cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distribution and morphology of sacral spinal cord neurons innervating pelvic structures in Xenopus laevis

Relatively little is known about the organization of neural input to pelvic viscera in amphibia. In this study, sacral spinal efferent neurons were labeled in Xenopus laevis frogs by application of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) to the tenth spinal nerve, to pelvic musculature, or to the pelvic nerve. DiI was applied to the pelvic nerve with similar results. Labeled spinal neurons were located in the intermediate gray or in the ventral horn. Neurons in the tenth dorsal root ganglion, but not in the spinal cord, were labeled after application of HRP or DiI to the pudendal nerve. The labeled neurons in the spinal cord intermediate gray were in a position comparable to that of the mammalian sacral parasympathetic nucleus (SPN). Two apparent subdivisions included 1) a medial cluster of cells with mediolaterally oriented dendrites and 2) a lateral group with dorsoventrally oriented dendrites. An intermediate group, not clearly classed with the other two, was also identifiable. In some cases, labeled tenth nerve primary afferents were seen in contact with efferent neurons of the intermediate gray. Labeled neurons in the ventral horn medial to the lateral motor column were small, with dendrites oriented mediolaterally, in a position comparable to that of the mammalian Onuf's nucleus. The peripheral targets of DiI-labeled pelvic nerve axons were the compressor cloaca muscle, cloaca, and bladder. DiI-labeled pudendal nerve axons distributed peripherally to cloacal lip and medial thigh integument. These data suggest that the pudendal nerve in amphibians is purely sensory and that both somatic and autonomic motor axons traverse the pelvic nerve.
Bovine interleukin 2: Production and characterization

The production of bovine IL 2 was studied and IL 2 was partially characterized. PMA at 5 ng/ml + Concanavalin A at 5 micrograms/ml treatment of peripheral blood mononuclear cells gave a greater yield of IL 2 activity in the supernatants than Con A, PMA or sodium periodate treatments alone. Macrophage depletion increased yields as did the addition of indomethacin, a prostaglandin E2 inhibitor. Bovine IL 2 was sensitive to trypsin, relatively stable at pH 2-9, 2-ME resistant and sensitive to increasing molar concentrations of urea. The activity of bovine IL 2 was reduced by over 45% at 70 degrees C for 30 min and 95% at 90 degrees C for 30 min. Bovine IL 2 was more stable at 4 degrees C than at room temperature and the stability at room temperature could be improved by inclusion of 1% BSA. Bovine IL 2 eluted from DEAE-Sephadex as a broad peak with 0.1-0.2 M NaCl. Peak activity corresponded to a molecular weight of approximately 16,000 daltons on Sephadex G-100.
Factoring the Mapping Problem: Mobile Robot Map-building in the Hybrid Spatial Semantic Hierarchy

We propose a factored approach to mobile robot map-building that handles qualitatively different types of uncertainty by combining the strengths of topological and metrical approaches. Our framework is based on a computational model of the human cognitive map; thus it allows robust navigation and communication within several different spatial ontologies. This paper focuses exclusively on the issue of map-building using the framework. Our approach factors the mapping problem into natural sub-goals: building a metrical representation for local small-scale spaces; finding a topological map that represents the qualitative structure of large-scale space; and (when necessary) constructing a metrical representation for large-scale space using the skeleton provided by the topological map. We describe how to abstract a symbolic description of the robot's immediate surround from local metrical models, how to combine these local symbolic models in order to build global symbolic models, and how to create a globally consistent metrical map from a topological skeleton by connecting local frames of reference.
Effects of cooling and freezing on pH of semen extender.

Abstract The pH change of 10 different buffering systems with temperature ranging from room to 5 °C was examined; three were conventional buffers which included phosphate yolk, citrate yolk, and skim milk. Seven were Good's buffers with egg yolk which included TES, TRIS, BES, MOPS, PIPES, MES, and TEST. The pH of the three conventional buffers did not change with decreasing temperature, but Good's buffers showed an increase in pH with decreasing temperature from room to 5 °C. The pH change due to temperature was measured for TEST buffer solution with and without 20% egg yolk containing 2 or 6% of five different cryoprotective compounds. The pH at 5 °C was significantly higher than at room temperature. The addition of egg yolk and/or cryoprotective compound did not alter the pH significantly during cooling, even though a slight drop in pH was noted with the addition of egg yolk indicating that the change in pH is primarily due to the buffer. The pH of TEST yolk buffer (pH 7.2 at room temperature) was measured continuously from 37 °C to below freezing (−18 °C). The pH increased with decreasing temperature to 8.0 ± 0.2 from 37 to −14 °C at which point it dropped abruptly to pH 6.5 ± 0.2.
What is the terrible triad

