cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characteristics of faults and shear zones in deep mines

The characteristics of fault and shear zones to depths of 2.5 km are well documented in deep mines in North America. The characteristics may be summarized as follows. (a) Fault zones usually are irregular, branched, anastomosed, and curved rather than simple and planar. (b) Faults are generally composed of one or more clay or clay-like gouge zones in a matrix of sheared and foliated rock bordered by highly fractured rock. (c) The widths of fault zones appear to be greater when faults have greater displacement, probably as a result of a long history of repeated minor movements. Fault zones with kilometers of displacement tend to be 100 m or more wide, whereas those with only a few hundred meters of displacement commonly are only 1 m or less wide. (d) Some zones represent shear distributed across hundreds of meters without local concentration in a narrow gouge zone. (e) Many fault zones are wet even above the water table, and water moves along them at various rates, but some also serve as subsurface dams, ponding ground water as much as several hundred meters higher on one side than on the other. No striking differences in the characteristics of faults over the vertical range of 2.5 km are documented.
Finite groups with a split BN-pair of rank 1. II

In Part I of this paper (Hering, Kantor, and Seitz [SO]), 2-transitive groups of even degree were classified when the stabilizer of a point has a normal subgroup regular on the remaining points. The identification with groups of known type was made by finding a 2-Sylow subgroup and then applying the deep classification theorems of Alperin, Brauer and Gorenstein [l, 21 and Walter [39]. The purpose of the present continuation of [50] is to point out that the proof of the main result of [50] can be completed without using [I] and [2]. 1Ioreover, Walter’s classification theorem [39] and the Gorenstein-Walter Theorem [49] are not required in [50], although the end of Walter [53] seems to be needed. Our arguments are natural continuations of those of [50, Sections 4, 8, and 91. Much use is also made of character-theoretic information contained in Brauer [46] and [47]. Our goal is to show that a minimal counteresamplc has a cyclic two points stabilizer G,,, and then apply a result of Kantor, O’Nan and Seitz [22, Theorem 1.1 or Section 5, Case D]. Re first show that G,, is metacyclic, and then “transfer out field automorphisms” in order to prove that G,, is cyclic. This transfer argument yielded an unexpected dividend: in the course of examining a similar argument in Suzuki [34, Section 211, an error was found. This has been corrected, and, in fact, the entire transfer argument is stated for odd and even degree groups simultaneously. ‘Phc numbering of both the sections and the references will be continued from [50].
Molecular dynamics simulations of ionic concentration gradients across model bilayers

To model a concentration gradient across a biomembrane, we have performed all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of NaCl solutions separated by two oppositely charged plates. We have employed the recently formulated three-dimensional Ewald summation with correction (EW3DC) technique for calculations of long-range electrostatics in two-dimensionally periodic systems, allowing for different salt concentrations on the two sides of the plates. Six simulations were run, varying the salt concentrations and plate surface charge density in a biologically relevant range. The simulations reveal well-defined, atomic-level asymmetries between the two sides: distinct translational and rotational orderings of water molecules; differing ion residency times; a clear wetting layer adjacent only to the negative plate; and marked differences in charge density/potential profiles which reflect the microscopic behavior. These phenomena, which may play important roles in membrane and ion channel physiology, result primarily fr...
Total Quality Management system: its application in a community hospital research department

Lehigh Valley Hospital initiated a program of total quality management using the model taught by Philip Crosby Associates. When the training began in the Research Department, we used the application of this model to identify, define and chart the various processes that a research project or study moves through from conception to publication. The resulting charts and process outlines enabled the Research Department personnel to recognize problem areas in the processes, and to chart the progress of a study at any given time. This provided us with both a better understanding of input and output in the research processes, and an opportunity to improve efficiency by correcting problem areas.
Inhibition of protein kinase C- and casein kinase II-mediated phosphorylation of GAP-43 by S100β

Abstract The effect of the glial-derived protein, S100β, on the in vitro phosphorylation of the growth-associated protein GAP-43 was investigated. S100β inhibited in a dose dependent manner the phosphorylation of GAP-43 by protein kinase C (PKC) or by casein kinase II (CKII). S100β appeared to slow down the rate and the degree to which GAP-43 can be phosphorylated by either kinase. The specificity of the inhibition was demonstrated by the observation that the phosphorylation of two other CKII substrates, casein and a selective peptide substrate, was not inhibited by S100β. The marked inhibitory effect of S100β required the presence of calcium in the phosphorylation reactions. In addition, S100β inhibition of GAP-43 phosphorylation was seen with GAP-43 purified under a variety of conditions that alter acylation, suggesting that the acylation state of GAP-43 does not affect the ability of S100β to modulate CKII- or PKC-mediated phosphoryation of GAP-43.
POLYNUCLEAR OVA AND POLYOVULAR FOLLICLES IN THE OVARIES OF YOUNG GUINEA PIGS.

