cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Randomized Controlled Study Comparing a DPP4 Inhibitor (Linagliptin) and Basal Insulin (Glargine) in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes in Long-term Care and Skilled Nursing Facilities: Linagliptin-LTC Trial

Abstract Objectives Safe and easily implemented treatment regimens are needed for the management of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in long-term care (LTC) and skilled nursing facilities. Design This 6-month open-label randomized controlled trial compared the efficacy and safety of a DPP4 inhibitor (linagliptin) and basal insulin (glargine) in LTC residents with T2DM. Settings Three LTC institutions affiliated with a community safety-net hospital, US Department of Veterans Affairs and Emory Healthcare System in Atlanta, Georgia. Participants A total of 140 residents with T2DM treated with oral antidiabetic agents or low-dose insulin (≤0.1 U/kg/d), with fasting or premeal blood glucose (BG) > 180 mg/dL and/or HbA1c >7.5%. Intervention Baseline antidiabetic therapy, except metformin, was discontinued on trial entry. Residents were treated with linagliptin 5 mg/d (n = 67) or glargine at a starting dose of 0.1 U/kg/d (n = 73). Both groups received supplemental rapid-acting insulin before meals for BG > 200 mg/dL. Measurements Primary outcome was mean difference in daily BG between groups. Main secondary endpoints included differences in frequency of hypoglycemia, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), complications, emergency department visits, and hospital transfers. Results Treatment with linagliptin resulted in no significant differences in mean daily BG (146 ± 34 mg/dL vs. 157 ± 36 mg/dL, P = .07) compared to glargine. Linagliptin treatment resulted in fewer mild hypoglycemic events Conclusion Treatment with linagliptin resulted in noninferior glycemic control and in significantly lower risk of hypoglycemia compared to insulin glargine in long-term care and skilled nursing facility residents with type 2 diabetes.
Reconstruction of the Nipple-Areola Complex

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women. Increasingly, women are choosing to undergo bilateral or unilateral prophylactic mastectomies in addition to therapeutic mastectomies. Accordingly, reconstructive procedures have also increased by as much as 203%. Breast reconstruction can provide significant psychosocial benefits for women. Nipple and areola reconstruction, a combination of artistic and geometric pursuits, is often the final step in breast reconstruction and has been said to offer patients a sense of “completeness.” However, it must be approached with considerable caution. In this chapter, we will discuss the indications and contraindications, techniques, controversies, alternatives, and future work for nipple and areola reconstruction.
Reducing Clostridium difficile Colitis Rates Via Cost-Saving Diagnostic Stewardship.

We conducted a quality improvement project at a large public tertiary-care academic hospital to reduce reported hospital-acquired Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) rates. We introduced diagnostic stewardship and provider education, resulting in a 2-fold reduction in C. difficile nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) orders and markedly lower hospital CDI rate.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:734–736
Mixed Conformable Fractional Approximation Using Positive Sublinear Operators

Here we consider the approximation of functions by positive sublinear operators with applications to a large variety of Max-Product operators under mixed conformable fractional differentiability. These are examples of positive sublinear operators. Our study is based on our general results about positive sublinear operators. We produce Jackson type inequalities under mixed conformable related basic initial conditions. So our approach is quantitative by producing inequalities with their right hand sides involving the modulus of continuity of a high order mixed conformable fractional derivative of the function under approximation. It follows Anastassiou, (Mixed Conformable Fractional Approximation by Sublinear Operators, 2017), [3]).
Word expansion supports POSIX shell interactivity

The POSIX shell is the standard tool to deploy, control, and maintain systems of all kinds; the shell is used on a sliding scale from one-off commands in an interactive mode all the way to complex scripts managing, e.g., system boot sequences. For all of its utility, the POSIX shell is feared and maligned as a programming language: the shell is feared because of its incredible power, where a single command can destroy not just local but also remote systems; the shell is maligned because its semantics are non-standard, using word expansion where other languages would use evaluation. I conjecture that word expansion is in fact an essential piece of the POSIX shell’s interactivity; word expansion is well adapted to the shell’s use cases and contributes critically to the shell’s interactive feel.
Plato, Democracy, and the Problem of Normative Expertise

This paper examines Plato's understanding of political authority and its relation to care, focusing primarily on his last and longest dialogue, the Laws. I argue that Plato’s application of the concept of care to political life contains a number of insights and important provocations that are deeply relevant for thinking about political authority today. According to Plato, the purpose of politics is to promote what is best for us, and what is best is potentially the object of knowledge. But in the Laws it becomes clear that insuperable difficulties confront attempts to institutionalize this in any straightforward way. Though strict justice would require the rule of the wise, deviations from strict justice are required owing to the absence of complete wisdom and the necessity of promoting political friendship. For this reason, the regime described in the Laws replaces the unaccountable rule of philosopher-kings, called for in the Republic, with elected magistrates and the rule of the law. Despite this shift, Plato does not abandon his commitment to caring for the souls of citizens, nor his conviction that individuals are not equally adept at providing such care. The Laws does its best to develop a system of authority capable of reconciling the need for expertise with the formal, political equality of citizens, and in so doing contributes to our understanding of the role normative expertise -- here defined as the capacity to reach substantively correct conclusions about the good and the right -- plays and ought to play in modern representative democracies.
Efficacy of Cell Phones within Instructional Design: A Professor's Perspective.

