cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigating the Kinetics of HSF Binding Using High Throughput Single Molecule Imaging

Transcriptional regulation in the heat shock response is vital for the proper function and survival of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. The bulk of our current understanding of transcription has been obtained through biochemical assays such as pull-down, knockdown and genome wide assays. These have provided information on the identity of proteins involved in the regulation of various genes and the location at which they bind to DNA. However, the kinetics and architecture are not known at a single molecule level, in part due to the difficulty of obtaining enough data to provide statistics. A flow cell designed to extend DNA molecules under a hydrodynamic force, nicknamed DNA curtains, provides a high throughput method of imaging protein-DNA interactions at the single molecule level. Electron beam lithography is the traditional method used to pattern these flow cells, which is a cost prohibitive process. We have shown that a simpler and less costly method, photolithography, can instead be used, therefore enabling this technique to be more widely available. Using these DNA curtains, we will investigate the details of heat shock factor (HSF) DNA binding, cooperativity, and target searching at a single molecule level.
Age-related decline in postextrasystolic potentiation in patients with aortic stenosis.

In aortic stenosis (AS), postextrasystolic potentiation (PESP), a measure of contractile reserve, has been demonstrated by an increased aortic valve gradient (AVG) after a ventricular extrasystole (VE). We studied age-related changes in PESP in 20 consecutive patients (age, 65-89 years) with significant AS (aortic area <or= 1.0 cm(2)) on cardiac catheterization with VE on AVG pressure recording. Hemodynamics and LV systolic time intervals were averaged from three consecutive beats and from the post-VE beat. Changes (Delta) in AVG, pre-ejection period/LV ejection time ratio (PEP/LVET), aortic diastolic pressures (AoDP), and LV end-diastolic pressures (LVEDP) were calculated. Age was inversely correlated with DeltaAVG (r = -0.84, P = 0.0001), with DeltaPEP/LVET (r = -0.87, P = 0.0001), and with DeltaAoDP (r = -0.89, P = 0.0001), but not with DeltaLVEDP (r = 0.23, P = 0.31). On multivariate analysis, only age was associated with DeltaAVG (r(2) = 0.72, P = 0.0001). There was an age-related decline in PESP in patients with AS, which was accompanied by changes in contractile reserve and afterload reduction, but independent of preload reserve.
A Novel Technique for Pulsing a High Magnetic Field

Radar modulator techniques, which make use of pulse-forming networks (PFN), were used to develop a magnet pulser which supplies 500-amp current pulses to a 20-turn tape-wound coil for generating a pulsed, high magnetic field. Uniform fields of more than 5 kilogauss were generated with pulse widths of 6 to 14 ?sec at repetition rates up to 1200 Hz. New cooling techniques for the load coil and the pulser components are being developed so that higher fields at higher repetition rates can be generated.
Evaluation of the clinical signs of anterior cruciate ligament and meniscal injuries.

Background: The diagnostic accuracy of anterior drawer (AD) sign, Lachman test and the pivot shift test for anterior cruciate ligament injury and McMurray test for medial and lateral meniscus is varied with sensitivity and specificity ranging from 2 to 100%. Generally, it is accepted that the pivot shift test is the most specific test to diagnose anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears and that the Lachman test is more sensitive than AD sign. This study was undertaken to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and efficiency for the above-mentioned diagnostic tests. Materials and Methods: Twenty-eight male patients with clinical ACL injury were examined in the outpatient department and under anaesthesia, the findings were compared with arthroscopy. Result: The sensitivity and specificity for the Lachman test, AD sign and pivot shift test performed in the outpatient setting are 78.6 and 100%, 89.3 and 100%, and 75 and 100%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity for the Lachman test, AD sign, and pivot shift test performed under anesthesia are 92.9 and 100%, 92.9 and 100%, and 100 and 100%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the McMurray test for medial and lateral meniscus were 35.7 and 85.7% and 22.2 and 100%, respectively. Conclusion: The Lachman test, AD sign and pivot shift test are highly specific tests to diagnose ACL laxity in a non-acute setting; pivot shift test under anesthesia is the most sensitive and specific test for diagnosing ACL laxity in a non-acute setting and the McMurray test is not a sensitive test to diagnose meniscal injury in the presence of ACL injury.
Chaotic electron dynamics for relativistic electron beam propagation through a planar-wiggler magnetic field

It is shown that the motion of an individual test electron in a low-density relativistic electron beam propagating through a realizable planar wiggler magnetic field is nonintegrable and can become chaotic. The presence of chaos, which is induced by the transverse spatial inhomogeneities in the wiggler field, poses limits on the wiggler field amplitude and the beam size for beam propagation and free-electron-laser operation. An approximate condition that determines the onset of chaos-induced beam degradation is derived analytically and found to be in good qualitative agreement with the numerical simulations using the Poincar\'e map.
Which models matter: Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis for photovoltaic power systems

