cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protection against Experimental Cholera by Antitoxin

Dogs immunized parenterally with purified cholera toxin plus adjuvant had elevated titers of antitoxin in serum for 18 months and were protected against challenge with viable Vibrio cholerae for 10 months. Parenteral immunization with formalinized cholera toxoid or natural toxoid resulted in lower titers of antitoxin, and protection induced by the former lasted for five months. Dogs previously immunized parenterally with formalinized toxoid were given oral toxoid after protection due to parenteral immunization had disappeared. No rise in serum antitoxin occurred, but the animals were again highly protected against challenge with viable V. cholerae. After parenteral immunization, serum antitoxin correlated with protection only when the titer was high. The lack of correlation at lower titers of antitoxin in serum and the restoration of protection after oral "boosting" without a concomitant change in titer of antitoxin in serum suggest that protection by antitoxin is due, in part, to locally derived intestinal secretory antibody.
Glucose catabolism in Azotobacter vinelandii

Abstract The catabolism of glucose in proliferating cells of Azotobacter vinelandii has been examined with respect to the nature and participation of individual pathways. The radiorespirometric method and substrate incorporation studies were used in this investigation. The radiorespirometric data indicate that the Entner-Doudoroff and pentose phosphate pathways are playing important roles in glucose catabolism. The Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway, if present, does not contribute much to the over-all utilization of glucose. The isotope distribution patterns of cellular alanine, derived from specifically labeled glucose substrates, support the radiorespirometric findings and, in addition, reveal the operation of the hexose cycle in this organism. It is estimated that the participation of the pentose phosphate pathway in this organism accounts for only a minor portion of the catabolized glucose. The Entner-Doudoroff pathway appears to be the major glucose pathway in A. vinelandii .
Utility of immediate hemoglobin A1c in children with type I diabetes mellitus

Agus MSD, Alexander JL, Wolfsdorf JI. Utility of immediate hemoglobin A1c in children with type I diabetes mellitus. Objective: Immediate feedback (IFB) of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) results to adults with type 1 and 2 diabetes allows more appropriate care decisions at the clinic visit and may improve glycemic control. Our objective is to determine whether IFB of HbA1c results to children with type 1 diabetes will improve patient care and glycemic control. Methods: In this prospective randomized controlled trial, children under 18 years of age were randomly assigned to receive HbA1c results during their diabetes clinic visit by point-of-care fingerstick testing (immediate) or several days after by venipuncture and laboratory assessment (conventional). HbA1c levels, therapy changes, and painfulness of testing were recorded at baseline and every follow-up appointment for a year. Results: The 215 patients studied had similar baseline characteristics including initial HbA1c (7.90 ± 1.24% vs. 7.81 ± 1.13%, p = 0.25). IFB improved HbA1c at 3 months (−0.20 ± 0.66%, p = 0.005) with a return to baseline for the remainder of the study. Subjects receiving conventional feedback had increased HbA1c results at 12 months (+0.27 ± 1.05%, p = 0.048). Less frequent patient–clinician communication between visits was reported with IFB (0.29 ± 0.48 vs. 0.38 ± 0.49 contacts/visit, p = 0.043). Subjects rated fingersticks as less painful than conventional venipuncture (0.30 ± 0.66 vs. 3.9 ± 2.6, p < 0.001). Conclusions: IFB of HbA1c is a more acceptable method of HbA1c determination in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Although sustained improvements in glycemic control did not result from this intervention alone, IFB testing resulted in more efficient patient–clinician communication and was less painful.
Congenital heart disease and brain injury.

During the past 25 years, remarkable progress has been made in the surgical treatment and survival of infants with congenital heart disease.1 Recent data have shown that in-hospital death rates for neonates were less than 10% for the treatment of transposition of the great arteries with the arterial-switch procedure and less than 20% for the treatment of hypoplastic left heart syndrome with aortic arch reconstruction using the Norwood procedure.2 Before the development of the Norwood procedure in 1980, the vast majority of infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome died.3 On the other hand, several studies have shown that many children . . .
Field measurement and comparison of optical turbulence

In the past year, one measurement has been of great interest to those that we support and that is the measurement of optical turbulence or more specifically the refractive index structure coefficient. It is well understood that this parameters is affected by such factors as cloud cover, humidity, wind, solar loading and surface conditions. We present here field measurements from several locations where all of the environmental factors effecting turbulence have been measured along with the turbulence itself. This field data was compared with the US Army Atmospheric Sciences (ASL) Laboratory model called IMTURB. The results of this comparison are presented with comments on areas of improvement both in accuracy and in ease of use.
Hydrogen in the atmosphere: Observations above a forest canopy in a polluted environment

