cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nitric Oxide Binding to Prokaryotic Homologs of the Soluble Guanylate Cyclase β1 H-NOX Domain

The heme cofactor in soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) is a selective receptor for NO, an important signaling molecule in eukaryotes. The sGC heme domain has been localized to the N-terminal 194 amino acids of the beta1 subunit of sGC and is a member of a family of conserved hemoproteins, called the H-NOX family (Heme-Nitric Oxide and/or OXygen-binding domain). Three new members of this family have now been cloned and characterized, two proteins from Legionella pneumophila (L1 H-NOX and L2 H-NOX) and one from Nostoc punctiforme (Np H-NOX). Like sGC, L1 H-NOX forms a 5-coordinate Fe(II)-NO complex. However, both L2 H-NOX and Np H-NOX form temperature-dependent mixtures of 5- and 6-coordinate Fe(II)-NO complexes; at low temperature, they are primarily 6-coordinate, and at high temperature, the equilibrium is shifted toward a 5-coordinate geometry. This equilibrium is fully reversible with temperature in the absence of free NO. This process is analyzed in terms of a thermally labile proximal Fe(II)-His bond and suggests that in both the 5- and 6-coordinate Fe(II)-NO complexes of L2 H-NOX and Np H-NOX, NO is bound in the distal heme pocket of the H-NOX fold. NO dissociation kinetics for L1 H-NOX and L2 H-NOX have been determined and support a model in which NO dissociates from the distal side of the heme in both 5- and 6-coordinate complexes.
Different Contents, Similar Packages: The Domestic Political Beliefs of Southern Local Party Activists

This research note investigates the content, structure, and correlates of the political beliefs of Democratic and Republican local party activists in eleven Southern states. Confirmatory factor analyses reveal that the beliefs of both groups are structured by three factors concerning government involvement in economy and society, traditional values, and women's rights and roles. Regarding the content of belief, Republicans take substantially more con servative positions on several (not all) of the issues organized by the three factors and, unlike Democrats, there is little subgroup diversity in their beliefs concerning government involvement and traditional values issues. The political beliefs of Democrats, but not Republicans, also vary geographically, with Deep South Democrats being significantly more conservative than those in border states.
A Prospective Evaluation of a New Physical Examination in Predicting Glenoid Labral Tears

We studied 62 patients (40 men and 22 women) with an average age of 28 years over a 28-month period who presented with shoulder pain that was refractory to 3 months of conservative management. Patients with a prior glenohumeral dislocation or a rotator cuff tear were excluded. The "crank" test was performed with the arm elevated to 160 degrees in the scapular plane of the body, loaded axially along the humerus, and with maximal internal and external rotation. Although similar tests have been described, the crank test is a new examination previously unreported. Half of the patients (31) had a positive crank test. Arthroscopy performed on all 62 patients revealed glenoid labral tears in 32 patients. Two patients who had positive crank tests did not have labral tears but had partial-thickness, articular-side rotator cuff tears. The sensitivity of the crank test was 91%, the specificity was 93%, the positive predictive value was 94%, and the negative predictive value was 90%. With these data, the crank test fulfills the criteria as a single physical examination test that is highly accurate for the preoperative diagnosis of glenoid labral tears. Accordingly, expensive imaging modalities currently used in this patient population may be employed less in the future.
Intermolecular H...H Bonding and Proton Transfer in Semisandwich Re and Ru Complexes

The reactions of transition metal (TM) hydrides (Cp)Re(H)(NO)(CO), (Cp)Ru(H)(CO)(PH3), and (Cp)Re(H)(NO)(PH3) with poor, moderate, and strong proton donors HR (H2O, HOCF3, and H3O+) are studied using DFT B3PW91. The reaction pathway depends on the relative proton-attracting powers of the TM and hydride H atoms, as well as on the proton donor ability of HR. In the case where these two atoms have comparable basicity, (Cp)Re(H)(NO)(CO) forms an intermolecular H···H bonding intermediate upon reaction with both poor and strong proton donors H2O and H3O+. This is followed by rearrangement to η2-H2 by proton transfer over a very small barrier. The reaction of (Cp)Ru(H)(CO)(PH3) with its highly nucleophilic hydride yields H···H bonding complexes with moderate proton donor HOCF3, whereas the strong donor H3O+ produces only the η2-H2 structure. Rapid rearrangement of η2-H2 to cis-dihydride is possible although the trans-dihydride is more stable. For both types of hydride, a reaction pathway through a H···H bonding ...
Scattering of 3He atoms at the surface of liquid 4He

Abstract Measurements of the reflection coefficient for 3 He atoms at the free surface of liquid 4 He indicate that the scattering of both 3 He and 4 He is dominated by the 1/ z 3 Van der Waals potential outside the liquid.
MCAT: Desperately Seeking Med School

I AM not certain why I decided to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) again, 18 years after my first confrontation with it. Perhaps it was idle curiosity or perhaps a desire to see firsthand what changes had occurred in the test (or in me) so many years later. My attempt at repeating the exam wouldn't be the first such try. Robert Powers 1 had previously published an insightful and carefully documented account of a similar endeavor. In fact, in reading his essay, I am struck by how closely his observations parallel my own. See also p 389. Like Powers, I thought that I might be an apt guinea pig for this uncontrolled adventure. Over the years, I have been asked to submit to virtually every optically scanned multiple-choice English-language examination that educators have yet devised. Since the 10th grade, I have taken the following in chronological order: Essential
Acute fatty liver of pregnancy presenting as hepatic encephalopathy at 28 weeks' gestation.

Acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP) is an uncommon gestational disease that usually presents at or near term with gastrointestinal symptoms progressing to hepatic failure. It is characterised by ...
Cooling with Box Fans

Two experiments are described.Experiment 1 investigated the preferred direction of air upon a person. Forty males sat in front of a box fan in 12 different seating orientations (30° increments). Air velocity was .7 m/s (140 ft/min); room temperature was 28 C (82 F) with 40% rh. The preference was bimodal with the most preferred directions from the front or the rear; velocities from the side were less preferred.Experiment 2 investigated 3 velocities (“still air”, .8 m/s (160 ft/min) and 1.3 m/s (260 ft/min)) at 3 temperatures (25.6, 27.8 and 30 C; 78, 82, 86 F). Eight subjects each spent three hours in each of the 9 conditions. Clothing was standardized at about .5 clo. Subjects did a paper and pencil task (maze) and a peg into hole task. Thermal comfort and thermal sensation ballots were completed every 15 min. At the end of 150 min., they moved their chair in relation to the fan so as to select their preferred velocity.The current recommended ceiling of .8 m/s for sedentary office work is too low as the ...
The effect of reflux on the development of pyelonephritis in urinary diversion: an experimental study.

Abstract To make an accurate comparison between ileal and colonic conduits, an ileal conduit was created from one kidney and a nonrefluxing colonic conduit from the other kidney in 16 adult mongrel dogs. The major variable between the two was the presence or absence of reflux. The dogs were studied by excretory urography, conduitograms, pressure studies, and urinary cultures. All dogs were sacrificed at 3 months, and urine cultures were collected at necropsy from conduits and both renal pelves. In each of five control experiments, one kidney was connected to either an ileal or a colonic conduit while the other kidney remained in continuity with the bladder. Although most dogs had significant bacterial growth in both conduit and ureteral urine, histologic sections revealed pyelonephritis in 83% of 12 kidneys connected to ileal conduits as compared to 7% of 14 kidneys connected to colonic conduits. All control kidneys were histologically normal. This study demonstrates that ureteral reflux from ileal conduits produces histologic evidence of pyelonephritis. Colonic conduits, by preventing reflux of infected urine, reduce the frequency of pyelonephritis and offer definite advantages for long-term urinary diversion.
How wet is wet? Precipitation constraints on late quaternary climate in the southern Arabian Peninsula

Abstract It is generally recognized that the southern Arabian Peninsula has had two wet periods in the late Quaternary. To quantify ‘wet’ a 28 000 year old capillary surface associated with a paleowater-table was mapped and used as a surrogate for the water table in a ground-water model. Analysis of this model suggests 1.4 mm year−1 of recharge is necessary to support the water table at the mapped elevations during the wet period. Climatic relations between rainfall and recharge in arid areas infer that annual rainfall during this wet period was approximately 200 ± 50 mm year−1 or approximately five times the present rate.
All-optical tunability of a nonlinear photonic crystal channel drop filter

We report a numerical analysis of an optically tunable channel drop filter that consists of a resonant cavity side-coupled to a waveguide embedded in a two-dimensional nonlinear photonic crystal. We first introduce a numerical method that allows us to calculate the photonic band structure of a nonlinear photonic crystal, as well as the frequency and field profile of cavity and waveguide modes. Then, we use this numerical method to study the dependence of the resonant frequency of a cavity side-coupled to a waveguide, on the optical power in the waveguide.
Sciences from below: feminisms, postcolonialities, and modernities.

Sandra Harding’s newest book, Sciences from Below: Feminisms, Postcolonialities, and Modernities , continues her work in feminist standpoint theory and science and technologies studies, asking how we might judge “good” science. Attentive to race, class, gender, and imperialism, Harding critically examines Northern and Southern sciences and technologies by adopting the perspective of those who see from below. This vision from the peripheries lets Harding question stories of modern scientific progress, revealing a multiplicity of “ethnosciences” and critiquing modernity itself. However, while Harding aims to produce knowledge for the North’s others by emphasizing woman’s experience, she fails to question the category “woman,” ignoring contemporary transgender and queer scholarship. Further, it is Harding’s care for the North’s subjugated others that motivates her writing, revealing that the struggle to achieve the standpoint “from below” so critical to her project is fueled by what her ally Maria Puig de la Bellacasa would term not thinking from, but thinking with, or, more precisely, “thinking with care.”
A self-determination perspective of strengths use at work: Examining its determinant and performance implications

