cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nontraumatic Elevation of Prostate Specific Antigen Following Cardiac Surgery and Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Bypass

AbstractWe recently treated a number of patients with markedly elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels associated with acute urinary retention in a post-cardiac surgery setting. A controlled study was conducted to determine if this elevation is secondary to trauma from urethral catheterization or more directly associated with the cardiac surgery and extracorporeal bypass. In 68 patients undergoing cardiac surgery serum PSA levels were determined preoperatively and 12 to 18 hours postoperatively (after urethral catheterization). The control patients were 23 men undergoing evaluation for chest pain in the cardiac care unit. The serum PSA level was markedly elevated in 38 patients (56%) after cardiac surgery. In contrast, only 1 control patient (4.3%) had an elevated level after urethral catheterization (p = 0.0001). The mean post-cardiac surgery PSA concentration was 9.14 ± 16.08ng./ml. (range 0.1 to 94.8) with a mean elevation of 528% (range −50 to 5,155%). This finding was statistically different ...
Determination of population balances in a mixed culture by specific cell adhesion

Specific cell adhesion can be used to monitor the population balance in a mixed culture. A mixture of twoEscherichiacoli strains were separated and monitored based on their different expression of thelamB protein. The results are compared to those obtained by differential plate counts.
Phantom bidding against heterogeneous bidders

Abstract If IPV bidders are distributionally heterogeneous then a revenue maximizing English auctioneer will, in general, find it optimal to use a non-constant reserve price that is a function of the observed bid sequence. An example is provided.
Mr contrast due to intravascular magnetic susceptibility perturbations

A particularly powerful paradigm for functional MR imaging of microvascular hemodynamics incorporates paramagnetic materials that create significant image contrast. These include exogenous (lanthanide chelates) and endogenous (de-oxygenated hemoglobin) agents for mapping cerebral blood volume and neuronal activity, respectively. Accurate interpretation of these maps requires an understanding of the bio-physics of susceptibility-based image contrast. The authors developed a novel Monte Carlo model with which the authors quantified the relationship between microscopic tissue parameters, NMR imaging parameters, and susceptibility contrast in vivo. The authors found vascular permeability to water and the flow of erythrocytes to be relatively unimportant contributors to susceptibility-induced ΔR2. However, pulse sequence, echo time, and concentration of contrast agent have profound effects on the vessel size dependence of ΔR2. For a model vasculature containing both capillaries and venules, the authors predicted a linear volume fraction dependence for physiological volume changes based on recruitment and dilation, and a concentration dependence that is nonlinear and pulse sequence dependent. Using the model, the authors demonstrated that spin echo functional images have greater microvascular sensitivity than gradient echo images, and that the specifics of the volume fraction and concentration dependence of transverse relaxivity change should allow for robust mapping of relative blood volume. The authors also demonstrated excellent agreement between the predictions of their model and experimental data obtained from the serial injection of superparamagnetic contrast agent in a rat model.
Multiple void-crack interaction

Abstract This paper presents a method for fracture analysis of a general two-dimensional system containing multiple holes, or voids, and cracks. The superposition technique is used to break the problem into a number of single-hole and single-crack problems. Each hole problem is modeled using the method of pseudo-tractions, and each crack problem is modeled by a distribution of dislocations. An integral equation approach is developed, based on two types of fundamental solutions, one due to point loads in a solid with a hole and the other due to point dislocations in an infinite elastic body. The resulting integral equations present Cauchy-type singularities only on the crack part of the multiple hole-crack problem. The results in terms of stress intensity factors (SIFs) are presented for a variety of hole-and-crack arrangements, relative sizes of cracks and holes, spacings and crack orientations. The amplification and retardation effects on SIFs are investigated. It is found that the hole-crack arrangements have significant effects on the nature of the amplification or retardation. In the fractured porous elastic medium (modeled as a crack surrounded by holes), amplification or retardation can occur, depending on the relative size of the holes and cracks and the spacing between them. Very strong retardation exists as the spacing becomes small. Some optimal retardations (void toughening) are achieved by adjusting the geometry parameters. An array of periodical crack-hole structure is examined as a numerical example.
INVOLVEMENT OF NUCLEOPHILES IN THE INACTIVATION OF ATRACURIUM

Atracurium was incubated in 0.9% sodium chloride solution at pH 7.4 and 37 °C. The following compounds were added to the incubation solution: propionic acid, alanine and cysteine (0.1 mol litre–−1 final concentration). Metocurine was also incubated with cysteine under identical conditions. Aliquots of the incubation solutions were injected i.v. to anaesthetized rats at the start (0 min) and at the end of incubation (45 min), and the indirectly elicited, single twitches of the gastrocnemius muscle were observed. Whereas inactivation of atracurium proceeded slowly in the control solution and in the presence of sodium propion-ate, the presence of alanine and, especially, of cysteine markedly enhanced the inactivation. Incubation of metocurine with cysteine did not alter the pharmacological responses. The concentration of cysteine decreased progressively during its incubation with atracurium (37 °C, pH 7.4). We conclude that the data are compatible with the postulate that a nucleophile may enhance the degradation of atracurium by a reaction with the parent compound (nucleophilic substitution reaction), by reaction with acrylates (Michael addition) or both.
Tabletop Terawatt Laser By Chirped Pulse Amplification

