cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HLA-DR4 and pulmonary dysfunction in rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with an increased frequency of the B cell alloantigen HLA-DR4, and preliminary work has suggested an association between HLA-DR4 and obstructive lung disease in subjects with rheumatoid arthritis. To prospectively evaluate the influence of HLA-DR4 on pulmonary involvement in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, pulmonary function was measured in four groups of subjects with rheumatoid arthritis in whom HLA-DR4 and smoking status was known: 16 DR4-positive smokers (six current and 10 exsmokers), 16 DR4-negative smokers (six current and 10 exsmokers), eight DR4-positive nonsmokers, and eight DR4-negative nonsmokers. Significant reductions in one-second forced expiratory volume and forced vital capacity were observed in DR4-positive subjects compared with DR4-negative subjects irrespective of cigarette smoking status. In addition, patients with keratoconjunctivitis sicca (secondary Sjogren's syndrome) demonstrated significant reductions in one-second forced expiratory volume, forced vital capacity, and ratio of one-second forced expiratory volume to forced vital capacity compared with those patients without evidence of secondary Sjogren's syndrome. It is concluded that the presence of the HLA-DR4 antigen and secondary Sjogren's syndrome are associated with abnormal pulmonary function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Alignment of a Spectrometer for Soft X-Ray Laser Diagnostics

The characterization of x-ray laser radiation requires the measurement of the radiation wavelengths, their brightness, and their temporal evolution. The spectrometer used for this application includes a focusing, grazing-incidence ellipsoidal mirror, a transmission grating for spectral resolution, and a soft x-ray streak camera to time-resolve and record the spectrum. This paper describes the bench alignment of the spectrometer and its alignment at the laser facility before each shot. Particular emphasis is put in the fact that only optical techniques were used for both alignments, relying on the correlation between the behavior of each component at optical and x-ray wavelengths.
Title Assurance and Settlement Charges

The assurance that a seller of real estate has the right to transfer property free and clear of any encumbrances is important to potential purchasers and lenders. In the vast majority of cases in which real property is transferred, title insurance is used for this purpose. Consumer ignorance, coupled with a price structure based on the sales price of the property being insured, has led to an industry in which it is theoretically possible for the total charges by the primary supplier of the services to be indefinitely above a competitive level.
The role of developmental factors in susceptibility to disease.

An attempt is made to provide a perspective within which to view the role of developmental processes in the pathogenesis of disease. Given the presence of potentially pathogenic stimuli, conditions...
Phaseolin variability among wild and cultivated common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) from Colombia

Phaseolin seed protein variability in a group of 8 wild and 77 cultivated common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) accessions was determined using 1-dimensional SDS/ PAGE and 2-dimensional IEF-SDS/PAGE. Wild common bean accessions exhibited the 'CH' and 'B' patterns, previously undescribed among either wild or cultivated common beans. The cultivated genotypes showed (in decreasing frequency) the previously described 'S,' T,' and 'C phaseolin patterns as well as the new 'B' pattern similar to the pattern identified in a Colombian wild common bean accession. In the northeastern part of the Colombian bean-growing region, the cultivars exhibited almost exclusively an 'S' phaseolin type, while in the south-western part, the 'T' and 'C phaseolin cultivars were more frequent. Seed size analysis indicated that 'T' and 'C' phaseolin cultivars had larger seeds than 'S' and 'B' phaseolin cultivars. Our results suggest that Colombia is a meeting place for Andean and Middle American common bean germplasms, as well as a domestication center for the common bean.
Gender Differences in Response to Experimental Forgiveness Prompts: Do Men Show Stronger Responses Than Women?

After recalling interpersonal offenses, undergraduates (106 women, 79 men) were assigned to a control condition or one emphasizing a forgiveness motivation: personal benefit, moral obligation, or goodwill. All three forgiveness conditions facilitated men's forgiveness, although the goodwill condition was most effective. Women's responses did not differ across conditions. Another study of undergraduates (106 men, 112 women) revealed that relative to men, women put more effort into forgiveness before the study, and they were more likely to view forgiveness as a process requiring healing. Study 2's findings may partly explain why men show greater response than women to experimental forgiveness prompts.
Irrigation and Culm Contribution to Yield and Yield Components of Winter Wheat