NOrmal and atypical follicular structures were classified and counted in the ovaries of guinea pigs 3 to 11 weeks of age. The per cent of primary and secondary follicles remain almost constant throughout the period of observation. Corpora lutea appeared at the fifth week and reached what appeared to be the mature level by the sixth week. The per cent of follicles having polynuclear ova reached an early peak at four weeks and decreased sharply at five weeks postpartum. The per cent of polyovular follicles increased to a low peak at nine weeks and decreased in frequency thereafter. The frequencies of atretic follicles with polynuclear ova and of quency thereafter. The frequencies of atretic follicles with polynuclear ova and of atretic polyovular follicles were significantly higher than that of atretic normal follicles. The results of this study were compared to simular observations on the Swiss mouse, Golden Hamster and Sprague-Dawley rat. The data were discussed in relation to gonadotripic hormone levels.
Establishing Health Care Performance Standards in an Era of Consumerism

As the US health care system begins to reengineer itself to address the need for quality improvement, it also is being actively reshaped by the expectations of consumers. The confluence of these forces requires a new approach to setting health care performance standards. The National Quality Forum (NQF) has been established as a private, not-for-profit, open membership, public benefit corporation for the purposes of developing consensus about standardized health care performance measures, reporting mechanisms, and a national strategy for health care quality improvement. The NQF has broad representation from all segments of the health care industry and provides an equitable way of addressing the disparate priorities of health care's many stakeholders. Agreement and implementation of standardized health care performance measures and achievement of quality improvement in the emerging era of consumerism will be facilitated by (1) establishing national goals for health care quality; (2) embracing public policy that recognizes the complementary roles of quality improvement, cost control, and improved access; (3) giving greater priority to measuring and reporting the performance of those aspects of the health care system that directly affect consumers; (4) focusing on creating a health care culture of excellence; and (5) promoting the active collaboration of all stakeholders.
Investigations into surfactant/gas hydrate relationship

Abstract Gas hydrates have unique physical properties portending useful industrial applications of gas storage, gas separation, or water desalination. When gas hydrates were found in the early 1990s to occur naturally and abundantly in seafloors, three other primary interests and concerns emerged: potential new energy source, climate threat from their greenhouse gases, and seafloor instabilities. This paper presents research showing how anionic synthetic surfactants helped develop an industrial gas hydrate storage process for natural gas and how naturally-occurring in-situ anionic biosurfactants influence the formation and placement of gas hydrates in ocean sediments. The catalytic effects, mechanisms, and surface specificities imparted by synthetic surfactants in the gas storage process and imparted by biosurfactants in porous media are discussed. The Bacillus subtilis bacterium that is indigenous to gas hydrate mounds in the Gulf of Mexico was cultured in the laboratory. Its biosurfactant was separated and found to catalyze gas hydrates in porous media. The experiments indicate that seafloor-biosurfactants can be produced rapidly in-situ to achieve threshold concentrations whereby hydrates are promoted. The biosurfactants accumulate and promote hydrate formation on specific mineral surfaces such as sodium montmorillonite.
Mepolizumab for severe eosinophilic asthma

Evaluation of: Pavord ID, Korn S, Howarth P et al. Mepolizumab for severe eosinophilic asthma (DREAM): a multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 380(9842), 651–659 (2012).In this large (616 patients), double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging study of mepolizumab (a monoclonal antibody that blocks IL-5 binding to its receptor), patients were given placebo, 75-, 250- or 750-mg mepolizumab by intravenous infusion every 4 weeks for 1 year. Exacerbation rates at all doses were 50% less than those in the placebo group. There were no changes in any other asthma measures (symptoms, quality of life or lung function). This may be a useful advance for a subgroup of severe asthma with frequent exacerbations and persistent eosinophilia, which may be about half of severe asthmatics. More information on patient selection and cost–benefit will be required.
Rapid detection of hyaluronic acid capsules on group a streptococci by buoyant density centrifugation

Abstract One of the virulence factors of group A streptococci is the hyaluronic acid polysaccharide capsule. A rapid method for ascertaining the status of the capsule phenotype in Streptococcus pyogenes is described. Bacteria with a capsule have a lower buoyant density than acapsular or hyaluronidase-treated cells. Early log phase cultures were underlaid with 65% Percoll and centrifuged at 500–1000 g for 5 min. Upon visual examination, encapsulated cells were observed at the interface, whereas acapsular cells appeared in the pellet. Cultures that produced at least 7 μg/ml of hyaluronic acid per A 600 unit of cells were detected at the interface; this level of polysaccharide is only about 0.5%–4% of that found for most mucoid strains. Therefore, this procedure can detect capsules around strains that do not appear to be encapsulated by light microscopy or do not possess mucoid colony morphology. Furthermore, this method reduces dependence on other expensive assays that use labile radioactive reagents to detect hyaluronic acid .
Predictive Modeling for Public Health: Preventing Childhood Lead Poisoning