Through qualitative measures, this article seeks to explore the efficacy of cell phones within college-level instructional design specifically through the eyes of the professor. Three main themes e...
An automated model reduction tool to guide the design and analysis of synthetic biological circuits

Abstract We present an automated model reduction algorithm that uses quasi-steady state approximation based reduction to minimize the error between the desired outputs. Additionally, the algorithm minimizes the sensitivity of the error with respect to parameters to ensure robust performance of the reduced model in the presence of parametric uncertainties. We develop the theory for this model reduction algorithm and present the implementation of the algorithm that can be used to perform model reduction of given SBML models. To demonstrate the utility of this algorithm, we consider the design of a synthetic biological circuit to control the population density and composition of a consortium consisting of two different cell strains. We show how the model reduction algorithm can be used to guide the design and analysis of this circuit.
EWS-FLI1 low Ewing sarcoma cells demonstrate decreased susceptibility to T-cell-mediated tumor cell apoptosis

Metastatic and relapsed Ewing sarcoma typically afflicts the adolescent population and is largely fatal. These bone tumors are most commonly driven by the fusion oncoprotein EWS-FLI1. Ewing tumors demonstrate significant intra-tumoral heterogeneity, and individual tumor cells can express highly variable and dynamic levels of EWS-FLI1. Recent studies revealed that the EWS-FLI1 oncoprotein level (high versus low expression) greatly influences the behavior of Ewing tumor cells. As compared to cells with high EWS-FLI1, Ewing cells in the EWS-FLI1 low state demonstrate an increased propensity for metastasis. In light of these observations, we sought to determine how tumor cell EWS-FLI1 level influences the anti-tumor cell immune response. Since ICAM-1, which can promote tumor cell/T-cell interaction and T-cell activation, is highly expressed on EWS-FLI1 low cells, we hypothesized that EWS-FLI1 low cells would be more susceptible to T-cell mediated tumor cell apoptosis as compared to cells with high EWS-FLI1. Unexpectedly, we found that EWS-FLI1 low cells are more resistant to T-cell mediated apoptosis than EWS-FLI1 high cells. We investigated the potential mechanisms by which EWS-FLI1 level might influence the T-cell anti-tumor response, and discovered that low EWS-FLI1 expression results in upregulation of PD-L1 and PD-L2, both important ligands for the PD-1 immune checkpoint receptor on T-cells. We demonstrated that blocking PD-1 results in a greater increase of T-cell mediated killing of EWS-FLI1 low tumor cells as compared to cells with higher EWS-FLI1 expression. Our studies suggest that Ewing cells in the EWS-FLI1 low expression state may serve as a niche of tumor immune-evasion.
AMH and AMHR2 mutations: A spectrum of reproductive phenotypes across vertebrate species.

Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) is a member of the Transforming Growth Factor-β family of secreted signaling proteins. AMH is expressed in Sertoli cells of the fetal and adult testes and granulosa cells of the postnatal ovary. AMH is required for the regression of the Mullerian ducts in mammalian fetuses during male differentiation. AMH signals through its Type II receptor, AMHR2. AMHR2 is expressed in mesenchyme adjacent to the Mullerian ducts, and in Sertoli, Leydig, and granulosa cells. Although AMH and AMHR2 genes have been identified in numerous vertebrate species, spontaneous or engineered mutations or variants have been found or created in only a few mammals and teleost fishes. AMH or AMHR2 mutations in mammals lead to the development of Persistent Mullerian Duct Syndrome (PMDS), a recessive condition in which affected males are fully virilized but retain Mullerian duct-derived tissues, including a uterus and oviducts, and in human and dog, undescended testes. Amh mutant female mice had accelerated ovarian primordial follicle recruitment, suggesting a role for AMH in regulating germ cells. amh and amhr2 mutations have also been experimentally generated in various teleost fishes. Depending on the fish species, loss of AMH signaling results in infertility, germ cell tumors, or male-to-female sex reversal. Here we compare the spectrum of phenotypes caused by AMH and AMHR2 mutations in a variety of vertebrate species. There are both common and unique phenotypes between species, highlighting the range of biological processes regulated by AMH signaling.
Surprising spatiotemporal stability and frequency-independence across multiple fitness peaks driving adaptive radiation in the wild

