cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of two poly (A) Polymerases in Bacillus subtilis

Two poly(A) polymerase activities were identified in extracts of a strain of Bacillus subtilis in which the gene for polynucleotide phosphorylase was disrupted. Gel filtration studies showed a large difference in the molecular size of the two poly(A) polymerases. On the other hand, the two enzymes resembled the two major poly(A) polymerases of Escherichia coli both with respect to size and in many of their catalytic properties. The observation that both B. subtilis and E. coli have two poly(A) polymerases with many common properties suggest interesting parallels in the processing of the 3'-ends of mRNA in gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.
A syndrome of multiple developmental defects including polycystic kidneys and intrahepatic biliary dysgenesis in 2 siblings

Two siblings were found to have a syndrome consisting of at least 13 comparable developmental defects including hypotonia, high forehead, camptodactyly, polycystic kidneys, intrahepatic biliary dysgenesis, incomplete descent of the gonads, and minor defects of the eyes, ears, palate, and hands. The patients failed to thrive, became jaundiced, and died in early infancy. The mother did not take any medication during either pregnancy. Cytologic studies did not reveal a chromosomal abnormality and the etiology is undetermined, but autosomal recessive inheritance is considered the most likely etiology.
Higher-than-predicted saltation threshold wind speeds on Titan

Wind tunnel experiments designed to simulate the conditions on Saturn’s moon Titan yield threshold wind speeds for particle saltation higher than those predicted by models derived from simulations of terrestrial-planet conditions; the results can be reconciled by modifying the models to take into account the low ratio of particle density to fluid density on Titan. NASA's Cassini spacecraft mission — still out there sending data from the Saturnian system — has revealed extensive aeolian (wind-formed) dunes on the surface of Titan, Saturn's largest satellite. Devon Burr et al. used a high-pressure wind tunnel to simulate the thick near-surface atmosphere on Titan and, with numerical modelling of the low gravity and low sediment density, derived the wind speeds necessary to move dune sand on Titan. These speeds are significantly higher than those predicted by present models of sediment entrainment by wind that are based on wind-tunnel experiments under conditions relevant for Earth and Mars. Experimental results and theoretical work can be reconciled if the extremely low ratio of particle to fluid density on Titan is taken into account, a correction that is not required for high density ratio environments such as jets on comets. Titan, the largest satellite of Saturn, exhibits extensive aeolian, that is, wind-formed, dunes1,2, features previously identified exclusively on Earth, Mars and Venus. Wind tunnel data collected under ambient and planetary-analogue conditions inform our models of aeolian processes on the terrestrial planets3,4. However, the accuracy of these widely used formulations in predicting the threshold wind speeds required to move sand by saltation, or by short bounces, has not been tested under conditions relevant for non-terrestrial planets. Here we derive saltation threshold wind speeds under the thick-atmosphere, low-gravity and low-sediment-density conditions on Titan, using a high-pressure wind tunnel5 refurbished to simulate the appropriate kinematic viscosity for the near-surface atmosphere of Titan. The experimentally derived saltation threshold wind speeds are higher than those predicted by models based on terrestrial-analogue experiments6,7, indicating the limitations of these models for such extreme conditions. The models can be reconciled with the experimental results by inclusion of the extremely low ratio of particle density to fluid density8 on Titan. Whereas the density ratio term enables accurate modelling of aeolian entrainment in thick atmospheres, such as those inferred for some extrasolar planets, our results also indicate that for environments with high density ratios, such as in jets on icy satellites or in tenuous atmospheres or exospheres, the correction for low-density-ratio conditions is not required.
Dental Procedures as Risk Factors for Prosthetic Hip or Knee Infection: A Hospital-Based Prospective Case-Control Study

Background The actual risk of prosthetic joint infection as a result of dental procedures and the role of antibiotic prophylaxis have not been defined. Methods To examine the association between dental procedures with or without antibiotic prophylaxis and prosthetic hip or knee infection, a prospective, single-center, case-control study for the period 2001-2006 was performed at a 1200-bed tertiary care hospital in Rochester, Minnesota. Case patients were patients hospitalized with total hip or knee infection. Control subjects were patients who underwent a total hip or knee arthroplasty but without a prosthetic joint infection who were hospitalized during the same period on the same orthopedic floor. Data regarding demographic features and potential risk factors were collected. Logistic regression was used to assess the association of variables with the odds of infection. Results A total of 339 case patients and 339 control subjects were enrolled in the study. There was no increased risk of prosthetic hip or knee infection for patients undergoing a high-risk or low-risk dental procedure who were not administered antibiotic prophylaxis (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.4-1.6), compared with the risk for patients not undergoing a dental procedure (adjusted OR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.4-1.1) respectively. Antibiotic prophylaxis in high-risk or low-risk dental procedures did not decrease the risk of subsequent total hip or knee infection (adjusted OR, 0.9 [95% CI, 0.5-1.6] and 1.2 [95% CI, 0.7-2.2], respectively). Conclusions Dental procedures were not risk factors for subsequent total hip or knee infection. The use of antibiotic prophylaxis prior to dental procedures did not decrease the risk of subsequent total hip or knee infection.
Nineteenth-century voting procedures in a twenty-first century world