We investigate the role of strengths use in the workplace by drawing on self-determination theory (SDT) to propose that strengths use at work can yield performance benefits in terms of task performance and discretionary helping, and that the social context, in the form of leader autonomy support, can promote employees’ strengths use. Further, consistent with an interactional psychology perspective, we contend that the relationship between autonomy support and strengths use will be stronger among individuals with strong independent self-construal. We tested the model using matched data from 194 employees and their supervisors and found evidence for the relevance of strengths use at work, even after accounting for the role of intrinsic motivation. In addition to providing practical implications on developing employee strengths use and how to do so, this study advances theory and research on workplace strength use, SDT, and positive organizational behavior.
High water recovery in direct contact membrane distillation using a series of cascades

Abstract Like all thermal processes, water recovery in membrane distillation (MD) is not limited by osmotic pressure, so that high recoveries are in principle achievable. The process can be carried out in batch recirculation mode or in continuous mode. In a number of earlier studies we have experimentally demonstrated very high water recovery in direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) using cross flow hollow fiber membrane modules by operating in a batch recirculation mode without scaling seriously impairing membrane operation. However continuous operation is desirable for larger scale plants. Such operation may be carried out in a series of MD units each of which may consist of a countercurrent cascade of cross flow DCMD modules. A theoretical analysis of such a series of cascades has been carried out and expressions have been generated to show the relationship between recovery, temperature differences across and between the cascades, and the possible theoretical gained output ratio (GOR) and recoveries that are attainable. Depending on configuration (interstage heating or not) and temperature differences, recoveries of 60% and GOR values above 20 may be attainable. This could have important implications for the use of MD in the treating of desalination and other industrial brines.
Down's Syndrome in Adults: Brain Metabolism

The cerebral metabolic rate for glucose, as measured with positron emission tomography and fluorine-18-labeled 2-deoxy-D-glucose, was significantly higher in four healthy young subjects with trisomy 21 syndrome (Down's syndrome) than the mean rate in healthy young controls. The rate of cerebral glucose utilization in the frontal lobe of a 51-year-old subject with Down's syndrome was significantly lower than the rate in the young subjects with this syndrome, but approximated the rate in middle-aged controls. Thus glucose utilization by the brain appears to be excessive in young adults with Down's syndrome but may decline with age in some brain regions.
Modification of Experimental Aminoglycoside Nephrotoxicity

Some of the factors that modify experimental aminoglycoside nephrotoxicity are reviewed. Maneuvers ready to be tested for effectiveness in the clinical use of these drugs are highlighted. The use of concomitant penicillins and changes in dosing strategy seem to be particularly exciting new leads toward elimination of clinical aminoglycoside nephrotoxicity.
The Lipids of Milk. II. The Fat Acids of the Sphingo-Myelin-Cerebroside Fraction

Summary The acetone-insoluble, ether-insoluble lipids of milk were isolated and found to consist of approximately equal parts of sphingomyelin and cerebrosides. Their amount was approximately 15 per cent of that of the ether soluble lecithin-cephalin material formerly isolated and analyzed. Their fat acid constituents were analyzed and found to consist chiefly of lignoceric acid (approximately 80 per cent) which was isolated and identified. The other 20 per cent of acids was found to be a very complex mixture of saturated, unsaturated, hydroxy saturated, and presumably hydroxy un-saturated acids, no one with the exception of myristic acid being present in sufficiently great concentration to make isolation possible with the limited supply of available material. The indications were that myristic acid is present in a concentration of less than 1 per cent. The presence of lignoceric acid in high concentration and the indicated nature of the other acids are in harmony with the nature of the acids of sphingomyelin and cerebrosides obtained from other sources.
Axial gain distribution in a cw CO(2) laser.

In a conventional CO2 laser system with low-speed longitudinal flow of the gas mixture along the discharge column a significant axial gain gradient has been found. Factors influencing the decrease of gain in the direction of the gas flow have been studied using a specially constructed cell. The rate of decrease can be strongly reduced by the addition of small amounts of xenon resulting in enhanced gain and power output.
Composite aortic root replacement with direct coronary artery implantation.

Background. Composite aortic root replacement is accepted treatment for aneurysms of the ascending aorta involving the root with aortic valve regurgitation, but controversy continues regarding the best technique of operation. We excise the aneurysm, implant a composite valve graft, directly attach the coronary arteries to the aortic graft, and make the distal anastomosis to the divided aorta. Methods. We reviewed the records and collected complete follow-up data on 110 consecutive patients having composite aortic root replacement with this technique from 1979 to 1995. Results. Average age was 54 years. Marfan's syndrome was present in 22 patients, acute dissections in 26, chronic dissections in 11, and active endocarditis in 13. Operative characteristics were: 25 emergency procedures, 33 urgent procedures, 52 elective procedures, 24 reoperations, and 19 with coronary artery bypass grafting. Hospital death occurred in 8 patients (7.3%). Multivariate predictors of hospital death were postoperative renal failure and acute dissection. Actuarial survival was 70% at 10 years (standard error, 5%). Multivariate predictors of total mortality were porcine valve, Bjork-Shiley valve, preoperative stroke, reoperation on a composite valve graft, and coronary artery bypass grafting. Only 3 patients required late reoperation, all for valve dysfunction. Actuarial freedom from reoperation on the aortic root was 97.3% (standard error, 1.9%) at 10 years. Late echocardiograms in 47 patients showed no anastomotic aneurysms. Conclusions. Composite aortic root replacement with direct coronary implantation is effective and durable treatment for a variety of aortic pathologic conditions in elective and emergency situations.
Global asymptotic stabilization of general nonlinear systems with stable free dynamics via passivity and bounded feedback

