cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Non-natural amino acid fluorophores for one- and two-step fluorescence resonance energy transfer applications

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) provides a powerful means to study protein conformational changes. However, the incorporation of an exogenous FRET pair into a protein could lead to undesirable structural perturbations of the native fold. One of the viable strategies to minimizing such perturbations is to use non-natural amino acid-based FRET pairs. Previously, we showed that p-cyanophenylalanine (Phe(CN)) and tryptophan (Trp) constitute such a FRET pair, useful for monitoring protein folding-unfolding transitions. Here we further show that 7-azatryptophan (7AW) and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5HW) can also serve as a FRET acceptor to Phe(CN), and the resultant FRET pairs offer certain advantages over Phe(CN)-Trp. For example, the fluorescence spectrum of 7AW is sufficiently separated from that of Phe(CN), making it straightforward to decompose the FRET spectrum into donor and acceptor contributions. Moreover, we show that Phe(CN), Trp, and 7AW can be used together to form a multi-FRET system, allowing more structural information to be extracted from a single FRET experiment. The applicability of these FRET systems is demonstrated in a series of studies where they are employed to monitor the urea-induced unfolding transitions of the villin headpiece subdomain (HP35), a designed betabetaalpha motif (BBA5), and the human Pin1 WW domain.
Anaphora in Popular Stories: Implications for Narrative Theory

Recent work in a variety of fields, including literary criticism, linguistics, cognitive psychology, and computer science, has been rife with theories of narrative, in particular narrative structure. The goal of this article is to evaluate, by exploring data on anaphora in narratives, two specific models of narrative structure, Story Grammar and Conceptual Dependency, whose underlying assumptions are shared by a wide range of theorists and to comment in general on re-visioning narrative theory.
Nutrition-related characteristics of high school teachers and student performance

Abstract We assessed the relationship between nutrition-related teacher characteristics and effective nutrition education for their teenage students. Sixty-two high school teachers and 1,073 students completed the study, which included assessment of teachers’ knowledge, other nutrition-related characteristics, and dietary practices and assessment of students’ knowledge and dietary practices before and after a nutrition unit in the classroom. Of the seven teacher characteristics assessed, teachers’ knowledge was significantly related to changes in their students’ nutrition knowledge, and the teachers’ dietary practices approached significance in this relationship. Confidence as nutrition educators and teachers’ inflexibility positively related to students’ changes in dietary scores per 1,000 kilocalories of energy. Teachers’ characteristics were significantly interrelated: knowledge with flexibility, knowledge certainty, value, and interest; value with knowledge certainty and interest; interest with confidence as nutrition educators.
Through a Glass Darkly: Doubling and Poetic Self-Image in Pushkin's “The Gypsies”

^S/ijozzrt and Salieri. Lenskii and Onegin. Dmitrii Samozvanets and Boris Godunov. Evgenii and Tsar Peter. Don Juan and the Commander. The young Count and Silvio. Pugachev and Petia Grinev. The Italian Improviser and the poet-dandy Charskii. ... Even the casual reader cannot help but notice the prevalence of mutually contentious, yet perversely interdependent, male character pairs, or doubles, in Pushkin's narrative and dramatic works.1 This feature of Pushkin's literary imagination receives occasional mention in the scholarship; in the present article I propose to build upon some previous scholarly insights to consider the overarching significance of doubles for Pushkin's creative psyche. I will do so through close analysis of his 1824 poema "The Gypsies," a work that at first glance would seem to have little to do with the literary double.2 That doubling can nevertheless be shown to be operant in even such a text lends credence to my hypothesis that this device is an essential engine of Pushkin's poetic imagination, one that is deeply implicated in his creative aspirations and insecurities and, indeed, in the poetic self-portrait that can be traced in
Flare and lens aberration requirements for EUV lithographic tools

EUV lithographic tools can support the 32 nm MPU manufacturing node and beyond. In order to meet the stringent requirements on CD control and overlay for such technology generations, wavefront error and flare of the EUV exposure systems have to be well controlled. The cross field variations of wavefront errors and flare need to be in the acceptable range in order to improve the common Depth of Focus (DoF) across the field. The impacts of lens aberration and flare to the aerial image at the system level are studied for the 32nm MPU technology node using Intel's aerial image simulation tool. The focus control budget of the exposure tools has been estimated. Useable Depth of Focus (UDoF) has been defined, and focus margin between UDoF and focus control budget from the exposure tool has been calculated for various cases. Focus margin has been used to determine the flare and lens aberration requirements for the 32nm MPU node. It is found that <10% intrinsic flare and <0.75nm rms lens aberration are required for the 32nm MPU node. Process window as a measure of individual aberration terms for the 32nm node has been also investigated.
Management and complications of pneumonia

