cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Irreversible aggregation of recombinant bovine granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (bG-CSF) and implications for predicting protein shelf life

Abstract The kinetics of irreversible aggregation of bovine Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor (bG-CSF) in solution were investigated as a function of temperature ( T ), concentration, and pH, and analyzed in terms of an Extended Lumry-Eyring model of protein aggregation proceeding via a non-native conformational state. In the spirit of classic Lumry-Eyring models, the observed kinetics are separated into contributions from thermodynamic or conformational stability of unaggregated native and non-native states, and the intrinsic aggregation kinetics of non-native molecules. It is found that a detailed treatment of the intrinsic kinetics coupled with a two-state approximation of the reversible unfolding transition is sufficient to allow quantitative prediction of low- T stability from high- T data despite highly non-Arrhenius kinetics. Accounting for shifts in conformational equilibrium quantitatively captures the non-Arrhenius T dependence, without requiring the assumption of a change in the rate-determining step with T . From a more general perspective, the observed aggregation behavior of bG-CSF is consistent with the rate-determining step being aggregation at T below a crossover temperature T x that is inversely related to initial protein concentration. Above T x , irreversible unfolding is presumably the rate-determining step. The results illustrate that protein aggregation kinetics can, in principle, be predicted quantitatively from so-called accelerated data provided the thermodynamic and kinetic components can be separately extrapolated to longer term storage conditions.
Comparison of Serum Digoxin Level Measurement with Acetyl Strophanthidin Tolerance Testing

Serum digoxin levels (SDL) were compared with tolerance for the rapidly acting cardiac aglycone, acetyl strophanthidin (AS). AS titration tests were performed on 133 patients with diverse cardiac disorders. All were receiving maintenance digoxin. Both exquisite AS sensitivity and tolerance for a 1.0 mg AS were associated with a wide range of SDL values. Concordance and discordance between the two methods in assessing degree of digitalization were evaluated by considering SDL of 1.4 ng/ml to be the mean value for patients without glycoside-induced cardiac arrhythmia. An SDL of 1.4 ng/ml with sensitivity to 1.0 mg AS or less constituted concordant responses. An SDL of 1.4 ng/ml with tolerance for 1.0 mg AS comprised discordant responses. In 60 of 144 (42%) AS titrations discordant results were observed. Severe pulmonic, coronary, and aortic valvular heart disease, as well as old age, contributed to unusual AS sensitivity. Titration with AS clarified pharmacologic quantification of SDL by providing insight into optimum therapeutic glycoside dose.
Perioperative interventions to decrease transfusion of allogeneic blood products.

Objective To discuss some of the many options available for decreasing perioperative transfusion of allogeneic blood products. Design We review the issues that focus on the goal of developing an appropriate transfusion strategy in consideration of the individual patient's preexisting conditions, physiologic requirements, perioperative stress, and coagulation status. Results Increased awareness of transfusion-related morbidity from allogeneic blood products has resulted in increased development and application of alternatives to allogeneic transfusion. Preoperative donation and perioperative collection of autologous blood and blood products decrease exposure to allogeneic blood. Pharmacologic agents, such as antifibrinolytics, may also decrease the need for allogeneic transfusion. Perioperative use of laboratory tests of coagulation function facilitates the rapid and specific diagnosis of coagulation disorders. Conclusion Physicians now have considerable appreciation of the risks and benefits of blood product transfusion. This knowledge has resulted in conservative and scientific approaches to therapy for perioperative bleeding and coagulopathy.
Fasting urinary calcium and adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate: a discriminant analysis for the identification of renal and absorptive hypercalciurias.

Abstract Fasting urinary calcium and cAMP were determined in 45 control subjects, 51 patients with absorptive hypercalciuria, and 20 patients with renal hypercalciuria. The mean fasting urinary Ca was significantly higher in absorptive hypercalciuria than in the control group [0.077 ± 0.026 vs. 0.053 ± 0.027 (SD) mg/100 ml glomerular filtration (GF); P < 0.001]. Although the mean fasting urinary Ca of 0.174 ± 0.060 mg/100 ml GF and the value for cAMP in renal hypercalciuria were both significantly higher than those in other groups, the individual values for fasting urinary cAMP overlapped widely into the ranges found in the control and absorptive hypercalciuria groups. In the control group, fasting urinary calcium was inversely correlated with fasting urinary cAMP (P < 0.05). Values in absorptive hypercalciuria were within 2 SES of estimate for the control group, though they were higher in calcium and lower in cAMP. When the contribution of absorbed calcium was reduced by prior administration of sodium ce...
1010-61 Influence of Gender on the Diagnosis of Coronary Artery Disease Using Exercise Thallium-201 SPECT

