cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Derivation of a Clinical Model to Predict Unchanged Inpatient Echocardiograms

BACKGROUND Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is one of the most commonly ordered tests in healthcare. Repeat TTE, defined as a TTE done within 1 year of a prior TTE, represents 24% to 42% of all studies. The purpose of this study was to derive a clinical prediction model to predict unchanged repeat TTE, with the goal of defining a subset of studies that are unnecessary. METHODS Single-center retrospective cohort study of all hospitalized patients who had a repeat TTE between October 1, 2013, and September 30, 2014. RESULTS Two hundred eleven of 601 TTEs were repeat studies, of which 78 (37%) had major changes. Five variables were independent predictors of major new TTE changes, including history of intervening acute myocardial infarction, cardiothoracic surgery, major new electrocardiogram (ECG) changes, prior valve disease, and chronic kidney disease. Using the β-coefficient for each of these variables, we defined a clinical prediction model that we named the CAVES score. The acronym CAVES stands for chronic kidney disease, acute myocardial infarction, valvular disease, ECG changes, and surgery (cardiac). The prevalence of major TTE change for the full cohort was 35%. For the group with a CAVES score of -1, that probability was only 5.6%; for the group with a score of 0, the probability was 17.7%; and for the group with a score ≥1, the probability was 55.3%. The bootstrap corrected C statistic for the model was 0.78 (95% confidence interval, 0.72-0.85), indicating good discrimination. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the CAVES score had good discrimination and calibration. If further validated, it may be useful to predict repeat TTEs that are unlikely to have major changes.
Inference Enterprise Multimodeling for Insider Threat Detection Systems

Organizations employ a suite of analytical models to solve complex decision problems in their respective domains. The current practice uses different simulation and modeling formalisms and subject matter experts to address parts of a larger problem. There is a realization that complex problems cannot be solved by employing a single analytical methodology and its supporting tools; rather, they require a combination of several such methods, all supplementing or complementing each other. We propose the use of multiformalism-based modeling and analysis to assist in evaluating performance of insider threat detection systems. The paper proposes a multimodeling test bed that allows integration of multiple modeling and analysis techniques that can digest and correlate different sources of data and provide insights on performance of insider threat detection systems.
Psychosocial factors predict coronary heart disease, but what predicts psychosocial risk in women.

OBJECTIVES Psychosocial factors, including depression, anger, and social isolation, have been associated with increased morbidity and mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD), but predictors of psychosocial burden among women with CHD are poorly defined. The purpose of this study was to determine whether readily measured demographic and risk factors could identify women with psychosocial risk factors that are more difficult to assess in a clinical setting. METHODS Baseline data on 304 women (mean age 62 years, 52% minority) hospitalized with CHD at 3 academic medical centers participating in a clinical study of adherence to prevention guidelines were evaluated. Standardized questionnaires were used to measure depression (4-item self-report tool from the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders questionnaire) and anger (Spielberger Trait Anger Scale). One self-report question was used to assess social isolation. RESULTS Thirty-seven percent of women with CHD reported depression, 50% reported anger, and 41% reported social isolation. In a logistical model controlling for confounders, independent predictors of depression were having dependents (odds ratio [OR] = 2.27, p = .006), age (< or = 65 years) (OR = 1.91, p = .02), and exercise (< 3 days/week) (OR = 3.92, p < .001). Anger was associated with having dependents (OR = 3.16, p < .001), age (< or = 65 years) (OR = 1.95, p = .02), and smoking (OR = 2.05, p = .04). Subjects who had dependents (OR = 2.24, p = .005), were unemployed (OR = 1.93, p = .03), and who did not get enough exercise (< 3 days/week) (OR = 2.07, p = .03) reported higher isolation in adjusted models. Differences in prevalence of psychosocial factors by ethnicity were not statistically significant. However, there was a trend toward increased prevalence of psychosocial risk factors among white women, possibly reflecting the need for more culturally sensitive screening tools. CONCLUSION These data may be helpful in identifying women who are at risk of increased CHD morbidity and mortality because of psychosocial burden.
Modelling the structure of a ceRNA-theoretical, bipartite microRNA–mRNA interaction network regulating intestinal epithelial cellular pathways using R programming

We report a method using functional-molecular databases and network modelling to identify hypothetical mRNA–miRNA interaction networks regulating intestinal epithelial barrier function. The model forms a data-analysis component of our cell culture experiments, which produce RNA expression data from Nanostring Technologies nCounter® system. The epithelial tight-junction (TJ) and actin cytoskeleton interact as molecular components of the intestinal epithelial barrier. Upstream regulation of TJ-cytoskeleton interaction is effected by the Rac/Rock/Rho signaling pathway and other associated pathways which may be activated or suppressed by extracellular signaling from growth factors, hormones, and immune receptors. Pathway activations affect epithelial homeostasis, contributing to degradation of the epithelial barrier associated with osmotic dysregulation, inflammation, and tumor development. The complexity underlying miRNA–mRNA interaction networks represents a roadblock for prediction and validation of competing-endogenous RNA network function. We developed a network model to identify hypothetical co-regulatory motifs in a miRNA–mRNA interaction network related to epithelial function. A mRNA–miRNA interaction list was generated using KEGG and miRWalk2.0 databases. R-code was developed to quantify and visualize inherent network structures. We identified a sub-network with a high number of shared, targeting miRNAs, of genes associated with cellular proliferation and cancer, including c-MYC and Cyclin D.
Advances in swearing research: new languages and new contexts

Mainstream language scholars have avoided for decades the question of how strong emotions affect linguistic expressions. Over that span the nature of swearing and taboo language were neglected topi...
Proprioceptive stimuli and habit formation: Interresponse time mediated behavior in CD-1 mice.

