cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chronic interstitial pulmonary fibrosis following mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia

An unusual case of chronic interstitial fibrosis that developed as a sequela of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia is described. Predominant manifestations included progressive exertional dyspnea, shortness of breath, persisting lung infiltrates, low lung volumes, and low pulmonary diffusing capacity. Open lung biopsy one year after the acute stage of mycoplasma pneumonia revealed focal interstitial fibrosis with early pleural thickening, hypertrophic alveolar lining cells, and peribronchiolar lymphoid cell infiltrates. Improvement in clinical manifestations, radiologic findings, and pulmonary function results occurred with steroid therapy.
A Digital Computer Program for the General Axially Symmetric Thin-Shell Problem

The development of a general computer program to handle arbitrary thin shells of revolution subject to radially symmetric loading or temperature variation is described. An elimination method is used to solve the set of difference equations obtained from the basic differential equations; a feature of the method is that edge effect'' difficillties that can arise with conventional differentialequation routines are avoided. The program is quite flexible and permits discontinuities in shell geometry or loading. The results of applying the program to several problems of known solution are given. These results permit the examination of computational accuracy for varying boundary conditions and mesh sizes, Program solutions of unconventional problems are also presented.
Epidaurus: aggregation and integration analysis of prostate cancer epigenome

Integrative analyses of epigenetic data promise a deeper understanding of the epigenome. Epidaurus is a bioinformatics tool used to effectively reveal inter-dataset relevance and differences through data aggregation, integration and visualization. In this study, we demonstrated the utility of Epidaurus in validating hypotheses and generating novel biological insights. In particular, we described the use of Epidaurus to (i) integrate epigenetic data from prostate cancer cell lines to validate the activation function of EZH2 in castration-resistant prostate cancer and to (ii) study the mechanism of androgen receptor (AR) binding deregulation induced by the knockdown of FOXA1. We found that EZH2's noncanonical activation function was reaffirmed by its association with active histone markers and the lack of association with repressive markers. More importantly, we revealed that the binding of AR was selectively reprogramed to promoter regions, leading to the up-regulation of hundreds of cancer-associated genes including EGFR. The prebuilt epigenetic dataset from commonly used cell lines (LNCaP, VCaP, LNCaP-Abl, MCF7, GM12878, K562, HeLa-S3, A549, HePG2) makes Epidaurus a useful online resource for epigenetic research. As standalone software, Epidaurus is specifically designed to process user customized datasets with both efficiency and convenience.
Making RAD work for your project

For several good business reasons, rapid application development has become increasingly popular. In general, RAD gives you earlier product payback and more payback time before the pace of technology makes your product obsolete. For software product sales, RAD also helps you debut a product earlier in a market window, which lets the product capture more market share, revenues, and profits. To gain maximum benefit from RAD, however, you must choose the RAD form that best suits your project. The article presents the various forms of RAD available and give advice on which to choose.
Contributions to the theory of atmospheric refraction

Since the barometer measures the weight of the overlying atmosphere, it follows by the law of Gladstone and Dale that the height integral∫(n#x2212;1) of the atmospheric refractivity for light, taken from ground level up to the top of the atmosphere, is directly proportional to ground pressure. The refractivity integral, therefore, can be determined without detailed knowledge of the height distribution of the refractive index, which not only simplifies the derivation of refraction formulas in which atmospheric models have been used hitherto, but also improves their accuracy. For zenith distances not exceeding about 75 degrees, the correction for astronomical refraction will be given by the standard formula $$\begin{gathered} \Delta z''_0 = 16''.271 tan z\left[ {1 + 0.0000394 tan^2 z\left( {\frac{{p - 0.156e}}{T}} \right)} \right]\left( {\frac{{p - 0.156e}}{T}} \right) - \hfill \\ - 0''.0749 (tan^3 z + tan z)\left( {\frac{p}{{1000}}} \right) \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ wherez is the apparent zenith distance,p is the total pressure ande is the partial pressure of water vapour, both in millibars, andT is the absolute temperature in degrees Kelvin Part II of the paper contains further applications of the theory to refraction problems in satellite geodesy, including the photogrammetric refraction and the atmospheric corrections in the ranging of artificial satellites.
Inviscid analysis of a dual mode scramjet inlet

A three-dimensional inviscid flow computation was made on a dual mode scramjet inlet model that had been tested in the wind tunnels. An Euler solver based on a high accuracy total variation diminishing scheme was used to carry out the analysis. The objective was to establish three-dimensional scramjet inlet computational fluid dynamics capability and to evaluate the applicability of Euler solutions for inlet performance calculation. The computations were made for freestream Mach numbers 2 and 5. A postprocessor was developed to calculate the inlet performance. Comparison between computed and available test data showed the Euler analysis was able to predict the trend of the inlet performance and provide insight of the flowfield.
Serum pyruvate and lactate in uremia

