cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surgery in Primary Pulmonary Coccidioidomycosis and in the Combined Diseases of Coccidioidomycosis and Tuberculosis

1. Surgical treatment of pulmonary coccidioidomycosis may be accompanied by complications in the range of 13 per cent to 26 per cent. The judicious use of amphotericin B as adjunctive therapy should result in a decrease in the complication rate to 5 per cent or below. 2. Lobectomy is the operation of choice. In certain cases, less than lobectomy may be permissible, but failure to use amphotericin B will greatly increase the chances for complications. 3. Careful attention to the exact location of the cavity will allow for a better delineation of surgical technique and obviate complications. It may also preclude the need for amphotericin B in certain situations as specified. 4. To resolve diagnostic confusion and to offer a rational approach to the problem of isolated coccidioidal or tuberculous disease or a combination of the two diseases, a two-month diagnostic "target date" is advocated. Treatment is given depending on the weight of evidence in favor of the presumptive diagnostic impression. If the diagnosis still remains obscure, a "double disease" drug regimen is carried on for an additional 30 days and thoracotomy is then performed.
An interactional approach to the study of personality and emotion.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relation between personality and emotional feelings within ecologically valid settings Nineteen subjects rated their emotions in a wide variety of work, recreation, social, and alone situations sampled over a 30-day period They were also administered the Personality Research Form and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Although theoretically predictable relations were found between certain personality traits and specific emotions averaged across situations, it was not until we distinguished chosen from imposed situations that the most meaningful results were obtained Both temperament and nontemperament personality traits were found to be related to specific emotions Implications of the present findings for research on situation selection and the status of personality traits are discussed
Confined phonons effects, phonon-carrier interactions and thermal transport in graphene-based structures

Recently graphene has been studied in view of its promise as a material for high-performance electronics. In order to advance the basic understanding of graphene and graphite for graphene-based devices it is necessary to study the phonon modes in these materials as well as their interactions with charge carriers. Moreover, it is necessary to understand the phonon-based thermal properties of these structures; herein, the thermal conductivity is modeled for selected graphene-based structures of finite size. In addition, phonon engineering in finite-sized graphene-based structures will be considered. Models of confined phonon modes will be presented for finite-sized graphene structures. Additionally, the role of phonon confinement in carrier-phonon interactions will be considered in confined phonons in graphene sheets of finite size. As indicated previously, quantum confinement effects are included [1,2] by using previous models for graphene-based structures [3–12]. This presentation will place special emphasis on the deformation potential interaction between confined LO-phonon modes and charge carriers in finite-sized graphene structures of potential interest in nanoscale devices.
Their Fathers’ Daughters Women’s Social Identities in Fifteenth-century Florence

Based on an analysis of how the identities of women were recorded in legal and familial documents, this article argues that women’s social identities were primarily and permanently linked to that of their natal families, particularly to their fathers. Given the frequent shifts in women’s living positions, marital status, and legal guardianship, women’s ties to their natal families have often been seen as tenuous. However, identifying a woman through her patriline was common practice and made practical sense in that it identified the individual woman in a permanent way and reflected the enduring ties between a women and her patriline.
Determination of Phosphate in Selective Extractions for Soil Iron Oxides by the Molybdenum Blue Method in an Automated Continuance Flow Injection System

Phosphorus (P) mobility and bioavailability in soil depend on the pools in which it resides. The identification of such pools is essential for the full understanding of P behavior in soil. We evaluated the molybdenum-blue ascorbic-acid method in an automated continuous flow injection analyzer (MB-FIA) to analyze P in two selective soil extractions for soil iron oxide (i.e., the acid ammonium oxalate, AAO, and citrate–dithionite, CD, procedures). Uninterrupted development of the color reaction was obtained at citrate and oxalate concentrations less than 50 mM and 35 mM, corresponding to molybdate/citrate and molybdate/oxalate molar ratios of 2.4 and 3.4, respectively. High precision (% RSD, 1.7 ± 1.3% for CD and 2.9 ± 3.7% for AAO), accuracy, and recoveries (105.7 ± 1.0% for CD and 99.8 ± 3.8% for AAO) were obtained. This study demonstrates the utility of the MB-FIA system for the determination of AAO- and CD-extractable inorganic P.
Precocious induction of activation responses in amphibian oocytes by divalent ionophore A23187.