This paper develops a systematic method for global asymptotic stabilization (GAS) of general nonlinear control systems with stable free dynamics. The approach is based on the development of non-affine passive systems theory, the idea of feedback equivalence and the technique of bounded state feedback. Using the approach presented here, we show that, as in the case of affine systems, a nonlinear system whose free dynamics are stable is GAS if it satisfies appropriate controllability-like rank conditions characterized by the Lie brackets of affine-part vector fields. We then show how a globally stabilizing smooth state feedback control law can be constructed explicitly. As an application, a dynamic state (respectively output) feedback compensator is presented for a class of input-output non-affine systems.
A probabilistic approach to planning and control in autonomous urban driving

This paper considers the problem of decision making and control for autonomous urban vehicles operating among other non-cooperating, possibly human controlled, vehicles. The difficulty in this problem stems from the fact that the behavior of the other vehicles is uncertain, and in many circumstances a collision cannot be prevented even under restrictive assumptions about the other drivers' actions. Traditional approaches that consider the worst-case actions of the other vehicles typically are inapplicable because the solutions are either too conservative or infeasible. This work proposes a new method for solving this problem using a chance constrained framework, which requires that the violation probability of all the constraints is guaranteed to be below a threshold. This formulation has the benefit of not only achieving traditional objectives such as minimization of fuel or travel time, but also hedges the nominal planned maneuver against potential crashes leading from the uncertainty in the other drivers' actions. The proposed framework is demonstrated on a passing maneuver example which exhibits a region where the passing vehicle cannot be guaranteed to prevent a collision in all circumstances.
Effects of copper and zinc on two planktonic ciliates

The interactive effects of copper and zinc on two estuarine planktonic ciliates, Favella sp. and Balanion sp., were determined in seawater media in which the free metal ion activities were controlled by nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) trace metal ion buffer systems. Cupric ion activities of 10-10 M caused abnormal motility in both ciliates in shortterm (5 h) tests, and cupric ion activities as low as 10-12.8 M decreased the growth rates of both species in longer-term experiments. In the short-term tests, zinc ion activity by itself did not affect the motility of the ciliates, but there were significant interactions between copper and zinc. In the longer-term experiments, the growth of Favella sp. was optimal at the lowest cupric ion activity (10-13 M) and the two lowest zinc ion activities (10-12 and 10-13 M) and the two lowest zinc ion activities (10-12 and 10-11 M), and copper and zinc inhibited growth at activities above these values. By contrast, optimal growth rate of Balanion sp. occurred at the highest zinc ion activity (10-10 M) and the lowest cupric ion activities (10-13 to 10-12 M) and growth rate was reduced at zinc ion activities ≦10-11 M. There was an antagonism between copper and zinc which was particularly pronounced in Balanion sp.
Mycobacterium fortuitum lung abscess : resolution with prolonged trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole therapy

Mycobacterium fortuitum rarely causes lung disease despite its sporadic isolation as a saprophytic colonizer from sputum or saliva. If pulmonary disease occurs, it is usually indolent in nature. The case presented appears to be the first reported case of a M. fortuitum lung abscess that was successfully treated with a prolonged course of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. The patient remains well without evidence of recurrence nearly 2 yr after the cessation of therapy.
Addendum to “Polynomial approximate solutions to the Boussinesq equation”

Abstract A simple and accurate cubic approximation to the solution of the Boussinesq equation is given in case of power-law flux boundary condition being imposed at the inlet of an initially dry aquifer. The new approximation overcomes the numerical intensity of the earlier cubic approximation of Telyakovskiy and Allen [Telyakovskiy AS, Allen MB. Polynomial approximate solutions to the Boussinesq equation. Adv Water Resour 2006;29(12):1767–79], while producing comparably accurate results.
Empirically corrected ab initio calculation of proton NMR chemical shifts of antiaromatic hydrocarbons

Abstract Rablen and co-workers have developed an ab-initio based protocol for calculating proton NMR chemical shifts drawn from a wide range of molecules (80 molecules, 161 shifts) with a standard deviation of 0.15 ppm. When the Rablen model was applied to the protons of a set of five relatively large aromatic hydrocarbons, the fit was excellent ( Φ =0.05 ppm), but when it was applied to the protons of a set of antiaromatic hydrocarbons, it failed badly (Φ=0.73 ppm). The failure is identified with the well known too-small HOMO–LUMO gap arising from the B3LYP procedure employed in the Rablen model and the intrinsically small HOMO–LUMO gaps of antiaromatic species. Five empirical fixes for the failure are developed. Each markedly improves the fit of the antiaromatic NMR proton shifts. The best of them, based on graph theory, gives a standard deviation of only 0.10 ppm for the 16 antiaromatic proton shifts, a standard deviation of 0.05 ppm for the 19 aromatic proton shifts, and a standard deviation of 0.14 ppm for the combined set of 196 proton shifts.
Competition from the limit order book and NYSE spreads

