cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rectal methohexital sedation for computed tomography imaging of stable pediatric emergency department patients.

Objective. Rapid onset of sleep, brief duration of action, and ease of administration are properties that make rectal methohexital (MXT) an attractive choice for sedating stable pediatric emergency department (ED) patients for computed tomography (CT) imaging. Methodology. One hundred stable patients between 3 and 60 months of age who presented to any of 3 participating EDs and required sedation to undergo CT scanning were given 25 mg/kg of rectal MXT ∼15 minutes before their imaging. Vital signs and oxygen saturation were recorded at regular intervals. Data collected included indication for CT imaging, time to achieve sleep, time to reach discharge criteria, adequacy of sedation, adverse effects, and parental satisfaction. Results. Ninety-five percent of the patients were adequately sedated with rectal MXT. It took an average of 8 minutes to achieve full sedation and the duration of action averaged 79.3 minutes. Ten percent had transient side effects, but all recovered completely. None required intubation. Parental satisfaction was 90%. Conclusion. Rectal MXT compares favorably to other methods of nonintravenous sedation for CT scanning of stable pediatric ED patients in terms of rapidity of onset and reliability but does cause a significant amount of transient respiratory depression. Its use requires careful monitoring of oxygen saturation and should be used only in a setting where physicians skilled in airway management are present. If these requirements are met, it may be a good choice for the relatively noninvasive sedation of pediatric ED patients undergoing painless but anxiety-provoking procedures. methohexital, pediatric procedure sedation, rectal administration, computerized tomography imaging.
Nanoscale Mechanisms Underlying HIV-1 Viral Particle Assembly and Release

The Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) life cycle involves several highly choreographed steps during which the virus assembles at the plasma membrane (PM) of an infected cell and buds off the membrane as a viral particle. We have used conventional and superresolution imaging approaches to investigate the cell biological mechanisms underpinning three key steps in the viral assembly/budding pathway: clustering of the viral coat in the plasma membrane; recruitment of proteins into the viral bud; and virus budding off the membrane. In the first step involving viral Gag coat assembly, we show it is critically dependent on viral and/or host mRNA, which drives Gag clustering through RNA-Gag electrostatic interactions. In the second step involving protein recruitment into the viral bud, we demonstrate that Env proteins incorporate into viral buds through dynamic partitioning into a specialized microenvironment created by multimerization of Gag at the PM. In the final step involving viral abscission from the PM, we examine the 3D molecular organization of ESCRT machinery with respect to HIV bud sites using iPALM to gain critical insight. We find ESCRT-III proteins assemble within the head of the budding virion, not the base as previously proposed. This later finding prompts a reevaluation of current models for ESCRT-III scaffolding, and suggests that ESCRT abscission initiates from within the head of the budding virion.
Detection of unsuspected breast cancer by mammography.

Delay in the diagnosis of breast cancer is an important reason for the little headway made in the control of this disease. In a recent analysis of 500 consecutive cases about 90% were correctly diagnosed by x-ray. In the same group the surgeon made the correct diagnosis in 70%. General practitioners were unable to make a correct diagnosis in 45% of a reported series of 465 cases. Although the radiologist may make a false positive diagnosis in 15% of cases more prompt biopsies could be obtained if more confidence were placed in roentgenography of the breast. Among 1100 women over 35 years of age and without symptoms 28 cases of breast cancer have been found by routine examination every 6 months. Lesions found by mammography averaged only 1.1 cm in diameter. Axillary metastases were present in only 30%. Of these cases 8 were clinically unsuspected. Surgeons usually find lesions which average 2.5 cm or more in diameter and which are associated with axillary metastases in 35-65%. A further indication for mastography is the discovery of lesions in the opposite breast. 6 cases have been thus found in the opposite breast of 102 women. In only 1 of these 6 cases was the lesion palpable and in only 1 were there axillary metastases. Mastography tends to invoke the use of biopsy more promptly and more frequently. As a result more patients have the advantage of early surgical therapy. Ma mmography should be considered as a case finding method. Better survival statistics should follow.
Prenatal cocaine exposure does not alter working memory in adult rats.

Abstract The present study was designed to assess working memory in adult rats exposed to intravenous cocaine in utero, as part of an examination of various cognitive and affective functions. The study included four groups: a saline control and three groups exposed to ascending doses of cocaine from gestational days 8 to 21 (0.5, 1.0, or 3.0 mg/kg). This exposure regimen (route of administration and dose) has been shown to accurately reproduce the pharmacokinetic profile and physiological effects of human recreational cocaine use. This report describes the results of a series of automated alternation tasks, in which the animals were rewarded for alternating their responses between two response ports on successive trials. In the final task, the delay between trials varied randomly between 0, 20, 40, and 80 s, thereby varying the retention interval. Although performance declined dramatically as the retention interval increased, the rate of this decline did not differ across treatment groups. These results suggest that prenatal cocaine exposure, at doses that model recreational use, does not produce lasting changes in explicit memory or working memory. However, subtle, sex-specific effects of prenatal cocaine exposure were seen on measures that indicate impairments in sustained attention and “readiness”, as well as altered reactivity to task-related stressors such as waiting for long and unpredictable delays.
A case of agenesis of the spleen, congenital heart disease and complete situs inversus.