Voting procedures nowadays are anachronistic on two counts: the technology of recording and counting votes often is outmoded and too much is expected from the mechanisms of democratic choice. Even if votes always and everywhere were counted perfectly, election outcomes would still be arbitrary since no collective choice process can divine the “general will”. The crucial line in any state is the one dividing private decisions from collective decisions. Democracy is part of the package for nations freeing themselves from totalitarianism’s grip, but it may be the last, rather than the first thing that should be added to the mix.
Time dependent large principal deformation of polymers

A constitutive model which describes principal deformations of polymeric materials under small and large deformations is presented. It uses the kinetic theory of rubber elasticity as a starting point for the large deformation behaviour and generalizes this theory to include the effect of broad-spectral rate dependence. The constitutive model reduces to (phenomenological) small strain linear viscoelasticity under vanishing strains, while at long times the response corresponds to that of a rubber-elastic material. The behaviour of the model under constant strain rate is examined in both the loading and unloading mode. As a result of appealing to physical-molecular concepts it provides naturally for simulation of a rate dependent yield phenomenon through intrinsic relaxation behaviour without the specific introduction of a yield parameter or yield function. The effect of generalizing the rubber elasticity model to include compressibility is discussed. It is found that the strain energy functional cannot be generalized arbitrarily through an additive term containing the dilatational component. The investigation renders a material description, which, while possibly lacking in detail of species-specific behaviour, reproduces major features of nonlinear and large deformation viscoelastic characteristics. These general features make the model suitable for investigating the influence of rate dependent yielding and large deformation viscoelasticity in the solution of boundary value problems
Defining Drought in Marginal Areas: The Role of Perception

Drought exacts a heavy toll of agricultural productivity, yet it has been largely defined as a one–dimensional natural hazard. This paper explores an understanding and defining of drought based on the perception of ranchers in the marginal physical enviornment of western South Dakota. Analysis of interview data reveals at least four separate dimensions of drought: (1) when a percentage of normal rainfall is recieved, (2) when ranch operation is affected, (3) when a definite amount of rainfall is recieved, and (4) the timeliness of rainfall. The incorporation of perception–based data with site–specific drought severity indices, such as the Palmer Index, can provide a more complete characterization of a hazard affecting the productivity and sustainability of semiarid enviornments worldwide.
Some Aspects of Myogenesis in Vitro

Suspensions of embryonic chick leg muscle cells have been employed to establish replicate monolayer cultures. Such cultures grow rapidly to form a confluent layer of cells. Despite culture conditions generally assumed to be "dedifferentiative," a high degree of differentiation is attained in terms of the development of cross-striated myofibrils and contractility. To evaluate the possible role of in situ nuclear replication in the development of multinuclearity in muscle cells, an inhibitor of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis, methyl-bis (betachloroethylamine) (nitrogen mustard), was employed. Treatment with nitrogen mustard at concentration levels that profoundly inhibit DNA synthesis does not block the formation of multinuclear cells. On the basis of the pattern of nuclear enlargement after nitrogen mustard treatment, the cytologic picture of treated cultures is interpreted as indicating that the nuclei of only mononucleated cells are normally capable of proliferation. An absence of proliferative activity in the nuclei of multinuclear cell suggests that myoblast proliferation is self-limiting in this system and may explain, in part, the high degree of differentiation attained in monolayer culture.
Synaptic Plasticity Controls Sensory Responses through Frequency-Dependent Gamma Oscillation Resonance

Synchronized gamma frequency oscillations in neural networks are thought to be important to sensory information processing, and their effects have been intensively studied. Here we describe a mechanism by which the nervous system can readily control gamma oscillation effects, depending selectively on visual stimuli. Using a model neural network simulation, we found that sensory response in the primary visual cortex is significantly modulated by the resonance between “spontaneous” and “stimulus-driven” oscillations. This gamma resonance can be precisely controlled by the synaptic plasticity of thalamocortical connections, and cortical response is regulated differentially according to the resonance condition. The mechanism produces a selective synchronization between the afferent and downstream neural population. Our simulation results explain experimental observations such as stimulus-dependent synchronization between the thalamus and the cortex at different oscillation frequencies. The model generally shows how sensory information can be selectively routed depending on its frequency components.
A survey of control structures in programming languages