Pneumonia is estimated to be the leading cause of mortality in children under five worldwide. Death is rare in developed countries but it remains a major cause of hospital admissions and of both acute and chronic morbidities. Understanding current management and recognition of complications is important to all paediatricians. The causative organism varies with age and differentiating between viral, bacterial and other causes can be challenging. Supportive care and antibiotic treatment are the mainstays of modern management. The evidence base to support treatment policy is remarkably weak. The incidence of both uncomplicated and complicated pneumonia is increasing, particularly that of empyema and necrotic lung disease. The management of complications has changed over recent years and remains the subject of some controversy. The syndrome of inappropriate anti-diuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) has long been cited as a complication of pneumonia; but the existence of this entity is now being questioned. There is increasing evidence that pneumonia increases the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis and asthma in later life.
Efficacy of open-label venlafaxine in subjects with major depressive disorder: associations with neuroendocrine response to serotonergic and noradrenergic probes

Abstract An open-label pilot study explored the relationship between severity of depressive symptoms and venlafaxine dose required for clinical efficacy in outpatients with major depressive disorder (MDD). The utility of the neuroendocrine response to serotonergic (ipsapirone) and noradrenergic (clonidine) probes as predictors of venlafaxine dosage required for effective treatment was also explored. Nineteen medically healthy medication-free outpatients over 18 years of age who met criteria for MDD were studied. Participants received either a 20-mg dose of ipsapirone orally, a 0.002-mg/kg intravenous dose of clonidine, or placebo. Following a 1-week single-blind placebo lead-in, all subjects were treated with immediate release venlafaxine. Low-dose responders were defined as those subjects experiencing a >50% decrease in depression score on 37.5 mg, b.i.d., and high-dose responders were defined as those subjects experiencing similar improvement on venlafaxine doses of 75 mg, b.i.d., or higher. Subjects responding to low-dose treatment had a lower mean baseline Hamilton depression score than subjects requiring high-dose treatment. Neuroendocrine and temperature responses to clonidine or ipsapirone challenges were not significantly different in the high- vs. low-dose responders. Evaluation of models of “serotonergic-responsive” and norepinephrine-responsive” depression requires larger numbers of patients.
Surgery for intracerebral hemorrhage

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) represents 8 to 15% of all strokes in the United States and 20 to 30% of all strokes in Japan and China. Although ICH represents a relatively small fraction of total strokes, it is a formidable disease, with a 30-day mortality rate two- to sixfold higher than that for ischemic stroke. Furthermore, it is a major cause of disability, with only 20% of patients becoming independent at 6 months. The most common risk factors for ICH are age, hypertension, and amyloid angiopathy, which are associated with damage to and weakening of the arterial/arteriolar wall leading to vessel rupture. The pathology is a dynamic one that continues to evolve over the first few days after onset. In 20 to 30% of ICH, clot volume increases over the first 24 hours and is generally associated with neurologic worsening. The final outcome from ICH is related not only to clot volume, compression, and destruction but also to potential neurotoxicity from the blood degradation products and associated neuronal ischemia. The treatment of ICH has been one of the most controversial and least well-studied areas from a medical or surgical perspective. Surgical treatment has evolved over the years and can be grouped into open and stereotactically guided surgery for hematoma evacuation. Seven thousand operations per year are performed in the United States for hematoma evacuation, although this approach has not been adequately investigated. Adjuvant medical therapies with neuroprotective agents require further investigation and may potentially have additive benefits.
Continuous-time digital signal processing

Digitally processing quantised (but not sampled) signals produces no aliasing and reduces the in-band quantisation error. Techniques for accomplishing such processing are proposed. Experimental evidence is included.
Notes on work hardening and recovery

Abstract Although the available data are not conclusive, they suggest that the annealing processes in cold worked metals may be subdivided into at least three distinct stages, which occur successively with increasing annealing time or temperature (apart from overlapping) in the following order: 1. (1) recovery (without interface migration), 2. (2) sub-boundary migration (gradual subgrain growth essentially without reorientation) 3. (3) grain boundary migration (“recrystallization” with local reorientation, i.e., the discontinuous growth of some crystal fragments with strongly deviating orientations). It appears that most of the stored energy of cold work and a minor component of the work hardening is released in recovery, while subgrain growth is capable of releasing the remaining larger portion of work hardening, which is connected with the sub-boundaries. However, the third stage of annealing (“recrystallization”) often sets in prematurely and then it takes over from subgrain growth the function of relieving a large fraction of the work hardening.
Enumeration of octagonal tilings

Random tilings are interesting as idealizations of atomistic models of quasicrystals and for their connection to problems in combinatorics and algorithms. Of particular interest is the tiling entropy density, which measures the relation of the number of distinct tilings to the number of constituent tiles. Tilings by squares and 45? rhombi receive special attention as presumably the simplest model that has not yet been solved exactly in the thermodynamic limit. However, an exact enumeration formula can be evaluated for tilings in finite regions with fixed boundaries. We implement this algorithm in an efficient manner, enabling the investigation of larger regions of parameter space than previously were possible. Our new results appear to yield monotone increasing and decreasing lower and upper bounds on the fixed boundary entropy density that converge toward S ∞ = 0.36021 ( 3 ) .
Differentiation of Cellulomonas species using biochemical tests