In 1936 Campbell asserted that "impairment of the anterior crucial and mesial ligaments is associated with injuries of the internal cartilage." O'Donoghue in 1950 called attention to "that unhappy triad (1) rupture of the medial collateral ligament, (2) damage to the medial meniscus, and (3) rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament" and recommended early surgical intervention. In 1955 he reported 33 cases with both medial collateral (MCL) and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, but there were only three lateral meniscus tears reported. Based on a recent report by Shelbourne and Nitz that questions the validity of this unhappy triad, a review of all arthroscopically confirmed acute injuries of second degree or worse to the ACL and MCL was undertaken. Of a total of 52 knees reviewed, 50 knees had third-degree ACL tears and two had second-degree ACL tears. One of the second-degree tears was associated with a second-degree MCL and one with a third-degree ACL tear. Neither had an associated meniscus tear. Forty-five third-degree ACL tears were associated with third-degree MCL tears (group 1) and five with second-degree MCL tears (group 2). Eighty percent (36 knees) of group 1 had lateral meniscus tears. Only 29% of group 1 (13 knees) had associated medial meniscus tears. None of these medial meniscus tears was isolated. Eighty percent (four knees) of group 2 had lateral meniscus tears with only one associated medial meniscus tear. Again, there were no medial meniscus tears in the absence of a lateral meniscus tear. We did not find the combination of injury originally described as the unhappy triad.
Utility of a clinically derived abbreviated form of the WAIS-III.

Abstract The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Third Edition (WAIS-III) often poses problems for many populations due to the length of administration. Twenty geriatric subjects were administered the full WAIS-III. Three abbreviated forms of the WAIS-III (Satz–Mogel abbreviation ( Satz & Mogel, 1962 ); seven-subtest short form ( Ward, 1990 ); and a clinically derived abbreviation) were evaluated by rescoring original full WAIS-III protocols. Results showed that the abbreviated WAIS-III protocols were highly correlated with complete protocols, and classification rules were the highest for the clinically derived abbreviation. The clinically derived abbreviation was reevaluated in a college LD/ADHD population yielding similarly high correlations. Results support the use of abbreviated forms of the WAIS-III in the evaluation of elderly patients and young adults, and point to the clinically derived abbreviation as providing the smallest discrepancies from FSIQ.
Drinking habits and expectancies about alcohol's effects for self versus others

Un questionnaire sur les effets attendus de l'alcool a ete administre a 150 etudiants. Les sujets s'attendent de facon consistante a ce que l'alcool affecte davantage les autres qu'eux-memes a la fois dans ses effets positifs tels que plaisir sexuel ou plaisir en societe et dans ses effets negatifs tels que delabrement et alteration des facultes mentales
Hybrid Covalent/Ionic Self-Assembly of Organic Second OrderNonlinear Optical Films

lonically self-assembled monolayer (ISAM) films have been shown to spontaneously produce noncentrosymmetric ordering that gives rise to a substantial second order nonlinear optical (NLO) response. Previously, the ISAM films for NLO response consisted of bilayers of oppositely charged polymers whose thickness can be controlled through variation of pH and ionic strength of the immersion solutions. Here, we present an approach that replaces the NLO-active polymer layers with layers of monomeric chromophores containing ionic and covalent bonding sites. We have examined the effect of the pH of the immersion solutions on the orientation the of monomeric chromophores and demonstrated bulk polar ordering with %® values six times larger than quartz.
UNIVERSAL CP-NONCONSERVING THEORIES.

The assumptions of the normal phenomenological weak-interaction theory are examined, and successively relaxed with a view to listing systematically all theories which are in varying degrees similar to the usual theory. A theory is found, of the current-current form, which is universal in the conventional sense, uses only $V\ensuremath{-}A$ currents, is capable of yielding $\mathrm{CP}$ violation, and is consistent with all existing experimental results.
Molecular Characterization of a Novel Basement Membrane-associated Proteoglycan, Leprecan

A monoclonal antibody was used in early studies to identify a novel chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, secreted by L-2 cells, the core protein of which was approximately 100 kDa. To characterize this proteoglycan core protein at the molecular level, an L-2 cell cDNA library was probed by expression screening and solution hybridization. Northern blot analysis assigned transcript size to approximately 3.1 kilobases and, after contig assembly, the coding region of the mRNA corresponded to 2.18 kilobases. Immunoassays were performed to confirm the identity of this sequence, using a polyclonal antibody raised against an expressed fusion protein encoded by sequence representing the carboxyl half of the molecule. The antibody recognized the core protein in Western blots after prior digestion of the intact proteoglycan with chondroitinase ABC. Immunostaining tissue sections with the same antibody localized the proteoglycan to basement membranes, and expression of the entire sequence in Chinese hamster ovary K-1 cells showed that the protein encoded by the sequence secreted as a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan. The core protein not only has motifs permitting glycosylation as a proteoglycan, but also possesses the endoplasmic reticulum retrieval signal, KDEL, which suggests that, in addition to its role as a basement membrane component, it may also participate in the secretory pathway of cells.
Beta-gamma counting system for Xe fission products

