cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Medication adherence in the transition of adolescent kidney transplant recipients to the adult care.

Non-adherence is common in adolescent and young adult kidney transplant recipients, leading to adverse graft outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine if adherence to immunosuppressant medications changes during transition from a pediatric to an adult program within the same transplant center. Adherence was assessed for a period of two years before and two years after the transfer. Sub-therapeutic trough levels of serum tacrolimus and level variability were used as measures of adherence. Twenty-five patients were transitioned between 1996 and 2011 at the median age of 22.3 [IQR 21.6 to 23.0] years. Young adults 21 to 25 years of age (n=26) and non-transitioned adolescents 17 to 21 years of age (currently followed in the program, n=24 and those that lost their grafts prior to the transfer, 22) formed the comparison groups. In the transitioned group, adherence prior to the transfer was not significantly different from the adherence after the transfer (p=0.53). The rate of non-adherence in the group of non-transitioned adolescents who lost their grafts (68%) was significantly higher than in the transitioned group (32%, p=0.01). In the group of young adults, adherence was not significantly different from the transitioned group (p=0.27). Thus, transition was not associated with differences in medication adherence in this single-center study. Large-scale studies are needed to evaluate the national data on medication adherence after transfer.
Target fragment energies and momenta in the reaction of 4.8 GeV 12C and 5.0 GeV 20Ne with 238U

Target fragment recoil properties were measured using the thick-target\char22{}thick-catcher technique for the interaction of 4.8 GeV $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ and 5.0 GeV $^{20}\mathrm{Ne}$ with $^{238}\mathrm{U}$. The target fragment energies and momenta are very similar for the reaction of 4.8 GeV (400 MeV/nucleon) $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ and 5.0 GeV (250 MeV/nucleon) $^{20}\mathrm{Ne}$ with $^{238}\mathrm{U}$. In the complex variation of fragment momenta with their $\frac{N}{Z}$ ratio, one finds evidence suggesting the existence of several mechanisms leading to the formation of the target fragments. Comparison of these results with the predictions of the intranuclear cascade model of Yariv and Fraenkel and the firestreak model shows that both model predictions grossly overestimate the target fragment momenta.
Stress carpal tunnel pressures in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome and normal patients

Twenty-two patients with carpal tunnel syndrome scheduled to have a carpal tunnel release, and six volunteer control subjects had carpal tunnel pressures measured with their wrist in neutral position, maximum flexion, and maximum extension. The wrist was then repetitively flexed and extended to maximum position at a rate of 30 full cycles per minute for 1 minute. Pressures were then continually monitored and recorded at 30-second intervals. The pressures were found to be significantly elevated in the immediate post-exercise period in the patients with carpal tunnel syndrome, and they demonstrated a prolonged recovery time to reach the resting pressure when compared with the normal control subjects. This property of prolonged recovery time in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome suggests a possible cause for carpal tunnel syndrome in the occupational setting.
Gubernatorial Coattail Effects in State Legislative Elections

This work explores the influence of gubernatorial coattails in state legislative elections. Through a district-level analysis conducted in nine states, I measure how party support for the governor affects the percentage of the vote received by candidates running for the legislature. Findings indicate that gubernatorial coattails do influence candidate vote margins, even when factors such as campaign spending, past party performance, and other district-level conditions are controlled. However, the magnitude of this effect is mitigated by candidacy status and the closeness of the gubernatorial election. Specifically, coattail effects are dampened by the presence of an incumbent, while their influence is enhanced in states with competitive gubernatorial elections.
Controlling gene expression in mycobacteria.

The genus mycobacterium contains some of the most important human pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes tuberculosis in approximately 8 million people annually; Mycobacterium leprae, the etiologic agent of leprosy, which affects millions of people in Asia, Africa and Latin America; and Mycobacterium bovis, which causes tuberculosis in animals and people. Genetic tools for mycobacteria have been developed during the last 15 years and have helped to improve our understanding of the biology and pathogenesis of mycobacteria. However, genetic switches have only recently been developed that allow control of mycobacterial gene expression. Such systems have been used to facilitate protein overexpression in mycobacteria and to analyze gene function, in particular functions of essential genes. Some of the recently developed systems will allow controlling gene expression during animal infections and may therefore become invaluable tools for drug target validation. This article will review the...
Frizzled/PCP signalling: a conserved mechanism regulating cell polarity and directed motility

Signalling through Frizzled (Fz)/planar cell polarity (PCP) is a conserved mechanism that polarizes cells along specific axes in a tissue. Genetic screens in Drosophila melanogaster pioneered the discovery of core PCP factors, which regulate the orientation of hairs on wings and facets in eyes. Recent genetic evidence shows that the Fz/PCP pathway is conserved in vertebrates and is crucial for disparate processes as gastrulation and sensory cell orientation. Fz/PCP signalling depends on complex interactions between core components, leading to their asymmetric distribution and ultimately polarized activity in a cell. Whereas several mechanistic aspects of PCP have been uncovered, the global coordination of this polarization remains debated.
Immediate and late explantation of endovascular aortic grafts: The Endovascular Technologies experience