Lead poisoning is a major public health problem that affects hundreds of thousands of children in the United States every year. A common approach to identifying lead hazards is to test all children for elevated blood lead levels and then investigate and remediate the homes of children with elevated tests. This can prevent exposure to lead of future residents, but only after a child has been poisoned. This paper describes joint work with the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) in which we build a model that predicts the risk of a child to being poisoned so that an intervention can take place before that happens. Using two decades of blood lead level tests, home lead inspections, property value assessments, and census data, our model allows inspectors to prioritize houses on an intractably long list of potential hazards and identify children who are at the highest risk. This work has been described by CDPH as pioneering in the use of machine learning and predictive analytics in public health and has the potential to have a significant impact on both health and economic outcomes for communities across the US.
A class of warm Jupiters with mutually inclined, apsidally misaligned close friends

The orbits of giant extrasolar planets often have surprisingly small semimajor axes, large eccentricities, or severe misalignments between their orbit normals and their host stars' spin axes. In some formation scenarios invoking Kozai-Lidov oscillations, an external planetary companion drives a planet onto an orbit having these properties. The mutual inclinations for Kozai-Lidov oscillations can be large and have not been confirmed observationally. Here we present evidence that observed eccentric warm Jupiters with eccentric giant companions have mutual inclinations that oscillate between 35° and 65°. Our inference is based on the pairs' observed apsidal separations, which cluster near 90°. The near-orthogonality of periapse directions is effected by the outer companion's quadrupolar and octupolar potentials. These systems may be undergoing a stalled version of tidal migration that produces warm Jupiters over hot Jupiters, and they provide evidence for a population of multiplanet systems that are not flat and have been sculpted by Kozai-Lidov oscillations.
Remanent and induced magnetic anomalies over a layered intrusion: Effects from crystal fractionation and magma recharge

Abstract The Bjerkreim-Sokndal (BKS) norite – quartz mangerite layered intrusion is part of the early Neoproterozoic Rogaland Anorthosite Province intruded into the Fennoscandian shield in south Norway at ~ 930 Ma. The BKS is exposed over an area of 230 km 2 with a thickness of ~ 7000 m and is of economic interest for ilmenite, magnetite and apatite deposits. From the point of view of magnetic minerals, in the course of fractional crystallization and magma evolution, the ilmenite becomes less Fe 3+ -rich reflected by a change from ilmenite with hematite exsolution to nearly pure ilmenite. Magnetite starts to crystallize relatively late in the intrusive history, but its crystallization is interrupted by influxes of more primitive magma. The variations in aeromagnetic and ground-magnetic anomalies measured over the BKS can be explained in terms of the measured magnetic properties of NRM, susceptibility, and hysteresis presented here, and in terms of mineralogy. Early layers in the intrusion contain hemo-ilmenite. As the magma evolved and magnetite started to crystallize, this caused a distinct change over the layering from remanence-controlled negative anomalies to induced positive anomalies. When new, more primitive magma was injected into the system, hemo-ilmenite returned as the major oxide and the resulting magnetic anomalies are again negative. The most dramatic change in the magnetic signature is in the upper part of the intrusion in MCU IVe, where magnetite became a well established cumulate phase as indicated by susceptibility, but its induced magnetization is overcome by large NRMs associated either with hemo-ilmenite, or with hemo-ilmenite and magnetite exsolved from pyroxenes. The average natural remanent magnetizations change from ~ 3 A/m in MCU IVd, to 15 A/m in MCU IVe, and back to 2 A/m in the overlying MCU IVf, producing a strong negative remanent anomaly that has been followed along strike for at least 20 km by ground-magnetic measurements. The highly varied magnetic properties of this intrusion, caused by varied magmatic crystallization of combinations of opaque minerals, illustrate some of the possibilities to be considered in evaluating crustal magnetic anomalies.
An analysis of assignment completion and accuracy across time under fixed, variable, and extended token exchange periods in a classroom token economy

Abstract This research investigated the effects of employing fixed, variable, and extended token exchange periods for backups on the completion and quality of daily assignments of a total fifth- and sixth-grade class. The results indicated a higher percentage of assignments was completed when the number of days between point exchanges was variable, and that performance was maintained when the number of school days between point exchanges was gradually increased. The overall accuracy on assignments was high, but varying, and did not appear to be under the systematic control of the experimental procedures. Data for all pupils indicated that there were individual differences as to the effects of the various token (point) exchange procedures. Pupils with inconsistent assignment completion during Fixed Exchange Conditions (Fixed Period (FP-I, -II, -III) increased their assignment completion during the Variable Token Exchange Procedures (Variable Period (VP)-I, -II, -III). Thus, the variable sequencing of the number of days should be an important consideration in any effort to maintain the positive effects of token-reinforcement systems within classroom settings.
Impact of bilingual product information labels on Spanish-speaking adults' ability to comprehend OTC information