[1] Long-term in situ observations of atmospheric concentrations of molecular hydrogen were monitored every 24 minutes for three years (1996–1998) above Harvard Forest, Massachusetts, in concert with measurements of carbon monoxide and twelve other trace gases. A seasonal cycle with a spring maximum and autumn minimum was observed. The diurnal cycle was characterized by a morning minimum and an afternoon maximum, reflecting the combined effects of uptake by soils and boundary height fluctuations. Enhancements of H2 concentrations in pollution events, concurrent with winds from the southwest, were typically 100–200 ppb above the background seasonal cycle. The mean molar ratio of H2 and CO (ΔH2/ΔCO) in pollution plumes was 0.396 ± 0.050 ppb/ppb. The results agree with expectations from the water-gas equilibrium (CO + H2O ↔ CO2 + H2) for conditions in automobile engines and with car emission data. These observations suggest that automobiles are the major anthropogenic source of atmospheric hydrogen and that the ratio of ΔH2/ΔCO has changed little as emission controls have taken effect.
Quantifying Uncertainty in Forest Nutrient Budgets

Nutrient budgets for forested ecosystems have rarely included error analysis, in spite of the importance of uncertainty to interpretation and extrapolation of the results. Uncertainty derives from natural spatial and temporal variation and also from knowledge uncertainty in measurement and models. For example, when estimating forest biomass, researchers commonly report sampling uncertainty but rarely propagate the uncertainty in the allometric equations used to estimate tree biomass, much less the uncertainty in the selection of which allometric equations to use. Change over time may have less uncertainty than a single measurement, if the measures are consistently biased, as by the use of inaccurate allometric equations or soil sampling techniques. Quantifying uncertainty is not as difficult as is sometimes believed. Here, we describe recent progress in quantifying uncertainty in biomass, soils, and hydrologic inputs and outputs, using examples from the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, USA.
Network formation and percolation: biomaterial-inspired probabilistic modeling

The extracellular layers of the sea urchin egg are used as a model system for understanding the role of stochastically-placed fibers in providing reinforcement. We present preliminary results of deformation of the egg, and, at a smaller scale, some results on percolation modeling of fibrous materials to determine percolation points in closed-form. We suggest some general methodologies for analysis of extracellular matrices based on this work, with implications for design in engineered structures.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Dynamic simulation and optimization with inequality path constraints

Abstract A novel and general method for numerical integration of ODEs or DAEs with inequality path constraints involving state variables is proposed. In general, active inequality path constraints involving state variables produce high-index DAEs, which complicate the solution of dynamic simulation and optimization problems. Current DAE integrators can handle only certain limited classes of high-index problems. However, the recently developed method of dummy derivatives can be used to derive an index-1 problem with the same solution set as the high-index problem. This permits the use of standard DAE codes for integrating high-index DAEs, although the equivalent index-1 DAE has a larger number of equations than the original DAE system. Our method detects the activation and deactivation of inequality path constraints during integration, and solves the resulting high-index DAE system as necessary. In addition to allowing the solution of dynamic simulation problems with inequality path constraints, we show that this method simplifies the solution of dynamic optimization problems using the control parameterization method. The method allows us to handle the inequality path constraints involving state variables within the DAE integrator, resulting in fewer objective function and gradient evaluations for the NLP solver, and reducing the time necessary to solve the dynamic optimization problem.
A 2.6ps rms -period-jitter 900MHz all-digital fractional-N PLL built with standard cells

An all-digital fractional-N Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) built with standard cells and digital synthesis tools allows easier integration with digital blocks and portability to different processes or technologies. This paper presents a PLL built with standard cells and digital synthesis tools and achieves good jitter performance. It uses an embedded time-to-digital converter (TDC) with multipath to increase TDC resolution, and includes digital correction circuitry to resolve issues from clock skew. A .18μm CMOS prototype occupies 500μm × 500μm of area, generates a 900MHz clock from a 10MHz reference, has phase noise of −90dBc/Hz at 1MHz offset and 2.62ps rms jitter while consuming 4.2mA from a 1.8V supply.
Affinity Immunoblotting Studies on the Restriction of Autoantibodies from Endemic Pemphigus Foliaceus Patients

Abstract Endemic pemphigus foliaceus or Fogo Selvagem (FS) is an autoimmune blistering skin disease mediated by autoantibodies directed against components on the surface of subcorneal keratinocytes. All patients have high titers of these autoantibodies in the IgG4 subclass as determined by indirect immunofluorescence on frozen skin sections. In addition, patients may also have autoantibodies in other IgG subclasses, particularly IgG1, but the titers in these subclasses are significantly lower than those found in the IgG4 subclass. We have now found that in addition to isotype preference, autoantibodies from FS patients show clonal restriction as evidenced by oligoclonal banding on isoelectric focusing after probing with extracts from both human and bovine epidermis. Both IgG1 and IgG4 exhibit oligoclonal banding, but the distribution of these bands in the pH gradient differs for these two subclasses. Whereas the IgG4 oligoclonal bands are distributed throughout the IgG4 pH range, IgG1 banding appears to be concentrated in the more basic region of the IgG1 pH range. This finding suggests that the IgG1 autoantibodies have undergone selective somatic mutation by a negatively charged autoantigen. Similar findings have been reported for pathogenic DNA autoantibodies associated with SLE. The wide distribution of IgG4 banding suggests that this response may have followed the IgG1 response and has not undergone selective mutation. Both IgG1 and IgG4 appear to be Ca ++ dependent autoantibodies.
Ethanol-induced changes in cyclic guanosine 3',5'-phosphate metabolism in mouse vestibular region.