A beta-gamma coincidence counting system has been developed for automated analysis of Xe gas samples separated from air. The Xe gas samples are contained in a cylindrical plastic scintillator cell located between two NaI(T1) scintillation detectors. The X-ray and gamma spectra gated by coincident events in the plastic scintillator cell are recorded for each NaI(T1) crystal. The characteristic signatures of the131mXe,133gXe,133mXe, and135gXe isotopes of interest for nuclear test-ban verification as well as the procedures and results of absolute efficiency measurements are described. A NaI(T1) crystal with provision for 4 sample cells has been implemented for the system to be deployed in the field. Examples of data on ambient air samples in New York City obtained with the field prototype are presented.
Chemotherapy of Schistosomiasis: An Update

No major changes have occurred during the past 20 years regarding the therapeutic tools available to the clinician for the treatment of schistosomiasis. If anything, the two drugs (oxamniquine and metrifonate) that are valuable alternatives to the drug of choice (praziquantel) have become more difficult to procure in some African countries. Here, Donato Cioli summarizes some of the most recent and interesting laboratory studies on potential antischistosomal compounds, and then reviews recent developments related to the mechanism of action of praziquantel and to the possible emergence of praziquantel-resistant schistosomes.
Residential Energy Use Alternatives: 1976 to 2000

A comprehensive engineering-economic model of residential energy use (developed at ORNL) was used to evaluate the energy impacts of various energy conservation strategies. The model simulates household energy use at the national level for four fuels, six end uses, and three housing types--single family, multifamily buildings, and trailers. Several cases were run with the model to determine the impacts on energy use of each factor, in isolation, and in combination with other determinants of fuel use. Dr. Hirst concludes the following: (1) residential energy use will grow more slowly during the last quarter of the 20th century than it did during the third quarter; (2) a ''high forecast'' developed in the study is not valid because it was assumed that fuel prices will hold constant (1975), that household formation and personal income will increase rapidly, and that the 1960-1970 trend in housing choices (away from single-family) will not continue; (3) implementation of energy conservation programs to raise fuel prices can have significant energy impacts; (4) implementation of a program to increase efficiency of residential equipment by 1980, as specified in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, can cut energy use in the year 2000 by at least 10 percent; andmore » (5) programs to improve thermal integrity of residential structures can also provide significant energy savings during the next 25 years. (MCW)« less
Interface effects of SIPOS passivation

Electrical characterization of metal-semi-insulating polycrystalline silicon (SIPOS)-Si samples have been carried out using IV , C-V , and C-t techniques. Bulk resistivity and interface properties have been examined. The results indicate that annealing can give rise to a current barrier at the SIPOS-Si interface that constitutes another mechanism for interface charge formation as distinct from interface states. This current barrier-induced interface charge can lead to significant spreading of the depletion zone on test diodes. With SIPOS bulk resistivity greater than 108Ω . cm, the interface electrical properties are shown to have greater influence than bulk SIPOS properties on device behavior.
Control of nonisothermal CSTR with time varying parameters via dynamic neural network control (DNNC)

Dynamic neural network control (DNNC) is a model predictive control strategy potentially applicable to nonlinear systems. It uses a neural network to model the process and its mathematical inverse to control the process. The advantages of single hidden layer DNNC are threefold: First, the neural network structure is very simple, having limited nodes in the hidden layer and output layer for the SISO case. Second, DNNC offers potential for better initialization of weights along with fewer weights and bias terms. Third, the controller design and implementation are easier than control strategies such as conventional and hybrid neural networks without loss in performance. The objective of this paper is to present the basic concept of single hidden layer DNNC and illustrate its potential. In addition, this paper provides a detailed case study in which DNNC is applied to the nonisothermal CSTR with time varying parameters including activation energy (i.e., deactivation of catalyst) and heat transfer coefficient (i.e., fouling). DNNC is compared with PID control. Although it is clear that DNNC will perform better than PID, it is useful to compare PID with DNNC to illustrate the extreme range of the nonlinearity of the process. This paper represents a preliminary effort to design a simplified neural network-based control approach for a class of nonlinear processes. Therefore, additional work is required for investigation of the effectiveness of this approach for other chemical processes such as batch reactors. The results show excellent DNNC performance in the region where conventional PID control fails.
Are Expectations for Care Related to the Receipt of Care? an Analysis of Parent Care among Disabled Elders

This investigation explores the relationship between the degree to which older parents expect assistance from their children and the actual amount of care they receive from their children. Combining the theories of reasoned action and intergenerational solidarity, we hypothesize that global expectations (social norms about receiving care) influence specific expectations (behavioral intentions to seek care), but that it is specific expectations that influence the amount of care received from children. Data were collected at three points over a 12-month period among a sample of impaired older parents (65+) who lived independently in community settings (n = 334). Using structural equation models, the results were consistent with the hypothesis. We conclude that the theory of reasoned action is a useful adjunct to the theory of intergenerational solidarity by proposing that parents adjust their global expectations to reflect the specific realities of the lives of their children.
Self-report of smoking, obesity and hypertension history and survival among a cohort of iowa renal cell carcinoma cases.

