cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of irrigation sources on ammonia-oxidizing bacterial communities in a managed turf-covered aridisol

Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) perform the rate-limiting step of nitrification, a key process in the global nitrogen cycle. In this study, chemical factors controlling AOB activity, diversity, and composition in a turfgrass-covered aridisol irrigated with groundwater, Colorado River water, or reclaimed wastewater were examined. Activity of AOB contributed an average of 96% of potential nitrification activity in four soils examined, and this activity correlated positively with ammonium concentration and negatively with salinity of the irrigation water. AOB abundance, as determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, also correlated positively with ammonium concentration in the irrigation water but negatively with soil salinity. Characterization of AOB communities by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis showed the presence in every soil of AOB taxa, most commonly found in high-ammonia environments. The soil with the fewest years of management had the least diverse AOB population, compared to the other three soils, and much lower specific nitrification activity. This soil was irrigated with highly saline Colorado River water, which likely exerted acute negative effects on the activity of AOB. In summary, this study revealed that, although AOB activity and growth responded positively to ammonium availability in irrigation water, the salinity of the water and soil had strong negative effects on these aspects of the AOB community.
Characterization and Comparison of Antioxidant Properties and Bioactive Components of Virginia Soybeans

Nine Virginia soybeans grown in a single location were evaluated and compared for their antioxidant properties and isoflavone profiles. The total phenolic content (TPC) in the soybean extracts was significantly different among different genotypes. The V01-4937, V03-1144, and MFS-511 soybeans had the highest TPC values of 3.89, 3.63, and 3.53 mg of gallic acid equiv/g of seeds, respectively. The isoflavone composition was also different among the different soybean varieties. Malonylgenistin was the major isoflavone in all soybean seeds, accounting for 75-83% of the total measured isoflavones. The V01-4937 variety had the highest total isoflavones and malonylgenistin content followed by the V03-5794. The antioxidant activities of the soybean extracts were also significantly different. V01-4937 and Teejay showed the strongest ORAC values, which were 70% higher than that of the V00-3493 soybean, which had the lowest ORAC value (115.7 micromol of Trolox equiv/g of seeds). However, their ORAC values were correlated with neither TPC nor total isoflavone content. The MFS-511, V01-4937, and Teejay soybeans had the highest DPPH radical scavenging activities of 4.94, 4.78, and 4.64 micromol of Trolox equiv/g of seeds. Overall, the V01-4937 soybean stood out among the tested Virginia soybeans with regard to having the highest TPC, ORAC value, and isoflavone content as well as the second highest DPPH scavenging activity.
Ultrasound demonstration of masses in a 15 week fetus: hydrops in a fetus with umbilical cord occlusion.

A fetal abnormality detected at 15 weeks by ultrasound consisted of cystic appearing masses in the neck and back region. The differential diagnosis included gonadal dysgenesis (Turner's syndrome) with cystic hygroma, neural tube defect, e.g. encephalocele or meningomyelocele, and fetal hydrops. Intrauterine fetal demise occurred at 17 weeks. The fetus had marked edema possibly related to umbilical cord occlusion.
Atomic force microscopy characterization of room-temperature adlayers of small organic molecules through graphene templating.

We report on the use of graphene templating to investigate the room-temperature structure and dynamics of weakly bound adlayers at the interfaces between solids and vapors of small organic molecules. Monolayer graphene sheets are employed to preserve and template molecularly thin adlayers of tetrahydrofuran (THF) and cyclohexane on atomically flat mica substrates, thus permitting a structural characterization of the adlayers under ambient conditions through atomic force microscopy. We found the first two adlayers of both molecules adsorb in a layer-by-layer fashion, and atomically flat two-dimensional islands are observed for both the first and the second adlayers. THF adlayers form initially as rounded islands but, over a period of weeks, evolve into faceted islands, suggesting that the adlayers possess both liquid and solid properties at room temperature. Cyclohexane adlayers form crystal-like faceted islands and are immobile under the graphene template. The heights of the second adlayers of THF and cyclohexane are measured to be 0.44 ± 0.02 and 0.50 ± 0.02 nm, respectively, in good agreement with the layer thicknesses in the monoclinic crystal structure of THF and the Phase I “plastic crystal” structure of cyclohexane. The first adlayers appear slightly thinner for both molecules, indicative of interactions of the molecules with the mica substrate.
The Home They Live In: Inner City Children's Views on the Influence of Parenting Strategies on Their Leisure Behavior