Single picosecond pulses have been amplified to the terawatt level by a tabletop Nd:glass amplifier by using the technique of chirped pulse amplification (CPA). The addition of a grating stretching stage made possible the generation and amplification of 1 ns chirped pulses, while preserving a final pulse width of 1 ps. Apart from being compact and powerful, the CPA laser provides a simple way of selecting the pulse duration, a feature which should prove very useful for high power laser-matter interaction study.
“Chaf'd Muscatts Pores”: The Not-So-Good Mistress in Donne's “The Comparison”

Notorious for the powerful imagery by which it renders disgusting the female object of desire, Donne's Elegy 8 “The Comparison” continues to elicit interpretive controversy. Because the elegy's ant...
Deep networks for predicting human intent with respect to objects

Effective human-robot interaction requires systems that can accurately infer and predict human intentions. In this paper, we introduce a system that uses stacked denoising autoencoders to perform intent recognition. We introduce the intent recognition problem, provide an overview of deep architectures in machine learning, and outline the components of our system. We also provide preliminary results for our system's performance.
The DeVentis of Theophrastus: Its Contributions to the Theory of Winds.

Because of his close association with Aristotle, the contributions to meteorology made by Theophrastus have been overlooked and it has been often thought that Theophrastus simply enlarged and expounded upon the theories of Aristotle. A new English translation of De Ventis (On Winds) suggests that Theophrastus made a number of significant and innovative contributions to meteorological thought, while the greater empiricism and the inductive approach of De Ventis stands in contrast to the Meteorologica of Aristotle. By relegating the Aristotelian dry exhalation to a minor position in his anemology, Theophrastus is able to accept the Presocratic belief of wind as air in motion. In addition, Theophrastus presents new theories for advection and for the causes of the horizontal motion of the winds. De Ventis, based upon a highly accurate observational base, also contains perceptive comments on climate change, and on local climatic peculiarities.
An analytical framework for the efficient allocation of agricultural research expenditures by states

Abstract The allocation of agricultural research expenditures among research areas has traditionally been an informal, often subjective, process within the various states. Attempts to introduce objectivity into the decision-making process have taken many forms, one of which is an analytical framework designed to allocate limited research funds efficiently by equating the value of the marginal product of research for all commodities for the state. This paper extends the basic analytical framework by including externalities, both spill-ins and spill-outs, in the calculation of the VMPRs. Such an extension allows one to identify both an efficient allocation for the state and socially optimum allocation for the nation in the light of externalities. The application of the developed framework to a hypothetical situation indicates allocation strategies for the state acting in its own best interest different from allocation strategies for the state acting in the best interest of the nation. For there to be efficient and socially optimum allocation of research expenditures both spill-ins and spill-outs must be considered.
Mirror and Phrase Difficulty Influence Dancer Attention and Body Satisfaction

Abstract The dance studio typically features a wall of mirrors; however, there has been little research on the pedagogical advantages and disadvantages of mirrors in the training environment. Psychological studies on objective self-awareness, the ability to see one's self as an object, suggest that the mirrors magnify this state. How this increased attention to self and self within the group impacts dance learning has not been significantly researched. This study examined 64 college dancers' level of attention and satisfaction with aspects of their body when learning and performing a simple or complex dance phrase, in a mirrored or non-mirrored condition. This 2 X 2 research design assessed how the presence of the mirror affected dance students' perceptions when learning movements of varying degrees of difficulty.
Thermolysin in the absence of substrate has an open conformation

The bacterial neutral proteases have been proposed to undergo hinge-bending during their catalytic cycle. However, in thermolysin, the prototypical member of the family, no significant conformational change has been observed. The structure of thermolysin has now been determined in a new crystal form that for the first time shows the enzyme in the absence of a ligand bound in the active site. This is shown to be an `open' form of the enzyme. The relative orientation of the two domains that define the active-site cleft differ by a 5° rotation relative to their positions in the previously studied ligand-bound `closed' form. Based on structural comparisons, kinetic studies on mutants and molecular-dynamics simulations, Gly78 and Gly135–Gly136 have previously been suggested as two possible hinge regions. Comparison of the `open' and `closed' structures suggests that neither of the proposed hinge regions completely accounts for the observed displacement. The concerted movement of a group of side chains suggested to be associated with the hinge-bending motion is, however, confirmed.
Editorial comment: When we “act” on ACT levels: Activated clotting time measurements to guide heparin administration during and after interventional procedures