Eight strains, comprising all recognized species of Cellulomonas, were subjected to 51 different biochemical tests on four occasions. For 32 of these tests, a mixture of positive and negative results was obtained and from these data as few as six commonly used biochemical tests (glucose, indole, lactose, ONPG, nitrate and lysine) permit separation of the species of the genus Cellulomonas. A tentative simplified schema or dichotomous key is proposed.
Failure Analysis of NiTi Wires Used in Medical Applications

Superelastic nitinol (NiTi) wires have been fractured under various loading, temperature, and environmental conditions. The fracture surfaces of these NiTi specimens were then characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to provide a reference for future NiTi failure analysis investigations and to provide comparison with the existing literature. The results of this study indicate that NiTi fracture modes and morphologies are generally consistent with those for ductile metals, such as austenitic stainless steel, with one important exception: NiTi exhibits a unique compressive damage mechanism that occurs at high strains in bending. Compression-induced surface damage is observed at the compression-side of tight bends or kinks in NiTi wire. In these same samples, no cracking or surface damage is observed on the tensile side of the bend. Compressive damage begins as slip line formation due to plastic deformation, and at high strain levels, cracking is observed. These compression-damage induced cracks appear to initiate from slip lines and extend in a mode II/shear mechanism.
Testing a Flexible-receptor Docking Algorithm in a Model Binding Site

Sampling receptor flexibility is challenging for database docking. We consider a method that treats multiple flexible regions of the binding site independently, recombining them to generate different discrete conformations. This algorithm scales linearly rather than exponentially with the receptor's degrees of freedom. The method was first evaluated for its ability to identify known ligands of a hydrophobic cavity mutant of T4 lysozyme (L99A). Some 200000 molecules of the Available Chemical Directory (ACD) were docked against an ensemble of cavity conformations. Surprisingly, the enrichment of known ligands from among a much larger number of decoys in the ACD was worse than simply docking to the apo conformation alone. Large decoys, accommodated in the larger cavity conformations sampled in the ensemble, were ranked better than known small ligands. The calculation was redone with an energy correction term that considered the cost of forming the larger cavity conformations. Enrichment improved, as did the balance between high-ranking large and small ligands. In a second retrospective test, the ACD was docked against a conformational ensemble of thymidylate synthase. Compared to docking against individual enzyme conformations, the flexible receptor docking approach improved enrichment of known ligands. Including a receptor conformational energy weighting term improved enrichment further. To test the method prospectively, the ACD database was docked against another cavity mutant of lysozyme (L99A/M102Q). A total of 18 new compounds predicted to bind this polar cavity and to change its conformation were tested experimentally; 14 were found to bind. The bound structures for seven ligands were determined by X-ray crystallography. The predicted geometries of these ligands all corresponded to the observed geometries to within 0.7A RMSD or better. Significant conformational changes of the cavity were observed in all seven complexes. In five structures, part of the observed accommodations were correctly predicted; in two structures, the receptor conformational changes were unanticipated and thus never sampled. These results suggest that although sampling receptor flexibility can lead to novel ligands that would have been missed when docking a rigid structure, it is also important to consider receptor conformational energy.
Relationship between afferent input and motor output in sensorimotor cortex of the monkey.

Abstract Single-cell recording and intracortical stimulation were used to study input-output relations in the sensorimotor cortex of rhesus and Java monkeys anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital. The receptive fields of individual cortical cells were compared with the loci of movements or muscle contractions evoked by electrical stimulation near these cells. Data were obtained from 101 single neurons in the rhesus monkey and 36 neurons in the Java monkey. Two-thirds of the cells in postcentral gyrus responded to cutaneous stimulation and one-third to stimulation of deep tissues (passive joint movement, deep pressure). Only 19 cells were recorded in precentral gyrus that could be driven by somatosensory input. Electrical stimulation within both cortical regions typically evoked discrete contralateral movements or muscle contractions. Stimulus thresholds were almost two times higher in postcentral gyrus than in precentral gyrus. The somatic origin of sensory input to a given cortical site was correlated in a general way with the somatic target of motor output from that cortical site. However, input-output coupling was relatively loose, since the receptive fields of cortical neurons often did not overlap with the peripheral locus of minimal cortically evoked movements.
The electrochemical reduction of diazodimedone: Kinetics and thermodynamics of the formation of the carbene anion radical

