cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting Mortality of Patients With Sepsis: A Comparison of APACHE II and APACHE III Scoring Systems.

Background: Acute Physiology, Age and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II and III scores were developed in 1985 and 1991, respectively, and are used mainly for critically ill patients of all disease categories admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). They differ in how chronic health status is assessed, in the number of physiologic variables included (12 vs. 17), and in the total score. These two scoring systems have not been compared in predicting hospital mortality in patients with sepsis. Methods: We retrospectively identified all septic patients admitted to our 54-bed medical-surgical ICU between June 2009 and February 2014 using the APACHE outcomes database. We calculated correlation coefficients for APACHE II and APACHE III scores in predicting hospital mortality. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were also used to assess the mortality predictions. Results: We identified a total of 2,054 septic patients. Average APACHE II score was 19 ± 7, and average APACHE III score was 68 ± 28. ICU mortality was 11.8% and hospital mortality was 18.3%. Both APACHE II (r = 0.41) and APACHE III scores (r = 0.44) had good correlations with hospital mortality. There was no statistically significant difference between the two correlations (P = 0.1). ROC area under the curve (AUC) was 0.80 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.78 - 0.82) for APACHE II, and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.81 - 0.85) for APACHE III, suggesting that both scores have very good discriminative powers for predicting hospital mortality. Conclusions: This study shows that both APACHE II and APACHE III scores in septic patients were very strong predictors of hospital mortality. APACHE II was as good as APACHE III in predicting hospital mortality in septic patients. J Clin Med Res. 2017;9(11):907-910 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jocmr3083w
The Tutte Polynomial Part I: General Theory

Matroid theory (sometimes viewed as the theory of combinatorial geometries or geometric lattices) is reasonably young as a mathematical theory (its traditional birthday is given as 1935 with the appearance of [159]) but has steadily developed over the years and shown accelerated growth recently due, in large part, to two applications. The first is in the field of algorithms. To coin an oversimplification: “when a good algorithm is known, a matroid structure is probably hidden away somewhere.” In any event, many of the standard good algorithms (such as the greedy algorithm) and many important ones whose complexities are currently being scrutinized (e.g., existence of a Hamiltonian path) can be thought of as matroid algorithms. In the accompanying lecture notes of Professor Welsh the connections between matroids and algorithms are presented.
Orbit Control for the Relativity and Geodesy Mission with 2 Counter Orbiting Drag-Free Satellites

Abstract An experiment has been proposed to measure the Lense-Thirring effect of general relativity with polar, counter orbiting, drag-free satellites. Using ground tracking and satellite-to-satellite tracking, optimal feedback laws can be derived for maintaining a very precisely tuned orbital configuration while maneuvering only over the equator.
Introduction: Economic Growth and Development in Historical Perspective

Suppose you had been born a hundred, or a thousand or even thousands of years ago—what would your life have been like? Of course, at any point in history, how people live depends on a large number of circumstances—where they were born, what social group they belonged to, whether they were more or less at risk of getting sick or disabled, and many other matters of genetics, culture and pure chance. And there are many dimensions that make up a life, such as the cultural and religious outlook you might have had in a former time, the effects of the natural environment, whether you lived in a time of war or peace, and how well you got along with your family and community. Since this is a book about economics, however, we will look at a narrower but still very complex question, how well off would you have been in economic terms, based on society-wide averages?
Commentary: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Medical Students and Their Ethical Conflicts

There are some studies of the ethical conflicts medical students face generally, but there are no studies that describe the ethical conflicts lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students face by reason of their sexual and/or gender identities. Given the demonstrated presence of hostility toward homosexuality and transgenderism in medical schools, it cannot be assumed that conflicts about sexual and/or gender identities leave no impact on the personal moral development of future physicians or their views of the integrity of the profession as a whole. There is considerable need for study of the effects of homophobia and unsupportive educational environments on the values and ethical commitments of LGBT medical students. This study is important in its own right and not merely in terms of the improvement of patient care, which has usually been the justification for attention to sexual identity in medical school curricula.
Surgical Cystotomy of a Large Iris Pigment Epithelial Cyst with Microinstrumentation.