Summary A case with the syndrome of agenesis of the spleen, congenital heart disease and complete situs inversus is reported. The presence of cor biloculare was ascertained, but the aorta and the pulmonary artery were normally separated, though rotated in relation to each other. The connection between the development of the atrioventricular region and the cono-truncus region is discussed. Un cas ?agenesie de la rate avec cardiopathie congenitale et situs inversus complet. Ľauteur rapporte un cas de syndrome ?agenesie de la rate, avec cardiopathie congenitale et situs inversus complet. Ľexistence ?un cceur biloculaire fut demontree, mais ľaorte et ľartere pulmonaire etaient normalement separees, bien qu'elles fussent en rotation par rapport ľune aľautre. Le rapport entre le developpement de la region atrioventriculaire et celle du cone et du tronc est, dans le cas etudie, le sujet ?une discussion. Ein Fall von Milzagenesie, angeborener Herzkrankheit und vollstandigem Situs inversus Es wird uber einen Fall mit dem Syndrom von Milzagenesie, angeborener Herzkrankheit und vollstandigem Situs inversus berichtet. Die Anwesenheit eines cor biloculare wurde sichergestellt, aber die Aorta und Arteria pulomonalis waren in nor-maler Weise getrennt, wenn auch gegeneinander rotiert. Der Zusammenhang zwischen der Entwicklung der atrio-ventrikularen und der Cono-truncus-Gegend in dem vor-liegenden Fall wird besprochen. Un caso de agenesia del bazo, enfermedad cardiaca congenita y completo situs inversum. Descripcion del sindrome de agenesia del bazo, enfermedad cardiaca congenita y situs inversum completo. Se comprueba la existencia de cor biloculare, pero la aorta y arteria pulomonar estan separadas normalmente, aunque giradas una en relacion con la otra. Discutese la conexion existente en el presente caso, entre el desarrollo de la region atrioventricular y la del cono-truncus.
Toward a Cooperative Natural Language Query Interface for Biological Databases

One of the many unique features of biological databases is that the mere existence of a ground data item is not always a precondition for a query response. From a biologist's standpoint, queries are not always best posed using a structured language. By this we mean that approximate and flexible responses to natural language like queries are well suited for this domain. This is partly due to biologists' tendency to seek simpler interfaces and partly due to the fact that questions in biology involve numerous high level concepts that are open to interpretations computed using sophisticated tools. In such highly interpretive environments, rigidly structured databases do not always perform well. In this paper, our goal is to propose a semantic correspondence plug-in to aid natural language query processing over arbitrary biological database schema with an aim to providing cooperative responses to queries tailored to users' interpretations. We demonstrate the feasibility of our system with a practical example.
Cyberspace Betrayal: Attachment in an Era of Virtual Connection

Electronic technology has yielded new forms of relationship bonding as well as unique aspects of betrayal and ruptures in attachment. Four key characteristics of betrayal that differentiate online from offline experience will be identified. The inherent ambiguities in defining online sexual infidelity will point to a need to professionally define the parameters of internet betrayal in light of the ever expanding electronic revolution.
Symbolic analysis of large analog circuits with determinant decision diagrams

Symbolic analog-circuit analysis has many applications, and is especially useful for analog synthesis and testability analysis. In this paper, we present a new approach to exact and canonical symbolic analysis by exploiting the sparsity and sharing of product terms. It consists of representing the symbolic determinant of a circuit matrix by a graph---called determinant decision diagram (DDD)---and performing symbolic analysis by graph manipulations. We showed that DDD construction and DDD-based symbolic analysis can be performed in time complexity proportional to the number of DDD vertices. We described a vertex ordering heuristic, and showed that the number of DDD vertices can be quite small --- usually orders-of-magnitude less than the number of product terms. The algorithm has been implemented. An order-of-magnitude improvement in both CPU time and memory usages over existing symbolic analyzers ISAAC and Maple-V has been observed for large analog circuits.
Patient Navigator Programs, Cancer Disparities, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Patients in vulnerable population groups suffer disproportionately from cancer. The elimination of cancer disparities is critically important for lessening the burden of cancer. Patient navigator programs have been shown to improve clinical outcomes. Among its provisions relevant to disparities in cancer care, The Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act authorizes continued funding of patient navigator programs. However, given the current economic and political environment, this funding is in jeopardy. This article describes patient navigator programs and summarizes the elements of the health care law that are relevant to these programs. It is vital that the entire oncology community remain committed to leading efforts toward the improvement of cancer care among our most vulnerable patients.
Rapid determination of the molecular weight distribution of total cellular fatty acids using chemical ionization mass spectrometry.

