是重新校准DCA以使偏倚最小化。 方法 我们分析了45名患者的样本，同时使用两台DCA分析仪以及东曹G8机器进行检验，他们的HbA1c范围在5%-10.8%之间。使用DCA和东曹G8分析仪检测，每个样本的检测值的偏移都不相同。根据这些数据得来的回归方程，可以计算出每台DCA分析仪的校正因子。重新校准分析仪后再次检验这些偏移。 结果 在基线时，第1台分析仪的平均偏移（范围）为-0.5229（+0.1至-1.3），第2台分析仪为-0.5348（0.0至-1.6）。经过重新校准后，第1台与第2台分析仪的平均偏移（范围）分别为0.000（+0.6至-0.6）与0.0003（+0.5至-0.5），在校准之前看到的系统性负偏移基本上被消除了。 结论 我们推荐定期重新校准POC分析仪以排除系统性的单向偏移，并且在同一个医疗保健系统内使POC的结果与中心实验室分析仪的结果保持一致。一旦试剂批号出现任何变化可能需要重复校准。
Interfacility Transport Disasters: Who Benefits From Critical Incident Stress Intervention? 83

Interfacility Transport Disasters: Who Benefits From Critical Incident Stress Intervention? 83
Endogenous opiates and ventilatory acclimatization to chronic hypoxia in the cat

Abstract The effects of the opiate antagonist naloxone (0.4 mg·kg−1, i.v.) on carotid chemoreceptor and ventilatory responses to graded steady-state levels of hypoxia and hypercapnia were investigated in two groups of cats: chronically normoxic and chronically hypoxic. The cats of the latter group were exposed to P1o2 of about 70 mm Hg at sea level for 3–4 weeks and showed an attenuated response to hypoxia. All cats were tested under α-chloralose anesthesia. Naloxone treatment did not increase appreciably carotid chemoreceptor activity or its responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia in either cat group. Naloxone caused a small ventilatory stimulation in the chronically hypoxic cats, so that the attenuated response to hypoxia was not relieved. By contrast, the chemoreflex ventilatory response to hypoxia was stimulated by naloxone in the chronically normoxic cats. The findings that the depressed ventilatory chemoreflexes in the chronically hypoxic cat were not ameliorated by the opiate antagonist indicate that an increased elaboration of endogenous opiates does not underlie ventilatory adaptation to chronic hypoxia.
Graphene-Dielectric Integration for Graphene Transistors

Graphene is emerging as an interesting electronic material for future electronics due to its exceptionally high carrier mobility and single-atomic thickness. Graphene-dielectric integration is of critical importance for the development of graphene transistors and a new generation of graphene based electronics. Deposition of dielectric materials onto graphene is of significant challenge due to the intrinsic material incompatibility between pristine graphene and dielectric oxide materials. Here we review various strategies being researched for graphene-dielectric integration. Physical vapor deposition (PVD) can be used to directly deposit dielectric materials on graphene, but often introduces significant defects into the monolayer of carbon lattice; Atomic layer deposition (ALD) process has also been explored to to deposit high-κ dielectrics on graphene, which however requires functionalization of graphene surface with reactive groups, inevitably leading to a significant degradation in carrier mobilities; Using naturally oxidized thin aluminum or polymer as buffer layer for dielectric deposition can mitigate the damages to graphene lattice and improve the carrier mobility of the resulted top-gated transistors; Lastly, a physical assembly approach has recently been explored to integrate dielectric nanostructures with graphene without introducing any appreciable defects, and enabled top-gated graphene transistors with the highest carrier mobility reported to date. We will conclude with a brief summary and perspective on future opportunities.
Examples of adaptive FEA in plasticity

Abstract Adaptivity and error estimation in finite element analysis (FEA) has received considerable interest, but most of the work has been in the linear range. Its use in materially non-linear processes has been investigated by the authors in a recent paper [J.S. Sandhu et al., Adaptive Finite Element Analysis in Plasticity, COMPLAS III (April 1992)]. In this paper we present some examples which further illustrate the use of adaptive FEA in materially non-linear analyses. At present, this area has received little attention mainly due to there being no reliable and simple error estimators. We have used linear and non-linear error indicators in an attempt to develop a simple and efficient materially non-linear FEA adaptive program. The non-linear plasticity model is based on an incremental theory using the Von Mises yield criterion.
Coronary artery plaque morphology in stable angina and subsets of unstable angina: an in vivo intracoronary ultrasound study