Purpose Surgical intervention is indicated for large primary iris pigment epithelial cysts that significantly affect vision or compromise adjacent structures. Methods described in the literature include laser photocoagulation, needle aspiration, and complete resection. Methods We describe a novel surgical technique in which a surgical cystotomy is created for a large, symptomatic iris pigment epithelial cyst using microsurgical instruments for a patient in whom needle aspiration was unsuccessful. Results The patient's visual symptoms had largely resolved within 1 week postoperatively, no complications were encountered, and there was no clinical or sonographic evidence of cyst recurrence after 14 months. Conclusion Surgical cystotomy with microinstrumentation may be an effective tool for management of primary iris pigment epithelial cysts, especially as an alternative after needle aspiration fails.
Predicting Response to Joint Attention Performance in Human-Human Interaction Based on Human-Robot Interaction for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are characterized by deficits in social communication skills, such as response to joint attention (RJA). Robotic systems have been designed and applied to help children with ASD improve their RJA skills. One of the most important goals of robot-assisted intervention is helping children generalize social interaction skills to interact with other people. Thus predicting children's human-human interaction (HHI) performance based on their human-robot interaction (HRI) process is an important task. However, to the best of our knowledge, little research exists exploring this topic. The Early Social-Communication Scales (ESCS) test is a measurement of nonverbal social skills, including RJA, for young children. We conducted two longitudinal user studies with a robot-mediated RJA system in young children with ASD, followed by HHI sessions consisting of ESCS administration. In this paper, we present findings regarding how to predict participants' RJA performance in HHI based on their head pose patterns in HRI, under a semi-supervised machine learning framework. As a three-class classification problem, we achieved a micro-averaged accuracy of 73.5%, which indicates the potential effectiveness of the proposed method.
Abstract WP445: Characteristics of Methamphetamine-Related Intracerebral Hemorrhage and Factors Associated With Outcomes

Background and Purposes: Methamphetamine use is on the rise worldwide. There are limited data and cognizance on methamphetamine-related intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). This study aimed to investiga...
Influence of soil characteristics on natural frequency-based bridge scour detection

Abstract The concept of detecting scour severity by analyzing the change in the Predominant Natural Frequency (PNF) of a bridge pier has been gaining increasing interest in recent years. Previous studies primarily focus on this topic using less cohesive soils such as highly erodible sands, whereas no discussions have been reported on the influence of soil characteristics, especially those of cohesive soils, on the PNF. This missing knowledge gap is critical for this application as cohesive soils are an essential part of the soil-pier interaction to determine PNFs. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap by investigating three issues that are related to soil characteristics: 1) the effect of soil types on the PNF variation; 2) the questionable issue regarding the pier diameter effect for soil-pier dynamic modeling using the Vesic analytical expression; and 3) contradictory statements in the existing studies regarding the influence of the soil’s elastic modulus on the PNF variation. For the purpose, a series of lab-scale tests is first conducted, and a Winkler-based numerical model is then developed and validated against the experimental results to investigate the effect of soil characteristics on the PNFs measured from systems with cohesive soils and those with less cohesive soils. We found that the soil characteristics affect the PNF by providing a different lateral stiffness to the soil-pier interaction. The strength of the soil-pier interaction mainly depends on the lateral stiffness of each type of soils. In-depth discussions are also made to clarify the pier diameter effect on the predicted PNFs from both less cohesive and cohesive soils. It was clarified that the distribution of the soil’s elastic modulus determines whether the pier diameter effect needs to be considered using the Vesic analytical expression. Further simulations are finally conducted with more complex and realistic field soil conditions to mediate the contradictory statements regarding the influence of the soil’s elastic modulus. The simulation results indicated that the soil’s elastic modulus significantly influences the PNFs. The PNF variations differ under different elastic moduli of soils and distributions of elastic moduli with soil depths.
Pronatalism Is Violence Against Women: The Role of Genetics

Pronatalism—the social bias toward having children—is at the core of much violence against women. Its chief characteristic, and its moral Achilles heel, is that it undermines autonomous decision-making about childbearing. Together with its soulmates misogyny and geneticism, it harms children, male partners, and humanity as a whole, given the serious environmental challenges now facing us. But, of course, biology requires women to gestate offspring, and women are generally expected to be responsible for childrearing. Female gender roles incorporate these facts, and thus pronatalism’s negative impact on women—both their bodies and their lives—is of another order of magnitude. Yet, this state of affairs is so taken for granted that it is almost invisible, and is therefore especially hard to eradicate. Attempts to do so (anti-pronatalism) are also often erroneously confused with, and undermined by, negativism about having children (anti-natalism).
Newborn Infant With Mothball Toxicity Due to Maternal Ingestion

Naphthalene poisoning due to exposure to mothballs is a common cause of toxicity in children worldwide. Naphthalene toxicity is known to cause hemolytic anemia, methemoglobinemia, and hepatic and renal injury. Neonates are more susceptible to the effects of oxidative stress from naphthalene because of their low glutathione stores and immaturity of hepatic enzymes. However, there are no reported cases of chronic fetal exposure to naphthalene during pregnancy. We report a novel case of chronic fetal exposure to naphthalene-containing mothballs that occurred from the second trimester through the third trimester of pregnancy. Our patient presented with hyperbilirubinemia, requiring exchange transfusion, severe hemolytic anemia, pulmonary hypertension, respiratory failure, and renal failure and progressed to develop "bronze baby" syndrome. Pregnant mothers should be diligently screened for such exposures and if found should receive psychiatric evaluation and counseling to prevent such devastating effects in neonates.
Steering Wheel Airbag Collision Performance

