cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exercise single-photon emission computed tomography provides effective risk stratification of elderly men and elderly women.

Background— In a recent study, we reported that the Duke treadmill score was unable to effectively stratify elderly patients according to risk. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of exercise single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in this same population and to examine results by gender. Methods and Results— A cohort of 247 elderly (age ≥75 years) patients (108 women, 139 men, age 77±3 years) who underwent exercise thallium-201 SPECT were followed up for a median duration of 6.4 years. SPECT variables were significantly associated with cardiac death: summed stress score (SSS) χ2=19.5, P<0.001; summed difference score χ2=12.3, P<0.001; increased lung uptake χ2=9.6, P=0.002; and left ventricular enlargement χ2=8.3, P=0.004. The Duke score was not significantly associated with cardiac death (χ2<1, P=NS). The SSS classified most patients as low risk (49%) or high risk (35%); the Duke score classified the majority (68%) as intermediate risk. Annual cardiac mortality rates...
Designing suburban greenways to provide habitat for forest-breeding birds

Abstract Appropriately designed, greenways may provide habitat for neotropical migrants, insectivores, and forest-interior specialist birds that decrease in diversity and abundance as a result of suburban development. We investigated the effects of width of the forested corridor containing a greenway, adjacent land use and cover, and the composition and vegetation structure within the greenway on breeding bird abundance and community composition in suburban greenways in Raleigh and Cary, North Carolina, USA. Using 50 m fixed-radius point counts, we surveyed breeding bird communities for 2 years at 34 study sites, located at the center of 300-m-long greenway segments. Percent coverage of managed area within the greenway, such as trail and other mowed or maintained surfaces, was a predictor for all development-sensitive bird groupings. Abundance and richness of development-sensitive species were lowest in greenway segments containing more managed area. Richness and abundance of development-sensitive species also decreased as percent cover of pavement and bare earth adjacent to greenways increased. Urban adaptors and edge-dwelling birds, such as Mourning Dove, House Wren, House Finch, and European Starling, were most common in greenways less than 100 m wide. Conversely, forest-interior species were not recorded in greenways narrower than 50 m. Some forest-interior species, such as Acadian Flycatcher, Hairy Woodpecker, and Wood Thrush, were recorded primarily in greenways wider than 100 m. Others, including ground nesters such as Black-and-white Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Ovenbird, were recorded only in greenways wider than 300 m. Landscape and urban planners can facilitate conservation of development-sensitive birds in greenways by minimizing the width of the trail and associated mowed and landscaped surfaces adjacent to the trail, locating trails near the edge of greenway forest corridors, and giving priority to the protection of greenway corridors at least 100 m wide with low levels of impervious surface (pavement, buildings) and bare earth in the adjacent landscape.
The National Survey of Early Childhood Health

Objectives. The National Survey of Early Childhood Health (NSECH) is a new survey that was designed to provide nationally representative data on the health and development of children and to fill an information gap in the pediatric literature on parents’ views of the delivery of health care to their young children. Design. The selection of topics was guided by previous studies conducted to examine parents’ expectations and needs in child health supervision visits. The NSECH is a random-digit-dial telephone survey of a nationally representative sample of 2068 children aged 4 to 35 months. This sample includes an oversample of black and/or Hispanic children so that results for these minority groups could be estimated with greater precision. The sampling frame for NSECH is from the State and Local Area Integrated Telephone Survey (SLAITS), which is a program of surveys conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics that makes economical use of the large sampling frame of the National Immunization Survey (NIS). SLAITS takes advantage of the NIS screening effort by fielding interviews on other health topics with households screened for the NIS. The respondent was the parent or guardian identified as the person most responsible for the sampled child’s medical care. Spanish-language interviews composed 19% of all completed interviews. The Council of American Survey Research Organizations response rate was 65.6%. Conclusion. The NSECH provides a unique data set that allows a well-rounded picture of the health, health care utilization, health care content, and interpersonal quality of health services received by young children in the United States. It also contains important information about family characteristics, patterns of health-promoting behaviors, and family routines that are associated with promoting the developmental health of young children. NSECH results can also help national policy makers understand the health needs of families with young children and how well the health system is meeting those needs.
GnRH antagonists may affect endometrial receptivity

Objective HOXA10 is an essential regulator of endometrial receptivity. To determine the effect of GnRH antagonists on endometrial receptivity, we assessed endometrial HOXA10 expression in GnRH antagonist, GnRH agonist, and natural cycles. Design Prospective case-control study. Setting University academic medical center. Patient(s) Nineteen subjects were included: 12 subjects underwent controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with recombinant FSH and used either a GnRH antagonist or a GnRH agonist; seven control subjects underwent natural cycles. Intervention(s) Pipelle endometrial biopsies were obtained 11 days after hCG administration or spontaneous LH surge in untreated cycles, respectively. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess HOXA10 protein expression in endometrial glands and stroma. Main Outcome Measure(s) Endometrial HOXA10 protein expression. Result(s) HOXA10 expression was significantly decreased in endometrial stromal cells in GnRH antagonist–treated cycles compared with GnRH agonist–treated cycles or natural cycle control subjects. There was no significant difference in glandular cell HOXA10 expression among the three groups. Conclusion(s) Use of GnRH antagonists may be associated with impaired HOXA10 expression in endometrial stromal cells and thus may affect endometrial receptivity.
Method of analysis for determining and correcting mirror deformation due to gravity