Abstract Temporal relationships between maturational events and the onset of activation in response to divalent ionophore and to pricking were examined following in vitro exposure of Rana pipiens oocytes to desoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA). Activation was evaluated on the basis of vitelline envelope elevation and cortical granule breakdown. Ionophore-induced activation was first observed after 18 hr of DOCA incubation, coincident with the time of separation of the vitelline envelope from the oocyte surface and 2–3 hr after breakdown of the germinal vesicle. Activation in response to pricking was not observed until 30 hr of DOCA incubation. Neither ionophore treatment nor pricking resulted in activation of oocytes that had not been incubated with DOCA. These results indicate that oocytes can be activated many hours earlier than previously demonstrated. The time of onset of the capacity for activation appears to be related to germinal vesicle breakdown and vitelline envelope separation.
Does the Birkbeck type bedload sediment trap effect local flow velocity

A series of experiments was conducted to determine to what extent a trap for bedload sediment effects local flow velocity. The Birkbeck type bedload pit sampler consists of a metal box with internal load cell for continuous weighing of trapped bedload sediment. It is installed in streams and flumes in order to capture and weigh the amount of bedload sediment being transported in the flow. Sediment enters the trap through an aperture in the top surface. A model of the bedload sediment trap was tested in a flume in the Mountain StreamLab located in the Center for Ecohydraulics Research at the University of Idaho in Boise. Two variations of the trap were built: a standard aperture opening and a full width opening. Each variation was tested with two conditions: trap empty and trap half-full of sediment. Velocity was measured by Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV) for three flow rates. It was determined that trap entrance treatment and the volume of trapped sediment cause a measureable difference in the velocity of the approaching flow.
Secretion of ceruloplasmin by a human clear cell carcinoma maintained in nude mice

Abstract Ceruloplasmin is the best known but least understood copper protein. Studies preliminary to investigating the control of ceruloplasmin synthesis have utilized a human renal cell carcinoma maintained in nude mice for 73 passages over a 5-year period. In vitro cultures of these cells were accomplished and the mRNAs were extracted prior to microinjection into Xenopus oocytes. The media examined by SE-HPLC and immunological techniques demonstrated that (1) after in vitro culture, ceruloplasmin was secreted as an uncleaved polypeptide chain with a MW of 135,000; (2) the translational product of ceruloplasmin mRNA injected into Xenopus oocytes was cleaved into fragments with MWs of 110,000, 67,000, and 50,000. The results indicate that mRNA for human ceruloplasmin can be obtained to serve as a template for the synthesis of a cDNA probe to investigate the control of human ceruloplasmin's synthesis.
Analysis of somitogenesis using multiphoton laser scanning microscopy (MPLSM)

In order to study complex cellular interactions in the developing somite and nervous system, we have been refining techniques for labeling and imaging individual cells within the living vertebrate embryo. Most recently, we have been using MPLSM to analyze cellular behaviors, such as cell migration, filopodial extension, cell process collapse, and neuron pathfinding using time-lapse microscopy in 3-dimensions (3-d). To enhance the efficiency of two-photon excitation in these samples, we have been using a Zeiss LSM 510 NLO fiber delivery system with a Grating Dispersion Compensator (GDC). This system not only offers the convenience of fiber delivery for coupling our Ti:Sapphire laser to the microscope, but also affords us precise control over the pulsewidth of the mode- locked beam. In addition, we have developed a novel peptide/non-cationic lipid gene delivery system to introduce GFP plasmid into somite cells. This approach has allowed us to generate detailed 3-d images of somite cell morphologies at various stages of somite development in a way that best preserves the vitality of the cells being imaged.
Fid and Marlinspike: Etymologies

Although many modern readers, other than those of this journal, would be hard put to say just what a fid was, we may concur with the Oxford English Dictionary's definition: ‘a conical pin of hard w...
Preparation and characterization of phenyl and undecyl oxazoline block copolymers

Undecyl and phenyl oxazolines were synthesized. They were copolymerized in different mole ratios using methyl nosylate as initiator. A series of di- and triblock copolymers with narrow molecular weight distributions as indicated by GPC were obtained. A three-armed block copolymer was also obtained by using 1,3,5-tris(bromomethyl)benzene as initiator. When the nonpolar undecyl block crystallized as a coating, the critical surface energy approached 21.0 dyn/cm, and the contact angle of water on the surface could be higher than 107°. The melting point increased as the chain length of crystallizable undecyl block increased, and the melting peak on DSC was very sharp when the length was equal to or longer than 25 monomer units. When these copolymers were coated on substrates, the work of adhesion with pressure sensitive adhesives was greatly reduced.
Impedance Pneumography: Comparison between Chest Impedance Changes and Respiratory Volumes in 11 Healthy Volunteers

Electrical impedance pneumography has been suggested as a possible means to noninvasively monitor rate of breathing, tidal volume, functional residual capacity, lung water, and cardiac output We tested an improved impedance pneumograph (ZPG), designed by Cooley and Longini, which bypasses the current path around the chest wall by means of a guard ring electrode. Changes in lung volumes (spirometry) were correlated with simultaneous changes in transthoracic impedance for 11 normal adult men. We obtained a satisfactory correlation factor for any given subject at any one time, namely 0.964 on the average (range 0.898–0.989). However, the calibration factor varied markedly between subjects and reproducibility on the same subject on different days was poor (tested on two subjects). Mean chest impedance at functional residual capacity (FRC) measured 517 ohms (range 398–765). These differences could not be statistically related to thoracic volume or chest wall thickness. It is concluded that, at this stage of development, the ZPG may be useful mainly as an apnea detector and rate of breathing monitor, but not yet as a reliable spirometer.
Psychiatric and Neuropsychological Abnormalities in Huntington's Disease: A Case Study

The authors describe an atypical presentation of Huntington's disease in a 55-year-old woman who manifested essentially psychotic and cognitive symptoms. A positive family history of Huntington's disease and DNA analysis helped to establish the diagnosis. The patient's psychotic symptoms improved with risperidone. The psychiatric and cognitive symptoms of Huntington's disease are reviewed.
Unusual aetosaur armor from the Upper Triassic of West Texas, U.S.A.