The control structure of programming languages and their development are examined. Languages studied range from machine and assembly languages to procedure and problem-oriented languages. The emphasis, however, is on the control structures themselves, whether in current languages or proposed. Both implicit global interpretation rules for programming languages and explicit control operations are discussed. Many control structures developed through specialization from a small set of primitive sequential control operations. Specific control structures and mechanisms examined include activities, broadcast control, conditionals, constraint expressions, coroutines, critical sections, distributive operators, dynamic instruction modification, expressions, generators, implicit coroutines, implicit sequencing, iterative control, indivisibility, interleaved execution, the go to, macros, multipass algorithms, multiple sequential control, mutual exclusion, mutual subroutines, nonbusy waiting, nondeterministic control, open subroutines, parallel assignments, parallel processing, procedures, pseudo-parallel control, recursion, reentrant code, relative continuity, semaphores, sequential controls, shared procedures, simultaneous assignments, statements, subroutines, synchronization, syntax macros, time sharing, and back tracking.
Kinetics of catechol estrogen-estrogen receptor dissociation: A possible factor underlying differences in catechol estrogen biological activity

The mechanisms underlying the differences in uterotrophic potency between 2- and 4-hydroxyestrogens were explored. Doses of estradiol (E2)(10 micrograms/kg), 2-OHE2 (500 micrograms/kg) and 4-OHE2 (100 micrograms/kg) sufficient to induce near maximal cell nuclear estrogen receptor (ERn) binding were injected subcutaneously into 26 day old female rats. Uterine ERn concentrations declined more rapidly after 2-OHE2 than after E2 or 4-OHE2. E2 and 4-OHE2 both elicited a significant increase in uterine wet weight, measured at 24-36 hrs after injection. 2-OHE2 had no significant effect and neither synergized with nor antagonized the effects of simultaneously administered E2 or 4-OHE2. Under in vitro conditions at 25 degrees C, 2-hydroxyestrone (2-OHE1) and 2-OHE2 both dissociated from the receptors more rapidly than either their parent monophenolic estrogens or the corresponding 4-hydroxyestrogens. These results suggest that differences in estrogenic potency between 2- and 4-hydroxyestrogens may partly be a function of the dissociation kinetics of their estrogen receptor complexes.
Beyond the Classroom: Internships and Students with Special Needs

Internships and other forms of experiential learning are a valuable learning opportunity and resource for many students and perhaps even more so for those with special needs. Outside of the classro...
Gender differences in a market with relative performance feedback: Professional tennis players

Abstract Recent studies have found that females are less competitive than men. These studies have all relied on a similar framework where individuals have little information about their relative abilities compared to other potential competitors. It has also been found that performance feedback leads to more efficient choices for students and in experimental settings. Professional athletes competing in individual sports typically have access to performance feedback and good information about the quality of their potential competitors when choosing to enter competitive tournaments. In this paper, I use data from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) on tournament entry decisions by professional players to study gender differences in tournament entry and preferences in this competitive labor market. I find that even among this highly competitive population, gender differences exist in performance and tournament entry. In terms of performance I find that men exhibit a “hot hand” effect that can last for multiple periods while females are affected by only their performance in their last tournament. This effect is obvious in tournament entry where both men and women are more likely to enter tournaments after doing well, but women are affected by their last tournament while men’s previous performance can affect entry beyond the next tournament. The gender difference from feedback is more striking when taking into account whether individuals actually played in a tournament. In that case, higher ability females respond positively to performance from their last tournament while males do not. But both genders see similar effects from previous performance in the short-term and the effects are larger for worse ranked individuals. Thus, in very competitive settings of same-sex tournaments, females and males respond differently to performance feedback information suggesting that information has very different, gender-specific effects for competitions and may be largely dependent on the length of time that has elapsed from the competition that the feedback is coming from.
Cosmic Plots in Early Soviet Culture: Flights of Fancy to the Moon and Mars

This article explores two classics of Soviet science fiction – Konstantin Tsiolkovskii’s Beyond the Earth (1918) and Aleksei Tolstoi’s Aelita (1923) – in their related historical contexts. Both had their origins in the popular nineteenth-century “cosmic romance,” owing to their staple characters, settings, and plots. These were extraordinary adventures into the heavens, modern signposts of how the fantastic was becoming real. Yet both novels also became leading texts in the genre of Stalinist Socialist Realism, stories that made “fairy tales come true.” Tsiolkovskii and Tolstoi both appealed to the Bolshevik Revolution as a radical break in time here on earth, much as they predicted that the rocket would become a radical new means to reach beyond into outer space. They centered their stories on real science and technology, articles of comprehension and anticipation. They created characters that revealed the utopian potential of human beings to create new regimes of equality and freedom. Part inheritance from abroad, part innovation at home, the cosmic romance in their hands became a successful medium to situate and justify the Soviet experience.
George Washington carver slept here: Racial identity and laboratory practice at Iowa state college