The Navy Precision Optical Interferometer, located near Flagstaff, Arizona, is a ground-based interferometer that collects, transports, and modulates stellar radiation from up to six primary flat collectors, known as siderostats, through a common vacuum relay system to a combiner. In the combiner, the modulated beams are superimposed, fringes obtained, and data recorded for further analysis to produce precise star positions or stellar details. The current number of observable stellar objects for the astrometric interferometer can increase from 6000 to at least 47,000 with the addition of full-aperture 20-deg down-tilting beam compressors in each optical train. Such an aperture increase, from the current 12.5 to 35 cm, opens the sky to many additional and fainter stars. Engineering analysis of our beam compressor primary mirror shows that the maximum allowable sag, 21 nm, occurs prematurely at 2.8-deg down-tilt angle. Furthermore, at the operational down-tilt angle of 20 deg, the wavefront deformation increases to 155 nm. We present a finite element analysis technique and design modification concept to reduce tilt-induced deformation on the mirror surface. This work is a first pass to determine the feasibility for a mechanical solution path forward. From this analysis, we found that four outwardly applied 17.8-N forces on the rear surface of the mirror could reduce sag from 155 to 32 nm at 20-deg down-tilt angle.
Bioorthogonal Reaction Pairs Enable Simultaneous, Selective, Multi-Target Imaging

Mutually orthogonal tetrazine–transcyclooctene and azide–cyclooctyne cycloaddition reactions were used simultaneously for the bioorthogonal labeling of two different live cell populations in the same culture. These small-molecule probes show good chemical reactivity and can be readily incorporated into biological systems.
Correlates of Life Style: Personality, Role Concept, Attitudes, Influences, and Choices

Using the California Psychological Inventory, the Inventory of Women's Life Styles, and the Inventory of Women's Role Concept and Attitudes, three separate life-style patterns were delineated for women leading Traditional, Neotraditional, and Nontraditional life styles. These women differed significantly in personality; role concepts; attitudes; choices of college majors and occupations; motivation; quality of employment experiences; parents' life styles; perceptions of husbands' preferred life styles and attitudes toward male/female roles; own and husbands' education; and family size. Influence of parents' life style, the single most potent variable, contributed .64 of the variance to the daughter's choice of life style. Personal and professional variables which remained significant when influence of parents' life style was controlled were attitude towards college training, educational level, and choice of occupation.
Place, names, and authority in Weyéwa ritual speech

Among the Weyewa of the eastern Indonesian island of Sumba, place names are not merely labels or verbal tools for referring to locations, but rather resources for the construction of discourse. As such, they figure in Weyewa ritual speech events in two fundamental ways. First, an individual place name can be the topic of etymological speculation, in which the verbal account of the history of a name is an exercise in the establishment of authority. Second, place names frequently occur in lists, as syntagmatic chains which serve to guide the form of ritual speech events. This use of toponyms not only characterizes Weyewa epic narratives, but rites of misfortune, prayers, and songs. These genres utilize a "path" or "journey" metaphor in which points of the itinerary are spatially anchored by means of place names. (Ritual speech, narrative, authority, place names)
Fast test application technique without fast scan clocks

Built-in self-test (BIST) schemes need to set the state of the circuit under test (CUT) for each test vector applied. The two primary techniques by which the state is set are test-per-scan and test-per-clock. In a test-per-scan scheme, circuit states are set using one or more scan chains. Several scan cycles are required to apply a single test vector. In very large circuits, the time to apply each test vector may be quite high. The direct option of reducing test time with a fast scan clock is difficult to realize in practice. In a test-per-clock scheme, all circuit flip-flops are loaded in parallel. A new test vector can be applied in each cycle. The area overhead incurred in accessing each storage element directly is quite significant. We propose a new Broadcast BIST (B/sup 2/IST) scheme as a compromise between the two approaches. B/sup 2/IST uses time-division multiplexing (TDM) to load multiple storage elements in a broadcast group in a single clock cycle, but through only a single scan data input. Based on our B/sup 2/IST simulation, we compare the layout overhead and performance of B/sup 2/IST with that of traditional BIST schemes on ISCAS benchmark circuits. Thus, B/sup 2/IST can achieve the performance of a test-per-clock scheme, but only incur the overhead of a test-per-scan scheme.
Fast simulation of steady-state availability in non-Markovian highly dependable systems