Abstract The content of cyclic guanosine 3',5'-phosphate (cGMP) in the region of the vestibular nuclei of mice increased after 10–14 days of ethanol intake. The increase was preceded by an increase in guanylate cyclase activity. A second increase was noted after 4 weeks on an ethanol-containing diet at the same time as decreased cGMP-phosphodiesterase activity was noted. The early increases were less pronounced in the alcohol-rejecting DBA/2J strain but were reproduced by preincubation or addition of arachidonic acid. Cerebellectomy had no effect on early or late rises in cGMP levels.
Fast synthesis of exact minimal reversible circuits using group theory

We present fast algorithms to synthesize exact minimal reversible circuits for various types of gates and costs. By reducing reversible logic synthesis problems to group theory problems, we use the powerful algebraic software GAP to solve such problems. Our algorithms are not only able to minimize for arbitrary cost functions of gates, but also orders of magnitude faster than the existing approaches to reversible logic synthesis. In addition, we show that the Peres gate is a better choice than the standard Toffoli gate in libraries of universal reversible gates.
On the superposition of injection induced swirl during enhancement of subcooled critical heat flux

Abstract Enhancement of subcooled critical heat flux with the use of single and multiple tangential injectors placed on a 1.73 cm i.d. tube is investigated in this work. In the experiments Freon-113 was used as the coolant and the heated length of the tube was varied from 8.8 to 37.1 cm. The superposition of swirl was studied by using single and double injectors at one axial location and by varying the distance between injection locations. The results of the experiments show an enhancement of up to 80% in the critical heat flux. It is found that injection superimposed on already swirling two-phase flow is less effective in enhancing CHF than injection into a non-swirling flow.
Instant transportation solutions

This paper presents direct noniterative methods for solving such known problems as shoploading and aggregate scheduling. There is given a simple optimal rule for the shop-loading problem which is quite surprising. The crucial point in solving this problem is what not to assign rather than what to assign. The development of those methods was possible since the discussed problems can be converted into a special transportation model where the given cost coefficients cij assume a form cij = ui + uj.
Dual Antiplatelet Therapy With Aspirin and Clopidogrel: What Is the Risk in Noncardiac Surgery? A Narrative Review

Clopidogrel is one of the most commonly prescribed medications and is currently recommended along with aspirin as treatment to be used for 1 year in all patients without contraindications following an acute coronary syndrome. Patients who are committed to clopidogrel therapy due to recent coronary artery stent implantation may require noncardiac surgery during this recommended period of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). Due to differing rates of endothelialization, patients who undergo bare-metal stent implantation generally require ≥ 1 month of uninterrupted DAPT, and those who undergo drug-eluting stent implantation require ≥ 12 months. Many surgeons ask their patients to stop taking clopidogrel in advance of their procedure to decrease perioperative bleeding. This practice is based largely on anecdotal experience and extrapolated from limited data in cardiac surgery. Premature cessation of aspirin and/or clopidogrel following coronary artery stenting, however, has been associated with acute stent thrombosis, myocardial infarction, and death. We searched PubMed for English language articles published from 1960 to 2012, using the keywords aspirin, clopidogrel, surgery, general, vascular, genitourinary, thoracic, orthopedic, ophthalmologic, dermatologic, endoscopy, colonoscopy, cardiac device implantation, pacemaker, defibrillator, bronchoscopy, bridging, bleeding complications, and transfusion, including various combinations. s were reviewed to confirm relevance, and then the full articles were extracted. References from extracted articles were also reviewed for relevant articles. Literature regarding perioperative clopidogrel continuation is predominantly composed of small, nonrandomized data, but suggests that most noncardiac surgeries or procedures can be performed safely while patients are taking clopidogrel. In this article, we review the current best evidence on the risk for bleeding with clopidogrel therapy in noncardiac surgery, summarize recent guidelines on appropriate duration of DAPT, and make recommendations on the management of perioperative DAPT.
Analysis of a symmetric transonic aerofoil with the finite element method: A new upwinding technique

The non-linear, small-disturbance, velocity-potential equation for steady flow over a thin, symmetric, non-lifting aerofoil is solved by the finite element method. Pressure distributions are computed for flow regimes ranging from incompressible flow to transonic flow with weak shocks. The governing equation is linearized by a sequence of linear equations which is solved iteratively using Galerkin's method. The infinite flow domain is replaced by a finite but sufficiently large domain which is discretized by bilinear rectangular elements. Boundary conditions of the Neumann type are imposed along an approximate boundary in accordance with classical thin-aerofoil theory. Dirichlet conditions are imposed along the far-field boundary from an asymptotic solution valid in the far-field. Convergence of solution algorithms occurs rapidly for all subsonic flows, but fails for transonic or mixed flows when the supersonic bubble is larger than one-half on an element. For transonic flows a new upwinding scheme is used to modify the finite element formulations for elements within the supersonic bubble. The scheme, governed by two parameters, accounts for the proper zone of influence for those elements within the bubble by excluding the influence of iterative downwind forces on the solution at upwind nodes. The upwinding scheme permits convergence of the iterative solution algorithm and also captures the weak compression shock which forms automatically in the solution process without the need or use of shock elements.
Morbidly adherent placenta