Abstract Purpose: The morbidity and clinical outcome of the failure to successfully repair an abdominal aortic aneurysm with Endovascular Technologies (EVT) grafts, resulting in explantation of the device, was assessed. Methods: The records of all patients worldwide undergoing attempted endovascular repair with EVT devices from February 1993 to October 1997 were retrospectively reviewed. Of 669 patients, 19 (3%) were converted to open procedure with immediate explantation during the initial attempt at endovascular repair, and 27 patients (4%) required explantation at a later date, ranging from 1 day to 40 months. The incidence, morbidity, mortality, and effect on clinical outcome were evaluated. Results: Causes of immediate conversion with explantation were: inaccurate deployment of the proximal or distal attachment systems (11 of 19; 58%); twists in the system (3 of 19; 16%); mechanism malfunction during deployment (4 of 19; 21%); and an aortic tear (1 of 19; 5%). Among the 27 patients undergoing late explantation, 20 (74%) did so because of persistent endoleaks. Three cases (11%) were performed because of aneurysm rupture, three (11%) because of graft occlusion, one because of aortic dissection (4%), and one (4%) because of graft migration into the aneurysm sac. The overall perioperative mortality rate was 11% (2 of 19) for immediate explantation and 7% (2 of 27) for late explantation. The average length-of-stay was 11 days for immediate explantation and 14 days for late explantation (NS). Complications included myocardial infarction (4%), pulmonary insufficiency (13%), wound infection (4%), and permanent renal failure (2%). There were no significant differences in the incidence rates of these complications between immediate and late explants. No cases of limb loss occurred. Median American Society of Anesthetists (ASA) classification was 3, and there was no correlation between ASA classification and mortality rate. Average operating time was 374 minutes for immediate explantation (including the time for the failed endovascular procedure) and 185 minutes for late explantation. Conclusion: Immediate and late explantation are infrequent events, occurring in 3% and 4%, respectively, of attempted EVT endovascular aortic stent placements. The mortality rate was higher for both immediate (11%; P
A most delicate matter: religious issues and conflict in the US library workplace

Recounts three stories to illustrate the nature of the religious issues that can arise in the US workplace. Discusses the historical, legal and social influences that act upon religious diversity. The rights and restrictions of employees are reviewed together with the ways in which library managers can respond effectively to the questions raised. Although based on the situation in the USA in 2002, the points raised are applicable in other countries.
Human prothymosin α: Purification of a highly acidic nuclear protein by means of a phenol extraction

Human prothymosin alpha, virtually alone among proteins, is recovered from the aqueous phase of phenol-extracted cell lysates prepared from human myeloma cells or COS cells that were transfected with the human prothymosin alpha gene. This observation forms the basis for purification of the protein to homogeneity in two steps--phenol extraction followed by electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels to remove residual contaminants consisting chiefly of carbohydrate and RNA.
The body wall of cheilostome Bryozoa. I. The ectocyst of Watersipora nigra (Canu and Bassler).

The cuticle of Watersipora nigra is at first translucent, but it later becomes black and differentiates into two layers. It is composed, at least in part, of a protein-polysaccharide complex. Calcified parts are three-layered: (1) an outer, cuticular layer, (2) a calcium carbonate skeleton deposited on a matrix of acid mucopolysaccharide, and (3) a “skeletal membrane.” The relationships of these layers indicate that the skeleton is intracuticular. A layer of cuticular material, the “intercalary cuticle” is present in lateral walls, but not transverse walls; it may become calcified in some species. The cuticles of calcified and uncalcified parts of cheilostomes are not necessarily homologous.
A modified fast (4 day) 96-well plate Caco-2 permeability assay.

Abstract Introduction: The Caco-2 permeability assay is widely used for lead optimization in drug discovery. A 3 to 5-day system using a 24-well plate and a 10 to 21-day system using a 96-well plate have been established. Here, we modified the assay system to provide a ready-to-use Caco-2 cell monolayer using a 96-well plate in just 4 days. Methods and results: In our system, collagen-coated inserts and the prolongation of the culture period after seeding leads to greater Caco-2 cell proliferation and sufficient contact-inhibition. The differentiation of Caco-2 cells was enhanced, when the contact-inhibited Caco-2 cells were exposed to the differentiation-inducing agent butyric acid. The permeability to nine well-known compounds showed a statistical correlation between our 4-day system using a 96-well plate and the conventional 21-day system using a 24-well plate. Discussion: We conclude that our system is more useful for evaluating many compounds for lead optimization in drug discovery.
Weight Gain in Pregnancy