CONCLUSIONS BASED ON AN EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM INCLUDE: (1) THE AIRBAG CAN BE SENSED, TRIGGERED, AND INFLATED AFTER COLLISION INITIATION IN TIME (40-50 MS) TO PROVIDE DRIVER PROTECTION; (2) THE AIRBAG CUSHIONS THE FACE AND ABDOMEN AT VELOCITIES UP TO 30 MPH, AND PREVENTS INJURIOUS CONCENTRATED LOADS WHEN THE IMPACT IS CENTERED; (3) HEAD ACCELERATIONS WERE BELOW THE 80 G/3 MS INJURY CRITERION IN ALL CASES OF IMPACT TO THE BAG; (4) REBOUND VELOCITIES UP TO 9 MPH APPEAR SATISFACTORY; (5) VELOCITIES UP TO 86 MPH WERE IMPARTED BY THE INFLATING AIRBAG TO THE ARM INITIALLY ACROSS THE STEERING WHEEL. (6) NO FRACTURES OR HEAD ACCELERATIONS IN EXCESS OF 80 G/3 MS INJURY CRITERIA RESULTED FROM ARM AND HAND IMPACT TO THE HEAD; (7) THE STEERING COLUMN SHOULD NOT ROTATE (BEND) UPWARD DURING FRONTAL IMPACT TO EXPOSE THE LOWER RIM TO ABDOMINAL IMPACT. (8) COLUMN BENDING INHIBITS COLLAPSE OF THE COLUMN; (9) BAG SHAPE, SIZE, AND PRESSURE BLOW-OUT VALVE SHOULD BE DESIGNED TO CAUSE COLUMN COLLAPSE PRIOR TO BAG COLLAPSE; (10) BAG AND COLUMN SHOULD OPERATE TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE MAXIMUM DRIVER DECELERATING DISTANCE-- THE AIRBAG DOES NOT ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR THE ENERGY ABSORBING COLUMN; (11) PROVISION FOR PROTECTION FROM OFF- CENTER (AND OBLIQUE) IMPACTS IS NECESSARY AND CAN BE ATTAINED BY USING A LARGE BAG TO PREVENT THE DRIVER FROM WEDGING BETWEEN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE DOOR. /HSL/
Optimal Algorithms for Submodular Maximization with Distributed Constraints

We consider a class of discrete optimization problems that aim to maximize a submodular objective function subject to a distributed partition matroid constraint. More precisely, we consider a networked scenario in which multiple agents choose actions from local strategy sets with the goal of maximizing a submodular objective function defined over the set of all possible actions. Given this distributed setting, we develop Constraint-Distributed Continuous Greedy (CDCG), a message passing algorithm that converges to the tight $(1-1/e)$ approximation factor of the optimum global solution using only local computation and communication. It is known that a sequential greedy algorithm can only achieve a $1/2$ multiplicative approximation of the optimal solution for this class of problems in the distributed setting. Our framework relies on lifting the discrete problem to a continuous domain and developing a consensus algorithm that achieves the tight $(1-1/e)$ approximation guarantee of the global discrete solution once a proper rounding scheme is applied. We also offer empirical results from a multi-agent area coverage problem to show that the proposed method significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art sequential greedy method.
Probing the State of the Art: A Critical Look at Visual Representation Evaluation

Self-supervised research improved greatly over the past half decade, with much of the growth being driven by objectives that are hard to quantitatively compare. These techniques include colorization, cyclical consistency, and noise-contrastive estimation from image patches. Consequently, the field has settled on a handful of measurements that depend on linear probes to adjudicate which approaches are the best. Our first contribution is to show that this test is insufficient and that models which perform poorly (strongly) on linear classification can perform strongly (weakly) on more involved tasks like temporal activity localization. Our second contribution is to analyze the capabilities of five different representations. And our third contribution is a much needed new dataset for temporal activity localization.
Large Range Soil Moisture Sensing for Inhomogeneous Environments Using Magnetic Induction Networks

Water resource has become one of the most precious resources in recent decades. Agriculture accounts for about 80\% of the total water usage in US. There is a demanding need for efficient irrigation and water management systems built for sustainable water utilization in smart agriculture. Real time in-situ soil moisture sensing is a vital part for smart agriculture. Traditional electromagnetic (EM) based soil moisture sensing relies on EM based wireless sensor or ground penetrating radar (GPR) system. Based on the receiving signal strength and delay, tomographic techniques are used to derive the dielectric parameters of the soil, which are then into soil moisture distribution using empirical model. However, the EM signal attenuate sharply during underground propagation because of high operating frequency and lossy medium. In order to counter the disadvantage for underground sensing, we propose a Magnetic Induction (MI) based large range soil moisture sensing scheme in inhomogeneous environments. Here, we present the topology of the sensing system and analyze the channel model. The sensing process is based on transformed model, the conductivity and permittivity distribution are derived using SIRT algorithm. Through COMSOL simulation and analytical results, our proposed soil moisture sensing method achieves a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.06 m^3/m^3 in 40 m 2D scale inhomogeneous environment range.
Primary Prevention: The Only Course of Action.