Predicting power for a photovoltaic system from measured irradiance requires a sequence of models, e.g.: translation of measured irradiance to the plane-of-array; estimation of cell temperature; and calculation of module electrical output. Uncertainty in predicted power arises from the aggregate uncertainty in the various models used. But which models contribute significantly, or insignificantly, to this aggregate uncertainty? We report an uncertainty and sensitivity analysis that partially addresses this question. At each step in the modeling process, we consider commonly-used models and quantify uncertainty in the model and its parameters by analyzing model residuals obtained by comparing model predictions to available measurements. We are not yet able to quantify uncertainty in all relevant modeling steps. We develop stochastic process models for these residuals and use Monte Carlo sampling to propagate uncertainty from step to step. Propagating uncertainty through all modeling steps, we obtain a sample of values for PV system output representing the aggregate uncertainty in this quantity. We use rank correlations to identify the relative contribution to the aggregate uncertainty that can be attributed to each modeling step. For the steps and models we consider, we find that uncertainty in plane-of-array transposition and in effective irradiance models dominates the uncertainty in energy production; uncertainty in cell temperature and in module DC output is significantly less influential.
Episodios de aparente riesgo vital para el lactante. Diagnóstico y tratamiento

La expresion «episodios de aparente riesgo vital para el lactante» engloban una gama de accidentes muy amplia en cuanto a su tipo y gravedad, pero no hay que ignorar ninguno de ellos (tienen el valor de una advertencia). Los principales signos clinicos son: palidez o cianosis, irregularidades respiratorias, hipotonia, perdida de consciencia. La intensidad y la duracion del episodio conforman su gravedad: desde el que es breve y leve hasta el intenso y prolongado, que requiere reanimacion medica completa. Incluso en ausencia de secuelas fisicas para el nino, es necesario tratar la ansiedad reactiva de la familia. Hay que insistir en encontrar un diagnostico etiologico inmediato (tratamiento) o secundario (prevencion de las recidivas). El interrogatorio del entorno tiene una importancia fundamental. Al examen clinico minucioso le suceden las pruebas complementarias, en general en medio hospitalario, completadas a medida que progresa la orientacion diagnostica. La etiologia puede parecer clara en un contexto conocido o de una evidencia suficiente: cuadro infeccioso grave, cardiopatias congenitas cianogenas, malos tratos, reflujo gastroesofagico (RGE), hiperreactividad vagal (HRV), asociacion RGE/HRV. Puede tratarse asimismo del accidente inaugural de una enfermedad no conocida, inicial o larvada: cardiopatia obstructiva izquierda, arritmias, urgencias neurologicas, hipoglucemia (enfermedades metabolicas). Algunos episodios pueden quedar en principio inexplicados: hay que ensenar a los padres la reanimacion de urgencia, organizar el seguimiento, realizar un examen posterior. En caso de episodio inexplicado o recidivante a pesar del tratamiento, puede proponerse a la familia la monitorizacion domiciliaria. El tratamiento se adapta a cada etiologia con la ayuda de los especialistas implicados. A pesar del exito que ha supuesto la practica de acostar a los ninos en decubito supino para la prevencion de la muerte subita del lactante, persisten otras muchas causas de episodio de aparente riesgo vital, algunas con un final fatal. Es preciso por tanto no obviar ninguno de estos episodios, tomar seriamente a los testigos del accidente y empenarse en establecer un diagnostico etiologico para evitar una recidiva.
A new model for tumor growth analysis based on a postulated inhibitory substance.

Abstract The Gompertz equation has emerged as the most useful model for tumor growth analysis but lacks a demonstrable relationship between its parameters and biological growth regulatory mechanisms. A new model for tumor growth analysis is developed based upon a class of mechanisms considered most likely to be responsible for control of the growth of normal and neoplastic tissues. The resulting differential equation is not soluble in closed form for cell number as a function of time. A technique related to quasi linearization is developed to allow fitting the model to data and estimating the parameters from the dataset. A comparison is made on animal tumor data between the new model and the Gompertz model. The fit obtained with the new model appears at least as good, if not better, than the Gompertz. The ability to obtain parameter estimates relating to biologically important characteristics of the tumor with the new model more than offsets the more complex computations involved in fitting. This model is an attractive alternative to the Gompertz equation as the basis for analysis of tumor growth data.
Causal modeling alternatives in operations research: Overview and application