Abstract The question of an abnormality in serum pyruvate concentration in uremia has been examined once more using a specific enzymatic method. Uremic subjects without diabetes, liver or central nervous system disease and on no contributing drug therapy were found to have an elevated serum pyruvate. This was roughly correlated to the degree of nitrogen retention. This observation is compatible with previous studies indicating a possible metabolic block in the production of lactate and acetyl coenzyme A in uremia, although retention phenomena have not been excluded. Blood lactate was found to be no different than in a normal control group.
Correlation of plasma complement split product levels with allergic respiratory disease activity and relation to allergen immunotherapy

Background Allergens, including dust mite and grass pollen, and mast cell tryptase are known to generate the complement split products (CSPs) C5a and C3a, which can then trigger allergic inflammation. The relation of these anaphylatoxin levels to clinical allergic disease responses is not known. Objective To evaluate the relationship of plasma CSP levels to allergic respiratory disease variables in an adult cohort. Methods A cross-sectional survey was used to assess the association of plasma C5a desArg and C3a desArg levels with clinical allergic respiratory disease variables. Furthermore, a time course of the effect of routine allergen immunotherapy on plasma CSP levels and cutaneous and pulmonary responses was determined. Results Adult plasma C5a desArg levels correlate with asthma severity as determined by a physician ( P = .01) and by Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire scores ( P P = .03), change in total mean wheal diameter ( P = .05), and total dust mite dosage ( P = .04). Change in plasma C3a desArg levels 3 hours after immunotherapy correlates with change in total mean wheal diameter induced by dust mite ( P = .01). Change in plasma CSP levels after immunotherapy did not correlate with change in spirometric outcome. Conclusions Plasma C5a desArg levels reflect allergic respiratory disease severity as assessed by physicians and correlate with Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire scores. Changes in CSP levels after immunotherapy reflect cutaneous allergic responses, especially to dust mite allergen.
Importance of time-to-reperfusion in patients with acute myocardial infarction with and without cardiogenic shock treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background Time-to-treatment is important for survival in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) treated with fibrinolytic therapy, but the importance of time-to-treatment with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is controversial. Previous studies evaluating the importance of time-to-treatment with primary PCI have not analyzed patients with cardiogenic shock separately. Methods Consecutive patients with AMI (n = 1843) treated with primary PCI were prospectively enrolled in the LeBauer Cardiovascular Research Foundation Registry. Late clinical follow-up was obtained in 98% of patients, at a mean time of 6.1 years. Results Reperfusion times were longer in women and patients with diabetes mellitus and shorter in patients with prior myocardial infarction. In patients with shock (n = 138), the inhospital mortality rate increased progressively with increasing time-to-reperfusion (<3 hours, 31%; 3-<6 hours, 50%; ≥6 hours, 62%; P = .01), whereas in patients without shock (n = 1705), inhospital and late mortality rates were similar across 3 categories of time to reperfusion (<3 hours, 5.8%; 3-<6 hours, 4.6%; ≥6 hours, 4.8%; P = .46). After adjusting for differences in baseline variables, reperfusion time was a significant independent predictor of inhospital mortality in patients with shock, but not in patients without shock. Conclusions Reperfusion time with primary PCI is important for survival in patients with shock, but appears to be less important in patients without shock. These data emphasize the importance of achieving early reperfusion in patients with shock and have implications on the triage of patients without shock for mechanical reperfusion and the mechanism of benefit of reperfusion therapy with primary PCI. (Am Heart J 2003;145:708-15.)
Chemotaxis to Pyrimidines and Identification of a Cytosine Chemoreceptor in Pseudomonas putida

We developed a high-throughput quantitative capillary assay and demonstrated that Pseudomonas putida strains F1 and PRS2000 were attracted to cytosine, but not thymine or uracil. In contrast, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 was not chemotactic to any pyrimidines. Chemotaxis assays with a mutant strain of F1 in which the putative methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein-encoding gene Pput_0623 was deleted revealed that this gene (designated mcpC) encodes a chemoreceptor for positive chemotaxis to cytosine. P. putida F1 also responded weakly to cytidine, uridine, and thymidine, but these responses were not mediated by mcpC. Complementation of the F1 DeltamcpC mutant XLF004 with the wild-type gene restored chemotaxis to cytosine. In addition, introduction of this gene into P. aeruginosa PAO1 conferred the ability to respond to cytosine. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a chemoreceptor for cytosine.
Equal mating success among male reproductive strategies in a marine isopod

THREE genetically discrete male morphs coexist in Paracerceis sculpta, a Gulf of California marine isopod1–5. The large α males defend harems within intertidal sponges, the smaller β males mimic female behaviour and morphology, and the tiny γ males invade and sequester themselves within large harems. If selection is responsible for maintaining this polymorphism, then the mean fitness of each male morph must be equal over time6–9. Here we report that average reproductive success is equivalent among the three male morphs in monthly population samples collected over two years. We have investigated the total opportunity for sexual selection within and among morphs, and find that < 0.10% of the total opportunity for sexual selection occurs among morphs. Furthermore, alleles responsible for the expression of this polymorphism conform to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, indicating the absence of differential natural selection among morphs. Conditions necessary for stable coexistence of three alternative male reproductive strategies seem to exist in nature.
Influenza virus M2 protein ion channel activity is not required to maintain the equine-1 hemagglutinin in its native form in infected cells.