Abstract Background There is a steady growth in the Spanish-speaking population in the United States. Language may be a barrier in accessing nonprescription medication information for the non-English-speaking population. Objective The objective of this study was to compare consumer-reported ease of use, product knowledge, and intention to purchase over-the-counter (OTC) medications using bilingual Product Information Labels (PILs) and currently available label formats in a sample of Spanish-speaking consumers. Methods Participants were randomly selected from Spanish-speaking consumers shopping for OTC medications in pharmacy or grocery stores in Houston, TX. Participants viewed 3 label formats (old, new, and PILs) for acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin in a random order. Questionnaires in English and in Spanish were provided to consumers after they viewed each label format. Domains measured in the questionnaires included ease of use, product knowledge, and purchase intention. All responses were measured on a 7-point Likert-type scale. Data were recoded and analyzed using SAS ® (version 9.0) (SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC) to obtain mean scores for each domain. Participants were classified according to language proficiency into "Spanish only" and bilinguals. Comparative statistics were computed to compare mean scores between label formats in each consumer category. Results A total of 225 questionnaires were collected. The mean (±standard deviation) age of participants was 38.91 (±11.95) years. A majority of respondents were Hispanic (97.75%), female (60.54%), and married (62.44%). Mean scores from viewing PILs on ease of use, product knowledge, and purchase intention were higher than those from viewing the other label formats. In the category of consumers who spoke Spanish only, mean scores of PILs were significantly higher as compared to those of old and new label formats ( P Conclusion Information provided in Spanish on PILs may be very helpful to the Spanish-speaking community when selecting nonprescription medications. Policy makers and health care providers should consider PILs as an effective means of reducing language barriers and providing OTC medication information to the Spanish-speaking population in the United States.
Measurements of the unsteady vortex flow over a wing-body at angle of attack

Measurements of the unsteady vortex flow over a wing-body at high angles of attack were carried out on a generic test model of a pointed body of revolution with double-delta wings. Vortex patterns and trajectories were quantified from digitized laser sheet video images. The velocity-field measurements showed the jetlike flow in the unburst vortex, unsteady secondary structures below the primary core, and then the reversed flow in the burst vortex. Results of hot-film anemometry revealed the presence of peak frequencies in the velocity spectra over the wing and near the trailing edge, which varied linearly with freestream speed and increased as the measurement point moved upstream. Good Strouhal correlation was found with previous results obtained for a smaller generic wing-body model.
Novel mutations of APOB cause ApoB truncations undetectable in plasma and familial hypobetalipoproteinemia

Familial hypobetalipoproteinemia (FHBL) is a genetic disorder characterized by low levels of apoB-100 and LDL cholesterol. Truncation-producing mutations of apoB (chromosome 2) are among several potential causes of FHBL in patients. Ten new families with FHBL linked to chromosome 2 were identified. In Family 8, a 4432delT in exon 26 produces a frame-shift and a premature stop codon predicted to produce a truncated apoB-30.9. Even though this truncation is just 10 amino acid shorter than the well-documented apoB-31, which is readily detectable in plasma, apoB-30.9 is undetectable. Most truncations shorter than apoB-30 are not detectable in plasma. In Family 34, an acceptor splicing mutation at position -1 of exon 14 changes the acceptor splice site AG to AA. Two families (Family 50 and 52) had mutations (apoB-9 and apoB-29) reported previously. In Family 98, a novel point mutation in exon 26 (11163T>G) causes a premature stop codon, and produces a truncated apoB-80.5 readily detectable in plasma. Sequencing of the ApoB gene in families 1, 5, 18, 58, and 59 did not reveal mutations.
USEFULNESS OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING FOLLOWING NEONATAL BRAIN INJURY IN TERM AND PRETERM INFANTS. ▴ 1663

The objective of our study was to perform MRI in 2 groups of infants, A) term AGA with neonatal asphyxia (cord blood ph<7.1, 5 min Apgar ≤4, need for CPR at birth and hypoxic encephalopathy) and B) very low birth weight infants (VLBW) with grade III-IV intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and posthemorrhagic ventriculomegaly requiring shunt insertion, and correlate MRI with neurologic outcome. MRI was performed at 6 mo corrected age with sagittal T1 weighted images and axial T1 and T2 weighted images (± contrast). Neurologic exams were categorized as normal, neuromotor impairment (with no developmental delay) and cerebral palsy (CP) MRI readings and neurologic exams were performed by independent examiners.
The 7β-hydroxylation of 3β-hydroxyandrost-5-en-17-one by hepatic microsomes

Abstract A metabolite isolated after the incubation of 3β-hydroxyandrost5-en-17-one with rabbit-liver microsomal fractions has been characterized as 3β,7β-dihydroxyandrost-5-en-17-one. The transformation is not an autoxidation and, since 3β, 7α-dihydroxyandrost-5-en-17-one and 3β-hydroxyandrost-5-ene-7,17-dione failed to give comparable yields, a direct 7β-hydroxylation is probably involved. Species differences were observed in the 7-hydroxylating activities of hepatic microsomes from rhesus, rat and rabbit liver, but these activities were comparable in microsomal subfractions from either sex.
Lossless data compression studies for NOAA hyperspectral environmental suite using 3D integer wavelet transforms with 3D embedded zerotree coding