The present paper discusses some of the distinguishing features associated with behavioral prevention methodology, e.g., the design, implementation, and evaluation of preventive programs. It is argued that Behaviorists for Social Action has already implicitly identified target populations (those at high risk of being objects of social injustice and those at risk for engaging in inequitable social behavior) for preventive intervention; and that the two distinct populations which have been identified can form the focus of preventive endeavors. Various research skills which behaviorists must acquire in order to competently initiate and evaluate prevention programs are sophistication with epidemiological research, group designs, longitudinal methodology, sampling techniques , and psychometric principles. Finally, it is suggested that primary prevention represents a sensible and cost - efficient approach which can effectively and comprehensively deal with critical social problems.
Design and synthesis of 4-[4-formyl-3-(2-naphthyl)pyrazol-1-yl]benzoic acid derivatives as potent growth inhibitors of drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

We report the synthesis and antimicrobial studies of a new series of naphthyl-substituted pyrazole-derived hydrazones. Many of these novel compounds are potent growth inhibitors of several strains of drug-resistant bacteria. These potent compounds have inclined growth inhibitory properties for planktonic Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii, and its drug-resistant variants with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) as low as 0.78 and 1.56 µg ml-1, respectively. These compounds also show potent activity against S. aureus and A. baumannii biofilm formation and eradication properties. Time Kill Assay shows that these compounds are bactericidal for S. aureus and bacteriostatic for A. baumannii. The probable mode of action is the disruption of the bacterial cell membrane. Furthermore, potent compounds are nontoxic to human cell lines at several fold higher concentrations than the MICs.
Beyond density matrices: Geometric quantum states

Author(s): Anza, F; Crutchfield, JP | Abstract: In quantum mechanics, states are described by density matrices. Though their probabilistic interpretation is rooted in ensemble theory, density matrices embody a known shortcoming. They do not completely express the physical realization of an ensemble. Conveniently, the outcome statistics of projective and positive operator-valued measurements do not depend on the ensemble realization, only on the density matrix. Here, we show how the geometric approach to quantum mechanics tracks ensemble realizations. We do so in two concrete cases of a finite-dimensional quantum system interacting with another one with (i) finite-dimensional Hilbert space, relevant for quantum thermodynamics, and (ii) infinite-dimensional Hilbert space, relevant for state-manipulation protocols.
Relational Concerns and the Economic Value of Negotiated Agreements

Theoretical negotiation scholarship has conceptualized economic concerns and relational concerns as independent and orthogonal. Empirical negotiation scholarship has construed economic and relational concerns as compensatory and implicitly assumed that the negotiated deal terms reflect a complete accounting of the economic value of an agreement. We challenge these assumptions and assert that the economic value of an agreement includes both the deal terms and post-negotiation behavior, which may be influenced by relational outcomes. Across four studies, we show that negotiators’ economic outcomes are inextricably linked with their relational outcomes. We introduce a new dimension to characterize negotiation contexts: the Economic Relevance of Relational Outcomes (ERRO), a continuum that reflects the extent to which the economic value of a negotiated agreement hinges on the strength of the relationship between the parties. We show that individuals are more concerned about relationships in high ERRO rather than low ERRO contexts, and that in high ERRO contexts negotiators privilege relational concerns over favorable deal terms. Our work theoretically and empirically addresses a fundamental gap in the negotiation literature by underscoring the importance of negotiation context in linking relational outcomes with economic outcomes.
Effective market design for high-renewable penetration

This paper will survey the recent history of renewable electricity and its impact on power markets and energy policy, with a focus on markets in the US. The discussion will highlight the crossroad at which the industry now finds itself. The industry may be forced to embrace the market implications of a renewable-centric energy policy that, in equilibrium, would result in more volatile and ultimately higher average electricity costs. The rapid influx of renewable capacity that is being layered on top of already adequately resourced systems implies a potentially growing divide between declining wholesale energy prices, and end -use retail rates that must include the costs of the excess capacity.
Deciphering the genetic code of DNA methylation

DNA methylation plays crucial roles in many biological processes and abnormal DNA methylation patterns are often observed in diseases. Recent studies have shed light on cis-acting DNA elements that regulate locus-specific DNA methylation, which involves transcription factors, histone modification and DNA secondary structures. In addition, several recent studies have surveyed DNA motifs that regulate DNA methylation and suggest potential applications in diagnosis and prognosis. Here, we discuss the current biological foundation for the cis-acting genetic code that regulates DNA methylation. We review the computational models that predict DNA methylation with genetic features and discuss the biological insights revealed from these models. We also provide an in-depth discussion on how to leverage such knowledge in clinical applications, particularly in the context of liquid biopsy for early cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Relative Clause Effects at the Matrix Verb Depend on Type of Intervening Material