The amount of weight that women are advised to gain during pregnancy has changed significantly in the past few decades. In the past, recommendations were aimed at curtailing weight gain because of problems surrounding delivery (i.e., cephalopelvic disproportion or toxemia). More recently, concern for development of maternal obesity has been used to justify curtailed weight gain. Factors that should be considered for determining the appropriate gain for an individual woman are discussed.
Peer review of the curriculum as a continuous process of improvement

Abstract Background Peer review has always been an important part of the scientific process. As academicians, it is important that we bring the same level of rigor to review of the curriculum. Within our institution, we began this process in an effort to ensure quality in a team-taught integrated curriculum. Objective It is the goal of this manuscript to share the peer review process developed for our institution as a continuous improvement process for the curriculum. Second, we include preliminary results on the first cycle of reviews of our curriculum. Methods A five-phase process was developed to allow involvement of the entire faculty and allow student input in the review process. Courses are evaluated for their teaching and learning, content, assessment, and evaluation. Results Throughout the initial three-year review cycle, 21 courses were reviewed using the criteria. The results of those reviews are presented. Conclusions This innovative approach to peer review of courses has been an important step to implementing an integrated curriculum within our institution. A continual process of review that integrates stakeholders and the relevant members of the faculty should allow for maintenance of a high standard of curricular outcomes.
Radiation therapy (RT) after prostatectomy: The case for salvage therapy as opposed to adjuvant therapy.

Patients with pathologic stage T3 or T4 prostate cancer who have undetectable PSA levels following radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) have a substantial risk of recurrence. Radiotherapy (RT) can be administered immediately following the RRP (immediate adjuvant RT) or may be postponed until the PSA level has risen to a level that is indicative of residual or recurrent prostate cancer (salvage RT). Immediate adjuvant RT can significantly reduce the risk of relapse, but does not appear to increase the rate of survival. Approximately two-thirds of patients with rising PSA levels after RRP can be salvaged with RT alone. This result was achieved in patients treated with an adequate dose of radiation before the PSA rose to > 1.1 ng/ml. While no one can be certain which approach (adjuvant or salvage RT) is better, future studies should examine this issue. Whether immediate postoperative adjuvant RT is of value to patients is the subject of two randomized prospective studies. The benefit of adjuvant RT is a matter of controversy. Salvage RT treats only those patients with proven residual prostate cancer. The salvage RT approach has several advantages. This approach spares approximately 40% of patients who have had an RRP for T3 or T4 prostate cancer and eliminates the risks and costs associated with adjuvant RT. Additionally, it appears that the results of immediate adjuvant RT are similar to those achieved with early salvage RT.
Unusual applications of small geothermal resources

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to possible applications of small geothermal resources which are relatively little known. The applications will be grouped into three categories, namely, (a) applications based on the content of geothermal resources, (b) applications based on the location of geothermal resources and (c) various small-scale applications.
Reason, Faith, and “The Soul of All the Rest”: Separation and Reunion in Paradise Lost

(1993). Reason, Faith, and “The Soul of All the Rest”: Separation and Reunion in Paradise Lost. ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews: Vol. 6, No. 4, pp. 193-204.
When research goes off the rails: why it happens and what you can do about it

edited by D.L. Streiner and S. Sidani, New York, The Guilford Press, 2010, 398 pp., £40.00 (paperback), ISBN-10 1-60-623410-2 When speaking about the nature of human enquiry, Johann Wolfgang Von Go...
A photorealistic 3d virtual laboratory for undergraduate instruction in microcontroller technology

In this paper we present a new 3D photorealistic virtual laboratory for undergraduate instruction in microcontroller technology. The web/CD deliverable lab, developed using state-of-the-art interactive computer animation technology, operates and produces results equivalent to the physical laboratory. It is, to our knowledge, the most realistic and advanced computer-simulated laboratory developed so far for microcontroller instruction. The virtual lab solves many of the problems associated with traditional lab instruction by providing: (1) 24/7 access to lab equipment and experiments; (2) effective laboratory training at distance; (3) lab accessibility to students with motor and vision impairments.
The Odyssey of Ebenezer Smith Platt

On 17 February 1777 John Wilkes, the controversial politician, pamphleteer, and propagandist, rose to address the House of Commons. Wilkes, renowned for his opposition to King George III and his followers, was equally regarded by Americans as a long-standing champion of their colonial rights. And it was in both of these contexts that he marshaled his oratorical skills on this occasion. The specific target of his speech was the third reading of a bill, proposed by Lord North's government, which would suspend the habeas corpus act through the remainder of the year for persons accused of high treason for actions within the American colonies, or on the high seas, or for alleged acts of piracy. Wilkes began by declaring emphatically: “I cannot continue silent while so important a Bill is pending before this house.” He then attacked the proposed act as “tyrannical, arbitrary, ambiguous, unconstitutional,” and forecast that it would lead to expansion of the American war that had been raging for almost two years. Wilkes illustrated the oppressive, unwarrantable and alienating effects of the proposed act on Americans by citing the case of a young colonial named Ebenezer Smith Platt, then confined in London's infamous Newgate prison.
Immune chromatography: a quantitative radioimmunological assay

