cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measuring compliance with HICPAC guidelines: A snapshot of Florida hospitals

ISSUE: Key guidelines for hand hygiene, prevention of intravascular infection, and prevention of pneumonia have been released by HICPAC. The recommendations have been implemented with varying success. A survey was designed to assay the level of guideline compliance in Florida. PROJECT: Members of the state infection control organization (FPIC) were surveyed in September 2004. Questions were asked about the implementation of recommendations and performance measures from three HICPAC guidelines (hand hygiene, catheter-related infections, and prevention of pneumonia). RESULTS: Seventeen of 22 responders indicated that ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) was monitored, with 82% using NNIS definitions and reporting rates by ventilators days (88%). The majority monitored VAP in the intensive care units (ICUs) only. The majority of responders had standard operating procedures for influenza vaccination, but less than 50% had a method to monitor for eligible patients. Less than half of the responders had set a goal for employee vaccination rates and reported a wide range (15%–95%) for employee vaccination during the previous year. Most programs tracked respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Aspergillus. No clear methodology for finding undiagnosed Legionella cases was reported. IV prevention guideline had been out for 2 years, but implementation of all recommendations was not universal. Surveillance and compliance monitoring were only done in 53% of responders. Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) is used by the majority of responders although not for all indications. Antimicrobial catheter were used only few facilities. A CHG-impregnated patch was used by 25%. Most facilities had elaborate IV/CVL training for non-physician providers but rarely trained or certified the physicians. Tubing and site changes for peripheral lines were according to the HICPAC guidelines 90% of the time. All responders were challenged to monitor the discontinuation of catheters when they were no longer needed. Survey participants reported a high level of compliance with the hand hygiene guideline recommendations although the frequency and intensity of monitoring compliance varied. LESSONS LEARNED: HICPAC guidelines help to influence infection control practice in Florida, but many opportunities still exit for complete implementation. Infection prevention and control professionals can learn implementation strategies from each other.
Convex combinations of unitary operators in von Neumann algebras

The unitary rank of an element T in a von Neumann algebra U is defined as the smallest number u(T) for which there is a convex combination of unitaries from U of length u(T) and equalling T. We determine the unitary rank for every element T in the closed unit ball of U in terms of the index i(T) of T and the distance α(T) from T to the group of invertible elements in U. If i(T) = 0, then u(T) ⩽ 2; if i(T) ≠ 0, then u(T) = n when n − 1 < 2(1 − α(T))−1 ⩽ n, and u(T) = ∞ when α(T) = 1. We also determine precisely which asymmetric convex decompositions of T can be realized. We show that only an approximate version of these results holds in a general C∗-algebra.
Non-local superconductivity and the critical field Hc2 of niobium

Abstract The critical field Hc2 of pure, single crystal niobium is experimentally found to have a temperature dependence of the form Hc2(t) = Hc2(0) [ 1 + ηt2ln (t)] in the temperature range 0.4 K ⩽ T ⩽ 1.4 K, where t = T T c . Although the constant η is found to be anisotropic, as is Hc2, this temperature dependence agrees with a prediction by Gor'kov for clean, type-II superconductors with isotropic Fermi surfaces in the low temperature limit.
Text Mining Effectively Scores and Ranks the Literature for Improving Chemical-Gene-Disease Curation at the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database

The Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD; http://ctdbase.org/) is a public resource that curates interactions between environmental chemicals and gene products, and their relationships to diseases, as a means of understanding the effects of environmental chemicals on human health. CTD provides a triad of core information in the form of chemical-gene, chemical-disease, and gene-disease interactions that are manually curated from scientific articles. To increase the efficiency, productivity, and data coverage of manual curation, we have leveraged text mining to help rank and prioritize the triaged literature. Here, we describe our text-mining process that computes and assigns each article a document relevancy score (DRS), wherein a high DRS suggests that an article is more likely to be relevant for curation at CTD. We evaluated our process by first text mining a corpus of 14,904 articles triaged for seven heavy metals (cadmium, cobalt, copper, lead, manganese, mercury, and nickel). Based upon initial analysis, a representative subset corpus of 3,583 articles was then selected from the 14,094 articles and sent to five CTD biocurators for review. The resulting curation of these 3,583 articles was analyzed for a variety of parameters, including article relevancy, novel data content, interaction yield rate, mean average precision, and biological and toxicological interpretability. We show that for all measured parameters, the DRS is an effective indicator for scoring and improving the ranking of literature for the curation of chemical-gene-disease information at CTD. Here, we demonstrate how fully incorporating text mining-based DRS scoring into our curation pipeline enhances manual curation by prioritizing more relevant articles, thereby increasing data content, productivity, and efficiency.
A Current-Limiting Technique for Powering Wire Chambers

Using the principle of fold-back current limiting, circuitry which permits good chamber voltage regulation during normal operation and still provides the protection of a large series resistance to "soften" the voltage source in case of sparking and other discharges is described. Such circuitry is presently being used in several high energy physics experiments employing proportional wire chambers which require self-destruct protection. Supplementary circuitry which provides a fast crowbar at a preset current threshold is also included.
Recalibration of the Shear Stress Transport Model to Improve Calculation of Shock Separated Flows