Water is generally the limiting factor in U.S. Great Plains wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production. With increasing demands for limited water, improving the efficacy of irrigation is critical. One technique is to irrigate during responsive stages of crop development, but few studies have examined this approach. This 2-yr study on a Nunn clay loam soil (fine, montmorillonitic, mesic Aridic Argiustoll) was designed to examine the effects of irrigation, based on stage of crop development, on winter wheat yield, yield components (on a plant basis), and specific culm responses. In the first year, the treatments were control (dryland), and irrigation at late jointing. In the second year, the treatments were dryland, irrigation at late jointing, irrigation at anthesis, and irrigation at both late jointing and anthesis. Irrigation at late jointing or anthesis significantly increased grain yield and the most important yield component (spikes per plant), as well as spikelets per plant, number of kernels per plant, and kernel weight per plant. The increased spikes per plant in the irrigation treatments, particularly with late-jointing irrigation, was due to reduced tiller abortion. Increased yield was primarily due to the contribution of more secondary tillers (T10, T11, T20, T21, T30, and T31) that produced spikes. The contribution of main stems to the total yield decreased from 92% to at most 86% with irrigation, although the dry weight of main-stem spikes increased with irrigation. The contribution to total yield of the main yield-producing tillers, T1 and T2, decreased from 20 to 15% and 19 to 15%, respectively, with irrigation. As with main-stem spikes, irrigation also increased T1 and T2 spike dry weight. Therefore, the production of secondary spikes due to irrigation treatments was not at the expense of main stem or primary tiller spikes. If only one irrigation can be applied, irrigation at late jointing is recommended for central Great Plains conditions, due to its greater effect on tiller survival. This implies that developmental and physiological processes at late jointing are critical in determining final grain yield, and water stress should be avoided at this growth stage
DNA-Bound Redox Activity of DNA Repair Glycosylases Containing [4Fe-4S] Clusters†

MutY and endonuclease III, two DNA glycosylases from Escherichia coli, and AfUDG, a uracil DNA glycosylase from Archeoglobus fulgidus, are all base excision repair enzymes that contain the [4Fe-4S]2+ cofactor. Here we demonstrate that, when bound to DNA, these repair enzymes become redox-active; binding to DNA shifts the redox potential of the [4Fe-4S]3+/2+ couple to the range characteristic of high-potential iron proteins and activates the proteins toward oxidation. Electrochemistry on DNA-modified electrodes reveals potentials for Endo III and AfUDG of 58 and 95 mV versus NHE, respectively, comparable to 90 mV for MutY bound to DNA. In the absence of DNA modification of the electrode, no redox activity can be detected, and on electrodes modified with DNA containing an abasic site, the redox signals are dramatically attenuated; these observations show that the DNA base pair stack mediates electron transfer to the protein, and the potentials determined are for the DNA-bound protein. In EPR experiments at ...
Measuring Concentration of Media Ownership: 1976–2009

Researchers have recently begun approaching media ownership concentration studies by viewing the entire media industry holistically, as opposed to measuring concentration within a specific medium. This article builds on this approach by measuring concentration of the media industry over 34 years. The research indicates the industry has consistently been “unconcentrated,” and that the period studied has 3 distinct trends—an initial period of declining concentration, a period of relatively stable levels, and a current period of rising concentration. ACCESS TO FULL TEXT
Generational Theft: U.S. Fiscal Policy Does Not Cheat Future Generations

Despite the oft-heard claims that current generations are stealing from future generations by running fiscal deficits, this author holds that both theory and evidence suggest that this is either not true or not knowable. Intergenerational justice is not an appropriate way to analyze fiscal issues. Now, in particular, such an analysis is misleading and damaging. Spending by the government helps to improve the economy, which encourages businesses to invest in future productivity, which is the only way to make future generations wealthier than their parents. This virtuous cycle is even stronger if the government's spending is itself used to invest in future productivity.
Polishing-To-Figuring Transition In Turned Optics

The spatial frequency response of elastic backed flexible lapping belts is examined. The transition from planing off to propagating sinusoidal ripple is shown to be extremely sensitive to ripple frequency.
Repeat stereotactic radiosurgery for high-grade and large intracranial arteriovenous malformations.

Abstract Background The treatment of large and high-grade (Spetzler-Martin III-V) AVMs remains a challenge. There is a paucity of literature addressing the efficacy of radiosurgery in this group. We retrospectively analyze our experience with repeat radiosurgery with such AVMs. Methods Between 1989 and 2004, 14 patients with large and high-grade AVMs deemed to be nonoperative candidates were treated with repeat radiosurgery. Patients were treated either on a LINAC or γ knife–based system at 2- to 3-year intervals with targeting of the entire nidus with each treatment. Patients who did not receive their full treatment course or follow-up at the institution were excluded. Results Mean follow-up was 18 months. The complete obliteration rate was 35.7%, with a mean volume reduction of 53% in the remaining lesions. Twenty percent of grade III and 50% of grade IV lesions experienced cure. Complications included persistent headaches (2 patients). Statistical analysis revealed no difference between obliterated and partially obliterated groups with regard to mean pretreatment volume (24.87 cm3), median Spetzler-Martin grade (IV), mean follow-up (30.5 months), total delivered dose (3550 cGy), mean dose per stage (13 Gy), median number of stages (2), or mean interval between treatment stages (40 months). Conclusion The present study demonstrates the potential role of repeat radiosurgery in the treatment of this cohort in the context of our short follow-up. The benefits of repeat therapy could be derived from using lower doses per session and repeat targeting of the lesion in an effort to increase response and decrease complication rates.
Array optimizations for parallel implementations of high productivity languages