A new method for the qualitative and quantitative determination of the molecular weight distribution of total cellular fatty acids is described. The method includes a simple extraction–saponification followed by chemical ionization–mass spectrometric analysis of the saponifiable matter. This technique requires small quantities of cell material which, combined with the rapidity and precision of the analysis, makes it attractive to the biologist interested in changes in the fatty acid composition of growing cells. As an example, an application of this method to the fatty acid determination of marine diatoms at different growth stages is presented.
Assessing the need for communication training for specialists in poison information.

Introduction. Effective communication has been shown to be essential to physician–patient communication and may be even more critical for poison control center (PCC) calls because of the absence of visual cues, the need for quick and accurate information exchange, and possible suboptimal conditions such as call surges. Professionals who answer poison control calls typically receive extensive training in toxicology but very little formal training in communication. Methods. An instrument was developed to assess the perceived need for communication training for specialists in poison information (SPIs) with input from focus groups and a panel of experts. Requests to respond to an online questionnaire were made to PCCs throughout the United States and Canada. Results. The 537 respondents were 70% SPIs or poison information providers (PIPs), primarily educated in nursing or pharmacy, working across the United States and Canada, and employed by their current centers an average of 10 years. SPIs rated communicati...
A Protein Encoded by the Bovine Herpesvirus 1 Latency-Related Gene Interacts with Specific Cellular Regulatory Proteins, Including CCAAT Enhancer Binding Protein Alpha

Following acute infection, bovine herpesvirus 1 establishes latency in sensory neurons of trigeminal ganglia (TG). Reactivation from latency occurs periodically, resulting in the shedding of infectious virus. The latency-related (LR) RNA is abundantly expressed in TG of latently infected calves, and the expression of LR proteins is necessary for dexamethasone-induced reactivation from latency. Previously published studies also identified an alternatively spliced LR transcript which is abundantly expressed in TG at 7 days after infection and has the potential to encode a novel LR fusion protein. Seven days after infection is when extensive viral gene expression is extinguished in TG and latency is established, suggesting that LR gene products influence the establishment of latency. In this study, we used a bacterial two-hybrid assay to identify cellular proteins that interact with the novel LR fusion protein. The LR fusion protein interacts with two proteins that can induce apoptosis (Bid and Cdc42) and with CCAAT enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBP-α). Additional studies confirmed that the LR fusion protein interacts with human or insect C/EBP-α. C/EBP-α protein expression is induced in TG neurons of infected calves and after dexamethasone-induced reactivation from latency. Wild-type C/EBP-α, but not a DNA binding mutant of C/EBP-α, enhances plaque formation in bovine cells. We hypothesize that interactions between the LR fusion protein and C/EBP-α promote the establishment of latency.
Simulating an enactment effect: Pronouns guide action simulation during narrative comprehension

Recent research has suggested that reading involves the mental simulation of events and actions described in a text. It is possible however that previous findings did not tap into processes engaged during natural reading but rather those triggered by task demands. The present study examined whether readers spontaneously mentally simulate the actions described in simple narratives by using a memory task that did not encourage the formation of mental images. During encoding, participants read event scenarios preceded by ‘I’, ‘You’, or ‘He’, and then 10 min (Experiment 1) or 3 days later (Experiment 2), we examined memory for action and descriptive elements of these scenarios. Given previous research demonstrating that readers simulate described actions preceded by ‘You’ from an actor’s perspective, we predicted that such action statements would be better remembered than those preceded by ‘He’ or ‘I’ – a simulated enactment effect. Results of both experiments supported this prediction; readers had better memory for actions but not descriptive information (10 min and 3 days later) after reading statements preceded by ‘You’. Results demonstrate that readers spontaneously mentally simulate actions during language comprehension and take different mental perspectives, even when doing so is not necessary to perform the task.
Geochemical studies in watersheds expanded