The Menter Shear Stress Transport (SST) k . turbulence model is one of the most widely used two-equation Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes turbulence models for aerodynamic analyses. The model extends Menter s baseline (BSL) model to include a limiter that prevents the calculated turbulent shear stress from exceeding a prescribed fraction of the turbulent kinetic energy via a proportionality constant, a1, set to 0.31. Compared to other turbulence models, the SST model yields superior predictions of mild adverse pressure gradient flows including those with small separations. In shock - boundary layer interaction regions, the SST model produces separations that are too large while the BSL model is on the other extreme, predicting separations that are too small. In this paper, changing a1 to a value near 0.355 is shown to significantly improve predictions of shock separated flows. Several cases are examined computationally and experimental data is also considered to justify raising the value of a1 used for shock separated flows.
The Power of Definition: Brazil's Contribution to Universal Concepts of Indigeneity

This article builds on discussions about the potential benefits and difficulties with developing a universal definition of indigenous peoples. It explores the spaces made available for theorizing indigeneity by the lack of a definition in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted in 2007. Specifically, this article addresses the challenge presented by the diversity of groups claiming indigenous status in Brazil. To what extent do distinct cosmologies and languages that mark Amazonian Indians as unquestionably indigenous affect newly recognized tribes in the rest of Brazil who share none of the indicia of authenticity? This article theorizes how to situate these newly recognized tribes within the context of the Declaration and addresses what the Brazilian experience has to offer in providing openings for claims that might have been made through alternative means, such as land reform and international cultural heritage rights.
Molecular Interaction between Escherichia Coli Topoisomerase I and pBAD/Thio Supercoiled Plasmid DNA

DNA topoisomerase regulates the topological state of DNA, which is very important for replication, transcription and recombination. The relaxation of negatively supercoiled DNA is catalyzed by bacterial DNA topoisomerase I (topoI) and this reaction requires Mg2+. We quantitatively studied the molecular interactions between Escherichia coli topoisomerase I (EctopoI) and pBAD/Thio supercoiled plasmid DNA using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique. The equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) for EctopoI-pBAD/Thio interactions is determined to be about 8 nM. A slightly higher Kd value (∼15 nM) was obtained for Mg2+ coordinated EctopoI (Mg2+EctopoI)-pBAD/Thio interactions. In addition, we observed a larger dissociation rate constant (kd) for Mg2+EctopoI-pBAD/Thio interactions (∼0.043 s−1), compared to EctopoI-pBAD/Thio interactions (∼0.017 s−1). These results suggest that enzyme turnover during plasmid DNA relaxation is enhanced due to the presence of Mg2+.
The use of a dissected bovine heart to teach cardiac sonography.

Objectives To create and test a dissected bovine heart model (BHM) to facilitate the interpretation of cardiac sonography (CS). Methods After a pretest and an instructional video on CS, emergency physicians (EPs) were randomized into two groups. Group 1 viewed two-dimensional (2D) anatomic pictures of human hearts. Group 2 examined the BHM and the same anatomic pictures as group 1. The EPs retook the pretest. The differences between the raw pretest and posttest scores of the groups were compared with an unpaired Student's t-test. Multiple linear regression was used to adjust for confounding by variation in education and initial test scores. EPs with previous experience in CS were excluded from the analysis. Results Thirty-five participants met the inclusion criteria, 16 in group 1 and 19 in group 2. The groups were well balanced with respect to postgraduate year training. The EPs in group 1 had a higher average pretest score of 11.6 versus 8.1 in group 2. Compared with the pretest scores, the average improvements in group 1 and group 2 were 7.6 and 11.3 points, respectively. Group 2 improved an average of 3.7 points (95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 0.7 to 6.7; p = 0.016) more than group 1. After adjusting for confounding by the difference in initial scores, group 2 improved 1.8 (95% CI = -1.1 to 4.8; p = 0.22) more points on average than group 1. Conclusions A dissected bovine heart model did not significantly improve the ability of EPs to label structures on static ultrasounds over inspection of static-labeled anatomic pictures alone.
Reduction of Salmonella on chicken meat and chicken skin by combined or sequential application of lytic bacteriophage with chemical antimicrobials