Previous studies of TI-201 SPECT for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) have not examined the influence of gender on the accuracy of the test. We examined the results of TI-201 in 567 pts (403 men, 164 women) who underwent exercise TI-201 SPECT and coronary angiography. All pts exercised maximally, with TI-201 injection 1 min prior to the completion of exercise. SPECT was obtained using a 2- or 3-headed camera, obtaining images within 10 minutes of stress and 4 h later. Using a 24 segment model, perfusion defects were identified by the reduction of regional activity g20% below maximal (g30% in inferior and posterior segments); reversibility was identified by g 15% increase of counts in the redistribution image. Two-dimensional echocardiograms were available in 163 pts (including 83 women), with measurements of left ventricular (LV) dimensions and calculation of LV mass using the Penn convention. Significant CAD (n = 324) was defined by stenoses g50% in the left main, g70% in the main coronary vessels; 172 had multivessel (MVD) and 152 had single vessel disease (SVD), with more SVD in women (55% vs 44%, P = NS). The overall sensitivity of exercise TI-201 SPEGT was 74%. The specificity in the 243 pts without CAD was 50% (41% in men, 67% in women), reflecting referral bias to angiography. Among 244 men with CAD, the sensitivity was 79%, compared with 61% in 80 women (p l 0.002). The sensitivity for MVD was 86% in men and women (p = NS). SVD was present in 108 men and 44 women, among whom the sensitivities were 83% and 59% respectively (p l 0.0001). In order to further evaluate the causes of lower exercise TI-201 sensitivity in women, a subgroup of 83 with echocardiographic data were analyzed. Pts with true positive (n = 26) and false negative (n = 18) results demonstrated a similar hemodynamic response to stress, workload, and LV dimensions. Pts with false negative findings had a higher prevalence of single vessel disease (89% vs 23%, P l 0.0001), and technically difficult studies (39% vs 4%, P = 0.01). Conclusion Exercise TI-201 SPECT is effective for the diagnosis of MVD in women, but is less sensitive for the detection of SVD than in men. The lower sensitivity of TI-201 in women does not appear to be explained on the basis of LV dimensions or exercise capacity.
Reovirus μ1 Structural Rearrangements That Mediate Membrane Penetration

Membrane penetration by nonenveloped reoviruses is mediated by the outer-capsid protein, μ1 (76 kDa). Previous evidence has suggested that an autolytic cleavage in μ1 allows the release of its N-terminally myristoylated peptide, μ1N (4 kDa), which probably then interacts with the target-cell membrane. A substantial rearrangement of the remaining portion of μ1, μ1C (72 kDa), must also have occurred for μ1N to be released, and some regions in μ1C may make additional contacts with the membrane. We describe here a particle-free system to study conformational rearrangements of μ1. We show that removal of the protector protein σ3 is not sufficient to trigger rearrangement of free μ1 trimer and that free μ1 trimer undergoes conformational changes similar to those of particle-associated μ1 when induced by similar conditions. The μ1 rearrangements require separation of the μ1 trimer head domains but not the μ1N/C autocleavage. We have also obtained a relatively homogeneous form of the structurally rearranged μ1 (μ1*) in solution. It is an elongated monomer and retains substantial α-helix content. We have identified a protease-resistant ∼23-kDa fragment of μ1*, which contains the largely α-helical regions designated domains I and II in the conformation of μ1 prior to rearrangement. We propose that the μ1 conformational changes preceding membrane penetration or disruption during cell entry involve (i) separation of the β-barrel head domains in the μ1 trimer, (ii) autolytic cleavage at the μ1N/C junction, associated with partial unfolding of μ1C and release of μ1N, and (iii) refolding of the N-terminal helical domains of μ1C, with which μ1N was previously complexed, accompanied by dissociation of the μ1 trimer.
On the asymptotic bias of grenander’s mode estimator

Grenander introduced a direct estimator of the mode for a large class of densities. This note considers a large subclass of these densities for which Grenander’s estimator is asymptotically biased. Some of the distributions from this subclass include the F, gamma, and beta for which asymptotic expressions for the bias are given. To reduce the bias, it is recommended to choose larger values for one of the parameters of the estimator when the underlying distribution is nonsymmetric.
EXPERIMENTATION IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM: GUIDELINES AND SUGGESTED PROCEDURES FOR THE CLASSROOM TEACHER

Learning: Sunburn o r Behavioral Change. Scientists are beginning to develop an image of the optimal learning situation. The teacher may not be surprised to discover that current and traditional pedagogical techniques a re greatly a t variance with this image. Many teachers continue to be burdened with the "sunburn" model of learning. knowledge, light, (and, occasionally, heat) "exposes" students to his ideas; they "soak it up" and, in turn, become "enlightened!' Students who fail to learn a re simply not "sensitive" o r "receptive," they do not "see the light." A newer, more workable model is emerging from current behavioral research, a model that defines learning in terms of a change of behavior. Consider the student who is about to learn French. He does not distinguish properly among French sounds; he does not respond appropriately when addressed in French; he does not produce most French sounds correctly; he cannot read French from a text; and so on. The teacher's task is to modify the student's behavior so that he will hear, understand, speak, and read French. To change the student's behavior from what it is now to what it should be: (1) the student's current behavior must be carefully assessed; (2) the desired terminal behavior must be carefully analyzed; and (3) a program must be set down that will lead in small steps from initial to terminal behavior. Exactly what a re the desired terminal behaviors in language learning? Descriptive linguistics can provide an account of the terminal behavior required for foreign language fluency. How can this terminal behavior best be developed from the initial behavior repertory of the student? Psychology is building the bridge between initial and terminal behavior by specifying programming techniques that will facilitate learning. What role The teacher, prime source of
Joint work and power for both the forelimb and hindlimb during trotting in the horse