Abstract Studies of the electrochemical reduction of 2-diazo-5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione (diazodimedone or DMN 2 ) in butyronitrile and N , N -dimethylformamide indicate the DMN 2 undergoes an overall one-electron reduction in aprotic media to form the conjugate base of dimedone (DMH − ) as the principal product. In the presence of an excess of the electroinactive proton donor (EtO 2 C) 2 CH 2 , DMN 2 is reduced in an overall two-electron process to give DMH − in 78% yield. Kinetic studies in butyronitrile indicate the DMN − 2 reacts in the absence of proton donors by unimolecular loss of N 2 k = 1.0 s −1 at −84°C) to give the carbene anion radial DM − as an unobserved, short-lived intermediate. A scheme is proposed in which DM − abstracts a hydrogen to give DMH − in aprotic media and undergoes protonation to give DMH in the presence of (EtO 2 C) 2 CH 2 . DMH is subsequently reduced to DMH − by unreacted DMN − 2 . The kinetics of DMN − 2 and EtO 2 C) 2 CN − 2 reaction have been studied as a function of temperature in order to obtain thermodynamic information concerning the rate-determining step.
Jasmonate signaling: a conserved mechanism of hormone sensing.

The lipid-derived hormone jasmonate (JA) regulates diverse aspects of plant immunity and development. Among the central components of the JA signaling cascade are the E3 ubiquitin ligase SCFCOI1 and Jasmonate ZIM-domain (JAZ) proteins that repress transcription of JA-responsive genes. Recent studies provide evidence that amino acid-conjugated forms of JA initiate signal transduction upon formation of a coronatine-insensitive1 (COI1)–JA–JAZ ternary complex in which JAZs are ubiquitinated and subsequently degraded. Coronatine, a virulence factor produced by the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae, is a potent agonist of this hormone receptor system. Coronatine-induced targeting of JAZs to COI1 obstructs host immune responses to P. syrinage, providing a striking example of how pathogens exploit hormone signaling pathways in the host to promote disease. These findings, together with homology between COI1 and the auxin receptor, TIR1, extend the paradigm of F-box proteins as intracellular sensors of small molecules, and suggest a common evolutionary origin of the auxin and JA response pathways.
Design and Evaluation of Peptide Nucleic Acid Probes for Specific Identification of Candida albicans

Candida albicans is an important cause of systemic fungal infections, and rapid diagnostics for identifying and differentiating C. albicans from other Candida species are critical for the timely application of appropriate antimicrobial therapy, improved patient outcomes, and pharmaceutical cost savings. In this work, two 28S rRNA-directed peptide nucleic acid-fluorescence in situ hybridization (PNA-FISH) probes, P-Ca726 (targeting a novel region of the ribosome) and P-CalB2208 (targeting a previously reported region), were evaluated. Hybridization conditions were optimized by using both fluorescence microscopy (FM) and flow cytometry (FCM), and probes were screened for specificity and discriminative ability against a panel of C. albicans and various nontarget Candida spp. The performance of these PNA probes was compared quantitatively against that of DNA probes or DNA probe/helper combinations directed against the same target regions. Ratiometric analyses of FCM results indicated that both the hybridization quality and yield of the PNA probes were higher than those of the DNA probes. In FCM-based comparisons of the PNA probes, P-Ca726 was found to be highly specific, showing 2.5- to 5.5-fold-higher discriminatory power for C. albicans than P-CalB2208. The use of formamide further improved the performance of the new probe. Our results reinforce the significant practical and diagnostic advantages of PNA probes over their DNA counterparts for FISH and indicate that P-Ca726 may be used advantageously for the rapid and specific identification of C. albicans in clinical and related applications, especially when combined with FCM.
Why Did We Think We Dreamed in Black and White

In the 1950's, dream researchers commonly thought that dreams were predominantly a black-and-white phenomenon, although both earlier and later treatments of dreaming presume or assert that dreams have color. The first half of the twentieth century saw the rise of black-and-white film media, and it is likely that the emergence of the view that dreams are black-and-white was connected with this change in media technology. If our opinions about basic features of our dreams can change with changes in technology, it seems to follow that our knowledge of the phenomenology of our own dreams is much less secure than we might at first have thought it to be.
Differential regulation of the expression of Period2 protein in the limbic forebrain and dorsomedial hypothalamus by daily limited access to highly palatable food in food-deprived and free-fed rats