The effectiveness of recently approved Salmonella lytic bacteriophage preparation (SalmoFresh™) in reducing Salmonella in vitro and on chicken breast fillets was examined in combination with lauric arginate (LAE) or cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC). In another experiment, a sequential spray application of this bacteriophage (phage) solution on Salmonella inoculated chicken skin after a 20s dip in chemical antimicrobials (LAE, CPC, peracetic acid, or chlorine) was also examined in reducing Salmonella counts on chicken skin. The application of phage in combination with CPC or LAE reduced S. Typhimurium, S. Heidelberg, and S. Enteritidis up to 5 log units in vitro at 4 °C. On chicken breast fillets, phage in combination with CPC or LAE resulted in significant (p<0.05) reductions of Salmonella ranging from 0.5 to 1.3 log CFU/g as compared to control up to 7 days of refrigerated storage. When phage was applied sequentially with chemical antimicrobials, all the treatments resulted in significant reductions of Salmonella. The application of chlorine (30 ppm) and PAA (400 ppm) followed by phage spray (10(9)PFU/ml) resulted in highest Salmonella reductions of 1.6-1.7 and 2.2-2.5l og CFU/cm(2), respectively. In conclusion, the surface applications of phage in combination with LAE or CPC significantly reduced Salmonella counts on chicken breast fillets. However, higher reductions in Salmonella counts were achieved on chicken skin by the sequential application of chemical antimicrobials followed by phage spray. The sequential application of chlorine, PAA, and phage can provide additional hurdles to reduce Salmonella on fresh poultry carcasses or cut up parts.
Notions of Limiting P Values Based on Data Depth and Bootstrap

Abstract In this article we propose some new notions of limiting P values for hypothesis testing. The limiting P value (LP) here not only provides the usual attractive interpretation of a P value as the strength in support of the null hypothesis coming from the observed data, but also has several advantages. First, it allows us to resample directly from the empirical distribution (in the bootstrap implementations), rather than from the estimated population distribution satisfying the null constraints. Second, it serves as a test statistic and as a P value simultaneously, and thus enables us to obtain test results directly without having to construct an explicit test statistic and then establish or approximate its sampling distribution. These are the two steps generally required in a standard testing procedure. Using bootstrap and the concept of data depth, we have provided LP's for a broad class of testing problems where the parameters of interest can be either finite or infinite dimensional. Some compute...
Design of transient experiments for identification of fixed bed thermal transport properties

The utility of using optimal input signals to improve the parametric information content in a transient experiment is explored. This work extends the statistical design concepts that have proven useful in steady state model building studies to a dynamic environment. The methodology is demonstrated for the identification of thermal transport properties in an adiabatic packed bed. The effects of the choice of measurements, initial parameter values and accuracies, and performance criteria are assessed. The results indicate that optimal dynamic experiments can offer considerable improvement over present practice. On a etudie l'utilite d'employer des signaux d'entree optimaux pour ameliorer le contenu en information parametrique dans une experience en regime transitoire; ce travail etend a un milieu dynamique, les concepts statistiques qui se sont averes utiles pour la construction de modeles en regime stationnaire. On a demontre la methodologie sur l'identification des proprietes de transfert de chaleur dans un lit garni adiabatique. On a etabli les effets du choix des mesures, des valeurs initiales des parametres et des precisions, ainsi que des criteres de performance. Les resultats obtenus ont indique que les experiences dynamiques optimales peuvent apporter une amelioration considerable a la pratique actuelle.
Growth of the Organic Molecular Semiconductor PTCDA on Se-Passivated GaAs(100):. An STM Study

We investigate the monolayer and multilayer growth of the organic molecular semiconductor (OMS) 3, 4, 9, 10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) on the Se-passivated GaAs(100) (2 × 1) surface using STM. Deposition of ~2 ML PTCDA at room temperature results in the formation of clusters, implying good chemical passivation of the substrate. However, we also find a significant number of molecules pinned at high energy defect sites, some of which induce molecular ordering. At higher PTCDA coverage we find that the film invariably orients to the substrate revealing a critical, though weak, molecule-substrate interaction. We present the first molecularly resolved STM images obtained from a thick PTCDA film (~ 60 A) and show unit cell dimensions and orientation in excellent greement with our previous LEED study.
X-ray scattering: In tune with organic semiconductors

Progress in organic electronics depends on our understanding of the structure–property relationships of organic materials. Resonant scattering of polarized soft X-rays by aromatic carbon bonds has now been used to probe molecular orientation in thin organic semiconductor films down to length scales of 20 nm.
Nucleotides in 23S rRNA protected by the association of 30S and 50S ribosomal subunits.

We have studied the effect of subunit association on the accessibility of nucleotides in 23S and 5S rRNA. Escherichia coli 50S subunits and 70S ribosomes were subjected to a combination of chemical probes and the sites of attack identified by primer extension. Since the ribose groups and all of the bases were probed, the present study provides a comprehensive map of the nucleotides that are likely to be involved in subunit-subunit interactions. Upon subunit association, the bases of 22 nucleotides and the ribose groups of more than 60 nucleotides are protected in 23S rRNA; no changes are seen in 5S rRNA. Interestingly, the bases of nucleotides A1866, A1891 and A1896, and G2505 become more reactive to chemical probes, indicating localized rearrangement of the structure of the 50S subunit upon association with the 30S subunit. Most of the protected nucleotides are located in four stem-loop structures around positions 715, 890, 1700, and 1920. In free 50S subunits, virtually all of the ribose groups in these four regions are strongly cleaved by hydroxyl radicals, suggesting that these stems protrude from the 50S subunit. When the 30S subunit is bound, most of the ribose groups in the 715, 890, 1700 and 1920 stem-loops are protected, as are many bases in and around the corresponding apical loops. Intriguingly, three of the protected regions of 23S rRNA are known to be linked via tertiary interactions to features of the peptidyl transferase center. Together with the juxtaposition of the subunit-protected regions of 16S rRNA with the small subunit tRNA binding sites, our findings suggest the existence of a communication pathway between the codon-anticodon binding sites of the 30S subunit with the peptidyl transferase center of the 50S subunit via rRNA-rRNA interactions.
Changes in connexin 43 protein expression in human endometrial carcinoma.