The establishment and monitoring of anticoagulation before, during, and after interventional and invasive procedures are crucial responsibilities. However, few prospective studies exist to rationally guide us in how and when to "act" in response to ACT values in specific clinical situations. Definitive studies to reach a uniform and safe ++approach are needed. The articles published in this issue of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Diagnosis represent an important step in understanding the role and value of ACT levels.
What Motivates Students To Learn: Identifying the Key Factors

Student achievement is clearly linked to motivation. These writ ers urge educators to identify motivating factors and to develop strategies to help underachievers increase their learning readi ness.
Signal-to-noise ratios in logarithmic amplifiers

The relationship between the input and output signal-to-noise ratios in logarithmic amplifiers is derived for the large and small input signal-to-noise ratios. It is shown that with a properly chosen bias, the logarithmic amplifiers improve the output signal-to-noise ratios under all input signal-to-noise ratios.
The genetic and environmental variance underlying elementary cognitive tasks

Although previous studies have examined the genetic and environmental influences upon general intelligence and specific cognitive abilities in school-age children, few studies have examined elementary cognitive tasks in this population. The current study included 149 MZ and 138 same-sex DZ twin pairs who participated in the Western Reserve Twin Project. Thirty measures from the Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT; Detterman, 1986) were studied. Results indicate that (1) these measures are reliable indicators of general intelligence in children and (2) the structure of genetic and environmental influences varies across measures. These results not only indicate that elementary cognitive tasks display heterogeneous genetic and environmental effects, but also may demonstrate that individual differences in biologically based processes are not necessarily due to genetic variance.
Enhanced Nonsaturable Calcium Transport in the Jejunum of Rats During Lactation, but Not During Pregnancy

The lactating (L) rat loses in excess of 100 mg of calcium (Ca) per day to milk at peak lactation. Most of the Ca must be provided by increased intestinal absorption. In an effort to examine adaptation of intestinal calcium absorption during lactation, nonsaturable absorption from the small intestine of rats was calculated from the disappearance of Ca from in situ ligated loops of jejunum during the last week of pregnancy and throughout lactation and weaning. Efficiency of absorption is reflected by the slope of the regression line of Ca absorbed on Ca introduced into the loop. Absorption of Ca in the jejunum was markedly enhanced starting at 5 days of lactation and for the remainder of lactation. Two days after weaning, the efficiency of jejunal Ca absorption decreased to the nonmated (NM) control level, while the lactation-associated intestinal hypertrophy persisted beyond 2 days postweaning. The percentages of water and Ca absorbed were positively and significantly correlated in both L and NM rats. In contrast to Ca, magnesium (Mg) and strontium (Sr) transport from ligated loops were not enhanced during lactation. Fifty millimolar glucose in the test solution increased the absorption of both water and Ca, but not Mg, from jejunal loops of NM rats. Glucose increased Ca absorption in NM rats up to the level seen in L rats. Glucose did not increase Ca absorption further in L rats, perhaps because of the greater availability of glucose to the intestine during lactation. We conclude that in rats the efficiency of nonsaturable Ca absorption from the jejunum is significantly increased during well established lactation, but not during pregnancy. The underlying mechanism appears to be specific for Ca, may be dependent on glucose, and is unrelated to intestinal hypertrophy.
Investigation of Green Functions and the Parisi‐Wu Quantization Method in Background Stochastic Fields

In this review we present variational and stochastic method of evaluating functional integrals and quantization of different fields (scalar, electromagnetic and Yang-Mills gauge ones). These methods are applied to the study of the asymptotic behavior of the scalar particle Green functions in stochastic fields and to the construction of a finite quantum field theory by means of the nonlocal white noise-like background stochastic fields in the scheme due to Parisi and Wu. In our mathematical prescription the white noise-like field plays a double role, it controls the quantum behavior of the theory and at the same time it carries nonlocality in stochastic Langevin-type equations. We also introduce stochasticity of the space-time metric in the context of stochastic background field and discuss its consequences.
Structural insights for designed alanine-rich helices: comparing NMR helicity measures and conformational ensembles from molecular dynamics simulation.

The temperature dependence of helical propensities for the peptides Ac-ZGG-(KAAAA)3X-NH2 (Z = Y or G, X = A, K, and D-Arg) were studied both experimentally and by MD simulations. Good agreement is observed in both the absolute helical propensities as well as relative helical content along the sequence; the global minimum on the calculated free energy landscape corresponds to a single α-helical conformation running from K4 to A18 with some terminal fraying, particularly at the C-terminus. Energy component analysis shows that the single helix state has favorable intramolecular electrostatic energy due to hydrogen bonds, and that less-favorable two-helix globular states have favorable solvation energy. The central lysine residues do not appear to increase helicity; however, both experimental and simulation studies show increasing helicity in the series X = Ala Lys D-Arg. This C-capping preference was also experimentally confirmed in Ac-(KAAAA)3X-GY-NH2 and (KAAAA)3X-GY-NH2 sequences. The roles of the C-capping groups, and of lysines throughout the sequence, in the MD-derived ensembles are analyzed in detail. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 89: 747–760, 2008. This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com
Cerebral amyloid PET imaging in Alzheimer’s disease