Abstract The equine-1 influenza virus A/Cornell/74 (H7N7) hemagglutinin (HA) is cleaved to HA 1 and HA 2 in the trans Golgi network (TGN) of infected cells. The avian influenza virus A/chicken/Germany/34 (fowl plague virus Rostock) H7 HA is also cleaved to HA 1 and HA 2 intracellularly in the TGN. To maintain the fowl plague virus Rostock HA in its native form during transport through the TGN, a functioning M 2 ion channel activity is required, otherwise the HA undergoes its transition to the low-pH form (Sugrue et al. , 1990, EMBO J. 9, 3469-3476). Studies were initiated to investigate if the equine H7 HA has intracellular requirements different from those of the fowl plague virus Rostock HA. We report here that the pH of transition to the low-pH form of the equine-1 HA is ∼pH 5.3 and that the M 2 protein ion channel blocker, amantadine, does not have a discernable effect on the native conformation of equine-1 HA during transport through the TGN. Moreover, the equine-1 HA expressed from cDNA does not require coexpression of a functional M 2 protein to maintain HA in its native conformation.
A New Curriculum for New Purposes.

To prepare for the new surge of interest in foreign languages which is rising across the country, classroom teaching needs to be upgraded. However, with the same old content this will not be sufficient. Five directions foreign language programs can take are outlined with recommendations for classrom teaching: linking foreign languages with international studies; teaching language for career purposes; for intercommunity understanding; for an insight into the process of communication; and, finally, as the key to humanistic experiences. Courses must be designed to attract and retain students, according to the needs of particular school districts. Imagination and willingness to innovate are essential.
Scalable trace signal selection using machine learning

A key problem in post-silicon validation is to identify a small set of traceable signals that are effective for debug during silicon execution. Structural analysis used by traditional signal selection techniques leads to poor restoration quality. In contrast, simulation-based selection techniques provide superior restorability but incur significant computation overhead. In this paper, we propose an efficient signal selection technique using machine learning to take advantage of simulation-based signal selection while significantly reducing the simulation overhead. Our approach uses (1) bounded mock simulations to generate training vectors set for the machine learning technique, and (2) an elimination approach to identify the most profitable signals set. Experimental results indicate that our approach can improve restorability by up to 63.3% (17.2% on average) with a faster or comparable runtime.
Structure and Transport of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current at Drake Passage from Short-Term Measurements

Abstract Three-week average speeds from an array of current meter moorings which spanned Drake Passage were used in conjunction with geostrophic calculations to estimate the short-term transport of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Closely spaced hydrographic stations show that the current consists of three vertically coherent bands of relatively high speed within the generally eastward flow. These bands separate four water mass regimes which have distinct T-S relationships at depths above the core of the Circumpolar Deep Water. The geostrophic transport relative to 3000 db averaged 95×106 m3 s−1 for five transects of the Passage and is consistent with previous measurements. Referencing the geostrophic transport to the current meter measurements gives an adjusted transport of 124×106 m3 s−1 to the east. This estimate is about midway between values obtained in the two previous attempts to adjust relative transport through Drake Passage to observed velocities. The previous estimates are reconsidered and co...
Swelling-Based Method for Preparing Stable, Functionalized Polymer Colloids

We describe a swelling-based method to prepare sterically stabilized polymer colloids with different functional groups or biomolecules attached to their surface. It should be applicable to a variety of polymeric colloids, including magnetic particles, fluorescent particles, polystyrene particles, PMMA particles, and so forth. The resulting particles are more stable in the presence of monovalent and divalent salt than existing functionalized colloids, even in the absence of any surfactant or protein blocker. While we use a PEG polymer brush here, the method should enable the use of a variety of polymer chemistries and molecular weights.
Prolonged activation of NF-κB by human cytomegalovirus promotes efficient viral replication and late gene expression

Infection of fibroblasts by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) rapidly activates the NF-kappaB signaling pathway, which we documented promotes efficient transactivation of the major immediate-early promoter (DeMeritt, I.B., Milford, L.E., Yurochko, A.D. (2004). Activation of the NF-kappaB pathway in human cytomegalovirus-infected cells is necessary for efficient transactivation of the major immediate-early promoter. J. Virol. 78, 4498-4507). Because a second, sustained increase in NF-kappaB activity following the initial phase of NF-kappaB activation was also observed, we investigated the role that this prolonged NF-kappaB activation played in viral replication and late gene expression. We first investigated HCMV replication in cells in which NF-kappaB activation was blocked by pretreatment with NF-kappaB inhibitors: HCMV replication was significantly decreased in these cultures. A decrease in replication was also observed when NF-kappaB was inhibited up to 48 h post-infection, suggesting a previously unidentified role for NF-kappaB in the regulation of the later class of viral genes.
Psychiatric illnesses in patients with syncope.