Morbidly adherent placenta, which describes placenta accreta, increta, and percreta, implies an abnormal implantation of the placenta into the uterine wall. The incidence of placenta accreta has increased significantly over the past several decades, with the main risk factors include prior cesarean section and placental previa. Sonographic markers of placenta accreta can be present as early as the first trimester and include a low uterine implantation of a gestational sac, multiple vascular lacunae within the placenta, loss of the normal hypoechoic retroplacental zone, and abnormality of the uterine serosa-bladder interface, among others. Ultrasound has high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of placenta accreta and MRI should be reserved for rare cases in which the ultrasound is non-diagnostic. The optimum time for planned delivery for a patient with placenta accreta is around 34-35 weeks following a course of corticosteroid injection. The successful management of placenta accreta includes a multidisciplinary care team approach with the successful management relying heavily on the prenatal diagnosis of this entity and preparing for the surgical management in a multidisciplinary approach by assuring the most skilled team is available for those patients.
Vesico-uretero-renal reflux and the kidney

The most frequent complications of non-obstructive vesico-uretero-renal reflux (VUR) are segmental renal scars. These scars are confined to segments with intrarenal reflux which are, in addition, exposed to bacterial infection. Primarily, only gaping collecting duct orifices, confined to compound papillae and mainly situated at the kidney poles, allow intrarenal reflux. Scar contraction and obstruction seem to be able to transform closed collecting duct orifices into gaping ones, thereby enlarging the parenchymal area prone to intrarenal reflux and to renal scarring. Contrary to earlier reports, a recent survey has documented that new scars in children develop with significant frequency beyond 5 years of age. There is a greater tendency for scarring to develop with more severe VUR, but new renal scars can develop with all grades of VUR [27]. Early and adequate antibiotic treatment decreases the extent of scarring. The results of experimental studies in which renal scarring developed in piglets with bladder decompensation resulting from intravesical obstruction but without bacterial infection may be relevant to the few children with proximal urethral valves and hypertonic neurogenic bladders but not to the large number with non-neurogenic detrusor instability or detrusor sphincter dyssynergia. Prospective studies have not shown different recurrence rates of urinary tract infections in medically managed compared with surgically managed children. The frequency of acute pyelonephritic attacks decreased significantly after operation.
Germanium p-channel MOSFET's with high channel mobility, transconductance, and k-value

Summary form only given. The authors report p-channel germanium MOSFETs which exhibit channel mobilities more than four times higher than typically obtained in p-channel silicon devices (in excess of 1000 cm/sup 2//V-s with a gate dielectric thickness of approximately 220 AA). Fabrication of these MOSFETs is quite straightforward and utilizes equipment which is comparable to that used for conventional silicon MOSFET processing. Germanium p-channel MOSFETs having effective channel lengths down to approximately 2.3 mu m (2.75- mu m gate length) have been fabricated. Using a dielectric capacitance of 2.5*10/sup -7/ F-cm/sup -2/ taken from large area devices, a mobility of approximately 1050 cm/sup 2//V-s can be inferred from the slope of the transconductance curve. For the 2.3- mu m device, a transconductance of 50 mS/mm at approximately 0.5 V above threshold and a k-value of 110 mS/V-mm have been obtained. This performance is significantly better than that of p-channel silicon devices having similar channel length and approximately 220-AA gate dielectric thickness. >
Spiritual Well-being in Lung Cancer Survivors

Spiritual well-being (SWB) among lung cancer survivors has not been well-delineated. Additionally, little is known about how SWB is affected over the trajectory of the disease process. The aims of this study were to examine the SWB of individuals with a diagnosis of lung cancer, to assess the stability of SWB over time, and to identify the factors associated with SWB. A prospective cohort of patients with lung cancer first seen at the Mayo Clinic over a 10-year period of time was included in this study. Study entry was at the time of diagnosis or referral to the Mayo Clinic, and participation involved annual survey using the Functional Assessment in Chronic Illness Therapy—Spiritual Well-being, Medical Outcome Short Form 8, and Quality of Life (QOL) Linear Analog Scale Assessment. Associations were explored using Fisher’s exact test, chi-squared test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and Spearman correlations. Linear regression was used to explore multivariate relationships. There were 1,578 participants over a 10-year period of time. Group SWB scores were relatively high and stable over a 10-year period of time ( $$ \overline{x}=77.1-79.3 $$ , standard deviation = 14.47–18.46, possible scale of 0–100). However, individual scores varied widely across almost the entire scale (2.1–100) and revealed a chaotic trajectory for SWB. Males, current smokers, and those with higher pack-years experienced lower SWB compared to females, nonsmokers, and those with lower pack-years (p < 0.0001, 0.0455, and 0.0004, respectively). SWB was strongly associated with overall QOL. SWB is an individualistic experience that can change dramatically over time for cancer survivors. Ongoing assessments are important.
Surgical outcome for intra- and extrapelvic femoral nerve lesions