The expression of connexin 43 was studied using immunohistochemical and Western blot analyses on cell lines of endometrial epithelial origin. Connexin proteins were examined because decreases in their expression and function have been correlated with carcinogenesis. The cell lines were chosen to represent increasing grades of endometrial cancer progression starting from FEEC (fetal endometrial epithelial cells; transformed with SV40 large T antigen) to HEC-1A (stage 1A endometrial carcinoma) to RL-95-2 (grade 2 endometrial carcinoma). Parallel studies using connexin 43 polyclonal antibodies for both Western blots and immunofluorescence showed that the levels of connexin 43 expression were normal endometrial stromal cells = FEEC > HEC-1A > RL-95-2. Consequently, we applied the immunofluorescence assay to analyze paraffin-embedded uterine sections from hysterectomy specimens of patients with normal endometrium and from patients diagnosed with grade 1, 2, and 3 endometrial cancer. Using five different cases from each category, we found an inverse correlation between connexin 43 expression and tumor grade. Our data indicate that connexin 43 expression may be useful as an adjunctive marker of progression for endometrial carcinoma.
Safety and Progress for Distributed Cyber-Physical Systems with Unreliable Communication

Cyber-physical systems (CPSs) may interact and manipulate objects in the physical world, and therefore formal guarantees about their behavior are strongly desired. Static-time proofs of safety invariants, however, may be intractable for systems with distributed physical-world interactions. This is further complicated when realistic communication models are considered, for which there may not be bounds on message delays, or even when considering that messages will eventually reach their destination.In this work, we address the challenge of proving safety and progress in distributed CPSs communicating over an unreliable communication layer. We show that for this type of communication model, system safety is closely related to the results of a hybrid system’s reachability computation, which can be computed at runtime. However, since computing reachability at runtime may be computationally intensive, we provide an approach that moves significant parts of the computation to design time. This approach is demonstrated with a case study of a simulation of multiple vehicles moving within a shared environment.
In vitro reconstitution of skin: Fibroblasts facilitate keratinocyte growth and differentiation on acellular reticular dermis

Abstract Extensive full-thickness burns require replacement of both epidermis and dermis. We have described a method in which allogeneic dermis from engrafted cryopreserved cadaver skin was combined with cultured autologous keratinocytes. In the present study we combined human keratinocytes and fibroblasts, and acellular human, dermis in vitro and transplanted this "reconstituted skin" into athymic mice. Both human papillary dermis in which the basement membrane zone has been retained and human reticular dermis that has been repopulated with human dermal fibroblasts are good substrates for keratinocyte attachment, stratification, growth, and differentiation. Both of these dermal preparations can be lyophilized and stored at room temperature without losing their ability to support keratinocyte growth. In contrast, human papillary dermis that has been treated with trypsin lacks laminin and collagen type IV in the BMZ and supports keratinocyte attachment and differentiation less well.
Arthrostemma primaevum (Melastomataceae): A new species endemic to southeastern Mexico

Arthrostemma primaevum, a new species endemic to southeastern Mexico, is described, illustrated, and compared with its closest extant relative,A. ciliatum. The chromosome count ofn=15, reported here forA. primaevum, suggests thatA. ciliatum, withn=30, is a tetraploid derivative with a much broader geographic and elevational range. In addition to its distinctive unlobed staminal appendages and unique chromosome number,A. primaevum is notable for its shorter, urceolate hypanthium and seeds that have essentially smooth continuous semicircular ridges.
Modeling watershed-scale sequestration of soil organic carbon for carbon credit programs.

Abstract Impending risks associated with climate change have forced the global community to devise tradable pollution permit or “cap and trade” approaches to control the release of greenhouse gases. In the U.S, soils have the potential to offset about 10 percent of annual CO 2 emissions; however, if carbon credits are to be included in greenhouse gas control programs, soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration rates associated with agricultural land uses must be computed at a watershed scale. The Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) water quality model, the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) erosion model, and the CENTURY 4.0 a soil carbon model were used to simulate carbon sequestration rates for 160 crop-tillage rotations in 272 sub-basins of the Big Creek watershed (∼12,300 hectares). Under annual crops, only no-till in a corn-soybean rotation, on low to moderate slopes results in net gains in SOC. Substantial annual rates of SOC sequestration occur only under perennial crops such as Conservation Reserve Program (CRP; 0.14 t/ha without erosion; 0.08 with erosion), pasture (0.67 t/ha without erosion; 0.58 with erosion), hay (0.88 t/ha without erosion; 0.52 with erosion), and forest (2.66 t/ha without erosion; 2.49 with erosion). Erosion thus has a large effect on the spatial distribution of field-measured SOC by moving it down slope and increasing its spatial variability. Because of this, carbon credit programs should be based on field practices, thus targeting the locations where the sequestration of atmospheric carbon actually occurs and minimizing monitoring costs. Developing model-based estimates of SOC sequestration rates of field practices at many locations would thus greatly serve the needs of carbon crediting programs.
Partial reproductive isolation of subspecies of the California vole, Microtus californicus