Abstract This paper uses the relationships between three basic, fundamental and proven concepts in manufacturing (resource commitment to improvement programs, flexibility to changes in operations, and customer delivery performance) as the empirical context for reviewing and comparing two casual modeling approaches (structural equation modeling and Bayesian networks). Specifically, investments in total quality management (TQM), process analysis, and employee participation programs are considered as resource commitments. The paper begins with the central issue of the requirements for a model of associations to be considered causal. This philosophical issue is addressed in reference to probabilistic causation theory. Then, each method is reviewed in the context of a unified causal modeling framework consistent with probabilistic causation theory and applied to a common dataset. The comparisons include concept representation, distribution and functional assumptions, sample size and model complexity considerations, measurement issues, specification search, model adequacy, theory testing and inference capabilities. The paper concludes with a summary of relative advantages and disadvantages of the methods and highlights the findings relevant to the literature on TQM and on-time deliveries.
Improving outcomes with recent advances in chemotherapy for castrate-resistant prostate cancer

The FDA's approval of docetaxel in 2004 created a clear mandate for clinical researchers to create new therapies effective for metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients with progression post-docetaxel. In 2010, the first trial to prolong survival in this setting was announced using a cabazitaxel, a novel taxane. This therapeutic agent was specifically designed to have activity in model systems resistant to conventional taxanes. After phase I testing, with observation of clinically significant activity in patients with advanced cancers, cabazitaxel/prednisone was tested in a large phase III trial enrolling patients with mCRPC who had disease progression despite prior docetaxel therapy. This phase III trial TROPIC (Treatment of Hormone-Refractory Metastatic Prostate Cancer Previously Treated With a Taxotere-Containing Regimen), using mitoxantrone/prednisone as a control arm, demonstrated a significant improvement in survival (the primary endpoint). Both subset analyses and secondary endpoints (response rates and time to progression) were supportive of the survival findings. This trial was pivotal for the FDA's approval of the new drug application for cabazitaxel. This review focuses on both the pre-clinical and clinical development of cabazitaxel.
Plasma Biomarkers in Graft-versus-Host Disease: A New Era?

Acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) remains a major complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). The diagnosis of acute GVHD is based on strictly clinical criteria and its severity also determined by these criteria. Currently, there is no validated diagnostic blood test for acute GVHD. This review will summarize proteomics approaches to identify biomarkers for GVHD in the plasma with diagnostic, prognostic and predictive value. If successful, these studies could establish a novel biomarker panel that will contribute important information including long term survival, and that may eventually facilitate therapeutic decisions for allogeneic HCT patients.
Time-varying criteria for monetary integration: evidence from the EMU

Abstract How can we determine whether an economy will benefit from membership in a monetary union? While economic theory has proposed a number of widely accepted criteria, virtually all empirical studies apply them as if they were time-invariant. The purpose of this paper is to show that unless the dynamic nature of these criteria is explicitly taken into account, the results will be flawed and misleading. We focus on 13 EU countries and two specific criteria: the relative size of output shocks and their synchronization. Using quarterly data from the 1961:1 to 1997:4 period, we show that the parameters relevant to these criteria have exhibited substantial variability over time for essentially all countries in our sample. Our time-varying parameters allow us not just to avoid the flaws of the conventional method, but also to discuss the optimal timing of forming or joining a monetary union.
Ultrasound guided reduction of pediatric forearm fractures in the ED

Reducing badly displaced or angulated pediatric forearm fractures in the emergency department can be difficult. Multiple attempts at reduction may be required, with repeated trips to the radiology department, before an adequate reduction is achieved. We have recently found that bedside ultrasound by emergency physicians is very helpful in guiding the reduction of difficult forearm fractures, allowing the physician to assess the adequacy of the reduction at the patient's bedside. In this report, we describe the technique we have developed for ultrasound-guided fracture reduction and present three case histories showing the usefulness of this technique.
The international transmission of interest rate shocks: The Federal Reserve and emerging markets in Latin America and Asia

Abstract This paper analyzes the effects of changes in the U.S. Federal Reserve's Federal Funds rate on emerging countries' interest rates using high frequency (weekly) data. I also investigate how changes in the U.S. term structure affect short term rates' differentials. Other shocks include changes in the U.S. dollar–Euro exchange rate, changes in the international price of oil, risk ratings, and the degree of capital mobility. The results indicate that there is a strong and fairly rapid transmission of changes in the Federal Funds rate into interest rates in the Latin American countries in the sample. This effect is equally large in the Asian nations in the long run. The adjustment path is different across the two regions, however. Adjustment is very fast and cyclical in Latin America; it is gradual and slower in East Asia.
Vela pulsar and its synchrotron nebula