Although a large literature demonstrates that object-extracted relative clauses (ORCs) are harder to process than subject-extracted relative clauses (SRCs), there is less agreement regarding where during processing this difficulty emerges, as well as how best to explain these effects. An eye-tracking study by Staub, Dillon, and Clifton (2017) demonstrated that readers experience more processing difficulty at the matrix verb for ORCs than for SRCs when the matrix verb immediately follows the relative clause (RC), but the difficulty is eliminated if a prepositional phrase (PP) intervenes. A careful examination of Staub et al.'s materials reveals that the types of PPs used in the experiment were a mixture of locative and temporal PPs. This is important in that locative PPs can modify either a noun phrase or a verb phrase (VP), whereas temporal PPs typically modify VPs, resulting in systematic differences in PP attachment across ORCs versus SRCs. In the current eye-tracking experiment, we systematically manipulated RC type and PP type in the same sentences used by Staub et al. The manipulation of PP type resulted in a crossover pattern at the matrix verb such that there was a trend for reading times to be longer for ORCs than SRCs when the PP was locative, but reading times were longer for SRCs than ORCs when the PP was temporal. These results provide important information regarding the locus of RC-processing effects and highlight the importance of carefully considering how intervening material might unintentionally alter the structure or the meaning of a sentence.
Impacts of COVID-19 on a mathematics graduate programme

In this study, performance data from students on a mathematics graduate programme from Spring 2019 to Spring 2020 were collected and analysed. The results showed that, if the right course delivery ...
Tension and compression testing of metal matrix composite materials

Tension and compression test methods for metal matrix composite materials are reviewed in light of experimental and analytical results. These data showed that test results, in particular compressive strength, depend on the test method. Results from a new side-support compression test method where aluminum honeycomb was used as the side-support material are discussed. A simple buckling analysis showed that the support provided by the honeycomb was sufficient to stabilize the specimen. Experimental results showed that the honeycomb, unlike solid metal side-support plates, did not suppress the local buckling failure mode. Results from tests on several boron-aluminum laminates showed that there is significant difference in both stiffness and strength between the honeycomb and steel side-support methods.
Inter-arrival time spike train analyses for detecting spatial and temporal summation in neurons

Two spike train analysis techniques are introduced to establish how the probability of firing in a neuron is dependent on the number of sequential spikes fired in another neuron (temporal summation) and in any other neuron (spatial summation). The Joint InterNeuronal-Arrival-Time/Cross-Interval (J-INAT/CI) Probability Mass Function (PMF) is used to deduce how a sequential (burst) firing pattern in any neuron is contributing to the generation of a spike in a reference neuron. Analogously, the Joint Inter-Spike-ArrivalTime/Cross-Interval (J-LSAT/CI) PMF is defined similar to the former PMF except that the contribution from only one other neuron is considered. These analyses can be used to establish the precise coupling relationship between the firing times of neurons both spatially and temporally.
Quadrupolar NMR of Metal Nuclides in Biological Materials

Half-integer-spin quadrupolar metal nuclei are ubiquitous in biological systems. Despite their important biological roles and diverse chemistries, biological quadrupolar metal sites have remained underinvestigated because many of them exist predominantly in “spectroscopically silent” states not amenable to conventional spectroscopies and because their direct detection by NMR spectroscopy in solution and in the solid state has been traditionally challenging because of large quadrupolar interactions, low receptivity, and/or low concentration of the respective nuclei in biomolecules. In the recent years, solid-state NMR spectroscopy of biological metals has become realistic owing to the availability of high magnetic fields as well as advances in NMR hardware and pulse sequences for sensitivity enhancement. Coupled with quantum chemical calculations of NMR parameters, solid-state NMR spectroscopy is a powerful probe of the local geometric and electronic environment of metal sites and brings information inaccessible to other structural and spectroscopic techniques. In this article, we review the fundamentals and the contemporary methodologies for the detection of quadrupolar metal sites in biological systems and for relating the NMR parameters to the molecular structure, through the use of quantum chemical calculations. Keywords: half-integer-spin quadrupolar nuclei; metalloproteins; magic angle spinning (MAS); QCMPG; QM/MM; calculations; density functional theory; quadrupolar coupling constant; EFG
Introducing students to ultrasonics and its application in robotics

Summary form only given. Ultrasonic sensors are among those sensors that are used in robotics applications for providing successful distance determination. The operation of these sensors can be easily controlled using an embedded computing system. Development of a robotic vehicle with distance-sensing capability requires a good background in ultrasonic technology and embedded systems. The goal of this abstract is to impart to students an introduction to ultrasonics using an embedded system to sense distance. A brief hardware design using ultrasonic sensors and electronic circuits, comprised of a sonar system and microcontroller unit, is described.
Foundations of the Potential Energy Boundary Surface Method

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Procedure of the PEBS Method Original Model and Artificial Model Generalized Gradient Systems A Class of Second-Order Dynamical Systems Relation between the Original Model and the Artificial Model Analysis of the PEBS Method Concluding Remarks
Carboxypeptidase in blood and other fluids—III: The esterase activity of the enzyme