This paper presents an interprocedural rank analysis algorithm to automatically infer ranks of arrays in X10, a language that supports rank-independent specification of loop and array computations using regions and points. We use the rank analysis information to enable storage transformations on arrays. We evaluate a transformation that converts high-level multidimensional X10 arrays into lower-level multidimensional Java arrays, when legal to do so. Preliminary performance results for a set of parallel computational benchmarks on a 64-way AIX Power5+ SMP machine show that our optimizations deliver performance that rivals the performance of lower-level, hand-tuned code with explicit loops and array accesses, and up to two orders of magnitude faster than unoptimized, high-level X10 programs. The results show that our optimizations also help improve the scalability of X10 programs by demonstrating that relative performance improvements over the unoptimized versions increase as we scale the parallelism from 1 CPU to 64 CPUs.
Linoleic acid induces interleukin-8 production by Crohn's human intestinal smooth muscle cells via arachidonic acid metabolites

Previously we reported that linoleic acid (LA), but not oleic acid, caused a marked increase in the secretion of IL-8 by Crohn's human intestinal smooth muscle (HISM) cells. Antioxidants inhibited this response, implicating a role for oxidative stress and NF-kappaB, a transcription factor for IL-8 that is activated by oxidative stress. In this study, we examined two mechanisms whereby LA, the dietary precursor for arachidonic acid (AA), could increase the production of IL-8 via activation of AA pathways: 1) by generation of reactive oxygen species by the AA-pathway enzymes to activate NF-kappaB or 2) by AA metabolites. Normal and Crohn's HISM cells were exposed to LA, oxidizing solution (Ox), or oxidizing solution enriched with LA (OxLA). Exposure of cells to Ox or OxLA induced oxidative stress as determined by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. In normal cells, Ox but not LA activated NF-kappaB as determined by transfection experiments and Western blot. In Crohn's cells, NF-kappaB was spontaneously activated and was not further activated by Ox or LA. In contrast, TNF-alpha markedly increased activation of NF-kappaB in both normal and Crohn's cells. These results indicated that LA did not increase IL-8 by activating NF-kappaB, so we evaluated the second mechanism of an effect of AA metabolites. In normal cells, OxLA, but not LA, markedly stimulated IL-8, whereas in Crohn's cells, both OxLA and LA stimulated IL-8. OxLA, also stimulated production of AA metabolites leukotriene B(4) (LTB(4)), PGE(2), and thromboxane B(2) (TXB(2)) by normal and Crohn's cells. To determine whether AA metabolites mediated the IL-8 response, cells were treated with OxLA plus indomethacin (Indo), a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, and nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), a lipoxygenase inhibitor. Both Indo and NDGA blocked the IL-8 response to OxLA. To determine more specifically a role for AA metabolites, AA was used. Similar to OxLA, OxAA stimulated production of IL-8 and AA metabolites. Pinane thromboxane, a selective thromboxane synthase inhibitor and receptor blocker, inhibited OxAA stimulation of TXB(2) and IL-8 in a dose-response manner. MK886, a selective 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, inhibited OxAA stimulation of LTB(4) and IL-8 also in a dose-response manner. Analysis of specific gene products by RT-PCR demonstrated that HISM cells expressed receptors for both thromboxane and LTB(4). We conclude that AA metabolites mediated the IL-8 response to LA in HISM cells. Both cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways were involved. LA did not increase IL-8 by activating NF-kappaB, but NF-kappaB appeared to be involved, because LA increased IL-8 only in situations where NF-kappaB was activated, either spontaneously in Crohn's cells or by Ox in normal cells. We speculate that AA metabolites increased IL-8 production by enhancing NF-kappaB-dependent transcription of IL-8.
Properties of Majority-Rule Supertrees

Shoshani J., Tassy P. 2005. Advances in proboscidean taxonomy & classification, anatomy & physiology, and ecology & behavior. Quat. Int. 126-128:5-20. Shoshani J., Walter R.C., Abraha M, Berhe S., Tassy P, Sanders W.J., Marchant G.H., Libsekal Y, Ghirmai T., Zinner D. 2006. A pro boscidean from the late Oligocene of Eritrea, a "missing link" between early Elephantiformes and Elephantimorpha, and biogeo graphic implications. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 103:17296-17301. Tassy P. 2003. Elephantoidea from Lothagam. In: Leakey M.G., Harris J.M., editors. Lothagam: the dawn of humanity in Eastern Africa. New York: Columbia University Press, p. 331-358.
Heavy ion physics with CMS