Hyperspectral sounder data is a particular class of data that requires high accuracy for useful retrieval of atmospheric temperature and moisture profiles, surface characteristics, cloud properties, and trace gas information. Therefore compression of these data sets is better to be lossless or near lossless. The next-generation NOAA/NESDIS GOES-R hyperspectral sounder, now referred to as the HES (Hyperspectral Environmental Suite), will have hyperspectral resolution (over one thousand channels with spectral widths on the order of 0.5 wavenumber) and high spatial resolution (less than 10 km). Given the large volume of three-dimensional hyperspectral sounder data that will be generated by the HES instrument, the use of robust data compression techniques will be beneficial to data transfer and archive. In this paper, we study lossless data compression for the HES using 3D integer wavelet transforms via the lifting schemes. The wavelet coefficients are then processed with the 3D embedded zerotree wavelet (EZW) algorithm followed by context-based arithmetic coding. We extend the 3D EZW scheme to take on any size of 3D satellite data, each of whose dimensions need not be divisible by 2N, where N is the levels of the wavelet decomposition being performed. The compression ratios of various kinds of wavelet transforms are presented along with a comparison with the JPEG2000 codec.© (2003) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
LRRK2 in Parkinson's disease: in vivo models and approaches for understanding pathogenic roles.

The recent discovery of the genetic causes for Parkinson’s disease (PD) is fruitful; however, the continuing revelation of PD-related genes is rapidly outpacing the functional characterization of the gene products. Although the discovery of multiple PD-related genes places PD as one of the most complex multigenetic diseases of the brain, it will undoubtedly facilitate the unfolding of a central pathogenic pathway and an understanding of the etiology of PD. Recent findings of pathogenic mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) (PARK8) that are linked to the most common familial forms and some sporadic forms of PD provide a unique opportunity to gain insight into the pathogenesis of PD. Despite rapid growth in biochemical, structural and in vitro cell culture studies of LRRK2, the in vivo characterizations of LRRK2 function generally fall short and are largely limited to invertebrates. The investigation of LRRK2 or homologs of LRRK2 in nonmammalian models provides important clues with respect to the cellular functions of LRRK2, but an elucidation of the physiology and pathophysiology of LRRK2 relevant to PD would still depend on mammalian models established by multiple genetic approaches, followed by rigorous examination of the models for pathological process. This minireview summarizes previous studies of genes for ROCO and LRRK2 homologs in slime mold, nematode worms and fruit flies. It also discusses the results obtained from available mouse models of LRRK2 that begin to provide information for understanding LRRK2-mediated pathogenesis in PD.
Complementing Traditional Leadership

Webster defines a follower as "someone who does what other people say to do." In other words, followers take their cues from others—their leaders. But in recent years, management literature has explored the concept that excellent followers play a key role in successful operations by bringing their own, unique strengths to the organizational mix—ones that, in effect, complement and enhance conventional leadership. In this column, Jane Currie examines several attributes of effective followers and suggests that the relationship between leadership and followership in libraries is not that cut and dried. Currie not only acknowledges the value of followership, but also recommends strategies to traditional leaders for developing and expanding the ranks of their excellent followers. —Editor
Computational Investigation of the NASA Cascade Cyclonic Separation Device

Devices designed to replace the absent buoyancy separation mechanism within a microgravity environment are of considerable interest to NASA as the functionality of many spacecraft systems are dependent on the proper sequestration of interpenetrating gas and liquid phases. Inasmuch, a full multifluid Euler-Euler computational fluid dynamics investigation has been undertaken to evaluate the performance characteristics of one such device, the Cascade Cyclonic Separator, across a full range of inlet volumetric quality with combined volumetric injection rates varying from 1 L/min to 20 L/min. These simulations have delimited the general modes of operation of this class of devices and have proven able to describe the complicated vortex structure and induced pressure gradients that arise. The computational work has furthermore been utilized to analyze design modifications that enhance the overall performance of these devices. The promising results indicate that proper CFD modeling may be successfully used as a tool for microgravity separator design.
A field comparison of indicators of sublethal stress in the salt-marsh grass Spartina patens