In the past, geochemical research in forested watersheds has focused on understanding the basic processes that occur in soils and rocks. Watershed geochemical processes, however, are greatly influenced by, and in turn, greatly influence, both organisms and biological process in soils, and hydrologic responses of catchments. To date, geochemical research has dealt principally with basic chemical processes in soils and rocks, and much less with questions concerning hydrologic routing through catchments and the effects such routing has on temporal variation in chemical composition of surface waters. Research on flow generation in catchments has focused on intensive field studies on plots, hillslope sections, and small catchments, with extension to larger scales necessarily involving the application of conceptual models that might (or might not) be valid. The acquisition of direct experimental evidence (for example, verifying flow generation mechanisms) on larger-scale watersheds has always been problematic. Although geochemists understand that the explanation of some geochemical observations requires that flow pathways be explicitly identified, and hydrologists understand that flow generation can be better elucidated if the geochemical history of waters is known, critical integrated communication between the disciplines is often lacking. In turn, biologists require physical and geochemical information to interpret biological effects in watersheds, and hydrologists and geochemists need to be aware of the effects of biological processes on hydrochemical response of catchments.
Speaker Identification for Movies

So far, there has been considerable amount of work in the speaker identification area as reviewed in Chapter 2. Nevertheless, most of these research mainly focuses on pure speech data, thus no information from other possible media sources is employed. However, when given a multimedia bitstream, we believe that the system performance could be further improved if the knowledge from other available media sources are effectively integrated.
Minimum Time vs Maximum Exit Velocity Path Optimization During Cornering

Numerical optimization has been used as an extension of vehicle dynamics simulation in order to repro- duce trajectories and driving techniques used by expert race drivers and investigate the effects of several vehicle param- eters in the stability limit operation of the vehicle. In this work we investigate how different race-driving techniques may be reproduced by considering different optimization cost functions. We introduce a bicycle model with suspension dynamics and study the role of the longitudinal load transfer in limit vehicle operation, i.e., when the tires operate at the adhesion limit. Finally we demonstrate that for certain vehicle configurations the optimal trajectory may include large slip angles (drifting), which matches the techniques used by rally-race drivers. I. INTRODUCTION
Mapping of the P1 proteinase cleavage site in the polyprotein of Wheat streak mosaic virus (genus Tritimovirus).

Monopartite members of the family Potyviridae utilize three virus-encoded proteinases to cleave the viral polyprotein into mature proteins. The amino-terminal region of the viral polyprotein is autolytically cleaved by the P1 proteinase. A domain required for P1 proteinase activity of Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) was mapped using a series of templates with nested 3′-truncations or 5′-deletions to program in vitro transcription–translation reactions. The WSMV P1 proteinase cleavage site was mapped to a position downstream of amino acid residue 348 and upstream of amino acid residue 353, with the peptide bond between amino acid residues Y352 and G353 the most probable site of hydrolysis. An alignment of potyvirus polyprotein sequences in the carboxy-terminal region of the P1 domain revealed WSMV P1 contained conserved H257, D267, S303 and FIVXG325–329 residues upstream of the cleavage site that are typical of serine proteinases and shown by others to be required for P1 proteolysis in Tobacco etch virus. Insertion of the GUS reporter gene immediately downstream of the P1 cleavage site in a full-length clone of WSMV resulted in systemic infection and GUS expression upon inoculation of plants with in vitro transcripts. When cleaved by P1 at the amino terminus and NIa proteinase at a site engineered in the carboxy-terminus, active GUS protein expressed by WSMV in infected wheat had electrophoretic mobility similar to wild-type GUS protein.
A Simplified Model for Fluid Spreading in Composite Web Structures

It is common practice to use analogous models for solving problems that cannot be solved in their original form. Fluid spreading in composite web structures is difficult to model mathematically using mass transfer equations because of complicated driving forces and energy losses caused by a number of irreversible processes. The problem has been transformed into an analogous three-dimensional transient heat transfer model with varying thermal conductivities and heat capacities, to represent the actual phenomenon of fluid spreading in a composite web. A web structure is considered with varying porosities in the layers and pores with certain preferred orientations. A temporary point source of fluid is considered near the center of the top layer, and the dynamics of fluid spreading are modeled. A clear method of converting the temperature history of the web section into the fluid saturations of the web medium is presented. The results predicted by the model match well with the experimental data available in t...
Fetal Drug Syndromes: Effects of Ethanol and Hydantoins

We are now into the era of fetal medicine.* Most of the handicapping disorders of infants and children that we care for today are the consequence of problems in prenatal development. Though the majority of these problems appear to have a genetic basis, it is extremely important to recognize those which have an environmental etiology since they are more readily preventable. When a chemical agent becomes recognized as causing problems in fetal development, ie, as being teratogenic, every attempt should be made to prevent the exposure of the fetus to dangerous levels of that chemical agent. This information should reach all women of reproductive age who are receiving the teratogen or who are liable to receive it after conception. Mothering before birth is direct mothering. It is direct in the sense that most chemical agents that the mother takes during pregnancy are also "taken" by the fetus. This is graphically portrayed in Fig 1. If we can simply foster the concept of mothering from conception, this will be a major philosophic advance toward prenatal preventive medicine. For example, every woman needs to know that her cigarette smoking or alcohol ingestion is cigarette smoking or alcohol ingestion by the fetus. Just as she would not wish her infant to smoke or drink after birth, it is even more important that the fetus not be exposed before birth, by her own smoking or drinking.
The Politics of Divestment