We present high-resolution Chandra X-ray observations of PSR B0833-45, the 89 ms pulsar associated with the Vela supernova remnant. We have acquired two observations separated by 1 month to search for changes in the pulsar and its environment following an extreme glitch in its rotation frequency. We find a well-resolved nebula with a toroidal morphology remarkably similar to that observed in the Crab Nebula, along with an axial Crab-like jet. Between the two observations, taken ~3 × 105 s and ~3 × 106 s after the glitch, the flux from the pulsar is found to be steady to within 0.75%; the 3 σ limit on the fractional increase in the pulsar's X-ray flux is 10-5 of the inferred glitch energy. We use this limit to constrain parameters of glitch models and neutron star structure. We do find a significant increase in the flux of the nebula's outer arc; if associated with the glitch, the inferred propagation velocity is 0.7c, similar to that seen in the brightening of the Crab Nebula wisps. We propose an explanation for the X-ray structure of the Vela synchrotron nebula based on a model originally developed for the Crab Nebula. In this model, the bright X-ray arcs are the shocked termination of a relativistic equatorial pulsar wind that is contained within the surrounding kidney-bean shaped synchrotron nebula comprising the postshock, but still relativistic, flow. In a departure from the Crab model, the magnetization parameter σ of the Vela pulsar wind is allowed to be of order unity; this is consistent with the simplest MHD transport of magnetic field from the pulsar to the nebula, where B ≤ 4 × 10-4 G. The inclination angle of the axis of the equatorial torus with respect to the line of sight is identical to that of the rotation axis of the pulsar as previously measured from the polarization of the radio pulse. The projection of the rotation axis on the sky may also be close to the direction of proper motion of the pulsar if previous radio measurements were confused by orthogonal-mode polarized components. We review effects that may enhance the probability of alignment between the spin axis and space velocity of a pulsar, and speculate that short-period, slowly moving pulsars are just the ones best-suited to producing synchrotron nebulae with such aligned structures. Previous interpretations of the compact Vela nebula as a bow-shock in a very weakly magnetized wind suffered from data of inadequate spatial resolution and less plausible physical assumptions.
Predicting 3D structures of protein-protein complexes.

The protein-protein docking problem is one of the focal points of activity in computational structural biology. Adequate computational techniques for structural modeling of protein interactions are important because of the growing number of known protein structures, particularly in the context of structural genomics. The protein docking methodology offers tools for fundamental studies of protein interactions and provides structural basis for drug design. The paper pre- sents a critical review of the existing protein-protein docking approaches in view of the fundamental principles of protein recognition.
Distribution of silt in open channels

A theory of silt-distribution in open channels as advanced by Schmidt [see reference 17 under section “References] was recently outlined by O'Brien [13]. The present paper, based upon a thesis on file at the Hydraulic Laboratory of the University of California, gives the results of a study of available data for the purpose of comparing observed silt-distribution with the theory. As used in this paper, the term “silt” refers to the solid matter which is transported in suspension, but not to that which moves as bed-load. In any study of silt-problems, the cost and difficulty of securing and analyzing silt-samples oblige one to use the smallest number of samples that will represent the mean silt-concentration with reasonable accuracy. Many studies have been made to determine the distribution of silt throughout the cross-section of the streamchannel. Unfortunately, in the absence of a rational theory of silt-distribution, many factors influencing the distribution were not recognized as such, and no attempt was made to determine them.
3-Thiopropionic acid as a highly versatile multidetachable thioester resin linker

This paper describes a practical new use of3-mercaptopropionic acid as a highly versatilemultidetachable linker for solid-phase synthesis. Ourapproach is based on the stability of thealkylthioester functionality to optimized Boc-SPPSprotocols and HF treatment, as well as on the mildactivation of the thioester functionality towardnucleophilic or reductive displacement. This allowsseveral C-terminal modifications to be introduced intoa synthetic molecule during the cleavage step. We haveshown that unprotected peptides can be efficientlycleaved from a propyl thioester-polyethyleneglycol-poly-(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) copolymerresin using a great variety of nucleophiles to givethe corresponding C-terminally modified peptides(esters, thioesters, carboxylic acids, thioacids,amides, hydroxamic acids, hydrazides, alcohols). Thenucleophilic cleavage reaction is both rapid andexceptionally clean in all the cases tested.
"Safe and effective when used as directed": the case of chronic use of opioid analgesics.

Opioid analgesics have been used increasingly over the past 20 years for the management of chronic non-cancer pain in the USA under the assumption that they were safe and effective when used as directed. The accuracy of that assumption has not been tested against accumulated evidence. The safety of opioids used on a long-term basis has not been tested in clinical trials. Epidemiologic evidence from examinations of such use in the general population indicates that the risk of overdose increases in a dose–response manner. Such evidence also suggests increased risk of fractures and acute myocardial infarctions among elderly users of opioids for chronic pain. Experimental evidence supports short-term use of opioids, but trials of long-term use for chronic pain have not been conducted. Epidemiologic evidence suggests that long-term use does not result in improvement in function or quality of life while being associated with significant dropout rates and a high prevalence of adverse drug effects. Substantial fractions of patients are not using opioid analgesics as directed, while millions of US residents are using them without a prescription for nonmedical reasons. A prudent treatment approach consistent with the available evidence would be to reserve chronic opioid therapy for serious pain-related problems for which the effectiveness of opioids has been demonstrated and for patients whose use as directed is assured through close monitoring and for whom an explicit, informed calculation has been made that the benefits of opioids outweigh the risks.
Achievement Goals and Intrinsic Motivation: A Meta-Analytic Review