Abstract The carboxypeptidase of human blood plasma hydrolyzes hippuryl- l -lysine (HLL) and bradykinin. In addition the enzyme, called carboxypeptidase N, has an esterase activity as well; it cleaves the ester substrate hippuryl- l -argininic acid (HLAa) even faster than HLL. This esterase activity increases in human serum during pregnancy. Carboxypeptidase N has been purified from human plasma. The best preparation showed a 252-fold-increased peptidase and a 212-fold-concentrated esterase activity. The hydrolysis of HLAs is inhibited by various agents including argininic acid, cadmium, and metal-complexing compounds. The presence of a second kininase in human plasma was observed.
Thermal Instability of Ribulose-1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase from a Temperature-Conditional Chloroplast Mutant of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Mutant 68–4PP of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has only 10% of the normal level of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) holoenzyme when grown at 35[deg]C. However, when grown at 25[deg]C, the amount of holoenzyme is greater than 35% of the wild-type level, and the purified enzyme has a reduced CO2/O2 specificity factor. These mutant characteristics result from a chloroplast mutation that causes leucine-290 to be replaced by phenylalanine within the Rubisco large-subunit protein. A nuclear mutation (named S52–2B) was previously identified that can suppress both the in vivo instability and reduced CO2/O2 specificity of the mutant enzyme. However, the effect of this nuclear mutation on the in vitro stability of the holoenzyme was not resolved. In the present study, purified Rubisco from mutant 68–4PP was found to be less thermally stable than the wild-type enzyme, and it had maximal carboxylase activity at a lower temperature. When incubated at 35[deg]C, the mutant enzyme lost carboxylase activity at a much faster rate than the wild-type enzyme. However, the nuclear S52–2B suppresor mutation improved the thermal stability of the mutant enzyme in all cases. These results indicate that structural changes in mutant 68–4PP Rubisco can account for its observed inactivation in vitro and degradation in vivo. Such structural alterations are alleviated by the function of a nuclear gene.
Hypersonic Flow over Slender Bodies Associated with Power-Law Shocks

Publisher Summary The method of “inner and outer expansions” is used to obtain uniformly valid solutions far downstream from the blunt nose of slender bodies. The inner expansion describes the flow in the entropy layer, the outer expansion describes the flow external to the entropy layer, and the two expansions are combined to give a uniformly valid description of the entire far-downstream flow. Explicit expressions were obtained for the asymptotic shape of the body as x -+ m, corresponding to a given one- or two-dimensional blast wave. Equation can be used to find the asymptotic body shape associated with any given power law shock. The pressure distribution on the body is found from the zero order similarity solution. This equation can also be used to find the asymptotic shock shape and surface pressure distribution associated with a given power-law body.
Bridging the Gap between Systems Design

A challenging problem for software engineering practitioners is moving from high-level system architectures produced by system engineers to deployable software produced by software engineers. In this paper we describe our experience working with NASA engineers to develop an approach and toolset for automating the generation of space systems software from architectural specifications. Our experience shows that it is possible to leverage the space systems domain, formal architectural specifications, and component technology to provide retargetable code generators for this class of software
Luminescence and Recombination through Defects in p-n Junctions

We have developed simple expressions for the recombination current occurring in the space-charge region of a $p\ensuremath{-}n$ junction at high temperatures. The current passing through a defect state in the forbidden gap is shown to vary approximately exponentially with applied voltage as $I\ensuremath{\propto}\mathrm{exp}(\frac{\mathrm{eV}}{\ensuremath{\beta}\mathrm{kT}})$, where $\ensuremath{\beta}=1, 2, g2$ depending on the bias voltage relative to two "kink" voltages ${V}_{k}$ and ${V}_{d}$. The energy $e{V}_{k}$ is given approximately by twice the energy of the center as measured from midgap, while ${V}_{d}$ is determined by the gap energy and carrier effective masses and by the ratio of the capture cross sections of the center for holes and electrons. These effects are shown to explain the kinks appearing in curves of light intensity versus voltage for electroluminescent diodes. When used to analyze emission peaks from copper-doped GaAs junctions they provide values for the cross-section ratios and identify the center producing the 0.97-eV emission as a donor lying in the upper half of the energy gap.
Developmental neurotoxicity of ethanol: in vitro inhibition of muscarinic receptor-stimulated phosphoinositide metabolism in brain from neonatal but not adult rats.

The in vitro effects of ethanol (EtOH) on muscarinic receptor-stimulated phosphoinositide metabolism were measured in cerebral cortex slices of adult and 7-day-old rats. EtOH (500 mM) caused a significant decrease (32–43%) of maximal accumulation of [3H]inositol phosphates (InsPs) induced by carbachol, and a 2-fold increase in its EC50 in 7-day-old rats, but had no effect in adult rats. The effect of EtOH on [3H]InsPs accumulation in neonatal rats was significant at a concentration as low as 150 mM. The inhibitory effect of EtOH was maximal in cerebral cortex and hippocampus and lower in cerebellum, while no effect was observed in the brainstem. While carbachol- and acetylcholine-stimulated phosphoinositide metabolism were inhibited by EtOH, EtOH had no effect on norepinephrine-, histamine-, and serotonin-stimulated phosphoinositide hydrolysis. These results are qualtitatively and quantitatively similar to those previously found following in vivo administration of EtOH to developing and to adult rats, suggesting that the muscarinic receptor-stimulated phosphoinositide metabolism might represent a target for EtOH-induced developmental neurotoxicity.
Dorsomedial hypothalamic NPY and energy balance control