PURPOSE : To determine the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among patients with syncope ; the relationship between psychiatric disorders and the cause of syncope ; and the outcome of syncope patients with psychiatric disorders. PATIENTS AND METHODS : In a prospective cohort study in a university-affiliated medical center, hospitalized and ambulatory patients with syncope underwent a standardized medical and psychiatric evaluation consisting of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) sections for somatization, panic, generalized anxiety, major depression disorders, and drug and alcohol dependence and abuse disorders. RESULTS : Of 414 patients who completed the DIS, 82 (20%) met the criteria for at least one of the psychiatric disorders or alcohol/drug disorders. Patients with at least one of the four major psychiatric disorders (n = 58) were more likely to report ≥4 syncopal events in the past year (odds ratio (OR) 2.5, P <0.04) ; and to have prodromal symptoms prior to syncopal events (OR 2.4, P <0.04) than were patients without psychiatric disorders. Syncope patients with only alcohol/drug disorders (n = 24) were more likely to be male (OR 7.7, P <0.001) and younger than 65 years old (OR 4.5, P <0.001) than patients without alcohol/drug disorders. One-year recurrence rate for syncope in patients with any psychiatric diagnosis was 35%, compared to 15% in those without a psychiatric disorder (P <0.0001). Physicians were able to recognize potential psychiatric or alcohol/drug disorders in 70% of patients with more than one psychiatric disorder, but failed to note or treat 60% of the patients with only one of the assessed disorders. CONCLUSIONS : We recommend screening for psychiatric disorders in patients with unexplained syncope, especially in individuals with recurrent syncope and multiple physical symptoms, or for males who are under 65 years of age.
275 Predictors of Early Hospital Readmission in Children with Asthma

Objective: To identify predictors of early readmission in children with asthma. Design/Methods: A case-control study of a cohort of children hospitalized for asthma. Cases were children with asthma readmitted with the same diagnosis within 30 days of the index admission. For each case, we identified up to two controls which were children hospitalized for asthma but not readmitted within 30 days.Cases and controls were matched for age, gender, ethnicity, season and year of index admission. Data were abstracted from the medical records. Bivariate analyses (clogit, GEE statistics) were performed. Conditional logistic regression analysis determined the relative contribution of independent variables. Results: 458 subjects were analyzed (161 cases, 297 matched controls). Cases and controls were successfully matched (mean age for cases 6.4 years (SD 5.3) vs 6.4 years (SD 5.1) for controls; for both groups 64% were male, 61% Hispanic and 36% African American). Cases had a greater mean number of lifetime admissions for asthma (8.2 vs 3.3, p<.0001), were more likely to have received a pulmonary consultation prior to the index admission (OR 2.49, 95% CI 1.45–4.29) and to have a history of asthma ICU admission (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.31–3.70). Using conditional logistic regression, history of multiple lifetime admissions was found to be an independent predictor of readmission. Exposure to environmental triggers was not associated with readmission. No significant difference was found between the groups on mean oxygen saturation at index admission or discharge, need for oxygen supplementation during the index admission, and presence of wheezing at discharge. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that early readmission occurs among a subset of children with greater disease severity. History of multiple admissions, receipt of pulmonary consultation and prior ICU admission may identify children who are more likely to be readmitted and thus, guide inpatient and outpatient asthma management.
The ‘black section’ of the neighborhood: Collective visibility and collective invisibility as sources of place identity

The public identity of a neighborhood does not always reflect its demographic composition. Some groups sustain their collective visibility as they experience demographic decline. Oakwood, a neighborhood in Los Angeles where African Americans once made up the largest segment of the population, is still known as the 'black section of Venice' despite the fact that Latinos have outnumbered African Americans since 1980 and whites have outnumbered them since 1990. Historical and ethnographic research illuminates the divergent processes through which African Americans and Latinos became associated with Oakwood, established qualitatively distinct ties to the area, and maintained differing degrees of influence over its local culture. African Americans' social institutions, political organizations, visible patterns of public interaction, and periodic celebrations and commemorations enabled them to sustain their claim to the neighborhood, while Latino immigrants' marginal citizenship status, avoidance of public spaces, and affiliation with other places prevented them from attaining collective visibility.
WASP: a software-defined communication layer for hybrid wireless networks