Seventy-eight traumatic neuropathies were seen in 94 patients with femoral nerve lesions; 54 of these were operated on because of persistent complete functional loss and/or pain. The most common mechanism of injury to the femoral nerve was iatrogenic due to inguinal herniorrhaphy, total hip replacement, intraabdominal vascular or gynecological operation, and, less commonly, appendectomy, lumbar sympathectomy, and laparoscopic procedures. Femoral nerve injuries also resulted from penetrating gunshot and stab wounds, laceration by glass, and stretch/contusive injuries associated with pelvic fractures. There were no signs of clinical or electrical recovery in 45 of 78 patients with traumatic nerve injuries. These and other partial injuries associated with pain were explored and evaluated by intraoperative nerve stimulation and recording of nerve action potentials (NAPs). Despite complete loss of nerve function preoperatively, 13 patients had recordable NAPs and underwent neurolysis; each recovered function to at least a Grade 3 level. Twenty-seven patients had sural graft repairs performed with graft lengths varying from 2.5 to 14 cm. Most patients had some nerve regeneration and regained function to Grade 3 to 4 levels by 2 years postoperatively. Four of five patients with suture repairs recovered to Grade 3 or better within 2 years postoperatively. Despite a proximal pelvic level for most of these injuries and, as a result, lengthy graft repairs, recovery of some useful function was the rule rather than the exception. Tumors involved the femoral nerve in 16 patients and included eight neurofibromas, four schwannomas, one neurogenic sarcoma, two ganglion cysts, and one leiomyosarcoma. All tumors were treated surgically and most were removed successfully.
The Anti-hemorrhagic Vitamin

Abstract A. PRELIMINARY INDICATIONS OF EXISTENCE INDICATIONS of the existence of a dietary disease in which chickens suffer from hemorrhagic tendencies and delayed blood clotting may be seen in a number of papers describing results obtained in experiments dealing with various phases of poultry nutrition. During work on the sterol metabolism of chicks, Dam (1929, 1930) observed that the animals often exhibited internal, subcutaneous, and intra-muscular hemorrhages. These symptoms were accompanied by ulcerative changes in the horny stratum of the gizzard. In a subsequent paper (1934), he showed that the disease was not caused by lack of vitamins A, D, B1, B2, C and of “fat” or cholesterol. The suggestion was made that, since a diet containing certain common feedstuffs did not produce the disease, a new dietary factor must be involved. McFarlane, Graham, and Richardson (1931) in work on the fat-soluble vitamin requirements of the chick observed hemorrhages and loss . . .
Attitudes toward computers: Construct validation and relations to computer use

Attitudes toward computers are generally thought to be composed of two factors: (1) beliefs that the computer is a beneficial tool, and (2) beliefs that computers are autonomous entities. We employed confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling to examine (1) the convergent and discriminant validity of scales assessing two attitudes toward computers, (2) the relative predictive validity of the two attitude dimensions with computer use, and (3) a theoretical model of attitudes toward computers and computer use. Results supported the hypothesis that attitudes toward computers are composed of two distinct constructs and the hypothesis concerning the ordering of the two computer attitudes and computer use. We found partial support for the hypothesis that the two attitude factors differ in their prediction of computer use. Overall, the results supported the idea that two distinct beliefs about computers are present and that these two beliefs are significantly related to computer use.
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING OF PLANTAR PLATE RUPTURE

Degenerative plantar plate failure is an under-recognized cause of lesser metatarsalgia. We performed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with a small receiver coil in 13 patients in whom plantar plate ruptures of the second or third metatarsophalangeal joint were clinically suspected. In eight patients, MRI showed focal hyperintensity in the plantar plate that was interpreted as a rupture of the plate. Ruptures were confirmed in all five patients who underwent an operative procedure to treat the unstable, painful metatarsophalangeal joint. MRI is a noninvasive technique that can visualize plantar plate abnormalities and aid the clinical evaluation of problematic lesser metatarsalgia.
Restriction mapping of a chlorobenzoate degradative plasmid and molecular cloning of the degradative genes.