The net work of the limbs during constant speed over level ground should be zero. However, the partitioning of negative and positive work between the fore- and hindlimbs of a quadruped is not likely to be equal because the forelimb produces a net braking force while the hindlimb produces a net propulsive force. It was hypothesized that the forelimb would do net negative work while the hindlimb did net positive work during trotting in the horse. Because vertical and horizontal impulses remain unchanged across speeds it was hypothesized that net work of both limbs would be independent of speed. Additionally because the major mass of limb musculature is located proximally, it was hypothesized that proximal joints would do more work than distal joints. Kinetic and kinematic analysis were combined using inverse dynamics to calculate work and power for each joint of horses trotting at between 2.5 and 5.0 m s(-1). Work done by the hindlimb was indeed positive (consistently 0.34 J kg(-1) across all speeds), but, contrary to our hypothesis, net work by the forelimb was essentially zero (but also independent of trotting speed). The zero net work of the forelimb may be the consequence of our not being able to account, experimentally, for the negative work done by the extrinsic muscles connecting the scapula and the thorax. The distal three joints of both limbs behaved elastically with a period of energy absorption followed by energy return. Proximal forelimb joints (elbow and shoulder) did no net work, because there was very little movement of the elbow and shoulder during the portion of stance when an extensor moment was greatest. Of the two proximal hindlimb joints, the hip did positive work during the stride, generating energy almost throughout stance. The knee did some work, but like the forelimb proximal joints, had little movement during the middle of stance when the flexion moment was the greatest, probably serving to allow the efficient transmission of energy from the hip musculature to the ground.
Massive Neutrinos and the Halo Model of Large Scale Structure

Measurements of the linear power spectrum of galaxies have placed tight constraints on neutrino masses. We introduce an extended halo model for the effect of neutrinos in the nonlinear regimes probed by weak lensing.
Endovascular Treatment of Acute Portal Vein Thrombosis Using Ultrasound-Accelerated Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis:

We report a case of extensive acute portal vein thrombosis (PVT) presenting with severe diffuse abdominal pain and impending small bowel infarction. The patient was successfully treated with ultrasound-accelerated catheter-directed thrombolysis (EKOS endowave system; Covidien, Mansfield, Massachusetts), which resulted in prompt recanalization of his portal vein (PV) and its tributaries. The patient eventually had ischemic stricture that necessitated bowel resection. However, we believe that our technique was successful in rapidly restoring the patency of the PV and its tributaries, and therefore, avoiding a life-threatening complication of more extensive bowel infarction. To our knowledge, the use of ultrasound-accelerated thrombolysis in treatment of PVT has not been previously described in the literature.
Muscles antagonize their neighbors' spindles

Because of the practical and ethical problems of experimenting on humans, it is very difficult to directly study the physiology of the intact human nervous system. However, there is one unusual (but safe) method for recording from single neurons in humans. This technique, called microneurography,
Nitric oxide hyperpolarizes rabbit mesenteric arteries via ATP-sensitive potassium channels.

1. Nitric oxide (NO) relaxes vascular smooth muscle (VSM) by mechanisms which are not fully understood. One possibility is that NO hyperpolarizes membranes, thereby diminishing Ca2+ entry through voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels. In the current study, the effects of NO on membrane potential of rabbit mesenteric arteries were recorded using intracellular microelectrodes. 2. NO, released by 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1, 3 microM), reversibly hyperpolarized arteries by -9.5 +/- 4.0 mV (means +/- S.D., n = 97) from a resting membrane potential of -53.1 +/- 5.7 mV. The hyperpolarization was blocked by oxyhaemoglobin (20 microM), and only occurred in arteries pre-treated with N omega-nitro-L-arginine (100 microM) or denuded of endothelium. 3. The effect of SIN-1 was concentration dependent (EC50 approximately 0.4 microM) and its dose response was shifted to the left by zaprinast (100 microM), an inhibitor of cGMP-specific phosphodiesterases. 4. The hyperpolarization due to SIN-1 was modified by changes in extracellular K+ concentration, but not by changes in Ca2+, Na+ or Cl-. The hyperpolarization was blocked by glibenclamide (IC50 approximately 0.15 microM), but not by apamin (3-300 nM), barium (5-150 microM), tetraethylammonium (0.1-10 mM), or 4-aminopyridine (5-500 microM). The hyperpolarization due to lemakalim (0.03-3 microM), an activator of ATP-sensitive potassium channels (KATP), displayed the same sensitivities to these K+ channel blocking agents, whereas the endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor, triggered by the addition of acetylcholine (3 microM), caused a hyperpolarization (-15.3 +/- 6.2 mV) that was blocked by apamin, but not by any other agent. 5. These results suggest that NO hyperpolarizes VSM in rabbit mesenteric arteries by activating KATP channels, with the accumulation of cGMP as an intermediate step.
Shear viscosity coefficient from microscopic models