Abstract The effect of the environment on fitness in natural populations is a fundamental question in evolutionary biology. However, most empirical field studies of fitness do not experimentally manipulate phenotypes or environmental conditions and rarely investigate more than a single species or population. Thus, the relative importance of the competitive environment versus intrinsic organismal performance in shaping the location, height, and fluidity of fitness peaks on the adaptive landscape remains largely unknown. We experimentally tested the effect of competitive environment on a multi-peak fitness landscape driving a microendemic adaptive radiation of generalist and trophic specialist pupfishes on San Salvador Island, Bahamas. We manipulated phenotypes, by generating lab-reared hybrid crosses, and competitive environment, by altering the frequency of rare phenotypes within field enclosures in their natural hypersaline lake environments on San Salvador. We tracked the growth and survival of 2,611 F4/F5 hybrids for 3 to 11 months in high- and low-frequency treatments replicated across two lake populations. We found strong evidence for frequency-dependent growth rates within and between enclosures, but no evidence for frequency-dependent survival differences. However, both fitness proxies supported a complex fitness landscape isolating generalist phenotypes on a local fitness peak separated by a small fitness valley from a higher fitness peak for molluscivores and a large fitness valley isolating the scale-eating phenotype in all trait dimensions. The striking consistency of this multi-peak fitness landscape across competitive environments, multivariate trait axes, and a previous field experiment provides experimental evidence for stasis, possibly due to fixed biomechanical constraints on organismal performance. These results challenge existing theory and highlight the interplay of organism and environment underlying the static and dynamic features of fitness landscapes.
Tensor methods for the Boltzmann-BGK equation

Abstract We present a tensor-decomposition method to solve the Boltzmann transport equation (BTE) in the Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook approximation. The method represents the six-dimensional BTE as a set of six one-dimensional problems, which are solved with the alternating least-squares algorithm and the discrete Fourier transform at N collocation points. We use this method to predict the equilibrium distribution (steady-state simulation) and a non-equilibrium distribution returning to the equilibrium (transient simulation). Our numerical experiments demonstrate N log ⁡ N scaling. Unlike many BTE-specific numerical techniques, the numerical tensor-decomposition method we propose is a general technique that can be applied to other high-dimensional systems.
Early aspects of locoweed toxicosis and evaluation of a mineral supplement or clinoptilolite as dietary treatments.

Sixteen crossbred beef heifers were used to determine the efficacy of serum clinical profiles as diagnostic tools for detection of early stages of locoweed toxicity and to test the ability of two mineral supplements for prevention or therapy of toxicosis. Dietary treatments were (DM basis) 1) 100% sorghum sudangrass hay, 2) 80% sorghum sudangrass hay:20% locoweed, 3) 80% sorghum sudangrass hay:20% locoweed plus 100 g of Silent Herder Mineral Mix (a mineral supplement reported to alleviate locoweed toxicity), and 4) 80% sorghum sudangrass hay:20% locoweed plus 100 g of clinoptilolite (a natural zeolite clay). Diets were fed at 1.5% of BW for 28 d, after which heifers had ad libitum access to sorghum sudangrass hay for 14 d. Jugular blood was sampled before feeding every 7 d, and at 2, 4, 6, and 8 h after feeding on d 28. Compared with controls, heifers fed locoweed had elevated (P less than .01) serum alkaline phosphatase activities from d 7 through 35. On d 42, alkaline phosphatase activities in heifers previously fed locoweed were lower (P less than .05) than in control heifers. Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase activities were elevated (P less than .01) in heifers fed locoweed from d 7 through 42 compared with control heifers. In heifers fed locoweed, serum Fe concentrations were less (P less than .01) on d 7 through 28, but no treatment effects were noted (P greater than .10) on d 35 or 42.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Image denoising for electron beam metrology

As feature dimensions shrink, the need for rapid inspection of resist becomes ever more important. This is particularly true in the EUV regime, where concerns over stochastic failures require the measurement of millions of printed features in order to assess defect frequency. Making these measurements on resist-coated wafers represents a distinct challenge, as the optical scattering cross section of thin EUV resist necessitates the use of scanning electron probes, which are intrinsically slow due to the relatively small area probed per unit time. Thus, it is desirable to scan as rapidly as possible. However, owing to electronic and shot noise in the electron microscope, these methods are themselves subject to stochastic effects, producing noisy readouts. These imaging stochastics cloud accurate metrology of the underlying pattern, in particular the ability to accurately and reproducibly extract metrics such as LER, LWR, PSDs, etc. In this study, we examine several strategies to “denoise” micrographs, with an eye towards recovering the true roughness characteristics of the underlying feature. To that end, we first perform 3D stochastic simulations of photoresist materials using the Multivariate Poisson Propagation Model. Then, scanning electron probe images of these resist “samples” are simulated using a rigorous model. Noise is then be added to these images consistent with assumed electronic and shot noise characteristics of an electron beam scanner. Finally, we apply a neural net approach to denoising the images, with a comparison to standard linear filters. The quality of the denoiser is assessed with respect to accurate recovery of the true LER, LWR, and power spectral characteristics of the original micrograph.
Synthesis of large-area MoS2 films by plasma-enhanced chemical film conversion of solution-processed ammonium tetrathiomolybdate