In the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act (‘SADA’) of 2007, Congress authorized state governments to divest from businesses investing in Sudan. Congress took this unprecedented step in the face of objections from the Bush Administration and the business community that state divestment intrudes unconstitutionally into the exclusive foreign-relations prerogatives of the federal government. SADA would be remarkable enough if it allowed state divestment while adhering to a dualist conception of federalism. This paper explores the possibility that SADA and its progeny – the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act (‘CISADA’) of 2010 – may signal the emergence of a dialogic view of federalism, under which the federal government recognizes that states may legitimately speak on international concerns within bounds that preserve ultimate federal control over foreign relations.
Oops, I thought that those books had been deacidified

Major libraries have been placing increasing reliance upon non-aqueous mass deacidification in an effort to avoid hydrolytic decomposition of the cellulose during storage of bound volumes. Such decomposition is especially a problem when the printing papers used in manufacture of the books have been prepared under acidic conditions, using aluminum sulfate. But there is reason to doubt that the widely used non-aqueous treatments, in which “alkaline reserve” particles are deposited in the void spaces of the paper, can achieve neutralization of acidity throughout the paper structure under the conditions most commonly used for treatment and storage. Anecdotal evidence suggests that alkaline particles such as CaCO3, MgO, Mg(OH)2, or ZnO can be present for long periods of time adjacent to acidic parts of cellulosic fibers without neutralization of the acidity, especially the acidity within the fibers. If these phenomena can be better understood, then there may be an opportunity to use a high-humidity treatment of certain “deacidified” books in order to achieve more pervasive protection against acid-induced degradation.
Identification of polycomb and trithorax group responsive elements in the regulatory region of the Drosophila homeotic gene Sex combs reduced

The Drosophila homeotic gene Sex combs reduced (Scr) is necessary for the establishment and maintenance of the morphological identity of the labial and prothoracic segments. In the early embryo, its expression pattern is established through the activity of several gap and segmentation gene products, as well as other transcription factors. Once established, the Polycomb group (Pc-G) and trithorax group (trx-G) gene products maintain the spatial pattern of Scr expression for the remainder of development. We report the identification of DNA fragments in the Scr regulatory region that may be important for its regulation by Polycomb and trithorax group gene products. When DNA fragments containing these regulatory sequences are subcloned into P-element vectors containing a white minigene, transformants containing these constructs exhibit mosaic patterns of pigmentation in the adult eye, indicating that white minigene expression is repressed in a clonally heritable manner. The size of pigmented and nonpigmented clones in the adult eye suggests that the event determining whether a cell in the eye anlagen will express white occurs at least as early as the first larval instar. The amount of white minigene repression is reduced in some Polycomb group mutants, whereas repression is enhanced in flies mutant for a subset of trithorax group loci. The repressor activity of one fragment, normally located in Scr Intron 2, is increased when it is able to homologously pair, a property consistent with genetic data suggesting that Scr exhibits transvection. Another Scr regulatory fragment, normally located 40 kb upstream of the Scr promoter, silences ectopic expression of an Scr-lacZ fusion gene in the embryo and does so in a Polycomb-dependent manner. We propose that the regulatory sequences located within these DNA fragments may normally mediate the regulation of Scr by proteins encoded by members of the Polycomb and trithorax group loci.
The Influence of Childhood Aerobic Fitness on Learning and Memory

Introduction: There is a growing trend of inactivity among children, which may not only result in poorer physical health, but also poorer cognitive health. Previous research has shown that lower fitness has been related to decreased cognitive function for tasks requiring perception, memory, and cognitive control as well as lower academic achievement. Purpose: To investigate the relationship between aerobic fitness, learning, and memory on a task that involved remembering names and locations on a fictitious map. Different learning strategies and recall procedures were employed to better understand fitness effects on learning novel material. Methods: Forty-eight 9–10 year old children (n=24 high fit; HF and n=24 low fit; LF) performed a task requiring them to learn the names of specific regions on a map, under two learning conditions in which they only studied (SO) versus a condition in which they were tested during study (TS). The retention day occurred one day after initial learning and involved two different recall conditions: free recall and cued recall. Results: There were no differences in performance at initial learning between higher fit and lower fit participants. However, during the retention session higher fit children outperformed lower fit children, particularly when the initial learning strategy involved relatively poor recall performance (i.e., study only versus test-study strategy). Conclusions: We interpret these novel data to suggest that fitness can boost learning and memory of children and that these fitness-associated performance benefits are largest in conditions in which initial learning is the most challenging. Such data have important implications for both educational practice and policy.
Relation of Cellular Phospholipid Composition to Oligodendroglial Differentiation in C-6 Glial Cells

