cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multifunctional, High Molecular Weight, Post-Translationally Modified Proteins through Oxidative Cysteine Coupling and Tyrosine Modification.

Glycoproteins and their mimics are challenging to produce via chemical or biological methods because of their long protein backbones and large number of polysaccharide side chains that form a densely grafted protein–polysaccharide brush architecture. Herein, we demonstrate a new approach to protein bioconjugate synthesis that can approach the molar mass and functionalization densities of natural glycoproteins such as mucins and aggrecans. In this method, a tyrosine-enriched protein sequence is engineered and synthesized in E. coli, and sugars or other functional moieties can be efficiently and polyvalently grafted to the backbone through tyrosine modification chemistry. Cysteine residues on the chain ends are used for oxidative chain polymerization into high molar mass chains larger than can be easily expressed in the host. The effects of tyrosine-enrichment and cysteine-incorporation on the physical and expression properties on a model protein are explored. Elastin-like peptides (ELPs) are chosen because...
The AIM Model of Dreaming, Sleeping, and Waking Consciousness

Consciousness undergoes changes in intensity, focus, and mode of operation as the brain goes from waking, through nonrapid eye movement (NREM), to REM sleep. The brain basis of these changes in consciousness involves regulation of activation level (A), which governs intensity; input–output gating (I), which governs information focus; and chemical modulation (M), which governs mode of operation. All three of these factors can be quantified by using neurobiological data from animals, which have wake–sleep states similar to those of humans. From such data, it is possible to construct a three-dimensional model of activation/information/mode (AIM), which describes a brain-mind space that is helpful in understanding and visualizing state-dependent changes in consciousness.
Overall Integration in the Living Body

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses overall integration in the living body. The major difficulty in handling physiological systems is their great complexity. As each parameter influences every other parameter, it is necessary to perform major operations on experimental data as developed in the laboratory. Through the application of known methods of matrix solutions, the individual transfer functions of the discrete components that make up a matrix system can be handled. The general procedure necessary for the analysis of control systems, which are linear, time invariant, and multivariable, requires setting up a system transfer function matrix and then obtaining the sensitivity coefficients for this matrix in terms of systems parameters. The ultimate application of such methods is not simple because the parameters that are measurable are not always adequate for systems description and in many cases are unknown. The chapter discusses the use of sensitivity analysis in physiological systems and the use of cross-correlation analysis.
cDNA cloning and expression of the mouse Na/H antiporter (NHE-1) and a potential splice variant

A cDNA for the Mus musculus Na/H exchanger-isoform 1 (NHE-1) was identified in a BALB/c myoblast library by its hybridization to rat NHE-1 sequences. Analysis of the clone showed it to display extensive homology with NHE-1 clones from other mammalian species; however, the region of interspecific homology was abruptly interrupted in the midst of the open reading frame by 166 bp of unrelated sequence. This extra sequence is likely to be an unspliced intron 9. Aside from the retained intron 9, the NHE-1 cDNA clone is otherwise fully processed, with all of the other ten introns removed and containing a poly(A) tract. From PCR results this variant represents a significant but minor population of NHE-1 RNAs. The variant message does associate with polysomes thereby suggesting it to be translated into protein. The location of the retained intron in the carboxy terminus of the protein is such that its translation would produce a protein predicted to be still capable of effecting Na and H translocation but whose regulatory features would be markedly altered. Amino acid sequence comparison of the mouse NHE-1 (derived from the fully processed message) with that of other mammalian species demonstrated two exceptionally divergent regions; the C-terminal cytoplasmic tail (residues 750-790), containing a region of 6-8 contiguous acidic amino acids variably composed of aspartate and glutamate residues, and the N-terminal extracellular domain that includes an N-linked glycosylation site (residues 60-80).
Modeling and Verification of Electrical Stress in Inverter-Driven Electric Machine Windings

This paper develops detailed models for predicting the voltage and current distributions in individual conductors of electric machine windings driven by pulse width modulation (PWM) inverter drives. This is the first step to better understand how PWM excitation voltage stresses the winding insulation of inverter-driven electric machines. A high-fidelity finite element (FE) model of electric machine windings was developed to account for frequency-dependent winding parasitic parameters. The model is capable of investigating the impacts that wire positions have on the winding parasitic parameters, hence the voltage and current distributions of individual conductors. A stator core with manually-wound windings was built to verify the fidelity of the FE model. Tests using both a form-wound winding and a random-wound winding with reduced number of conductors in slots were conducted to obtain the actual voltage and current distributions in individual conductors. Finally, the FE approach was applied to simulate a complicated winding structure with multiple serial turns and parallel branches to investigate the voltage and current distributions in individual conductors and the effects of wire positions.
The impact of business improvement district proximity on street block robbery counts