In this paper we introduce WASP, a general communication layer for hybrid wireless networks where multiple networks are used to complement each other. In our system, we capitalize on an infrastructure with a ubiquitous, wide-area network to help enable the creation of a local mobile ad-hoc network in an efficient, scalable, evolvable, and manageable way. In particular, in an architecture inspired by software-defined networking, we decouple the control plane and data plane in the mobile devices and shift the control plane to a centralized controller. The controller, reachable via the wide-area network, manages a collection of mobile devices by informing each device how to handle traffic based on neighbor information provided by the mobile devices. With this, a mobile ad-hoc network can help reduce the data burden on the ubiquitous network, and the ubiquitous network can help reduce the burden on the mobile devices. WASP can be used in different networks with different applications such as cellular and military networks. In this paper, we based our implementation on Android and tested on a collection of Google Nexus-4 devices to measure metrics such as battery consumption. We evaluate on an extended ns-3 simulation platform which we added the ability to run unmodified Android applications on the nodes within ns-3. Our experiments show that WASP scales better than traditional ad-hoc networks with only a minimal trade off of energy. Additionally, we show that a content distribution scheme using WASP on smart phones with cellular data plans significantly offloads bandwidth from the cellular infrastructure, and in turn reduces expensive data usage and energy usage.
The ear and hearing in Amphisbaenia (Reptilia)

The burrowing squamates of the order Amphisbaenia lack external ears. The middle ear involves an extremely large stapes with the head of its shaft (columellar portion) projecting just posterior to and as far laterally as the quadrate. In most species a cartilaginous extracolumella articulates with the distal tip of the shaft and then stretches along the lower jaw and is attached to the skin in the region of the second infralabial. Records of the electrical potentials of the cochlea in some nine species show sensitivity curves whose maxima are approximately −20dB for a standard output of 0.1 μv. The zone of greatest sensitivity lies in the low frequencies, usually between 300 and 700 Hz. The sensitivity of amphisbaenians differs from that of snakes in being fairly good above levels of 700 Hz, where the latter drops off sharply. Interruption of the extracolumella causes a 20 to 30 dB loss in sensitivity. Sound waves applied asymmetrically produce different electrical responses in the two ears, suggesting an explanation for behavioral observations on the utilization of the system.
Antecedents of satisfaction in a marketing channel

Abstract Because of the importance of satisfaction to inter-firm relationship quality and thus inter-firm relationship continuity, this research investigates previously unstudied antecedents of satisfaction in a marketing channel. These antecedents include the attractiveness of alternative relationships, relationship investment, and switching cost. The research also tests reciprocal relationships between satisfaction and alternative attractiveness, and between satisfaction and voice. This helps suggest answers to questions such as, does satisfaction reduce alternative attractiveness as it is generally believed, or does alternative attractiveness reduce satisfaction? Many of the study variables were antecedents of satisfaction in the study context. Together they explained almost half of the variation in satisfaction. Nevertheless, alternative attractiveness, relationship investment, and voice were the most important antecedents of satisfaction in the study. The paper concludes with suggestions for the cultivation of customer satisfaction in the study context.
Hepatitis C Hypervariable Region 1: Association of Reduced Selection Pressure in African Americans with Treatment Failure

In a prospective therapeutic trial, features of the hepatitis C quasispecies were investigated as possible markers of therapeutic response. Individuals chronically infected with hepatitis C genotype 1 received antiviral therapy consisting of α-interferon plus ribavirin. The study targeted the most rapidly evolving segment of the viral genome, hypervariable region 1 within the envelope-2 gene. Among individuals failing to clear virus in response to therapy, significant differences were observed between quasispecies of African-American and Caucasian subjects. While distance measures for synonymous substitutions were similar between racial subgroups, measures of distance at the amino acid level (nonsynonymous substitutions) varied significantly. Taken together, the observed patterns of variability corresponded to reduced host selection pressure against hypervariable region 1 in African-American nonresponders. Reduced selection pressure was present at baseline and persisted through treatment and follow-up, suggesting population stratification of host factors that influence selection pressure on hepatitis C virus.
‘Just Thinking:’ Attitude Development, Public Opinion, and Political Representation

The role of public opinion polls in electoral democracy is undeniable because, for good or for bad, they affect, in part, the kinds of laws and policies elected officials enact. But the voices measured in polls are not perfectly representative of their populations of interest. More precisely, polls generally sing with a more “knowledgeable” accent than those they represent because of the greater tendency of the less knowledgeable to remain silent. This distortion, however, can be palliated by providing conditions more propitious to attitude development. By relying on survey-experiments conducted in Brazil and in the U.S., I present evidence that inducing people to think more carefully before answering attitude questions reduces substantially the likelihood of the less knowledgeable, which compose most of the Brazilian and American populations, to express a nonopinion response. Thus providing people with greater opportunity to think about politics—something most of them do not do very frequently—makes for more representative measures of public opinion. But the analyses also suggest that increased thought induces greater uncertainty or ambivalence among the most knowledgeable. As a whole, this paper improves our understanding on how people come to develop political attitudes and on the conditions that lead to greater attitude uncertainty or ambivalence. It also carries important lessons and implications for survey design more generally.
Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia in patients with acute leukemia