Immune chromatography, a radioimmunological binding assay, employs paper chromatography to separate immune complexes from free antigen and antibodies. During chromatography free antigen and antibodies become distributed throughout the paper, while immune complexes remain near the bottoms of the strips. The chromatographic differences can be made quantitative by using either iodinated antigens or antibodies. Under these conditions nanogram quantities of antigen can be detected or antibodies in sera diluted several 1000-fold. The immune chromatography assay can also be performed as an indirect assay, since the paper strips are cut from nitrocellulose paper. In this case the immune components are absorbed by the paper during chromatography. Antigen is then detected with an iodinated second antibody. The indirect immune chromatography assay is particularly useful for identifying different sera that react with the same antigen. Reaction with the first serum before chromatography reduces the amount of antigen available to the second serum following chromatography. In addition to characterizing the immune chromatography procedure, we discuss the possible applications of chromatography assays for the quantitation of other types of molecular binding interactions.
Multiaxial Failure Criteria for Cellular Materials

Cellular materials are increasingly used in engineering. Proper design requires an understanding of the response of the materials to stress; and, in real engineering design, the stress state is often a complex one. In this paper we model the elastic buckling, plastic yield, and brittle fracture of cellular solids under multiaxial stresses to develop equations describing their failure surfaces. Comparison of the analysis with data shows that the models describe the main features of the multiaxial behavior of foams well.
The experimental basis for interpreting particle and magnetic fabrics of sheared till

Particle fabrics of basal tills may allow testing of the bed-deformation model of glacier flow, which requires high bed shear strains (>100). Field studies, however, have not yielded a systematic relationship between shear-strain magnitude and fabric development. To isolate this relationship four basal tills and viscous putty were sheared in a ring-shear device to strains as high as 714. Fabric was characterized within a zone of shear deformation using the long-axis orientations of fine-gravel and sand particles and the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) of small (∼5·8 cm3) intact samples. Results indicate that till particles rotate toward the plane of shearing with long-axis orientations that become tightly clustered in the direction of shear (0·78 < S1 < 0·94 for three-dimensional data). These strong, steady-state fabrics are attained at shear strains of 7–30, with no evidence of fabric weakening with further strain, regardless of the specific till or particle-size fraction under consideration. These results do not support the Jeffery model of particle rotation, which correctly describes particle rotation in the viscous putty but not in the tills, owing to fluid-mechanical assumptions of the model that are violated in till. The sensitivity of fabric development to shear-strain magnitude indicates that, for most till units where shear-strain magnitude is poorly known, attributing fabric variations to spatial differences in other variables, such as till thickness or water content, will be inherently speculative. Attributing fabric characteristics to particular basal till facies is uncertain because shear-strain magnitude is unlikely to be closely correlated to till facies. Weak or spatially variable fabrics, in the absence of post-depositional disturbance or major deviations from unidirectional simple shear, indicate that till has not been pervasively sheared to the high strains required by the bed-deformation model. Strong flow-parallel fabrics are a necessary but insufficient criterion for confirming the model. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Importance of Federal Statistics for Advancing Science and Identifying Policy Options

tics as a topic of study goes back to the mission for which the NAS was chartered by Congress in 1863. The language of the charter is quaint and decidedly of the nineteenth century; one sentence from it is that the NAS "shall, when ever called upon by any department of the Government, investigate, examine, experiment, and report upon any subject of science or art." "Art" in those days meant agriculture and the mechanical arts. Nevertheless, it is a very broad charge, and clearly, in so many of the issues of the day, federal statistics are key to advancing the sciences and to identifying options for deal ing with both problems and opportunities in public policy in so many fields. The National Research Council (NRC) was organized by NAS in 1916 to associate the broad community of scholars with the acade my's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government; it has both studied federal statistics and called for their
Interconnection between set and fuzzy differential equations

Abstract The original formulation of fuzzy differential equations suffers from the disadvantage since the solutions increases as time increases. In this paper, employing the results of set differential equations obtained in V. Laksmikantham, S. Leela, A.S. Vatsala, Setvalued hybrid differential equations and stability in terms of two measures, J. Hybrid Systems 2 (2) (2002) 169–188, a new approach is suggested in order to capture the vagueness and the rich properties of solutions without fuzziness.
On the bending effects on artificial magnetic conductors

In this letter, we present the performance of a typical artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) under different bending extents. Square patch array-based AMC is employed as a benchmark to demonstrate the dependence of AMC characteristics on the degree of curvature. We show that increasing the extent of bending leads to a shift to a higher resonance frequency and bandwidth degradation which suggests the importance of such analysis when designing AMC structures for conformal applications. Finite element method full wave electromagnetic solver has been employed to extract the reflection phase profile of the structure under study. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this kind of study is being reported for the first time. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:2503–2505, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.27124
Nutrient availability in support of Karenia brevis blooms on the central West Florida Shelf: What keeps Karenia blooming?