This study examined the impact of business improvement districts (BIDs) on street block robbery counts in Cincinnati, OH. The relationships among BIDs (as well as other relevant control measures) a...
Low‐calorie sweetener use, weight, and metabolic health among children: A mini‐review

A reduction in the consumption of added sugars and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is a key focus of public health recommendations for a healthy diet among children. One approach to lower added sugar intake is to instead use low-calorie sweeteners (LCSs), which contain no or few calories. Consumption of LCSs is increasing worldwide, with the most marked rise observed among children and adolescents. However, the extent to which LCS consumption is helpful or harmful for weight management is controversial, particularly when LCS consumption begins in childhood. Herein, we summarize the limited existing literature examining effects of paediatric LCS consumption on appetite, energy intake, and body weight. While positive associations between LCS consumption and weight gain are reported in observational analyses, the majority of intervention studies, some of which blinded children to the contents of the drinks, report benefits of LCSs for reducing excessive child weight gain. Several potential mechanisms have been proposed to explain LCS effects on body weight, including LCS-induced promotion of appetite and energy intake. Yet studies assessing effects of beverages with LCSs (LCSBs) compared with SSBs on child appetite report mixed findings. Some demonstrate that children completely compensate for the diluted energy content of LCSBs by eating more solid food calories at subsequent meals compared with children administered SSBs, while others report a reduction in total energy intake with LCSB ingestion. Given the limited studies and resulting uncertainty as to whether LCSs benefit or worsen weight and metabolic health in children is integral that effects of LCS use during childhood continue to be investigated in future prospective studies.
A SUMMARY OF EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH ON COMMAND-SELECTION AIDS

Two experiments were conducted to assess and improve novice performance in hierarchical file search. In the first experiment, half of the novices were performing like experienced subjects, using search procedures that exploited the structure of the file hierarchy for efficient information retrieval. Other slower novices used time-consuming scrolling strategies and appeared unfamiliar with the file hierarchy. In the second experiment, command-selection aids improved the search performance and strategies of slow novices when the underlying command-selection models were not unduly complicated (i.e., frequency profiles and search plans) and did not introduce a highly interactive, mixed-initiative dialogue.
High-throughput isolation and sorting of gut microbes reduce biases of traditional cultivation strategies

Abstract Traditional cultivation approaches in microbiology are labor-intensive, low-throughput, and often yield biased sampling of taxa due to ecological and evolutionary factors. New strategies are needed to enable ample representation of rare taxa and slow-growers that are outcompeted by fast-growing organisms. We developed a microfluidic platform that anaerobically isolates and cultivates microbial cells in millions of picoliter droplets and automatically sorts droplets based on colony density. We applied our strategy to mouse and human gut microbiomes and used 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicons to characterize taxonomic composition of cells grown using different media. We found up to 4-fold increase in richness and larger representation of rare taxa among cells grown in droplets compared to conventional culture plates. Automated sorting of droplets for slow-growing colonies further enhanced the relative abundance of rare populations. Our method improves the cultivation and analysis of diverse microbiomes to gain deeper insights into microbial functioning and lifestyles.
Impact of Current and Temperature on Extremely Low Loading Epoxy-CNT Conductive Composites

Carbon nanotube (CNT) conductive composites have attracted significant attention for their potential use in applications such as electrostatic dissipation and/or electromagnetic interference shielding. The focus of this work is to evaluate resistivity trends of extremely low loading (<0.1 wt%) epoxy-CNT composites that lack a connected CNT network, but still present electrical conductivity values appropriate for those uses. The impact of current, temperature, and cycle life on electrical properties are here identified and tied to possible performance limits. At extremely low loadings, the CNT content is not sufficient to form a completely interconnected grid, thus, electrons must travel through insulating media. While still in the semi-conductor range, resistivity values are observed to decrease with increasing direct current and demonstrate a non-ohmic behavior. CNT epoxy composites were subjected to elevated currents and/or temperatures over diverse periods of time to examine impacts on resistivity. Microstructural analyses of composite samples were conducted to observe signs of damage for specimens taken to extreme temperatures/currents. An understanding of the electrical conductivity characteristics of extremely low loading epoxy-CNT composites and their failure mechanisms will aid in understanding risks associated with their use in challenging environments that may include high temperatures, high currents, and/or high frequencies.
Impact of Library Instruction on the Development of Student Skills in Synthesis and Source Attribution: A Model for Academic Program Assessment