The synthesis of large-area molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) films is desired for many emerging electronic and optical applications. A typical approach is to deposit films from vapor-phase precursors either by thermal- or plasma-activated chemistry. Here, we show that MoS2 films exhibiting excellent crystallinity and smooth surfaces are produced by plasma conversion of solution-deposited precursor films. Films containing a single-source precursor for MoS2, ammonium tetrathiomolybdate, were spin coated and converted by an atmospheric-pressure dielectric barrier discharge with substrate heating at 500 °C. X-ray diffraction and micro-Raman spectroscopy show that the plasma is necessary to successfully convert the precursor to MoS2. Further enhancements in the crystallinity and surface roughness were obtained by annealing the films, as revealed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Insights into the role of the plasma were provided by AFM characterization and a “plasma-trigger” experiment, which suggest that a nanocone surface morphology facilitates the growth of the films.
Novel sensitivity method for evaluating the first derivative of the feed-forward neural network outputs

Evaluating the exact first derivative of a feedforward neural network (FFNN) output with respect to the input feature is pivotal for performing the sensitivity analysis of the trained neural network with respect to the inputs. In this paper, a novel method is presented that computes the analytical quality first derivative of a trained feedforward neural network output with respect to the input features without the need for backpropagation. To this end, the complex step derivative approximation is illustrated, and its implementation in the framework of the feedforward neural network is described. Artificial datasets are generated, and the efficacy of the proposed method for both regression and classification tasks is demonstrated. The results obtained for the regression task indicated that the proposed method is capable of obtaining analytical quality derivatives, and in the case of the classification task, the least relevant features could be identified.
Characterization of a novel transitional group Rickettsia species (Rickettsia tillamookensis sp. nov.) from the western black-legged tick, Ixodes pacificus.

A previously unrecognized Rickettsia species was isolated in 1976 from a pool of Ixodes pacificus ticks collected in 1967 from Tillamook County, Oregon, USA. The isolate produced low fever and mild scrotal oedema following intraperitoneal injection into male guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus). Subsequent serotyping characterized this isolate as distinct from recognized typhus and spotted fever group Rickettsia species; nonetheless, the isolate remained unevaluated by molecular techniques and was not identified to species level for the subsequent 30 years. Ixodes pacificus is the most frequently identified human-biting tick in the western United States, and as such, formal identification and characterization of this potentially pathogenic Rickettsia species is warranted. Whole-genome sequencing of the Tillamook isolate revealed a genome 1.43 Mbp in size with 32.4 mol% G+C content. Maximum-likelihood phylogeny of core proteins places it in the transitional group of Rickettsia basal to both Rickettsia felis and Rickettsia asembonensis. It is distinct from existing named species, with maximum average nucleotide identity of 95.1% to R. asembonensis and maximum digital DNA-DNA hybridization score similarity to R. felis at 80.1%. The closest similarity at the 16S rRNA gene (97.9%) and sca4 (97.5%/97.6% respectively) is to Candidatus 'Rickettsia senegalensis' and Rickettsia sp. cf9, both isolated from cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis). We characterized growth at various temperatures and in multiple cell lines. The Tillamook isolate grows aerobically in Vero E6, RF/6A and DH82 cells, and growth is rapid at 28 °C and 32 °C. Using accepted genomic criteria, we propose the name Rickettsia tillamookensis sp. nov., with the type strain Tillamook 23. Strain Tillamook 23 is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Rickettsial Isolate Reference Collection (WDCM 1093), Atlanta, GA, USA (CRIRC accession number RTI001T) and the Collection de Souches de l'Unite des Rickettsies (WDCM 875), Marseille, France (CSUR accession number R5043). Using accepted genomic criteria, we propose the name Rickettsia tillamookensis sp. nov., with the type strain Tillamook 23 (=CRIRC RTI001=R5043).
Speech Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Integrative Review of Auditory Neurophysiology Findings.

Purpose Investigations into the nature of communication disorders in autistic individuals increasingly evaluate neural responses to speech stimuli. This integrative review aimed to consolidate the ...
The Shadow Open Market Committee: Origins and Operations

Other articles from the conference discuss Anna Schwartz's many achievements and contributions to theory and policy in her long career as an economist and economic historian. Anna's interest in better policy is shown, also, by her work with the Shadow Open Market Committee. She was a charter member who remains on the Committee. We have worked there together for more than 25 years. This article tells of the origin and some of the workings of the Shadow Committee.
Metal Forming, Shaping, and Casting

Metal-forming processes use a remarkable property of metals and their ability to flow plastically in the solid state without concurrent deterioration of properties. Metal-forming processes are classified into two categories: hot-working processes and cold-working processes. Some of the hot-working processes that are of major importance in modern manufacturing are: rolling, forging, extrusion and upsetting, pipe welding and piercing. The major cold-working operations can be classified basically under the headings of squeezing, bending, shearing, and drawing. Metal casting provides versatility and flexibility that have maintained casting position as a primary production method for machine elements. Some of the most common molding processes discussed are: injection molding, coinjection molding, expandable-bead molding, and blow molding. In powder metallurgy (PM), fine metal powders are pressed into a desired shape, usually in a metal die and under high pressure, and the compacted powder is then heated (sintered), with a protective atmosphere. Keywords: cold-working operations; hot-working processes; metal casting; metal-forming processes; molding processes; powder metallurgy (PM)
Virtue epistemology and tacit cognitive processes in high-grade knowledge