Circadian clock genes are rhythmically expressed in many areas of the brain and body and are thought to underlie most endogenous circadian behaviors and physiological processes. Daily rhythms of clock gene expression throughout the brain and body are normally coordinated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), but they are also strongly influenced by daily temporal restrictions of food availability. Here, we studied the effects of a daily restricted presentation of highly palatable complete meal replacement, chocolate Ensure Plus (Ensure) in food-deprived (restricted feeding, RF) and free-fed (restricted treat, RT) rats, on the expression of the clock protein, Period2 (PER2) in regions of the brain involved in motivational and emotional regulation; these include the oval nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTov), the central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA), the basolateral amygdala (BLA), the dentate gyrus (DG) and the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH). RF and RT rats consumed similar amounts of Ensure, but changes in the pattern of PER2 expression were seen only in the RF condition, suggesting that changes in PER2 expression in these regions are triggered by the daily alleviation of a negative metabolic state associated with RF and are independent of the positive incentive properties of the consumed substance, per se. In contrast, the expression of the immediate early gene, Fos, was increased in these regions by both RF and RT schedules, showing that signals concerning the incentive value of the consumed food reach these regions. No changes in either PER2 or Fos expression were observed in the SCN of RF or RT rats. These findings demonstrate that mechanisms leading to changes in the expression of PER2 and those affecting the induction of Fos under RF and RT are, at least in part, dissociable.
Developing a School-Based Discourse for Literacy Learning: A Principled Search for Understanding.

In this article we present an integrated literacy curriculum for special education students that was designed to promote classroom discourse for negotiating and constructing meanings in reading and...
Histological and anatomical responses in avocado, Persea americana, induced by the vascular wilt pathogen, Raffaelea lauricola

Raffaelea lauricola causes laurel wilt of avocado, Persea americana. Host × pathogen interactions were examined with light and scanning electron microscopy. The susceptible avocado cultivar ‘Simmon...
Unraveling the mechanism for respiratory rhythm generation.

Breathing is generated by a neuronal network located within the caudal brainstem. One area of particular significance for respiratory rhythm generation is the pre-Botzinger (preBotC) complex in the ventrolateral medulla. An important step towards understanding the cellular and network basis by which neurons within this region generate the respiratory rhythm was made in a recent study by Koshiya and Smith.(1) Using simultaneous image analysis and electrophysiological techniques these authors identified a discrete population of synaptically-coupled pacemaker neurons within the preBotC. They postulated that these neurons constitute the minimal essential network component (kernel) for generating the respiratory rhythm. BioEssays 22:6-9, 2000.
Oxygen-hemoglobin affinity at sea level may predict acute illness at altitude: theory and simulation.

Abstract Acute mountain sickness carries with it serious health and economic costs. In their pursuit of the mechanisms that produce acute mountain sickness, researchers have overlooked the existence of a possible screening test, a test based on individual variation in cerebral oxygen exchange at sea level. In this paper, I highlight the mathematical link between cerebral oxygen exchange at sea level – this is reflected in the magnitude of the oxygen extraction coefficient – and a change in brain blood flow at altitude; this link has been overlooked. A lower oxygen extraction coefficient at sea level can act – at altitude – to reduce the capacity of the intracranial compartment to accommodate brain swelling, exacerbate increases in cell volume, promote the stimulation of angiogenesis, and further cerebral edema, each of which may contribute to acute mountain sickness. In retrospect, it seems obvious that the initial state of cerebral oxygen exchange will impact the cerebral circulatory response to subsequent hypoxia. This deceptively simple notion offers us an opportunity to identify beforehand those people likely to develop acute mountain sickness when they travel to altitude.
Colon cancer stem cells: implications for prevention and therapy

The recent identification of colon cancer tumor-initiating cells adds further support to the cancer stem cell hypothesis. Ongoing basic and translational research efforts are aimed at gaining an increased understanding of the biology of these cells, as well as methods of targeting them. In addition, the relationship between colon carcinogenesis and inflammatory conditions, such as longstanding colitis and inherited syndromes, might be linked to the effect of the processes on stem cells in the colon. This review summarizes current literature on colon cancer stem cells and proposes strategies aimed at targeting these cells for colon cancer prevention and therapy.
Channelized fluid flow through shear zones during fluid-enhanced dynamic recrystallization, Northern Apennines, Italy

Geochemical and petrographic studies of the Triassic Portoro limestone of the Tuscan nappe in Liguria, Italy, indicate that fluid flow was channeled through interlayered bedding-parallel shear zones during Miocene shearing and low-grade metamorphism. Carbon, oxygen, and strontium isotopic compositions and trace element concentrations in the Portoro indicate that it was precipitated from normal marine waters. In sheared and unsheared layers these isotopic compositions are indistinguishable, yet sheared layers of microspar contain less than half the amount of strontium preserved in undeformed layers. Wavy grain boundaries and a dimensional preferred orientation of elongated grains indicate that calcite within sheared zones was dynamically recrystallized. On the basis of these observations we suggest that during burial, extraformational fluids were buffered into oxygen isotopic, but not strontium-concentration, equilibrium with the Portoro. These syndeformational fluids were channeled through discrete 1- to 15-cm-thick shear zones in which strontium was expelled from calcite and incorporated into grain-boundary fluids during dynamic recrystallization.
Acoustical properties of speech as indicators of depression and suicidal risk