Abstract This paper details the process and results of a multistep assessment project addressing senior Social and Behavioral Science majors' proficiency in information synthesis in capstone papers and source attribution in oral presentations. The study entailed using results from a campus-wide assessment project to identify challenging areas of information literacy for students and subsequently designing and implementing an instructional intervention focused on those areas. The intervention was assessed through a rubric-based evaluation of student work, and the resulting data suggest that the intervention was effective in enhancing students' proficiency in the areas targeted. Our strongest result was an improvement in citation practices in capstone presentations; while improvements in synthesis of information from sources were not as large or definitive, they were still suggestive of the potential that librarians have to increase students' skills in this area. This paper may prove useful for those seeking inspiration for providing instruction on synthesis in written work or attribution in presentations, or those interested in a model for using campus-wide or academic program assessment to measure the impact of library instruction.
Kazhdan quotients of Golod–Shafarevich groups

The main goal of this paper is to prove that every Golod-Shafarevich group has an infinite quotient with Kazhdan’s property (T ). In particular, this gives an affirmative answer to the well-known question about non-amenability of Golod-Shafarevich groups.
HIV and Public Policy: Predictors for Chronic Homelessness in Persons Living with HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS is markedly more prevalent in the homeless population than in the population of individuals in stable dwellings. Challenges such as inadequate access to care, HIV-risk behaviors and the costs of healthcare make it difficult for homeless persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) to improve their health. Conversely, PLWHA are more susceptible to homelessness due to diminished financial agency and emotional support. Recent policies enacted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development have increased the amount of funding available to supportive housing programs, yet 25% of all homeless PLWHA fall into chronic homelessness and worse health outcomes over time. This paper tests the association between HIV-related risk factors and the likelihood of chronic homelessness in PLWHA. Our results highlighted that incarceration was a significant contributor, Odds Ratio 1.83, after adjusting for illicit substance use. Considering that the U.S. federal and state governments spend more than $587 million dollars annually on housing and health support for the homeless, it may prove beneficial to the health of homeless PLWHA and more cost effective to the government over time to combine tailored housing prevention activities with programs known to reduce the transmission of HIV for homeless PLWHA who are more likely to recede into chronic homelessness.
Rapid Processing of Astronomical Data for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument

Dark energy remains one of the least understood areas of modern cosmology and physics. The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) was built to improve our understanding through the acquisition of data from over thirty million galaxies. DESI, located at the four meter Mayall Telescope on Kitt Peak in Arizona, is a highly multiplexed instrument capable of acquiring astronomical spectra for 5000 objects simultaneously. This multiplexing, which is larger than any multi-object spectrograph to date, is made more ambitious with an observing strategy that requires up-to-date information of data quality and completeness on a daily basis to inform the scheduling of future observations. With both an order of magnitude larger data volume than its predecessors and more stringent survey demands, novel methods have been developed to rapidly process the data in near-real-time and make inferences based on the results. The data acquired from thirty highly sensitive cameras are transferred from local storage on the mountaintop to the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Using an urgent queue operating at NERSC, a parallelized set of routines process the images and extract astronomically relevant information within minutes to hours of acquisition, enabling daytime analysis by the operations manager to make observing program decisions for the following night. The implementation has been run at scale and tested in the spring of 2020 during commissioning of the instrument and proven successful at giving critical feedback to the observing team about the previous night's data quality. Quantitative and qualitative results will be discussed, along with planned improvements to the workflow before the survey begins full operation in 2021.
55. Remote control CPAs delivery via cryonanoliposomes

Whole organ preservation remains one of the greatest challenges in cryobiology. The main approaches to organ preservation such as hypothermic storage, supercooling, and vitrification each suffer from limitations including short timescales for preservation, ice crystal formation, mechanical and thermal stresses, cryoprotectant toxicity, etc. Liposomes are non-toxic, biodegradable and non-immunogenic drug delivery vehicles that are approved by the US FDA (1995). Liposomes are still among the most widely used nanoparticles as drug delivery systems and they are suitable for delivering both hydrophilic and lipophilic agents. Despite their widespread use in diverse fields, this technology has not been widely applied in the field of cryopreservation. We propose a CPA delivery system which can achieve targeted delivery of cryoprotectant agents (CPAs) to the intracellular or extracellular environment, while also serving as a means to deliver CPAs to a specific cell type within complex tissues. Furthermore, our proposed CPA delivery system will utilize controlled and timed release of CPAs which will allow delivery at specific time points throughout the freezing and thawing process. Ultrasonic and electromagnetic waves can be used to manipulate the release profile of CPA-loaded liposomes and their release profile can be fine-tuned based on liposomal characteristics such as phospholipid type and saturation. We anticipate several applications for controlled, timed release of CPAs. For example, vitrification involves high concentrations of toxic CPAs which must be loaded at low temperatures and be washed from the system after preservation in order to reduce toxicity. Our system will allow liposomes to be perfused at relatively higher temperatures and the release of their contents would be activated at relatively lower temperatures, improving uniform distribution and reducing toxicity. Other examples include the timed release of enzymes during rewarming which would degrade toxic CPAs such as DMSO thereby reducing CPA toxicity, or endothermic reactants, which could help with temperature uniformity during cooling. Finally, encapsulation of vital energy substrates (e.g. glucose) and their timed release during the earlier phases of thawing process may aid in meeting challenges associated with rewarming.
Anaerobic Production of a Biosurfactant by Bacillus licheniformis JF-2.