A partial reproductive barrier found between subspecies of the California vole indicates that there may be obstacles to free interbreeding within this species in nature. Both the reduced fertility between subspecies and the sterility of hybrid males found in laboratory crosses would be obstacles to gene exchange between contiguous subspecies populations. Combative behavior engaged in by approximately half of the mixed subspecies pairs in the laboratory indicate that there might also be behavioral constraints to their breeding. Substantial differentiation has already occurred between M.c. californicus and stephensi in some of the faster evolving structural gene loci coding for enzymes not involved in glucose metabolism. Due to significant differences in body size, skull characteristics, and organ weights, the two subspecies are clearly distinguishable on the basis of these morphophysiological characters at this stage of reproductive isolation. Thus, there is good reason to believe that these populations of the California vole are diverging to the species level. I am continuing the investigation of the intraspecific divergence with a comparative study of the geographically intervening subspecies M.c. sanctidiegi, to determine its interfertility with californicus and stephensi. The speciation process has been studied extensively in drosophilids (Ayala, 1975) and there have been many studies of geographical variation and speciation in the genus Peromyscus (Dice, 1940, 1968), but it is not likely that the same model of speciation will apply equally to all organisms (White, 1973; Dobzhansky, 1972). The California vole promises to provide another important case study of the speciation process and of the nature of genetic changes involved in it.
Discontinuous finite-element approximations for the analysis of shock waves in nonlinearly elastic materials

Abstract In this paper a new technique for calculating shock waves in nonlinear materials using finite element methods is described. The basic feature of the technique is the use of finite elements with built-in discontinuities. This requires the introduction of additional parameters which are taken to be the strength of the shock and the location of the shock front in an element. A variational principle for shock wave propagation with jump conditions is derived, and this is used together with discontinuous trial functions to produce equations of motion and equations for the growth and decay of shocks. The method is applied to a number of representative nonlinear problems, and numerical results and comparisons are indicated. Computationally the technique appears to offer a number of advantages over shock smearing schemes including a quite accurate description of the structure of the shock front.
Estimation of Tryptophane Content of Various Proteins

Summary1. The colored complexes formed as a result of the reaction of pure tryptophane2 and of casein2, 5 with para-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde appear to be similar. 2. The rapid procedure5 when employed in the determination of the tryptophane content of various proteins gives results which are in fair agreement with those reported by other investigators1 using a long procedure.2
Microstructure development during final/ intermediate stage sintering—II. Grain and pore coarsening

The rates of grain and pore coarsening and of pore shrinkage that occur during sintering have been analyzed in the presence of porosity at three-grain junctions. Optimum sintering conditions that exclude pore coarsening have been identified. The pore coarsening that occurs under sub-optimal sintering conditions depends on the dominant diffusivities, the grain boundary mobility and the dihedral angle. The pore sizes that develop during sintering have been compared with the critical pore size for pore-grain boundary breakaway, and conditions for averting breakaway discussed.
Mesh tailoring for strongly coupled computation of ablative material in nonequilibrium hypersonic flow

A one-dimensional material response implicit solver with surface ablation and pyrolysis is strongly coupled to LeMANS, a CFD code for the simulation of weakly ionized hypersonic flows in thermo-chemical non-equilibrium. Using blowing wall boundary conditions and a moving mesh algorithm, the results of a strongly coupled solution of a sample re-entry problem are presented. Because of the requirement of a coupling scheme, an Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) approach is used to compute the flux, allowing the mesh to move as the surface ablates. However, as the shape of the vehicle changes, the shock location and geometry are also modified. Using the moving mesh capabilities of the flow solver, a mesh tailoring algorithm is presented, and results obtained with this new functionality are compared to un-tailored mesh results.
Observation of ampere forces in mercury

Abstract An experiment proposed by Wesley involving passing current through a mercury cell of varying cross section has been performed and appears to confirm the existence of Ampere tension (Ampere longitudinal forces).
The sex ratio of juvenile suicide

From 1980-1993, 13 nations reported suicide rates for girls aged 5-14 years as high as or greater than those for boys. Language: en
Transcriptional Response of Candida albicans to Nitric Oxide and the Role of the YHB1 Gene in Nitrosative Stress and Virulence

Here, we investigate how Candida albicans, the most prevalent human fungal pathogen, protects itself from nitric oxide (.NO), an antimicrobial compound produced by the innate immune system. We show...
A simplified derivation of the Fourier coefficients for Chebyshev patterns

In the design of linear arrays containing an odd number of elements with constant element spacing of less than a half wavelength, the mathematical problem reduces to that of finding explicitly the coefficients, bm, in the expansion where a and b are constants, n > 0, and Tm(x) is defined as cos (m arc cos x) for m ≥ 0. Such a problem was initially solved by DuHamel and later given by Salzer in a form more convenient for computation. The purpose of this paper is to give an alternative derivation of Salzer's result, making use of the orthogonality properties the Chebyshev polynomials in order to obviate the fairly elaborate series manipulations required in the previous derivation.
Histopathological study of the cochlea with altered perilymph metabolism.