The natural history and outcome of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia in patients with acute leukemia were studied over a 10 year period at the Baltimore Cancer Research Program. There were 370 patients at risk; 32 (9 percent) had 37 episodes. Granulocytopenia ( μ l) was present in 95 percent of the episodes. The sites of origin of bacteremia were identified in 32 episodes and were usually the skin and lower respiratory tract. Initially, broad-spectrum antimicrobials were used empirically in 30 episodes and specific antistaphylococcal therapy was used in the remaining seven episodes. The median duration of therapy was 14 days of intravenous therapy and seven days of oral therapy, a total of 21 days. There was improvement during therapy in 31 of the 37 episodes (83 percent) although, among the subgroup of six patients with shock, only one improved (p
Concepts of an Mc2 cyclotron

A source of high energy protons and π and μ mesons of unprecedented intensity should result from a large isochronous cyclotron now under study. An intense beam of protons at approximately 800 MeV can be deflected from this eight-sector machine at the 8/4 resonance. Model studies have also shown that internal beams with energies above Mc 2 are possible. The maximum orbit radius is 6 m (20 ft); the outer radius of the machine is 9 m. From the design of a 0.15 scale model, with three of the eight sectors, it is estimated that the full scale magnet would require about 5000 tons of steel and 10 MW of magnet power. R.f. excitation by resonant cavity is planned, with several possible configurations under study. Shielding of experimental areas of adequate size will require use of earth or compacted aggregate to achieve reasonable economy. Studies of induced activity suggest that the use of aluminium, iron, and carbon in strategic areas and the elimination of nickel and perhaps a few other materials, will make management of activity levels feasible.
Emerging from the bottleneck: benefits of the comparative approach to modern neuroscience

Neuroscience has historically exploited a wide diversity of animal taxa. Recently, however, research has focused increasingly on a few model species. This trend has accelerated with the genetic revolution, as genomic sequences and genetic tools became available for a few species, which formed a bottleneck. This coalescence on a small set of model species comes with several costs that are often not considered, especially in the current drive to use mice explicitly as models for human diseases. Comparative studies of strategically chosen non-model species can complement model species research and yield more rigorous studies. As genetic sequences and tools become available for many more species, we are poised to emerge from the bottleneck and once again exploit the rich biological diversity offered by comparative studies.
Partly functional temporal process regression with semiparametric profile estimating functions

Summary. Marginal mean models of temporal processes in event time data analysis are gaining more attention for their milder assumptions than the traditional intensity models. Recent work on fully functional temporal process regression (TPR) offers great flexibility by allowing all the regression coefficients to be nonparametrically time varying. The existing esti mation procedure, however, prevents successive goodness-of-fit test for covariate coefficients in comparing a sequence of nested models. This article proposes a partly functional TPR model in the line of marginal mean models. Some covari ate effects are time independent while others are completely unspecified in time. This class of models is very rich, includ ing the fully functional model and the semiparametric model as special cases. To estimate the parameters, we propose semiparametric profile estimating equations, which are solved via an iterative algorithm, starting at a consistent estimate from a fully functional model in the existing work. No smoothing is needed, in contrast to other varying-coefficient meth ods. The weak convergence of the resultant estimators are developed using the empirical process theory. Successive tests of time-varying effects and backward model selection procedure can then be carried out. The practical usefulness of the methodology is demonstrated through a simulation study and a real example of recurrent exacerbation among cystic fibrosis patients.
Bone mass measurement for premenopausal women

Bone mass measurement is a useful tool in determining the risk of fracture. However, there are questions about whether or not bone mass measurement should be used in premenopausal women. Part of the problem concerns the issue of whether or not bone mass or bone density falls prior to menopause. Significant prospective data are still being gathered on this issue, which is hotly debated. In addition, even if there is a loss of bone density prior to menopause, it is not evident what clinical strategy would result from the measurement. At present, therefore, it seems prudent only to measure bone mass of women who have significantly impaired ovarian function or who are approaching menopause.
Scalar Analysis of Radially Inhomogeneous Guiding Media

Inhomogeneities in refractive index have been suggested as a means of guiding waves in the submillimeter through optical wavelength range. In this paper, asymptotic techniques are applied to the scalar wave equation to determine propagation constants and mode patterns in radially inhomogeneous transmission systems with circular cross sections. Results are obtained with the variation of refractive index specified only as a general class of functions. Rectangular geometries are treated as a special case.
Effect of Thickness on Permeability