Bacillus licheniformis JF-2 anaerobically produced a biosurfactant when grown in a glucose-mineral salts medium containing yeast extract and NaNO3. Surface tension of the medium was reduced from 70 to 74 mN/m to as low as 28 mN/m due to the production of an anionic biosurfactant.
Amniography for clinical evaluation of erythroblastosis fetalis

Abstract Amniography, the roentgenologic study of the amniotic cavity and its contents after injection of a radiopaque medium, provides new opportunities for studying intrauterine life. Because it permits visualization of the soft tissue and fetal swallowing, the amniogram helps determine the degree to which the erythroblastotic fetus is affected when the spectrophotometric bilirubin value is elevated. The displacement of the radiopaque medium by the fetal soft tissue provides an excellent means of measuring the amount of edema. A study of 200 amniograms on 100 patients at various stages of the second and third trimesters of pregnancy is presented. There were no instances of premature labor or untoward reaction to the radiopaque medium. In this study, 7 features were evaluated and correlated with the clinical outcome of the infants: scalp edema, ingestion of radiopaque medium, soft tissue edema, volume of amniotic fluid, fetal attitude, protuberance of abdomen, size of placenta. Scalp thickness and fetal swallowing are the most important features. However, soft tissue edema, amniotic fluid volume, fetal attitude, protuberance of abdomen, and size of placenta are also significant when abnormal.
A study of the relationship between employee virtuality and technology deviance as mediated by leadership and employee perceptions

OF THE DISSERTATION A STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMPLOYEE VIRTUALITY AND TECHNOLOGY DEVIANCE AS MEDIATED BY LEADERSHIP AND EMPLOYEE PERCEPTIONS by Silvia Salas Florida International University, 2009 Miami, Florida Professor Joyce J. Elam, Co-Major Professor Professor Mary Ann Von Glinow, Co-Major Professor Recent studies found that organizations have been investing significant capital in developing teams and employees in geographic areas where labor and resources are considerably cheaper. Furthermore, organizations are moving core operational activities such as research and development and back-office processes to globally distributed teams. However, several factors that are inherent to these virtual teams can have a negative impact on employee perceptions and engagement; specifically, the physical and temporal differences between employees and their supervisors, the lack of meaningful social interaction intrinsic to working relationships, and cultural biases that can be fostered when close, daily interactions is not there to help bridge the dissimilarity. When strategies are not in place to mitigate these deficiencies, it can cause virtual employees to disengage emotionally and intellectually from the organization, or lead them to feel justified in working against the best interest of the company.
The Effects of Reading Practice with Compressed Speech on Reading Rate and Listening Comprehension.

Reading practice with accompanying compressed speech as a pacer resulted in a significantly greater increase in reading rate without an accompanying loss in comprehension for the experimental group when compared with the control group. Scores on the delayed posttest seemed to indicate that the increase in reading rate was more than temporary. The significant increase in reading rate was accomplished with only 10 practice sessions. The number of sessions in earlier studies using pacers ranged from 16 (Marvel, 1959) to 50 (Wilson & Leavell, 1956). The present study suggests that a smaller number of sessions using compressed speech as a pacer can be effective in increasing reading rate. Since there was no significant difference between gain scores for the experimental and control groups for listening, this study provided no evidence to support the use of practice with compressed speech to improve listening ability. It might be noted however that the training sessions consisted of reading short storieswhile listening to the compressed speech. Thus, subjects did not receive practice in which listening to compressed speech was the sole activity. It is perhaps for this reason that the experimental group did not improve more in listening than did the control group.
Risk of cardiovascular disease in HIV, hepatitis C, or HIV/hepatitis C patients compared to the general population.

Summary Background: As a result of effective antiretroviral therapy HIV patients are living longer, and their risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a growing concern. It remains unknown whether coinfection with hepatitis C (HCV) changes an HIV person’s CVD risk, and how the risks compare to the general population. The objective of this study was to compare the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) and vascular age differences in persons with HIV, HCV or HIV/HCV disease to the general population. Methods: HIV, HCV, and HIV/HCV patients with clinic visits between 2004 and 2009 were sampled from medical clinics in Rochester, NY. Uninfected persons were randomly selected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), and individually matched on gender, race, and age. We stratified by infection group and conducted separate multivariable linear regression analyses between each infection group and the gender, race, and age matched participants from NHANES. Results: Rochester patients (HIV = 239, HCV = 167, HIV/HCV = 182) were compared 3 : 1 with the NHANES participants. After controlling for weight, marital status, current pharmacotherapies and the matching variables of gender, race, and age, HIV/HCV patients had a 2% higher general FRS compared with the general population (p = 0.03), and vascular age differences that were 4.1 years greater (p = .01). HCV patients had a 2.4% higher general FRS than the general population (p < .001), and vascular age differences that were 4.4 years greater (p < .001). CVD risk was elevated but not significantly different between HIV patients and the general population. Conclusion: Cardiovascular disease risk is elevated among HIV/HCV and HCV infected persons compared with the general population.
A typed, compositional logic for a stack-based abstract machine