This article presents a meta-analysis of the experimental literature that has examined the effect of performance and mastery achievement goals on intrinsic motivation. Summary analyses provided support for the hypothesis that the pursuit of performance goals has an undermining effect on intrinsic motivation relative to the pursuit of mastery goals. Moderator analyses were conducted in an attempt to explain significant variation in the magnitude and direction of this effect across studies. Results indicated that the undermining effect of performance goals relative to mastery goals was contingent on whether participants received confirming or nonconfirming competence feedback, and on whether the experimental procedures induced a performance-approach or performance-avoidance orientation. These findings provide conceptual clarity to the literature on achievement goals and intrinsic motivation and suggest numerous avenues for subsequent empirical work.
Hyperglycemia, cerebrospinal fluid lactic acidosis, and cerebral blood flow in severely head-injured patients

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lactate concentration is known to increase during the acute phase after severe head injury. To determine the influence of glycemia or cerebral ischemia on this lactate increase, we studied 69 head-injured patients aged 28.7 +/- 15.4 (SD) years with a mean Glasgow coma score of 5.7 +/- 1.7 (SD). They were intubated, paralyzed, and artificially respired. We measured lactate and glucose concentrations in ventricular CSF (VCSF), arterial blood, and jugular bulb blood for 5 days. Samples were obtained within 12 hours after injury and at regular 12-hour intervals. These patients were not treated for hypo- or hyperglycemia. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was also measured within 12 hours and at 12- to 48-hour intervals. Hyperglycemia was found consistently within 12 hours after injury (224 +/- 98 mg/dl, P less than 0.001), and mild hyperglycemia persisted during the entire period of study. The VCSF glucose course was parallel to that in blood (the initial VCSF glucose value was 128 +/- 37 mg/dl, P less than 0.001). The blood lactate value was also elevated during the first 12 hours (4.2 +/- 2.0 mmol/litre, P less than 0.001), normalizing within 24 to 36 hours. The VCSF lactate course was independent from that of the blood lactate value. It was significantly elevated within 12 hours after injury (5.3 +/- 2.6 mmol/litre, P less than 0.001) and remained so during the 5 days of study. A high initial VCSF glucose value was associated with a high initial VCSF lactate value. However, a high VCSF lactate concentration was present even when the glucose value was close to the normal level.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Treatment Process and Relapse to Opioid Use During Methadone Maintenance

A general framework for studying drug abuse treatment process factors is presented, and components are then used to predict relapse to opioid use during treatment in methadone maintenance. Major domains of the treatment process research framework include client variables at entry, program characteristics, treatment events, and client outcomes. The analyses rely on the use of proportional hazards models to identify significant outcome predictors in a sample of 590 methadone maintenance clients from 21 clinics in the Research Triangle Institute/Treatment Outcome Prospective Study (RTI/TOPS) data system who remained in treatment at least 3 months. The analyses were performed on the total sample and separately on clients from three groups of clinics classified on the basis of the distribution of client relapse rates and tenure in treatment. Relapse rates were related to dosage level, client monitoring with urinalyses, and methadone take-home privileges in some clinics, and hence, these time-varying treatment events were important factors in treatment outcomes. Even at entry to treatment, some measures were found to be related to how the client later performed during treatment. Finally, it was also found that the particular area of professional speciality of the staff making client diagnosis at intake and preparing treatment plans was associated with client outcomes.
Intersession reproducibility of mass spectrometry profiles and its effect on accuracy of multivariate classification models

Motivation: The ‘reproducibility’ of mass spectrometry proteomic profiling has become an intensely controversial topic. The mere mention of concern over the ‘reproducibility’ of data generated from any particular platform can lead to the anxiety over the generalizability of its results and its role in the future of discovery proteomics. In this study, we examine the reproducibility of proteomic profiles generated by surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) across multiple data-generation sessions. We analyze the problem in terms of the reproducibility of signals, reproducibility of discriminative features and reproducibility of multivariate classification models on profiles for serum samples from early lung cancer and healthy control subjects. Results: Proteomic profiles in individual data-generation sessions experience within-session variability. We show that combining data from multiple sessions introduces additional (inter-session) noise. While additional noise can affect the discriminative analysis, we show that its average effect on profiles in our study is relatively small. Moreover, for the purposes of prediction on future (previously unseen) data, classifiers trained on multi-session data are able to adapt to inter-session noise and improve their classification accuracy. Contact: pelikan@cs.pitt.edu
Germany after Unification: Normal at Last?