Abstract Using the New York Stock Exchange’s (NYSE) trades, orders, reports, and quotes data, we investigate whether competition from the limit order book reduces NYSE spreads. We replicate and extend the research design of McInish and Wood (1992) . We find that there is a statistically significant reduction in NYSE spreads as a result of limit order competition and that the reduction is significantly greater in the morning than during the remainder of the trading day. We also examine the day-of-the-week differences in limit order placements and find no day of the week pattern in the number or the size of limit order placements.
Hemodynamics of cardiac tamponade in a patient with AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Although cardiac involvement has been commonly described in HIV-infected patients, cardiac tamponade is an unusual feature of AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. We describe an AIDS patient with undiagnosed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma presenting with hemodynamics of pericardial tamponade.
Spore formation in the life cycles of the diatoms Chaetoceros diadema and Leptocylindrus danicus

A nitrogen limitation technique elicited the entire life cycle of the marine centric diatoms Chaetoceros diadema (Ehr.) Gran and Leptocylindrus danicus Cleve. In C. diadema the sexual cycle followed the same pattern as in the previously investigated C. didymus. Sexuality took place in narrow diameter cells, only at 2 and 5° C, and was seldom seen. Resting spore formation took place in cells of all sizes and at all temperatures at which the species grew vegetatively (2–15° C). The L. danicus life cycle is probably unique among diatoms. Nitrogen depletion induced sexuality in the entire culture at 10 and 15° C if the cell diameter was narrow (3–8 μm). Auxospore formation was followed by resting spore formation directly within the auxospore. In C. diadema, as in most centric diatoms, resting spores are not an obligate part of the life cycle, but they are in L. danicus. Resting spore formation is a versatile adaptive response in C. diadema, depending only on nitrogen depletion, although promoted by low temperatures. In L. danicus the linkage to the sexual process sharply limits conditions under which resting spores can form.
Photon-echo novelty filter for measuring a sudden change in index of refraction

An optical novelty filter with phase-conjugate photon echoes is constructed to measure a sudden change in the index of refraction of a transparent medium. This novelty filter is set up as a Michelson interferometer and employs a europium-doped crystal as a phase-conjugate mirror. The filter is sensitive to the sudden change in index of refraction when the phase-conjugate echo experiences a different path length from the first laser excitation pulse in a photon-echo experiment. Using a Pockels cell as a pure phase modulator, we demonstrate that the filter can resolve a sudden phase change occurring on a nanosecond time scale with an accuracy and resolution close to 5°.
Fringe visibility of dual-aperture sampling with partially coherent illumination.

The effect on fringe visibility of a dual-aperture imaging system produced by two mutually partially coherent point sources is studied. The two mutually partially coherent point sources are generated by an original extended incoherent source. The problem formulation is developed from the partial coherence theory of Wolf. The results show that the fringe visibility is affected by the spectral bandwidth, source size, sampling aperture size, as well as the defocused distance of the imaging system. These results are quite consistent with the Thompson’s predictions of Young’s experiment.
New concept for simplifying SOFC system

Abstract A novel design for the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) has been proposed. By attaching palladium and gold electrodes on the same face of BaCe0.8Gd0.2O3−α electrolyte and feeding a mixture of CH4 and O2 (CH4:O2 mole ratio = 2:1) to the cell at 950 °C, electric power could be generated from the cell. The main advantages are that the ohmic resistance of the cell decreased with reducing distance between the two electrodes and that some unit cells were connected in series and parallel with one another on the same electrolyte. In addition, the surface ionic conduction of oxide ion was studied from the standpoint of the surface morphology of the electrolyte.
Electronic sign strategies and their benefits

Recent years have seen the introduction of many electronic signs providing dynamic information to road users. These variable message signs (VMS) are, in most cases, connected together to form systems over increasingly large geographical areas, and have the opportunity to influence significant numbers of drivers. Much work is currently under way to measure the performance of such systems in order to assess the benefits of the investment and justify the further deployment of signs. The results are beginning to identify VMS strategies that yield the best returns. They have already provoked proposals for further integration of VMS with other information systems, and are highlighting institutional issues relating to sign control. This paper summarises these results and the emerging conclusions from the work.
Canine Malassezia dermatitis: Where are we now?