The transport coefficient of shear viscosity is studied for a hadron matter through microscopic transport model, the ultrarelativistic quantum molecular dynamics (UrQMD), using the Green-Kubo formulas. Molecular-dynamical simulations are performed for a system of light mesons in a box with periodic boundary conditions. Starting from an initial state composed of $\ensuremath{\pi},\ensuremath{\eta},\ensuremath{\omega},\ensuremath{\rho},\ensuremath{\phi}$ with a uniform phase-space distribution, the evolution takes place through elastic collisions, production, and annihilation. The system approaches a stationary state of mesons and their resonances, which is characterized by common temperature. After equilibration, thermodynamic quantities such as the energy density, particle density, and pressure are calculated. From such an equilibrated state the shear viscosity coefficient is calculated from the fluctuations of stress tensor around equilibrium using Green-Kubo relations. We do our simulations here at zero net baryon density so that the equilibration times depend on the energy density. We do not include hadron strings as degrees of freedom so as to maintain detailed balance. Hence we do not get the saturation of temperature but this leads to longer equilibration times.
Deaggregation in Oil-In-Water Emulsions II: Influence of Alcohols and Dioctyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate

The influence of n -butanol, n -hexanol, n -octanol, and dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (AOT) on the deaggregation of a 2 per cent hexadecane-in-water emulsion was studied. It was found that n -butanol did not significantly affect the deaggregation rate, n -hexanol depressed deaggregation rate at higher concentrations, and both n -octanol and AOT were capable of inhibiting deaggregation completely at relatively low concentrations. AOT was observed to depress the rate of deaggregation further than equivalent concentrations of NaCl shown previously. These observations were interpreted as further evidence that both reduction of zeta potential and film-film attractions are important to enhancing aggregation in disperse systems.
Divorced Fathers Parental Role Strain and Psychological Distress

Previous studies show that divorced men exhibit high rates of psychological distress, alcohol abuse, and mortality. Using data from a recent national survey, we consider the possibility that these problems reflect strains associated with being a divorced father. The results show that divorced fathers report substantially higher levels of parental role strain than do married fathers. The data further indicate that the estimated effects of divorce on men's psychological distress levels and alcohol consumption are explained, in part, by higher levels of parental role strain among divorced men. Qualitative data from an in-depth interview study of 45 divorced fathers are examined to consider possible reasons why parenting in the divorced status may be conducive to parental role strain, psychological distress, and alcohol abuse.
Successful Teaching of Pediatric Fluid Management Using Computer Methods

Objectives To identify and measure differences in knowledge of pediatric fluid management procedures between students taught by computer tutorial and others taught by lecture or seminar. Design Cohort analytic study. Setting Two community-based medical school pediatric teaching services. Participants Eighty-nine third-year medical students with no prior pediatric fluid management experience. Interventions Forty-eight students at one community campus completed a microcomputer-based tutorial program that replaced all teaching sessions in pediatric fluid management. Forty-one students from a similar community campus were taught identical content by a pediatric critical care specialist using a seminar, reading material, and handouts. Main Outcome Measures Scores on 2 free-answer problems on treatment of a dehydrated child, which were graded by a single evaluator blinded to the teaching method used, and scores on a 20-item multiple-choice examination. Results The computer instruction group achieved significantly higher test scores than the seminar group for both the multiple-choice examination (81.1% vs 62.2%; P P Conclusions The computer tutorial in fluid therapy has been an effective means of meeting the defined objectives of the pediatric clerkship. Compared with traditional methods, students taught using the computer achieved significantly higher scores on tests of both factual knowledge and practical problem solving.
Susceptibility to mecillinam and other antibiotics and serogroups of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli from children in Addis Ababa

The in-vitro susceptibility of 64 strains of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) was determined for eight antimicrobial agents. The strains were of 27 different O-serogroups of which 078 was the most common. All strains were susceptible to mecillinam, cefoxitin, gentamicin, and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole. Two strains were resistant to ampicillin, 15 to doxycycline, 5 to cephalothin, and 13 to chloramphenicol. No difference was found in the antibiotic susceptibility of ETEC strains producing only heat-labile enterotoxin compared with those producing both heat-labile and heat-stable enterotoxin.
Mexican-Origin Adolescents’ Exploration of a Group Experience

This article provides an overview of a creative and culturally aligned group intervention for adolescents of Mexican origin. Using qualitative methodology, the authors examined multiple adolescents' experiences of participation in the group. The youth indicated that they derived positive meaning overall from activities. Activities cited as most memorable or important included those that allowed peer collaboration in completing a task and those that facilitated discussions of contextually and culturally relevant topics. Implications according to practice and training are included.
Differential expression and regional distribution of aquaporins in amnion of normal and gestational diabetic pregnancies