Abstract Identifying nutrient sources, primarily nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), sufficient to support high biomass blooms of the red tide dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis, has remained problematic. The West Florida Shelf is oligotrophic, yet populations >106 cells L−1 frequently occur and blooms can persist for months. Here we examine the magnitude and variety of sources for N and P that are available to support blooms. Annual average in situ or background concentrations of inorganic N in the region where blooms occur range 0.02–0.2 μM while inorganic P ranges 0.025–0.24 μM. Such concentrations would be sufficient to support the growth of populations up to ∼3×104 cells L−1 with at least a 1 d turnover rate. Organic N concentrations average 1–2 orders of magnitude greater than inorganic N, 8–14 μM while organic P concentrations average 0.2–0.5 μM. Concentrations of organic N are sufficient to support blooms >105 cells L−1 but the extent to which this complex mixture of N species is utilizable is unknown. Other sources of nutrients included in our analysis are aerial deposition, estuarine flux, benthic flux, zooplankton excretion, N2-fixation, and subsequent release of organic and inorganic N by Trichodesmium spp., and release of N and P from dead and decaying fish killed by the blooms. Inputs based on atmospheric deposition, benthic flux, and N2-fixation, were minor contributors to the flux required to support growth of populations >2.6×104 cells L−1. N and P from decaying fish could theoretically maintain populations at moderate concentrations but insufficient data on the flux and subsequent mixing rates does not allow us to calculate average values. Zooplankton excretion rates, based on measured zooplankton population estimates and excretion rates could also supply all of the N and P required to support populations of 105 and 106 cells L−1, respectively, but excretion is considered as “regenerated” nutrient input and can only maintain biomass rather than contribute to “new” biomass. The combined estuarine flux from Tampa Bay, Charlotte Harbor, and the Caloosahatchee River can supply a varying, but at times significant level of N and P to meet growth and photosynthesis requirements for populations of approximately 105 cells L−1 or below. Estimates of remineralization of dead fish could supply a significant proportion of bloom maintenance requirements but the rate of supply must still be determined. Overall, a combination of sources is required to maintain populations >106 cells L−1.
Cystic Ectasia of the Rete Testis: Clinical and Radiographic Features

ABSTRACTPurpose: Cystic ectasia of the rete testis is a rare condition that may be incidentally noted on scrotal ultrasonography. This benign condition has a typical appearance of a collection of small anechoic structures in the confluence of the mediastinum testis. The main significance of this condition is that it must be differentiated from testicular neoplasm. We reviewed the experience with this condition at our institution.Materials and Methods: A retrospective review was performed to identify all sonograms showing ectatic rete testis performed from 1998 through February 2002. A departmental database was used to identify all scrotal sonograms from this period showing ectasia of the rete testis and clinical correlation was done. These examinations were then reviewed by a single radiologist.Results: We identified 13 cases in the last 4 years. Ultrasound was most commonly performed for a testicular or scrotal mass, or pain. Median patient age was 65 years. All except 1 patient had an underlying conditi...
I 131 -ORTHO-HIPPURATE SCANNING IN THE PEDIATRIC AND ADOLESCENT TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT

This study evaluates the use of the single injection technique of I131-ortho-hippurate (Hippuran R) as a measure of kidney allograft function in fifty-six pediatric, adolescent, and young adult transplant recipients. Graft age at the time of evaluation varied from one week to six years. Effective Renal Plasma Flow (ERPF), Normalized Effective Renal Plasma Flow (NERPF), Excretion Index (EI), and Bladder to Kidney Ratio (BK) were obtained from each scan. Anthropomorphic data and clinical measures assessing renal function, including creatinine clearances, serum creatinine, and protein excretion, were collected at the time of scanning. Renal biopsy and arteriogram findings were included when available. Based on these clinical and histological findings, and the patient's response to steroid therapy, each scan was categorized as either acute rejection, chronic rejection, or normal function. The mean and standard deviation of the ERPF, NERPF, EI, and BK was then calculated for each category. The values of these four parameters were also calculated by age groups for each category. The ability of the hippuran scan to predict acute rejection, chronic rejection, or normal function was assessed by a discriminate analysis.
Mode of Action of Micrococcal Phosphodiesterase