Abstract PURPOSE: Smoking, obesity and hypertension are well-established risk factors for the development of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, little is known regarding the ability of RCC patient history regarding these characteristics to predict future survival. METHODS: To evaluate this question, we conducted follow-up on a cohort of incident RCC cases first assembled in Iowa from 1986–1989 for case-control analysis. We report data on 364 cases aged 40–86 years who reported detailed anthropometric and lifestyle history on a mailed questionnaire. Mortality experiences through 1998 were determined by linkage to the Iowa Cancer Registry and other databases; 233 deaths were identified during the 2,470 total years of follow-up, with 145 of those having RCC listed as the underlying cause of death on the death certificate. The Cox Proportional Hazards model was used to estimate the risk associated with each potential prognostic characteristic. RESULTS: After adjustment for age, a suggestion of an association with survival was noted for history of hypertension [Relative Risk (RR) = 0.8; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.5–1.1] but no association was noted for either smoking or weight history. After further adjustment for tumor stage at diagnosis, evidence of an association for either smoking or obesity remained absent. However, after similar adjustment, the protective effect of history of hypertension actually strengthened slightly (RR = 0.7; CI 0.5–0.9). CONCLUSIONS: Data from this follow-up study of incident RCC cases in Iowa suggests that after adjustment for the strongest independent predictor of survival, a reported history of hypertension is associated with better survival.
Variables affecting reactions to social acceptance and rejection.

Summary Two studies examined variables assumed to affect an individual's attraction to a partner who either liked or disliked him. The assumption underlying these investigations was that such reactions to others are affected by the extent to which self-esteem needs are satisfied or frustrated by social acceptance or rejection. In Study I subjects were more attracted to a partner who liked them and less attracted to a partner who disliked them when such acceptance or rejection by the partner was accompanied by positive trait ratings of the subjects than by negative trait ratings. The interpretation of these findings was that partners who were making positive trait ratings—ratings presumably which were consistent with the subject's view of himself—would be perceived as more uniquely focused on the subject and therefore have more positive or negative impact on his self-esteem needs. Study II ruled out the alternative interpretation of Study I that skillful evaluators of an individual affect him more than uns...
Effect of Alkali and Alkaline Earth Metal Salts on Suppression of Lithium Dendrites

Lithium dendrites are needle-like structures that form during the electrodeposition of lithium metal. These whiskers complicate the use of lithium metal as an anode in lithium batteries because they can puncture the separator and short circuit the battery. In addition, the large surface area and poor adhesion of the deposit contributes to loss of coulombic efficiency. The effect of alkali and alkaline earth metal ions on the morphology of electrodeposited lithium metal has been studied. Varying concentrations of alkali and alkaline earth metal ions were added to a 1 M lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (Li-TFSI) trimethylbutylammonium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (N1114-TFSI) electrolyte. Lithium metal was electrodeposited from each electrolyte and examined ex-situ by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Alkali metal ions, with the exception of sodium, had little or no effect on the deposited lithium morphology. However, alkaline earth metal ions at 0.05 M concentration significantly reduced the occurrence of dendrites. When the concentration of the alkaline earth metal ions was increased to 0.1 M, dendrites were completely eliminated and lithium was deposited in a sphere-like morphology. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) showed that no alkaline earth metals were found in the sphere-like deposits, suggesting that dendrite mitigation occurred through an adsorption mechanism. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by ECS. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (CC BY, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse of the work in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. [DOI: 10.1149/2.0301409jes] All rights reserved.
An ethics curriculum for teaching emergency medicine residents

Instruction in medical ethics has become standard in undergraduate medical education within the past decade; more recently, several specialty boards have formally endorsed ethics teaching and evaluation for residents as well. However, the current emergency medicine Core Content, representing emergency medicine's central body of knowledge, makes no specific mention of ethics. An ethics curriculum is proposed to remedy this gap in the emergency medicine residency curriculum. Issues frequently encountered in the emergency department are emphasized, and topics include moral foundations of clinical medicine, the unique ethical concerns of emergency medicine, patient competence, informed consent and refusal of treatment, truthfulness, confidentiality, foregoing life sustaining treatment, duty to provide care, moral issues in disaster medicine, allocation of health care, and research and teaching involving human subjects. Educational objectives and readings for each of these topics are presented along with sample case scenarios to be used in a small group discussion format.
Estimation of canopy average mesophyll conductance using δ13C of phloem contents