The study of ultra-relativistic nuclear collisions with CMS is reviewed. The ability of the detector to function in the resulting high multiplicity environment is demonstrated. Simulated results for some physics signals are presented. PACS: 25.70.Ef – 21.60.Gx – 27.30.+t
The accuracy of endoscopic ultrasonography with fine-needle aspiration, integrated positron emission tomography with computed tomography, and computed tomography in restaging patients with esophageal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Background Patients with esophageal cancer who receive neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy are restaged with computed tomography (CT), endoscopic ultrasound with fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA), and integrated positron emission computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT), and the results affect treatment. Methods This is a prospective trial on a consecutive series of patients who had initial chest, abdomen, and pelvis CT scan; EUS-FNA; and fluoro-2-deoxy- d -glucose (FDG)-integrated PET/CT; neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy; repeat staging tests; pathologic staging; and, if appropriate, resection with lymphadenectomy. The primary objective was to assess the accuracy of these 3 tests in restaging patients after neoadjuvant therapy. Results There were 48 patients (41 men), and 41 underwent Ivor Lewis esophagogastrectomy with lymphadenectomy. The accuracy of each test for distinguishing pathologic T4 from T1 to T3 disease is 76%, 80%, and 80% for CT scan, EUS-FNA and FDG-PET/CT, respectively. The accuracy for nodal disease was 78%, 78%, and 93% for CT scan, EUS-FNA and FDG-PET/CT, respectively (P = .04). FDG-PET/CT correctly identified M1b disease in 4 patients, falsely suggested it in 4 patients, and missed it in 2 patients, whereas for CT, it was 3, 3, and 3 patients. Fifteen (31%) patients were complete responders, and FDG-PET/CT accurately predicted complete response in 89% compared with 67% for EUS-FNA (P = .045) and 71% for CT (P = .05). Conclusions FDG-PET/CT is more accurate than EUS-FNA and CT scan for predicting nodal status and complete responders after neoadjuvant therapy in patients with esophageal cancer. FDG-PET/CT and CT alone provide targets for biopsy, but results are often falsely positive.
Stochastic Forcing of the Wintertime Extratropical Flow

Abstract This study is concerned with assessing the extent to which extratropical low-frequency variability may be viewed as a response to geographically coherent stochastic forcing. This issue is examined with a barotropic model linearized about the long-term mean wintertime 300-mb flow with zonal and meridional structure. The perturbation eigenfunctions of the model are stable (i.e., decaying) for a realistic 5-day drag, so transient eddy activity can be maintained against the drag only with forcing. In a statistical steady state, a fluctuation–dissipation relation (FDR) links the covariance structure of the eddy vorticity to the covariance structure of the forcing. This relation is used in a forward sense to determine the covariance of eddy vorticity for a specified covariance of forcing. It is also used in a backward sense to infer the covariance of forcing required to maintain the observed covariance of eddy vorticity. The focus is on explaining the observed variability of 10-day running mean anomali...
Immune Modulation as Adjunctive Therapy for Pneumocystis pneumonia

Pneumocystis is an opportunistic fungal respiratory pathogen that causes life-threatening pneumonia (Pcp) in patients suffering from defects in cell-mediated immunity, including those with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and immunosuppression secondary to chemotherapy or organ transplantation. Despite major advances in health care, the mortality associated with Pcp has changed little over the past 25 years. Pcp remains a leading cause of death among HIV infected patients, with mortality rates of 50% or higher for patients developing severe Pcp. In addition, as more potent immunosuppressive therapies are developed for chronic inflammatory diseases, more cases of Pcp are occurring in non-HIV patients and in previously unreported clinical settings. These features highlight the importance of developing a better understanding of the pathogenesis of this disease, and the need to search for new therapeutic strategies to improve the outcome of Pcp patients. Immune-mediated inflammatory responses play an important role in the pathogenesis of Pcp, and may be even more significant in determining the outcome of Pcp than direct damage due to the organism itself. In this review we will summarize the immunopathogenic mechanisms that contribute to Pcp-associated lung injury, and discuss the potential to target these pathways for adjunctive immune modulation therapy for Pcp.
On-chip Jitter Measurement Using Vernier Ring Time-to-Digital Converter

This paper presents an on-chip jitter measurement technique based on the Vernier ring time-do-digital converter (VRTDC). Vernier delay line is an attractive structure for the implementation of high performance TDC due to its sub-gate-delay resolution and cancellation of the first order process, voltage and temperature (PVT) variations. In order to improve the detectable range, area cost and power consumption of the conventional Vernier delay line TDC, the Vernier ring structure is developed to place two delay lines and comparator chains in ring format for the reuse of hardware, which enables the VR-TDC to achieve a fine resolution without sacrificing detectable range. The build-in coarse and fine interpolations reduce the power and area. This on-chip jitter measurement scheme can measure a large jitter with a fine resolution smaller than 8ps. An exemplary jitter test is given in this paper to demonstrate the capability of the proposed jitter measurement scheme.
Educating European Corporate Communication Professionals for Senior Management Positions A Collaboration Between UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and the University of Lugano

UCLA’s program in strategic management for European corporate communication professionals provides participants with a concentrated, yet selective, immersion in those management disciplines taught at U.S. business schools, topics that are essential to their work as senior advisors to CEOs and as leaders in the field. The choice of topics represents the close collaboration between the directors of the UCLA and Lugano programs. The UCLA program also encourages the active participation of the professionals by offering an exposure to teaching and classroom communication practices of U.S. business schools that adhere to the case approach to business education and by providing numerous opportunities for participants to present their analyses and application of management topics to their professional roles and responsibilities. Working with European professionals also enables U.S. faculty to reconsider some of their own assumptions about teaching as they train U.S.-based MBA students.
Solubility of a Silicate Cement