IT was recently reported that phosphodiesterase isolated from Micrococcus pyogenes var. aureus hydrolyses tobacco mosaic virus nucleic acid giving rise to di- and mono-nucleotides1,2. On the basis of its action on this acid and synthetic polymers, polycytidylic acid and polyuridylic acid, it was postulated that the enzyme first cleaves the large nucleic acid molecule into several polynucleotides, which are further broken down by stepwise cleavage of mononucleoside 3′-phosphates starting from one end, until they are reduced to the size of dinucleotides, which are resistant to further action of the enzyme. Thus the enzyme appears to have both endo- and exo-actions. From the amounts of dinucleotides present in the final digest of tobacco mosaic virus nucleic acid, one can calculate the number of intramolecular breaks that are produced in the acid by the endo-action of the enzyme, by assuming that the dinucleotides are at one end of the resultant polynucleotide fragment. In these calculations the data used for the purine and pyrimidine composition of tobacco mosaic virus nucleic acid are those published earlier3, and the molecular weight of nucleic acid was taken as 2 × 106 (ref. 4). From the calculations it appears that tobacco mosaic virus nucleic acid has been degraded to approximately 1,240 polynucleotide fragments, having an average weight of 1,600 or an average length of approximately 5 nucleotides.
Cross-layer learning in an evolvable oscillator for in-flight controller adaptation in a flapping-wing micro air vehicle

Electronic components are conventionally viewed as black boxes whose only responsibility is to implement interfaces requested and required by designers operating at a higher level of abstraction. This is especially true in the design of controllers where control laws are designed at at high level of abstraction and electronics are used to merely instantiate components of the law's block diagram. In this paper, we consider the use of block components that adapt their internal structures to optimize whole-system behavior using information scoped in multiple layers of abstraction of the whole design. The goal is to provide extended adaptability of the host system while still allowing high-level designers to treat their control design process conventionally.
Improving Communication Between Oncologists and Reproductive Specialists to Promote Timely Referral of Patients With Cancer

By empowering oncology care providers to facilitate discussion and referral of patients of reproductive age, the updated 2013 ASCO Guidelines provide an opportunity to strengthen communication between oncology care providers and their reproductive specialist colleagues.
The regional impact of monetary policy on house prices

This paper examines how house prices respond to monetary policy in the nine census regions of the USA. A polynomial distributed lag regression model is estimated for each region. The dependent variable in each equation includes growth for the index of regional house prices. The independent variables include (1) growth for an index of national house prices, (2) difference between the regional unemployment rate and the national unemployment and (3) the growth in M2. The money stock variable enters each equation as a polynomial distributed lag. Given this specification, regional house prices are positively correlated with money stock growth in some regions, and negatively correlated in others.
The spatial and temporal effects of lateral inhibitory networks and their relevance to the visibility of spatiotemporal edges

Abstract The response dynamics of neurons in the visual pathway are driven, in part, by the dynamics of lateral inhibitory networks. Illusions of invisibility, such as the visual masking illusions, in addition to the dynamics of visibility itself, can be explained by the actions of such networks. Here we provide a descriptive model of a lateral inhibitory network in space and time. We provide physiological evidence that neurons in the early visual system of primates respond in a fashion predicted by these temporal dynamics. Furthermore, we discuss how the network predicts the existence of novel visual illusions and their physiological correlates.
Comparing the power and performance of Intel's SCC to state-of-the-art CPUs and GPUs

Power dissipation and energy consumption are becoming increasingly important architectural design constraints in different types of computers, from embedded systems to large-scale supercomputers. To continue the scaling of performance, it is essential that we build parallel processor chips that make the best use of exponentially increasing numbers of transistors within the power and energy budgets. Intel SCC is an appealing option for future many-core architectures. In this paper, we use various scalable applications to quantitatively compare and analyze the performance, power consumption and energy efficiency of different cutting-edge platforms that differ in architectural build. These platforms include the Intel Single-Chip Cloud Computer (SCC) many-core, the Intel Core i7 general-purpose multi-core, the Intel Atom low-power processor, and the Nvidia ION2 GPGPU. Our results show that the GPGPU has outstanding results in performance, power consumption and energy efficiency for many applications, but it requires significant programming effort and is not general enough to show the same level of efficiency for all the applications. The “light-weight” many-core presents an opportunity for better performance per watt over the “heavy-weight” multi-core, although the multi-core is still very effective for some sophisticated applications. In addition, the low-power processor is not necessarily energy-efficient, since the runtime delay effect can be greater than the power savings.
Capacitor siting using benders decomposition

This paper presents an optimization problem of siting capacitors in a power network to achieve economic benefits. The formulated optimization problem is a nonlinear mixed integer programming problem. In order to find an approximate optimal solution, Benders decomposition is adopted. The optimization problem will be decomposed into a main problem and a subproblem. The subproblem determines dispatch patterns for generators to minimize an objective function if the sites of the capacitors are given. The subproblem is a conventional AC optimal power flow problem. Existing toolboxes such as MATPOWER is used to solve such problems. The subproblem helps to create Benders cuts for the main problem which decides where to put capacitors with a set of cuts introduced accumulatively from the subproblems at each iteration. The main problem is solved by MATLAB CVX toolbox. Numerical results for IEEE 118-bus system are given.
Developments in ultrasound-guided thecal puncture in horses.