We report two unusual aetosaur scutes from the Tecovas Member of the Dockum Formation, Chinle Group (upper Carnian) of Crosby County, Texas, U.S.A. Originally collected by University of Michigan expeditions in the 1920’s, these scutes cannot be assigned with certainty to any known species of aetosaurs known from the American Southwest. One of these scutes may be a cervical horn ofParatypothorax, and if so confirms the similarities of this aetosaur toDesmatosuchus in the possession of horned lateral spikes. The other is a paramedian scute of a new aetosaur taxon inadequately known at present to be assigned a formal name. These scutes indicate that aetosaurs were more diverse in the Chinle Group than currently known, but do not alter the robust Late Triassic biochronology based on aetosaurs.
A Compensated Dollar

A dollar constant in purchasing power is needed, 214. — The purchasing power of gold varies, 215. — The plan for a compensated dollar, 217. —The use of index numbers, 220. — No change in coinage, 222. — "Brassage" and redemption-bullion, 22. — Two prices of gold, m int-price and redemption-price, 227. — The plan briefly summarized, 228. — Illustration of its working if it had been adopted in 1897, 22.
Computational Free Energy Studies of a New Ice Polymorph Which Exhibits Greater Stability than Ice Ih

The absolute free energies of several ice polymorphs were calculated using thermodynamic integration. These polymorphs are predicted by computer simulations using a variety of common water models to be stable at low pressures. A recently discovered ice polymorph that has as yet only been observed in computer simulations (Ice-i) was determined to be the stable crystalline state for all the water models investigated. Phase diagrams were generated, and phase coexistence lines were determined for all of the known low-pressure ice structures. Additionally, potential truncation was shown to play a role in the resulting shape of the free energy landscape.
Biomarkers of Tobacco Smoke Exposure and Asthma Severity in Adults

Background Tobacco biomarkers including serum cotinine and urinary 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) have been used in research settings. Purpose The goal of the study was to examine the association of cotinine and NNAL with asthma outcomes in the U.S. adult population. Methods A cross-sectional design was used, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007–2008, with participants aged >20 years with self-reported asthma (N=456). Past-year asthma exacerbations and emergency room/urgent care visits for asthma were examined. Analyses were conducted in 2013. Results Among adult asthmatics, 50.3% reported a past-year asthma attack (61.8% smokers, 46.6% nonsmokers, p =0.029). Among these, 24.7% reported a past-year emergency/urgent visit for asthma (34.7% smokers, 20.1% nonsmokers, p =0.034). Median concentrations of cotinine and creatinine-adjusted NNAL (NNAL/Cr) were significantly higher in those with a past-year asthma attack (0.43 ng/mL and 7.28 pg/mL) than in those without (0.06 ng/mL and 2.26 pg/mL), and highest in those with past-year emergency/urgent visits (0.93 ng/mL and 28.14 pg/mL). Among nonsmokers, increasing levels of log cotinine or log NNAL/Cr, adjusted for demographics, were significantly associated with past-year asthma exacerbation (log cotinine OR=1.46 [95% CI=1.1, 1.92]; log NNAL/Cr OR=1.42 [95% CI=1.07, 1.88]) and past-year emergency/urgent visit (log cotinine OR=1.95 [95% CI=1.32, 2.88]; log NNAL/Cr OR=1.58 [95% CI=1.23, 2.02]). Among smokers, increasing biomarker levels were not significantly associated with either outcome. Conclusions In a population-based cross-sectional analysis, increased cotinine and NNAL were found to be associated with asthma exacerbation and healthcare use in nonsmokers with asthma. If these findings are confirmed in prospective studies, these biomarkers might be candidates for clinical indicators of risk of asthma.
Left adrenal vein localization by 3D real-time volume-rendering CTA before laparoscopic nephrectomy in living renal donors.