Abstract The genes for the degradation of 3-chlorobenzoic acid (3Cba) are present in a 110-kb plasmid pAC27. A circular map is established using the restriction endonucleases EcoRI, HindIII and BglII. The map is derived from the results obtained by partial restriction digestion, complete single and double restriction digestion and finally confirmed with hybridization of the digested fragments using different purified fragments as probes. The 3Cba degradative genes are found to be clustered in one region of the map (EcoRI fragment A) as judged by molecular cloning with a broad host range vector pLAFRI. A portion of the 3Cba degradative gene cluster appears to undergo ready recombination with the chromosome, even in a recA host, suggesting the probable transposable nature of such gene cluster.
An item response analysis of the pediatric PROMIS anxiety and depressive symptoms scales

Purpose The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) aims to develop self-reported item banks for clinical research. The PROMIS pediatrics (aged 8–17) project focuses on the development of item banks across several health domains (physical function, pain, fatigue, emotional distress, social role relationships, and asthma symptoms). The psychometric properties of the anxiety and depressive symptom item banks are described.
Polymorphonuclear leukocytes, complement, and Trichophyton rubrum

Trichophyton rubrum can activate complement. In order to assess the role of complement in host defense, fresh human serum was incubated with fungus. Factors were produced which were chemotactic for polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL), but only if complement activation was allowed. This suggests that the chemotactic factor or factors were derived from complement. Incubation of T. rubrum with fresh serum did not prevent fungal growth on subsequent culture, but did inhibit incorporation of radiolabeled N-acetylglucosoamine. The interaction of PMNL and fungi was studied, and the role of complement as a mediator was assessed. PMNL adhered well to fungi provided that the fungal hyphae had been preincubated with fresh human serum to provide complement opsonins. Opsonized and unopsonized fungi both stimulated a respiratory burst in normal PMNL as measured by chemiluminescence, but the burst was generated much faster with opsonized hyphae. Although hyphae with adherent PMNL subsequently proliferated in culture, the incorporation of N-acetylglucosoamine was inhibited 96% when the hyphae were opsonized with fresh serum and then incubated with PMNL. Inhibition was also observed with unopsonized fungi, but to a lesser degree. Varying the ratio of PMNL to hyphae showed that inhibition by PMNL was far more efficient if hyphae were opsonized. In contrast to hyphae, opsonized fungal spores were killed by PMNL so that no growth was observed in subsequent cultures. This killing was not observed if PMNL were omitted or if spores were preincubated with heat-inactivated serum rather than fresh serum. Activation of complement apparently opsonizes the spores so that they can be ingested and killed by viable PMNL. Contents of disrupted PMNL failed to inhibit fungal growth. Complement and PMNL may aid the host in defending itself against infection by dermatophytes.
The Theory of Duopoly

I. Introduction, 565. — II. Maximization of joint profit as a solution, 566. — III. The contract curve, as a solution, 569. — IV. The contract curve and its resemblance to what businessmen think they are doing, 573. — V. The contract curve and realistic conditions, 574. — VI. Extension of the contract curve to oligopoly, 575. — VII. Use of mark-up on prime costs, 576. — VIII. Extension of the contract curve to non-price competition, 580. — IX. Conclusion, 581. — Appendix, 582.
CALCULATION OF THE POWER SPECTRAL DENSITY FROM SURFACE PROFILE DATA

The power spectral density (PSD), in its two-dimensional form, has been designated as the preferred quantity for specifying surface roughness on a draft international drawing standard for surface texture. The correct calculation of the one-dimensional PSD from discrete surface profile data is given, and problems in using fast Fourier-transform routines that are given in some of the standard reference books are flagged. The method given here contains the correct normalizing factors. Two ways to reduce the variance of the PSD estimate are suggested. Examples are shown of the variance reduction possible in the PSD's.
Mitigation of distortion in large additive manufacturing parts

Distortion mitigation techniques for large parts constructed by additive manufacturing processes are investigated. Unwanted distortion accumulated during deposition is a common problem encountered ...
Developmental patterns of duration discrimination.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the auditory perceptual abilities of children are characterized by an age-related improvement in duration discrimination. Forty children, ages 4 to 10 years, and 10 adults served as subjects. Difference limens were obtained using a 350-msec broadband noise burst as the standard stimulus in a three-interval forcedchoice paradigm. Data were characterized by significant differences between the performances of the 4-, 6-, and 8-year-olds and those of the adults. Acquisition of adult-like discrimination performance was demonstrated between the ages of 8 and 10 years.
Crystal structures of respiratory pathogen neuraminidases

Currently there is pressing need to develop novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of infections by the human respiratory pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pneumoniae. The neuraminidases of these pathogens are important for host colonization in animal models of infection and are attractive targets for drug discovery. To aid in the development of inhibitors against these neuraminidases, we have determined the crystal structures of the P. aeruginosa enzyme NanPs and S. pneumoniae enzyme NanA at 1.6 and 1.7 A resolution, respectively. In situ proteolysis with trypsin was essential for the crystallization of our recombinant NanA. The active site regions of the two enzymes are strikingly different. NanA contains a deep pocket that is similar to that in canonical neuraminidases, while the NanPs active site is much more open. The comparative studies suggest that NanPs may not be a classical neuraminidase, and may have distinct natural substrates and physiological functions. This work represents an important step in the development of drugs to prevent respiratory tract colonization by these two pathogens.
The Effects of Tidal Export from Salt Marsh Ditches on Estuarine Water Quality and Plankton Communities