In 41 guinea pigs an experiment was conducted to determine the effect of kanamycin on ears with or without blockage of the cochlear aqueduct. In 24 animals the cochlear aqueduct was blocked on one side, and after 1 to 21 days, kanamycin (300 mg/kg) was given daily and subcutaneously until the pinna reflex began to decrease. The remaining animals were used for controls: exposure of and trauma to the aperture of the cochlear aqueduct and kanamycin administration (8), blockage of the cochlear aqueduct only (3 plus 17 previous cases). and kanamycin administration to normal animals (6). The survival time of all these animals was four months. The results showed that ears with blockage of the cochlear aqueduct and kanamycin administration consistently demonstrated a more severe and extensive atrophy of the cochlear sensory cells. The lesions occurred primarily at the basal end and spread toward the apical turn, although the lesions in some specimens jumped from the basal to apical turn. The outer hair cells were more extensively affected than the inner hair cells. Proteinaceous precipitates were often found to be slightly greater in the perilymph of cochleae with blocked cochlear aqueducts. From these observations, it is concluded that the decrease in patency of the cochlear aqueduct will impair perilymph metabolism, causing the cochlear sensory cells at the basal turn to become more vulnerable to noxious substances.
SOVIET VERSION OF AMERICAN HISTORY

WHAT are Russian school children taught about American history? How are the facts "interpreted" for them? In part at least these questions are answered by an analysis of The New History, 1789-1870, current official text in Russian high schools. The chapters on the U.S.A. contain some accurate and even generous estimates of persons and events, but on the whole present a partial, distorted, and somber picture.
MUCOSAL AND SYSTEMIC IMMUNIZATION USING COCHLEATE AND LIPOSOME VACCINES

AbstractFor more than a decade our laboratories have been combining concepts in biochemistry, virology and immunology, in order to develop a conceptual basis for vaccine design. Our long term goals have been to construct simple and well defined immunogens which would stimulate specific immune responses in vivo. Using this approach, we hypothesized that it should be possible to define the structural and biochemical parameters of an immunogen that are necessary and sufficient to stimulate designated effector arms of the immune system. Through the use of covalently coupled peptide complexes, we have been able to define minimal requirements for the induction of humoral immune responses. Minimal requirements for the induction of CD 8 +, MHC Class I restricted Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes have been defined through the use of fusogenic proteoliposomes and simple peptide-lipid complexes (1,2). Finally, we have described a unique, highly stable, lyophilizable, lipid-based vaccine carrier and delivery formulation called...
Auditory attention to frequency and time : an analogy to visual local-global stimuli

Two priming experiments demonstrated exogenous attentional persistence to the fundamental auditory dimensions of frequency (Experiment 1) and time (Experiment 2). In a dividedattention task, participants responded to an independent dimension, the identification of threetone sequence patterns, for both prime and probe stimuli. The stimuli were specifically designed to parallel the local–global hierarchical letter stimuli of [Navon D. (1977). Forest before trees: The precedence of global features in visual perception. Cognitive Psychology, 9, 353–383] and the task was designed to parallel subsequent work in visual attention using Navon stimuli [Robertson, L. C. (1996). Attentional persistence for features of hierarchical patterns. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 125, 227–249; Ward, L. M. (1982). Determinants of attention to local and global features of visual forms. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 8, 562–581]. The results are discussed in terms of previous work in auditory attention and previous approaches to auditory local–global processing.
Metallo-Organic Decomposition (MOD) Films for Electronic Packaging

A metallo-organic decomposition (MOD) film is one formed by thermal decomposition of a solution containing one or more metallo-organic compounds that were deposited onto a substrate. This process yields metal, glasses, or polycrystalline ceramic films directly without passing through the powder stage. Conductor films studied include a screen printable gold and a screen printable and ink jet printable silver. Dielectric films studied include a low K lead borosilicate glass and a variety of ferroelectric compositions.
Modeling and simulation of a hybrid-electric vehicle drivetrain