The region of the amnion overlying the placenta plays an active role in fluid exchange between amniotic fluid and fetal blood perfusing the surface of the placenta, whereas little transfer occurs across the reflected amnion that contacts the membranous chorion. Because aquaporins (AQPs) facilitate rapid movement of water across cells, we hypothesized that AQP gene expression in placental amnion is higher than in reflected amnion. Furthermore, because gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is often associated with polyhydramnios, we hypothesized that amnion AQP gene expression is reduced when amniotic fluid volume is elevated. Human placental and reflected amnion were obtained at cesarean delivery and subjected to relative quantitation of AQP mRNA by real-time RT-qPCR and proteins by western immunoblot. Amnion mRNA levels of five AQPs differed by up to 400-fold (P < 0.001), with AQP1 and AQP3 most abundant, AQP8 least and AQP9 and AQP11 intermediately expressed. Aquaporin proteins showed a similar profile. Aquaporin mRNA abundance was higher (P < 0.001) in placental than reflected amnion, whereas protein levels were lower (P < 0.01). In GDM pregnancies, neither AQP mRNA nor protein levels were different from normal. There was no correlation between AQP mRNA or protein levels with the amniotic fluid index in normal or GDM subjects. We conclude that there is a strong differential expression profile among individual AQPs and between regions of the amnion. These findings suggest differences in contribution of individual AQPs to water transport in the two regions of the amnion. Furthermore, AQP expression in the amnion is not altered in patients with GDM.
Alginate plasma expander maintains perfusion and plasma viscosity during extreme hemodilution.

Extreme hemodilution was performed in the hamster chamber window model using 6% Dextran 70, lowering systemic hematocrit by 60%. Animals were subsequently divided into three groups and hemodiluted ...
Outcomes in lung transplantation after previous lung volume reduction surgery in a contemporary cohort.

Objectives: Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) provides palliation and improved quality of life in select patients with end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The effect of previous LVRS on lung transplant outcomes has been inadequately studied. We report our experience in the largest single institution series of these combined procedures. Methods: The records of 472 patients with COPD undergoing lung transplantation or LVRS between 1995 and 2010 were reviewed. Outcomes of patients undergoing transplant after LVRS were compared with outcomes of patients undergoing transplant or LVRS alone. Survival was compared using log-rank tests and the KaplanMeier method. Results: Demographics, comorbidities, and spirometry were similar at the time of transplantation. Patients who had undergone lung transplant after LVRS had longer transplant operative times (mean 4.4 vs 5.6 hours; P ¼ .020) and greater hospital length of stay (mean 17.6 vs 29.1 days; P ¼.005). Thirty-day mortality and major morbiditywere similar. Posttransplantsurvivalwas reduced for transplant after LVRS (median, 49months; 95% confidence interval [CI], 16, 85 months) compared with transplant alone (median, 96 months; 95% CI, 82, 106 months;P ¼.008). The compositebenefit ofcombined procedures, defined as bridge from LVRS to transplant of 55months and posttransplant survival of 49months (total 104 months), was comparablewith survivalof patients undergoing either procedure alone. Conclusions: Lung transplant after LVRS leads to minimal additional perioperativerisk. The reduced posttransplant survival in patients undergoing combined procedures is in contradistinction to reports from other smaller series. When determining the best surgical treatment for patients with more severe disease, the benefit of LVRS before transplant should be weighed against the consequence of reduced posttransplant survival. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2014;147:1678-83)
Three-body wear of dental resin composites reinforced with silica-fused whiskers.

Abstract Objective. Recent studies used silica-fused whiskers to increase the strength and toughness of resin composites. This study investigated the three-body wear of whisker composites. It was hypothesized that the whisker composites would be more wear resistant than composites reinforced with fine glass particles, and the whisker-to-silica filler ratio would significantly affect wear. Methods. Silica particles were mixed with silicon nitride whiskers at seven different whisker/(whisker+silica) mass fractions (%): 0, 16.7, 33.3, 50, 66.7, 83.3, and 100. Each mixture was heated at 800 °C to fuse the silica particles onto the whiskers. Each powder was then silanized and incorporated into a dental resin to make the wear specimens. A four-station wear machine was used with specimens immersed in a slurry containing polymethyl methacrylate beads, and a steel pin was loaded and rotated against the specimen at a maximum load of 76 N. Results. Whisker-to-silica ratio had significant effects (one-way ANOVA; p Significance. Silica-fused whisker reinforcement produced dental resin composites that exhibited high resistance to wear with smooth wear surfaces. These properties, together with the strength and fracture toughness being twice those of current glass particle-reinforced composites, may help extend the use of resin composite to large stress-bearing posterior restorations.
Ulcerative colitis presenting as purpura fulminans

A 60-year-old man presented with purpura fulminans involving his chest and flank. He was subsequently found to have active ulcerative colitis (UC) and protein S deficiency. He was treated with heparin and plasma, but because of persistent colitis and progressively worsening purpura, a total colectomy was performed on hospital day 17. This report describes an interesting case of purpura fulminans associated with the hypercoagulable state of active UC that responded dramatically to colectomy.
Particle paths and phase plane for time-dependent similarity solutions of the one-dimensional Vlasov-Maxwell equations