Abstract The consolidation of behavioral sequences into relatively ballistic habits is thought to involve the formation of stimulus – response associations. Typically, the stimuli in these associations are assumed to be exteroceptive, i.e., external to the organism. However, responses, themselves, also possess stimulus properties that can mediate behavior. Indeed, these “proprioceptive cues” have long been hypothesized to underlie habit formation (Hull, 1934a, 1934b). One such stimulus involves the time durations between responses – a stimulus termed interresponse time (IRT). We hypothesize that IRTs can come to serve as stimuli that differentially control response elements during habit formation. To examine this hypothesis we report on two experiments that asked whether CD-1 mice utilize IRTs to structure behavior in a two-choice environment. In experiment 1, eight mice were exposed to a free-operant concurrent variable-interval (VI) 30-s VI 60-s reinforcement schedule. We found that switch and stay responses were differentially correlated with IRT durations. In Experiment 2 we directly and differentially reinforced stay/switch responses based on IRT durations in a two-lever procedure. For four of the subjects, the probability of receiving reinforcement after switch responses was proportional to IRT duration. For five of the subjects, these reinforcement probabilities were inversely proportional to IRT duration. Regardless, all of our subjects learned to emit IRT-mediated switching behavior that matched the reinforcement contingencies. Together, Experiments 1 and 2 provide the first evidence of which we are aware that IRTs can come to control sequential choice behavior in mice.
Word Concreteness as a Moderator of the Tip-of the-Tongue Effect.

The tip-of-the-tongue experience (TOT) is a universal phenomenon in which a speaker cannot fully produce a word that he or she believes will eventually be recalled and could easily be recognized. The purpose of the current experiment is to determine how variables such as word concreteness and word frequency influence TOT rates. Participants were shown word definitions that varied (low vs. high) on the basis of concreteness and frequency and were provided with the opportunity to report the corresponding word. Low-frequency words produced higher TOT rates, as previously reported in the literature (e.g., Harley & Bown, 1998); however, the current study is the first to demonstrate that words with low concreteness also lead to higher TOT proportions.
Continuous Speech Recognition with a TF-IDF Acoustic Model

Information retrieval methods are frequently used for indexing and retrieving spoken documents, and more recently have been proposed for voice-search amongst a pre-defined set of business entries. In this paper, we show that these methods can be used in an even more fundamental way, as the core component in a continuous speech recognizer. Speech is initially processed and represented as a sequence of discrete symbols, specifically phoneme or multi-phone units. Recognition then operates on this sequence. The recognizer is segment-based, and the acoustic score for labeling a segment with a word is based on the TF-IDF similarity between the subword units detected in the segment, and those typically seen in association with the word. We present promising results on both a voice search task and the Wall Street Journal task. The development of this method brings us one step closer to being able to do speech recognition based on the detection of sub-word audio attributes.
Analysis of University Fitness Center Data Uncovers Interesting Patterns, Enables Prediction

Data is increasingly being used to make everyday life easier and better. Applications such as waiting time estimation, traffic prediction, and parking search are good examples of how data from different sources can be used to facilitate our daily life. In this study, we consider an under-utilized data source: university ID cards. Such cards are used on many campuses to purchase food, allow access to different areas, and even take attendance in classes. In this article, we use data from our university to analyze usage of the university fitness center and build a predictor for future visit volume. The work makes several contributions: it demonstrates the richness of the data source, shows how the data can be leveraged to improve student services, discovers interesting trends and behavior, and serves as a case study illustrating the entire data science process.
Operating Costs of Aging Air Force Aircraft: Adjusting for Aggregate Budget Effects

The rate at which operating costs grow as aircraft age is important for setting operating budgets and for deciding when to replace aging systems. While studies using data from the 1990's typically ...
Improved galvanic porous silicon fabrication using patterned electrodes