Conductance to CO2 inside leaves, known as mesophyll conductance (gm), imposes large limitations on photosynthesis. Because gm is difficult to quantify, it is often neglected in calculations of 13C photosynthetic discrimination. The ‘soluble sugar method’ estimates gm via differences between observed photosynthetic discrimination, calculated from the δ13C of soluble sugars, and discrimination when gm is infinite. We expand upon this approach and calculate a photosynthesis-weighted average for canopy mesophyll conductance (cgm) using δ13C of stem phloem contents. We measured gas exchange at three canopy positions and collected stem phloem contents in mature trees of three conifer species (Pseudotsuga menziesii, Thuja plicata and Larix occidentalis). We generated species-specific and seasonally variable estimates of cgm. We found that cgm was significantly different among species (0.41, 0.22 and 0.09 mol m−2 s−1 for Larix, Pseudotsuga and Thuja, respectively), but was similar throughout the season. Ignoring respiratory and photorespiratory fractionations (cΔef) resulted in ≈30% underestimation of cgm in Larix and Pseudotsuga, but was innocuous in Thuja. Substantial errors (∼1–4‰) in photosynthetic discrimination calculations were introduced by neglecting cgm and cΔef. Our method is easy to apply and cost-effective, captures species variation and would have captured seasonal variation had it existed. The method provides an average canopy value, which makes it suitable for parameterization of canopy-scale models of photosynthesis, even in tall trees.
Regulation of Preimplantation Development of Bovine Embryos by Interleukin-1β

Experiments were performed to determine the actions of recombinant bovine interleukin-1b (IL-1b) on the growth of preimplantation embryos. In the first series of studies, IL-1b was added at 8‐10 h after insemination, and the percentage of oocytes developing to the blastocyst stage was evaluated. IL-1b increased development to the blastocyst stage when embryos were cultured at high density (;25‐30 embryos/drop) but decreased or had no effect on development when cultured at low density (;10 embryos/drop). Thus, the positive effect of IL-1b depends upon some other embryo-derived product. The effect of IL-1b on embryonic development was maintained in completely denuded embryos, indicating that cumulus cells do not mediate the actions of IL-1b. Maximum development of embryos cultured at ;25‐30/drop occurred at 0.1‐1 ng/ml; 10 ng/ml was less effective. Addition of IL-1b to groups of ;25‐30 embryos/drop at 8‐10 h after insemination also increased embryo cell number at Day 5 postinsemination by increasing the proportion of embryos that reached the 9- to 16-cell stage. However, IL-1b had no effect on the proportion of blastocysts when added at Day 5 postinsemination. Thus, IL-1b probably acts to increase blastocyst numbers by exerting actions on embryo growth before Day 5. In contrast to its effect on embryos, addition of IL-1b during oocyte maturation did not affect cumulus expansion, cleavage rate of oocytes, or subsequent development to the blastocyst stage. In conclusion, IL-1b can modulate growth of bovine embryos at early stages of development in a manner dependent upon embryo density.
A High Intensity Line Source For X-Ray Spectrometer Calibration

A high intensity electron-impact x-ray source using a one-dimensional Pierce lens has been built for the purpose of calibrating a bent crystal x-ray spectrometer. This source focuses up to 100 mA of 20-keV electrons to a line on a liquid-cooled anode. The line (which can serve as a virtual slit for the spectrometer) measures approximately 800 µ x 2 cm. The source is portable and therefore adaptable to numerous types of spectrometer applications. One particular application, the calibration of a high resolution (r = 104) time-resolved crystal spectrometer, will be discussed in detail.
The molecular mechanics of valinomycin. I. Energy minimization calculations on the uncomplexed ionophore

We have used energy minimization calculations to study a number of conformations of uncomplexed valinomycin. In certain cases, x-ray diffraction atomic coordinates were used directly as input coordinates, while in other cases, conformations were found by altering the x-ray coordinates prior to minimization. Five calculated conformations are reported along with their relative energies. The conformation found theoretically to be the most stable is in agreement with earlier, cruder calculations, but does not correspond to the predominant conformation observed in nonpolar solvents. A possible rationale is presented.
Non-Maxwellian DGD distributions of PMD emulators

We use importance sampling to determine the differential group delay probability distribution produced by various polarization-mode-dispersion emulator models, showing that the tail probabilities can be orders of magnitude smaller than best-fit Maxwellian distributions. PMD emulators can therefore significantly underestimate the probability of rare DGD events.
Express Risk Assessment throughWeb Access to Simulation Data

A prototype of an express risk assessment system is proposed and implemented as a combination of a distributed simulator and a web interface. A case of aerosol dispersion in an urban environment is investigated. Fast response of the system is achieved by replacing complex 3D simulations with information retrieval from aerosol dispersion database. The database is created by extensive simulations of different aerosol dispersion scenarios. Cluster or grid computing environments are most suitable for these type of simulations. The reduction of system response from a few days to several seconds can be achieved compared to realtime 3D simulations.
Two-stage detection of coded CDMA systems and a novel interleaving scheme

Code division multiple access (CDMA) systems have become a serious contender in the technology market for wireless communications systems. Conventional or single-user detection so far has been preferred in CDMA receivers despite many shortcomings due to its simplicity. Multiuser detectors on the other hand can offer dramatically higher capacity at the expense of some increase in complexity. We consider the performance improvements afforded by multiuser detection of coded CDMA systems. We focus on two-stage detection schemes and particularly the two-stage detector with a conventional first stage and show that it is a robust detector under different operating conditions. We then describe an alternative receiver structure for two-stage detectors in coded systems, which when combined with an independent user interleaving scheme gives significant performance improvements.
Variation in U.S. traffic safety policy environments and motor vehicle fatalities 1980-2010.