Efficient simulation techniques for estimating steady-state quantities in models of highly dependable computing systems with general component failure and repair time distributions are considered. Earlier approaches in this application setting for steady-state estimation rely on the regenerative method of simulation, which an be used when the failure time distributions are exponentially distributed. However, when the failure times are generally distributed the regenerative structure is lost and a new approach must be taken. The approach the authors take is to exploit a ratio representation for steady-state quantities in terms of cycles that are no longer independent and identically distributed. A splitting technique is used in which importance sampling is used to speed up the simulation of rare system failure events during a cycle, and standard simulation is used to estimate the expected cycle length. Experimental results show that the method is effective in practice.
Infections in pediatrics: old and new diseases

Paediatric infectious diseases have been reported since Hippocrates, and were always closely linked with the evolution of medicine. Current insights and recommendations by the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Group of Switzerland for the management of common paediatric diseases, such as acute otitis media, pharyngitis, and acute viral gastroenteritis are reviewed. The emergence of "old" vaccine-preventable diseases - pertussis and measles - is also discussed. Furthermore, the impact of the appearance of new hosts in paediatric - very low birthweight infants, immunosuppressed patients - is evaluated. Finally, new emerging paediatric infectious diseases caused by newly discovered viruses, such as human metapneumovirus, human bocavirus, or human coronavirus NL63 are explored. This overview gives a general idea on some topics that are currently significant and specific to paediatric infectious diseases.
On Optimal Diversity Reception, II

In a previous paper the structure of the optimal multi-diversity receiver for a fading, noisy diversity channel was determined under the assumption that the memory of the receiver does not extend beyond the time interval of the signal currently being received. The probability of error for such a receiver is determined herein under the following assumptions: the channel is binary and symmetric; the (Gaussian) noises in the various diversity links are white and independent; and the fadings in the various links are Rayleigh distributed and slow, but not necessarily independent. Detailed curves of this probability of error are given for various orders of diversity in the two cases of independent fadings and "exponentially correlated" fadings. Since the optimal receiver may be difficult to implement, a more easily implemented "square-law combining" receiver is also considered, and it is shown that for all practical purposes this simpler receiver behaves optimally. Finally the effect of the assumption that the receiver has a short memory is considered by comparing its performance with that of a longer-memory receiver studied by Pierce and Stein.
Sex Segregation in the Blue-collar Occupations: Women’s Choices or Unremedied Discrimination? Comment on England

or lack of ability to perform in those jobs. They do not put much emphasis on what those who might have been resisting women's entry?employers, male coworkers, unions?have been up to, and they feel no need to talk about remedies that might be brought to bear by government. Indeed, the implicit message is that no remedy is necessary because no harm has been done. The women got what they wanted, or rather, did not bother to get what they did not want. Paula England, judging by her recent diagnosis of the cause of continuing sex segregation in occupations that do not require college, seems to have signed up with that camp. Her explanation of the failure of women to enter blue-collar male-dominated occupations depends almost entirely on lack of motivation on the part of those women who might have entered. Her attention to any who might have opposed and prevented that entry is limited to a single sentence in a footnote (England 2010,163). England's explana tion of the difference in outcomes in the professions and the blue-collar jobs is that women have wanted two things: (1) They wanted to do better than their mothers, and (2) they wanted to work in occupations that are historically female dominated because such occupations are thought to be particularly suited to women's essential nature and women feel they can express their femininity by working in them. The women who became physicians, lawyers, and business executives could not do both because, England tells us, their mothers already had the highest-class feminine-typed
Outage Behavior of Slow Fading Channels With Power Control Using Partial and Erroneous CSIT

This work investigates high-SNR outage behavior of slow fading channels with quantized feedback and partial power control, when feedback indices are error-prone. We propose a quantizer structure with continuous Voronoi regions and derive its optimality conditions using probability analysis. Our design involves construction of a novel bit-mapping scheme. The optimized power control codebook resembles channel optimized scalar quantizers (COSQs). Also, the diversity gain of the communication system under study is characterized with both nonzero and vanishing feedback error probabilities.
Stability robustness conditions for gradient play differential games with partial participation in coalitions

This paper formulates and solves the stability robustness problem for a class of gradient play cooperative differential games with coalition structures allowing for partial participation and symmetric contracts. We show that when the fully cooperative grand coalition generates stable dynamics, then all other coalition structures are stable. This stability guarantee is important in designing localized cooperative dynamics satisfying global objectives in large-scale distributed systems.
Analysis of the Conformational Change of Myosin during ATP Hydrolysis Using Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer

In order to elucidate the molecular basis of energy transduction by myosin as a molecular motor, a fluorescent ribose-modified ATP analog 2'(3')-O-[6-(N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino)hexanoyl]-ATP (NBD-ATP), was utilized to study the conformational change of the myosin motor domain during ATP hydrolysis using the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) method. The FRET efficiency from the fluorescent probe, BD- or AD-labeled at the reactive cysteine residues, SH1 (Cys 707) or SH2 (Cys697), respectively, to the NBD fluorophore in the ATP binding site was measured for several transient intermediates in the ATPase cycle. The FRET efficiency was greater than that using NBD-ADP. The FRETs for the myosin.ADP.AlF4- and myosin.ADP.BeFn ternary complexes, which mimic the M*.ADP.P(i) state and M.ATP state in the ATPase cycle, respectively, were similar to that of NBD-ATP. This suggests that both the SH1 and SH2 regions change their localized conformations to move closer to the ATPase site in the M*.ATP state and M**.ADP.P(i) state than in the M*.ADP state. Furthermore, we measured energy transfer from BD in the essential light chain to NBD in the active site. Assuming the efficiency at different states, myosin adopts a conformation such that the light chain moves closer to the active site by approximately 9 A during the hydrolysis of ATP.
A Low Bound for Broadcast in Optical Networks of Bounded Treewidth Using Fewest Converters

Wavelengths and converters are shared by communication requests in optical networks. The usage of converters increases the utilization of wavelengths and allows more requests to succeed. The converters usage problem (CUP) is to determine the minimum number of converter so that each node can send messages to all the others (broadcasting). In this paper, we study the CUP in sparse conversion networks with bounded treewidth. A converter wavelength-dominates a node if there is a uniform wavelength path between them. The minimal wavelength dominating set problem (MWDSP) is to locate the minimum number of converters so that all the other nodes in the network are wavelength-dominated. We use a linear complexity dynamic programming algorithm to solve the MWDSP for networks with bounded treewidth. One such solution provides a low bound for the optimal solution to the CUP.
NeXt generation/dynamic spectrum access/cognitive radio wireless networks: a survey

Today's wireless networks are characterized by a fixed spectrum assignment policy. However, a large portion of the assigned spectrum is used sporadically and geographical variations in the utilization of assigned spectrum ranges from 15% to 85% with a high variance in time. The limited available spectrum and the inefficiency in the spectrum usage necessitate a new communication paradigm to exploit the existing wireless spectrum opportunistically. This new networking paradigm is referred to as NeXt Generation (xG) Networks as well as Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) and cognitive radio networks. The term xG networks is used throughout the paper. The novel functionalities and current research challenges of the xG networks are explained in detail. More specifically, a brief overview of the cognitive radio technology is provided and the xG network architecture is introduced. Moreover, the xG network functions such as spectrum management, spectrum mobility and spectrum sharing are explained in detail. The influence of these functions on the performance of the upper layer protocols such as routing and transport are investigated and open research issues in these areas are also outlined. Finally, the cross-layer design challenges in xG networks are discussed.
Bandwidth provisioning in ADSL access networks

We consider an ADSL access network consisting of subscribers, digital subscriber line access multiplexers (DSLAMs), metro Ethernet switches and a broadband remote access aggregation server (BRAS). We obtain expressions for dimensioning the access network in the upstream direction. Specifically, we show that the bandwidth required at each DSLAM, metro Ethernet switch, and BRAS can be expressed as an exponential function of the subscribers in a log scale when the number of subscribers does not surpass a certain value. After this value, it grows linearly as a function of the subscribers.
High-dimensional bolstered error estimation

Motivation: In small-sample settings, bolstered error estimation has been shown to perform better than cross-validation and competitively with bootstrap with regard to various criteria. The key issue for bolstering performance is the variance setting for the bolstering kernel. Heretofore, this variance has been determined in a non-parametric manner from the data. Although bolstering based on this variance setting works well for small feature sets, results can deteriorate for high-dimensional feature spaces. Results: This article computes an optimal kernel variance depending on the classification rule, sample size, model and feature space, both the original number and the number remaining after feature selection. A key point is that the optimal variance is robust relative to the model. This allows us to develop a method for selecting a suitable variance to use in real-world applications where the model is not known, but the other factors in determining the optimal kernel are known. Availability: Companion website at http://compbio.tgen.org/paper_supp/high_dim_bolstering Contact: edward@mail.ece.tamu.edu
The mammalian START domain protein family in lipid transport in health and disease

Lipid transfer proteins of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein-related lipid transfer (START) domain family are defined by the presence of a conserved w210 amino acid sequence that folds into an a/b helix-grip structure forming a hydrophobic pocket for ligand binding. The mammalian START proteins bind diverse ligands, such as cholesterol, oxysterols, phospholipids, sphingolipids, and possibly fatty acids, and have putative roles in non-vesicular lipid transport, thioesterase enzymatic activity, and tumor suppression. However, the biological functions of many members of the START domain protein family are not well established. Recent research has focused on characterizing the cell-type distribution and regulation of the START proteins, examining the specificity and directionality of lipid transport, and identifying disease states associated with dysregulation of START protein expression. This review summarizes the current concepts of the proposed physiological and pathological roles for the mammalian START domain proteins in cholesterol and lipid trafficking.
Direct control of Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl(-)-cotransport protein (NKCC1) expression with aldosterone.