Abstract On-chip porous silicon can be fabricated in a number of ways, but perhaps the simplest is a galvanic method that requires no external power supply. While this etch process is relatively simple, the etch is highly dependent on the surface area ratio (SAR) of a backside precious metal and frontside silicon surface, which respectively act as the cathode and the anode of an electrochemical cell. The SAR controls the etch current density, and therefore local variations can create high current densities that have detrimental effects on the quality of the final porous silicon film. The present study investigates the use of patterned backside platinum electrodes with the galvanic etch technique. The use of a patterned backside electrode that mimics the silicon pattern on the frontside, provides a more consistent etch current throughout the entire sample, and thus a more uniform porous silicon film. A triangular shape porous silicon film was tested in this work for comparison to a previous study utilizing an unpatterned electrode. With patterned electrodes, an etch depth variation percentage was observed throughout the length of the film of 8%. This is a considerable improvement over a 108% depth variation observed with a similar frontside silicon pattern and an unpatterned backside electrode.
SCIENCE OF UNITARY MAN: A PARADIGM FOR NURSING

ABSTRACT An organized conceptual system based on unitary man and environment as irreducible wholes. Postulates underlying the system include energy fields, open systems, pattern and organization, and four dimensionality. Descriptive, explanatory, and predictive principles derive from the system. Gives an optimistic view of man's innovative potentials. Implications for enhancing the quality of life.
Dissecting the Equity Premium

We use option prices and realized returns to decompose risk premia into different parts of the return state space. In the data, 8/10 of the average equity premium is attributable to monthly returns below -10%, but returns below -30% matter very little. In contrast, leading asset pricing models based on habits, long-run risks, rare disasters, undiversifiable idiosyncratic risk, and constrained intermediaries attribute the premium predominantly to returns above -10% or to the extreme left tail. We show that the discrepancy arises from an unrealistically small price of risk for stock market tail events.
Evaluation of intel 3D-xpoint NVDIMM technology for memory-intensive genomic workloads

New 3D-XPoint™ technology, developed by Intel and Micron, promises to deliver high-density, lower-cost, non-volatile storage with DRAM-like performance characteristics. This paper presents a detailed empirical evaluation of Intel's Optane DC Persistent Memory solution that provides 3D-XPoint NV-DIMMs, which are directly attached to the memory bus. We evaluate general performance through a set of micro-benchmarks and also evaluate application-specific performance through measurement of a production bioinformatics workload (genome K-mer analysis). This is a memory-intensive workload that does not scale-out well with conventional data-partitioning and therefore directly benefits from increased main memory capacity. Thus, for this workload, 3D-Xpoint is key to enabling previously unattainable results. We compare performance with existing DRAM memory, evaluate different modes of operation and examine multiple integration approaches.
Dynamical Downscaling of Future Hydrographic Changes over the Northwest Atlantic Ocean

AbstractProjected climate changes along the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts were examined using the eddy-resolving Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS). First, a control (CTRL) ROMS simulation was perfo...
Comparative Study of Tadpole and Frog Glutamate Dehydrogenases

Abstract 1. There is approximately a 10-fold increase in the specific activity of liver glutamate dehydrogenase during the spontaneous metamorphosis of tadpoles (Rana catesbeiana). 2. Comparative studies of glutamate dehydrogenases from premetamorphic tadpole liver and adult frog liver revealed differences in kinetic constants for DPN and TPN, in the effect of temperature on initial rates with DPN as coenzyme, in the crude molecular weights estimated from sucrose density centrifugation, and in relative reactivities with l-amino acids other than glutamate. 3. An antibody produced in rabbits against crystalline frog liver glutamate dehydrogenase precipitates glutamate dehydrogenase preparations from frog, tadpole, beef, and chicken liver and affects their reaction kinetics in a similar manner.
Viral Hepatitis: Hepatitis B, D, and E Viruses

Viral hepatitis is the one of the most common causes of liver disease worldwide. The burden of disease has increased in recent years and has climbed from being the tenth leading cause of death in 1990 to seventh leading cause of death in 2013 worldwide (Stanaway et al., Lancet 388(10049):1081–1088, 2016).
Three-dimensional motion-corrected T 1 relaxometry with MPnRAGE

Purpose To test the performance of the MPnRAGE motion-correction algorithm on quantitative relaxometry estimates. Methods Twelve children (9.4 ± 2.6 years, min = 6.5 years, max = 13.8 years) were imaged 3 times in a session without sedation. Stabilization padding was not used for the second and third scans. Quantitative T1 values were estimated in each voxel on images reconstructed with and without motion correction. Mean T1 values were assessed in various regions determined from automated segmentation algorithms. Statistical tests were performed on mean values and the coefficient of variation across the measurements. Accuracy of T1 estimates were determined by scanning the High Precision Devices (Boulder, CO) MRI system phantom with the same protocol. Results The T1 values obtained with MPnRAGE agreed within 4% of the reference values of the High Precision Devices phantom. The best fit line was T1 (MPnRAGE) = 1.02 T1 (reference)-0.9 ms, R2 = 0.9999. For in vivo studies, motion correction reduced the coefficients of variation of mean T1 values in whole-brain tissue regions determined by FSL FAST by 74% ± 7%, and subcortical regions determined by FIRST and FreeSurfer by 32% ± 21% and 33% ± 26%, respectively. Across all participants, the mean coefficients of variation ranged from 0.8% to 2.0% for subcortical regions and 0.6% ± 0.5% for cortical regions when motion correction was applied. Conclusion The MPnRAGE technique demonstrated highly accurate values in phantom measurements. When combined with retrospective motion correction, MPnRAGE demonstrated highly reproducible T1 values, even in participants who moved during the acquisition.
Chapter 4: Apathy and/or Ambivalence?; Women’s Sport and Military Promotion