Salt marshes are an important transition zone between terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and in their natural state, they often function to cycle or trap terrestrially derived nutrients and organic matter. Many US salt marshes were ditched during the twentieth century, potentially altering their functionality. The goal of this 4-year study was to assess the impact of water from ditches within seven salt marshes on estuarine water quality and plankton communities within four estuaries on Long Island, NY, USA. We found that concentrations of inorganic nutrients (ammonium, phosphate), dissolved and particulate organic nitrogen and carbon (POC, PON, DOC, DON), and total coliform bacteria were significantly enriched in salt marsh ditches compared to the estuaries they discharged into. In addition, concentrations of ammonium and DON became more enriched in ditches as tidal levels decreased, suggesting these constituents were generated in situ. Quantification of nitrogen sources in Flanders Bay, NY, suggested salt marsh ditches could represent a substantial source of N to this estuary during summer months. Experimental incubations demonstrated that water from salt marsh ditches was capable of significantly enhancing the growth of multiple classes of phytoplankton, with large diatoms and dinoflagellates displaying the most dramatic increases in growth. Experiments further demonstrated that salt marsh ditchwater was capable of significantly enhancing pelagic respiration rates, suggesting discharge from ditches could influence estuarine oxygen consumption. In summary, this study demonstrates that tidal draining of salt marsh ditches is capable of degrading multiple aspects of estuarine water quality.
The use of statistical publications as resources for librarians

Abstract Nature and reference value of U.S. Government statistical data in published and machine-readable forms is discussed. Enumeration and sampling procedures as statistical measures, and the periodic censuses and selected current series as time series are explained. Geographical units commonly employed in the statistical series are defined, and the utility of classifications devised by national and international agencies to systematize the collection and comparison of data is demonstrated. Reference is made throughout to improvements recommended by the President's Commission on Federal Statistics. The second part relates how one can locate statistical data including the machine-readable tapes and notes the major guides to statistical information. Also included in this part are the summarizing compilations such as the yearbooks and some of the major government periodicals which report summary statistics.
Quantifying the temporal characteristics of network congestion events for multimedia services

Effective quality-of-service (QoS) metrics must relate to end-user experience. For multimedia services these metrics should focus on phenomena that are observable by the end user. Once a congestion event occurs in the network it tends to persist, resulting in long bursts of consecutive packet loss. Such an event is observable to the network customer. There is a need to increase our understanding of the temporal characteristics of congestion. It has become increasingly apparent that the temporal characteristics of congestion events have the dominant effect on user-perceived QoS. A rigorous definition of the time between congestion events is given here, as well as an associated prediction methodology. The inter-congestion event time or the rate of congestion events per unit time provides a network quality metric that is easily understandable to network users and is conveniently predicted and measured. The contribution of this paper is the definition of a metric to characterize congestion events and development of an analytic methodology to predict the expected number of congestion events per unit time. The proposed methodology is evaluated for a variety of traffic models.
Estimating proportions of explained variance: a comparison of whole genome subsets

Following the publication of the ENCODE project results, there has been increasing interest in investigating different areas of the chromosome and evaluating the relative contribution of each area to expressed phenotypes. This study aims to evaluate the contribution of variants, classified by minor allele frequency and gene annotation, to the observed interindividual differences. In this study, we fitted Bayesian linear regression models to data from Genetic Analysis Workshop 18 (n = 395) to estimate the variance of standardized and log-transformed systolic blood pressure that can be explained by subsets of genetic markers. Rare and very rare variants explained an overall higher proportion of the variance, as did markers located within a gene rather than flanking regions. The proportion of variance explained by rare and very rare variants decreased when we controlled for the number of markers, suggesting that the number of contributing rare alleles plays an important role in the genetic architecture of chronic disease traits. Our findings lend support to the "common disease, rare variant" hypothesis for systolic blood pressure and highlight allele frequency and functional annotation of a polymorphism as potentially crucial considerations in whole genome study designs.
Changing Perceptions: The Literacy Development of Children Prenatally 8xposed to Crack or Cocaine

This article presents an overview of 26 children prenatally exposed to crack or cocaine and a case study of one focal child. The article begins with a more global view that considers the literacy development of all of the children who were part of a longitudinal, multi-case study exploring their literacy development. Despite the prenatal drug exposure, each child was living in a stable foster or adoptive home situation. Each child was observed monthly either at home or at school over the 4 years of the study. The researcher's observations were enriched by the comments of parents, teachers, and children. The following developmental literacy concepts were systematically observed: drawing and writing, book knowledge, concept-of-word in print, book reading, and orthographic knowledge. This study describes the success in the development of literacy of the majority of the children as they moved through preschool and elementary school. The article then focuses on one child, Mario, whose case is typical of the ch...
Efficacy and Safety of a Furosemide Continuous Infusion following Cardiac Surgery