Little information is available regarding the in vivo composition of angina producing culprit atherosclerotic lesions in various anginal syndromes. In this study we used intracoronary ultrasound to determine the composition of culprit lesions in various subsets of anginal syndromes and correlated this composition with the patient's clinical presentation. One hundred and forty six patients referred for angioplasty or atherectomy were classified as having either chronic stable angina (angina which was clinically unchanged for > 2 months), crescendo angina (an accelerating pattern of frequent or prolonged anginal episodes), severe rest angina (abrupt onset of prolonged angina) or post-infarction angina (angina within 2 weeks of acute myocardial infarction). Intracoronary ultrasound imaging of the culprit lesion was performed before intervention. Lesions were classified as soft, mixed fibrous without calcium, mixed fibrous with calcium or calcified. Analysis of the ultrasound images revealed that the majority of culprit lesions were soft in severe rest (71%) and post-infarction angina (73%) whereas, the majority of culprit lesions were mixed fibrous or calcified in chronic stable (69%) and crescendo (53%) angina (X2 = 22.73, p = 0.007). In addition, the frequency of intralesional calcium in chronic stable or crescendo angina was significantly higher than that in severe rest or stable angina. We conclude that the composition of culprit lesions in various anginal subsets are different. The lesion morphology in crescendo angina frequently resembles that in chronic stable angina; while those in severe rest and post-infarction angina are frequently similar. These findings may have implications for medical or interventional treatment of patients with angina.
Effects of Geometric Imperfections on Frequency-Load Interaction of Biaxially Compressed Antisymmetric Angle Ply Rectangular Plates

The present paper deals with the influence of small geometric imperfections on the vibration frequencies of rectangular, simply supported, angle ply, thin composite plates subjected to inplane uniaxial or biaxial compressive preload. Depending on the amount of preload, the frequencies of laminated plates with different imperfection shapes may be significantly higher than those for perfect plates, especially in a certain range of fiber angles. Interaction curves between frequency and applied preload are plotted for various fiber angles and imperfection amplitudes for both the uniaxial and equal biaxial loading cases.
Synthesis of rabbit corneal epithelial glycocalyx in vitro.

A method to study the synthesis and cellular processing of epithelial apical membrane glycoproteins in the rabbit cornea was developed. Fluorescent derivatives of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA; α-N-acetylglucosamine and sialic acid hapten affinities), succinylated WGA (α-N-acetylglucosamine hapten affinity) and concavalin A (Con A; d-mannose and d-glucose hapten affinity) were reacted with the corneal surface and the extent of binding attained was measured by en face, microscope-aided fluorophotometry. Minimal binding of succinylated WGA and a large reduction in WGA binding following neuraminidase treatment demonstrated that the attachment of WGA to the corneal surface occurred via sialic acid residues, i.e. via structures associated with terminal glycosylation. Corneas were treated with digitonin to induce the exfoliation of the outer squamous-like cell layers. The time-dependent changes in lectin binding density at the apical surface of the newly exposed intrastratal cells were then determined. Binding densities for WGA and Con A at the time of exfoliation of the digitonin-devitalized squamous cell layers (< 2 hr post-devitalization) were similar to the densities measured at the surface of untreated corneas. Over the subsequent 18-20 hr, the WGA and Con A binding increased by 2·63 ± 0·24 and 3·0 ± 0·68 (± S.D., n = 4) fold, respectively. The effect of inhibitors of transcription (actinomycin D, α-amanitin), translation (cycloheximide), core glycosylation of polypeptides (tunicamycin), endoplasmic reticulum glucosidases (deoxinojirimycin) and Golgi mannosidase (swainsonine) indicated that the increases were underpinned by new glycoprotein synthesis driven by a stable, pre-existing mRNA pool. Retinoic acid (2 μM) inhibited the increase in WGA binding by 55 ± 6% (n = 4) but did not affect the Con A density increase suggesting that this agent either, modifies the terminal glycosylation pattern of apical membrane proteins and/or inhibits the synthesis of proteins bearing sialic acid. Actinomycin D or α-aminitin reverted the retinoic acid action, indicating that the retinoid effect is mediated by induced gene expression.
Measuring Service Gaps: Accessibility-Based Transit Need Index