The devastating effects of the still incurable Alzheimer’s disease (AD) project an ever increasing shadow of burden on the health care system and society in general. In this ominous context, amyloid (Aβ) imaging is considered by many of utmost importance for progress towards earlier AD diagnosis and for potential development of effective therapeutic interventions. Amyloid imaging positron emission tomography procedures offer the opportunity for accurate mapping and quantification of amyloid-Aβ neuroaggregate deposition in the living brain of AD patients. This review analyzes the perceived value of current Aβ imaging probes and their clinical utilization and, based on amyloid imaging results, offers a hypothesis on the effects of amyloid deposition on the biology of AD and its progression. It also analyzes lingering questions permeating the field of amyloid imaging on the apparent contradictions between imaging results and known neuropathology brain regional deposition of Aβ aggregates. As a result, the review also discusses literature evidence as to whether brain Aβ deposition is truly visualized and measured with these amyloid imaging agents, which would have significant implications in the understanding of the biological AD cascade and in the monitoring of therapeutic interventions with these surrogate Aβ markers.
Asymptotically Optimal Approximation of Multidimensional pdf's by Lower Dimensional pdf's

Probability density functions (pdf's) of high dimensionality are impractical to estimate from real data. For accurate estimation, the dimensionality of the pdf can be at most 5-10. In order to reduce the dimensionality a sufficient statistic is usually employed. When none is available, there is no universal agreement on how to proceed. We show how to construct a high-dimension pdf based on the pdf of a low-dimensional statistic that is closest to the true one in the sense of divergence. The latter criterion asymptotically minimizes the probability of error in a decision rule. An application to feature selection for classification is described
High-Performance Ultrathin Solid Oxide Fuel Cells for Low-Temperature Operation

Thin-film solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) structures containing electrolyte membranes 50-150 nm thick were fabricated with the help of sputtering, lithography, and etching. The submicrometer SOFCs were made of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) or YSZ/ gadolinium-doped ceria composites electrolyte and 80 nm porous Pt as cathode and anode. The peak power densities were 200 and 400 mW/cm 2 at 350 and 400°C, respectively. The high power densities achieved are not only due to the reduction of electrolyte thickness but also to the high charge-transfer reaction rates at the interfaces between the nanoporous electrodes (cathode and/or anode) and the nanocrystalline thin electrolyte.
Colorectal Cancer: Chemopreventive Role of Curcumin and Resveratrol

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a second leading cause of cancer deaths in the Western world. Currently there is no effective treatment except resection at a very early stage with or without chemotherapy. Of various epithelial cancers, CRC in particular has a potential for prevention, since most cancers follow the adenoma-carcinoma sequence, and the interval between detection of an adenoma and its progression to carcinoma is usually about a decade. However no effective chemopreventive agent except COX-2 inhibitors, limited in their scope due to cardiovascular side effects, have shown promise in reducing adenoma recurrence. To this end, natural agents that can target important carcinogenic pathways without demonstrating discernible adverse effects would serve as ideal chemoprevention agents. In this review, we discuss merits of two such naturally occurring dietary agents-curcumin and resveratrol-for chemoprevention of CRC.
Chemotherapy-induced lung disease

The lung has significant susceptibility to injury from a variety of chemotherapeutic agents. The clinician must be familiar with classic chemotherapeutic agents with well-described pulmonary toxicities and must also be vigilant about a host of new agents that may exert adverse effects on lung function. The diagnosis of chemotherapy-associated lung disease remains an exclusionary process, particularly with respect to considering usual and atypical infections, as well as recurrence of the underlying neoplastic process in these immune compromised patients. In many instances, chemotherapy-associated lung disease may respond to withdrawal of the offending agent and to the judicious application of corticosteroid therapy.
Assessment of multiple sources of anthropogenic and natural chemical inputs to a morphologically complex basin, Lake Mead, USA