Racialist social agendas have helped determine who will and will not be admitted to the engineering programs of American universities, and bench‐level activities within university laboratories have both followed from, and encouraged these structures of occupational opportunity. The engineering division of Iowa State College between 1900 and 1960 was one site of such exclusionary activity. African‐American students were under‐represented in its programs throughout this period, even as other areas of the university diversified and as women gradually increased their presence in the engineering division. This paper proposes a study of ISC's engineering curricula, instruments, and facilities as a means of identifying and understanding this inequity.
Extractive fermentation systems for organic acids production

Basic characteristics of on-line extractive fermentation of organic acids were examined using a general model for the integrated process in order to illustrate the effects of various process parameters and operational modes on system performance. The strong pH dependence of both the fermentation kinetics and the extraction efficiency has been outlined and taken into account by inclusion of a model equation which predicts the pH profile. Simulation results using data from butyric acid fermentations show that our complete model system is adequate to evaluate different operational modes of the process, including simple batch fermentation, batch or fed-batch fermentation with extractive recycle, and continuous fermentation with extractive recycle. In the case where a second undesired acidic byproduct is also produced, our model predictions suggest that on-line extractive fermentation using a suitable solvent results in an effective gross separation of the two acids. On a examine les caracteristiques de base de la fermentation extractive continue d'acides organiques a l'aide d'un modele general pour le procede integre afin de decrire les effets de divers parametres de procedes et modes operationnels sur la performance du systeme. La forte dependance au pH de la cinetique de fermentation et du rendement de l'extraction est decrite puis prise en consideration par l'inclusion d'une equation de modele qui predit le profil de pH. Les resultats de la simulation qui utilisent des donnees de fermentation de l'acide butyrique montrent que notre systeme de modele complet convient pour evaluer les differents modes operationnels du procede, dont la fermentation discontinue simple, la fermentation discontinue ou a alimentation discontinue avec recyclage extractif et la fermentation continue avec recyclage extractif. Dans le cas ou un deuxieme produit acidique non desire est egalement produit, nos predictions de modele suggerent que la fermentation extractive continue utilisant un solvant adequat permet une separation brute efficace des deux acides.
Bayesian reconstruction in synthetic magnetic resonance imaging

In magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), three unobservable physical quantities are combined at the pixel level to produce the image. Control parameters can be pre-set to highlight contrast between different tissue types but the optimal values may be problem- and patient-specific and not known in advance. The aim in synthetic MRI is to estimate the underlying physical quantities from three images, taken at conventional settings, and to use these to synthesize images for arbitrary control parameters. Standard least squares methods are inadequate for this ill-conditioned inverse problem. The paper describes several forms of Bayesian reconstruction and suggests that these provide satisfactory alternatives.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Fibro-Osseous Lesions

This article describes the clinical, radiographic, gross, microscopic, and histologic features; differential diagnosis; molecular pathology; treatment; and prognosis of fibrous dysplasia, osteofibrous dysplasia, and adamantinoma of long bones.
Evaluation of the Sunohio PCBX Process for Reclamation of Transformer Oils Containing PCBs

The Sunohio PCBX process, a chemical destruction process, was closely examined for its use in removing PCBs from and in reclaiming PCB-contaminated mineral oils for reuse. The PCBX process effectively removed PCBs from a concentration of 1100 ppm to. 2 ppm or less; however, improvement of the oil quality from the untreated to the treated state was not statistically significant. Most of the treated oil qualities were satisfactory in physical and chemical properties; however, some of the treated oil qualities were not acceptable in electrical properties. The liquid waste produced was about 10 percent of the oil being processed. The waste was hazardous because of its high pH. The ambient air quality was monitored and determined not hazardous. The PCBX process appeared to be a cost-effective alternative to treat transformer oils containing PCBs.
Chronic intermittent hypoxia alters NE reactivity and mechanics of skeletal muscle resistance arteries.

Although arterial dilator reactivity is severely impaired during exposure of animals to chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), few studies have characterized vasoconstrictor responsiveness in resistan...
Identification and Functional Analysis of Splice Variants of the Germ Cell Soluble Adenylyl Cyclase

In mammalian germ cells, cAMP signaling is dependent on two forms of adenylyl cyclase, the conventional membrane-bound ACIII and a soluble form of adenylyl cyclase (sAC). Recent elucidation of the sAC sequence indicates that this enzyme is phylogenetically distinct from the membrane-bound AC, does not interact with G proteins, and its activity is regulated by bicarbonate ions. Here we have investigated the properties and regulation of this enzyme during spermatogenesis. Two different transcripts encoding a full-length and truncated sAC were identified by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and RNase protection analysis. The truncated sAC transcript lacks exon 11 with a premature termination of the open reading frame after the catalytic domain. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction with testis RNA from adult mouse and rat of different ages, as well as RNase protection, showed that both transcripts are absent at 11 days of age, appear between 20 and 30 days of age, and are retained in the adult testis. The presence of corresponding proteins in testis, germ cells, and spermatozoa was demonstrated by fast protein liquid chromatography and differential immunoprecipitation with full-length sAC-specific antibodies. Bicarbonate ions activated both sAC forms and increased cAMP levels in germ cells isolated from 25- and 50-day-old rats and adult rats in a concentration-dependent manner. These findings provide evidence that full-length and truncated sAC are generated by alternate splicing. Both forms are active in spermatids, and the bicarbonate present in the seminiferous tubule may be a signal that regulates cAMP levels in these cells.
The first demonstration of phase and amplitude regenerative multicasting by a four-mode phase-sensitive process