We define a compositional program logic in the style of Floyd and Hoare for a simple, typed, stack-based abstract machine with unstructured control flow, global variables and mutually recursive procedure calls. Notable features of the logic include a careful treatment of auxiliary variables and quantification and the use of substructural typing to permit local, modular reasoning about program fragments. Semantic soundness is established using an interpretation of types and assertions defined by orthogonality with respect to sets of contexts.
Construct Validity of the Patient‐Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Gastrointestinal Symptom Scales in Systemic Sclerosis

Original Article Arthritis Care & Research DOI 10.1002/acr.22337 Construct validity of the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) Gastrointestinal Symptom Scales in Systemic Sclerosis Vivek Nagaraja, MD 1 ; Ron D. Hays, PhD 2, 3 ; Puja P. Khanna 1 ; MD, MPH 1 ; Brennan M.R. Spiegel, MD, MSHS 4, 5, 6 ; Lin Chang, MD 5, 7 ; Gil Y. Melmed, MD, MS 8 ; Roger Bolus, PhD 5, 6 ; Dinesh Khanna, MD, MSc 1 (1) Division of Rheumatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; (2) Division of General Internal Medicine & Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Department of Health Services, UCLA School of Public Health; (3) RAND, Santa Monica, CA; (4) Department of Gastroenterology, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System; (5) Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; (6) UCLA/VA Center for Outcomes Research and Education; (7) Gail and Gerald Oppenheimer Family Center for Neurobiology of Stress, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; and (8) Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Corresponding author: Dinesh Khanna, MD, MSc Associate Professor of Medicine Director, University of Michigan Scleroderma Program Division of Rheumatology/Dept. of Internal Medicine 300 North Ingalls Street, Suite 7C27 Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Email: khannad@med.umich.edu Phone: 734.647.8173 Fax: 734.763.5761 Grant support: The research reported in this publication was supported by NIH/NIAMS U01 AR057936A, the National Institutes of Health through the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research Grant (AR052177) The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Dinesh Khanna was also supported by the NIH/NIAMS K24AR063120-02. Ron D. Hays was supported by NIH/NIA Grants P30-AG028748 and P30-AG021684, and NCMHD Grant 2P20MD000182. PROMIS® was funded with cooperative agreements from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund Initiative (Northwestern University, PI: David Cella, PhD, U54AR057951, U01AR052177; Northwestern University, PI: Richard C. Gershon, PhD, U54AR057943; American Institutes for Research, PI: Susan (San) D. Keller, PhD, U54AR057926; State University of New York, Stony Brook, PIs: Joan E. Broderick, PhD and Arthur A. Stone, PhD, U01AR057948, This article has been accepted for publication and undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as an ‘Accepted Article’, doi: 10.1002/acr.22337 © 2014 American College of Rheumatology Received: Oct 11, 2013; Revised: Mar 18, 2014; Accepted: Mar 25, 2014
Serum anticholinergic activity in hospitalized older persons with delirium: a preliminary study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between total serum anticholinergic activity (SAA) and the presence or absence of delirium in older hospitalized persons on general medical wards. DESIGN: Case-control study and within-subjects repeated-measures in recovered delirious patients. SETTING: Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center medical wards. PARTICIPANTS: Eleven male delirious patients (DSM-III-R criteria) aged 60 or older and 11 comparably aged male nondelirious controls. MEASUREMENTS: Radioreceptor bioassay of total SAA using tritiated quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB) binding to muscarinic receptors. Results are expressed in terms of atropine equivalents (nm). MAIN RESULTS: Mean SAA was significantly elevated in the delirious group (mean ± SD = 6.05 ± 2.97 nm atropine equivalents) compared with the controls (3.38 ± 2.49; t(20) = 2.28, P < .05). At study entry, mean SAA was significantly higher in delirious subjects whose symptoms eventually resolved completely (mean ± SD = 7.77 ± 2.37) compared with subjects whose delirious symptoms persisted (3.99 ± 2.30; t(9) = 2.68, P < .05). All six patients in whom delirium resolved completely had a decrease in serum anticholinergic activity when measured during delirium (7.77 ± 2.37) and after symptom resolution (3.92 ± 2.61; t(5) = 3.29, P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that serum anticholinergic activity may play a role in delirium in medical inpatients. The relationships between SAA and delirium in medical patients and between total SAA and medication use warrant further study.
Hospital Variability in the Rate of Finding Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease at Elective, Diagnostic Coronary Angiography