Objective To examine the impact of variation in state laws governing traffic safety on motor vehicle fatalities.
Uptake of Biotin by Chlamydia Spp. through the Use of a Bacterial Transporter (BioY) and a Host-Cell Transporter (SMVT)

Chlamydia spp. are obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacterial pathogens that cause disease in humans and animals. Minor variations in metabolic capacity between species have been causally linked to host and tissue tropisms. Analysis of the highly conserved genomes of Chlamydia spp. reveals divergence in the metabolism of the essential vitamin biotin with genes for either synthesis (bioF_2ADB) and/or transport (bioY). Streptavidin blotting confirmed the presence of a single biotinylated protein in Chlamydia. As a first step in unraveling the need for divergent biotin acquisition strategies, we examined BioY (CTL0613) from C. trachomatis 434/Bu which is annotated as an S component of the type II energy coupling-factor transporters (ECF). Type II ECFs are typically composed of a transport specific component (S) and a chromosomally unlinked energy module (AT). Intriguingly, Chlamydia lack recognizable AT modules. Using 3H-biotin and recombinant E. coli expressing CTL0613, we demonstrated that biotin was transported with high affinity (a property of Type II ECFs previously shown to require an AT module) and capacity (apparent K(m) of 3.35 nM and V(max) of 55.1 pmol×min−1×mg−1). Since Chlamydia reside in a host derived membrane vacuole, termed an inclusion, we also sought a mechanism for transport of biotin from the cell cytoplasm into the inclusion vacuole. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that the mammalian sodium multivitamin transporter (SMVT), which transports lipoic acid, biotin, and pantothenic acid into cells, localizes to the inclusion. Since Chlamydia also are auxotrophic for lipoic and pantothenic acids, SMVT may be subverted by Chlamydia to move multiple essential compounds into the inclusion where BioY and another transporter(s) would be present to facilitate transport into the bacterium. Collectively, our data validates the first BioY from a pathogenic organism and describes a two-step mechanism by which Chlamydia transport biotin from the host cell into the bacterial cytoplasm.
Modeling Fuzziness Measures for Best Wavelet Selection

Uncertainty measures model different types of uncertainty that are inherent in complex information systems. Measures that model either fuzzy or probabilistic uncertainty types have been explored in the literature. This paper shows that a combination of fuzzy and probabilistic uncertainty types, combined with the generalized maximum uncertainty principle, can be applied to time-series sequence classification and analysis. We present a novel algorithm that selects a wavelet from a wavelet library such that it best represents a time-series sequence, in a maximum uncertainty sense. Transformation coefficients are combined together in feature vectors that capture sequence temporal trends. A neural network is trained and tested using extracted gait sequence temporal features. Results have shown that models that combine together fuzzy and probabilistic uncertainty types better classify time-series gait sequences.
Insights into IgA-mediated immune responses from the crystal structures of human FcαRI and its complex with IgA1-Fc

Immunoglobulin-alpha (IgA)-bound antigens induce immune effector responses by activating the IgA-specific receptor FcalphaRI (CD89) on immune cells. Here we present crystal structures of human FcalphaRI alone and in a complex with the Fc region of IgA1 (Fcalpha). FcalphaRI has two immunoglobulin-like domains that are oriented at approximately right angles to each other. Fcalpha resembles the Fcs of immunoglobulins IgG and IgE, but has differently located interchain disulphide bonds and external rather than interdomain N-linked carbohydrates. Unlike 1:1 FcgammaRIII:IgG and Fc epsilon RI:IgE complexes, two FcalphaRI molecules bind each Fcalpha dimer, one at each Calpha2-Calpha3 junction. The FcalphaRI-binding site on IgA1 overlaps the reported polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR)-binding site, which might explain why secretory IgA cannot initiate phagocytosis or bind to FcalphaRI-expressing cells in the absence of an integrin co-receptor.
Wave propagation in linear viscoelastic plates of various thicknesses

Abstract E xperiments were conducted to observe plate waves travelling in polymethylmethacrylate, polyethylene, and glass plates of various thicknesses at several distances of wave travel, when the plates have been subjected to a transverse surface impact by a steel ball. It has been shown that if Poisson's ratio is taken to be a real constant, the shapes of the plate waves can be calculated when the initial disturbance and the viscoelastic properties of the medium are known. It was found possible to predict quite well the shape of the plate waves observed in the experiments. The plate waves were shown, both theoretically and experimentally, to be of a different character than those observed on the free surfaces of large block materials. The effect of the height of ball drop and contacting ball radius on pulse shape was noted.
Inductor- and Transformer-based Integrated RF Oscillators: A Comparative Study

Prior publications claim that transformer-based resonators achieve improvements in quality factor (Q), which translates to better phase noise in oscillators. This paper combines rigorous analysis with on-chip practical considerations for various types of on-chip transformers to demonstrate the importance of the resonator topology for Q-enhancement. We show that for a fixed silicon chip area, transformer-based resonators do not exhibit superior performance compared to inductor-based designs. Prototype oscillators are implemented at 5 GHz in a 0.18?m CMOS process to validate these claims.
Collaborative Action Research and School Counselors