The integration of transit needs into transit accessibility indexing is important for evaluating existing transportation systems and service gaps and for identifying priority areas for investments in transportation infrastructure. This study detailed an indexing model for accessibility of transit need and focused on the necessity of evaluating transit needs and transit accessibility simultaneously. A need index was developed to identify areas in high need of public transit services from economic and sociodemographic information, and a composite accessibility index was developed to identify levels of access to transit services and shortcomings in providing service. The need for transit service was then modeled as the lack of transit accessibility, and the model correlated different access indicators with their ability to predict transit service need. This model mapped areas with different levels of transit accessibility and transit needs by using a single score, which may be easily interpreted by planners ...
Quantitative morphology of the corpus callosum in obsessive–compulsive disorder

Neuroimaging studies have implicated the corpus callosum (CC) in the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Putative dysfunctions in prefrontal cortical regions suggest anomalies in anterior segments of the CC. However, recent studies have also implicated the middle and posterior CC. The present study soughts to examine the CC using parcellation scheme informed by diffusion tensor imaging. Anatomic brain magnetic resonance scans were obtained from 21 OCD subjects (mean age=26.9 ± 9.93) and 42 healthy age- and sex-matched controls (mean age=26.6 ± 9.46) between the ages of 14 and 49. Area and volume measures of five subregions of the CC were obtained via manual tracings. A multivariate analysis of variance (after correcting for multiple comparisons) identified smaller area and volume in the mid-anterior region of the CC in OCD patients relative to controls. These findings implicate medio-frontal regions of the cortex in the pathophysiology of OCD.
REGULATION OF THE ANTIBODY RESPONSE TO TYPE III PNEUMOCOCCAL POLYSACCHARIDE : I. NATURE OF REGULATORY CELLS

The effect of treatment with antilymphocyte serum (ALS) on the magnitude of the plaque-forming cell (PFC) response to Type III pneumococcal polysaccharide (SSS-III) was assessed in athymic nude mice and thymus-bearing littermate controls. Without ALS treatment, the PFC response was slightly higher in nude than in control mice. Treatment with ALS had no effect on the response of nude mice; however, considerable enhancement was noted in thymus-bearing controls. Such enhancement was ALS dose-dependent and demonstrable under conditions in which there was substantial inactivation of thymic-derived "helper" cells required for an antibody response to erythrocyte antigens. These findings suggest that amplifier and suppressor cells, which have been reported to regulate the magnitude of the antibody response to SSS-III, represent populations of thymic-derived cells (T cells) that are not present in nude mice. The activities of "helper" T cells and regulatory T cells appear to be independent of one another and mediated by separate subpopulations of T cells.
6-DOF pose estimation of a Portable Navigation Aid for the visually impaired

In this paper, we present a 6-DOF pose estimation method for a Portable Navigation Aid for the visually impaired. The navigation aid uses a single 3D camera-SwissRanger SR4000-for both pose estimation and object/obstacle detection. The SR4000 provides intensity and range data of the scene. These data are simultaneously processed to estimate the camera's egomotion, which is then used as the motion model by an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to track the visual features maintained in a local map. In order to create correct feature correspondences between images, a 3-point RANSAC (RANdom SAmple Consensus) process is devised to identify the inliers from the feature correspondences based on the SIFT (Scale Invariant Feature Transform) descriptors. Only the inliers are used to update the EKF's state. Additional inliers caused by the updated state are then located and used to perform another state update. The EKF integrates the egomotion into the camera's pose in the world coordinate with a relatively small error. Since the camera's y coordinate may be measured as the distance between the camera and the floor plane, it is used as an additional observation in this work. Experimental results indicate that the proposed pose estimation method results in accurate pose estimates for positioning the visually impaired in an indoor environment.
Ultrasound-mediated cavitation thresholds of liquid perfluorocarbon droplets in vitro