Samples of a silicate cement were soaked in different environments for varying lengths of time. The resulting solutions were analyzed for Na, Zn, Ca, Al, and Si by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. All of the elements showed a decreasing rate of solution with increasing time. Citric acid was particularly destructive and it was found that this medium leaches Al at a far greater rate than the other mediums.
Vitamin A as “Anti-Infective” Therapy, 1920–1940

In the last fifteen years, a large series of controlled clinical trials showed that vitamin A supplementation reduces morbidity and mortality of children in developing countries. It is less well known that vitamin A underwent two decades of intense clinical investigation prior to World War II. In the 1920s, a theory emerged that vitamin A could be used in "anti-infective" therapy. This idea, largely championed by Edward Mellanby, led to a series of at least 30 trials to determine whether vitamin A--usually supplied in the form of cod-liver oil--could reduce the morbidity and mortality of respiratory disease, measles, puerperal sepsis, and other infections. The early studies generally lacked such innovations known to the modern controlled clinical trial such as randomization, masking, sample size and power calculations, and placebo controls. Results of the early trials were mixed, but the pharmaceutical industry emphasized the positive results in their advertising to the public. With the advent of the sulfa antibiotics for treatment of infections, scientific interest in vitamin A as "anti-infective" therapy waned. Recent controlled clinical trials of vitamin A from the last 15 y follow a tradition of investigation that began largely in the 1920s.
P‐125: Personal Projection, or How to Put a Large Screen in a Small Device

We introduce the technology and applications of personal projectors, small and inexpensive video projection devices intended for use in battery-powered handheld or wearable products. We explore the engineering and perceptual suitability of arrays of surface-emitting lasers for this application, and discuss a prototype constructed in our research group.
The effects of morphology and hygrothermal aging on water sorption and transport in Kapton® polyimide

A comparison of water sorption and diffusion behavior in 2 mil, as-received, Kapton1 film, and in otherwise identical but hygrothermally aged samples, suggests chemical differences between the samples. These differences can be related to known polyimide chemistry and the specific history encountered by the samples. Although the sorption isotherms are similar for an as-received 0.3 mil sample studied earlier and for the as-received 2 mil samples studied here, the diffusion coefficient of water in the as-received 2 mil sample is approximately 300% larger than in the as-received 0.3 mil sample. This large effect is believed to be related to the presence of small, paracrystalline aggregates with large aspect ratios. Differences in orientation measured by birefringence for the two samples suggest that the barrier properties of Kapton® are strongly affected by the detailed morphological organization of the ordered aggregates. Comparison of the sorption isotherms for the as-received and hygrothermally aged 2-mil films suggests a significant increase in the hydrophillic nature of the aged film. This change is consistent with an apparent chemical reaction between water and uncyclized amic acid residues in the film. The tendency for water to cluster in as-received Kapton® is essentially eliminated by the chemical modification associated with hygrothermal aging. The hygrothermal aging produces a dramatic reduction in the water vapor diffusion coefficient at low vapor activities but a rather modest change at high activities.
A Q-Learning approach to developing an automated neural computer player for the board game of CLUE ®

The detective board game of CLUEreg can be viewed as a benchmark example of the treasure hunt problem, in which a sensor path is planned based on the expected value of information gathered from targets along the path. The sensor is viewed as an information gathering agent that makes imperfect measurements or observations from the targets, and uses them to infer one or more hidden variables (such as, target features or classification). The treasure hunt problem arises in many modern surveillance systems, such as demining and reconnaissance robotic sensors. Also, it arises in the board game of CLUEreg, where pawns must visit the rooms of a mansion to gather information from which the hidden cards can be inferred. In this paper, Q-learning is used to develop an automated neural computer player that plans the path of its pawn, makes suggestions about the hidden cards, and infers the answer, often winning the game. A neural network is trained to approximate the decision-value function representing the value of information, for which there exists no general closed-form representation. Bayesian inference, test (suggestions), and action (motion) decision making are unified using an MDP framework. The resulting computer player is shown to outperform other computer players implementing Bayesian networks, or constraint satisfaction.
Transport properties of long monofilamentary Bi(2223) tapes

Long monofilamentary Bi(2223) tapes with j/sub c/ (77 K, 0 Tesla) up to 30000 A/cm/sup 2/ and lengths >1 m have been prepared by cold rolling using the powder in tube method. An optimization of the precursor powders has led to a higher phase purity after the reaction heat treatment. The deformation process has been optimized in order to increase the oxide density and to reduce sausaging effects on the oxide thickness. The transport properties of these tapes have been studied in a wide range of temperatures and magnetic fields. The critical current density values at 77 K and fields of 0.5 T and 1 T parallel to the tape surface are 10000 A/cm/sup 2/ and 5500 A/cm/sup 2/ respectively. At 4.2 K the j/sub c/ value decreases from 1.8/spl middot/10/sup 5/ A/cm/sup 2/ at 0 T to 7/spl middot/10/sup 4/ A/cm/sup 2/ at 15 T. The history dependence of j/sub c/ have also been measured. Several discrepancies have been found between the experimental data and the behavior predicted for a 'weak linked' sample. Transport properties have been studied on small sections cut from the tape in order to investigate the homogeneity of the current distribution. >
Remote Sensing Of Vegetation Characteristics For Farm Management