Duncan Pritchard has recently argued that a certain brand of virtue epistemology, known as “virtue responsibilism”, cannot account for knowledge acquired through the use of tacit reasoning processes. I defend virtue responsiblism by showing that Pritchard's charge is founded on a mischaracterization of the view. Contra Pritchard, responsibilists do not demand that agents have complete access to the grounds for their beliefs in order to know. A closer examination of prominent accounts of virtue responsiblism, including Zagzebski's and Hookway's, reveals that the accessibility requirement is much weaker than Pritchard presumes. Zagzebski maintains that it is only intellectually virtuous motivations which drive the agent to adopt truth-conducive procedures and habits that must be accessible, rendering the agent responsible for her belief. Hookway writes that agents may display virtue not by actively monitoring or accessing each step of their deliberation, but by allowing deeply embedded intellectual traits t...
The autophagic response to nutrient deprivation in the hl-1 cardiac myocyte is modulated by Bcl-2 and sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium stores

Macroautophagy is a vital process in the cardiac myocyte: it plays a protective role in the response to ischemic injury, and chronic perturbation is causative in heart disease. Recent findings evidence a link between the apoptotic and autophagic pathways through the interaction of the antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL with Beclin 1. However, the nature of the interaction, either in promoting or blocking autophagy, remains unclear. Here, using a highly sensitive, macroautophagy-specific flux assay allowing for the distinction between enhanced autophagosome production and suppressed autophagosome degradation, we investigated the control of Beclin 1 and Bcl-2 on nutrient deprivation-activated macroautophagy. We found that in HL-1 cardiac myocytes the relationship between Beclin 1 and Bcl-2 is subtle: Beclin 1 mutant lacking the Bcl-2-binding domain significantly reduced autophagic activity, indicating that Beclin 1-mediated autophagy required an interaction with Bcl-2. Overexpression of Bcl-2 had no effect on the autophagic response to nutrient deprivation; however, targeting Bcl-2 to the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum (S/ER) significantly suppressed autophagy. The suppressive effect of S/ER-targeted Bcl-2 was in part due to the depletion of S/ER calcium stores. Intracellular scavenging of calcium by BAPTA-AM significantly blocked autophagy, and thapsigargin, an inhibitor of sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase, reduced autophagic activity by approximately 50%. In cells expressing Bcl-2-ER, thapsigargin maximally reduced autophagic flux. Thus, our results demonstrate that Bcl-2 negatively regulated the autophagic response at the level of S/ER calcium content rather than via direct interaction with Beclin 1. Moreover, we identify calcium homeostasis as an essential component of the autophagic response to nutrient deprivation.
Analysis and test of a electromagnetic linear position sensor

In this paper, we describe a new magnetic linear position sensor. It relies on change of magnetic flux distribution due to the linear displacement of an AC electromagnetic coil. The correlation between the measured induced voltage on the search coils and the linear displacement of the latter is found and analyzed.
Developments in the Theory of Nonlinear First-Order Partial Differential Equations

Publisher Summary There has been a substantial development of the theory of scalar, nonlinear, and first-order partial differential equations in the past two years. This chapter discusses the development in the theory of nonlinear first-order partial differential equations. The chapter describes the initial boundary value problem (IBVP) where uniqueness results are also discussed. Approximation and representation of the solutions are also presented in the chapter. The chapter presents the notions of solutions and uniqueness. The existence theory for viscosity solutions of IBVP and boundary value problem (BVP) is much more a continuation of the existence theory that predates the notion of viscosity solutions than the corresponding uniqueness theory is a continuation of more classical results. The chapter reviews the relationship between the notion of a viscosity solution and control theory in the simplest possible case. It considers a finite horizon control problem without the boundary conditions and formulates two typical theorems. The chapter introduces the Hamilton–Jacobi equations that are classically derived in the closely related areas of the calculus of variations, optimal control theory.
Differential Effects of Penicillin Binding Protein Deletion on the Susceptibility of Enterococcus faecium to Cationic Peptide Antibiotics

Beta-lactam antibiotics sensitize Enterococcus faecium to killing by endogenous antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) of the innate immune system and daptomycin through mechanisms yet to be elucidated. It has been speculated that beta-lactam inactivation of select E. faecium penicillin binding proteins (PBPs) may play a pivotal role in this sensitization process. To characterize the specific PBP inactivation that may be responsible for these phenotypes, we utilized a previously characterized set of E. faecium PBP knockout mutants to determine the effects of such mutations on the activity of daptomycin and the AMP human cathelicidin (LL-37). Enhanced susceptibility to daptomycin was dependent more on a cumulative effect of multiple PBP deletions than on inactivation of any single specific PBP. Selective knockout of PBPZ rendered E. faecium more vulnerable to killing by both recombinant LL-37 and human neutrophils, which produce the antimicrobial peptide in high quantities. Pharmacotherapy targeting multiple PBPs may be used as adjunctive therapy with daptomycin to treat difficult E. faecium infections.
Anion and Carboxylic Acid Binding to Monotopic and Ditopic Amidopyridine Macrocycles