This study was undertaken to measure the ultrasound (US)-mediated cavitation threshold of microdroplets as a function of its content and US parameters (frequency, amplitude and burst length). Albumin-coated droplets were prepared with perfluoropropane, perfluorohexane or perfluoromethylcyclohexane contents. The filtered suspensions were diluted to 1:1000 (v) and compared with Optison. The formulations were injected into an acoustically transparent vessel and sonicated with a single focused transducer. The frequencies employed were 0.74, 1.1, 2.18 and 3.3 MHz and the burst length and acoustic pressure were varied. The inertial cavitation threshold for each experiment was monitored through passive acoustic detection. The formation of droplet emulsion of the perfluorocarbon increased the natural boiling point of the perfluorocarbon. However, perfluorocarbon droplets having contents with higher molecular weights and boiling points did not have detectably higher inertial cavitation thresholds and, thus, the droplets do not need to be in a superheated state to be cavitated by US bursts. Therefore, higher boiling point perfluorocarbons should be investigated for this purpose and may prove to be useful for both imaging and therapy. The inertial cavitation threshold of perfluorocarbon droplets increases with frequency, and was approximately 0.7 MPa at 0.74 MHz and 1.75 MPa at 3.3 MHz. Optison, already in a gaseous state, has the lowest cavitation threshold of all formulations studied. Results show that, for the frequencies tested, there is no dependence between inertial cavitation threshold and burst lengths between 20 and 100 ms. As a conclusion, the inertial cavitation threshold of albumin-coated microdroplets of several perfluorocarbons was determined in vitro. The results indicate that the physical properties of these droplets are such that they may be useful for localized US therapies.
Electroluminescence refrigeration in semiconductors

An InGaAs light emitting diode monolithically integrated with a suspended lens is proposed as a prototype semiconductor electroluminescence refrigeration device. Simulations predict that a temperature drop up to 6degC is achievable in this device.
Educating Higher Education and School Leaders in Matters of Peace

Current reform efforts in the redesign of educational leadership programs in higher education call for rigorous coursework in management and education. Educational leadership models that are grounded in principles of restorative justice and peace education, however, are seldom targeted as part of this reform – although they may significantly enhance student achievement, communication, relationships, and general satisfaction in a learning community. This paper offers three brief case studies exploring experiments in educational reform that have integrated restorative justice principles into higher education and K-12 urban school district contexts. Data were drawn from a wide range of sources, including surveys, formal and informal interviews, student achievement scores, and journal entries. Characteristics are identified that can be integrated into educational leadership programs to promote nonviolence in learning communities.
Post-wildfire logging hinders regeneration and increases fire risk.

We present data from a study of early conifer regeneration and fuel loads after the 2002 Biscuit Fire, Oregon, USA, with and without postfire logging. Natural conifer regeneration was abundant after the high-severity fire. Postfire logging reduced median regeneration density by 71%, significantly increased downed woody fuels, and thus increased short-term fire risk. Additional reduction of fuels is necessary for effective mitigation of fire risk. Postfire logging can be counterproductive to the goals of forest regenration and fuel reduction.
Ab Initio Structural Modeling of and Experimental Validation for Chlamydia trachomatis Protein CT296 Reveal Structural Similarity to Fe(II) 2-Oxoglutarate-Dependent Enzymes

Chlamydia trachomatis is a medically important pathogen that encodes a relatively high percentage of proteins with unknown function. The three-dimensional structure of a protein can be very informative regarding the protein’s functional characteristics; however, determining protein structures experimentally can be very challenging. Computational methods that model protein structures with sufficient accuracy to facilitate functional studies have had notable successes. To evaluate the accuracy and potential impact of computational protein structure modeling of hypothetical proteins encoded by Chlamydia, a successful computational method termed I-TASSER was utilized to model the three-dimensional structure of a hypothetical protein encoded by open reading frame (ORF) CT296. CT296 has been reported to exhibit functional properties of a divalent cation transcription repressor (DcrA), with similarity to the Escherichia coli iron-responsive transcriptional repressor, Fur. Unexpectedly, the I-TASSER model of CT296 exhibited no structural similarity to any DNAinteracting proteins or motifs. To validate the I-TASSER-generated model, the structure of CT296 was solved experimentally using X-ray crystallography. Impressively, the ab initio I-TASSER-generated model closely matched (2.72-A C root mean square deviation [RMSD]) the high-resolution (1.8-A) crystal structure of CT296. Modeled and experimentally determined structures of CT296 share structural characteristics of non-heme Fe(II) 2-oxoglutarate-dependent enzymes, although key enzymatic residues are not conserved, suggesting a unique biochemical process is likely associated with CT296 function. Additionally, functional analyses did not support prior reports that CT296 has properties shared with divalent cation repressors such as Fur.
Attitudes Toward Aging of Physical Therapists and Student Physical Therapists