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the concept of “normalcy” has occupied a prominent place in the pronouncements of Germany's most powerful politicians and policy makers. In addition, it has also suffused much of the emerging literature on the domestic and international implications of German unification. Some observers argue that unification embodies the call to normalcy, offering Germany's leaders the opportunity to put their nation's past behind them. Others treat the events of 1989–90 as part of an ongoing challenge to German identity. Finally, a third group of scholars regards the invocation of German unity as an excuse for papering over the crimes of the Nazi past. Although there is no a priori basis for considering any one of these approaches the most appropriate for assessing contemporary German affairs, this does not mean one's choice of terms is totally arbitrary. If German normalcy is to mean anything analytically, it must minimally represent an attainable and worthy goal to which the leaders of the Federal Republic can aspire in their efforts to make Germany more like other European states.
An efficient algorithm to optimize interference and system capacity for cognitive wireless networks

In this paper, we study time spectrum block (TSB) assignment in cognitive radio networks. We consider a community cognitive radio network with a set of access points (APs), and formulate the TSB assignment as a quadratic integer programming (QIP) problem with an NP hard complexity. To avoid the NP-hard complexity, we propose a near-optimal heuristic algorithm LISTS (Least Interference and Switching based TSB Scheduling) that can be obtained at a much lower complexity. The algorithm is developed to solve this problem with the objective to minimize co-channel interference between APs (and their nodes) and channel switching overhead, and thus maximize system capacity. The LISTS algorithm offers near optimal solutions for TSB assignment. The overall system capacity increases by 40 % when compared with worst case of random TSB assignments.
UpStream: motivating water conservation with low-cost water flow sensing and persuasive displays

Water is our most precious and most rapidly declining natural resource. We explore pervasive technology as an approach for promoting water conservation in public and private spaces. We hope to motivate immediate reduction in water use as well as higher-order behaviors (seeking new information, etc) through unobtrusive low-cost water flow sensing and several persuasive displays. Early prototypes were installed at public faucets and a private (shared) shower, logging water usage first without and then with ambient displays. This pilot study led to design iterations, culminating in long-term deployment of sensors in four private showers over the course of three weeks. Sensors first logged baseline water usage without visualization. Then, two display styles, ambient and numeric, were deployed in random order, each showing individual and average water consumption. Quantitative data along with participants' feedback contrast the effectiveness of numeric displays against abstract visualization in this very important domain of water conservation and public health.
Misconceptions about Breast Lumps and Delayed Medical Presentation in Urban Breast Cancer Patients

Background: Despite current recommendations for women to be screened for breast cancer with mammography every 1 to 2 years, less than half of all newly diagnosed breast cancers are initially detected through screening mammography. Prompt medical attention to a new breast symptom can result in earlier stage at diagnosis, yet many patients delay seeking medical care after becoming aware of a breast symptom. Methods: In a population-based study of breast cancer, we examined factors potentially associated with patient delay in seeking health care for a breast symptom among 436 symptomatic urban breast cancer patients (146 white, 197 black, and 95 Hispanic). Race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, health care access and utilization, and misconceptions about the meaning of breast lumps were the key independent variables. Results: Sixteen percent of patients reported delaying more than 3 months before seeking medical advice about breast symptoms. Misconceptions about breast lumps and lacking a regular provider, health insurance, and recent preventive care were all associated with prolonged patient delay ( P < 0.005 for all). Misconceptions were much more common among ethnic minorities and women of lower socioeconomic status. Conclusion: Reducing patient delay and disparities in delay will require educating women about the importance of getting breast lumps evaluated in a timely manner and providing greater access to regular health care. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(3); 640–7
Oxidative dehydrogenation of methanol to formaldehyde

Abstract Thermochemical results from ab initio quantum chemical calculations (generalized valence bond) are used to examine the reactions mechanism for H3COH + 1 2 O2→H2CO + H2O as catalyzed by MoO3. We find that surface dioxo sites are critical to activating the methanol, but we find that the single-site single-step proposal is not favorable (ΔH ≈ + 31.5 kcal). Our conclusion is that an important catalytic site involves two adjacent surface dioxo units (the dual dioxo site), with each dioxo site extracting one H in a sequence of steps. The required dual dioxo site exists on the (010) surface of MoO3 but does not exist on the other low index surfaces. This mechanism is supported by atmospheric pressure experimental studies which indicate that MoO3(010) is selective for CH2O products. A detailed sequence of reaction steps and the associated thermochemistry is proposed.
Medical Presentation of Constipation From Childhood to Early Adulthood: A Population-Based Cohort Study

Background & Aims: Constipation is a common disorder in children and adults, but the role of gender and early life risk factors remains undefined. The aims of the study were as follows: (1) to estimate the incidence of medical presentation for constipation in a population-based birth cohort, and (2) to examine factors associated with constipation presentation from childhood to adulthood. Methods: A birth cohort of all children born between 1976 and 1982 to mothers who were residents of Rochester, Minnesota, and who remained in the community until age 5 was used for this study. Medical visits for constipation were identified by diagnoses codes and chart review. Subjects were followed up based on their diagnoses accumulated while younger than 21 years old, and 80% of subjects remained in the area until 18 years of age. Results: Of 5299 birth cohort members without constipation presentation before age 5, the overall age- and sex-adjusted incidence was 3.9 per 1000 person-years. A higher incidence for constipation in females occurred beginning at 13 years to early adulthood (rate ratio, 2.6 for 13–16 y and 4.2 for 17 to Conclusions: Early medical presentation and female sex influence incident and repeat medical visits for constipation from childhood to early adulthood.
Quality of care for joint dislocation in 47 US EDs