There is a need for research into bioindicators of stress in threatened plant communities such as coastal wetlands. Land subsidence, diversion of sediment, and salt-water intrusion produce stresses associated with waterlogging, elevated salinity, and nutrient depletion. Temporal and spatial environmental variation (soil redox potential, interstitial water salinity, pH, ammonium and phosphorus, and cation and trace metal concentrations) was analyzed near Lake de Cade, Louisiana, in a brackish marsh which is a mosaic of healthy plant communities interspersed with areas where wetland loss is occurring. Environmental variation was related to indicators of stress inSpartina patens, which included variables derived from the adenine nucleotide levels in plants, leaf spectral reflectance, leaf proline concentrations, and shoot elongation. In a comparison of burned and unburned sites, streamside and inland marsh, and along a salinity gradient, among-site differences were found in spectral reflectance and adenine-nucleotide-related indicators. Although it was difficult to relate a single causal environmental variable to the response of a specific indicator, spectral reflectance in the visible light range responded to salinity or to elements borne in seawater, and adenine-nucleotide indices were sensitive to nutrient availability. The ability of indicators to detect plant responses changed during the growing season, suggesting that they were responding to the changing importance of different environmental factors. In addition, some reflectance indicator responses occurred along salinity gradients when salinity differences were less than those that were found to have ecologically meaningful effects in greenhouse experiments. A multivariate numerical approach was used to relate environmental variation with indicator responses. We concluded that factors which in combination cause the degradation and loss of Louisiana wetlands produce environmental conditions that are only subtly different from those in vigorously growing marsh communities.
Dissenting from Spatial Analysis

Spatial analysis is not characterized by any single innovation in geography, but by a coalescence of several pre-existing ideas in a conjuncture of knowledge production that became particularly attractive in the historical and geographical context of postwar industrial society. An influential group dissented from this conjuncture, engaging in an extensive critique of spatial analysis and eventually developing an alternative, social theoretical approach in the 1970s and 1980s. Differences and similarities between spatial analysts and these dissidents can be seen in their views on science and explanation, and in their incorporation of space into geographic theory—differences that seem less significant today in the light of shifting positions and recent debates. Spatial analysis and its dissidents still differ quite fundamentally, however, in their theories of society.
Self-monitoring in the 16th century an historical note.

It is not uncommon for behavior therapists to point out that, although systematic investigation and refinement of behavioral treatment procedures has had to await the 20th Century, the procedures themselves may have been around for quite some time. In this spirit of giving historical credit where credit is due, we should like to note that selfm o n i t o r i n g a currently popular behavioral self-control technique-has been around for quite some time also. For instance, witness the following passage from The spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius:
Do Pretransplant C-Peptide Levels Influence Outcomes in Simultaneous Kidney-Pancreas Transplantation?

Objective. To analyze outcomes in simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplantation (SKPT) recipients who retain C-peptide production at the time of SKPT. Methods. This retrospective analysis of SKPTs from January 2002 through January 2007 compared outcomes between patients with absent or low C-peptide levels (<2.0 ng/mL, group A) with those having levels ≥2.0 ng/mL (group B). Results. Among 74 SKPTs, 67 were in group A and seven in group B (mean C-peptide level 5.7 ng/mL). During transplantation, group B subjects were older (mean age 51 vs 41 years, P =.006); showed a later age of onset of diabetes (median 35 vs 13 years, P =.0001); weighed more (median 77 vs 66 kg, P =.24); had a greater proportion of African-Americans (57% vs 13%, P =.004); and had a longer pretransplant duration of dialysis (median 40 vs 14 months, P =.14). With similar median follow-up of 40 months, death-censored kidney (95% group A vs 100% group B, P = NS) and pancreas (87% group A vs 100% group B, P = NS) graft survival rates were similar, but patient survival (94% group A vs 71% group B, P =.03) was greater in group A. At 1-year follow-up, there were no significant differences in rejection episodes, surgical complications, infections, readmissions, hemoglobin A1C or C-peptide levels, serum creatinine, or MDRD GFR levels. Conclusions. Diabetic patients with measurable C-peptide levels before transplant were older, overweight, more frequently African-American and had a later age of onset of diabetes, longer duration of pretransplant dialysis, and reduced patient survival compared to insulinopenic patients undergoing SKPT. The other outcomes were similar.
Preoperative Screening for HIV Infection: A Balanced View for the Practicing Surgeon

• Routine preoperative screening for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is becoming increasingly prevalent. Reasons in favor of routine screening include the following: (1) Knowledge of HIV status may allow the surgeon to decrease risk of infection. (2) The patient may benefit, because HIV infection may alter the risk-benefit ratio of a procedure. (3) Knowledge of HIV status will not affect how the patient is treated. Arguments against routine screening include the following: (1) Since the risk during individual procedures is low, it is unlikely that knowledge of HIV status can actually reduce risk. (2) Patient care may be negatively affected. (3) There is a possibility of false-positive results. (4) The accepted ethical standards of autonomy, confidentiality, and informed consent are not always adhered to. We explore these issues in detail. Recent work has framed the risk of surgeons and defined the reliability of diagnostic screening tests. All of these factors must be weighed before a surgeon can decide for or against a policy of routine preoperative screening. ( Arch Surg . 1989;124:1038-1040)
Event processing using database technology