Sodium/potassium/chloride cotransporter (NKCC1) proteins play important roles in Na+ and K+ concentrations in key physiological systems, including cardiac, vascular, renal, nervous, and sensory sys...
Effect of Age and Mating Status on Adult European Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) Dispersal from Small-Grain Aggregation Plots

Abstract The European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is often controlled with genetically modified corn, Zea mays L., hybrids (Bacillus thuringiensis [Bt] corn) in the United States. If Bt-resistant insects are detected in the field, mitigation-remediation tactics must be implemented to sustain the efficacy of insecticidal, transgenic corn. Mass releasing laboratory-reared, susceptible adults near aggregation sites to mate with locally emerging resistant adults is a possible remediation tactic, but it is imperative that the former remain in or near the release site long enough to mate. Understanding adult dispersal behavior relative to the timing of mating is important, because it directly affects patterns of gene flow and the rate at which Bt resistance moves through a population. Previous work shows that newly eclosed adults do not remain in proximity to their natal field. However, moth age, reproductive development, or mating status may influence the propensity to dis...
Watch what happens: using a web-based multimedia platform to enhance intraoperative learning and development of clinical reasoning.

Background We aim to determine whether observed operations or internet-based video review predict improved performance in the surgery clerkship. Methods A retrospective review of students' usage of surgical videos, observed operations, evaluations, and examination scores were used to construct an exploratory principal component analysis. Multivariate regression was used to determine factors predictive of clerkship performance. Results Case log data for 231 students revealed a median of 25 observed cases. Students accessed the web-based video platform a median of 15 times. Principal component analysis yielded 4 factors contributing 74% of the variability with a Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin coefficient of .83. Multivariate regression predicted shelf score (P < .0001), internal clinical skills examination score (P < .0001), subjective evaluations (P < .001), and video website utilization (P < .001) but not observed cases to be significantly associated with overall performance. Conclusions Utilization of a web-based operative video platform during a surgical clerkship is an independently associated with improved clinical reasoning, fund of knowledge, and overall evaluation. Thus, this modality can serve as a useful adjunct to live observation.
Limitations of the VCO-Based Quantizer

In the following sections, both quantizers are compared in the presence of circuit nonidealities such as VCO nonlinearity, phase noise, and sampling clock jitter. These nonidealities are added to the VerilogA model, and theoretical equations are derived to verify the effects on each quantizer. Although the FDC has been widely adopted due to its inherent first-order noise shaping characteristic, the noise shaping is shown to degrade in the presence of phase noise and clock jitter. Other circuit nonidealities exist but are ignored in this analysis since these quantizers are highly digital circuits.
The Biochemical Basis of Disease

The physician sees patients who complain of symptoms, and, in order to provide rational therapy, he must arrive at a correct diagnosis. Accordingly, the physician takes a medical history, performs a physical examination, and obtains whatever laboratory studies are deemed necessary. The physician uses his findings to provide a diagnosis, therapy, and a prognosis. This classical approach to the practice of medicine is depicted in Fig. 1.
Wie viele Nullstellen hat ein Polynom

Nullstellen werden in diesem Buch mehr als ein Mal diskutiert. Die Antwort eines durchschnittlichen Mathematikstudenten (oder eines praktizierenden Mathematikers) auf die Frage aus dem Titel dieser Vorlesung lautet, dass die Anzahl der Nullstellen eines Polynoms vom Grad n die Zahl n nicht ubersteigt. Einige wurden hinzufugen, dass die Anzahl genau n ist, wenn man komplexe Nullstellen und diese mit ihrer Vielfachheit zahlt (wir werden diesen Fundamentalsatz der Algebra in Abschnitt 6.4 beweisen).
A study of mitosis in mouse ear epidermis in vitro. I. Cutting of the ear as mitotic stimulant.

Abstract 1. 1. The results of the present investigation demonstrate that cutting of the ear is essential for the development of mitosis in mouse ear epidermis cultured in vitro. Epidermal mitoses develop only in relation to the cut edge of the ear and are consistently distributed in the form of a mitosis-gradient. Although the cutting stimulus closely resembles a wounding phenomenon, the final assignment of “wounding” to the cutting process must await further investigation. 2. 2. A paraffin sealing method was devised to distinguish between the effects of cutting and the effects of penetration of nutrients on the development of epidermal mitosis in vitro. The mitosis-gradient was not due to facilitated penetration of nutrients through the cut edge because the cut edge could be sealed without affecting the gradient. Although the numbers of mitoses were reduced when penetration was blocked, the specific distribution of mitoses in relation to the cut edge remained the same, whether the cut edges or the surfaces were sealed. It was therefore concluded that cutting is the mitotic stimulus, initially responsible for the development of epidermal mitosis in vitro. 3. 3. The culture conditions and the nutritional requirements remained constant in all experiments performed in this study. The initiation, the degree, and the distribution of epidermal mitoses could be controlled by the cutting process. Thus, although mitosis in mouse ear epidermis in vitro may be related to the energy supply in the medium, it is primarily controlled by a cutting stimulus.
Proton-coupled protein binding: controlling lysozyme/poly(acrylic acid) interactions with pH.