ABSTRACTAims: Attitudes toward aging have been reported to guide patterns of practice in healthcare; however, the current attitudes toward aging in physical therapy are unknown. Methods: Physical therapist (PT) and student physical therapist (SPT) members of the American Physical Therapy Association were invited to complete an anonymous online survey using a modified version of the 14-item University of California, Los Angeles-Geriatric Attitudinal Scale (UCLA-GAS) to examine attitudes toward aging. Differences between responses on each item of the UCLA-GAS were completed between groups and within three categories commonly reported in the UCLA-GAS. Results: Significant differences were found between the responses of PTs and SPTs on half of the items of the UCLA-GAS. Conclusions: PTs had slightly more positive attitudes toward aging, which may be a reflection of time spent with older adults and familiarity with the economics of geriatric physical therapy practice.
Writing Instruction for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review of Literature

Historically, learners with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have not had access to the general education curriculum. Current legislation mandates that all children, including children with ASD, have access to and make progress in the general education curriculum. This article contains a review of the literature on writing instruction for children with ASD. Investigation yielded 15 studies with 29 participants with ASD ages 4 to 21 years. Based on the studies reviewed, we concluded that students with ASD benefit from explicit writing instruction, but more research is needed to establish an evidence-based set of practices to guide educators in the development of effective writing programs for this population of students. Strategies that are particularly promising and suggestions for future research are given.
Image fusion for stereotactic radiotherapy and radiosurgery treatment planning

Abstract Purpose : We describe an image fusion application that addresses two basic problems that previously limited the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for geometric localization in stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT). The first limitation is imposed by the use of a relocatable, MRI-incompatible, stereotactic frame for stereotactic radiotherapy. The second limitation is an inherent lack of geometric fidelity in current MRI scanners that invalidates the use of MRI for stereotactic localization. Methods and Materials : We recently developed and implemented a novel automated method for fusing computerized tomography (CT) and MRI volumetric image studies. The method is based on a chamfer matching algorithm, and provides a quality assurance procedure to verify the accuracy of the fused image set. The image fusion protocol removes the need for stereotactic fixation of the patient for the MRI study. Results : The image fusion protocol significantly improves on the spatial accuracy of the MRI study. We demonstrate the effect of distortion and the effectiveness of the fusion with a phantom study. We present two case studies, an acoustic neurinoma treated with SRS. and a pilocytic astrocytoma treated with SRT. Conclusion : The image fusion protocol significantly improves our logistical management of treating patients with radiosurgery and makes conformal therapy practical for treating patients with SRT. The image fusion protocol demonstrates both the superior diagnostic quality and the poor geometric fidelity of MRI. MRI is a required imaging modality in stereotactic therapy. Image fusion combines the superior MRI diagnostic quality with the superior CT geometric definition, and makes the use of MRI in stereotactic therapy possible and practical.
Tallness and level by level equivalence and inequivalence

We construct two models containing exactly one supercompact cardinal in which all nonsupercompact measurable cardinals are strictly taller than they are either strongly compact or supercompact. In the flrst of these models, level by level equivalence between strong compactness and supercompactness holds. In the other, level by level inequivalence between strong compactness and supercompactness holds. Each universe has only one strongly compact cardinal and contains relatively few large cardinals.
Defining marine habitat of juvenile Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, and coho salmon, O. kisutch, in the northern California Current System

We investigated habitat use by juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and coho salmon (O. kisutch) to identify environmental characteristics that may define their optimal marine habitat. We utilized physical and biological data from four cruises in the northern California Current system from Newport, Oregon, to Crescent City, California, in June and August 2000 and 2002. A non-parametric statistical method was used to analyze and select environmental parameters that best defined ocean habitat for each species. Regression trees were generated for all cruises combined to select the most important habitat variables. Chlorophyll a concentration best defined habitat of yearling Chinook salmon, while decapod larvae, salinity, and neuston biovolume defined habitat of yearling coho salmon. Using criteria from the regression tree analysis, GIS maps were produced to show that the habitat of yearling Chinook salmon was widespread over the continental shelf and the habitat of yearling coho salmon was variable and mainly north of Cape Blanco.
Concurrent compacting garbage collection of a persistent heap