We demonstrate the first high-count signal replication accompanied with phase-and-amplitude-noise-squeezing in a four-mode phase-sensitive process. Errorless detection of the phase-modulated information on a 5.8-GHz-phase-noise broadened carrier has been accomplished over 20-copies in a parametric multicaster.
Initial condition solutions of the generalized feller equation

Solutions for given initial conditions are established for the generalized (autonomous parabolic) Feller equation in one positive space variable and one positive time variable. The coefficients of this equation are power functions of the space variable and depend on four parameters. In general, the equation is singular at the origin and at infinity. It contains as special cases the special Feller equation, the Kepinski equation, and the heat equation. Areas of application include biology, superradiant emission processes, heat propagation in solids (with special applications in the area of heat shield and ablation material design), and certain chemical reaction-diffusion processes. It is noteworthy that, for particular values of the parameters, the equation allows an evolution theoretic derivation of the fundamental distribution laws of Wien, Maxwell, Poisson, and Gauss. The general initial condition solution will be derived from a fundamental solution and will be given in terms of an integral transform for locally summable functions (singular integral). It is also shown that, for admissible parameter values, there always exist nontrivial solutions which approach zero as the time variable goes to zero and that, for particular parameter ranges, there exist singular solutions, conservative solutions, and delta function initial condition solutions.
Recent Soviet immigration to the United States

Firm conclusions about the nature of Soviet-Jewish immigration are still premature, for we are yet in the midst of this complex phenomenon This study attempted to apply some of the social scientist’s tools to an historical process heretofore reserved for journalistic and governmental comment Clearly, we need further research based on a larger sample, conducted by professionals and specifically geared to helping both immigrants and agencies charged with their care In particular, further study is needed to examine the relationship between successful adjustment and the efficacy of Jewish social service organizations New York, the home of the majority of the immigrants, is a logical place for such a study It is hoped that the present effort will lay the groundwork and stimulate further exploration
Large-Volume Thoracentesis and the Risk of Reexpansion Pulmonary Edema

Background To avoid reexpansion pulmonary edema (RPE), thoracenteses are often limited to draining no more than 1 L. There are, however, significant clinical benefits to removing more than 1 L of fluid. The purpose of this study was to define the incidence of RPE among patients undergoing large-volume (≥1 L) thoracentesis. Methods One hundred eighty-five patients undergoing large-volume thoracentesis were included in this study. The volume of fluid removed, absolute pleural pressure, pleural elastance, and symptoms during thoracentesis were compared in patients who did and did not experience RPE. Results Of the 185 patients, 98 (53%) had between 1 L and 1.5 L withdrawn, 40 (22%) had between 1.5 L and 2 L withdrawn, 38 (20%) had between 2 L and 3 L withdrawn, and 9 (5%) had more than 3 L withdrawn. Only 1 patient (0.5%, 95% confidence interval: 0.01% to 3%) experienced clinical RPE. Four patients (2.2%, 95% confidence interval: 0.06% to 5.4%) had radiographic RPE (diagnosed only on postprocedure imaging without clinical symptoms). The incidence of RPE was not associated with the absolute change in pleural pressure, pleural elastance, or symptoms during thoracentesis. Conclusions Clinical and radiographic RPE after large-volume thoracentesis is rare and independent of the volume of fluid removed, pleural pressures, and pleural elastance. The recommendation to terminate thoracentesis after removing 1 L of fluid needs to be reconsidered: large effusions can, and should, be drained completely as long as chest discomfort or end-expiratory pleural pressure less than −20 cm H 2 O does not develop.
The Refuge: an after‐school care programme for African–American children in poverty

The Refuge is an after‐school care programme in the southeastern USA that caters to the academic and psychological needs of impoverished African–American children. This study evaluated the Refuge through interviews with staff, small group discussions with children and persistent observation. By evaluating the after‐school care services they receive, children expressed their need for safe and secure environments to grow, their vulnerability to family relationships, their need for fair treatment and nurturance in relationships and their want for opportunities to express their unique developmental strengths. Results reiterate child workers’ significant and urgent purpose of reaching out to low‐income African–American children to inspire them and urge them into vocations – despite the realities of death, poverty and violence in their lives.
The epidemiology of infant injuries and alarming health disparities