Military spectacles at sporting events have become common in the USA since 9/11; yet, when it comes to whipping up patriotic fervor and promoting the military, these rituals are almost completely absent in women’s sport.
Changes in Outpatient Buprenorphine Dispensing During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This study examined outpatient buprenorphine dispensing patterns in Texas before vs after the Drug Enforcement Administration temporarily relaxed outpatient buprenorphine prescribing regulations in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Quantitative phase retrieval simulation for mesh-based x-ray phase imaging systems

A system that employs a stainless steel wire mesh to produce a high-contrast structured illumination pattern reduces the need for source coherence and complex alignments in x-ray phase imaging. Phase is reconstructed from distortions in this pattern due to phase-based x-ray deflection. A computational model of this system has been developed. Accurately assessing detector performance significantly improves the accuracy of the phase reconstruction.
A Review of Path Planning for Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM)

The automatic generation of deposition paths for robotic Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) demands unique path planning methods than other additive manufacturing methods because of different n...
Changes in the Central Auditory System with Deafness and Return of Activity via a Cochlear Prosthesis

It is well established that sensory deprivation during development results in lasting changes in the central nervous system (CNS) (Wiesel and Hubel. 1963). This is certainly the case for the auditory system where in developing animals, sound deprivation and/or cochlear ablation are especially potent means of producing significant neuronal atrophy and reorganization in central structures (Rubel et al., 1984). The loss of afferent input often occurs in the adult auditory system and there is increasing evidence that the mature central auditory system (CAS) also displays substantial changes in structure and function following deafferentation (Gerken, 1979; Rajan et al., 1993, 1996, Willott et al., 1994). However, despite the high incidence of inner ear pathology and a growing utilization of the cochlear prosthesis in deaf adults, little is known about the effects of cochlear damage on the mature CAS, the mechanisms underlying CNS physiological changes produce by deafness, or how deafness induced changes may affect processing with subsequent reactivation of the CAS via a cochlear prosthesis. Elucidating how the CAS responds to such deafferentation is fundamental to our understanding the mechanisms of plasticity and homeostasis of the brain throughout an organisms lifetime.
Genetic aspects of skin and limb development.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the effects of mutations on epitheliomesenchymal interactions in skin and limb development. The differentiation of a number of embryonic structures is dependent on an interaction between the epithelial and mesenchymal components of the particular system. Such interactions are described in the development of the kidney, salivary gland thymus, pancreas, skin and feathers, and limbs. The availability of a number of mutations that affect skin and limb development in the chick embryo makes these two systems particularly suitable for investigations of the genetic control of the developmental processes. The effects of the mutations can be observed through either a loss or a gain of properties that leads to abnormal development. The analyses of the mutants have shown that in some, ptilopody, interdigital webbing, and possibly wingless, both the mesoderm and the ectoderm can be affected through mutation; in others, scaleless, dominant polydactyly, talpid 2 , and eudiplopodia, the effects of the mutations are observed only in one of the two components. Furthermore, the effects of the mutations can be observed through either a loss or a gain of properties that leads to abnormal development.
Volume-Preserving Great Circle Flows on the 3-Sphere

In this paper, we study volume-preserving great circle flows on the 3-sphere S3, and introduce a moduli space for these, consisting of distance-decreasing holomorphic maps from connected open subsets of S2 to S2; one consequence is that the only volume-preserving great circle flows defined on the entire 3-sphere are those tangent to Hopf fibrations.
Glycoprotein gp120-mediated astrocytic dysfunction

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses that the human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV-1 and HIV-2) belong to the subgenus “primate lentiviruses” and are the etiologic agents of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It describes the effects of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (gp120) on astrocytes and the potential ramifications for HIV-1 neuropathogenesis. The most common clinical syndrome, termed AIDS dementia complex (ADC) or HIV associated dementia (HAD), presents as a subcortical dementia with cognitive, motor, and behavioral disturbances. The pathogenesis of ADC is still unknown. Because neurons are not directly infected with HIV-1, the causes of neuronal dysfunction are evidently indirect. It is believed to involve interactions among virally infected macrophages/microglia, astrocytes, and neurons. The chapter addresses the role of the astrocyte in the development of HAD. Astrocytes are the most numerous of the glial cells and have a complex function in maintaining homeostasis in the central nervous system (CNS). Astrocyte function is altered by HIV-1 infection, exposure to viral proteins, and soluble factors secreted by HIV-1 infected macrophages. The HIV-1 surface envelope glycoprotein gp120 is considered to be one of the principal mediators of viral toxicity. The alterations in astrocyte function in connection to gp120 exposure are also described in this chapter.
Effects of visual and auditory impairment in driving performance.