When the observed permeability changes as a function of membrane thickness, there are two reasons. One is the presence of boundary layers or interfacial resistances. The other is variation of permeability throughout the membrane, as in the case of laminated film composites of different permeability layers. Examples of both cases are presented and analyzed to elucidate internal and external phenomena of the membrane processes. This type of thickness analysis is completely general and can be applied to any membrane process.
Network-in-a-box: how to set up a secure wireless network in under a minute

Combining effective security and usability is often considered impossible. For example, deploying effective security for wireless networks is a difficult task, even for skilled systems administrators - a fact that is impeding the deployment of many mobile systems. In this paper we describe a system that lets typical users easily build a highly secure wireless network. Our main contribution is to show how gesture-based user interfaces can be applied to provide a complete solution for securing wireless networks. This allows users to intuitively manage the network security of their mobile devices, even those with limited user interfaces. We demonstrate through user studies that our secure implementation is considerably easier to use than typical commercially available options, even those that provide lower security. Our gesture-based approach is quite general, and can be used to design a wide variety of systems that are simultaneously secure and easy to administer.
Improved assessment of bone turnover by the PTH-(1-84)/large C-PTH fragments ratio in ESRD patients

Improved assessment of bone turnover by the PTH-(1-84)/large C-PTH fragments ratio in ESRD patients. Background The "intact" parathyroid hormone (PTH) assay recognizes PTH-(1-84) as well as amino terminally truncated PTH fragments, that is, large carboxyterminal PTH fragments (C-PTH fragments). The present study investigated whether the use of the plasma PTH-(1-84)/C-PTH fragment ratio enhances the noninvasive assessment of bone turnover in patients on dialysis. Methods Bone biopsies and blood samples for determinations of routine indices of bone turnover and PTH peptides were obtained in 51 adult patients on dialysis not treated with drugs affecting bone such as vitamin D or corticosteroids. Blood levels of large C-PTH fragments were calculated by subtracting PTH-(1-84) from "intact" PTH. Patients were classified according to their levels of bone turnover based on histomorphometrically obtained results of activation frequency. Prediction of bone turnover by the various blood indices was done by using proper statistical methods. In addition, hypercalcemia was induced by calcium gluconate infusion in a subset of patients, and levels of PTH-(1-84), "intact" PTH, and PTH-(1-84)/C-PTH fragment ratio were determined. Results The PTH-(1-84)/C-PTH fragment ratio was the best predictor of bone turnover. A ratio> 1 predicted high or normal bone turnover (sensitivity 100%), whereas a ratio Conclusions The PTH-(1-84)/C-PTH fragment ratio predicts bone turnover with acceptable precision for biological measurements. Moreover, a change in serum calcium levels is one of the regulators of the relative amount of circulating PTH-(1-84) and its large C-PTH fragments.
Coagulase Negative Staphylococci in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Are We Any Smarter?

Coagulase negative staphylococci are increasingly common organisms isolated in the evaluation of neonates with sepsis. However, there is a lack of consensus on the definition of true infection and the criteria for treatment. This article presents clinically useful methods to distinguish true infection from contamination. Additionally, we describe clinically relevant virulence factors contributing to the pathogenicity of various species. Knowing these virulence factors may help to stratify patient risk for serious infection. There are inconsistent data regarding the clinical importance of coagulase negative staphylococcal infections in the neonatal population. This inconsistency highlights the importance of establishing a consensus for the diagnosis and treatment of these infections in both the clinical and research arenas.
Optimizing the parameters of soil heat accumulators

A procedure for optimizing the sizes of soil heat accumulators is presented together with technical and economic solutions the use of which allows the construction cost of such facilities to be minimized. Calculation examples are given.
A probabilistic multidimensional model of location information.

A probabilistic multidimensional model of location discrimination is developed and applied to data from an experiment in which subjects are required to determine whether a briefly presented horizontal and vertical bar are touching. The proposed gap-detection model assumes that errors in perception are due to variability in the perceived location and/or in the perceived length of the bars. A series of gap-detection models that allow variability only in perceived location were rejected on the basis of likelihood-ratio tests of overall goodness of fit. However, when the models were modified to account for: (a) a compression of the distance perceived between the bars (Wolford, 1975), or (b) the bisection illusion (Kunnapas, 1955), excellent absolute fits to the data were obtained. A pair of models that suggests that the horizontal/vertical illusion or a response bias was operative failed. Applications of the model to more conventional object-perception experiments (e.g., the illusory-conjunction experiment) are discussed.
How LeuT shapes our understanding of the mechanisms of sodium‐coupled neurotransmitter transporters