Objectives The purpose of this study was to describe hospital variability in the rate of finding obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) at elective coronary angiography. Background A recent national study found that obstructive CAD was found in less than one-half of patients undergoing elective coronary angiography. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 565,504 patients without prior myocardial infarction or revascularization undergoing elective coronary angiography using CathPCI Registry data from 2005 to 2008 to evaluate the rate of finding obstructive CAD (any major epicardial vessel stenosis ≥50%) at coronary angiography at 691 U.S. hospitals. Results The rate of obstructive coronary disease found at elective coronary angiography varied from 23% to 100% among hospitals (median 45%; interquartile range: 39% to 52%), and were consistent from year to year and when alternative definitions of coronary stenosis were applied. Sites with lower rates of finding obstructive CAD were more likely to perform procedures on younger patients, those with low Framingham risk (33% in lowest yield quartile vs. 21% in highest yield quartile, p Conclusions The rate of finding obstructive CAD at elective coronary angiography varied considerably among reporting centers and was associated with patient selection and pre-procedure assessment strategies. This institutional variation suggests that an important opportunity may exist for quality improvement.
High pressure Brillouin scattering study of ammonium fluorberyllate

Abstract We have studied the temperature and pressure dependence of the elastic constants of ammonium fluorberyllate {(NH4)2BeF4 or AFB} using Brillouin scattering. We report here results of the temperature and pressure dependence of the elastic constant C55, which shows anomalies both at the normal to incommensurate and incommensurate to commensurate ferroelectric phase transition at ambient pressure. Application of high hydrostatic pressure at constant temperature results in an increase of the elastic constant when approaching the phase transition to the incommensurate phase from the commensurate phase. This is contrary to the behaviour of C55 when this transition is approached at constant pressure with increasing temperature. We interpret the fact that (∂ ln C 55 ∂T ) p has the same sign and is much larger than −( β κ T )(∂ ln C 55 ∂p ) T , where β and κT are the volume thermal expansion and isothermal compressibility, respectively, as an indication that anharmonicities (cubic or quartic, or both) play an important role in producing the observed anomaly of C55 at the commensurate to incommensurate phase transition.
Studying Rules Changes in the U.S. House: Evidence from an Alternative Empirical Model

Binder (1996) and Schickler (2000) define the current debate as to why the U.S. House has changed its standing rules regarding the majority rule and the minority rights. I revisit their empirical models—binary logit and ordered logit—and theoretically and statistically test the appropriateness of these models. I find that both of them are actually choosing inappropriate models. Their theoretical claims cannot be properly examined by utilizing their choices of models. In addition, the data do not satisfy the “parallel regression” assumption but do satisfy the “independence of irrelevant alternatives” assumption, which supports using an alternative multinomial logit model. I further extend the model, and find the dynamic nature of rules changes in the U.S. House. It appears there is no symmetry between the rules changes that promote the majority rule and the rules changes that enhance the minority rights.
Seed germination ecophysiology of four summer annual mudflat species of Cyperaceae

Abstract Cyperus erythrorhizos Muhl., C. flavicomus Michx., Fimbristylis autumnalis (L.) R.S exhumed seeds of C. erythrorhizos, C. flavicomus, F. autumnalis and F. vahlii germinated to a maximum of 7%, 4%, 73% and 0%, respectively, in darkness. Seeds flooded from October to April or May came out of dormancy during winter, and those flooded from February to August did not re-enter dormancy. Thus, the major effect of flooding is prevention of germination while mudflats are under water. Since seeds do not enter dormancy in spring or summer, they can germinate any time during the growing season if the mudflats become exposed.
Cell cycle perturbations in normal and transformed fibroblasts caused by detachment from the substratum.