Collaborative action research is an effective tool for helping school counselors to strengthen the link between practice and research. Action research methods for school counselors are summarized, ...
89Zr labeled cetuximab imaging in colorectal cancer patients aimed at image-guided patient selection for anti-EGFR treatment

225 Objectives Imaging the biodistribution and tumor targeting of [89Zr]cetuximab in patients with advanced, wild type K-RAS colorectal cancer at the start of treatment with cetuximab. In addition, the availability of [89Zr]cetuximab in blood is studied. Methods 37 ± 1 MBq of (hot) [89Zr]cetuximab was administered within 2 hours after administration of the first therapeutic (cold) dose of 500 mg/m2 unlabeled cetuximab to five patients. Whole body PET/CT scans and blood samples were obtained at 1, 24, 48, 70 and 144 hours post injection. In three additional patients a scouting dose of 0.37 MBq of [89Zr]cetuximab was administered prior to the cold dose and blood samples were drawn before and after the cold dose. Uptake data for liver, kidney, lung and spleen (%ID) are based on mean activity concentration (AC), tumor uptake (SUV) on 3D peak AC. Blood activity concentrations are given in %ID/L. All data are decay corrected to the time of injection. Results Figure 1 shows organ (%ID) and blood (%ID/L) uptake as a function of time post injection. Tumor SUV ranged between 2 and 10. Low image contrast hampers tumor delineation. The scouting dose data showed a more than 10 fold increase in blood AC during the infusion of the unlabeled cetuximab. Conclusions In the first day after injection the summed uptake in liver and blood decreases from 90 to 70%. The increase of hot mAb concentration in blood during infusion of cold mAb suggests reversible binding of cetuximab (most probably in the liver), at least in the initial phase after administration. Cetuximab uptake in normal organs shows good intersubject reproducibility, whereas uptake in tumors is variable. This indicates the potential of this technique for guiding patient selection for cetuximab treatment.
Nusselt Number Correlations

It can be argued that the exchange of energy between a solid and a fluid is important in most, if not virtually all, practical situations for which heat transfer plays a role. The goal of this chapter is to determine the convective heat transfer coefficients between the coffee and the mug and between the mug and ambient that have been used in the various thermal models. The general approach to using Nusselt number correlations is developed, and applied to the mug inner and outer walls. Rough order of magnitude “Rules of Thumb” are thereby tested for this case study. The next chapter explores more fundamentally the physics of the thermal boundary layer. Nusselt number correlations can be obtained from a variety of printed and online sources, and only a few relevant examples are introduced here, as needed.
A three dimensional field formulation, and isogeometric solutions to point and line defects using Toupin's theory of gradient elasticity at finite strains

Abstract We present a field formulation for defects that draws from the classical representation of the cores as force dipoles. We write these dipoles as singular distributions. Exploiting the key insight that the variational setting is the only appropriate one for the theory of distributions, we arrive at universally applicable weak forms for defects in nonlinear elasticity. Remarkably, the standard, Galerkin finite element method yields numerical solutions for the elastic fields of defects that, when parameterized suitably, match very well with classical, linearized elasticity solutions. The true potential of our approach, however, lies in its easy extension to generate solutions to elastic fields of defects in the regime of nonlinear elasticity, and even more notably for Toupin's theory of gradient elasticity at finite strains (Toupin Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal., 11 (1962) 385). In computing these solutions we adopt recent numerical work on an isogeometric analytic framework that enabled the first three-dimensional solutions to general boundary value problems of Toupin's theory (Rudraraju et al. Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Eng., 278 (2014) 705). We first present exhaustive solutions to point defects, edge and screw dislocations, and a study on the energetics of interacting dislocations. Then, to demonstrate the generality and potential of our treatment, we apply it to other complex dislocation configurations, including loops and low-angle grain boundaries.
Exercise Evaluation from Blood Volume Pulse Signals Analyzed by Parametric Auto-Regressive Modeling

It has been reported in the past that the Blood Volume Pulse (BVP) waveform, and in particular its dicrotic notch, reflects changes of the cardiovascular system when a person is subjected to physical stress. The dicrotic notch becomes less prominent with exercise, disappearing completely in some cases and reappears after the subject rests for some time. Quantification of the changes in features of the BVP waveform, such as the dicrotic notch, could yield a single numerical parameter to indicate the amount of exercise a subject has undergone. This paper reports the automation of an algorithm using autoregressive modeling to get such numerical index. For this study, BVP measurements from 15 subjects were taken at three stages: before exercise, just after exercise and after rest. The automated algorithm took these signals as input and resulted in a numerical index for each stage. The experimental results show that autoregressive (AR) modeling and Power Spectral Density (PSD) analysis can be used to automatically obtain a number that reflects changes in the cardiovascular system of an individual with exercise.
Organs-on-Chips: How Microsystems Technology Can Transform the Drug Development Process