Background: We investigated whether the left adrenal vein could be consistently localized on three-dimensional (3D) real-time volume-rendering computed tomographic angiographic (CTA) mapping in a group of living renal donors before laparoscopic nephrectomy.
Thermal effects of thrust faulting

Abstract Calculations based on simple models of overthrust sheets in crystalline basement rocks show that significant thermal effects may result from their movements. If rates are sufficiently high (e.g. plate tectonic rates), the thrust sheets sufficiently thick (5, 10 and 15 km are modelled here), the distances moved sufficiently large, and for reasonable values of the coefficient of friction along the thrust plane overthrusting can cause metamorphic mineral zonations and heat flow anomalies observable in the field. Regions where large-scale overthrusting has occurred should be characterized by a decrease with depth of grade of metamorphic mineral assemblages and anomalously low heat flow. The theoretical effects are presented as a series of maximum temperature vs. depth and heat flow vs. time plots.
Characteristics Of A Developer For Spray Puddle Develop Processes

This paper studies the requirements for, and the performance of, a developer suitable for spray puddle develop processes. The surface tension of the developer has to be lowered, by adding a surfactant, to avoid "pullback" of the developer during puddling. It is shown that this develop process is sensitive to a variety of parameters due to the effect of resist loading on the surface tension of the developer. Optimization of a spray puddle develop process has been done for AZ1500, AZ1300, AZP4000 and AZ5200 resists. Results include dose requirements, exposure latitude and across wafer linewidth uniformity for the optimized develop cycle. A response surface analysis on the exposure and focus latitudes in spray puddle develop mode has been done. It has been observed that the developer also affects the thermal characteristics of a photoresist. This study shows that the surfactant added does not degrade the thermal stability or any other performance parameters of resists and does not cause reticulation of the resist during plasma etch. This developer can be used in spray and batch mode too.
Intensity modulated proton therapy for craniospinal irradiation: organ-at-risk exposure and a low-gradient junctioning technique.

Purpose To compare field junction robustness and sparing of organs at risk (OARs) during craniospinal irradiation (CSI) using intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) to conventional passively scattered proton therapy (PSPT). Methods and Materials Ten patients, 5 adult and 5 pediatric patients, previously treated with PSPT-based CSI were selected for comparison. Anterior oblique cranial fields, using a superior couch rotation, and posterior spinal fields were used for IMPT planning. To facilitate low-gradient field junctioning along the spine, the inverse-planning IMPT technique was divided into 3 stages. Dose indices describing target coverage and normal tissue dose, in silico error modeling, and film dosimetry were used to assess plan quality. Results Field junction robustness along the spine was improved using the staged IMPT planning technique, reducing the worst case impact of a 4-mm setup error from 25% in PSPT to Conclusions IMPT has the potential to improve CSI plan quality and the homogeneity of intrafractional dose at match lines. The IMPT approach developed may also simplify treatments and reduce workload per patient relative to PSPT.
Water’s Role in Reshaping a Macrocycle’s Binding Pocket: Infrared and Ultraviolet Spectroscopy of Benzo-15-crown-5−(H2O)n and 4′-aminobenzo-15-crown-5−(H2O)n, n = 1, 2

Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), resonant two-photon ionization (R2PI), ultraviolet hole-burning (UVHB), resonant ion-dip infrared (RIDIR), and infrared-infrared ultraviolet hole-burning (IR−IR−UV) spectroscopies were carried out on benzo-15-crown-5 ether−(H2O)n (B15C−(H2O)n) and 4′-amino-benzo-15-crown-5 ether−(H2O)n (ABC−(H2O)n) clusters with n = 1,2 formed in a supersonic expansion. Two isomers of B15C−(H2O)1 with S0−S1 origins at 35 628 and 35 685 cm−1 (B15C−(H2O)1(A) and B15C−(H2O)1(B), respectively) were identified and, on the basis of the combined evidence from the single-isomer UV and IR spectra, assigned to structures in which the H2O molecule donates both its OH groups to H-bonds to the crown oxygens. Both isomers share the same open, chairlike Cs symmetry structure for the crown ether that exposes the crown oxygen lone pairs to binding to H2O on the interior of the crown. This crown conformation is not among those represented in the observed conformers in the absence of the H2O molecule, indic...
Research on Roll Force for Variable Gauge Rolling

The production of materials saving products such as Longitude Profile plates (LP plate) and Tailor Rolled Blanks (TRB) needs to solve the problem of the calculation of variable gauge rolling (VGR) parameters. It has been proved that Karman differential equation of force equilibrium for simple rolling is a special case of VGR equations when vy＝0. Differential equations of force equilibrium for both upwards rolling and downwards rolling were solved and the rolling pressure distribution function for VGR was got in this paper. Finally, details of a set of experiments were presented and the theoretical model of rolling force was proved to be reasonable.
A composite technicolor standard model of quarks

Abstract We discuss the difficulties with anomaly constraints and flavor breaking involved in building a composite technicolor standard model. We construct a model of quarks with the required symmetry properties.
Training the Evidence-Based Practitioner: University of Western States Document on Standards and Competencies

An important goal of chiropractic clinical education should be to teach specific evidence-based practice (EBP) skills to chiropractic students, interns, and doctors. Using a nominal group process, the authors produced a document similar to the Council of Chiropractic Education standards for clinical competencies that can be used to drive an EBP curriculum. Standard texts and journal articles were consulted to create the standards for this program and each standard and corresponding learning objective was discussed in detail and was then graded by the committee in terms of importance and the level of competency that should be attained. Six standards and 31 learning objectives were generated with the learning objectives being further divided into lists of specific competencies. It is the hope of these authors that by sharing this document it can serve as a comprehensive and detailed seed document for other institutions.
Effects of non-electrolyte molecules with anesthetic activity on the physical properties of DMPC multilammelar liposomes