Exponentially growing, anchorage-dependent fibroblasts were impeded in their progress through the cell cycle as a result of brief trypsinization from the substratum followed by replating. Untransformed mouse (3T3, clone A31), hamster (CHEF/18-1) and human (FS2) fibroblasts were partially inhibited from entering the DNA synthetic (S) phase of the cell cycle for 8 or 12 hours after detachment, even though the cells reattached within an hour of replating and attained a spread morphology 5 or 8 hours later. The decline in the proportion of cells in S phase was accompanied accumulation of cells in G1 as measured by autoradiography and flow microfluorimetry. Cells removed from the substratum by EDTA alone showed identical disturbances of exponential growth. These cell cycle perturbations could be a result of the detachment per se, as opposed to the rounded morphology. Synchronized A31 cells, exposed to colcemid or cytochalasin B for two hours, were not delayed in their entry into S, whereas trypsinization delayed S phase entry by 4 to 5 hours. These drugs disrupt the cytoskeleton without causing detachment. Isotope incorporation experiments revealed no decreases in the rates of protein or RNA synthesis following replating. However, exponentially growing A31 cells, treated for 2 hours with an inhibitor of protein synthesis behaved similarly to those briefly detached from their substratum: 7 hours after treatment, there were fewer cells in S and more cells in G1 relative to untreated cells. Brief treatment with an inhibitor of hn-RNA synthesis did not alter the cell cycle distribution of these fibroblasts. Three tumorogenic A31 derivatives were less affected by brief detachment from the substratum than were the untransformed cells. The derivative exhibiting the least in vitro growth control (an SV-40 transformant) showed the least sensitivity to trypsinization, while that derivative having the most in vitro growth control (a Moloney sarcoma virus transformant) was most sensitive. A chemically [benzo(a)pyrene] transformed derivative gave intermediate results with respect to both growth control and sensitivity to detachment from the substratum. The results suggest that as yet unidentified protein(s) necessary for the normal transit through G1 may be quite sensitive to the presence of an anchoring substratum.
Relative teratogenicity of nitrofen analogs in mice: Unchlorinated, monochlorinated, and dichlorinated‐phenyl ethers

To determine the role of number and position of chlorine substituents on the developmental toxicity of diphenyl ether analogs of nitrofen, we have evaluated one unchlorinated, three monochlorinated, and five dichlorinated-phenyl 4′-nitrophenyl ethers with respect to effects on liver weight and on maintenance of pregnancy in females, and with respect to postnatal survival and the occurrence of small or absent Harderian glands in offspring. None of the diphenyl ethers evaluated in these experiments was as active as nitrofen with respect to any parameter evaluated. Both the position and the number of chlorine substituents affected toxicity, but no simple relationship between number or position of chlorine substituents and either maternal or fetal endpoints was established.
What research tells us about planned giving

The transformation of fundraising from an ‘emerging profession’ to a ‘true profession’ is contingent on the development of ‘a formal body of knowledge based on theory and research’. To advance that goal, this paper reviews several research studies and makes recommendations for practice by fundraising professionals. The paper identifies indicators of philanthropic tendencies in very wealthy individuals and a research basis for donor cultivation activities. It also looks at giving by bequest, charitable remainder trust and charitable gift annuities and recommends the marketing segments and channels best suited to each as defined by research. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications
STUDY OF SINGLE PIXEL EVALUATION FOR EXPERIMENTAL MEASUREMENTS IN A MICROCHANNEL

A newly proposed algorithm named single pixel evaluation (SPE) has been developed to increase the resolution of micro-PIV to its physical limit of one pixel. Despite the SPE is able to improve the resolution significantly in comparison with conventional cross-correlation, some phenomenon are still unknown due to its infancy, resulting in discrepancies between the analytic predictions and the experimental measurements. To provide reliable rules as applying the SPE, an overall inspection of the algorithm's behaviors is essential. This paper investigated five general factors, determining their performances via synthetic particle images subjected to a parabolic flow profile. The factors include particle image quality, particle image density, search radius (SR), particle image displacement, and particle image diameter. The results indicate that the particle image quality behaves the most significantly among the factors. Moreover, the SPE was also compared with the fast Fourier transform based cross-correlation (FFT-CC) under the equivalent signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The tendencies of optimal values with respect to different factors are revealed in the following text. To complete the study, experiments on a straight microchannel were implemented to verify the observations from the simulations. The measured images which followed the suggested rules show better results than the other ones.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Effect of Applied Magnetic Field on Shock Boundary Layer Interaction

The governing magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) equations contain classical fluid dynamics equations along with coupled Maxwell’s magnetic induction equations. These equations model both advection and diffusion effects of electromagnetic field. However, available literature indicates that some previous investigations neglect the diffusion of magnetic field and considered only ideal MHD equations for modeling a typical MHD problem. In this work, the effects of magnetic field diffusion term also known as viscous magnetic term have been investigated over flow structure. Low magnetic Reynolds number approximation and ideal full MHD set of equations have been considered and solved using a four-stage modified Runge-Kutta scheme augmented with the Davis-Yee symmetric Total Variation Diminishing model in post-processing stage. Results obtained from viscous and ideal flow computations without applied magnetic field have been found in close agreement. However, results obtained from viscous MHD and ideal MHD computations substantially disagree from each other which indicate that the effect of magnetic diffusion term on overall flow structure is significant.
Generating a focused view of disease ontology cancer terms for pan-cancer data integration and analysis.