The drivetrain of a hybrid-electric vehicle is modeled and simulated from a system level approach. The need for accurate dynamic models for developing control algorithms is motivated. Detailed models capable of describing both transient and steady-state operation of each of the key drivetrain components are constructed. Bond graphs are the tool of choice for modeling because they focus on mechanisms of energy generation, storage, and dissipation. Further, they permit integration of submodels, give insight into component interaction, and allow straightforward derivation of governing equations. The following component models are presented: transmission, vehicle chassis/body, three-phase AC induction motor, lead-acid battery, and four cycle, four stroke, spark ignited internal combustion engine. Simulation results for these components are presented.
On Relativistic Mass Spectra of a Two-Particle System

Abstract A relativistic two-particle system with time-asymmetric scalar and vector interactions in the two-dimensional space-time is considered within the frame of the front form of dynamics using the dynamical symmetry approach. The mass-shell equation may be represented in terms of the nonlinear canonical realization of the Lie algebra of the group SO(2, 1). This allows us to quantize the system and to obtain a closed form for the mass spectrum.
Real-time social touch gesture recognition for sensate robots

This paper describes the hardware and algorithms for a realtime social touch gesture recognition system. Early experiments involve a Sensate Bear test-rig with full body touch sensing, sensor visualization and gesture recognition capabilities. Algorithms are based on real humans interacting with a plush bear. In developing a preliminary gesture library with thirteen Symbolic Gestures and eight Touch Subtypes, we have taken the first steps toward a Robotic Touch API, showing that the Huggable robot behavior system will be able to stream currently active sensors to detect regional social gestures and local sub-gestures in realtime. The system demonstrates the infrastructure to detect three types of touching: social touch, local touch, and sensor-level touch.
Correction: Somatic therapies for treatment-resistant depression: ECT, TMS, VNS, DBS.

Since the initial publication of the review article [Cusin C and Dougherty DD, 2012], a number of readers have contacted us to clarify potential erroneous information in the article. These comments focused on our review of the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). In the initial article, we concluded that TMS is well-tolerated and has been approved by the FDA for adults who have failed to respond to one antidepressant, but that its use in TRD was not yet supported by rigorous double-blind randomized clinical trials. It should be noted, that for the article, we searched PubMed and based our review on the several meta-analyses we found during this search.
At last...?: Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, race & history.

In this essay, Griffin brings to the fore two extraordinary black women of our age: First Lady Michelle Obama and entertainment mogul Beyonce Knowles. Both women signify change in race relations in America, yet both reveal that the history of racial inequality in this country is far from over. As an Ivy League-educated descendent of slaves, Michelle Obama is not just unfamiliar to the mainstream media and the Washington political scene; during the 2008 presidential campaign, she was vilified as angry and unpatriotic. Beyonce, who controls the direction of her career in a way that pioneering black women entertainers could not, has nonetheless styled herself in ways that recall the distinct racial history of the Creole South. Griffin considers how Michelle Obama's and Beyonce's use of their respective family histories and ancestry has bolstered or diminished their popular appeal.
Crosstalk-minimum layer assignment

A novel layer assignment algorithm for high-performance multilayer packages, such as multichip modules (MCMs), is proposed. The focus is on assigning nets to layers to minimize the crosstalk between nets, while simultaneously minimizing the number of vias and layers. A novel net interference measure based on potential crosstalk and planarity is used to construct a net interference graph (NIG), and a new graph coloring and permutation algorithm is used to find an interference-minimized subset in each layer and a minimum crosstalk between layers. Theoretical and experimental results on this multilayer assignment approach are presented. The proposed maximum linear permutation heuristic is very robust and allows the incorporation of various design constraints (e.g., crosstalk, crossover, and critical area) and cost criteria.
Cofactor-mediated conformational control in the bifunctional kinase/RNase Ire1.

Background: Ire1 is a signal transduction protein in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane that serves to adjust the protein-folding capacity of the ER according to the needs of the cell. Ire1 signals, in a transcriptional program, the unfolded protein response (UPR) via the coordinated action of its protein kinase and RNase domains. In this study, we investigated how the binding of cofactors to the kinase domain of Ire1 modulates its RNase activity. Results: Our results suggest that the kinase domain of Ire1 initially binds cofactors without activation of the RNase domain. RNase is activated upon a subsequent conformational rearrangement of Ire1 governed by the chemical properties of bound cofactors. The conformational step can be selectively inhibited by chemical perturbations of cofactors. Substitution of a single oxygen atom in the terminal b-phosphate group of a potent cofactor ADP by sulfur results in ADPbS, a cofactor that binds to Ire1 as well as to ADP but does not activate RNase. RNase activity can be rescued by thiophilic metal ions such as Mn 2+ and Cd 2+ , revealing a functional metal ion-phosphate interaction which controls the conformation and RNase activity of the Ire1 ADP complex. Mutagenesis of the kinase domain suggests that this rearrangement involves movement of the aC-helix, which is generally conserved among protein kinases. Using X-ray crystallography, we show that oligomerization of Ire1 is sufficient for placing the aC-helix in the active, cofactor-bound-like conformation, even in the absence of cofactors. Conclusions: Our structural and biochemical evidence converges on a model that the cofactor-induced conformational change in Ire1 is coupled to oligomerization of the receptor, which, in turn, activates RNase. The data reveal that cofactor-Ire1 interactions occur in two independent steps: binding of a cofactor to Ire1 and subsequent rearrangement of Ire1 resulting in its self-association. The pronounced allosteric effect of cofactors on protein-protein interactions involving Ire1’s kinase domain suggests that protein kinases and pseudokinases encoded in metazoan genomes may use ATP pocket-binding ligands similarly to exert signaling roles other than phosphoryl transfer.
Describing pain with physical disability: narrative interviews and the McGill Pain Questionnaire.