A review of surveys, analyses, and experimental studies was conducted to determine driver education and training needs, driver licensing requirements, and actual driving performance of individuals with vision and hearing deficits. While research seems to indicate that vision deficiencies have an adverse effect on safe driving performance, a number of severely visually impaired individuals have been shown to drive safely with the aid of telescopic lens spectacles. Research results to date are not adequate to establish the auditory requirements for safe driving performance, but there is little evidence to suggest that hearing-impaired individuals, with the possible exceptions of totally deaf males and older deaf drivers, do not drive as safely as the general population. A great deal of further research is needed in the area, particularly in the establishment of requirements for driver education and training programs for both vision and hearing limited individuals.
Practical aspects of the materials declaration process

The current paper describes a materials declaration study carried out by Apple and presents empirical results on the level of resources required to collect materials declarations from a diverse supply chain and the potential uncertainty associated with the data that are received. Results for resource requirements show that a substantial amount of resource time was devoted to follow up requests and supplier communications and that large suppliers were generally slower to respond than small suppliers. Results of materials composition testing show that although materials declaration data are sufficient for demonstrating product compliance, potential uncertainty may diminish their value in other OEM environmental management efforts. These results can prove useful in planning resource requirements and timing for materials declaration efforts and for assessing the utility of materials declaration data in an OEM's overall environmental management strategy. The study also confirmed that Apple products are in full compliance with all current environmental regulations.
Endovascular iliac rescue technique for complete arterial avulsion after transcatheter aortic valve replacement

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has emerged as an alternative therapy to open aortic valve repair for high-risk patients with aortic stenosis, but larger delivery sheath size is associated with vascular complications. We report 2 cases in which a minimally invasive technique was used for the hybrid repair of confirmed or suspected large-bore sheath traumatic avulsion (i.e., "iliac on a stick") after TAVR. We believe our hybrid approach to rescuing the iliac artery in suspected or confirmed complete artery avulsion could improve outcomes for patients who require TAVR.
Comparative efficacy of inhaled albuterol between two hand-held delivery devices in horses with recurrent airway obstruction

Reasons for performing study: Studies investigating the clinical efficacy of albuterol administered with the same propellant and commercially available delivery devices in horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) are not currently available. Objectives: To determine the efficacy of aerosolised albuterol administered to horses with RAO by means of 2 commercially available, hand-held delivery devices. Methods: Ten horses with RAO were kept in a dusty environment and fed mouldy hay to induce airway obstruction. Lung mechanics were measured before and after the procedure. ΔP was measured 5min after administration of 180μg of albuterol from a pressurised metered dose inhaler, using an aerosol delivery device chosen randomly. This process was repeated every 5min until maximal bronchodilation was achieved. After a 24h washout period, lung mechanics data were again collected using the other aerosol delivery device. Results: Aerosolised albuterol induced a significant and rapid bronchodilation in the horses using both aerosol delivery devices. No statistically significant difference in pulmonary function was observed in response to albuterol therapy between the 2 devices. The dose required to achieve 50% of maximal bronchodilation was not statistically different between the 2 devices (173.35 ± 78.35μg with Device 1 and 228.49 ± 144.99μg with Device 2, P = 0.26). The decrease in lung resistance tended to be more pronounced after albuterol administration with Device 1 (P = 0.066). Conclusions: Aerosolised albuterol is an effective bronchodilator in horses with recurrent airway obstruction. There is no statistically significant difference between the 2 commercially available aerosol delivery devices in terms of efficacy. Potential relevance: Aerosolised albuterol is effectively delivered using currently available devices leading to maximal bronchodilation in horses with RAO at an average dose of 540μg.
Type II restriction endonucleases: structural, functional and evolutionary relationships.

Abstract Type II restriction endonucleases are a paradigm for site-specific cleavage of DNA. Recent structural analyses, in particular in the presence of various divalent metals, have shed new insight into the mechanisms of catalysis. In addition, during this past year the crystal structure determinations of MutH, λ-exonuclease and FokI have revealed that these proteins are also members of the same family.
The effect of N2 partial pressure, deposition rate and substrate bias potential on the hardness and texture of reactively sputtered TiN coatings

Abstract The N 2 partial pressure, target power and substrate bias potential all have a significant effect on the hardness and crystallographic orientation of TiN coatings prepared by high-rate reactive sputtering on cemented carbide substrates. Variations in both the substrate bias potential and the target power had a strong affect on the hardness and texture of the TiN coatings. Vickers microhardness values (50gf) of the TiN coatings varied between 970 and 3290 kgf mm -2 as the bias was stepped between 0 and –200 V and the target power between 2.3 and 10.0kW. The texture coefficient of the TiN coatings with a constant –100 V bias was strongly (111) at the low power level of 2.3 kW, but the texture became random as the power was increased to 4.0 kW and above with the same –100 V bias. At a fixed power level of 10 kW, the orientation of the TiN coatings changed from (111) at zero bias to (200) between –20 and –100 V, to strongly (220) at –150 and –200 V. The hardness of TiN coatings with N/Ti ratios of 0.70 - 1.01 produced by varying the N 2 partial pressure during deposition had a narrow range between 3140 and 3400 kgf mm -2 , but the texture coefficient varied from random to strongly (220). the adhesion of the TiN coatings was measured with the scratch test, and a critical load of 8.0 ± 0.5 kgf was the same for all samples except for the ones at the lowest target power (2.3 kW), low biases (0 and –20 V) and the lowest N/Ti ratio (0.70).
Do pre-irradiation dental extractions reduce the risk of osteoradionecrosis of the mandible?