Rational design of protein–polymer composites and their use, under the influence of the stimulus, for numerous applications requires a clear understanding of protein–polymer interfaces. Here, using poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and lysozyme as model systems, the binding interactions between these macromolecules were investigated by isothermal titration calorimetry. The binding is proposed to require and be governed by “charge neutralization of the protein/polymer interface” and predicted to depend on solution pH. Calorimetric data show strong exothermic binding of lysozyme to PAA with a molar ΔH and TΔS values of −107 and −95 kcal/mol, respectively, at pH 7 and room temperature. Both ΔH and TΔS decreased linearly with increasing pH from 3 to 8, and these plots had slopes of −17.7 and −17.5 kcal/mol per pH unit, respectively. The net result was that the binding propensity (ΔG) was nearly independent of pH but the binding stoichiometry, surprisingly, increased rapidly with increasing pH from 1 lysozyme binding p...
Controlled Breeding of the Douglas-Fir Beetle, Dendroctonus pseudotsugae (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), from Idaho and Coastal Washington

The 4 possible cross-matings of Douglas-fir beetles, Dendroctonus pseudotsugae Hopkins, from 2 localities (Idaho and coastal Washington) all produced fertile offspring. However, there were significant differences in the number of progeny among the various crosses, and also between the sources of trees used for the tests. It is recommended that matings of Douglas-fir beetles from more widely separated areas, and possibly with other, closely related species, be made to determine whether sterility can be induced in wild populations.
Control of Self-Penetration and Dimensionality in Luminescent Cadmium Succinate Coordination Polymers via Isomeric Dipyridylamide Ligands

Reaction in aqueous solution of cadmium nitrate, succinic acid (H2suc), and one of four possible isomeric dipyridylamide coligands has afforded a series of two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) coordination polymers. All were structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. [Cd(suc)(4-pina)]n (1, 4-pina = 4-pyridylisonicotinamide) displays a 3-D 6-connected self-penetrated 446108 mab topology, while {[Cd(suc)(3-pna)]·2.5H2O}n (2, 3-pna = 3-pyridylnicotinamide) has a simple 3-D non-interpenetrated 41263pcu network. The supramolecular isomer 2′ has exactly the same stoichiometry and overall pcu topology as 2 but shows a difference in succinate binding mode. Compounds 1, 2, and 2′ all show similar [Cd(suc)]n layers with embedded {Cd2O2} rhomboid dimers that serve as the 6-connected nodes. {[Cd(suc)(4-pna)(H2O)]·2H2O}n (3, 4-pna = 4-pyridylnicotinamide) manifests an extremely rare 2-D 4-connected 66 layer self-penetrated topology based on cross-pillared [Cd(suc)]n helical chains. Sl...
Continuous monitoring of spectral albedo of snowed surfaces in Ny-Ålesund

Polar areas are the most sensitive targets of climate change. From this perspective, the continuous monitoring of the cryosphere represents a critical issue, which, at the moment, we can only partially supply with specific satellite missions. Furthermore, the integration between remote-sensed multi-spectral images and field data is crucial to validate retrieval algorithms. The micro-physical characteristics of the snow surface and the presence of liquid water in the first layer of the snowpack can be determined in addition to the spatial distribution of snow/ice covers. The aim of this work is to present the field activity carried out in Ny-Alesund (Svalbard Islands, Norway), where an unmanned apparatus was installed to provide continuous spectral surface albedo. A full-range approach was adopted during the 2014 spring/summer period at the CNR Climate Change Tower. This setup was obtained using a spectroradiometer with a spectral range between 350 and 2500 nm integrated with a remote cosine receiver, characterized by a field of view of about 180°, mounted on a rotating support. The system was integrated with a camera aimed to acquire sky and ground images. The first results assessed the feasibility of continuous monitoring the spectral variations of snowed surfaces during the melting period. This study represents a first attempt to associate snow metamorphism to spectral variations and it supports the identification of relevant correlations with meteorological parameters.
Health service studies in the terminally ill cancer patient.

There is a crisis in both health care spending and health care quality in the United States, regardless of our ability to ignore it. Even with projections of a budget surplus by the year 2003, the plan is still to cut Medicare by $115 billion over the next five years. Cancer care costs have risen from $35 billion in 1990 to $40 billion in 1994 to one projection of $50 billion by 1996. [1]–[3] Of the $191 billion spent on Medicare patients in 1996, $34 billion was spent on cancer fee for service care (Personal communication, R. Lee, Accountable Oncology Associates, 1997). Nearly one third of all Medicare spending is on patients in their last year of life; although this may be medically appropriate care, those dollars cannot be spent on preventive services or chronic disease conditions for the same population.[4]–[6]
Analysis on disinfection quality of child-care institutions in Tai'an city