The potential for remotely sensed data being used by farmers in making day-to-day management decisions has not been fully realized because the data have generally not been available in real-time. Furthermore, the relationships between spectral data and crop and soil properties have yet to be incorporated into the expert systems necessary for rapid data analysis and interpretation. This review details some major requirements for a farm oriented remote sensing system, and evaluates the state-of-the-art concerning relationships between spectral data and crop and soil properties. Current and proposed remote sensing systems geared toward farm management are discussed.
Rational arithmetic for minicomputers

SUMMARY A representation for numbers using two computer words is discussed, where the value represented is the ratio of the corresponding integers. This allows for better dynamic range and relative accuracy than single-precision fixed point, yet is less costly than floating point arithmetic. The scheme is easy to implement and particularly well suited for minicomputer applications that call for a great deal of numerical computation. The techniques described have been used to implement a mathematical function subroutine package for a minicomputer as well as a number of applications programs in the machine vision and machine manipulation area.
Editorial Commentary: Community-Associated Clostridium difficile Infection in Children

the expansion of pediatric CDI is simply a consequence of children being swept into the adult epidemic, or if the pediatric epidemic is a phenomenon all its own. Surveys of children with CDI in pediatric hospitals in areas where NAP1 was widespread in adults indicated that only approximately 10%–20% were due to the hypervirulent strain [5,7], suggesting that factors other than dissemination of NAP1 into the pediatric population were operative in driving up the incidence and severity of CDI in children. These observations support the need to conduct epidemiological studies specific to the pediatric age group. In 2005, a second facet of the evolving
Measuring The Effectiveness Of Course Content And Learning Goals Of The Core Undergraduate Information Systems Course

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), text books, and the IS 2002 Model Curriculum and Guidelines for Undergraduate Degree Programs in Information Systems (IS 2002) recommend standards and provide guidelines for course content and learning goals for the core undergraduate Information Systems (IS) course. However course content and learning goals often need to be revised due to high pressure on academic institutions from a rapidly changing Information Technology (IT) market. In order to constantly refine the IS course curricula to meet the needs of industry and government, it is imperative that there be proven methods to measure the effectiveness of course content and learning goals. Analysis of such data should ultimately feed into designing the curriculum of the core undergraduate IS course. This paper focuses on the role of surveys as a tool for measuring the effectiveness of course content and learning goals for the core undergraduate IS course. First, the role of IS 2002 is reviewed in setting standards for the course content and learning goals for this course. Next, data from three surveys conducted to measure the effectiveness of course content and learning goals is analyzed. The paper then assesses surveys’ implications for refining course content and learning goals of the core undergraduate IS course. Finally, recommendations along with a framework for conducting future surveys are presented.
Abstract T P282: Withdrawal of Life Sustaining Therapy and In Hospital Death after Intracranial Hemorrhage

Introduction: Despite relatively high in hospital mortality, studies on withdrawal of life sustaining therapy (WOLST) and physician ability to predict in hospital death after intracranial hemorrhage remain sparse. Methods: Prospectively collected data from 2008-2011 was reviewed in patients with intraparencymal (IPH), subdural (SDH), and subarachnoid (SAH) hemorrhage. Baseline demographic data, medical comorbidities, and admission clinical status were assessed to determine predictors of WOLST. Statistically significant variables were included in a forward stepwise multivariable logistic regression model to identify independent predictors of WOLST. The model was then tested as a predictor of in hospital death amongst patients who received maximal medical and surgical therapy. Results: 379 patients were enrolled: 127 (33.5%) SDH, 133 (35.1%) SAH, and 119 (31.4%) IPH. 31 (8.2%) patients underwent WOLST and died, 36 (9.5%) continued maximal therapy and died in hospital, and 312 (82.3%) continued maximal therapy and survived to discharge. Patients who underwent WOLST had more medical comorbidities, worse baseline functional status, worse clinical admission status, and were more likely to have IPH. There were no ethnic or level of education predictors of WOLST. Additionally, there were no differences in hospital complications, cost, or length of stay amongst patients who underwent WOLST versus those who died despite maximal therapy. On multivariable analysis, admission GCS, herniation, and history of cardiovascular disease predicted WOLST (Area under the curve [AUC]=0.83, all p<0.01). This model predicted in hospital death amongst patients who received maximal therapy with a sensitivity of 76.5% and specificity of 83.5% (AUC=0.89, all p<0.001). Conclusions: Physicians identified intracranial hemorrhage patients who would die irrespective of maximal medical and surgical therapy with a high sensitivity and specificity. Physicians may be able to transition to WOLST more quickly to attenuate hospital complications, cost, and length of stay.
Development and characterization of antibodies to a nicked and hyperglycosylated form of hCG from a choriocarcinoma patient: generation of antibodies that differentiate between pregnancy hCG and choriocarcinoma hCG.