Abstract Lakes with complex morphologies and with different geologic and land-use characteristics in their sub-watersheds could have large differences in natural and anthropogenic chemical inputs to sub-basins in the lake. Lake Mead in southern Nevada and northern Arizona, USA, is one such lake. To assess variations in chemical histories from 1935 to 1998 for major sub-basins of Lake Mead, four sediment cores were taken from three different parts of the reservoir (two from Las Vegas Bay and one from the Overton Arm and Virgin Basin) and analyzed for major and trace elements, radionuclides, and organic compounds. As expected, anthropogenic contaminant inputs are greatest to Las Vegas Bay reflecting inputs from the Las Vegas urban area, although concentrations are low compared to sediment quality guidelines and to other USA lakes. One exception to this pattern was higher Hg in the Virgin Basin core. The Virgin Basin core is located in the main body of the lake (Colorado River channel) and is influenced by the hydrology of the Colorado River, which changed greatly with completion of Glen Canyon Dam upstream in 1963. Major and trace elements in the core show pronounced shifts in the early 1960s and, in many cases, gradually return to concentrations more typical of pre-1960s by the 1980s and 1990s, after the filling of Lake Powell. The Overton Arm is the sub-basin least effected by anthropogenic contaminant inputs but has a complex 137 Cs profile with a series of large peaks and valleys over the middle of the core, possibly reflecting fallout from nuclear tests in the 1950s at the Nevada Test Site. The 137 Cs profile suggests a much greater sedimentation rate during testing which we hypothesize results from greatly increased dust fall on the lake and Virgin and Muddy River watersheds. The severe drought in the southwestern USA during the 1950s might also have played a role in variations in sedimentation rate in all of the cores.
Cost-Effective Diagnostic Test Sequencing

Proper diagnostic test selection and logical sequencing can minimize cost without compromising care. This study analyzes the logic for sequencing tests either in series (one after another) or in parallel (simultaneously). A model is created using 2 diagnostic tests for 2 diseases. Tests are assumed to have perfect performance characteristics.
Variability of stable isotopes and maximum linear extension in reef-coral skeletons at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii

Stable-isotope and growth records of coral skeletons are often used to reconstruct tropical paleoclimate, yet few surveys have systematically examined the natural variability in coral skeletal 13C, 18O and maximum linear skeletal extension (MLSE) across depth. Here, interspecific, intraspecific, and geographical variations in coral skeletal 13C, 18O, and MLSE were examined in the corals Porites compressa, P. lobata, and Montipora verrucosa grown at 1.7, 5.0, and 8.3 m depth from August 1996 to March 1997 at The Point Reef and Patch Reef #41 field sites in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Coral skeletal 13C values significantly decreased with depth and differed between species, but did not vary between field sites. 18O values were not significantly different across depth within a species, but did differ among species and field sites. High-resolution analysis of the intra-annual variation in skeletal 13C and 18O in P. compressa at 2.0 m depth confirms that these isotopes reflect changes in solar irradiance and temperature, respectively. Changes in MLSE across depth were consistent within, but highly variable among, species. Peak MLSE occurred at 1.7, 5.0, and 8.3 m for P. lobata, P. compressa, and M. verrucosa, respectively. Such interspecific variation in MLSE patterns may be attributable to one or more of the following: increases in zooplankton in the diet, changes in metabolic processes, or changes in growth form with depth. Overall, these results imply that natural inter- and intraspecific variability in coral skeletal 13C, 18O, and MLSE should be considered when interpreting and comparing coral-based tropical paleoclimate data from various coral species, depths, and field sites.
Voices around the Text: The Ethnography of Reading at Mesivta Tifereth Jerusalem

The title of this article was inspired by a piece called "Voices in the Text" by my brother Daniel Boyarin (1986). His article is a close analysis of a brief example of midrash, the early genre of rabbinic literature which records the sages' expansions on the Bible. His title pointed to the multivocality of the founding rabbinic texts, whose primary character is that of represented dialogue. My "voices around the text" are those of myself, my fellow students, and teachers in an informal class that has been meeting for several years at a yeshiva on the Lower East Side of New York City. The quotes from Greenblatt and Iser suggest that, despite the apparent gap in time, the voices "in" and "around" these texts are mutually dependent and coexistent. Without the text, we who constitute the class would have no basis for dialogue among ourselves. Without us, the rabbis' inscribed words would remain only potential.' The intersubjectivism Iser identifies as inherent in any literary reading opens into a vast (though bounded) number of relational possibilities when several voices together read several voices. The dialogism between reader and text identified in these quotes should not blind us to the social process among groups of readers collectively constructing given texts. Therefore this article aims to address three primary issues:
Optical anisotropy of synthetic polynucleotides. II. Calculation of π‐electron polarizability of uracil and adenine

The π-electron polarizability of conjugated base molecules such as uracil and adenine are calculated semiempirically by using molecular orbital theories. The Huekel method and the self-consistent-field (SCF) theory are used in the present calculation. The theoretical values obtained by the Huekel method are consistently larger than the experimental results. The values obtained by the SCF theory are in good agreement with observed values. It is clearly demonstrated that the SCF method is better than the Hukel method for the calculation of polarizability. The polarizability of the adenine–uracil pair is calculated as the sum of the polarizabilities of adenine and uracil and also calculated by solving the eigenvalue problem for the A–U pair as an entity. The second method gives considerably larger polarizability than the first method. Discussions are presented and it is demonstrated that the second method is the correct way to calculate the polarizability of the A–U pair.
Isolation of the human T-cell leukemia/lymphotropic virus type III from the cornea.