Background. This study was done to determine if pre-radiotherapy (pre-RT) dental extractions reduce the risk of osteoradionecrosis (ORN). Methods. Between 1987 and 2004, 413 patients with oropharyngeal carcinomas were treated with definitive RT at the University of Florida. Dentate patients underwent pretreatment dental evaluation. Teeth in the RT field were usually extracted if thought to have poor long-term prognosis from dental disease. The endpoint was ≥grade 2 ORN using a modified staging system. Patients were excluded for local recurrence, additional RT above the clavicles, or head and neck surgery besides neck dissection. Results. ORN rates were as follows: edentulous, 70 Gy, once-daily fractionation, or brachytherapy. Conclusion. Pre-RT extractions do not appear to reduce the risk of ORN. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2007
Autoantibodies against a 43 KDa Muscle Protein in Inclusion Body Myositis

Background Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is a poorly understood and refractory autoimmune muscle disease. Though widely believed to have no significant humoral autoimmunity, we sought to identify novel autoantibodies with high specificity for this disease. Methodology/Principal Findings Plasma autoantibodies from 65 people, including 25 with IBM, were analyzed by immunoblots against normal human muscle. Thirteen of 25 (52%) IBM patient samples recognized an approximately 43 kDa muscle protein. No other disease (N = 25) or healthy volunteer (N = 15) samples recognized this protein. Conclusions Circulating antibodies against a 43-kDa muscle autoantigen may lead to the discovery of a novel biomarker for IBM. Its high specificity for IBM among patients with autoimmune myopathies furthermore suggests a relationship to disease pathogenesis.
A syntactic view of semantic networks

So-called “semantic networks” are notations which make explicit much of the implicit syntax of say, English. The mapping from an English sentence to a portion of the network, often claimed to be “understanding” of the sentence, is a mapping of one notation (the English language) to another (the “semantic network”). This viewpoint in no way belittles the achievements that such a mapping, in general terms, may represent nor does it detract from the potential value of the “semantic network” notation. What it does do is, first highlight the customary arbitrariness with which the term “syntax” and “semantics”, and hence “understanding” are applied, and leads to a more systematic application of these concepts. Second, it raises the question of why one notation (grammar, syntax) is more useful than another, and again suggests an answer. Thus we can formulate rather differently the goals of a “semantic network” notation in contrast to the usual goal: the explication of the “semantic” content of language constructs. A goal that tends to lack either realism or substance, as “semantics” stubbornly resists attempts at an absolute, formal circumscription that is both conceptually adequate and logically consistent.
Modal coupling in traveling-wave resonators

High-Q traveling-wave-resonators can enter a regime in which even minute scattering amplitudes associated with either bulk or surface imperfections can drive the system into the so-called strong modal coupling regime. Resonators that enter this regime have their coupling properties radically altered and can mimic a narrowband reflector. We experimentally confirm recently predicted deviations from criticality in such strongly coupled systems. Observations of resonators that had Q>10^8 and modal coupling parameters as large as 30 were shown to reflect more than 94% of an incoming optical signal within a narrow bandwidth of 40 MHz.
The Escherichia coli PriA helicase specifically recognizes gapped DNA substrates: Effect of the two nucleotide-binding sites of the enzyme on the recognition process

Energetics and specificity of interactions between the Escherichia coli PriA helicase and the gapped DNAs have been studied, using the quantitative fluorescence titration and analytical ultracentrifugation methods. The gap complex has a surprisingly low minimum total site size, corresponding to ∼7 nucleotides of the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), as compared with the site size of ∼20 nucleotides of the enzyme-ssDNA complex. The dramatic difference in stoichiometries indicates that the enzyme predominantly engages the strong DNA-binding subsite in interactions with the gap and assumes a very different orientation in the gap complex, as compared with the complex with the ssDNA. The helicase binds the ssDNA gaps with 4–5 nucleotides with the highest affinity, which is ∼3 and ∼2 orders of magnitude larger than the affinities for the ssDNA and double-stranded DNA, respectively. In the gap complex, the protein does not engage in cooperative interactions with the enzyme predominantly associated with the surrounding dsDNA. Binding of nucleoside triphosphate to the strong and weak nucleotide-binding sites of the helicase eliminates the selectivity of the enzyme for the size of the gap, whereas saturation of both sites with ADP leads to amplified affinity for the ssDNA gap containing 5 nucleotides and engagement of an additional protein area in interactions with the nucleic acid.
Evaluation of two-dimensional resistivity methods in a fractured crystalline-rock terrane