SINCE the 1970s, needle puncture into the subarachnoid space in horses (thecal puncture) has been used more or less routinely to collect cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), for intrathecal medication and, more recently, as a portal for introduction of an endoscope (Mayhew 1975, Johnson and Constantinescu 2000, Steinman and others 2000, Prange and others 2011). Originally, there were two accepted techniques: upper cervical puncture via the atlanto-occipital (AO) space in recumbent horses under general anaesthesia; and lumbosacral cisternal puncture in conscious (usually standing) horses. Each of these techniques has advantages and drawbacks. AO cervical puncture is technically straightforward, safe for the operator, can be performed under brief intravenous anaesthesia, and usually yields clean limpid samples uncontaminated by blood. However, recovery from anaesthesia in neurologically compromised horses can be difficult and, occasionally, disastrous. By contrast, the lumbosacral approach is technically challenging even for the experienced operator, carries a small but real risk of explosive reaction by the horse, and significant blood contamination of the aspirated CSF sample is relatively common. At both sites, puncture-associated sepsis is a possibility but apparently very rare. Severe headache after dural puncture is a frequent problem in people (Bezov and others 2010), but signs consistent with headache are not seen in horses following the procedure.
Nannobacteria and the precipitation of carbonate in unusual environments

Abstract Nannobacteria are abundant not only in normal marine limestones but also in other environments such as continental caliches, fresh-water streams, springs, water pipes, caves, etc. Cells are typically 50 to 200 nm in diameter.
Inflammation induced changes in arachidonic acid metabolism in cat LES circular muscle

Myogenic lower esophageal sphincter (LES) tone is maintained by arachidonic acid metabolites, such as PGF2α and thromboxane A2/B2. Experimental esophagitis in cat reduces LES in vivo pressure and i...
Modeling information incorporation in markets, with application to detecting and explaining events

We develop a model of how information flows into a market, and derive algorithms for automatically detecting and explaining relevant events. We analyze data from twenty-two "political stock markets" (i.e., betting markets on political outcomes) on the Iowa Electronic Market (IEM). We prove that, under certain efficiency assumptions, prices in such betting markets will on average approach the correct outcomes over time, and show that IEM data conforms closely to the theory. We present a simple model of a betting market where information is revealed over time, and show a qualitative correspondence between the model and real market data. We also present an algorithm for automatically detecting significant events and generating semantic explanations of their origin. The algorithm operates by discovering significant changes in vocabulary on online news sources (using expected entropy loss) that align with major price spikes in related betting markets.
Increased granulocytic, erythrocytic, and megakaryocytic progenitors in myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia

Nucleated cells obtained from blood and/or bone marrow of patients with myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia (MMM) were cultured in diffusion chambers (DC) implanted into the peritoneal cavities of irradiated mice. A total of five blood studies and two bone marrow studies were performed using cells obtained from five patients. The DC were harvested at intervals from the host mice and the total and differential cellularity of DC contents were evaluated. The results obtained from MMM cultures were compared with those from similar cultures of blood cells and marrow cells of four and six normal individuals respectively. The proliferation and maturation of the granulocytic, erythrocytic, and megakaryocytic lines in MMM cultures occurred in an orderly fashion as they occur in vivo. The patterns of proliferation and maturation of the three cell lines in cultures after day 7 suggest that they primarily originate from progenitor cells. The numbers of granulocytes in the multiplicative pool, recognizable red cell precursors, and megakaryocytes recovered were significantly greater from the MMM cultures than those from the normal blood or marrow cultures. These results suggest that the blood and marrow cells of MMM patients have increased numbers of progenitors for granulocytes, erythrocytes, and megakaryocytes.
A topical evaluation and discussion of data movement technologies for data-intensive scientific applications

Transferring large volumes of information from one location to potentially many others that are geographically distributed and across varying networks is still prevalent in modern scientific data systems. This is despite the movement to push computation to the data and to reduce data movement needed to compute answers to challenging scientific problems, to disseminate information to the scientific community, and to acquire data for curation and enrichment. Because of this, it is imperative that decisions made regarding data movement systems and architectures be backed by both analytical rigor, and also by empirical evidence and measurement. The purpose of this study is to expand on the work performed by our research team over the last decade and to take a fresh look at the evaluation of multiple topical data transfer technologies in use cases derived from data-intensive scientific systems and applications in the areas of Earth science. We report on the evaluation of a set of data movement technologies against a set of empirically derived comparison dimensions. Based on this evaluation, we make recommendations towards the selection of appropriate data movement technologies in scientific applications and scenarios.
Periodic Crystallisation of Polymers on Carbon Nanotubes: Geometrical Confinement versus Epitaxy