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a potent hypothalamic orexigenic peptide. Within the hypothalamus, Npy is primarily expressed in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH). While the actions of ARC NPY in energy balance control have been well studied, a role for DMH NPY is still being unraveled. In contrast to ARC NPY that serves as one of downstream mediators of actions of leptin in maintaining energy homeostasis, DMH NPY is not under the control of leptin. Npy gene expression in the DMH is regulated by brain cholecystokinin (CCK) and other yet to be identified molecules. The findings of DMH NPY overexpression or induction in animals with increased energy demands and in certain rodent models of obesity implicate a role for DMH NPY in maintaining energy homeostasis. In support of this view, adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated overexpression of NPY in the DMH causes increases in food intake and body weight and exacerbates high-fat diet-induced hyperphagia and obesity. Knockdown of NPY in the DMH via AAV-mediated RNAi ameliorates hyperphagia, obesity and glucose intolerance of Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty rats in which DMH NPY overexpression has been proposed to play a causal role. NPY knockdown in the DMH also prevents high-fat diet-induced hyperphagia, obesity and impaired glucose homeostasis. A detailed examination of actions of DMH NPY reveals that DMH NPY specifically affects nocturnal meal size and produces an inhibitory action on within meal satiety signals. In addition, DMH NPY modulates energy expenditure likely through affecting brown adipocyte formation and thermogenic activity. Overall, the recent findings provide clear evidence demonstrating critical roles for DMH NPY in energy balance control, and also imply a potential role for DMH NPY in maintaining glucose homeostasis.
The Strategic Timing of Position Taking in Congress: A Study of the North American Free Trade Agreement

A critical element of decision making is the timing of choices political actors make; often when a decision is made is as critical as the decision itself. We posit a dynamic model of strategic position announcement based on signaling theories of legislative politics. We suggest that members who receive clear signals from constituents, interest groups, and policy leaders will announce their positions earlier. Those with conflicting signals will seek more information, delaying their announcement. We test several expectations by examining data on when members of the House of Representatives announced their positions on the North American Free Trade Agreement. We also contrast the timing model with a vote model, and find that there are meaningful differences between the factors influencing the timing of position announcements and vote choice. Our research allows analysts to interpret the process leading up to the House action and the end state of that process.
The formation of the pupal cuticle by Drosophila imaginal discs in vitro.

Mass-isolated imaginal discs of Drosophila melanogaster form a chitin-containing pupal procuticle In vitro. Optimal procuticle deposition occurs when the discs are incubated for 4–6 hr with 0.5–1.0 μg/ml of 20-hydroxyecdysone and then with less than 0.05 μg/ml of 20-hydroxyecdysone. The formation of the chitin-containing procuticle is demonstrated using three independent assays: with fluorescene-conjugated cuticle proteins that bind to chitin; by electron microscopy; by incorporation of [3H]glucosamine into a chitin fraction. Synthesis and deposition of pupal cuticle proteins are also demonstrated. Incorporation of [3H]glucosamine into chitin is sensitive to inhibitors of protein, RNA and chitin synthesis, but has little sensitivity to inhibitors of DNA synthesis, and dolichol-dependent glycosylation.
Large hydrated electron yields in the gamma radiolysis of acidic, oxygen-containing cysteine solutions

Abstract The dependence of H 2 yields on cysteine concentration has been studied for aqueous, air-saturated, acidic solutions of cystein. Up to cysteine concentrations of about 5 × 10 −3 kinetic parameters and yields obtained previously for air-free, acidic solutions of cystein may be used to predict quantitatively the hydrogen yields observed. However, above these cysteine concentrations experimental yields are larger than predicted. This difference is interpreted in terms of an increase of hydrated electron yields with increasing cysteine concentration via a spur scavenging mechanism. Calculated hydrated electron yields as high as 4·5 are found are found at cysteine concentration of about 0·1 mol dm −3 and correspond with initial hydrated electron yields observed in pico-second pulse radiolysis studies of aqueous solutions. The concentration dependence of the hydrated electron yields also agrees with that predicted from these pulse radiolysis studies. An unusual effect of oxygen remains unexplained and apparently cannot be attributed to chain reactions occuring in the system.
Role of finite boson number in the interacting boson approximation description of γ → g transitions in deformed nuclei

The effect of finite boson number in the interacting boson approximation is one of its most distinguishing features. These effects are investigated in terms of the deviations of ..gamma -->..g band E2 transitions from the rotational (Alaga) values which provide one of the most crucial tests of collective models of deformed nuclei. It is shown that the empirical systematics of these deviations displays a strong mass dependence, that the interacting boson approximation successfully reproduces these systematic trends, and does so primarily by virtue of the variations in boson number and not because of parameter variations. Moreover, the origin of the N dependence lies in the characteristic way in which the SU(3) symmetry is broken in calculations for realistic deformed nuclei and involves, in an essential way, the N dependence of the SU(3) ..gamma --> beta.. transitions.
Prevalence and predictors of ocular complications associated with cataract surgery in United States veterans.