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) exists in blood and urine as a variety of isoforms one of which contains peptide bond cleavages within its β-subunit loop 2 and is referred to as nicked hCG (hCGn). This hCG isoform appears to be more prevalent in the urine of patients with certain malignancies and possibly in some disorders of pregnancy. Until now, only indirect immunoassays could be used to quantify hCGn. We report the development of two monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to a form of hCGn isolated from a choriocarcinoma patient. This hCG isoform was not only 100% nicked, but also contained 100% tetrasaccharide-core O-linked carbohydrate moieties in its β COOH-terminal region. Two-site immunometric assays have been developedusing these new antibodies, B151 and B152. The former exhibits good specificity for hCGn independent of the source of the hCGn, the form excreted by choriocarcinoma patients or the form of hCGn from normal pregnancies. The latter antibody, B152, is sensitive to the carbohydrate moieties and possibly other differences in hCG isoforms, but is not for nicking of the β-subunit. These two immunometric assays provide potential novel diagnostic tools for direct measurement of hCG isoforms which could not be accurately quantified earlier before development of the assays using these newly generated antibodies.
Institutional Factors Influencing Scientist-Physician Partnership

Substantial resources invested in biomedical research have generated revolutionary discoveries in medical science. However, it takes on average 17 years to turn about 14% of research findings into changes that benefit patients. Lack of scientist-physician partnership (SPP) is one main reason for the extremely slow translation of science into practice. Our previous study identified several institutional and socio-cultural barriers that hinder SPP and slow down knowledge transfer in medicine. However, the relationships among the identified factors, as well as the prevalence of their impacts on SPP and medical knowledge transfer are not clear. This study focuses on the influence of institutional forces on SPP effectiveness. We hypothesized that institutional forces and arrangements such as academic promotion criteria and organizational collaboration infrastructure are related to SPP performance outcomes including clinical related outcomes, and communication mediates the effect of institutional forces on part...
The Effect of Temperature and Rainfall on the Spring Emergence Pattern of the Carrot Beetle, Ligyrus gibbosus

Light-trap-catch data on the carrot beetle, Ligyrus gibbosus (DeGeer), for 7 years at Clemson, South Carolina, are treated to eliminate the activity effects of temperature and rainfall. A parabolic relationship exists between the standard deviation of the smoothed curves during the period of spring emergence and the total rainfall during the 2 weeks prior to first emergence. By interpolation on a fitted parabola, the most nearly simultaneous emergence of a population of this insect is to be expected at a rainfall of 3.95 inches during the 14 days prior to first emergence. A population effect of rainfall is thus demonstrated. No population effect of temperature is discernible.
Tobacco Use and 12-Month Suicidality Among Adults in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: To examine how 12-month prevalences of suicidality vary by tobacco use. METHODS: Data were from 325,800 adults who participated in the 2008-2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Descriptive analyses and multivariable multinomial logistic regression models were applied. RESULTS: Among adults aged 18 or older in the U.S. during 2008-2014, 27.4% (annual average, Standard Error (SE)=0.14%) were never tobacco users, 38.8% (SE=0.17%) were former tobacco users, 5.9% (SE=0.07%) were past-year users of other types of tobacco (non-cigarette), 20.2% (SE=0.13%) were past-year cigarette-only users, and 7.7% (SE=0.07%) were past-year users of cigarettes plus other types of tobacco; 2.6% (SE=0.04%) had suicidal ideation only, 0.7% (SE=0.02%) had suicidal ideation and suicide plan only, and 0.5% (SE=0.02%) attempted suicide. After controlling for covariates, compared with never tobacco users, past-year users of cigarettes plus other types of tobacco were at elevated risk of all examined suicidality outcomes (adjusted relative risks (ARRs)=1.2-1.7), and past-year cigarette-only users were at higher risk of suicide attempt (ARR=1.4). Early age of first tobacco use was associated with higher risk of suicidal ideation and suicide plan among former tobacco users, past-year tobacco users, and past-year cigarette users (ARRs=1.2-1.6). Among past-year tobacco users, frequencies of cigarette and cigar use were associated with suicide attempt (ARRs=1.4-1.7). Nicotine dependence was associated with suicide attempt among past-year cigarette users (ARR=1.2). CONCLUSIONS: Tobacco use is associated with 12-month suicidality among adults. Patients who use tobacco should be assessed further for mental health status and suicide risk. IMPLICATIONS: Our results revealed that tobacco use is independently associated with the 12-month suicidality outcomes among adults and identified how the prevalences of 12-month suicidality outcomes vary by tobacco use status and use characteristics among adults. These results have important clinical implications. Future research should assess the effectiveness of tobacco use questions as simple screeners for more extensive assessment of mental health status and suicide risk.Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco 2016. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US. Language: en
Visually Induced Seizures

Photosensitivity and pattern sensitivity were evaluated in 67 reactive epileptic children, aged 4-19 years, at Universita “La Sapienza,” Rome, Italy.
PARP-1 Controls the Adipogenic Transcriptional Program by PARylating C/EBPβ and Modulating Its Transcriptional Activity