Malassezia pachydermatis is the Malassezia organism of greatest veterinary importance. It is an oval or ‘snowman’, ‘footprint’ or ‘peanut’ shaped yeast, approximately 4-5 μm in length. It reproduces by budding from one end of the cell. It can be often be found in healthy dogs in the ear canal, rectum, anus and mouth. It may also be found in the skin around the mouth and between the toes. DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH MALASSEZIA PACHYDERMATIS Diseases currently associated with Malassezia pachydermatis are generally referred to as Malassezia dermatitis, not a diagnosis in its own right, but a collection of circumstances in which Malassezia yeasts are found in increased numbers, and appear to have a causal role in the skin disease.
Band-width optimization of meso-scopic DOEs using the wavelet transform

The design and optimization of meso-scopic diffractive optical elements (DOEs) is complicated by the fact that electromagnetic models of diffraction must be used to accurately analyze the behavior of candidate DOE profiles. Although recent years have seen steady progress in the development of electromagnetic models, in particular those formulated for the analysis of finite and aperiodic DOEs, few of these methods have been applied to DOE synthesis. This is due, in large part, to the computational resources needed to implement electromagnetic models of diffraction. For instance, the time required to analyze a DOE using scalar models is typically on the order of fractions of a second, while that for electromagnetic models ranges from several minutes to a few hours. As a result, optimization algorithms developed for scalar applications are generally of limited value in the electromagnetic domain due to their inability to arrive at an optimal solution in reasonable time frames. As a result, in this paper we present an optimization algorithm developed explicitly for electromagnetic applications.
Pilot-Performed In-Trail Spacing and Merging: An Experimental Study

Responsibility for the guidance of aircraft in the National Airspace System is currently given largely to the air traffic controller. This study investigated the benefits of having pilots more involved in guidance during two representative air traffic management operations: maintaining in-trail separation and arrival sequencing. This included 12 airline pilots flying arrival routes in a part-task, medium-fidelity simulator, during which they were responsible for attaining and maintaining a commanded relative position within the traffic flow. A variety of cockpit displays of traffic information and procedures were tested, and the pilots' performance was tracked during both nominal and off-nominal traffic situations. Results provide preliminary evidence of the benefit of pilot involvement in the guidance component of these operations. Suggestions are given for modifications to cockpit avionics systems. The need for established air traffic control procedures to provide foreknowledge to the pilots and a structure within which pilots can interact is also highlighted, illustrating that improvements to aircraft guidance within the National Airspace System may benefit from both technical and procedural changes.
Comparison of skin incision vs. skin plus deep tissue incision on ongoing pain and spontaneous activity in dorsal horn neurons.

Surgery injures both skin and deep tissue causing pain at rest and evoked pain with activities. In this study, we examined the extent of injury by incision and dorsal horn neuron (DHN) spontaneous activity (SA) in rats that underwent a sham operation, skin incision or skin plus deep tissue incision. Pain behaviors were measured 1 day later followed by DHN recordings in the same rats. On postoperative day (POD) 1, guarding pain, assessed with an abbreviated pain score, was increased in the skin plus deep tissue incision group (7.0 ± 0.7 vs. 0.1 ± 0.6 in control, P < 0.001), but not in the skin incision group (1.8 ± 1.0); yet, mechanical and heat hyperalgesia were similar in both incised groups. In the rats that underwent skin plus deep tissue incision, more DHNs expressed SA (78.1% vs. 35.7% in control, P < 0.01) and SA rate also tended to be greater (13.8 ± 2.9 vs. 5.6 ± 2.0 imp/s). Bupivacaine infiltration into the incision decreased SA in both skin incision and skin plus deep tissue incision (POD1) groups to the same level as in the sham-operated rats. In a separate group of rats that underwent skin plus deep tissue incision, guarding pain was not present (0.1 ± 0.6) on POD7 and the percentage and rate of DHN SA were the same as in the sham control. These data demonstrate that incised deep tissue rather than skin is critical for the development of guarding pain and increased SA of DHNs. Skin incision alone is sufficient for primary mechanical and heat hyperalgesia.
Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Induces Intrinsic Apoptotic Signaling During Renal Obstruction Through Truncated Bid Activation

Purpose: Tumor necrosis factor-α has a significant role in renal tubular cell apoptosis during obstruction induced renal injury. While we have previously reported the role of tumor necrosis factor-α in extrinsic pathway apoptotic signaling during renal obstruction, to our knowledge its effect on intrinsic pathway signaling and mitochondrial release of cytochrome C has not previously been evaluated.Materials and Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized and underwent unilateral ureteral obstruction vs sham operation. At 24 hours before surgery and every 84 hours thereafter the animals received vehicle or a pegylated form of soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor type 1. The kidneys were harvested 1 week postoperatively. The renal cortex was analyzed for tumor necrosis factor-α production (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), apoptosis (TUNEL and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Bax, caspase 8 and truncated Bid expression (Western blot), and mitochondrial cytochrome C release (imm...
FLSS: a fault-tolerant topology control algorithm for wireless networks