Abstract The effects of 13 non-electrolytes with moderate anesthetic potency on the order of DMPC liposomes were examined. Changes in order were monitored by steady-state fluorescence polarization techniques using 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) and 1-(4-trimethylammoniumphenyl)-6-phenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (TMA-DPH). At 30°C, all of the compounds tested decreased the DPH steady-state anisotropy (rs), with potencies highly correlated to their oil/water partition coefficients. However, only the most hydrophobic anesthetics decreased TMA-DPH rs. Some of the most hydrophilic compounds, including ethanol and urethane, actually increased TMA-DPH rs, suggestive of an increase in membrane order. The concept of selectivity was borrowed from partitioning theory and used to explain some effects on anesthetic potency of decreasing temperatures to 18°C. In the gel as opposed to the liquid crystalline phase, selectivity for decreasing membrane order (as monitored by DPH) markedly increased, suggesting that anesthetic partitioning and/or the site of anesthetic action was occurring in a more hydrophobic domain. The solute-independent difference (or capacity) between two membranes for perturbation was defined as membrane sensitivity. Sensitivity appeared to also decrease with decreasing temperature, despite the decrease in membrane partitioning. This effect is thought to result from the selective delivery of the anesthetic solute to the membrane interior and away from more hydrophilic domains where anesthetics may order membrane structure.
Synthesis and Characterization of Organically Soluble Cu-Doped ZnS Nanocrystals with Br Co-activator

Fluorescent, organically soluble Cu and Br codoped ZnS nanocrystals (NCs) were synthesized and characterized for the potential application of AC electroluminescent (EL) lighting devices. The doped NCs were optically characterized using UV–vis, photoluminescence (PL), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and time-resolved PL spectroscopy, and structurally characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS). The PL emission of the undoped ZnS NCs upon λex = 280 nm was broad with a peak in the range of 450–470 nm, depending on the preparation of the NCs. Upon doping ZnS NCs with Cu, the PL emission was increased slightly with little change in spectral features. When Br dopant was added in addition to Cu, the codoped ZnS NCs showed much stronger PL emission (∼5 × ) compared to the undoped or Cu-doped sample. In conjunction with time-resolved PL results, this enhanced emission is attributed to a donor–acceptor (D–A) type of transition, between the Br el...
Model peptide studies of sequence repeats derived from the intracrystalline biomineralization protein, SM50. II. Pro,Asn-rich tandem repeats.

In the biomineralization process, a number of Pro-rich proteins participate in the formation of three-dimensional supramolecular structures. One such protein superfamily, the Pro,Gly-rich sea urchin intracrystalline spicule matrix proteins, form protein-protein supramolecular assemblies that modify the microstructure of the inorganic mineral phase (calcite) within embryonic sea urchin spicules and adult sea urchin spines. These proteins represent a useful model for understanding Pro sequence usage and the resulting generation of extended or "open" structures for protein-protein and/or protein-crystal recognition. In the sea urchin spicule matrix protein, SM50 (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus), there exists an unusual 20-residue Pro,Asn-containing repeat, bPNNPNNPNPNNPNNPNNPNPbond which links the upstream 15-residue C-terminal domain and the downstream 211-residue beta-spiral repeat domain. To define the structural preferences of this 20-residue repeat, we created a 20-residue N- and C-terminal "capped" peptidomimetic of this sequence. Using far-uv CD dichroism, CH(alpha) and alpha-(15)N conformational shifts, (3)J(NH-CHalpha) coupling constants, sequential d(NN(i, i + 1)) rotating frame nuclear Overhauser effect connectivities, d(alphaN(i, i + 1))/d(NN(i, i + 1)) intensity ratios, amide temperature shift coefficients, amide solvent exchange, and simulated annealing refinement protocols, we have determined that this 20-residue repeat motif adopts an extended "twist" structure consisting of turn- and coil-like regions. These findings are consistent with previous studies, which have shown that Pro-rich tandem repeats adopt extended, flexible structures in solution. We hypothesize that this 20-residue repeat may fulfill the role of a mineral-binding domain, a protein-protein docking domain, or as an internal "molecular spacer" for the SM50 protein during spicule biocomposite formation.
Do all bridges collapse? Possibilities for democracy in the European Union

It is tempting, but wrong, to infer from the failures of the EU draft constitution that all reforms based on increasing citizen participation in the European Union are doomed to fail. Andrew Moravcsik’s trenchant dismissal of the constitutional project commits this error. Moravcsik’s sweeping claims, based on what he calls empirical social science, speak well beyond the evidence on democratic institutional innovations. Participatory measures such as consultative Citizens’ Assemblies may articulate a citizens’ perspective that can help to anchor the democratic legitimacy of the EU. We do not know if such innovations can resolve the problems of the democratic deficit, but we do know that empirical social science has not spoken decisively on the issue. It is worth examining their democratic potential rather than dismissing them outright.
Membrane Redox State and Apoptosis: Death by Peroxide