Abstract A series of two-dimensional resistivity profiles collected in the Blue Ridge Province of southwest Virginia and results from numerical modeling of synthetic data reveal substantial differences in depth of investigation, resolution, and sensitivity using Wenner, Wenner–Schlumberger, dipole–dipole, and pole–pole data collection techniques. Resistivity profiles were collected using short (2-m electrode spacing, 48-m profile length), intermediate (6-m electrode spacing, 144-m profile length), and long (10-m electrode spacing, 240-m profile length) arrays over shallow unconsolidated soils and regolith overlying crystalline bedrock. Pole–pole data were only collected with the short array. Numerical modeling was used to simulate both vertical and horizontal structures similar to subsurface conditions in the study area. All of the apparent resistivity data were inverted into earth models using a computer program that uses an l1 norm smoothness constrained inversion technique. Earth models generated from both field data and numerical modeling acquired by the dipole–dipole technique consistently indicated more detail and greater depth of investigation than the other techniques. The dipole–dipole method uniquely imaged thin saturated sands and isolated high resistivity bodies beneath the 48-m-length array, significant horizontal and vertical resistivity variations including a thick transitional resistivity zone in the 144-m-length array, and anomalous low resistivity zones in crystalline bedrock in the 240-m-length array. Earth models created from the Wenner and Wenner–Schlumberger apparent resistivity data had shallower depths of investigation and revealed significantly less geologic detail than the profiles generated from the dipole–dipole surveys. The earth model from the pole–pole data had the greatest depth of investigation but low resolution and limited geologic detail when compared to the dipole–dipole survey.
Cervical dysplasia in women infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV): a correlation with HIV viral load and CD4+ count.

Abstract Objectives. The incidence of cervical dysplasia and carcinoma is known to be increased in HIV-infected women. In addition, there is a positive correlation between HIV viral load (VL), CD4+ count, and opportunistic infections, as well as the incidence of various malignancies. This study compares HIV VL and CD4+ count with the presence of cervical dysplasia, as well as with the degree of severity of dysplasia. Methods. A retrospective chart review of 350 HIV-infected women with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) quantitation of viral load was performed to identify 82 women with biopsy-proven cervical dysplasia and 25 women without any significant cervical pathology. The highest plasma VL within a year of the patients' cervical pathology and corresponding CD4+ count was selected and compared with cervical pathology. Univariate and multivariate statistical analysis using Student's t test and logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the significance of other risk factors such as age, race, smoking history, history of illicit drug use, and prior sexually transmitted disease as well as of viral load and CD4+ count. Results. Of 82 cases of cervical dysplasia, 33 (40.24%) were mild (CIN I), 47 (57.32%) were either moderate or severe (CIN II–III) dysplasia, and 2 demonstrated invasive squamous cell carcinoma (2.44%). A significant statistical difference was found when comparing either HIV plasma VL or CD4+ T-cell counts with the presence of cervical dysplasia on biopsy ( P Conclusion. In our population, there is a significant correlation between VL and CD4+ count and the presence of cervical dysplasia. However, VL does not appear to be an independent risk factor for cervical dysplasia in this population of HIV-infected women.
Self-consistent Computations of the Geometries of Magnetically Confined Liquid Metal Columns

In this paper, a modeling methodology is described which permits the computation of the cross-sectional geometry of a two dimensional column of perfectly conducting liquid in the presence of a magnetic field imposed by specified configurations of source conductors. The description is self-consistent in the sense that the column geometry results from a magnetic pressure corresponding to a magnetic field determined by the column geometry. Solutions are obained by iteratively calculating the magnetic field structure for a given column geometry and source conductors, and then calculating a new column geometry based on the magnetic stresses, surface tension, and pressure jump at the liquid-air interface. This loop is continued until a self-consistent solution is obtained. A quadrupole source magnetic shaping problem solved by Shercliff ushing conformal mapping is duplicated using the methodology described in this paper. The results obtained are in good agreement with those published by Shercliff. In addition, results are shown for arbitrary shaping problems, including levitation of horizontal columns, that are too complex for analytic solutions.
Comment [on “At least Noah had some warning” by Wendell Duffield]

The article, “At Least Noah Had Some Warning,” by Wendell Duffield (Eos, July 10, 2001) provides a fascinating story, but suffers from a malady common to many publications dealing with historic events. The terms “Anno Domini” or the abbreviation A.D.,and the corresponding “Before Christ” or B.C., refer to a calendar in common use across global cultures, but these particular terms specifically reflect events that are only of significance to Christian cultures. The “Domini” in “A.D.” may be the author's lord, but it is not mine, and it certainly was not Tlachoc's either.There is a parallel usage, which lacks the specific religious connotation of A.D. and B.C. .The terms Common Era and Before the Common Era, and the abbreviations CE and BCE, refer to the adoption of the Julian/Gregorian calendar's zero year as a common benchmark in history rather than to its religious connotations. (This is actually a simplification. For a more detailed discussion, go to http://serendipity.magnet.cn/hermetic/cal_stud/cal_art.htm#Astronomical).
Immobilization stress elevates gene expression for catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes and some neuropeptides in rat sympathetic ganglia: effects of adrenocorticotropin and glucocorticoids