: The relation of the polar head group composition of cellular phospholipids to a biochemical expression of oligodendroglial differentiation was studied in cultured C-6 glial cells. Induction of the oligodendroglial enzyme, 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphohydrolase (CNP), was determined after alteration of the polar head group composition of phospholipids by exposure of the cells to choline analogues, especially N, N′-dimethyl-ethanolamine. To accomplish the phospholipid alteration, cells were grown in the presence of the analogue in medium free of exogenous lipid, i.e., first for 24 h in 10% delipidated serum and then for 48 h in serum-free medium. The 48-h exposure to serum-free medium resulted in untreated C-6 cells in a several fold increase in CNP activity, but in cells treated with 2.5 mM N, N′-dimethyl-ethanolamine, total inhibition of this induction was observed. A graded, concentration-dependent inhibitory effect of the analogue on the induction of CNP was defined. The effect of the analogue was relatively specific, e.g., the activity of another plasma membrane enzyme of C-6 cells, (Na++ K+)-activated ATPase, was not affected. Morever, there was no evidence of a toxic effect of the analogue; thus, total protein synthesis and cell growth were not altered, and the induction of CNP in serum-free medium recurred after removal of the analogue. N, N′-Dimethylethanolamine was shown to be incorporated into cellular phospholipids, primarily at the expense of phosphatidylcholine. The data define an important role for the polar head group composition of membrane phospholipids in oligodendroglial differentiation in this model system.
Miniature reconfigurable three-dimensional fractal tree antennas

This paper introduces a design methodology for miniature multiband as well as reconfigurable (i.e., tunable) antennas that exploits the self-similar branching structure of three-dimensional (3-D) fractal trees. Several fundamental relationships, useful for design purposes, are established between the geometrical structure of the fractal tree antenna and its corresponding radiation characteristics. In particular, it will be shown that the density and elevation angle of the branches play a key role in the effective design of miniature 3-D fractal tree antennas. Several design examples are considered where fractal trees are used as end-loads in order to miniaturize conventional dipole or monopole antennas. Multiband and reconfigurable versions of these miniature antennas are also proposed, where either reactive LC traps or RF switches are strategically placed throughout the branches and/or along the trunk of the trees. Included among these designs is a miniature reconfigurable dipole antenna that achieves a 57% size reduction for the center frequency of the lowest intended band of operation and has a tunable bandwidth of nearly 70%.
Long-Term Behavior of Polynomial Chaos in Stochastic Flow Simulations

In this paper we focus on the long-term behavior of generalized polynomial chaos (gPC) and multi-element generalized polynomial chaos (ME-gPC) for partial differential equations with stochastic coefficients. First, we consider the one-dimensional advection equation with a uniform random transport velocity and derive error estimates for gPC and ME-gPC discretizations. Subsequently, we extend these results to other random distributions and high-dimensional random inputs with numerical verification using the algebraic convergence rate of ME-gPC. Finally, we apply our results to noisy flow past a stationary circular cylinder. Simulation results demonstrate that ME-gPC is effective in improving the accuracy of gPC for a long-term integration whereas high-order gPC cannot capture the correct asymptotic behavior.
Effects of Organizational Diagnosis and Intervention on Blue-Collar "Blues"

A small Midwestern manufacturing company suffered excessive turnover among its blue-collar workers in 1972. An organizational diagnosis involving interviews and survey questionnaire assessment of a...
Somatic populations of PGT135-137 HIV-1-neutralizing antibodies identified by 454 pyrosequencing and bioinformatics

Select HIV-1-infected individuals develop sera capable of neutralizing diverse viral strains. The molecular basis of this neutralization is currently being deciphered by the isolation of HIV-1-neutralizing antibodies. In one infected donor, three neutralizing antibodies, PGT135-137, were identified by assessment of neutralization from individually sorted B cells and found to recognize an epitope containing an N-linked glycan at residue 332 on HIV-1 gp120. Here we use deep sequencing and bioinformatics methods to interrogate the B cell record of this donor to gain a more complete understanding of the humoral immune response. PGT135-137-gene family-specific primers were used to amplify heavy and light chain-variable domain sequences. 454 pyrosequencing produced 141,298 heavy-chain sequences of IGHV4-39 origin and 87,229 light-chain sequences of IGKV3-15 origin. A number of heavy and light chain sequences of ~90% identity to PGT137, several to PGT136, and none of high identity to PGT135 were identified. After expansion of these sequences to include close phylogenetic relatives, a total of 202 heavy-chain sequences and 72 light-chain sequences were identified. These sequences were clustered into populations of 95% identity comprising 15 for heavy chain and 10 for light chain, and a select sequence from each population was synthesized and reconstituted with a PGT137-partner chain. Reconstituted antibodies showed varied neutralization phenotypes for HIV-1 clade A and D isolates. Sequence diversity of the antibody population represented by these tested sequences was notably higher than observed with a 454 pyrosequencing-control analysis on 10 antibodies of defined sequence, suggesting that this diversity results primarily from somatic maturation. Our results thus provide an example of how pathogens like HIV-1 are opposed by a varied humoral immune response, derived from intrinsic mechanisms of antibody development, and embodied by somatic populations of diverse antibodies.
A paleomagnetic and stable isotope study of the pluton at Rio Hondo near Questa, New Mexico: implications for CRM related to hydrothermal alteration