Binding of inorganic anions, carboxylic acids, and tetraalkylammonium carboxylates by macrocyclic compounds of different size was studied by NMR in DMSO-d6. It has been shown that at least a 15-membered ring is necessary for successful recognition of fluoride. Larger macrocycles were shown to bind HSO4−, H2PO4−, Cl−, and carboxylic acid salts. Effects of binding topicity are discussed. The 30-membered macrocycles 4 and 4m selectively bind substrates that are size- and shape-complementary: maximum binding is observed for dicarboxylic acids and dicarboxylates with four-carbon chains, and the binding constant for association of fumaric acid and 4 is ca. 5 orders of magnitude higher than that of maleic acid. The 30-membered macrocycle 4m showed selectivity toward α-ketocarboxylic acids. Secondary amino groups were not crucial for binding of fluoride to the macrocycles; however, they proved to be very important for selectivity and strength of carboxylic acid binding. The X-ray structure of the adduct of 4 and ...
Direct injection supersonic cluster beam source for FT‐ICR studies of clusters

A miniaturized pulsed supersonic beam source has been developed using laser vaporization of a computer‐controlled target disk, producing intense beams of cluster ions with excellent repeatability and control. Due to its small size and narrow pulse width, the entire source is adequately pumped by a single 170 l /s turbopump. The resultant vacuum quality permits this source to be attached to a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance apparatus (FT‐ICR) such that the supersonic cluster ion beam is directly injected. The result is a powerful but simple FT‐ICR instrument of wide applicability. The new source is suited as well for a variety of other uses such as molecular beam epitaxy.
The effect of low density gas breathing on vesicular lung sounds.

Abstract Turbulent airflow (largely gas density dependent) in larger airways is believed by many lung sound researchers to be teh mechanism responsible for the generation of vesicular lung sounds. To test the validity of this concept, we measured the amplitude of lung and tracheal sounds of 6 subjects alternately breathing air and low density gas mixture (80% helium, 20% oxygen: HeO 2 ). Lung sounds were recorded from 3 chest wall sites: Anterior right upper lobe (RUL), posterior and posterolateral right lower lobe (RLL), and a site over the proximal trachea below the larynx. The subjects rebreathed into an electronic spirometer filled with the test gas, and achieved a peak inspiratory and expiratory airflow of 2–2.5 L/sec. Lung sound amplitude was determined by an automated, flow-corrected measurement procedure. The mean decrease in sound amplitude when breathing HeO 2 compared to air was: trachea, inspiration 44%; trachea, expiration 45%; RUL, inspiration 13%; RUL, expiration 25%; RLL, inspiration 15% (expiration at the RLL was too quiet to record). Cross-correlation and frequency analyses of teh sounds recorded at the two RLL sites on both test gases revealed no consistent change in frequency or time relationships, indicating absence of effect of gas density on sound transmission between the sound generating airways and chest wall. These data suggest that the mechanism of production of the inspiratory vesicular lung sound is not simply turbulent airflow but some other relatively gas density independent mechanism. The tracheal and expiratory lung sounds do appear to be produced by a more density dependent turbulent mechanism.
Synthesis of 1,5‐dideazariboflavin

1,5-Dideazariboflavin, an analog of riboflavin containing the original conjugated double bond system between positions 1 and 5, was synthesized by the condensation of 4,5-dimethyl- N-ribitylanthranilaldehyde and the sodium salt of 2,4,6-piperidinetrione.
Evolution of Arctic sea ice concentration trends and the role of atmospheric circulation forcing, 1979–2007

[1] The retreat of Arctic sea ice in recent decades is a pre-eminent signal of climate change. What role has the atmospheric circulation played in driving the sea ice decline? To address this question, we document the evolution of Arctic sea ice concentration trends during the period January 1979–April 2007 in light of changing atmospheric circulation conditions, in particular an upward trend in the wintertime Northern Annular Mode during the first half of the record and a downward trend during the second half. The results indicate that concurrent atmospheric circulation trends contribute to forcing winter and summer sea ice concentration trends in many parts of the marginal ice zone during both periods. However, there is also an emerging signal of overall Arctic sea ice decline since 1979 in both winter and summer that is not directly attributable to a trend in the overlying atmospheric circulation.
Integrated Modeling for Launch System Architecture Optimization

In a world of increasing competition and declining government space budgets, the emphasis in new launch system design has shifted from performance optimization to cost reduction. Architects making complex launch system design decisions are handicapped by the unavailability of analytical tools that provide an integrated life cycle cost analysis that quantifies the impact of design decisions. Vehicle performance, operational efficiency, reliability and ground system design all have a major effect on cost. This paper focuses on a research effort to integrate 6 separate models developed at The Aerospace Corporation to provide an integrated launch system assessment capability. The impact on the system architecting process will be discussed as well as the ability to identify and prioritize necessary design enhancements or new technologies.
Penetrating wounds of the thorax