Objective To know the disinfection quality of child-care institutions in Tai'an City, find out the existing problems, and put forward the improvement measures, prevent the occurrence and prevalence of infectious diseases. Methods Random sampling method was used to monitor the disinfection quality of child-care institutions in Tai'an City. Results 405 samples were collected, 250 samples were qualified, and the average pass rate was 61.73%. The qualification rate of monitoring projects from high to low were: the surfaces of objects(84.08%) tableware(83.33%) surfaces of staff hands(29.33%) indoor air(26.42%) the ultraviolet lamps(18.18%) drinking water(16.67%). In the indoor air, the total qualified rates of object surfaces, tableware in city were higher than in county; the qualified rate of indoor air in public kindergarten was highest, the qualified rate of object surfaces in local or street was highest, the qualified rate of staff's hands in private kindergarten was highest; the indoor air, object surfaces and the total qualified rate in kindergartens with number of children≥ 200 was the highest, qualified rate of tableware in kindergartens with 50-100 cases was the highest( P0.05). Conclusion The overall condition of disinfection quality in child-care institutions is not optimistic. The qualified rates of drinking water, ultraviolet lamps, indoor air and staff's hand hygiene are relatively low, which need focus in the future work about disinfection and strengthen supervision as a key object.
Investigation on Occupational Hazards of Benzene Series in Industries of Baoshan District of Shanghai City

[Objective]To understand the occupational hazards of benzene series in industries of Baoshan District and the health status of operation workers,so as to prevent the harm of benzene series to workers' health.[Methods]Air concentration of benzene,toluene,xylene were measured in 46 local factories,and the health examination results of 1018 benzene exposed workers from 92 factories were analyzed.Usage of engineering protection facilities and personal protective equipments were also surveyed with special questionnaires.[Results]Benzene concentration in 89% work positions were under the allowable limit;concentrations of toluene and xylene were qualified in more than 90% work positions.Of 1018 workers;74.3% workers' health examination results were normal;5.4% were found with low level of leukocytes;20.3% were detected with other disorders.The detection rate of other disorders of male workers was significantly higher than that of female workers(χ2=6.953,P0.01).Mixed benzene exposed workers had the lowest normal health examination rate(60.2%),and the highest detection rate of low level leukocytes(14.3%).[Conclusion]Enterprises should protect workers health by installation of protection facilities and providing effective personal protective equipments.In additional,industries should carry out occupational health education and occupational health surveillance to immediately find out contraindications and sensitive groups and prevent occupational poisoning.
Early and late risk of aortic valve replacement. A 12 year concomitant comparison of the porcine bioprosthetic and tilting disc prosthetic aortic valves.

Aortic valve replacement was performed in 912 consecutive patients from January, 1972, to January, 1983. The 616 male and 296 female patients, whose ages ranged from 16 to 95 years (mean 60.6 years and median 63 years), received 663 bioprosthetic valves and 249 tilting disc valves. A higher incidence of Functional Class IV heart disease and ascending aortic aneurysms was noted in the group receiving the tilting disc valve. Six hundred fifty-seven patients had primarily aortic stenosis and 255 had primarily aortic regurgitation. Associated procedures were done in 308 patients (33%): 233 had coronary bypass grafting, 46 had replacement of ascending aortic aneurysms, and 29 had miscellaneous procedures. The overall operative mortality was 6.4 % (59/912). The operative mortality was 4.5 % (29/640) for isolated aortic valve replacement, 4.2% (21/233) for valve replacement plus coronary bypass, and 17% (8/46) for valve replacement plus replacement of an ascending aortic aneurysm. The mortality was 4.2% (20/663) for the group receiving bioprostheses and 12.4% (31/249) for those receiving tilting disc valves. The operative mortality for 1983 for all aortic valve replacement procedures was 2.1%; for isolated valve replacement, 1%; for valve replacement plus coronary bypass, 4.4%; and for valve replacement plus aortic aneurysm replacement, 0 %. The long-term follow-up was analyzed as of Jan. 1,1984, so that there was a minimum follow-up of 12 months (mean 55 months and median 51 months). The actuarial survival rate at 108 months for all patients was 67% ± 2%; for valve replacement alone, 71 % ± 3%; for valve replacement plus coronary bypass, 58% ± 7%; for valve replacement plus ascending aortic aneurysm replacement, 45% ± 10%; for aortic stenosis, 70% ± 3%; for aortic regurgitation, 61% ± 4%; for Functional Classes I to III, 77% ± 3%; for Class IV, 53% ± 4%; for age less than 63 years, 75 % ± 3 %; and for age greater than 63 years, 57 % ± 4 %. At 108 months, the probability of freedom from thromboembolism was 85% ±3% after bioprosthetic valve replacement and 83% ±3% after replacement with a tilting disc valve (p = NS). The probability of freedom from hemorrhage at 108 months was 98.6% ±7% for the bioprosthetic valve group and 89% ±2% for the tilting disc valve group (p
A Classification and Characterization of Security Threats in Cloud Computing