Summary Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation) is a post-translational modification of proteins mediated by PARP family members, such as PARP-1. Although PARylation has been studied extensively, few examples of definitive biological roles for site-specific PARylation have been reported. Here we show that C/EBPβ, a key pro-adipogenic transcription factor, is PARylated by PARP-1 on three amino acids in a conserved regulatory domain. PARylation at these sites inhibits C/EBPβ's DNA binding and transcriptional activities and attenuates adipogenesis in various genetic and cell-based models. Interestingly, PARP-1 catalytic activity drops precipitously during the first 48 hr of differentiation, corresponding to a release of C/EBPβ from PARylation-mediated inhibition. This promotes the binding of C/EBPβ at enhancers controlling the expression of adipogenic target genes and continued differentiation. Depletion or chemical inhibition of PARP-1, or mutation of the PARylation sites on C/EBPβ, enhances these early adipogenic events. Collectively, our results provide a clear example of how site-specific PARylation drives biological outcomes.
Expert perspectives on time sensitivity and a related metric for children involved in motor vehicle crashes

Abstract Objective Advanced Automatic Crash Notification (AACN) uses vehicle telemetry data to predict risk of serious injury among motor vehicle crash occupants and can thus improve the accuracy with which injured children are triaged by first responders. To better define serious injury for AACN systems (which typically use Abbreviated Injury Scale [AIS] metrics), an age-specific approach evaluating severity, time sensitivity (TS), and predictability of injury has been developed. This study outlines the development of the TS score. Methods The 95% most frequent AIS 2+ injuries in a national motor vehicle crash data set spanning 2000 to 2011 were determined for the following age groups: 0 to 4, 5 to 9, 10 to 14, and 15 to 18 years. For each age-specific injury, clinicians with pediatric trauma expertise were asked if treatment at a trauma center was required and were asked about the urgency of treatment. A TS score (range 0–1) was calculated by combining the mean trauma center decision and urgency scores. Results A total of 30 to 32 responses were obtained for each age-specific injury. The most frequent motor vehicle crash–induced injuries in the younger groups received significantly higher scores than those in the older groups (median TS score 0 to 4 years: 0.89, 5–9 years: 0.87, 10–14 years: 0.82, 15–18 years: 0.72, P Conclusions The TS of common pediatric injuries varies on the basis of age and may not be accurately reflected by AIS metrics. AIS may not capture all aspects of injury that should be considered by AACN systems.
"How much realism is needed?" - the wrong question in silico imagers have been asking.

Purpose To discuss the use of realism as a first approximation for assessing computational imaging methods. Methods Although in silico methods are increasingly becoming promising surrogates to physical experimentation for various stages of device development, their acceptance remains challenging. Realism is often considered as a first approximation for assessing computational imaging methods. However, realism is subjective and does not always ensure that key features of the methodologies reflect relevant aspects of devices of interest to imaging scientists, regulators, and medical practitioners. Moreover, in some cases (e.g., in computerized image analysis applications where human interpretation is not needed) how realistic in silico images are is irrelevant and perhaps misleading. Results I emphasize a divergence from this methodology by providing a rationale for evaluating in silico imaging methods and tools in an objective and measurable manner. Conclusions Improved approaches for in silico imaging will lead to the rapid advancement and acceptance of computational techniques in medical imaging primarily but not limited to the regulatory evaluation of new imaging products. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Plug Characteristics and Post-transplanting Container Size affect Growth of Little Bluestem and Lanceleaf Coreopsis

Abstract Two studies were conducted to determine the effects of several factors on growth of containerized lanceleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata L.) and little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash.). In the first study, seeds were sown in 22 cm3 (1.3 in3) plug cells and then transplanted, with or without root disturbance (manually teasing roots from the root ball and directing them radially from the plant axis) into 3.78 liter (1 gal) containers at 35 days (young) or 49 days (old) after planting. By 35 days after transplanting, old transplants of both species had greater shoot dry weight than young ones even though the latter had greater shoot relative growth rate and shoot net assimilation rate between 0 and 35 days after transplanting (DAT). By 107 DAT, old Schizachyrium transplants had more shoot dry weight than young ones, but Coreopsis shoot dry weight was unaffected by transplant age. Root disturbance, irrespective of transplant age and species, decreased shoot dry weight at 35 DAT an...
A Bayesian Simulation Model for Breast Cancer Screening, Incidence, Treatment, and Mortality.

Background. The important but complicated research questions regarding the optimization of mammography screening for the detection of breast cancer are unable to be answered through any single trial or a simple meta-analysis of related trials. The Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Network (CISNET) breast groups provide answers using complex statistical models to simulate population dynamics. Among them, the MD Anderson Cancer Center (Model M) takes a unique approach by not making any assumptions on the natural history of breast cancer, such as the distribution of the indolent time before detection, but simulating only the observable part of a woman’s disease and life. Methods. The simulations start with 4 million women in the age distribution found in the year 1975, and follow them over several years. Input parameters are used to describe their breast cancer incidence rates, treatment eﬃcacy, and survival. With these parameters, each woman’s history of breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survival a...