Objective:To review the literature regarding the efficacy and safety of continuous intravenous infusion of loop diuretics following cardiac surgery.Data Sources:Articles were identified through a MEDLINE search (1966–March 2006) using the key words furosemide, bumetanide, torsemide, ethacrynic acid, loop diuretics, continuous infusions, intravenous infusions, surgery, cardiac surgery, cardiovascular surgery, and thoracic surgery. Search results were limited to studies in human subjects published in English. Additional references were identified through review of the bibliographies of the articles cited.Study Selection and Data Extraction:All clinical trials and observational reports identified that evaluated or described the efficacy and/or safety of a continuous infusion of a loop diuretic in adult or pediatric patients who had undergone cardiac surgery were included in this review.Data Synthesis:Loop diuretics are often used to promote diuresis following cardiac surgery. Studies in patients who have und...
Hemipelagic rocks at Bissex Hill, Barbados; sedimentology, geochemistry, and depositional environment

ABSTRACT The island of Barbados exposes the crest of the Barbados accretionary prism of the Lesser Antilles forearc. The sedimentology of Lower Eocene hemipelagite was studied in three fault-bounded packets near Bissex Hill. Three facies were identified based on coherent stratigraphic successions. Facies 1 hemipelagite strata are well layered to massive and consist of radiolarite layers (T layers), matrix-supported radiolarian mudstone (F layers), layers with an intermediate abundance of radiolarian tests (N layers), mud-rich (M) layers containing less than 20% radiolarian tests, rare quartzose sandstone intervals, mud-chip breccia beds, and wispy, laminated, bioturbated units. Many T and N layers have parallel laminations and sharp basal contacts. Few T and N layers have coarse-tail grading, cour structures, and floating mud clasts. Most T and N layers were deposited by turbidity or bottom-water currents. F layers probably represent waning-flow current or suspended-load deposits. Wispy, laminated units are most likely bioturbated T, N, and F layers. Facies 2 strata are wispy, laminated terrigenous mudstones greater than 10 cm thick. Thorough bioturbation indicates slower rates of deposition relative to facies 1 strata. Facies 3 is mudstone composed of sparse radiolarian tests floating in a terrigenous-mud matrix. Facies 3 deposits are interpreted as extensively bioturbated sediment which, prior to reworking, contained fewer intercalated T layers. Bulk-rock chemistry indicates that the hemipelagites were derived from terrigenous and biogenic sources. Weight-percent Al2 UB>O3 correlates with the percentages of clay-sized material in T, N, and F layers. Low total organic carbon (bitumen-free; 0.06-0.83%) and Type III kerogens indicate an oxic depositional environment. The hemipelagic rocks were deposited in abyssal-plain or outer-trench-slope environments.
Detecting timed-out client requests for avoiding livelock and improving Web server performance

A Web server's listen queue capacity is often set to a large value to accommodate bursts of traffic and to accept as many client requests as possible. We show that, under certain overload conditions, this results in a significant loss of server performance due to the processing of so-called "dead requests": timed-out client requests whose associated connection has been closed from the client side. In some pathological cases, these overload conditions can lead to server livelock, where the server is busily processing only dead requests and is not doing any useful work. We propose a method of detecting these dead requests and avoiding unnecessary overhead related to their processing. This provides a predictable and controllable platform for Web applications, thus improving their overall performance. DTOC strategy is implemented as a part of WebQoS product for HP9000 servers [HP-WebQoS].
Injuries to the Ankle Syndesmosis

➤ Despite being common, syndesmotic injuries are challenging to diagnose and treat.➤ Anatomic reduction of the ankle syndesmosis is critical for good clinical outcomes.➤ Intraoperative three-dimensional radiography and direct syndesmotic visualization can improve rates of anatomic reduction.➤ The so-called gold-standard syndesmotic screw fixation is being brought increasingly into question as new fixation techniques emerge.➤ Syndesmotic screw removal remains controversial, but may allow spontaneous correction of malreductions.
Compare&contrast: using the web to discover comparable cases for news stories

Comparing and contrasting is an important strategy people employ to understand new situations and create solutions for new problems. Similar events can provide hints for problem solving, as well as larger contexts for understanding the specific circumstances of an event. Lessons can leaned from past experience, insights can be gained about the new situation from familiar examples, and trends can be discovered among similar events. As the largest knowledge base for human beings, the Web provides both an opportunity and a challenge to discover comparable cases in order to facilitate situation analysis and problem solving. In this paper, we present Compare & Contrast, a system that uses the Web to discover comparable cases for news stories, documents about similar situations but involving distinct entities. The system analyzes a news story given by the user and builds a model of the story. With the story model, the system dynamically discovers entities comparable to the main entity in the original story and uses these comparable entities as seeds to retrieve web pages about comparable cases. The system is domain independent, does not require any domain-specific knowledge engineering efforts, and deals with the complexity of unstructured text and noise on the web in a robust way. We evaluated the system with an experiment on a collection of news articles and a user study.