Abstract Purpose Injury epidemiology is the underappreciated foundation of injury prevention and control strategies. Given the substantial disparity of infant injury-related mortality between African Americans (AA) and whites in our region, we sought to better understand the epidemiology of infant injury-related mortality rates. Methods Our trauma database was reviewed for all infant injuries over a 10-year period. The mortality rates were analyzed based on race, mechanism, and health insurance type. Results From 1995 to 2004, 1270 infants were identified. Sixty-nine percent were white, 26% AA, and 5% were other. Overall mortality was 4.8%. There were significant disparities in mortality comparing AA to whites: overall, 9.6% vs 2.8%*; abuse, 15% vs 4%*; suffocation, 100% vs 55%* (* P Conclusions African-American infants have 3.5 times increased risk of death from preventable injuries compared to white infants. This disparity persists despite controlling for type of health insurance, a surrogate for socioeconomic status. Understanding these disparities and developing injury-prevention programs targeting high-risk mechanisms of injury such as abuse and suffocation among AA is critical toward eventually eliminating these preventable deaths.
The association of opioid use with incident lower extremity fractures in spinal cord injury

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the association between opioid use and lower extremity fracture risk in men with spinal cord injury (SCI).DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingVeterans Affairs Healthcare System.ParticipantsIn total, 7447 male Veterans with a history of a traumatic SCI identified from the Veterans Affairs (VA) Spinal Cord Dysfunction Registry (SCD) from September 2002 through October 2007 and followed through October 2010.Outcome measuresIncident lower extremity fractures by use of opioids.ResultsIn individuals identified from the VA SCD Registry 2002–2007, opioid use was quite common, with approximately 70% of the cohort having received a prescription for an opioid. Overall, there were 892 incident lower extremity fractures over the time period of this study (597 fractures in the opioid users and 295 fractures in the non-opioid users). After adjusting for covariates, there was a statistically significant relationship between opioid use and increased risk for lower extremity fractures (haz...
Two Views of Homeless Children's Art: Psychoanalysis and Parse's Human Becoming Theory:

In the past decade there has been a dramatic rise in the number of children living in shelters in the United States. The traditional literature suggests that these children are at risk for various developmental, educational, and health problems, and that they are in need of assistance. Psychoanalytic theory and Parse's human becoming theory have fundamentally different views of human nature and of human activities such as artistic expression. While both theories can contribute to the present understanding of the experience of children in shelters and provide frameworks for a shelter-based nursing practice, it is suggested in this article that psychoanalytic theory is reductionistic and prescriptive and may close rather than open new possibilities.
Smart-pixel-based network interface chip

We present the design and experimental setup of an optically interconnected smart-pixel network interface chip designed to implement a collisionless multichannel-access control protocol. The design demonstrates the cointegration of optoelectronic pixel modules of various levels of complexity for dense, high-speed interconnection of highly functional digital logic components typical of multiprocessor network routers.
A computer integrated development system for high speed robot design incorporating structural reconfiguration

A methodology for developing high-speed robots is presented. All the design, prototyping, and experimentation processes required are integrated and carried out under computer control. Based on the experimental results of a prototype, the design is modified, and the experiments are repeated for the new design to reevaluate its performance. The whole process is repeated until given specifications have been satisfied. To expedite the whole development process, the rapid prototyping technique using photo-polymerization is employed, experiments are conducted automatically, data are analyzed, and design changes are determined by use of an online computer. The basic concept of computer-integrated development is described. A proof-of-concept demonstration system for developing a high-speed robot arm is presented. A simple strategy for modifying arm design based on experimental data is addressed, and initial experimental results are described. >
Comparison of the electronic structures of hydrated and unhydrated NaxCoO2: The effect of H2O

We report electronic structure calculations within density functional theory for the hydrated superconductor ${\mathrm{Na}}_{1∕3}{\mathrm{CoO}}_{2}1.33{\mathrm{H}}_{2}\mathrm{O}$ and compare the results with the parent compound ${\mathrm{Na}}_{0.3}{\mathrm{CoO}}_{2}$. We find that the intercalation of water into the parent compound has little effect on the Fermi surface outside of the predictable effects of expansion, in particular increased two dimensionality. This implies an intimate connection between the electronic properties of the hydrated and unhydrated phases.
Profiling a million user dht

Distributed hash tables (DHTs) provide scalable, key-based lookup of objects in dynamic network environments. Although DHTs have been studied extensively from an analytical perspective, only recently have wide deployments enabled empirical examination. This paper reports measurements of the Azureus BitTorrent client's DHT, which is in active use by more than 1 million nodes on a daily basis. The Azureus DHT operates on untrusted, unreliable end-hosts, offering a glimpse into the implementation challenges associated with making structured overlays work in practice. Our measurements provide characterizations of churn, overhead, and performance in this environment. We leverage these measurements to drive the design of a modified DHT lookup algorithm that reduces median DHT lookup time by an order of magnitude for a nominal increase in overhead.
Regional changes in myocyte structure in model of canine right atrial hypertrophy