Membrane redox state is governed by the complex interplay between oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids and lipophilic antioxidants. In this issue of Cell Metabolism, Seiler et al. (2008) show that a lipid oxidase, 12/15-lipoxygenase, and a membrane antioxidant enzyme, glutathione peroxidase-4, interact to regulate a novel redox-dependent cell death pathway.
Sharp Interface Cavitation Modeling Using Volume-of-Fluid and Level Set Methods

A sharp interface cavitation modeling methodology is presented. A simplified Rayleigh-Plesset equation is used to obtain the phase change rate from the local pressure. The phase change rate is expressed as mass flux jump conditions. The phase interface is tracked using a second-order volume-of-fluid method with a constructed level set function. The interface normal velocity jump is extended into the flow field using a fast marching method. A ghost fluid method is used to prevent difficulties computing high-order derivatives near the interface. Two separate intermediate velocity fields from the momentum equation are solved considering the velocity jump conditions. Some preliminary results will be demonstrated to show the promise of the present approach.© 2013 ASME
Empirical data about women's attitudes towards a hypothetical pediatric biobank.

Researchers at the University of Chicago sought institutional review board (IRB) approval to establish both an obstetrical biobank (Chicago Lying-in Pregnancy Program [CLIPP]) and a pediatric biobank (KidsGene). Before KidsGene was approved, the IRB requested additional ethical review. The research ethics consultation service noted that no empirical data existed about parental attitudes towards this type of project. Postpartum women 18 years or older who delivered at the University of Chicago Hospitals and had live infants on the General Care Nursery service were approached about participating in a survey about the CLIPP biobank and about a hypothetical pediatric biobank. Two hundred thirty-nine women were consented and completed most or all of the survey. Eighty-two percent self-classified as Black and seven percent were Caucasians. Caucasians were the most willing to enroll their children hypothetically into a pediatric biobank with non-Black minorities being the most uncertain about what they would do. Almost half of the women thought that the research had the main goal of advancing science although a similar number expressed the belief that the research had the main goal of helping their individual child. Women supported use of the samples for a wide array of pediatric conditions. Comprehension of research practices, trust in medical researchers, and a belief that the research findings would be used fairly correlated with enrollment. Our survey found that most women support biobank development for research purposes. Most respondents expressed optimism that the results will yield significant benefits and that the benefits will be distributed fairly. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The wrinkle‐like slip pulse is not important in earthquake dynamics

[1] A particular solution for slip on an interface between different elastic materials, the wrinkle-like slip pulse, propagates in only one direction with reduced normal compressive stress. More general solutions, and natural earthquakes, need not share those properties. In a 3D dynamic model with a drop in friction and heterogeneous initial stress, the wrinkle-like slip pulse is only a small part of the solution. Rupture propagation is determined primarily by the potential stress drop, not by the wrinkle-like slip pulse. A 2D calculation with much finer resolution shows that energy loss to friction might not be significantly reduced in the wrinkle-like slip pulse.
Drop-weight impact tests and finite element modeling of cast acrylic/aluminum plates

As an extension of a previous study [1], drop-weight impact tests on cast acrylic (PMMA) plates reinforced by aluminum face sheets were carried out using an instrumented drop weight impact tester. The PMMA and aluminum layers were adhered by epoxy cured at room temperature. Depending on the impact velocity and the type of top surface (acrylic or aluminum) struck by the impactor, damage caused by impact included partial or full delamination at the interface and radial cracks in the acrylic layer. The higher the impact velocity, the more damage was induced. More severe damage occurred if the bi-layer plate was impacted on the aluminum side. The ultrasonic C-scan technique was adopted to detect the damage. The pulse-echo technique with a focused transducer provided very good C-scan results for detecting damage patterns. The transducer with higher frequency gave better resolution and showed more details of damage. Finally, the finite element program, LS-DYNA, implemented with maximum strength criterion for radial cracking and mixed mode strength criterion for interfacial fracture, was used to simulate the drop weight impact tests. Impact force history, energy partition and delamination were predicted assuming various boundary conditions according to experimental results. The finite element simulations were in very good agreement with the experimental data.
Filipin and digitonin studies of cell membrane changes during junction breakdown in the dystrophic rat retinal pigment epithelium