We describe a replicating garbage collector for a persistent heap. The garbage collector cooperates with a transaction manager to provide safe and efficient transactional storage management. Clients read and write the heap in primary memory and can commit or abort their write operations. When write operations are committed they are preserved in stable storage and survive system failures. Clients can freely access the heap during garbage collection because the collector concurrently builds a compact replica of the heap. A log captures client write operations and is used to support both the transaction manager and the replicating garbage collector.Our implementation is the first to provide concurrent and compacting garbage collection of a persistent heap. Measurements show that concurrent replicating collection produces significantly shorter pause times than stop-and-copy collection. For small transactions, throughput is limited by the logging bandwidth of the underlying log manager. The results suggest that replicating garbage collection offers a flexible and efficient way to provide automatic storage management in transaction systems, object-oriented databases and persistent programming environments.
To Zip or not to Zip: effective resource usage for real-time compression

Real-time compression for primary storage is quickly becoming widespread as data continues to grow exponentially, but adding compression on the data path consumes scarce CPU and memory resources on the storage system. Our work aims to mitigate this cost by introducing methods to quickly and accurately identify the data that will yield significant space savings when compressed.The first level of filtering that we employ is at the data set level (e.g., volume or file system), where we estimate the overall compressibility of the data at rest. According to the outcome, we may choose to enable or disable compression for the entire data set, or to employ a second level of finer-grained filtering. The second filtering scheme examines data being written to the storage system in an online manner and determines its compressibility.The first-level filtering runs in mere minutes while providing mathematically proven guarantees on its estimates. In addition to aiding in selecting which volumes to compress, it has been released as a public tool, allowing potential customers to determine the effectiveness of compression on their data and to aid in capacity planning. The second-level filtering has shown significant CPU savings (up to 35%) while maintaining compression savings (within 2%).
Investigating Fans of Fictional Texts: Fan Identity Salience, Empathy, and Transportation

Two surveys were undertaken to explore the nature of fanship for fictional texts, specifically, to investigate the nature of fan behavior and factors associated with salience of fan identity. In Study 1, 162 fans of Star Trek were surveyed as they waited for the premiere of a Star Trek film (Paramou
Simulation evaluation of an enhanced bedside monitor display for patients with sepsis.

BACKGROUND Most standard bedside monitors in critical care settings display multiple clinical parameters and do not provide directional signaling to alert clinicians to relevant changes in physiologic parameters. The complexity of information may delay identification of clinical changes and initiation of interventions. Clinical decision support system (CDSS) tools can present information at appropriate intervals in formats that may enhance clinical decision making. OBJECTIVE A 2-group, quasi-experimental design compared the effects of 2 different monitor displays on time required for nurses to recognize and initiate treatment of sepsis in response to a computer simulation. METHODS A convenience sample of 75 critical care nurses was randomly assigned to a standard or an enhanced bedside monitor (EBM) display during a computer-simulated sepsis scenario. Time to recognize symptoms and initiate treatment of sepsis was analyzed between the 2 displays. RESULTS Time to recognize symptoms and initiate sepsis treatment was significantly shorter for nurses exposed to the enhanced bedside monitor. CONCLUSIONS CDSS tools such as EBM may improve nurses' time to recognize and initiate treatment of sepsis.
Musculoskeletal complaints in the elderly.

Musculoskeletal complaints should not be accepted merely as an inevitable result of the aging process and consequently neglected. Many musculoskeletal symptoms can be treated specifically, and others may provide valuable clues to underlying systemic disease. Differential diagnosis is complex because causative processes can involve purely psychogenic factors, systemic disease or trauma. Diagnosis must rest on the time-honored technics of history and physical examination.
Distribution and antimicrobial resistance of pathogens isolated from blood culture in consecutive four years