Corneoscleral donor tissue from a donor with a positive serum antibody to HTLV-III but without the overt clinical signs of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) was cultured for the presence of the human T-cell leukemia/lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III). The virus was isolated from the two corneal specimens in this patient after the tissue had been stored for four days in McCarey-Kaufman medium. The presence of HTLV-III was confirmed by the detection of viral core proteins (approximately 24,000 protein, termed P24 gag), by immunofluorescence of a touch preparation of the corneal epithelium as Well as in cells cultured in vitro. The percentage of immunofluorescent cells detected by HTLV-III anti-P24 antibody ranged between 2% and 3%. These findings emphasize the possibility of transmission of this virus via corneal transplantation surgery. Although no documented cases of AIDS have occurred in corneal transplant recipients, serologic screening of donors before the use of the tissue for transplantation is advisable.
Peptidase-3 (Pep-3), dipeptidase variant in the rat homologous to mouse pep-3 (Dip-1) and human PEP-c.

Starch gel electrophoresis and histochemical staining with l-leucyl-l-tyrosine have revealed genetic variation for dipeptidase in Rattus norvegicus. The tissue distribution, substrate specificity, and heterozygous expression as a monmeric protein suggest homology of the variant peptidase to human PEP-C and mouse Pep-3 (Dip-1). We propose Peptidase-3 (Pep-3) as a name for this autosomal locus in the rat. The allele responsible for slower (less anodal) electrophoretic migration is designated Pep-3 a and is characteristic of strain ACI/Pit. A faster (more anodal) electrophoretic mobility is the product of the Pep-3 b allele in strain F344/Pit. Twenty-five additional inbred strains carry Pep-3 a and 16 others carry Pep-3 b . Wild rats trapped in Pittsburgh were polymorphic for this locus. Alleles at Pep-3 segregated independently of c (linkage group I), a (linkage group IV), RT2 and Es-1 (linkage group V), h (linkage group VI), and RTI (linkage group VIII).
The impact of fourth generation programming languages

Fourth generation programming languages are affecting the way in which software is developed. This paper describes what they are and their impact on industry, computer science education and the demand for programmers. The focus of the paper is on whether and/or where fourth generation programming languages should be included in a computer science curriculum.
Sa1430 Outcomes of the Water Exchange Technique During Screening Colonoscopy At an Academic Medical Center

Sa1429 Providing Education and Competitive Feedback to Endoscopists Improved Polyp Retrieval RATES Results of the ‘Golden Retriever’ Study Tim D. Belderbos*, Martijn G. Van Oijen, Leon M. Moons, Peter D. Siersema Medical Oncology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands Background & Aims: Recommendations on adequate surveillance after removal of colorectal polyps are predominantly based on the outcomes of histopathological evaluation. It is therefore important that resected colorectal polyps are retrieved for histology. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of education and competitive feedback on the overall polyp retrieval rate and to determine which polyp and procedure related factors are associated with retrieval. Methods: We prospectively included consecutive colonoscopies in a single center between April 1, 2013 and April 1, 2014. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease or familial polyposis syndromes were excluded for analysis. At 6 months after the start of the study (end of September 2013), all endoscopists were educated on the importance and techniques of polyp retrieval and a competition was started by publicly providing feedback on the retrieval rate of all endoscopists and the monthly best performers (or ‘golden retrievers’). We compared overall retrieval rates in the six months before and six months after start of the competition. A multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with polyp retrieval. Results: Overall polyp retrieval rate improved from 88.4% (525/594) to 93.4% (978/ 1047), comparing consecutive colonoscopies performed in the 6 months before and during the polyp retrieval competition (p!0.01). The histopathological outcomes of retrieved polyps were not different before and during competition. The retrieval rate of right-sided polyps increased from 85% to 95% during competition (Odds Ratio (OR) 1.8, 1.3-2.6), whereas the left-sided retrieval rate remained 92%. In multivariable analysis, polyp size O5 mm (OR 4.1, 1.8-9.6) and in-competition resection (OR 1.8, 1.3-2.6) were both significantly associated with polyp retrieval. Gastroenterologists retrieved more polyps than fellows, but this was not significant (OR 1.4, 0.9 2.0). Hot snare resection (as compared to cold snaring) and adequate bowel preparation (a Boston Bowel Preparation Scale score R6) were not statistically significantly associated with polyp retrieval (OR 2.0, 0.9 4.2 and OR 1.8, 0.9 3.4, respectively). Conclusion: Providing education and competitive feedback to endoscopists improved polyp retrieval rates, especially for right-sided polyps, and resulted in meeting the international minimum standard of at least a 90% retrieval rate. Polyp size O5 mm and polyp resection during competition were both associated with a higher retrieval rate.
Refactoring the search problem