The phase trajectories of particles in a plasma described by the one-dimensional Vlasov-Maxwell equations are determined qualitatively, analyzing exact general similarity solutions for the cases of temporally damped and growing (sinusoidal or localized) electric fields. The results of numerical integration in both untransformed and Lie-group point-transformed coordinates are presented in extensive graphs and characterized in detail. The implications of the present analysis for the stability of BGK equilibria are explored, and the existence of nonlinear solutions arbitrarily close to and significantly different from the BGK solutions is demonstrated.
Application of reconstruction-based scatter compensation to thallium-201 SPECT: implementations for reduced reconstructed image noise

Scatter compensation in Tl-201 single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) presents an interesting challenge because of the multiple emission energies and relatively large proportion of scattered photons. In this paper, the authors present a simulation study investigating reconstructed image noise levels arising from various implementations of iterative reconstruction-based scatter compensation (RBSC) in Tl-201 SPECT. A two-stage analysis was used to study single and multiple energy window implementations of reconstruction-based scatter compensation, and RBSC was compared to the upper limits on performance for other approaches to handling scatter. In the first stage, singular value decomposition of the system transfer matrix was used to analyze noise levels in a manner independent of the choice of reconstruction algorithm, providing results valid across a wide range of regularizations. In the second stage, the data were reconstructed using maximum-likelihood expectation-maximization, and the noise properties of the resultant images were analyzed. The best RBSC performance was obtained using multiple energy windows, one for each emission photopeak, and RBSC outperformed the upper limit on subtraction-based compensation methods. Implementing RBSC with the correct choice of energy window acquisition scheme is promising method for performing scatter compensation for Tl-201 SPECT.
Coherence and Rydberg Blockade of Atomic Ensemble Qubits

We demonstrate |W⟩ state encoding of multiatom ensemble qubits. Using optically trapped Rb atoms, the T_{2} coherence time is 2.6(3) ms for N[over ¯]=7.6 atoms and scales approximately inversely with the number of atoms. Strong Rydberg blockade between two ensemble qubits is demonstrated with a fidelity of 0.89(1), and with a fidelity of ∼1.0 when postselected on a control ensemble excitation. These results are a significant step towards deterministic entanglement of atomic ensembles.
Strengthening health systems in poor countries: a code of conduct for nongovernmental organizations.

The challenges facing efforts in Africa to increase access to antiretroviral HIV treatment underscore the urgent need to strengthen national health systems across the continent. However, donor aid to developing countries continues to be disproportionately channeled to international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) rather than to ministries of health. The rapid proliferation of NGOs has provoked “brain drain” from the public sector by luring workers away with higher salaries, fragmentation of services, and increased management burdens for local authorities in many countries. Projects by NGOs sometimes can undermine the strengthening of public primary health care systems. We argue for a return to a public focus for donor aid, and for NGOs to adopt a code of conduct that establishes standards and best practices for NGO relationships with public sector health systems.
Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Excessive Daytime Sleepiness in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Background An important consequence of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). EDS often predicts a favorable response to treatment of SDB, although in the setting of cardiovascular disease, particularly heart failure, SDB and EDS do not reliably correlate. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is another highly prevalent condition strongly associated with SDB. We sought to assess the relationship between EDS and SDB in patients with AF. Methods We conducted a prospective study of 151 patients referred for direct current cardioversion for AF who also underwent sleep evaluation and nocturnal polysomnography. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was administered prior to polysomnography and considered positive if the score was ≥ 11. The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was tested for correlation with the ESS, with a cutoff of ≥ 5 events/h for the diagnosis of SDB. Results Among the study participants, mean age was 69.1 ± 11.7 years, mean BMI was 34.1 ± 8.4 kg/m 2 , and 76% were men. The prevalence of SDB in this population was 81.4%, and 35% had EDS. The association between ESS score and AHI was low ( R 2 = 0.014, P = .64). The sensitivity and specificity of the ESS for the detection of SDB in patients with AF were 32.2% and 54.5%, respectively. Conclusions Despite a high prevalence of SDB in this population with AF, most patients do not report EDS. Furthermore, EDS does not appear to correlate with severity of SDB or to accurately predict the presence of SDB. Further research is needed to determine whether EDS affects the natural history of AF or modifies the response to SDB treatment.
Signatures of exciton correlations in the time-resolved vectorial polarization state of four-wave mixing signals from semiconductor quantum wells

Summary form only given. The microscopic many-body theory applied to the time-resolved vectorial polarization state of the FWM signal documents two-exciton correlations. Under our experimental conditions, the biexciton dephasing rate is found to be much less than twice the exciton dephasing rate.
Evidence for rapid climate change in North America during the latest Paleocene thermal maximum: oxygen isotope compositions of biogenic phosphate from the Bighorn Basin (Wyoming)