Acoustic properties of speech have previously been identified as possible cues to depression, and there is evidence that certain vocal parameters may be used further to objectively discriminate between depressed and suicidal speech. Studies were performed to analyze and compare the speech acoustics of separate male and female samples comprised of normal individuals and individuals carrying diagnoses of depression and high-risk, near-term suicidality. The female sample consisted of ten control subjects, 17 dysthymic patients, and 21 major depressed patients. The male sample contained 24 control subjects, 21 major depressed patients, and 22 high-risk suicidal patients. Acoustic analyses of voice fundamental frequency (F/sub 0/), amplitude modulation (AM), formants, and power distribution were performed on speech samples extracted from audio recordings collected from the sample members. Multivariate feature and discriminant analyses were performed on feature vectors representing the members of the control and disordered classes. Features derived from the formant and power spectral density measurements were found to be the best discriminators of class membership in both the male and female studies. AM features emerged as strong class discriminators of the male classes. Features describing F/sub 0/ were generally ineffective discriminators in both studies. The results support theories that identify psychomotor disturbances as central elements in depression and suicidality.
Working environment and myeloproliferative neoplasm: A population-based case-control study following a cluster investigation.

Background Occupational exposures, including those to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), are suspected risk factors for myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). Methods We investigated occupational exposures and MPN risk (54 cases and 472 controls) in a population–based case-control study in three rural Pennsylvania counties. Occupational histories, coded to SIC/SOC 1980, were linked to a previously created PAH job-exposure matrix. Odds ratios for industry (17 categories), occupation (26 categories), and PAH exposure were adjusted using logistic regression. Results No industries or occupations were strongly or consistently associated with increased MPN risk. Analysis of employment duration found that being employed for 5 or more years in transportation, communications, and other public utilities was associated with MPN risk. There was no indication of an association with cumulative PAH exposure. Conclusions These few associations did not appear to have a common exposure. This exploratory study does not support the hypothesis that occupational exposure, including PAH, are strong risk factors for MPNs. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:595–604, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Precis of 'The Origin of Concepts'.

A theory of conceptual development must specify the innate representational primitives, must characterize the ways in which the initial state differs from the adult state, and must characterize the processes through which one is transformed into the other. The Origin of Concepts (henceforth TOOC) defends three theses. With respect to the initial state, the innate stock of primitives is not limited to sensory, perceptual, or sensorimotor representations; rather, there are also innate conceptual representations. With respect to developmental change, conceptual development consists of episodes of qualitative change, resulting in systems of representation that are more powerful than, and sometimes incommensurable with, those from which they are built. With respect to a learning mechanism that achieves conceptual discontinuity, I offer Quinian bootstrapping. TOOC concludes with a discussion of how an understanding of conceptual development constrains a theory of concepts.
Application of genome sequence information in potyvirus taxonomy: an overview.

The application of protein and nucleic acid sequence analysis in evolutionary and phylogenetic studies is well established. Available sequence information for the 5′ untranslated region of potyviruses including the fungus-transmitted barley yellow mosaic virus (BaYMV) RNA-1 suggests that a 12-nucleotide conserved sequence, the “potybox” is unique to this group. Various non-structural proteins of potyviruses share considerable “signature” sequence homology across a broad spectrum of unrelated viruses, which makes their value limited to “supergroup” or “superfamily” identity. However, in potyviruses, the coat-protein N-terminal sequences and 3′ noncoding regions are variable among viruses, but similar among strains of the same virus. This suggests that these sequences may be an accurate marker of genetic related-ness. Until complete genome sequences from a large number of potyviruses become available and their value in systematics is tested, coat protein and 3′ noncoding regions remain as the choice of taxonomic indicators. The reason being, that cloning and sequencing of the coat-protein gene and 3′ noncoding regions are less complicated and time consuming and the sequences show significant differences among the virus species within the family Potyviridae.
Markov-parameter-based adaptive control of 3-axis angular velocity in a six-degree-of-freedom stewart platform

Stewart platforms are complex mechanical devices used throughout industry for vibration testing and precision pointing applications. These platforms are nonlinear, strongly coupled MIMO systems. For a six-degree-of-freedom Stewart platform, we consider the problem of three-degree-of-freedom angular-velocity command following. Static nonlinearity inherent in the platform is analyzed, and a closed-loop setup for adaptive command-following control is described. A review of the Markov-parameter-based adaptive control algorithm is given, along with the OKID system identification algorithm, test procedures, and experimental results.
Dynamic two-person two-objective control problems with delayed sharing information pattern

Noncooperative discrete-time control problems with an n - step-delay sharing information pattern are considered. Nonclassical separation properties are extended to the Nash optimal solution. For LQG one-step-delay sharing game problems, the Nash optimal controller is shown, under certain conditions, to be unique and linear.
Coordination of systems of mobile robots with social potential functions