Abstract Paleomagnetic and rock magnetic data combined with stable isotope data from the middle Tertiary pluton along the Rio Hondo in northern New Mexico suggest that its magnetic remanence has both thermal (TRM) and high-temperature chemical (CRM) components. Oxygen isotope temperatures indicate that magnetite associated with the more rapidly cooled higher levels of the pluton, and with mafic inclusions and cogenetic rhyolitic dikes sampled at lower levels of exposure, ceased subsolidus recrystallization and isotopic exchange above its Curie temperature (580°C) in the presence of a magmatic fluid. Continued cooling imparted a TRM to these portions of the pluton. The more slowly cooled granodiorite at lower levels has quartz-magnetite isotopic temperatures that are below the Curie temperature of magnetite implying that its magnetization is high-temperature CRM. Sub-Curie isotopic temperatures for other granitic plutons in the western U.S.A. suggest that CRM may be commonly derived from subsolidus interactions between magnetite and magmatic fluids in plutonic rocks. A meteoric-hydrothermal system generated by the cooling Rio Hondo pluton, and not by younger adjacent intrusions, resulted in limited alteration along zones of high permeability near the southern margin of the Rio Hondo pluton, and in more prevasive alteration of the pluton to the north. The meteoric-hydrothermal alteration occurred at relatively high temperatures (> 350°C) and, with the exception of local chloritization, caused little visible alteration of the rocks. The isotopic ratios indicate that little of the magnetite could have grown from or exchanged with a meteoric-hydrothermal fluid.
Stability of resilience in children of adolescent mothers

The current study examined the stability of resilience in a longitudinal sample of children born to adolescent mothers. Resilience was initially assessed in 106 children at age 5 in terms of intellectual, adaptive behavior, and psychosocial competence. Children's exposure to adversity was based on an index composed of maternal social and psychological functioning. Approximately 68% of the children retained their status as Resilient or Vulnerable when reassessed at age 8. Greater stability was observed for children in contexts characterized by either high or low levels of maternal adversity, in contrast to moderate adversity. Competence at age 8 was dependent upon children's intelligence scores at age 5 and changes in maternal self-esteem and anxiety between the children's ages of 5 and 8. Results suggested the importance of early development for establishing pathways toward resilience during childhood.
In vivo delivery of recombinant human growth hormone from genetically engineered human fibroblasts implanted within Baxter immunoisolation devices.

Continuous delivery of therapeutic peptide to the systemic circulation would be the optimal treatment for a variety of diseases. The Baxter TheraCyte® system is a membrane encapsulation system developed for implantation of tissues, cells such as endocrine cells or cell lines genetically engineered for therapeutic peptide delivery in vivo. To demonstrate the utility of this system, cell lines were developed which expressed human growth hormone (hGH) at levels exceeding 1 microgram per million cells per day. These were loaded into devices which were then implanted into juvenile nude rats. Significant levels of hGH of up to 2.5 ng/ml were detected in plasma throughout the six month duration of the study. In contrast, animals implanted with free cells showed peak plasma levels of 0.5 to 1.2 ng four days after implantation with no detectable hGH beyond 10 days. Histological examination of explanted devices showed they were vascularized and contained cells that were viable and morphologically healthy. After removal of the implants, no hGH could be detected which confirmed that the source of hGH was from cells contained within the device. The long term expression of human growth hormone as a model peptide has implications for the peptide therapies for a variety of human diseases using membrane encapsulated cells.
A Uniprocessor Scheduling Policy for Non-Preemptive Task Sets with Precedence and Temporal Constraints

We present an idling, dynamic priority scheduling policy for non-preemptive task sets with precedence, wait constraints, and deadline constraints. The policy operates on a well-formed task model where tasks are related through a hierarchical temporal constraint structure found in many real-world applications. In general, the problem of sequencing according to both upperbound and lowerbound temporal constraints requires an idling scheduling policy and is known to be NP-complete. However, we show through empirical evaluation that, for a given task set, our polynomial-time scheduling policy is able to sequence the tasks such that the overall duration required to execute the task set, the makespan, is within a few percent of the theoretical, lowerbound makespan.
Acquisition of autonomy skills in adolescents with myelomeningocele