Bio-ontologies provide terminologies for the scientific community to describe biomedical entities in a standardized manner. There are multiple initiatives that are developing biomedical terminologies for the purpose of providing better annotation, data integration and mining capabilities. Terminology resources devised for multiple purposes inherently diverge in content and structure. A major issue of biomedical data integration is the development of overlapping terms, ambiguous classifications and inconsistencies represented across databases and publications. The disease ontology (DO) was developed over the past decade to address data integration, standardization and annotation issues for human disease data. We have established a DO cancer project to be a focused view of cancer terms within the DO. The DO cancer project mapped 386 cancer terms from the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC), The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), International Cancer Genome Consortium, Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments, Integrative Oncogenomics and the Early Detection Research Network into a cohesive set of 187 DO terms represented by 63 top-level DO cancer terms. For example, the COSMIC term ‘kidney, NS, carcinoma, clear_cell_renal_cell_carcinoma’ and TCGA term ‘Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma’ were both grouped to the term ‘Disease Ontology Identification (DOID):4467 / renal clear cell carcinoma’ which was mapped to the TopNodes_DOcancerslim term ‘DOID:263 / kidney cancer’. Mapping of diverse cancer terms to DO and the use of top level terms (DO slims) will enable pan-cancer analysis across datasets generated from any of the cancer term sources where pan-cancer means including or relating to all or multiple types of cancer. The terms can be browsed from the DO web site (http://www.disease-ontology.org) and downloaded from the DO’s Apache Subversion or GitHub repositories. Database URL: http://www.disease-ontology.org
Gallbladder complications associated with molecular targeted therapies: clinical and imaging features

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the clinical and imaging features of molecular target therapies (MTT)-associated gallbladder complications. Methods The clinical presentation, imaging features, management, and outcome in six consecutive patients, who developed gallbladder complications while on monotherapy with MTT, were studied. Results Imaging features included gallbladder distension, edema, hyperemia, pericholecystic fluid, and stranding. Two of the six patients were asymptomatic and continued the drug due to good response. Four of the six patients developed acute cholecystitis and required drug discontinuation temporarily or permanently with 2/4 patients requiring surgery. Conclusion MTT can be associated with gallbladder complications that may need temporary or permanent discontinuation of the associated drug.
Controlling chaotic convection using neural nets—theory and experiments

An exploratory study is conducted to assess the feasibility of using neural networks to control flow patterns and to evaluate the performance of these controllers. Neural networks were used to control (suppress) chaotic convection both in experiments and in a theoretical model of a thermal convection loop. It is demonstrated that the neural network controller can successfully cause the flow to behave in a desired way. The performance of the neural network controllers was compared with that of previously used conventional linear proportional controllers.
Determination of Pipe Whip Restraint Location to Prevent Plastic Hinge Formation in High Energy Piping Systems

The purpose of this study is to determine the Pipe Whip Restraint (PWR) location that would prevent the formation of a plastic hinge due to secondary effects of a postulated pipe break load in a high energy line(1) . The prevention of a plastic hinge formation at the PWR location is important since its secondary effects could lead to additional interactions with safety related equipment, structure, and component that are essential to safely shutdown the nuclear power plants. The proper location of the PWR can be found by using the relationship between bending moment-carrying capacity of the pipe and the applied thrust force. Several closed-form solutions obtained from several literatures were studied and used to calculate bending moment-carrying capacities of a piping system and ultimately used to determine a plastic hinge length. The plastic hinge formation is also determined analytically by using the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) method. ANSYS LS-DYNA® [8] Explicit Finite Element code is used in modeling the pipe whip models, which includes the piping system and pipe whip restraint. Comparisons are made between the analytical (FEA) results and the results from several closed-form solutions.© 2011 ASME
A neural net model of the adaptation of binocular vertical eye alignment

Binocular eye alignment is continuously recalibrated and readjusted to maintain a single view of the world. Once this process is complete, visual feedback is no longer required to maintain alignment. Rather, alignment is maintained through non-visual or extra-retinal information. The calibration process can be demonstrated by producing a cross-coupling or association between vertical vergence and another type of eye movement. This paper presents a neural net model of a plausible biological mechanism that could be involved with maintaining alignment in the context of vertical vergence. The model couples conjugate eye-position-sensitive neurons with a vertical vergence response. Weight training of the input neurons is accomplished with a modified Hebbian rule that minimizes the vertical eye alignment error during adaptation to vertical disparities. The experimental results are simulated with a class of input neurons that has randomly distributed sensitivities and thresholds similar to those found in premoto...
An environment for user interface softbots

A user interface softbot is a software agent that controls an interactive system through the graphical user interface, relying on visual information from the system rather than an application programming interface or access to source code. Interface softbots have acted as autonomous agents in applications such as drawing and data recording, and the core vision processing algorithms have been incorporated into cognitive models for simple problem-solving tasks. Building interface softbots is still a time-consuming task, unfortunately, requiring experience with complex program components as well as the details of the visual interface. We have developed a prototype development environment that facilitates the development of interface softbots, streamlining the programming process and making it more accessible to new developers.