Abstract Dudgeon BJ, Ehde DM, Cardenas DD, Engel JM, Hoffman AJ, Jensen MP. Describing pain with physical disability: narrative interviews and the McGill Pain Questionnaire. Objectives To identify common pain descriptors used by people with physical disability-related pain and to suggest words that are likely to prompt responses in clinical interviews and assessments. Design Open-ended interviews were coded and then contrasted with responses to a pain questionnaire, obtained through mail or interview surveys. Setting Rehabilitation research program. Participants Twenty-eight people with physical disability-related pain in a series (n=54) of in-depth interviews and 1053 participants with disabilities who responded to mailed questionnaires or structured interviews about pain and its impact (459 with acquired lower-limb amputation, 471 with spinal cord injury, 123 with cerebral palsy). Interventions Not applicable. Main outcome measures Pain interview descriptions and McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ). Results Different pain experiences were reflected in narrative descriptions and self-report questionnaire responses. We report the common terms, but across diagnoses use of terms does not appear to clearly differentiate distinct pain phenomenon. Narrative interviews support the use of several MPQ pain descriptors. However, discrete descriptors are recommended when assessing adults with physical disability. Conclusions We identified pain descriptors that appear to be most useful in assessing daily life and participation experiences with physical disability-related pain. These may be clinically useful, but caution is advised when doing diagnostic workups based solely on sensory and affective pain descriptions.
Pionic and muonic atoms

Abstract The field of pionic and muonic atom research is reviewed with emphasis on papers contributed to the 8th International Conference on High Energy Physics and Nuclear Structure.
Three-Dimensional Patterning of Micro/Nanoparticle Assembly with a Single Droplet of Suspension

We develop a novel patterning technique to create 3D patterns of micro, nanoparticle assembly via evaporative self-assembly based on confinement/release of micro/nano particles assembly based on the coffee-ring effect of evaporating suspension. Based on the presented technique, we demonstrate that the patterns of 3D assembly of various sizes of microparticles (Silica), metal oxide nanoparticles (TiO2, ZnO) and metallic nanoparticles (Ag) can be successfully generated by low-concentrated particle suspension (1.25 wt % ~ 5 wt %) without additional sintering steps and we also show the geometries of the patterns can be finely controlled by adjusting the parameters of the process.
Chemical dissection of the primary and secondary in vitro antibody responses with butylated hydroxyanisole and gallic acid.

ABSTRACTThe effects of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), an antioxidant food additive and gallic acid (GA), a food additive metabolite, were further studied in the Mishell-Dutton in vitro system. BHA added to cultures at 50-75 ug/ml suppressed the primary IgM plaque-forming cell (PFC) response to the thymus-dependent antigen sheep erythrocytes (SRBC). The suppression was not due to overt cytotoxicity and could not be reversed by adding 2-mercaptoethanol (2ME), a macrophage (MO) substitute, to the system. Spleen cell cultures from mice primed in vivo with SRBC (secondary IgM response) were also suppressed by 50-75 ug/ml BHA; however, the PFC response was in part restored by adding 2ME to cultures at the start of the culture period. The data suggest that BHA, at certain critical doses, is preferentially suppres-sive to non-primed (virgin) B- and T-lymphocytes and Mo. Substituting 2ME for adversely affected Mo can restore the response of the more BHA-resistant antigen-primed B- and T-lymphocytes. GA suppressed...
Hemodynamic action of vasopressor and vasodepressor agents in endotoxin shock.

Studies designed to investigate the systemic and regional hemodynamic changes induced by vasodepressor and vasopressor agents in dogs subjected to endotoxin shock are reported. The circulatory events following endotoxin injection comprised an acute hypotensive phase a recovery phase and a relapsing phase. Systemic and regional vascular resistances rose in the 2 initial phases and returned to control in the relapse phase. Treatment of the shocked animals with hydralazine and trimethaphan camphorsulfonate 2 vasodepressors resulted in a further deterioration of all the circulatory parameters measured. Whereas treatment with metaraminol and angiotensin amide 2 vasopressor agents improved markedly both systemic and regional circulations. Levophed had no significant effect. When the mongrels were pretreated with hydralazine or dibenzyline they were not protected against the deleterious effects of endotoxin shock though dibenzyline seemed to lessen the initial acute hypotensive insult. On the basis of these systemic and regional hemodynamic effects in dogs it is concluded that vasopressor agents are the drugs of choice in managing endotoxin shock. 10 figures and 2 tables present the evidence.