The most common way of framing the search problem is as an exchange between a user and a database, where the user issues queries and the database replies with results that satisfy constraints imposed by the query but that also optimize some notion of relevance. There are several variations to this basic model that augment the dialogue between humans and machines through query refinement, relevance feedback, and other mechanism. However, rarely is this problem ever posed in a way in which the properties of the client and server are fundamentally different and in a way in which exploiting the differences can be used to yield substantially different experiences. I propose a reframing of the basic search problem which presupposes that servers are scalable on most dimensions but suffer from low communication latencies while clients have lower scalability but support vastly richer user interactions because of lower communication latencies. Framed in this manner, there is clear utility in refactoring the search problem so that user interactions are processed fluidly by a client while the server is relegated to pre-computing the properties of a result set that cannot be efficiently left to the client. I will demonstrate Pivot, an experimental client application that allows the user to visually interact with thousands of search results at once, while using facetted-based exploration in a zoomable interface. I will argue that the evolving structure of the Web will tend to push all IR-based applications in a similar direction, which has the algorithmic intelligence increasingly split between clients and servers. Put another way, my claim is that future clients will be neither thin nor dumb.
Nuances of new anti-Aspergillus antifungals

Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a serious complication of immunosuppression, and has become more widespread as the immunocompromised population has increased as a result of new treatment strategies and diseases. This paper identifies and discusses seven issues for managing IA and combating drug resistance. Management of IA requires a multifactorial approach with the host as a major contributor to management strategies and outcome. However, significant progress has been made, and with careful use of the clinical tools available it is possible to make a successful impact on infection outcomes.
Realistic rendering and animation of knitwear

We present a framework for knitwear modeling and rendering that accounts for characteristics that are particular to knitted fabrics. We first describe a model for animation that considers knitwear features and their effects on knitwear shape and interaction. With the computed free-form knitwear configurations, we present an efficient procedure for realistic synthesis based on the observation that a single cross section of yarn can serve as the basic primitive for modeling entire articles of knitwear. This primitive, called the lumislice, describes radiance from a yarn cross section that accounts for fine-level interactions among yarn fibers. By representing yarn as a sequence of identical but rotated cross sections, the lumislice can effectively propagate local microstructure over arbitrary stitch patterns and knitwear shapes. The lumislice accommodates varying levels of detail, allows for soft shadow generation, and capitalizes on hardware-assisted transparency blending. These modeling and rendering techniques together form a complete approach for generating realistic knitwear.
Electronic Structure of CuZr and PdSi Metallic Glasses

The local electronic structures of representative amorphous alloys have been calculated using the SCF-Xα-SW cluster molecular orbital method. Prototype cluster models have been constructed for Cu-Zr and Pd-Si alloys which exemplify two major classes of binary (A-B) glass-forming systems, namely: (1) metallic glasses based on noble or transition elements (e.g., A=Cu) toward the right of the periodic table and transition elements (e.g., B=Zr) toward the left of the periodic table; (2) metalloid glasses based on transition elements (e.g., A=Pd) toward the middle of the periodic table and nonmetallic elements (e.g., B=Si) toward the right of the periodic table. The calculated electronic structures are in good quantitative agreement with, and provide an interpretation of, published photoelectron spectra for the above amorphous alloys.
Eating and activity habits of overweight children on weekdays and weekends.

Objective. To determine whether eating, sedentary, and physical activity behaviors differ on weekdays and weekends in a sample of children who are overweight and obese. Methods. Eighty-one children...
A Finite-Difference time-domain simulation of formative delay times of plasma at high RF electric fields in gases

A Finite Difference (FD) algorithm was developed to calculate the formative delay time between the application of an RF field to a dielectric surface and the formation of a field-induced plasma interrupting the RF power flow. The analysis is focused on the surface being exposed to a background gas pressure above 50 torr. The FD-algorithm is chosen over particle-in-cell methods due to its higher computational speed and its ease of being ported to commercial electromagnetics solvers. The dynamic frequency-dependent permittivity of the plasma is mapped to the time domain of the FD algorithm using the Z transform. Therefore, together with the electron density, the effect of the developing plasma on the instantaneous microwave field is calculated. The high observed value of absorption, up to 60 %, is a result of the momentum transfer collision frequencies in the developing plasma being much larger than the microwave frequency. As a result, the electron density increases to values well beyond the density calculated from setting a plasma frequency equal to the microwave frequency. In the experiment, flashover is induced across a Lucite window by a 4 MW S-band magnetron operating at 2.85 GHz with ∼ 50 ns rise time. The results of the FD simulation are compared with experimental data obtained from flashover with background gases such as nitrogen, air, and argon all at pressures exceeding 50 Torr.
Absence of action