Neurotransmitter transporters are ion-coupled symporters that drive the uptake of neurotransmitters from neural synapses. In the past decade, the structure of a bacterial amino acid transporter, leucine transporter (LeuT), has given valuable insights into the understanding of architecture and mechanism of mammalian neurotransmitter transporters. Different conformations of LeuT, including a substrate-free state, inward-open state, and competitive and non-competitive inhibitor-bound states, have revealed a mechanistic framework for the transport and transport inhibition of neurotransmitters. The current review integrates our understanding of the mechanistic and pharmacological properties of eukaryotic neurotransmitter transporters obtained through structural snapshots of LeuT.
Run-Time Programming of Analog Circuits Using Floating-Gate Transistors

The ability to recalibrate a system is an important feature in allowing that system to maintain optimal performance even in the face of new demands placed on that system by environmental changes or even consumers' desires. The use of floating-gate (FG) transistors provides programmability to analog circuitry and, hence, the ability to recalibrate an analog system. If the FG transistors are programmed indirectly by using a second transistor to perform hot-electron injection, then an analog system can be recalibrated and reprogrammed without ever having to take the circuit out of operation. In this paper, we present a technique for adjusting circuit properties while still in operation as well as example circuits in which this run-time programming is conducted.
Maternal choline supplementation differentially alters the basal forebrain cholinergic system of young-adult Ts65Dn and disomic mice.

Down syndrome (DS), trisomy 21, is a multifaceted condition marked by intellectual disability and early presentation of Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathological lesions including degeneration of the basal forebrain cholinergic neuron (BFCN) system. Although DS is diagnosable during gestation, there is no treatment option for expectant mothers or DS individuals. Using the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS that displays age-related degeneration of the BFCN system, we investigated the effects of maternal choline supplementation on the BFCN system in adult Ts65Dn mice and disomic (2N) littermates at 4.3–7.5 months of age. Ts65Dn dams were maintained on a choline-supplemented diet (5.1 g/kg choline chloride) or a control, unsupplemented diet with adequate amounts of choline (1 g/kg choline chloride) from conception until weaning of offspring; post weaning, offspring were fed the control diet. Mice were transcardially perfused with paraformaldehyde, and brains were sectioned and immunolabeled for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) or p75-neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR). BFCN number and size, the area of the regions, and the intensity of hippocampal labeling were determined. Ts65Dn-unsupplemented mice displayed region- and immunolabel-dependent increased BFCN number, larger areas, smaller BFCNs, and overall increased hippocampal ChAT intensity compared with 2N unsupplemented mice. These effects were partially normalized by maternal choline supplementation. Taken together, the results suggest a developmental imbalance in the Ts65Dn BFCN system. Early maternal-diet choline supplementation attenuates some of the genotype-dependent alterations in the BFCN system, suggesting this naturally occurring nutrient as a treatment option for pregnant mothers with knowledge that their offspring is trisomy 21. J. Comp. Neurol. 522:1390–1410, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION BY NURSING RATS AND ITS EFFECT ON THE CEREBELLUM OF THE OFFSPRING

To study the effect of alcohol on Purkinje cells and on myelination of the cerebellum of neonate rats, female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed alcohol (ethanol) during their nursing period. The alcohol was given in amounts of 5% or 10% per volume of drinking water. Food and liquids, equal in calories, were distributed among dams receiving alcohol. One group of control rats received similar diet but no alcohol. The results were then compared with those of a second group of controls, receiving no alcohol but having access to unlimited supplies of food and water. Histological examination of pups revealed degenerative changes in Purkinje cells and delayed myelination of the cerebellum.
The Implementation and Impact of ISO 9000 among Small Manufacturing Enterprises

Quality is essential to customer satisfaction and competitive success. Unfortunately, resource constraints can place the small-firm manufacturer at a quality disadvantage. This paper considers the benefits and barriers to International Standards Organization (ISO) 9000 certification among small-firm manufacturers. An empirical study explores whether small manufacturers can successfully implement and benefit from a standardized and resource-intensive program such as ISO 9000. The answer is yes if management can internalize core ISO practices. Keys to success include inculcating a quality culture, reducing behaviors that inhibit ISO adoption, performing a readiness analysis that helps tailor the ISO program to company needs, and leveraging a dynamic environment to drive quality consciousness.
A simple 1D sensor model to account for deterministic thermocouple errors (bias) in the solution of the inverse heat conduction problem

This article demonstrates the deterministic errors in thermocouple measurements, or bias, through numerical simulation and illustrates the impact of these erroneous measurements on inverse heat conduction problem solutions. No experimental data are considered in this article. The case of molten metal solidifying through cooling in a sand mold is simulated to demonstrate the measurement bias effect. Temperature histories from these simulations are used to demonstrate the effect of biased data on the solution of the inverse problem. A simple one-dimensional (1D) sensor wire model suitable for integration into a numerical solver to account for temperature measurement bias is presented. The importance of the coupling between the wire and the surrounding domain is illustrated by an example.