Abstract Background Little is known about emergency department (ED) quality of care for joint dislocation. We sought to determine concordance of ED management of dislocation with guideline recommendations and to assess whether higher concordance was associated with better patient outcomes. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review study of joint dislocation as part of the National ED Safety Study ( www.emnet-usa.org ). We identified all charts with a primary ED or hospital discharge diagnosis of joint dislocation in 47 EDs across 19 US states between 2003 and 2005. Concordance with guideline recommendations was evaluated using 5 individual quality measures and composite guideline concordance scores. Concordance scores were calculated as the percentage of eligible patients receiving guidelines-recommended care. These percentage scores were rescaled from 0 to 100, with 100 indicating perfect concordance. Results The cohort consisted of 1980 ED patients; the patients' median age was 38 years, and 63% were men. Care for dislocation was excellent, with a concordance score of more than 85 across all quality measures. The median ED composite guideline concordance score was 93 (interquartile range, 90-95). In multivariable analyses, receiving treatment in EDs with the highest (fourth quartile) composite guideline concordance scores was independently associated with a significantly higher likelihood of successful joint reduction (adjusted odds ratio, 3.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.38-7.81), as compared with treatment in EDs with the lowest (first quartile) scores. Conclusions Concordance of ED management of joint dislocation with guideline recommendations was high. Greater concordance with guideline-recommended care may increase the likelihood of successful joint reduction.
In Support of Trigger Strategies: Experimental Evidence from Two-Person Non-cooperative Games

Cooperative equilibria can be supported in a repeated game when players use trigger strategies. This paper tests how well trigger strategies explain behavior in two-person experimental games. Reducing payoffs for choices larger than the Cournot level induces smaller average outputs, consistent with trigger strategy models generally. Reducing payoffs for choices well above the Cournot level will not affect agents' behavior if it is consistent with a grim strategy, but would matter for trigger strategies with short-lived but intense punishment phases. We find that behavior is most consistent with a trigger strategy that involves a longer-lived, less intense punishment phase.
The 12th curative factor: Love as an agent of healing in group psychotherapy

Abstract In this article, we are proposing love as a curative factor in group psychotherapy. Transference within a group may originate with the need and the desire for love. Through the unmasking of transference, subsequent healing may arise from a process of mourning in which group members recognize how their projection of past love onto comembers and the psychotherapist is reenacted in their current relationships. This article explores the dynamics of love and the healing power of love in group psychotherapy.
Repair of Motor Nerve Defects: Comparison of Suture and Fibrin Adhesive Techniques:

Two groups of rats were used to evaluate the results of nerve repair using fibrin tissue adhesive. In one group of 10 rats, a simple neurotomy of the sciatic nerve was performed. In the second group of 10 rats, a 1-cm segment of sciatic nerve was excised bilaterally and used as an autogenous nerve graft. The neurotomy and the nerve graft were repaired on one side by microsurgical suture technique using 10-0 nylon suture. The opposite side was repaired using fibrin adhesive. The results of the repair were assessed at 12 weeks. Functional assessment of nerve regeneration was performed in those rats with intact repair sites. Nerve-muscle twitch strengths were not significantly different (p greater than 0.05) between nerves repaired using suture and fibrin adhesive; however, compound active potential parameters were significantly better in nerve grafts repaired using suture technique (p less than 0.05).
Crossing over the bounded domain: from exponential to power-law intermeeting time in mobile ad hoc networks

Intermeeting time between mobile nodes is one of the key metrics in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET) and central to the end-to-end delay of forwarding algorithms. It is typically assumed to be exponentially distributed in many performance studies of MANET or numerically shown to be exponentially distributed under most existing mobility models in the literature. However, recent empirical results show otherwise: The intermeeting time distribution, in fact, follows a power-law. This outright discrepancy potentially undermines our understanding of the performance tradeoffs in MANET obtained under the exponential distribution of the intermeeting time and, thus, calls for further study on the power-law intermeeting time including its fundamental cause, mobility modeling, and its effect. In this paper, we rigorously prove that a finite domain, on which most of the current mobility models are defined, plays an important role in creating the exponential tail of the intermeeting time. We also prove that by simply removing the boundary in a simple two-dimensional isotropic random walk model, we are able to obtain the empirically observed power-law decay of the intermeeting time. We then discuss the relationship between the size of the boundary and the relevant timescale of the network scenario under consideration. Our results thus provide guidelines on the mobility modeling with power-law intermeeting time distribution, new protocols including packet-forwarding algorithms, as well as their performance analysis.
Maternal Exposure to Mercury Chloride During Pregnancy and Lactation Affects the Immunity and Social Behavior of Offspring