The drug development pipeline, once one of the most successful and lucrative commercial sectors in the United States, is now strained by a combination of factors: increased development costs, lengthy time lines, and the poor predictive power of preclinical studies, among others. These factors, in combination with the need to respond to newly evolving demands?including the trend toward personalized or precision medicine, rising rates for many chronic diseases, and continued threats from emerging infectious diseases?are placing extraordinary pressure on an already strained development process.
Enhancement of Cross Phase Modulation Via a Resonating Cavity: Semiclassical Description

A classical description of cavity-based cross phase modulation in a ladder atomic system shows that large single-photon detuning offers enhancement proportional to the finesse of the resonator. The approach has a self-defined far-off-resonance effective cooperativity of unity.
Prosthetic pulmonary valve and pulmonary conduit endocarditis: clinical, microbiological and echocardiographic features in adults.

Aims To review clinical and microbiological findings in adults with prosthetic pulmonary valve (PPV) or right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit (RVPAC) infective endocarditis (IE) and to assess the yield of transthoracic (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) as diagnostic tools. Methods and results Seventeen adults (age ≥18 years) with PPV/RVPAC who met diagnostic criteria for definite IE between 2000 and 2015 were included. Median age was 34 years and 29% were females; four patients (24%) had a previous episode of IE. IE occurred a median interval of 5.3 years after PPV/RVPAC insertion; median follow-up time was 206 days. The most common organisms were Staphylococcus aureus (29%), coagulase-negative staphylococci (24%), and streptococcal species (24%). Eleven patients (64.5%) required PPV/RVPAC replacement surgery as consequence of the IE episode. There were three deaths during follow-up; one non-operative and two post-operative. TTE was diagnostic for PPV/RVPAC IE in 10 (62%) and TEE was diagnostic in eight (57%) patients; when combined TTE/TEE were diagnostic in 15 of 17 (88%) cases. Severe PPV/RVPAC obstruction was present at the time of IE diagnosis in nine (53%) and severe regurgitation in five (29%). Conclusion PPV/RVPAC IE is associated with significant morbidity, mortality and high risk of requiring operative intervention. TTE and TEE are marginal diagnostic tools when used independently; they should be used as complementary techniques in the evaluation of those patients. Severe PPV/RVPAC stenosis was more common than regurgitation in patients with IE; thus IE should be considered in patients presenting with new PPV/RVPAC obstruction.
Paradigm shift in teaching IT-based courses in a teaching university

Due to resource constraints, today teaching of IT-based courses and software applications is posing greater challenges than before. Also the student body, being widely diverged and exposed to many electronic gadgets and technologies, requires a different teaching style. Indeed, there is a need for paradigm shift in teaching and assessment of learning. This paper addresses various issues in teaching introductory level business software in a teaching university. The students in the course come with different levels of ability, perception, learning habits, technical skills, and exposure to different types of technology. The course adopts the latest educational technologies MyITLab and Blackboard in delivering the course materials in face-to-face as well as purely online classes. The effectiveness of the course delivery, limitations and opportunities are studied through a well-designed questionnaire survey. A major finding is that students preferred self-directed study over rigid, teacher-directed class room-based delivery.
Women, occupation, and risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality

Despite the many investigations of male workers, little is known about cardiovascular risk attributable to occupational class or occupational exposures among women. Results from a previous investigation suggest that the relationship between these factors may be different in women, for whom lack of workplace social support may be important in cardiovascular morbidity. The finding that women in blue-collar occupations had over three times the rate of coronary heart disease compared with their white-collar equivalents is intriguing. Modest and inconclusive data about the relationship between occupational stress and health status in women suggest that class and level of control may be of importance in women's experience of occupational stress.
Eye Movements Reveal Fast, Voice-Specific Priming

In spoken word perception, voice specificity effects are well-documented: When people hear repeated words in some task, performance is generally better when repeated items are presented in their originally heard voices, relative to changed voices. A key theoretical question about voice specificity effects concerns their time-course: Some studies suggest that episodic traces exert their influence late in lexical processing (the time-course hypothesis; McLennan & Luce, 2005), whereas others suggest that episodic traces influence immediate, online processing. We report 2 eye-tracking studies investigating the time-course of voice-specific priming within and across cognitive tasks. In Experiment 1, participants performed modified lexical decision or semantic classification to words spoken by 4 speakers. The tasks required participants to click a red "x" or a blue "+" located randomly within separate visual half-fields, necessitating trial-by-trial visual search with consistent half-field response mapping. After a break, participants completed a second block with new and repeated items, half spoken in changed voices. Voice effects were robust very early, appearing in saccade initiation times. Experiment 2 replicated this pattern while changing tasks across blocks, ruling out a response priming account. In the General Discussion, we address the time-course hypothesis, focusing on the challenge it presents for empirical disconfirmation, and highlighting the broad importance of indexical effects, beyond studies of priming.