To investigate regional variation of myocyte response to atrial hypertrophy, control dogs were compared with dogs with right atrial hypertrophy created by induction of tricuspid regurgitation; after 1 yr, right atrial-to-body weight ratio increased 122% over controls. One section from the interatrial band, appendage and nonappendage roofs, and nonappendage side of each atrium of each dog was stained to reveal myocyte outlines and transverse tubules; myocyte cross-sectional areas were measured and transverse tubule prevalence was estimated. In control dogs, interatrial band myocytes were significantly larger and had more transverse tubules than other atrial myocytes. With atrial hypertrophy, right interatrial band myocytes did not increase significantly in size, whereas other right atrial myocytes nearly doubled in size, approaching the size of interatrial band myocytes without approaching the content of transverse tubules. Left atrial myocytes did not increase in size. Thus hypertrophic response of atrial myocytes to hemodynamic stress depends on the region in which the myocytes are found, and atrial hypertrophy does not demand transverse tubule proliferation.
Stochastic policy search for variance-penalized semi-Markov control

The variance-penalized metric in Markov decision processes (MDPs) seeks to maximize the average reward minus a scalar times the variance of rewards. In this paper, our goal is to study the same metric in the context of the semi-Markov decision process (SMDP). In the SMDP, unlike the MDP, the time spent in each transition is not identical and may in fact be a random variable. We first develop an expression for the variance of rewards in the SMDPs, and then formulate the VP-SMDP. Our interest here is in solving the problem without generating the underlying transition probabilities of the Markov chains. We propose the use of two stochastic search techniques, namely simultaneous perturbation and learning automata, to solve the problem; these techniques use stochastic policies and can be used within simulators, thereby avoiding the generation of the transition probabilities.
Eukaryotic MCM Proteins: Beyond Replication Initiation

The minichromosome maintenance (or MCM) protein family is composed of six related proteins that are conserved in all eukaryotes. They were first identified by genetic screens in yeast and subsequently analyzed in other experimental systems using molecular and biochemical methods. Early data led to the identification of MCMs as central players in the initiation of DNA replication. More recent studies have shown that MCM proteins also function in replication elongation, probably as a DNA helicase. This is consistent with structural analysis showing that the proteins interact together in a heterohexameric ring. However, MCMs are strikingly abundant and far exceed the stoichiometry of replication origins; they are widely distributed on unreplicated chromatin. Analysis of mcm mutant phenotypes and interactions with other factors have now implicated the MCM proteins in other chromosome transactions including damage response, transcription, and chromatin structure. These experiments indicate that the MCMs are central players in many aspects of genome stability.
NOx-Emissionen durch die zivile Schifffahrt

NOx-Emissionen sind wohl die zurzeit am meisten genannten Schadstoffe in den Abgasen von Dieselmotoren in Schiffen. Die vorliegende Arbeit berichtet uber das Ergebnis einer bei MAN B&W Diesel AG in Augsburg vom Verfasser durchgefuhrten Studie zur Ermittlung der tatsachlichen Schiffs-NOx-Emission durch die gesamte existierende zivile Flotte im Jahr 2001.
Bialellic mutations in SLC26A4 Are Associated With Additional Inner Ear Abnormalities

Methods: 53 individuals, aged 2 to 30 years with EVA in at least one ear were studied (84 affected ears). All subjects underwent genetic testing for SLC26A4. Statistical correlation between hearing loss, as measured by four-frequency pure tone average (500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz), number of mutant SLC26A4 alleles and presence of inner ear anomalies detected by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging was undertaken. The median follow-up time was 18 months with a standard deviation of 14 months.
Information and equity

Les AA. passent en revue la litterature recente concernant l'egalite sociale sur le plan de l'information et la fracture numerique (digital divide). Elles distinguent entre deux perspectives verticale et horizontale selon que l'inegalite d'acces et d'utilisation de l'information est liee ou pas aux caracteristiques socio-economiques. L'information apparait alors davantage comme un bien public intangible, hautement subjectif et lie au contexte. L'equite dans l'information doit etre obtenue en integrant les deux perspectives dans la formulation d'une politique d'information.
Barrier Jets during TAMEX