This tutorial deals with applications that help systems and individuals respond to critical conditions in their environments. The identification of critical conditions requires correlating vast amounts of data within and outside an enterprise. Conditions that signal opportunities or threats are defined by complex patterns of data over time, space and other attributes. Systems and individuals have models (expectations) of behaviors of their environments, and applications notify them when reality - as determined by measurements and estimates - deviate from their expectations. Components of event systems are also sent information to validate their current models and when specific responses are required. Valuable information is that which supports or contradicts current expectations or that which requires an action on the part of the receiver. A major problem today is information overload; this problem can be solved by identifying what information is critical, complementing existing pull technology with sophisticated push technology, and filtering out non-critical data.
Reciprocal Regulation Between TOC1 and LHY/CCA1 Within the Arabidopsis Circadian Clock

The interactive regulation between clock genes is central for oscillator function. Here, we show interactions between the Arabidopsis clock genes LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL (LHY), CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED 1 (CCA1), and TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION 1 (TOC1). The MYB transcription factors LHY and CCA1 negatively regulate TOC1 expression. We show that both proteins bind to a region in the TOC1 promoter that is critical for its clock regulation. Conversely, TOC1 appears to participate in the positive regulation of LHY and CCA1 expression. Our results indicate that these interactions form a loop critical for clock function in Arabidopsis.
Simmel and Bergson the theorist and the exemplar of the ‘blasé person’

Taking a comparative approach, this essay uses Simmel's famous theory of the ‘blasE person’ to assemble contrasting personality portraits of Simmel and Bergson. It is argued that Simmel theorized but was not the blasE person, the modern urbanite whose nerves are overwhelmed by the metropolitan environment, and that Bergson was the better exemplar of this theory. It interprets Simmel's personality in light of his ideas of the salon and disinterested sociability as potential therapies for the blasE condition. It shows Bergson's affinity to Simmel's model, with all of its florid neurasthenic symptoms, and it is argued that this model provides a useful point of departure for talking about the interrelations of Bergson's personality, cultural vogue, and philosophy of a new vitality.
New insight on the mechanism of 2-oxabicyclobutane fragmentation. A high-level ab initio study

Abstract High-level quantum chemical studies have been carried out to explain the unusual chemical reactivity of 2-oxabicyclobutane for the process of its fragmentation to acrolein. The predicted activation energy values for unimolecular and acid-catalysed fragmentation of OBB are high enough to rule out OBB intermediacy in the various thermal, photochemical and chemical reactions. These findings suggest that 2-oxabicyclobutane is so highly stable that there should be another mechanism of above mentioned reactions which leads to the formation of aldehydes and ketones.
MEMS scanner enabled real-time depth sensitive hyperspectral imaging

We demonstrate a hyperspectral and depth sensitive optical scattering diffusion imaging microsystem, where fast scanning is provided by a CMOS compatible 2-axis MEMS mirror. By using lissajous scanning patterns, large field-of-view (FOV) of 1.2cm × 1.2cm images with lateral resolution of 100µm can be taken at 1.3 frame-per-second (fps). Hyperspectral and depth-sensitive images were acquired on phantom samples consisting of quantum dots (QDs) patterned at various depths in PDMS, showing 6 nm spectral resolution and 0.43 wavelength per second acquisition speed. Images were also acquired on biological sample of porcine epitheliu m with QDs placed underneath the surface.
The Carboxyl Terminus of Coffee Bean α-Galactosidase Is Critical for Enzyme Activity

The role of the carboxyl (C)-terminal region of coffee bean α-galactosidase (α-GAL) has been studied by expressing C-terminal deletion mutants in the methylotrophic yeast strain Pichia pastoris. A previous study of human α-galactosidase determined that enzyme activity increased when up to 10 amino acid residues were deleted. Deleting 11 residues reduced activity, and deleting 12 residues abolished activity. In our studies, α-GAL activity is reduced when one or two amino acids are deleted, as is enzyme secretion directed by P. pastoris signal sequences. The pH profile is similar to that of the wild-type enzyme. Deleting 3 or more residues from the C-terminal end results in a complete loss of both enzyme secretion and activity. The C-terminus of α-GAL seems to play an important role in overall enzyme conformation and may directly affect the proper conformation of the active site.
Dietary supplements, herbs and oral anticoagulants : the nature of the evidence

In the US, the use of dietary supplements, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbal products, is extensive. Nonetheless, the majority of patients report that they have little information about the risks, benefits, and adverse effects of medicines, or about their potential interactions with prescription drugs. Patients taking warfarin are at particular risk of interactions with dietary supplements, yet approximately 30% use herbal or natural product supplements on a regular basis. No current governmental regulations or voluntary programs address dietary supplement interactions with prescription drugs. Case reports represent the majority of the evidence surrounding drug interactions between warfarin and dietary supplements. Those of the highest quality include, as an assessment of causality, a modification of the recently published Drug Interaction Probability Scale. Despite positive case reports, formal drug interaction studies are often negative, suggesting that numerous patient-specific influences other than the suspected interaction alone may be responsible for a particular observation. The cranberry-juice/warfarin interaction is a recent example of such a discrepancy. Healthcare providers can play an active role in improving quantity and the quality of case reports of interactions involving warfarin and dietary supplements. A registry of anticoagulant interactions with dietary supplements has been proposed, and is currently being developed through Clotcare Online Resource (http://www.clotcare.com). The goal of this registry is to obtain high quality case-based evidence of drug interactions between anticoagulants and dietary supplements, to define these interactions based on clinical and monitoring outcomes, and to analyze likelihood of causation using a modification of the Drug Interaction Probability Scale.
Service creation from IN to mobile and broadband