This study describes ages of acquisition (AOA) of typical adolescent autonomy skills in a regional cohort of individuals with myelomeningocele (MM), aged 12 to 18 years, with a mean age of 14 years 11 months (SD 2y 5mo). Prospectively collected data over 10 years were analyzed. Regression analysis, using Generalized Estimation Equation, provided 50th centile and 75th centile AOA for each skill. One hundred and fifty-eight participants (90 males, 68 females) attended 378 annual patient visits. Patient contacts were equally distributed across age and physical severity groupings. Twenty-four percent of participants had functional lesion levels at or above L2, and 38% between L3-L5, 38% at S1 or below. Eighty-four percent had shunted hydrocephalus, 24% were independent in ambulation, and 69% achieved toileting independence before adolescence. AOA for autonomy skills were delayed by 25 to 30% when compared with typically developing adolescents. Differences in cognitive ability explained the variance in median ages for skill acquisition (p=0.01) more than physical lesion level. Participants acquired community skills at a median age of 16 years 6 months. Twelve percent of 18-year-olds drove cars (9% with supervision, 3% independently), regardless of physical lesion severity. We conclude that adolescents with MM acquire the majority of autonomy skills 2 to 5 years later than their typically developing peers. This study establishes AOA timelines for autonomy skills in adolescents with MM.
Ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction: cause and effect.

Mechanical ventilation (MV) is used clinically to maintain gas exchange in patients that require assistance in maintaining adequate alveolar ventilation. Common indications for MV include respirato...
Shareholder Campaign Funds: A Campaign Subsidy Scheme for Corporate Elections

In the vivid imagination of Delaware courts, the shareholder franchise is “the ideological underpinning” upon which corporate power rests. A corporate election to choose who should lead the firm is “corporate democracy” at work, since such elections give shareholders the power “to turn the board out.” However, in reality, the vast majority of corporate elections are ho-hum affairs. The current board members are re-elected without contest. Annual corporate meetings to hold the elections are dull - held in front of tame audiences in quiet auditoriums. Election outcomes are predictable. Rarely is there a contested corporate election, in which the incumbent directors face a challenge for their board seats. Even these affairs, while more interesting, are still as predictable. The incumbents always have the upper hand. The corporate election system is, as a consequence, broken, anti-competitive and in need of significant reform. Yet, as will be shown in this Article, previous proposals have overlooked the “genius” of the public sector. In particular, in political elections campaign reformers have already offered a good answer for how to create competitive elections, even though the costs of campaigning to contestants is high, voters are apathetic and dispersed widely, and incumbents have a natural, built-in advantage: Make campaign subsidies available to challengers. Most notably, for instance, in federal elections the system of public subsidies for eligible presidential campaigns, the Presidential Campaign Fund, provides a remarkably sturdy roadmap for how to reform corporate elections and create a subsidy system for shareholder challenges to the board of directors.
From Grooming to Giving Blood: The Origins of Human Altruism

Cooperation plays an important role in the lives of most primates, including ourselves. However, the magnitude and scope of cooperation varies considerably across taxa: callitrichids pool efforts to rear a pairs’ offspring, male langurs jointly challenge resident males for access to groups of females, female baboons groom one another equitably, and male chimpanzees exchange support for mating opportunities. All of these forms of cooperation have analogs in human societies, but humans cooperate in more diverse contexts, with a wider range of partners, and at larger scales than other primates. The evolutionary foundations of cooperation in nonhuman primates – kinship, reciprocity, and mutualism – also generate cooperation in human societies, but cooperation in human societies may also be supported by group-level processes that do not exist in other primate species. The human capacities for culture may have created novel evolutionary forces that altered the selective benefits derived from cooperation.
First-principles molecular dynamics simulation of the Ca2UO2(CO3)3 complex in water

Recent experiments have shown that the neutral Ca2UO2(CO3)3 complex is the dominant species of uranium in many uranyl-containing streams. However, the structure and solvation of such a species in water has not been investigated from first principles. Herein we present a first principles molecular dynamics perspective of the Ca2UO2(CO3)3 complex in water based on density functional theory and Born–Oppenheimer approximation. We find that the Ca2UO2(CO3)3 complex is very stable in our simulation timeframe for three different concentrations considered and that the key distances from our simulation are in good agreement with the experimental data from extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. More important, we find that the two Ca ions bind differently in the complex, as a result of the hydrogen-bonding network around the whole complex. This finding invites confirmation from time-resolved EXAFS and has implications in understanding the dissociative equilibrium of the Ca2UO2(CO3)3 complex in water.