The research in this dissertation is concerned with developing a method to produce flocking behavior in a swarm of mobile robots. The dissertation itself is divided into three articles. The research in the first article is a proof-of-concept that demonstrates that one can create a swarm of mobile robots that engage in flocking behavior by the use of a position tracking controller in concert with a method for defining the desired trajectory for each object. The research in the second article develops a method for implementing both attractive and repulsive artificial potential functions with a position tracking controller. The research in the third article builds on that in the first two articles in order to construct a large swarm of mobile robots that engages in flocking behavior using a social potential function that is contructed from the attractive and repulsive functions of the second article. Each article contains both control-theoretic analysis of robot behavior and demonstrations of the behavior using Matlab simulations. The overall result is a successful, yet relatively simple, method for creating a swarm of mobile robots in which each robot has a degree of freedom of action.
THE ROLE OF EDUCATION IN MAINTAINING A HEALTHY SOCIETY

Higher education supports four key goals in maintaining a healthy society: preparing outstanding healthcare professionals, creating educated healthcare consumers, ensuring comprehensive research in the area of women’s health, and fostering the prevention of disease. This paper highlights how these goals are achieved by using West Chester University as an example. HIGHER EDUCATION PLAYS a pivotal role in promoting and maintaining a healthy population. This paper focuses on classroom and out-of-classroom programs that center on women’s health, using those at West Chester University as examples. These can serve to highlight the power of higher education to support four key goals:
Circuit Models of the MESFET

An idealized MESFET (metal-semiconductor field effect transistor) structure is shown in Fig. 2.1.1. An active layer of n-type GaAs is grown on top of a semi-insulating GaAs substrate. The drain and source electrodes make contact with the active layer through an n+ region under each. A third electrode, which is the gate, is placed directly on the active layer. From consideration of the energy band diagram at the metal-semiconductor interface, we find there is a depletion region under the gate whose height is controlled by a transverse electric field created by an applied gate voltage V G. The undepleted region is called the channel. When a positive voltage V D is applied to the drain with respect to the source, a longitudinal electric field is created that accelerates electrons in the channel from the source towards the drain. The resulting current in the channel, called the drain current, will depend on the gate voltage and the drain to source voltage. A MESFET is therefore a three-terminal device whose drain to source current is controlled by the voltage on the third electrode.
Effects of Aqueous Solutions on the Slow Crack Growth of Soda-Lime-Silicate Glass

The slow crack growth (SCG) parameters of soda-lime-silicate were measured in distilled and saltwater of various concentrations in order to determine if the presence of salt and the contaminate formation of a weak sodium film affects stress corrosion susceptibility. Past research indicates that solvents affect the rate of crack growth; however, the effects of salt have not been studied. The results indicate a small but statistically significant effect on the SCG parameters A and n at high concentrations; however, for typical engineering purposes, the effect can be ignored.
Coherence of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers for holographic interconnects

We report a study of the coherence of the emission of gain-guided AlGaAs/GaAs vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers used in free-space holographic interconnects.1 We performed both temporal-and spatial-coherence measurements on devices with active-area diameters of 8 and 15 µm for cw and pulsed excitation conditions.
Spectral Theory of Unsigned and Signed Graphs Applications to Graph Clustering: a Survey

This is a survey of the method of graph cuts and its applications to graph clustering of weighted unsigned and signed graphs. I provide a fairly thorough treatment of the method of normalized graph cuts, a deeply original method due to Shi and Malik, including complete proofs. The main thrust of this paper is the method of normalized cuts. I give a detailed account for K = 2 clusters, and also for K > 2 clusters, based on the work of Yu and Shi. I also show how both graph drawing and normalized cut K-clustering can be easily generalized to handle signed graphs, which are weighted graphs in which the weight matrix W may have negative coefficients. Intuitively, negative coefficients indicate distance or dissimilarity. The solution is to replace the degree matrix by the matrix in which absolute values of the weights are used, and to replace the Laplacian by the Laplacian with the new degree matrix of absolute values. As far as I know, the generalization of K-way normalized clustering to signed graphs is new. Finally, I show how the method of ratio cuts, in which a cut is normalized by the size of the cluster rather than its volume, is just a special case of normalized cuts.
Computer "Experiments" on Classical Fluids. I. Thermodynamical Properties of Lennard-Jones Molecules

The equation of motion of a system of 864 particles interacting through a Lennard-Jones potential has been integrated for various values of the temperature and density, relative, generally, to a fluid state. The equilibrium properties have been calculated and are shown to agree very well with the corresponding properties of argon. It is concluded that, to a good approximation, the equilibrium state of argon can be described through a two-body potential.
Investigation on 3 cases of occupational dermatosis in a chemical plant