While penetrating wounds of the thorax are rather uncommon in The Netherlands, they are frequently encountered in the emergency centres of the United States. Thoracic wall penetration may occur during times of warfare, during social altercations or as a result of industrial accidents. In civilian practice, such wounds are most often the result of injury with guns, knives or other sharp objects. Patients with penetrating thoracic wounds should be expeditiously transported to a trauma centre. Pre-hospital intravenous fluids, pleural decompression and anti-shock garments are contraindicated. On arrival in the emergency room, establishment of a patent airway, administration of intravenous fluids, pleural decompression and early X-ray examination of the chest are mandatory.
Reply to “Anaerobic Thioglycolate Broth Culture for Recovery of Propionibacterium acnes from Shoulder Tissue and Fluid Specimens”

It is with great interest that we read the letter by Shannon et al. ([1][1]) describing improved time to detection of Propionibacterium acnes from orthopedic periprosthetic tissue and fluid specimens using anaerobic thioglycolate broth. Previous studies ([2][2], [3][3]), including our own recent
A monolithic scan-line bit producer for real-time image rasterization

Abstract This paper presents the design and implementation on a single chip of a special purpose circuit used for real-time data rasterization based on the scan-line algorithm. The chip functions as a peripheral to the processor that runs the scan-line algorithm and, under processor control, produces the bit patterns to be stored in a bit-map memory. Utilization of the chip allows the processor to perform just a “write” operation, instead of a “read-modify-write” operation, for every scan-line of data. This results in substantial performance improvement in the application of the scan-line algorithm for data rasterization. The circuit has been implemented in 3μ CMOS technology, and its function was demonstrated with up to 15 MHz of throughput. The design allows the interconnection of many chips to facilitate applications with scan-lines of any size. The throughput, however, remains constant at 15 MHz, independent of the scan-line size.
A counting process approach to the regression analysis of grouped survival data

Abstract A weighted least squares estimator is used to estimate the hazard functions in Aalen's additive risk model from grouped (and possibly censored) survival data. Counting process techniques are applied to derive a functional central limit theorem for the integrated estimator.
CHEMICALLY MEDIATED PREDATOR AVOIDANCE IN THE BARTON SPRINGS SALAMANDER (EURYCEA SOSORUM)

Predation is a dominant and influential factor in most ecological communities. However, little is known about how the federally endangered Barton Springs Salamander, Eurycea sosorum, responds to predators. Using captive-hatched (predator-nasalamanders, we examined the antipredator response of E. sosorum to chemical cues from (1) native Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), (2) introduced Redbreast Sunfish (Lepomis auritus), (3) native Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides), and (4) a blank water control. Salamanders decreased activity (antipredator behavior) in response to all fish treatments but not to the blank water control. There was no difference between the response to the G. affinis and L. auritus, but salamanders responded less to these treatments than to M. salmoides. The antipredator response to G. affinis may be an ontogenetic hold over as G. affinis has been found to consume amphibian larvae and eggs. In an additional study to test whether antipredator behavior was a generalized response to all fish species, we found that E. sosorum did not respond to small, nonnative, nonpredatory Guppies (Poecilia reticulata). This suggests that the observed behavior in our first experiment represents antipredator behavior specific to the species tested. Overall, these results indicate that E. sosorum has innate recognition of predatory fish, and that the stronger antipredator response to M. salmoides over the other fish species may be an outcome of risk assessment. The antipredator response to G. affinis has management implications as G. affinis is sympatric with the largest population of E. sosorum, and may be consuming both eggs and larvae of these salamanders.
Hydrogen and carbon isotopic ratios of the cellulose nitrate and saponifiable lipid fractions prepared from annual growth rings of a California redwood

The D/H and ^(13)C/^(12)C C ratios of the cellulose nitrate and saponifiable lipid fractions prepared from eleven annual growth rings of a California redwood were determined. The D/H ratios of the two fractions are related to one another for the annual rings in the sapwood portion of the tree, but not for those in the heartwood or in the wood undergoing the transition from sapwood to heartwood. No relationship was observed between the ^(13)C/^(12)C ratios of the two fractions. These results suggest that analysis of the hydrogen isotopic composition of the saponifiable lipid fractions in plants will provide information useful for climatic reconstruction provided the initial isotopic record has not been changed by subsequent physiological or diagenetic processes.
Environmental impacts of dryland residue management systems in the Southern High Plains