When I raise my arm, my raising my arm is an event. When I stop at the store and buy milk, my doing so is a process. When I omit to raise my arm or to stop and buy milk, what, if anything, is my not doing these things? What, in general, are omissions to act? Sometimes when someone refrains from doing a certain thing, the agent performs an action of preventing himself from so acting. A policeman might hold his arm at his side to keep from shooting a fleeing suspect. But in many cases of omission there’s no such action. When I forget to stop and buy milk, my omission seems to be, in the first place, an absence, the absence of an action by me of buying milk. But what is an absence of an action? Many things are absent from the world—many objects (unicorns), many states (perfect virtue), and many events (a World Series triumph by the Cubs in the last hundred years). If these things existed, they would be entities of various sorts. Are the absences of these things beings of some kind? If so, what kind of thing are they? Or are they nothing at all? I favor the view that absences aren’t beings of any sort: there’s no entity that is an absence. If this is correct, then in many cases in which someone omits to act, there’s nothing in the world that is the omission. It isn’t exactly common sense that the absence of a thing is itself a thing. And there are good reasons not to take absences as entities of any kind. Doing so would greatly proliferate beings. Think of all the objects, properties, events, etc. absent where you are right now! Further, admitting such things would generate difficulties
Reducing the branch penalty in pipelined processors

A probabilistic model is developed to quantify the performance effects of the branch penalty in a typical pipeline. The branch penalty is analyzed as a function of the relative number of branch instructions executed and the probability that a branch is taken. The resulting model shows the fraction of maximum performance achievable under the given conditions. Techniques to reduce the branch penalty include static and dynamic branch prediction, the branch target buffer, the delayed branch, branch bypassing and multiple prefetching, branch folding, resolution of branch decision early in the pipeline, using multiple independent instruction streams in a shared pipeline, and the prepare-to-branch instruction. >
Factor V Leiden

Factor V Leiden (FVLeiden ) is a common hereditary thrombophilia that causes activated protein C (APC) resistance. This review describes many of the most fascinating features of FVLeiden , including background features, mechanisms of hypercoagulability, the founder mutation concept, the "FVLeiden paradox," synergistic interaction with other thrombotic risk factors, the intertwined relationship between FVLeiden and APC resistance testing, and other, uncommon mutations implicated in causing APC resistance. In addition, there are several conditions where laboratory tests for APC resistance and FVLeiden are or can be discrepant, including lupus anticoagulants, anticoagulants such as direct thrombin inhibitors (dabigatran, argatroban, and bivalirudin) and rivaroxaban, as well as pseudohomozygous, pseudo-wildtype, liver transplant, and bone marrow transplant patients. The laboratory test error rate for FVLeiden is also presented.
Studies of the concentration dependence of the conformational dynamics of solutions containing linear, star or comb homopolymers

The concentration dependence of the conformational dynamics of polymer solutions as revealed by measurements of oscillatory flow birefringence (o.f.b.) has been obtained for narrow-distribution linear, comb and regular-star molecules for concentrations in the range c[η]≲ 11. The data obtained show that the relaxation-time spectrum is affected markedly by concentration. The longest relaxation time is affected most; for the linear, comb or 3-armed star polystyrenes studied to date, τ1 exhibits an exponential dependence on concentration for c[η] < 3. The Muthukumar theory correctly predicts the dependence of τ1 on concentration for solutions containing linear molecules for which c[η]⩽ 5. There is some indication that τ1 as a function of concentration exhibits two different concentration regimes, one above and one below the onset of significant entanglement effects. The shortest relaxation times are almost unaffected by concentration. The measured frequency dependences of o.f.b. properties for finite concentrations have also been compared with the predictions of the Muthukumar and Freed and the Muthukumar theories for the concentration dependence of the relaxation times for the bead–spring model.
DSM-5 Alternative Personality Disorder Model Traits as Maladaptive Extreme Variants of the Five-Factor Model: An Item-Response Theory Analysis

Over the past two decades, evidence has suggested that personality disorders (PDs) can be conceptualized as extreme, maladaptive variants of general personality dimensions, rather than discrete categorical entities. Recognizing this literature, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) alternative PD model in Section III defines PDs partially through 25 maladaptive traits that fall within 5 domains. Empirical evidence based on the self-report measure of these traits, the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5), suggests that these five higher-order domains share a structure and correlate in meaningful ways with the five-factor model (FFM) of general personality. In the current study, item response theory was used to compare the DSM-5 alternative PD model traits to those from a normative FFM inventory (the International Personality Item Pool-NEO [IPIP-NEO]) in terms of their measurement precision along the latent dimensions. Within a combined sample of 3,517 participants, results strongly supported the conclusion that the DSM-5 alternative PD model traits and IPIP-NEO traits are complimentary measures of 4 of the 5 FFM domains (with perhaps the exception of openness to experience vs. psychoticism). Importantly, the two measures yield largely overlapping information curves on these four domains. Differences that did emerge suggested that the PID-5 scales generally have higher thresholds and provide more information at the upper levels, whereas the IPIP-NEO generally had an advantage at the lower levels. These results support the general conceptualization that 4 domains of the DSM-5 alternative PD model traits are maladaptive, extreme versions of the FFM. (PsycINFO Database Record