Topology control algorithms usually reduce the number of links in a wireless network, which in turn decreases the degree of connectivity. The resulting network topology is more susceptible to system faults such as node failures and departures. In this paper, we consider k-vertex connectivity of a wireless network. We first present a centralized algorithm, Fault-tolerant Global Spanning Subgraph (FGSSk), which preserves k-vertex connectivity. FGSSk is min-max optimal, i.e., FGSSk minimizes the maximum transmission power used in the network, among all algorithms that preserve k-vertex connectivity. Based on FGSSk, we propose a localized algorithm, Fault-tolerant Local Spanning Subgraph (FLSSk). It is proved that FLSSk preserves k-vertex connectivity while maintaining bi-directionality of the network, and FLSSk is min-max optimal among all strictly localized algorithms. We then relax several widely used assumptions for topology control to enhance the practicality of FGSSk and FLSSk. Simulation results show that FLSSk is more power-efficient than other existing distributed/localized topology control algorithms.
Assessing What Matters: Improving College Readiness 50 Years Beyond Brown

50 years after the Brown v. Board of Education decision, a high-stakes testing movement, significantly boosted by provisions contained in No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, has emerged with the potential of both positive and negative implications. This paper argues that assessment generally is not tied to the 3 positive outcomes of urban, suburban, or rural schools—admission to college, military, and workforce entry—which are relevant to the private and public sectors, and to students and their parents. Benchmarking performance directly in relation to positive outcomes that matter is crucial if high-stakes testing, which ostensibly has as its purpose the improvement of overall system performance, is to be tied to all the desired outcomes that matter.
Websites Quality: Does It Depend on the Application Domain?

Websites quality models are important to rank presences in the web, to identify best practices or pinpoint poor implementations. This paper presents a preliminary step of a website quality evaluation approach based on fully automatic collection of quality metrics, grouped by ISO9126 quality characteristics. In this step, over sixty candidate metrics, mostly proposed by other Web Engineering researchers, were collected. Besides providing evidence on the feasibility of automatic collection, we present the results of an empirical study where we assess which metrics of website quality depend on the application domain. Using a modified web crawler and a database, we collected a sample of more than one hundred sites, organized in three balanced groups, each corresponding to a different application domain area (banks, newspapers and airlines). Then, we tested if the application domain had a statistically significant influence on the values of the collected quality metrics. Our findings point to the conclusion that roughly half of the selected quality metrics are domain dependent.
Do survivors of acute neurologic injury remember their stay in the neuroscience intensive care unit

Patients in medical, surgical, and trauma intensive care units (ICUs) are at risk for later development of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Because acute brain injury can impair recall; we sought to show that neuroscience patients undergoing prolonged neuroscience ICU admission have limited memory of their ICU stay and thus are less likely to develop symptoms of PTSD. We surveyed patients >18 years admitted for 10 days or more to our neuroscience ICU over a 10-year period. The survey response rate was 50.5 % (47/93). Forty percent (19/47) of respondents presented with coma. Recall of details of the ICU admission was limited. Fewer than 10 % of patients who required mechanical ventilation recalled being on a ventilator. Only five patients (11 %) had responses suggestive of possible post-traumatic stress syndrome. The most commonly experienced symptoms following discharge were difficulty sleeping, difficulty with concentration, and memory loss. Patients requiring prolonged neuroscience ICU admission do not appear to be traumatized by their ICU stay.
Application of system identification technique to FDTD and FDTD Diakoptics method

The system identification technique is applied to the FDTD Diakopties method. The computational time and computer storage are significantly reduced. This technique is successfully used in the FDTD Diakoptics simulation of active microwave circuits.
Evaluation of a portable photometer for estimating diesel particulate matter concentrations in an underground limestone mine.

A low cost, battery-operated, portable, real-time aerosol analyzer is not available for monitoring diesel particulate matter (DPM) concentrations in underground mines. This study summarizes a field evaluation conducted at an underground limestone mine to evaluate the potential of the TSI AM 510 portable photometer (equipped with a Dorr-Oliver cyclone and 1.0-μm impactor) to qualitatively track time-weighted average mass and elemental, organic, and total carbon (TC) measurements associated with diesel emissions. The calibration factor corrected correlation coefficient (R2) between the underground TC and photometer measurements was 0.93. The main issues holding back the use of a photometer for real-time estimation of DPM in an underground mine are the removal of non-DPM-associated particulate matter from the aerosol stream using devices, such as a cyclone and/or impactor and calibration of the photometer to mine-specific aerosol.
Magnetic resonance imaging correlates of clinical outcomes in early multiple sclerosis

Abstract Objectives To study the association between changes in brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical outcomes in early MS. Methods MS patients within 12 months of onset were enrolled and followed up to 3 years. Clinical measures included Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), MS Functional Composite (MSFC) and low contrast letter acuity (LCLA). MRI outcomes included brain volume changes measured by SIENA and SIENAX normalized measurements [brain parenchymal volume (BPV), normal-appearing white and gray matter volume (NAWMV and GMV) and T2 lesion volume (T2LV)]. Mixed model regression measured time trends and associations between imaging and clinical outcome. Results Forty-three patients were enrolled within 7.5±4.9 months of onset. Baseline T2 lesion volume predicted subsequent changes in Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) ( p =0.004), whereas baseline measures of atrophy including BPV, GMV, and NAWMV predicted longitudinal changes in MSFC ( p =0.016, p =0.040, p =0.021, respectively) and Timed-25 Foot Walk ( p p =0.03). Each 1% decrease in brain volume SIENA was associated with almost 1.5 letters decrease on LCLA ( p =0.02). Conclusion Measures of lesion volume and overall brain volume were associated with different long-term clinical outcome measures in early MS.
A dual-polarized slot-ring antenna with independent tuning