Increased use of agricultural chemicals with no-tillage (NT) may negatively impact the environment through chemical or nutrient loss in runoff or by leaching below the root zone. We compared environmental impacts of NT and the lower chemical input stubble mulch (SM) management methods for dryland crop production on a clay loam soil in a semiarid environment. We measured runoff volume and sediment, nutrient, and triazine concentrations in runoff for 9 yr from seven field-sized watersheds (2-5 ha each) cropped in a dryland winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]-fallow sequence with SM or NT management with no N or P fertilizer added. We analyzed soil cores to a 6-m depth for NO 3 - -N and to a 3-m depth for atrazine and propazine content. Adoption of NT management reduced sediment loss by 54% compared with SM, although annual runoff was 15 mm yr -1 greater from NT. Nutrient concentrations and losses (NO 3 - -N, NH 4 + -N, TN, soluble P, biologically available P, PT) in runoff were extremely small from both tillage systems (losses <3 kg N and <1 kg P ha -1 yr -1 ) on these unfertilized watersheds. Atrazine [6-chloro-N-ethyl-N'-(1methylethyl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine] did not accumulate in the soil or leach below the root zone. Maximal losses of atrazine and propazine in runoff were 0.26 and 1.5% of total application, respectively. Propazine [6-chloro-N,N'-bis(1-methylethyl]-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine], applied to both NT and SM sorghum when runoff is probable, appears to have a greater potential for negatively impacting the environment under semiarid conditions than does atrazine, which is applied when runoff probability is small. Propazine accumulated in the soil profile but was undetected below 0.6 m. Perhaps the most detrimental impact of adopting NT management was increased leaching of NO 3 - -N to depths below the plant root zone as a result of wetter soil and improved water conservation with NT in the semiarid environment
Oceanography: Future impact of today's choices

Climate change is now occurring, but few people consider how long the effects may last. A study emphasizes the long-term climate effects of present-day emissions.
Ultrasound Imaging of the Menstrual Cycle

The menstrual cycle is nature's repeating preparation for pregnancy. Each month, the uterine lining develops in anticipation of implantation by a fertilized ovum. If this occurs, hormones from the reproductive organs stabilize the vascular tissue of the endometrium which provides an environment for the developing embryo. If the awaited implantation does not occur, the endometrium is sloughed due to a rapid drop in circulating levels of progesterone. This process starts during the early teenage years of a female's development (menarche) and repeats 400-500 times over the next 40 years. Normally, this process is interrupted only by pregnancy; however, other factors can certainly influence both the cycle length, volume, and the duration of each menses. Ultrasound imaging provides a noninvasive method to visualize the internal reproductive organs, the endometrium, and the embryo if implantation occurs. This relatively inexpensive evaluation provides an easy and cost effective method to examine potential problems associated with the female reproductive organs. Advances in computer software and hardware coupled with new ultrasound equipment has provided exciting 3-D and 4-D images that generate near life-like images. In the guiding hand of a trained physician or sonographer, ultrasound enhances diagnostic capability and gives reassurance to the patient.
Dual frequency comb sampling of a quasi-thermal incoherent light source

Dual, coherent frequency combs are used to measure the spectrum of an incoherent, quasi-thermal source through Fourier spectroscopy. The source spectrum is acquired over 1 THz bandwidth with an absolute frequency accuracy set by the combs. Work of the U.S. government, not subject to copyright.
Factors Influencing the Configuration and Conformation of Diamine Chelate Rings in Platinum(II) Compounds: 2,4-Bis(methylamino)pentane Complexes.

Complexes of the type [PtX2(Me2DAP)] (Me2DAP = 2,4-bis(methylamino)pentane) have been prepared and studied by 1H NMR spectroscopy, molecular mechanics/dynamics (MMD) calculations, and X-ray crystal...
Provision of a pure local public good in a spatial model with many jurisdictions

Abstract This paper examines the provision of a pure local public good in jurisdictions that are spaced evenly along an infinite line. Each jurisdiction either supplies the local public good, or else its residents travel to another jurisdiction to consume the local public good. The equilibrium spacing between jurisdictions which supply the local public good, which can be uneven (varying between a minimum spacing and a maximum spacing for given exogenous parameters), can be greater than, equal to, or less than the socially optimal spacing.
Export and economic growth: Further time series evidence from less-developed countries

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of export-growth linkage in India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand on the basis of time series data from 1973 to 1993. The empirical results indicate that exports have a positive and significant impact on economic growth when a country has achieved some level of economic development. The result also signifies the importance of liberal market policies by pursuing export expansion strategies and by attracting foreign investments.
Photooxidative changes of lysozyme with 337.1 nm laser radiation

Initial photoinduced oxidative changes in the protein lysozyme were studied using the 337.1 nm radiation from a pulsed nitrogen laser without exogenous sensitizing compounds. Irradiation of lysozyme and tryptophan in aerated solution results in the temperature and solvent dependent loss of tryptophan absorption and fluorescence, and the appearance of fluorescent “daughter products,” primarily N-formyl-kynurenine and kynurenine. Exposures that resulted in 15% loss of tryptophan fluorescence produced no measurable loss in enzymatic activity. Fluorescence quenching experiments on irradiated lysozyme at low conversion percentage suggest that an exposed residue (Trp-62) is favored as an initial target of attack.
Characterization of metal oxide nanofilm morphologies and composition by terahertz transmission spectroscopy

An all-optical terahertz absorption technique for nondestructive characterization of nanometer-scale metal oxide thin films grown on silicon substrates is described. Example measurements of laser-deposited TiO2 and atomic layer-deposited films of HfO2 are presented to demonstrate applicability to pure Y2O3, Al2O3, and VOx and mixed combinatorial films as a function of deposition conditions and thickness. This technique is also found to be sensitive to HfO2 phonon modes in films with a nominal thickness of 5 nm.