Purpose To investigate the prevalence and predictors of intraoperative and 90-day postoperative ocular complications associated with cataract surgery performed in the United States Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system. Design Retrospective cohort study. Participants Forty-five thousand eighty-two veterans who underwent cataract surgery in the VHA. Methods The National Patient Care Database was used to identify all VHA patients who underwent outpatient extracapsular cataract surgery and who underwent only 1 cataract surgery within 90 days of the index surgery between October 1, 2005, and September 30, 2007. Data collected include demographics, preoperative systemic and ocular comorbidities, intraoperative complications, and 90-day postoperative complications. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of factors predictive of complications were calculated using logistic regression modeling. Main Outcome Measures Intraoperative and postoperative ocular complications within 90 days of cataract surgery. Results During the study period, 53786 veterans underwent cataract surgery; 45082 met inclusion criteria. Common preoperative systemic and ocular comorbidities included diabetes mellitus (40.6%), chronic pulmonary disease (21.2%), age-related macular degeneration (14.4%), and diabetes with ophthalmic manifestations (14.0%). The most common ocular complications were posterior capsular tear, anterior vitrectomy, or both during surgery (3.5%) and posterior capsular opacification after surgery (4.2%). Predictors of complications included: black race (OR, 1.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28–1.50), divorced status (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.03–1.18), never married (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.14–1.38), diabetes with ophthalmic manifestations (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.23–1.43), traumatic cataract (OR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.40–2.31), previous ocular surgery (OR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.02–1.63), and older age. Conclusions In a cohort of United States veterans with a high preoperative disease burden, selected demographic factors and ocular comorbidities were associated with greater risks of cataract surgery complications. Further large-scale studies are warranted to investigate cataract surgery outcomes for non-VHA United States patient populations. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Fully Suspended, Five-Axis, Three-Magnetic-Bearing Dynamic Spin Rig With Forced Excitation

A significant advancement in the dynamic spin rig (DSR), i.e., the five-axis, three-magnetic-bearing DSR, is used to perform vibration tests of turbomachinery blades and components under rotating and non-rotating conditions in a vacuum. The rig has three magnetic bearings as its critical components: two heteropolar radial active magnetic bearings and a magnetic thrust bearing. The bearing configuration allows full vertical rotor magnetic suspension along with a feedforward control feature, which enables the excitation of various modes of vibration in the bladed disk test articles. The theoretical, mechanical, electrical, and electronic aspects of the rig are discussed. Also presented are the forced-excitation results of a fully levitated, rotating and non-rotating, unbladed rotor and a fully levitated, rotating and non-rotating, bladed rotor in which a pair of blades were arranged 180° apart from each other. These tests include the “bounce” mode excitation of the rotor in which the rotor was excited at the blade natural frequency of 144 Hz. The rotor natural mode frequency of 355 Hz was discerned from the plot of acceleration versus frequency. For non-rotating blades, a blade-tip excitation amplitude of approximately 100 g A−1 was achieved at the first-bending critical (≈144 Hz) and at the first-torsional and second-bending blade modes. A blade-tip displacement of 1.778×10−3m (70 mils) was achieved at the first-bending critical by exciting the blades at a forced-excitation phase angle of 90° relative to the vertical plane containing the blades while simultaneously rotating the shaft at 3000 rpm.
Biometeorological effects on worker absenteeism.

The effects of six biometeorological variables (temperature, precipitation, air pressure, humidity, wind speed, and snow) on plant-wide worker absenteeism rates were investigated using 4 years of daily absence data (n=889). After holding constant temporal variables (years, season, and day of week), and then other biometeorological variables, all but one of the variables under consideration were uniquely and significantly related to absenteeism: temperature (rpartial=−0.17***), precipitation (rpartial=0.12***), air pressure (rpartial=−0.09**), wind speed (rpartial=0.11*), and snow (rpartial=0.30***). Humidity (rpartial=−00, ns) was not uniquely correlated. The adjusted R2 of .29 (full R=0.55) for the entire model was also significant, illustrating the importance of these exogenous, meteorological variables in developing a prediction model of plant-wide absenteeism.
Average power control and positioning of polysilicon thermal actuators

This paper reports on characterizing and modeling the behavior of micromachined polysilicon thermal actuators when driven by DC or pulsed drive signals. Thermal actuators can be controlled and positioned using a pulsed input with a period much less than the thermal time constant of the device as demonstrated by data collected in air and vacuum. Both pulse width and pulse amplitude modulation were successfully employed to position lateral actuators, lateral actuator arrays, and piston micro-mirrors. A SPICE model for polysilicon thermal actuators was developed using relationships between resistance, deflection, and average power. This model incorporates the polysilicon thermal actuator's electrical load, transient response, and deflection characteristics necessary for predicting actuator performance and developing microsystems. The SPICE model exhibits very close agreement with the measured performance of the polysilicon thermal actuators.