[Objective]To investigate the causes of 3 cases of occupational dermatosis scleroderma-like changes in a chemical plant(manufacturing levodropropizine).[Methods]The comprehensive analysis was implemented according to the field occupational health survey results,the medical records of patients and the diagnosis principles of occupational disease.[Results] All cases of occupational scleroderma-like syndrome appeared at the pre-trial period of levodropropizine production,due to exposure to aniline and its compounds in large amount.The disease course was prolonged,the patients leaving pathogenic environment was improved,while the serious patients showed irreversible tendency.The occupational health management,automated procedures,protective measures had been improved and no new case had been reported in this factory,since put into production formally.[Conclusion]The cases with scleroderma-like syndrome is occupational dermatosis scleroderma caused by aniline and its compounds in this factory according to occupational exposure history of patients,the workshop incidence and clinical manifestation as well as relevant information.
O-034 Abciximab Therapy for Thromboembolic Complications of Neuroendovascular Procedures

Background Thromboembolic complications sustained during neuroendovascular procedures can result in postoperative infarcts if not promptly recognized and treated. Treatment commonly involves glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors such as abciximab. We aimed to retrospectively review angiographic and clinical outcomes following abciximab administration for thromboembolic complications at our institution. Methods Neuroendovascular cases with thromboembolic complications treated with abciximab over a 132 month period were identified using a search of a comprehensive, prospectively maintained case log and all angiography records for the terms “abciximab” or “ReoPro.” Intraoperative intra-arterial (IA) administration typically involved slow infusion of 10 mg abciximab over 5 to 10 minutes. Intraoperative intravenous (IV) administration 0.25 mg/kg abciximab. Postoperative IV infusion typically involved 10 mcg/min infusion of abciximab. All relevant clinical notes and neuroimaging were reviewed. Results Of 19,566 neuroendovascular procedures performed during the review period, 48 (0.25%) involved abciximab administration for thromboembolic complications. 65% (31/48) involved IA administration, 21% (10/48) were IV only, and 15% (7/48) were combined IA and IV. Intraoperative treatment was supplemented with postoperative abciximab infusion in 13% (6/48) patients. Angiographic improvement was seen in 92% (44/48) cases, including 65% (31/48) with complete angiographic resolution (Figure 1). Only 8% (4/48) cases failed to improve angiographically. Angiographic outcomes were similar in patients who received IA, IV, or combined IA and IV administration of abciximab intraoperatively (p = 0.58), or patients who did or did not receive continuous IV infusion of abciximab postoperatively (p = 0.11). Postoperative infarction was seen in 20% (5/25), 44% (4/9), and 67% (4/6) following IA, IV, and combined IA and IV abxicimab, respectively (p = 0.06) (Figure 1). The rate of postoperative infarction was 33% (2/6) in patients who received continuous IV infusion of abciximab postoperatively and 32% (11/34) in those who did not (p = 1.00). Postoperative infarction developed in 8% (2/24) patients with complete angiographic improvement, compared to 69% (11/16) in patients with partial or no improvement (p Conclusion Abciximab administration is an effective method of treating thromboembolic complications of neuroendovascular procedures. Angiographic outcomes were not appreciably different between different routes of abciximab administration. Infarction was least common in patients treated with IA abciximab; the addition of postoperative abciximab infusion did not affect the rate of infarction. No or partial angiographic improvement was associated with significantly higher rates of postoperative infarction than complete angiographic improvement. Disclosures A. Kansagra: None. T. Madaelil: None. D. Cross: None. C. Moran: 2; C; Medtronic Neurovascular. 3; C; Medtronic Neurovascular. C. Derdeyn: None.
Management of Chronic Venous Disease and Varicose Veins in the Elderly

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) affects millions of Americans, with impacted quality of life from pain, disability, and economic disablement. The prevalence of CVI increases with age, and with a growing elderly population, applying evidence-based treatment to this chronic condition becomes increasingly essential. The Society of Vascular Surgeons/American Venous Forum (SVS/AVF) guidelines provide recommendations and suggestions for many aspects of the history, physical exam, workup, and treatment of CVI to provide a consistent, evidence-based approach for physicians. In addition to these guidelines, the elderly population has special considerations specific to their needs. For example, the presence of multiple comorbidities or prescription medications may confound the physical exam, and the patients’ frail conditions may preclude their ability to lay flat or perform maneuvers for physiologic studies. Various anesthetic options must be weighed in this physiologically sensitive population. The risks and benefits of responses to surgical and medical therapies must also be considered. Varicose veins are an increasingly frequent cause of discomfort and decreased quality of life with age, and their surgical treatment has been shown to be more effective than conservative management alone to improving quality of life in both symptomatic and anatomic measures. From our experience, in an age 65 and older subset of total patients who underwent radiofrequency ablation (RFA) alone versus RFA + TIPP (transilluminated powered phlebectomy), there was a trend toward a higher percentage of patients who had RFA alone. In this elderly subset, Venous Clinical Severity Scores tended to improve more with RFA alone compared to RFA + TIPP, without a significant difference in complications between the two procedures.