Abstract A barrier jet is frequently found along the northwestern coast of Taiwan in the prefrontal southwesterly flow regime during the Taiwan Area Mesoscale Experiment (TAMEX). It has a maximum wind speed of 14 m s−1 at approximately 1 km above the surface with a vertical wind shear approximately 10 × 10−3 s−1 below and 4 × 10−3 s−1 above that altitude. During TAMEX, the southwesterly monsoon flow strengthens over Taiwan when the low-level pressure trough/surface front moves toward the southeastern China coast. The barrier jet is a result of the stably stratified airflow past an island obstacle under a small–Froude number [<O(1)] flow regime. During the occurrence of a barrier jet, a windward pressure ridge is observed along the southwestern coast due to island blocking. In low levels, the incoming southwesterly flow decelerates off the southwestern coast and moves around the island. Along the western coast, the deflected airflow accelerates northward with a large cross-contour wind component down the p...
QuantFusion: Novel Unified Methodology for Enhanced Coverage and Precision in Quantifying Global Proteomic Changes in Whole Tissues

Single quantitative platforms such as label-based or label-free quantitation (LFQ) present compromises in accuracy, precision, protein sequence coverage, and speed of quantifiable proteomic measurements. To maximize the quantitative precision and the number of quantifiable proteins or the quantifiable coverage of tissue proteomes, we have developed a unified approach, termed QuantFusion, that combines the quantitative ratios of all peptides measured by both LFQ and label-based methodologies. Here, we demonstrate the use of QuantFusion in determining the proteins differentially expressed in a pair of patient-derived tumor xenografts (PDXs) representing two major breast cancer (BC) subtypes, basal and luminal. Label-based in-spectra quantitative peptides derived from amino acid-coded tagging (AACT, also known as SILAC) of a non-malignant mammary cell line were uniformly added to each xenograft with a constant predefined ratio, from which Ratio-of-Ratio estimates were obtained for the label-free peptides paired with AACT peptides in each PDX tumor. A mixed model statistical analysis was used to determine global differential protein expression by combining complementary quantifiable peptide ratios measured by LFQ and Ratio-of-Ratios, respectively. With minimum number of replicates required for obtaining the statistically significant ratios, QuantFusion uses the distinct mechanisms to "rescue" the missing data inherent to both LFQ and label-based quantitation. Combined quantifiable peptide data from both quantitative schemes increased the overall number of peptide level measurements and protein level estimates. In our analysis of the PDX tumor proteomes, QuantFusion increased the number of distinct peptide ratios by 65%, representing differentially expressed proteins between the BC subtypes. This quantifiable coverage improvement, in turn, not only increased the number of measurable protein fold-changes by 8% but also increased the average precision of quantitative estimates by 181% so that some BC subtypically expressed proteins were rescued by QuantFusion. Thus, incorporating data from multiple quantitative approaches while accounting for measurement variability at both the peptide and global protein levels make QuantFusion unique for obtaining increased coverage and quantitative precision for tissue proteomes.
Mining the epigenetic landscape of tissue polarity in search of new targets for cancer therapy

The epigenetic nature of cancer encourages the development of inhibitors of epigenetic pathways. Yet, the clinical use for solid tumors of approved epigenetic drugs is meager. We argue that this situation might improve upon understanding the coinfluence between epigenetic pathways and tissue architecture. We present emerging information on the epigenetic control of the polarity axis, a central feature of epithelial architecture created by the orderly distribution of multiprotein complexes at cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix contacts and altered upon cancer onset (with apical polarity loss), invasive progression (with basolateral polarity loss) and metastatic development (with basoapical polarity imbalance). This information combined with the impact of polarity-related proteins on epigenetic mechanisms of cancer enables us to envision how to guide the choice of drugs specific for distinct epigenetic modifiers, in order to halt cancer development and counter the consequences of polarity alterations.
Placenta Accreta in a Woman with Escherichia coli Chorioamnionitis with Intact Membranes

Background. Escherichia coli (E. coli) associated intrauterine infections with intact membranes are extremely rare. Case. A 30-year-old multiparous female presented at 26 weeks' gestation with clinical signs of chorioamnionitis but physical examination suggested intact membranes. Her dietary history was concerned with Listeriosis. An amniocentesis was performed. Shortly thereafter, the mother developed septic shock and an urgent Cesarean delivery was performed. The patient required a peripartum hysterectomy for placenta accreta. Amniotic fluid cultures grew E. coli.
The Significance of the Bohr Effect in the Respiration and Asphyxiation of the Squid, Loligo Pealei

1. The oxygen and carbon-dioxide content of the arterial and venous blood of the squid, Loligo pealei , have been measured. 2. Using a nomographic method of analysis it is shown that the reciprocal effects of oxygen and carbon dioxide upon the respiratory properties of squid haemocyanin account for one-third of the respiratory exchange. 3. The venous blood is estimated to be 0.13 p H unit more acid than the arterial blood. 4. Death from asphyxiation occurs when the oxygen and carbon-dioxide pressures are such that the arterial blood can combine with only 0.5 to 1.5 volumes per cent, oxygen. Carbon dioxide exerts no toxic effect except through its influence on the oxygenation of the blood. 5. The haemocyanin of the blood is of vital necessity to the squid, because the amount of oxygen which can be physically dissolved in blood is less than the amount which is necessary for the maintenance of life.