Objective To investigate the distribution and antimicrobial resistance of pathogens from blood culture, and to guide the rational use of antimicrobial agents.Methods Data of pathogens from blood specimens of inpatients and outpatients in a hospital between January 2008 and December 2011were analyzed statistically.Results Of 670 pathogenic isolates from blood culture,gram-negative bacilli,gram-positive cocci and fungi accounted for 45.67%(n =306),49.11%(n=329)and 5.22%(n=35)respectively;the top 3 were Coagulase negative staphylococcus(23.88%),Escherichia coli(19.40%)and Staphylococcus aureus(12.98%).Susceptibility of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus to compound sulfamethoxazole,linezolid and vancomycin were relatively high(resistant rate were 0-20.34%).The resistant rates of gram-negative bacilli(except Acinetobacter spp.)to cefoperazone/sulbactam, piperacillin/tazobactam and amikacin were 0-27.27%.Acinetobacter spp.had the highest resistant rate.The most common fungus in blood culture were Candida parapsilosis(2.38%)and Candida albicans(1.79%).Conclusion Early blood culture and monitor on multidrug-resistant pathogenic isolates can provide reliable evidence for clinical diagnosis and treatment.
SCF-induced airway hyperreactivity is dependent on leukotriene production.

Stem cell factor (SCF) is directly involved in the induction of airway hyperreactivity during allergen-induced pulmonary responses in mouse models. In these studies, we examined the specific mediat...
Regulation of the p53 Protein by Protein Kinase Cα and Protein Kinase Cζ

Abstract The C-terminal of p53 (amino-acids 368-383) represses the DNA binding activity of p53. In vitro, phosphorylation of this region by Protein Kinase C (PKC) is associated with increased DNA binding activity. However, whether PKC can directly modulate p53 function in vivo is not known. Here, we demonstrate that cotransfection of p53 with either PKCα or PKCζ increases p53's transcriptional activity. Mutagenesis of p53 indicates that serine 371 is the major site for phosphorylation by PKCα in vitro. Mutation of serine 371 caused a small decline in p53 activation by PKCα and PKCζ. However, the alternatively spliced murine p53, which lacks the PKC phosphorylation sites, still demonstrated increased transcriptional activation when cotransfected with either PKCα or PKCζ. The results indicate that phosphorylation of p53 by PKC in vitro does not correlate with the ability of PKC to upregulate p53's transcriptional activity in vivo.
Not Manic About NSAIDS

This case discusses a pharmacokinetic interaction between lithium and ketorolac. Lithium is excreted by the kidneys and ketorolac is an inhibitor of renal excretion.
Marketing Challenges and Opportunities in Emerging Economies: A Brazilian Perspective

This article describes the challenges and opportunities of marketing in an emerging economy, focusing on Brazil as an exemplar. The main features of the Brazilian economy are discussed with special attention given to the changing nature of the country's income distribution. Where Brazil once had a pyramid-shaped income distribution typical of many less developed countries, this is rapidly giving way to a diamond-shaped income distribution due to the emergence of a growing middle class. This, in turn, presents marketers with many opportunities ranging from franchise development to e-commerce. At the same time, however, marketers are challenged by several features of the Brazilian economy, including poor logistics, corruption, and state interventionism, among other threats. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Humoral Immune Responses in SIV Infection of Sooty Mangabeys: Implications for HIV-1 Pathogenesis and Vaccine Design

Abstract Natural simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection of sooty mangabeys (SIVsm) results in a nonpathogenic infection despite sustained and high levels of viral replication. Whether humoral immune responses against the SIVsm envelope (Env) glycoproteins contribute to maintaining low pathogenicity is poorly understood. One possible theory is that the antibody response and the viral Env in natural SIVsm infection have co-evolved to avoid sustained immune activation of the B cell compartment and disruption of the function of the lymph node germinal center, which distinguishes nonpathogenic SIVsm from pathogenic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 and SIV infections. Preserving homeostasis within the B- and T-cell compartments as well as the integrity of B-cell follicles in lymph nodes could help to minimize overt pathogenesis in natural SIVsm infection. Understanding the immunogenicity and evolution of SIVsm Env in comparison to HIV-1 Env is also important because studies of SIV-based nonhuman primate vaccines use SIVsm-derived Env immunogens and challenge viruses as surrogates for HIV-1. These SIVsm-derived Envs share limited amino acid sequence identity with HIV-1 Envs, and antibodies against one group cross-react poorly and/or inconsistently with the other. Furthermore, the SIVsm Env experiences less diversifying selection in its natural host than does HIV-1 Env in humans, the latter having been adapted for rapid humoral escape. Neutralizing antibody responses against SIVsm-derived Env, including HIV-2 Env, differ qualitatively and quantitatively from those against HIV-1 Env both during infection and, potentially, in vaccine-induced responses. Thus, comparative studies of B-cell function, antibody responses, and Env evolution in pathogenic and nonpathogenic SIV/HIV infections could provide mechanistic clues about how natural hosts avoid disease progression and how vaccine studies using SIVsm-derived Env immunogens can most accurately model antibody-mediated protection against HIV-1.
Active Dynamic Mechanics of Blood Clot Contraction