AbstractThe objective of the study described here is to address the fundamental mechanism of periodic crystallisation of polymer on carbon nanotubes (CNTs), where the polymer-CNT interface adhesion is derived from electrostatic and van der Waals interaction in the resultant hybrid nanoscale architecture. A theoretical analysis of different possibilities of nucleation of a model polymer on CNTs underscores that the periodic nucleation of polymers on CNTs is a geometrical confinement effect rather than a representative of an epitaxial process. The conclusion derived from the theoretical analysis is consistent with the experimental observation made with CNTs of different diameters.
A Potential for Thrombus Formation Associated with the Temporary Inferior Vena Cava Filter

深部静脈血栓症を合併した患者の人工膝関節全置換術の麻酔を経験した.周術期の肺血栓塞栓症を防止するため,術前,一時的下大静脈フィルタ(TIVC-F)を挿入して,全身麻酔下で手術を行なった.周術期,特に問題はなかった.TIVC-Fを抜去した時,フィルタ内に小さな新鮮な血栓が付着していたが,フィルタが血栓塞栓子を捕捉したのか,血栓がフィルタ内で形成されたのか病理学的に鑑別できなかった.
Effects of Thermal and Vibrational Cycles on Stresses in Lead-free Solder Joints

*† and F. C. Lai ‡ A new lead-free solder has been tested to ensure that it can withstand at least 1,000 cycles of both bending and thermal shock. The vibrational testing consisted of applying a force at the center and ends of the solder board, bending the board to test its fatigue resistance. The thermal testing involved cycling the solder boards between two temperature extremes to test its ability to withstand continuous thermal stress. Computer models were also constructed to model each of these scenarios. Physical experiments were conducted to verify the accuracy of these computer models. The ultimate goal was to provide an accurate computer simulation, which enables a judgment as to whether this solder is a suitable replacement of existing leaded solders.
LPT Flow Control at AFRL

This paper presents an overview of the current and past research conducted at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory related to the control of Low Pressure Turbine aerodynamic flows. Studies have examined a wide range of flow control techniques, ranging from passive surface treatments to active controls such as Vortex Generator Jets and Glow Discharge Plasma actuators. Significant levels of control authority have been demonstrated which have allowed the improvement of low Reynolds number aerodynamic performance as well as the increase in blade loading at high Reynolds number.
Soft Error Mitigation Using Transmission Gate With Varying Gate and Body Bias

Soft errors not only are major threats to SRAM, but also have become a major threat to the reliability of logic circuits. This article proposes a new transmission-gate approach to filter out soft errors, and it is more efficient when to the thanks to its to compared state of art solutions, capability adjust gate and body bias voltages.
The therapeutic effectiveness of operant conditioning electromyography biofeedback response of hip joint motor function in stroke patients with hemiplegia

Objective:To determine if the electromyography(EMG) biofeedback techniques can significant improve the muscle strength and the voluntary EMG signal of the hip flexion and hip abductor in stroke patients with hemiplegia.Method:All of the patients had more than 6-month history after stroke,and had less than normal muscle strength and reached a plateau in function recovery by other rehabilitation methods. All the patients had 1 course including 15 treatment sessions with 50 minutes in each session.The data of surface EMG and muscle strength before and after treatment were obtained on the hip flexor and hip abductor respectively.The data were compared and analyzed statistically.Result:The increases of voluntary EMG signal and muscle strength after one course of treatment were significantly improved(P0.001). Conclusion: The operant conditioning electromyography (EMG)biofeedback is an effective rehabilitation method in improve the hip joint function in stroke patient with hemiplegia.
Analysis on the economic and social benefit of malaria control in Baoshan city of Yunnan from 1981 to 2009

Objective To analyze the economic and social benefits of malaria control and prevention.Methods Comprehensive evaluation of the strategy of malaria control was preformed by using cost-benefit analysis.Results From 1981-2009,the net benefit for malaria control is 3 137 936 223 RMB,and the benefit-cost ratio is 39.1:1.The incidence of the endogenous malaria was decreasing yearly(rs=-0.515,P=0.004).Conclusion The current strategy of malaria control generates high economic and social benefit and it should be consolidated and improved.
Marxism Mass Education Research in Institutions of Higher Learning From the Perspective of Culture

Marxism mass education in institutions of higher learning is an important content that ideological and political education contains,which must strengthen the construction of campus culture in order to obtain actual effect.The construction of campus culture,as a means of recessive ideological and political education,can effectively enhance the affinity,attraction and appeal of Marxism mass education.