Tunable resonant antennas are useful for wireless communications because a single antenna can cover several different frequency bands while rejecting noise and interference at frequencies outside of the selected band. Dual-polarized antennas extend the flexibility of a system even further. Slot-ring antennas are capable of both tuning and dual-polarized operation, but no tunable dual-polarized antennas have been demonstrated to the authors' knowledge. Square dual-polarized slot-ring antenna in which both polarizations can be tuned independently from 4.4 GHz down to 1.92 GHz with capacitive loading. Measured results are presented using ceramic chip capacitors, but varactor diodes will be used in future designs.
A world grains and soybeans model

This paper describes the recently completed world grains and soybean model currently used by the Commodity Studies and Projections Division. The model is a non—spatial, partial equilibrium, net—trade model. It is global in scope with 15 countries modelled individually and the remaining countries grouped into nine regions.
A Further Study on Estimating Surface Evaporation Using Monthly Mean Data: Comparison of Bulk Formulations

Abstract This study further examines the errors in estimating surface evaporation using monthly mean surface atmospheric variables from the moored buoys in the equatorial Pacific. Results from two significantly different bulk aerodynamic formulas are compared. It is shown that for both formulas the errors are within 2–3 W m−2 on average, representing a relative error of less than 3% in the equatorial Pacific. Although small, this error varies systematically across the equatorial Pacific and depends on the bulk formula used. It is also demonstrated that the individual nonlinear contributions associated with the strong dependence of exchange coefficient on surface wind to monthly mean surface evaporation are significant. However, they largely cancel each other, leaving small net effect.
Fish Communities and Their Associations with Environmental Variables, Lower San Joaquin River Drainage, California

Twenty sites in the lower San Joaquin River drainage, California, were sampled from 1993 to 1995 to characterize fish communities and their associations with measures of water quality and habitat quality. The feasibility of developing an Index of Biotic Integrity was assessed by evaluating four fish community metrics, including percentages of native fish, omnivorous fish, fish intolerant of environmental degradation, and fish with external anomalies. Of the thirty-one taxa of fish captured during the study, only 10 taxa were native to the drainage. Multivariate analyses of percentage data identified four site groups characterized by different groups of species. The distributions of fish species were related to specific conductance, gradient, and mean depth; however, specific conductance acted as a surrogate variable for a large group of correlated variables. Two of the fish community metrics – percentage of introduced fish and percentage of intolerant fish – appeared to be responsive to environmental quality but the responses of the other two metrics – percentage of omnivorous fish and percentage of fish with anomalies – were less direct. The conclusion of the study is that fish communities are responsive to environmental conditions, including conditions associated with human-caused disturbances, particularly agriculture and water development. The results suggest that changes in water management and water quality could result in changes in species distributions. Balancing the costs and benefits of such changes poses a considerable challenge to resource managers.
Preserving and maximizing the effect of Muller's superior tarsal muscle iin levator surgery for blepharoptosis

In an attempt both to preserve and — if possible — to enhance the amplitude of action of Muller's superior tarsal muscle, as a supplement to levator surgery for blepharoptosis, a procedure in which the former muscle, with adherent conjunctiva, is dissected laterally and freed at its origin, prior to levator surgery, to be re-apposed to the back of the latter muscle as high as possible, at the conclusion of the levator procedure, has been tried on five cases, with good preservation of staring and of response to topical epinephrine — to which Muller's muscle but not levator, responds. Preservation of response to topical cocaine as well further implies that the sympathetic innervation of Muller's muscle is also unharmed by the technique, and indicates that its unknown anatomical pathway most probably follows the peripheral arterial arcade of the upper pretarsal space, entering the muscle near its insertion — the only part of Muller's muscle left undissected by this procedure.Ptosis patients with reduced ampl...
Evolution of the Electronic Band Structure and Efficient Photo-Detection in Atomic Layers of InSe

Atomic layers of two-dimensional (2D) materials have recently been the focus of extensive research. This follows from the footsteps of graphene, which has shown great potential for ultrathin optoelectronic devices. In this paper, we present a comprehensive study on the synthesis, characterization, and thin film photodetector application of atomic layers of InSe. Correlation between resonance Raman spectroscopy and photoconductivity measurements allows us to systematically track the evolution of the electronic band structure of 2D InSe as its thickness approaches few atomic layers. Analysis of photoconductivity spectra suggests that few-layered InSe has an indirect band gap of 1.4 eV, which is 200 meV higher than bulk InSe due to the suppressed interlayer electron orbital coupling. Temperature-dependent photocurrent measurements reveal that the suppressed interlayer interaction also results in more localized pz-like orbitals, and these orbitals couple strongly with the in-plane E′ and E″ phonons. Finally, ...