Despite the biological and clinical importance of blood clot contraction, it is a poorly understood mechanical process driven by forces that are generated by platelets and propagated by fibrin, resulting in the compression and deformation of red blood cells (RBCs) and the overall volume shrinkage of the clot. Optical tracking and dynamic rheometry were used to examine unconstrained (free to reduce volume) and constrained (fixed volume) clot contraction over time, which allowed for the kinetics of clot contraction and generation of contractile force to be tracked. The presence of RBCs enhanced the generation of platelet contractile forces by 60% but lessened the rate and extent of clot contraction by 30% when compared to samples without RBCs. Structurally, blood clots have distinct areas showing fibrin and RBCs in association with platelets and areas where they spatially removed from platelets. We developed a three-element active poroviscoelastic model to improve the understanding of how composition and distribution of the clot, particularly the presence of RBCs, affects the process of clot contraction. Our model revealed that clot response to contraction was not the result of poroelastic behavior, due to the diffusion limit, but rather resulted from the active contraction of a viscoelastic material. Platelets contract in series and parallel to the RBCs and fibrin placing them under compressive and tensile forces. Their resistance results in a shift in the stall stress of the system and an increase in the overall contractile force generated by platelets. Collectively, these results reveal that the incorporation of mechanically passive RBCs cells into the fibrin network structure can strongly influence the contractile response of mechanically active platelets and the overall contraction. This model presents potential to elucidate the mechanism through which RBC volume and/or mechanical stiffness affects the process of clot contraction.
Forensic Analysis in Bacterial Pathogens

Publisher Summary Microbiology began as the study of organisms that could not be easily seen with the naked eye. It then evolved into a science focused on microbes that impacted human health and industrial processes that could also be isolated, cultured, and studied in detail. The bacterium Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent for anthrax, had an important role in the beginnings of medical microbiology. It has been more than 115 years since seminal studies helped lay the foundation for research in bacterial pathogenesis, but a highly visible anthrax letter attack case and evolution of drug-resistant markers means that these same pathogens are still at a forefront that demands significant research efforts. Significant progress has been made since the anthrax-letter attacks (2001, USA) in defining molecular forensic approaches to investigate potential biocrimes. Here the current status is described for genotyping and analysis of the bacterial pathogens Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis, Francisella tularensis, Brucellaspp., Burkholderia pseudomallei, and Clostridium botulinum. C. botulinumis unusual in that genomes represent several distinct species and the clonal nature of the organism is somewhat obscured by the diverse toxin complexes. With the exception of B. pseudomallei, these bacterial pathogens are basically clonal organisms that do not possess the mating properties and the independent assortment statistics that enhance human and plant forensic analyses greatly. Despite this, a hierarchical approach can now be proposed for most of these pathogens to provide the highest possible resolution for epidemiologic and forensics applications.
Grasping for Traits or Reasons? How People Grapple With Puzzling Social Behaviors.

Within social psychology, it is well accepted that trait inference is the dominant tool for understanding others’ behavior. Outside of social psychology, a different consensus has emerged, namely, that people predominantly explain behavior in terms of mental states. Both positions are based on limited evidence. The trait literature focuses on trait ascriptions to persons, not explanations of behavior. The mental state literature focuses on explanations of ordinary behaviors (for which social scripts provide mental states), not of expectancy-violating behaviors. We examined the critical test case for the two opposing positions: explanations of expectancy-violating behaviors. Participants provided open-ended explanations of puzzling actions, which were content-analyzed for use of mental states, traits, and other causal background factors. Across four studies, three stimulus sets, and two subpopulations, people overwhelmingly offered mental states when explaining puzzling actions (compared with ordinary acti...