We have previously found that a breakdown of tight junctions in retinal pigment epithelial cells of Royal College of Surgeons' rats is associated with a redistribution of intramembrane particles and Na-K-ATPase activity. Changes in the lipid and sterol composition of membranes can alter their fluidity, permeability and enzyme activity, and may contribute to changes in cell barrier function in the dystrophic epithelium. We have now used filipin and digitonin, which bind to membrane sterols and produce membrane deformations recognizable by freeze-fracture and thin-section electron microscopy, to study the distribution of cholesterol and related 3-B-hydroxysterols in the dystrophic epithelium. The results of these studies show that in the normal pigment epithelium and prior to tight junction breakdown in the dystrophic epithelium, filipinand digitoninsterol complexes are rare in the membranes between tight junctions and adhering junctions, and in areas of attachment between the plasma membrane and basal lami...
Amino Acid Control of Stable RNA Synthesis in Friend Leukemia Cells in Relation to Intracellular Purine Nucleoside Triphosphate Levels

Histidinol is known to cause deacylation of histidyl-tRNA in cultured mammalian cells, thereby producing a functional deprivation of histidine. Such deprivation of an essential amino acid is known to produce various effects, including inhibition of tRNA synthesis and of nucleolar RNA synthesis and processing. It has been proposed [Grummt, F. & Grummt, I. (1976) Eur. J. Biochem. 64, 307-312] that this response to amino acid deprivation is mediated by decreases in GTP and ATP pool sizes caused by a deacylated-tRNA-dependent hydrolysis of GTP. In contrast, we find that Friend leukemia cells treated with histidinol show no significant changes in GTP or ATP pool sizes, although this treatment does produce the expected inhibition of rRNA and tRNA synthesis.
Ventricular interaction quantified with a novel multi‐scale cardiovascular model

Ventricular interaction (VI) in the heart is the influence of function of one ventricle on the other. To investigate VI, a novel multi-scale model of the canine cardiovascular system was developed. Multiple beats of a normal heart were simulated, followed by pulmonary artery constriction (PAC). VI was quantified by computing ventricular co-compliances, i.e. the volumic changes in each ventricle due to a pressure change in the other ventricle (CRL = dVR/dPL and CLR = dVL/dPR). CLR and CRL varied throughout the cardiac cycles. After PAC, diastolic values changed acutely from –5.7 to –6.5 ml/mmHg, due to an abrupt change in VI. The model is likely to be useful in investigating VI, among others, in many clinical settings. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Adaptive SVD algorithm for covariance matrix eigenstructure computation

An adaptive algorithm is presented for covariance matrix eigenstructure computation based on the updated computation of the SVD (singular value decomposition) of a data matrix formed with the received data vectors appended as columns. Simulation results show that the algorithm is successful in tracking the eigenstructure of a time-varying covariance matrix in a nonstationary environment. The advantage of the algorithm is that it uses the data vectors X/sub i/ at each iteration to update the eigenstructure instead of a rank one matrix update, thus avoiding the need to double the dynamic range necessary for a given numerical accuracy. The computations for the algorithm are easily mapped on existing systolic arrays with some modifications. >
RNA in evolution

RNA has played a variety of roles in the evolutionary history of life on the Earth. While this molecule was once considered a poor cousin of the more influential polymers in the cell, namely DNA and proteins, a string of important discoveries over the last 50 years has revealed that RNA may in fact be the cornerstone of biological function. In particular, the finding that RNA can be catalytic, and thus possess both a genotype and a phenotype, has forced us to consider the possibility that life's origins began with RNA, and that the subsequent diversification of life is aptly described as a string of innovations by RNA to adapt to a changing environment. Some of these adaptations include riboswitches, ribonucleoproteins (RNPs), RNA editing, and RNA interference (RNAi). Although many of these functions may seem at first glance to be recent evolutionary developments, it may be the case that all of their catalytic activities trace their roots back to a primordial 'RNA World' some four billion years ago, and that RNA's diversity has a continuous thread that pervades life from its very origins.
Evidence-Based Caries, Risk Assessment, and Treatment

Dental caries is a dietary and host-modified biofilm disease process, transmissible early in life that, if left untreated, will cause destruction of dental hard tissues. If allowed to progress, the disease will result in the development of caries lesions on tooth surfaces, which initially are noncavitated (eg, white spots), and eventually can progress to cavitation. The "medical model," where the etiologic disease-driving agents are balanced against protective factors, in combination with risk assessment, offers the possibility of patient-centered disease prevention and management before there is irreversible damage done to the teeth. This article discusses how to use evidence supporting risk assessment and management strategies for the caries process.
Reduction of Pedestrian Fatalities, Injuries, Conflicts, and Other Surrogate Measures in Miami–Dade, Florida: Results of Large-Scale FHWA Project

The purpose of this study was to identify and evaluate measures to reduce pedestrian deaths and injuries along high-crash corridors in Miami-Dade County, Florida, by targeting engineering countermeasures toward specific high-crash locations and zones. With pedestrian crash data from 1996 to 2006, eight corridors were identified within the county as having abnormally high numbers of pedestrian crashes. On the basis of crash characteristics, 14 different engineering treatments were implemented to reduce pedestrian crashes along the specific corridors. A before-and-after study was used to compare the sequential implementation of a 3-year large-scale NHTSA project that focused primarily on education and enforcement components followed by a large-scale FHWA engineering countermeasure project that was added to the NHTSA project along specific corridors. Results showed that the NHTSA pedestrian safety project reduced countywide pedestrian crash rates by 13.3% along the targeted corridors, and the FHWA engineerin...
Generalization Error Analysis for FDR Controlled Classification