This paper describes the functionality of the research version of HP’s Service Creation Environment (SCE). Some of the design decisions and reasons behind them are given.
Gaussian Processes for Active Data Mining of Spatial Aggregates

We present an active data mining mechanism for qualitative analysis of spatial datasets, integrating identification and analysis of structures in spatial data with targeted collection of additional samples. The mechanism is designed around the spatial aggregation language (SAL) for qualitative spatial reasoning, and seeks to uncover high-level spatial structures from only a sparse set of samples. This approach is important for applications in domains such as aircraft design, wireless system simulation, fluid dynamics, and sensor networks. The mechanism employs Gaussian processes, a formal mathematical model for reasoning about spatial data, in order to build surrogate models from sparse data, reason about the uncertainty of estimation at unsampled points, and formulate objective criteria for closing-the-loop between data collection and data analysis. It optimizes sample selection using entropy-based functionals defined over spatial aggregates instead of the traditional approach of sampling to minimize estimated variance. We apply this mechanism on a global optimization benchmark comprising a testbank of 2D functions, as well as on data from wireless system simulations. The results reveal that the proposed sampling strategy makes more judicious use of data points by selecting locations that clarify high-level structures in data, rather than choosing points that merely improve quality of function approximation.
Comparison of dual-chamber pacing versus septal myectomy for the treatment of patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy: a comparison of objective hemodynamic and exercise end points.

Abstract OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to compare the treatment effects of septal myectomy with dual-chamber pacing in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). BACKGROUND The optimal treatment for symptomatic patients with drug-refractory HOCM is unknown. Both dual-chamber pacing and surgical myectomy may result in subjective symptom improvement. However, no direct comparisons with objective end points have been reported. METHODS Thirty-nine patients with symptomatic HOCM were analyzed in this concurrent cohort study. Twenty patients underwent surgical myectomy, and 19 received dual-chamber pacemakers based on patient preference. These patients had prospective baseline and follow-up evaluations including physician assessment, echocardiography and standardized metabolic treadmill exercise testing. RESULTS Baseline symptom status, left ventricular outflow tract gradients, exercise times and maximal oxygen consumption peak were similar between the two groups. Left ventricular outflow gradient was reduced from 76 ± 57 to 9 ± 17 mm Hg (p = 0.0001) after myectomy, and from 77 ± 61 to 55 ± 39 mm Hg (p = 0.07) after pacing (p = 0.02 for comparison with myectomy). Ninety percent of myectomy patients experienced symptomatic improvement as compared with 47% in the pacing group. Exercise duration increased significantly from 6.6 ± 2.8 to 8.7 ± 3.0 min (p = 0.0003) after myectomy compared with a change from 6.4 ± 2.1 to 7.0 ± 2.2 min (p = NS) in the pacing group. Maximal oxygen consumption increased from 19.4 ± 6.4 to 22.2 ± 6.5 ml/kg/min after myectomy (p = 0.004), whereas the pacing group did not experience any significant change (19.6 ± 6.5 vs. 20.1 ± 6.5 ml/kg/min, p = NS). CONCLUSIONS Surgical myectomy and dual-chamber pacing improve subjective measures of functional status in patients with symptomatic HOCM. In this nonrandomized study, myectomy offered greater reduction in left ventricular outflow tract gradients and larger improvements in objective measures of patient symptoms and functional status when compared with dual-chamber pacing.
Shear horizontal BG surface acoustic waves on piezoelectrics: a historical note

In December of 1968 Jeffrey Bleustein of Yale University published an article predicting the existence of a new type of transverse surface acoustic wave (SAW) that could propagate on the surface of a piezoelectric crystal. This was followed within 20 days by the publication of an article by Yuri Gulyaev in January of 1969 predicting the same basic surface wave propagation. The wave took on the name Bleustein-Gulyaev or BG-wave, joining the names of Rayleigh, Love, Sezawa, and Stonely for distinct types of SAW. But is there more to the story than this? Were there works preceding those of Bleustein and Gulyaev which signaled an interest in exploring a new surface wave mode on piezoelectrics? What about the work of Shimizu, Nakamura, and Ohta, who in April of 1969 published both theoretical and experimental verification of the existence of such a wave independent of the knowledge of the Bleustein and Gulyaev papers? This paper explores the early roots and characteristics of the shear horizontal surface wave on a piezoelectric.