Security and privacy are the most critical issues that need to be addressed in designing a computing environment that is reliable and trustworthy. Like all other computing paradigms, Cloud Computing is no different. Since data and storage are outsourced to third party service providers, users lose direct control of data management and have to depend solely on the providers who may not always be dependable. This distinctive feature of Cloud Computing makes it susceptible to several security threats and vulnerabilities. Although some of the security issues such as network and virtualization security, authentication, access control, confidentiality, and integrity are not new to computing, the effect of such issues is exacerbated in cloud environment because of the unique features (e.g., multi-tenancy, data and resource sharing, virtualization, etc.) it possesses. In this paper, we classify and characterize the various security and privacy challenges associated with Cloud Computing.
The adolescent and the hospital.

Adolescents bring to the hospital questions and anxieties that differ from those of younger children, adults, or the aged. The unique physical and emotional needs of adolescents are best served in a setting where all those working with them are specifically attuned to the characteristics of teenagers. Grouping adolescents together in a unit has proved to be supportive to these patients and also helps in the planning of a multidisciplinary program for health care. Fragmentation of care is minimized, and the development of an effective health team working in an integrated therapeutic community is facilitated.
Pulmonary embolism: diagnosis and treatment.

Pulmonary embolism is a condition with a potentially high mortality that often goes unrecognized. Prompt diagnosis and treatment effectively reduce the mortality rate. Clinical judgement alone is insufficient for diagnosis; objective testing is needed. Once the diagnosis is made, effective treatment should be instituted.
Big Data?: Big Issues Degradation in Longitudinal Data and Implications for Social Sciences

This article analyzes the issue of degradation of data accuracy in large-scale longitudinal data sets. Recent research points to a number of issues with large-scale data, including problems of reliability, accuracy and quality over time. Simultaneously, large-scale data is increasingly being utilized in the social sciences. As scholars work to produce theoretically grounded research utilized "small-scale" methods, it is important for researchers to better understand the critical issues associated with the analysis of large-scale data. In order to illustrate the issues associated with this type of research, a case study analysis of archival Internet data is presented focusing on the issues of degradation of data accuracy over time. Suggestions for future studies are given.
Lipoprotein (a) level, apolipoprotein (a) size, and risk of unexplained ischemic stroke in young and middle-aged adults.

Abstract Background and aims Circulating lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] level relates inversely to apolipoprotein (a) [apo(a)] size. Both smaller apo(a) isoforms and higher Lp(a) levels have been linked to coronary heart disease and stroke, but their independent contributions are less well defined. We examined the role of Lp(a) in younger adults with cryptogenic stroke. Methods Lp(a) and apo(a) isoforms were evaluated in a prospectively designed case-control study of patients with unexplained ischemic stroke and stroke-free controls, ages 18 to 64. Serum Lp(a) was measured among 255 cases and 390 controls with both apo(a)-size independent and dependent assays. Apo(a) size was determined by agarose gel electrophoresis. Results Cases and controls were similar in socio-demographic characteristics, but cases had more hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and migraine with aura. In race-specific analyses, Lp(a) levels showed positive associations with cryptogenic stroke in whites, but not in the smaller subgroups of blacks and Hispanics. After full adjustment, comparison of the highest versus lowest quartile in whites was significant for apo(a)-size-independent (OR = 2.10 [95% CI = 1.04, 4.27], p = 0.040), and near-significant for apo(a)-size-dependent Lp(a) (OR = 1.81 [95% CI = 0.95, 3.47], p = 0.073). Apo(a) size was not associated with cryptogenic stroke in any race-ethnic subgroup. Conclusions This study underscores the importance of Lp(a) level, but not apo(a) size, as an independent risk factor for unexplained ischemic stroke in young and middle-aged white adults. Given the emergence of effective Lp(a)-lowering therapies, these findings support routine testing for Lp(a) in this setting, along with further research to assess the extent to which such therapies improve outcomes in this population.
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County: Los Angeles, California

(1986). The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Rocks & Minerals: Vol. 61, No. 6, pp. 350-355.
A model-driven approach for predicting and analysing the execution efficiency of multi-core processing

Techniques for predicting the efficiency of multi-core processing associated with a set of tasks with varied CPU and main memory requirements are introduced. Prediction of CPU and memory availability is important in the context of making process assignment, load balancing, and scheduling decisions in distributed systems. Given a set of tasks each with varied CPU and main memory requirements, and a multi-core system (which generally has fewer cores than the number of tasks), we provide upper- and lower-bound models (formulas) for the efficiency with which the tasks are executed. In addition, a model for average CPU availability is introduced from the empirical study for applications that require a single predicted value instead of bounds. To facilitate scientific and controlled empirical evaluation, real-world benchmark programs with dynamic behaviour (CPU and memory requirements change in a short interval of time) are employed on UNIX systems that are parameterised by their CPU usage factor and memory requirement.