The false discovery rate (FDR) and false nondiscovery rate (FNDR) have received considerable attention in the literature on multiple testing. These performance measures are also appropriate for classification, and in this work we develop generalization error bounds for FDR and FNDR from the perspective of statistical learning theory. Unlike more conventional classification performance measures, the empirical FDR and FNDR are not binomial random variables but rather a ratio of binomials, which introduces several challenges not addressed in conventional analyses. We develop distribution-free uniform deviation bounds and apply these, in conjunction with the Borel-Cantelli lemma, to obtain a strongly consistent learning rule.
A pilot study identifying statin nonadherence with visit-to-visit variability of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol

Nonadherence to cardiovascular medications such as statins is a common, important problem. Clinicians currently rely on intuition to identify medication nonadherence. The visit-to-visit variability (VVV) of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol might represent an opportunity to identify statin nonadherence with greater accuracy. We examined the clinical and pharmacy data from 782 members of the Boston Medical Center Health Plan, seen at either the Boston Medical Center or its affiliated community health centers, who were taking statins and had ≥3 LDL cholesterol measurements from 2008 to 2011. The LDL cholesterol VVV (defined by the within-patient SD) was categorized into quintiles. Multivariate logistic regression models were generated with statin nonadherence (defined by the standard 80% pharmacy refill-based medication possession ratio threshold) as the dependent variable. The proportion of statin nonadherence increased across the quintiles of LDL cholesterol VVV (64.3%, 71.2%, 89.2%, 92.3%, 91.7%). Higher quintiles of LDL cholesterol VVV had a strong positive association with statin nonadherence, with an adjusted odds ratio of 3.4 (95% confidence interval 1.7 to 7.1) in the highest versus lowest quintile of LDL cholesterol VVV. The age- and gender-adjusted model had poor discrimination (C-statistic 0.62, 95% confidence interval 0.57 to 0.67), but the final adjusted model (age, gender, race, mean LDL cholesterol) demonstrated good discrimination (C-statistic 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.71 to 0.79) between the adherent and nonadherent patients. In conclusion, the VVV of LDL cholesterol demonstrated a strong association with statin nonadherence in a clinic setting. Furthermore, a VVV of LDL cholesterol-based model had good discrimination characteristics for statin nonadherence. Research is needed to validate and generalize these findings to other populations and biomarkers.
Evaluation of high speed LAN protocols as multimedia carriers

The complexity of multimedia applications, which integrate a variety of information sources, such as audio, voice, graphics, images, animation, and full-motion video, into a wide range of applications, stresses all the components of computer and communication systems. Many new ideas have been proposed and implemented for advanced LAN (Local Area Network) protocols in order to support multimedia networking. In this paper we study three recently proposed high speed LAN protocols including the 100 Base-T Fast Ethernet, the Ethernet++, and the 100 VG-AnyLAN. We also propose a new enhancement for the 100 VG-AnyLAN. For these four protocol, we describe their design methodology, strengths, weaknesses, and compare their performance in supporting multimedia communications including both real-time and non-real-time traffic. We believe that the results and discussions presented here provide important information for network designers and engineers when designing or deciding network protocols for multimedia systems.
Analysis of the dielectric response of thermosets during isothermal and nonisothermal cure

Using dielectric techniques to monitor thermoset properties on-line during processing requires a mathematical relationship between the experimentally obtained signals and the physical state of the polymer. Such a relationship accounting for the dielectric response during both isothermal and dynamic cure experiments is developed in this study. Ionic conductivity changes with cure were described using the Keinle-Race expression, while an approach taken by Lane, Bachmann, and Seferis for modeling dipolar relaxation during isothermal cure was extended to nonisothermal cure conditions. Both of these approaches were combined in this study, providing a complete description of the dielectric changes occurring in thermosetting systems resulting from cure. Experimental results for a model epoxy/amine system were predicted with the developed methodology for isothermal cure at 140°C, 150°C, 160°C, and 170°C and cure under dynamic heating conditions at 1°C per minute.
PathMAPA: a tool for displaying gene expression and performing statistical tests on metabolic pathways at multiple levels for Arabidopsis.

Background To date, many genomic and pathway-related tools and databases have been developed to analyze microarray data. In published web-based applications to date, however, complex pathways have been displayed with static image files that may not be up-to-date or are time-consuming to rebuild. In addition, gene expression analyses focus on individual probes and genes with little or no consideration of pathways. These approaches reveal little information about pathways that are key to a full understanding of the building blocks of biological systems. Therefore, there is a need to provide useful tools that can generate pathways without manually building images and allow gene expression data to be integrated and analyzed at pathway levels for such experimental organisms as Arabidopsis.