Oxygen isotope records of Cenozoic sea water temperatures indicate that a rapid warming event known as the Latest Paleocene Thermal Maximum (LPTM) occurred during the otherwise gradual increase in world temperatures during the Late Paleocene and Early Eocene. Oxygen isotope analysis of the carbonate and phosphate components of hydroxyapatite found in mammalian tooth enamel and body scales of river-dwelling fish from the Bighorn Basin in Wyoming were made to investigate corresponding changes in the terrestrial climate. A comparison of carbonate and phosphate isotope data from modern and fossil material indicates that some diagenetic alteration of the fossil material has occurred, although systematically larger intra-tooth ranges in the oxygen isotope composition of carbonate indicate that it is more likely to have been affected than phosphate. Carbonate and phosphate from the ecologically diverse mammals and fishes both record a shift to higher oxygen isotope ratios at the same time and of the same duration as the LPTM. These shifts reflect a change in the isotopic composition of regional precipitation, which in turn provides the first evidence for continental climate change during the LPTM. Assuming the present-day relation between the oxygen isotope composition of precipitation and temperature applies to conditions in the past, and that animal physiology and behavior is relatively invariant over time, the isotopic shift is equivalent to an increase of surface temperature in western North America of several degrees. This result is consistent with the magnitude of high-latitude ocean warming, and provides a basis for relating marine and terrestrial oxygen isotope records to records of terrestrial biotic change. © 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Developmental trends in sleep duration in adolescence and young adulthood: evidence from a national United States sample.

Purpose: To present normative values of mean sleep duration from adolescence through young adulthood (ages 13e32 years), prevalence of short ( 10 hours) sleep durations, and differences in each by sex and race/ethnicity. Methods: Mean sleep duration and prevalence of extremely short and long sleep were estimated using data from the United States National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, Waves 1e4 (N ¼ 15,701). Results: Sleep duration showed age-related trends, with decreases across the adolescent period from 8.5 hours per night at age 13 years to 7.3 hours at age 18 years, an increase through the emerging adulthood period to 8.5 hours at age 22, and a gradual decline across early adulthood to 7.7 hours at age 32 years. Prevalence of extremely long and short sleep followed similar developmental trends. Adolescent girls reported lower mean sleep duration than did boys, but women reported longer average sleep duration than did men from age 19 years onward. Short sleep duration was most common among African-Americans at all ages. Long sleep was most common among African-Americans in adolescence and emerging adulthood and among Hispanics in early adulthood. Conclusions: Sleep duration is developmentally patterned from adolescence through early adulthood. Mean and extreme sleep durations vary systematically by sex and race/ethnicity as well as age. These normative data on sleep duration will inform studies of the role of sleep in the etiology of a wide range of health conditions affecting adolescents and young adults.
Toward Optimal Data Aggregation in Random Wireless Sensor Networks

Data gathering is one of the most important services provided by wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Since the predominant traffic pattern in data gathering services is many-to-one communication, it is critical to understand the limitations of many-to-one information flows and devise efficient data aggregation protocols to support prolonged operations in WSNs. In this paper, we provide a theoretical characterization of data aggregation processes under different communication modalities in WSNs. We demonstrate that data aggregation rates of Theta(log(n)/n) and Theta(1) are optimal when operating in fading environments with power path-loss exponents that satisfy 2 4, respectively. Furthermore, the optimal rate can be achieved using a generalization of cooperative beam-forming called cooperative time-reversal communication. In contrast, the non-cooperative multihop relay strategies widely adopted in literature are shown to be suboptimal in the low-to-medium attenuation regime (for 2 < alpha < 4).
Winter cover crops in a vegetable cropping system: Impacts on nitrate leaching, soil water, crop yield, pests and management costs

Plant-soil relationships in the surface soil layer affect other processes in agroecosystems, including crop productivity, nitrate leaching and plant-pest interactions. This study investigated the effect of altering surface soil dynamics, using a winter cover crop rotation, on biotic and abiotic characteristics of the soil profile. Two cover crop treatments, phacelia and Merced rye (Phacelia tanacetifolia cv. 'Phaci', and Secale cereale cv. 'Merced'), with a fallow control, were planted in November after harvest of a broccoli crop on a commercial farm site, and were incorporated using reduced tillage techniques the following March. Changes in plant and soil N pools throughout the profile were described, emphasizing nitrate (NO3-N) leaching during winter, and N availability during the subsequent broccoli crop. Changes in other aspects of the ecosystem, such as plant-pest interactions and plant disease incidence, were monitored after cover crop incorporation. The on-fam~ economic costs of cover cropping were calculated. There was a 65-70% reduction in nitrate leaching from the cover-cropped plots compared with the fallow control during winter, because plant roots in the surface soil removed N and water that would have otherwise been lost from the profile. Incorporation caused sudden large surges in inorganic N pools, net mineralizable N, and microbial biomass N and C in the surface soil, which subsided within 6 weeks, by the time the broccoli crop was planted, but which did result in increased yield at harvest in the phacelia cover-cropped treatment. No insect or disease problems which threatened the cash crops were introduced or increased as a result of the cover crops. The economic analysis indicated that the costs of cover cropping were minor compared with conventional winter management of fallowed fields, and compared with the cost of producing broccoli. The cover crops therefore provided a clear advantage during winter by significantly reducing nitrate leaching, but the effects of one cover crop rotation on subsequent nutrient dynamics in the surface soil were mostly short-lived and possibly masked by large fertilizer applications.
The Impact of Dynamical Constraints on the Selection of Initial Conditions for Ensemble Predictions: Low-Order Perfect Model Results