Developmental HgCl2 exposures of F1 offspring (H-2(q/s)) from unsociable SJL/J (H-2(s)) dams with high susceptibility to Hg-induced autoimmunity (SFvF1) and from highly sociable FVB/NJ (FVB; H-2(q)) dams with lower susceptibility to Hg-induced autoimmunity (FvSF1) were investigated. Hg exposure increased the serum IgG levels of all offspring at postnatal day 21 (pnd21) and of SJL/J dams but not of FVB dams. Serum IgG anti-brain antibody (Ab) levels of pnd21 SFvF1 offspring and SJL dams were higher than those of the FvSF1 offspring and FVB dams, but Hg only increased the titers of the FVB dams and their offspring. Hg significantly elevated the presence of IgG in all brain regions of the pnd21 SFvF1 offspring, and the SFvF1 offspring had greater amounts of IgG in the brain than the FvSF1 offspring, which had Hg-induced increases in only two brain regions. Cytokine levels were elevated in the brain regions of Hg-treated pnd21 SFvF1 but not of FvSF1 offspring, and SFvF1 females had more brain regions expressing cytokines than the males. At pnd70, the serum IgG, serum antibrain Abs, amounts of brain IgG, and brain cytokine levels of all of the Hg-treated offspring were equivalent to those of their appropriate controls, suggesting that developmental Hg exposure did not induce chronic immunological effects. However, the social behaviors of Hg-exposed SFvF1 offspring at pnd70 were significantly impaired, and SFvF1 females displayed greater decline in social behaviors than males, suggesting that the higher neuroinflammation of SFvF1 females earlier in life is associated with the altered behavior. Thus, developmental Hg exposure induces long-lasting effects on social behavior of offspring, which is dependent on sex and genetics and the induction of neuroinflammation.
Effect of number of fractionating trays on reactive distillation performance

Sneesby et al. recently suggested that adding trays in the stripping and rectifying sections of a reactive distillation column can degrade performance. This effect, if true, is not only counterintuitive, but very disturbing because it suggests that the design of reactive distillation columns cannot use conservative estimates of tray numbers, that is, we cannot simply add excess trays, as in conventional distillation. The problem is compounded by the uncertainty in vapor–liquid equilibrium data and tray efficiencies. This implies that developing reactive distillation columns would require extensive experimental work at the pilot-plant and plant stages to find the numbers of stages offering the best performance. Such a scenario would mean long and expensive development programs. This article explores the effect of the number of trays in the rectifying and/or stripping sections of reactive (catalytic) distillation columns. Three reactive distillation systems are used: an ideal hypothetical system, the ETBE system, and the methyl acetate system. Contrary to the published results, it is demonstrated that additional trays do not degrade performance. Two degrees of freedom available in all cases must be carefully chosen for fair comparisons.
Cathepsin B-like Cysteine Proteases Confer Intestinal Cysteine Protease Activity in Haemonchus contortus

Cathepsin B-like cysteine protease genes (cbls) constitute large multigene families in parasitic and nonparasitic nematodes. Although expressed in the intestine of some nematodes, the biological and biochemical functions of the CBL proteins remain unresolved. Di- and tetra-oligopeptides were used as fluorogenic substrates and irreversible/competitive inhibitors to establish CBL functions in the intestine of the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus. Cysteine protease activity was detected against diverse substrates including the cathepsin B/L substrate FR, the caspase 1 substrate YVAD, the cathepsin B substrate RR, but not the CED-3 (caspase 3) substrate DEVD. The pH at which maximum activity was detected varied according to substrate and ranged from pH 5.0 to 7.0. Individual CBLs were affinity isolated using FA and YVAD substrates. pH influenced CBL affinity isolation in a substrate-specific manner that paralleled pH effects on individual substrates. N-terminal sequencing identified two isolated CBLs as H. contortus GCP-7 (33 kDa) and AC-4 (37 kDa). N termini of each began at a position consistent with proregion cleavage and protease activation. Isolation of the GCP-7 band by each peptide was preferentially inhibited when competed with a diazomethane-conjugated inhibitor, Z-FA-CHN(2), demonstrating one functional difference among CBLs and among inhibitors. Substrate-based histological analysis placed CBLs on the intestinal microvilli. Data indicate that CBLs are responsible for cysteine protease activity described from H. contortus intestine. Results also support a role of CBLs in nutrient digestion.
Neurosurgical treatment of spasticity: selective posterior rhizotomy and intrathecal baclofen.

The pathophysiology of spasticity and the history of posterior rhizotomies are reviewed. The rationale for selective posterior rhizotomies is that electrical stimulation identifies afferent posterior