Sympathetic ganglia are the major contributors to the stress-elicited rise in circulating norepinephrine, enkephalins, and neuropeptide Y. Here we examined the effect of immobilization stress and treatment with ACTH and glucocorticoids on messenger RNA (mRNA) levels for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH), preproneuropeptide Y (pre-NPY), and proenkephalin in rat superior cervical ganglia (SCG) and in stellate ganglia. Our results show a severalfold increase in the relative abundance of TH and NPY mRNAs in response to a single immobilization. Repeated stress elevated expression of all the genes studied and increased TH immunoreactivity in both ganglia. The effect of stress was more pronounced in SCG. Prolonged cortisol administration failed to alter the mRNA levels of TH, DBH, and NPY in control animals but attenuated the response to stress. In contrast, TH and DBH mRNA levels in the SCG, but not in adrenal medulla, were elevated by ACTH administration, similar to the levels attained...
Signal Transduction Pathways in Hyperoxia-Induced Lung Cell Death

Acute lung injury is an unfortunate consequence of oxygen therapy. Increasing evidence suggests that pulmonary dysfunction resulting from acute oxygen toxicity is at least in part due to the injury and death of lung cells. Studies using morphological and biochemical analyses revealed that hyperoxia-induced pulmonary cell death is multimodal, involving not only necrosis, but also apoptosis. A correlative relationship between the severity of hyperoxic acute lung injury and increased apoptosis has been supported by numerous studies in a variety of animal models, although future experiments are necessary to determine whether it is an actual causal relationship. Altered expression of several apoptotic regulatory proteins, such as p53 and Bcl-2, and DNA damage-induced proteins is associated with hyperoxic cell death and lung injury. Stress-responsive proteins, such as heme oxygenase (HO)-1, have been shown to protect animals against hyperoxic cell injury and death. Redox-sensitive transcription factors and mitogen-activated protein kinase signal transduction pathways may play important roles in regulating the expression of stress-responsive and apoptotic regulatory genes. A better understanding of signal transduction pathways leading to hyperoxic cell death may provide new approaches to the treatment of hyperoxia-induced lung injury.
Kinetoplast DNA from normal and dyskinetoplastic strains of trypanosoma equiperdum

Abstract Isolated kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) from a normal kinetoplastic strain of Trypanosoma equiperdum exists as a high molecular weight, covanlently closed network composed of catenated minicircles and maxicircles. Analytical cesium chloride ultracentrifugation shows the kDNA (ϱ = 1.692 g/cm3) to be retained in normal amounts and of normal base composition in two dyskinetoplastic strains of T. equiperdum. Kinetoplast DNA isolated from these mutant cells by CsCl-DAPI (4,6,diamidino-2-phenylindole) equilibrium ultracentrifugation lacks the complex networks found in the normal strain and no minicircles are detectable. Large circular molecules, approximately 5 μm in contour length, are present in isolated kDNA from both dyskinetoplastic strains. These molecules probably correspond to the maxicircles in the normal kDNA networks. We conclude that the presence of a complex kDNA network is not essential to the bloodstream trypanosome and that the kDNA network of the normal strain of T. equiperdum is structurally dependent on the presence of catenated minicircles.
Collaborative Indexing and Knowledge Exploration: A Social Learning Model

A computational social learning model shows how meaning is constructed, shared, and learned through social tags contributed by Web users as they perform exploratory search.
On tree-partitions of graphs

A graph G admits a tree-partition of width k if its vertex set can be partitioned into sets of size at most k so that the graph obtained by identifying the vertices in each set of the partition, and then deleting loops and parallel edges, is a forest. In the paper, we characterize the classes of graphs (finite and infinite) of bounded tree-partition-width in terms of excluded topological minors.
Hydrogen embrittlement of dual-phase steels

Reversible hydrogen embrittlement (HE) is usually only found in quenched and tempered steels with yield stresses in excess of 1035 MPa (150 ksi). A study of the HE phenomena in two dual-phase steels with tensile strengths of about 690 MPa (100 ksi) has shown that these steels are susceptible to the presence of hydrogen. HE results in a reduction in fracture strength, although no preyield failures are observed, and a change in fracture mode from ductile dimpling to transgranular cleavage. After prestraining and HE, it is found that the greater the prestrain the higher is the fracture stress. It is concluded that the presence of the 15 to 20 pct high carbon (0.6 pct C) high strength martensite in the dual-phase steels is responsible for the HE; tempering studies give results consistent with this idea. Delayed failure tests on notched specimens showed that for the as-received condition, the run-out stress (stress for no failures in 50 to 100 h) to be above the macroscopic flow stress. A condition for HE failure in dual-phase steels appears to be considerable macroscopic deformation.