Abstract A number of operational atmospheric prediction centers now produce ensemble forecasts of the atmosphere. Because of the high-dimensional phase spaces associated with operational forecast models, many centers use constraints derived from the dynamics of the forecast model to define a greatly reduced subspace from which ensemble initial conditions are chosen. For instance, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts uses singular vectors of the forecast model and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction use the “breeding cycle” to determine a limited set of directions in phase space that are sampled by the ensemble forecast. The use of dynamical constraints on the selection of initial conditions for ensemble forecasts is examined in a perfect model study using a pair of three-variable dynamical systems and a prescribed observational error distribution. For these systems, one can establish that the direct use of dynamical constraints has no impact on the error of the ensemble mea...
Pharmacotherapy for Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia: A Case-Based Approach

TKIs have become the standard of care for CML. Imatinib was the first to transform the outcomes of this disease. Dasatinib and nilotinib were recently added to the armamentarium for imatinib-resistant disease and, more recently, for first-line therapy. When choosing a TKI for patients, adverse effects, presence of mutations in the BCR-ABL kinase domain, and cost should be considered. Once chosen, drug interactions should be evaluated for all patients. New drugs are being studied to prevent disease progression and for patients with T315I mutations. This article reviews the pharmacotherapy of CML with the aid of a patient case. (JNCCN 2011;9[Suppl 3]:S25–S35)
Matrix completion discriminant analysis

Matrix completion discriminant analysis (MCDA) is designed for semi-supervised learning where the rate of missingness is high and predictors vastly outnumber cases. MCDA operates by mapping class labels to the vertices of a regular simplex. With c classes, these vertices are arranged on the surface of the unit sphere in c - 1 dimensional Euclidean space. Because all pairs of vertices are equidistant, the classes are treated symmetrically. To assign unlabeled cases to classes, the data is entered into a large matrix (cases along rows and predictors along columns) that is augmented by vertex coordinates stored in the last c - 1 columns. Once the matrix is constructed, its missing entries can be filled in by matrix completion. To carry out matrix completion, one minimizes a sum of squares plus a nuclear norm penalty. The simplest solution invokes an MM algorithm and singular value decomposition. Choice of the penalty tuning constant can be achieved by cross validation on randomly withheld case labels. Once the matrix is completed, an unlabeled case is assigned to the class vertex closest to the point deposited in its last c - 1 columns. A variety of examples drawn from the statistical literature demonstrate that MCDA is competitive on traditional problems and outperforms alternatives on large-scale problems.
The Latin American Military Establishment: Some Thoughts on the Origins of its Socio-Political Role and an Illustrative Bibliographical Essay *

Historians from the United States have studied the Latin American military using two principal approaches: in broad, topical studies dealing with the socio-political role of the military, i.e. armies, from colonial times to the present and in monographic works dealing thematically with the political role of the military in a specific country during a specific time. Neither approach boasts a defintive work. Certainly not the former, for the role of the Latin American military is simply too big to be dealt with between the covers of a single volume; nor the latter, because of the necessary exclusivism inherent in dealing with one nation-one period. A third approach, the multinational treatment of the military in Latin America during a fixed period exists, but to date few such works are in print.
The repeat time of the 1811 and 1812 New Madrid earthquakes: A geological perspective

Abstract The great New Madrid earthquakes of 1811 and 1812 were accompanied by extensive liquefaction within the meizoseismal zone. We examined tens of kilometers of freshly excavated ditch banks within the southern limb of the New Madrid Seismic Zone for evidence of prehistoric liquefaction events. Radiocarbon dates indicate that the exposures studied provide a record of the last 5000 to 10,000 years. Analyses of the statistics of historical seismicity imply a relatively short 550- to 1100-yr repeat time for 1811- to 1812-type earthquakes. In contrast, our search did not reveal definitive evidence of widespread paleoliquefaction events and, hence, provides no independent support for the relatively short 550- to 1100-yr return time implied by statistics of historical seismicity.
The Module Design and Implementation in the Field Air Defense Early Warning System

In modern war,the Army is facing serious air threat during the entire process of ground war.Effective air defense had become the basic premise in completing operational tasks successful for Army.GIS used in air defense early-warning system can provide the geographical attribute information in battlefield environment and powerful spatial analysis functions for commanders.In this paper,function and structure of the system has been proposed based on characteristics of air defense and military field operations and training needs.Some functions of the system are introduced in detail,including the real-time warning of dynamic air situation,the configuration of air defense,distribution of fire on air targets,and analysis of military terrain.