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into how parenting strategies affect African-American children's leisure experiences in socially isolated urban neighborhoods. From the perspective of children, we describe strategies used by their parents and families to combat constraints imposed by poverty and the physical risks in their neighborhood. Over a two-year period, 43 children were interviewed about their leisure experiences within the context of their family and neighborhood. Four themes regarding parenting strategies emerged from a qualitative analysis of the data: utilization of kinship networks, serving as arrangers of leisure activities, isolation and confinement, and chaperonage. These parenting strategies allowed some children to participate in mainstream leisure activities, despite risks present in their neighborhood. On the other hand, parental restrictions on children's social interactions with peers and others perceived to be undesirable curtailed the range of leisure for some children....
The NKG2D receptor: immunobiology and clinical implications

NK cells are critical components of our immune system functioning, in part, to recognize and then eradicate virally infected or tumorigenic cells without previous sensitization. One of the best-characterized activating receptors expressed on NK cells is the NKG2D receptor, which is capable of transmitting co-stimulatory signals by subsets of T cells. Viruses and tumors have evolved strategies to evade NKG2D-mediated immune recognition thus highlighting the importance of this receptor in immunity. This review will focus on the structure of NKG2D and its interaction with its diverse array of ligands, as well as highlighting current knowledge regarding NKG2D signal transduction and biological mechanisms that govern its cell surface expression. The impact that NKG2D has in disease pathologies is also assessed.
Physico-chemical properties of cholesterol-fed rabbit β-VLDL are not affected by different dietary oils

Various oils have been used as vehicles for cholesterol in diets used to produce atherosclerosis in rabbits. Because such oils may affect the physico-chemical properties of the beta-VLDL produced in response to cholesterol feeding, we have studied the physico-chemical characteristics of beta-VLDL isolated from cholesterol-fed rabbits using several different oils as vehicles (corn, safflower, cod liver, and peanut oils). All animals developed severe hypercholesterolemia by 2 weeks. During the second and third weeks on diet the apo beta-containing lipoproteins began to develop thermal transitions due to order-disorder cholesterol ester transitions in the lipoproteins. By 4 weeks the apo beta-containing lipoproteins (overwhelmingly beta-VLDL) had transitions which were quite similar (transition temperatures 41.0-42.5 degrees C). No statistical differences were noted between the transition temperatures or enthalpies of any of the dietary groups. Thus, the physico-chemical properties of the beta-VLDL of rabbits fed cholesterol appear to be quite similar, despite the vehicles used to carry the cholesterol in the diet. Thus other mechanisms must be looked for to explain the different atherogenicity of different oils used as cholesterol carrying vehicles.
Principles of analgesic drug therapy.

The drugs most often used for pain relief in animals are the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and the opioid analgesics. The NSAIDS are effective, inexpensive, and long-acting drugs, but their degree of analgesia is limited by the adverse effects at high doses. The most common adverse effect from NSAIDS is gastritis and gastrointestinal hemorrhage and ulceration. This is most common from high doses, or from using NSAIDS not appropriate for dogs such as ibuprofen or indomethacin. The NSAIDS used in dogs include aspirin, phenylbutazone, naproxen, piroxicam, ketoprofen, and carprofen. Carprofen is a new drug with a low incidence of side effects and its popularity is increasing at a fast rate. For more acute pain, especially acute pain from surgery or trauma, opioids are frequently administered. Opioids have the advantage of higher efficacy when the dose is increased. The incidence of adverse effects is low, but side effects of sedation are common. An important disadvantage of opioids is their short duration and low oral absorption, which necessitates a frequent injection or i.v. infusion for most patients. Recent studies have established other applications for administration of opioids such as a transdermal fentanyl patch. These applications offer new possibilities for convenient administration.
99mTc labeled VIP analog: evaluation for imaging colorectal cancer.

Abstract Early and reliable diagnosis of colorectal cancer continues to be demanding and challenging. Colorectal cancer cells express Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) receptors in high density. We have prepared a VIP analog (TP3654), labeled it with 99m Tc, and evaluated it in experimental animals as an agent for imaging colorectal cancer. The tissue distribution of 99m Tc-TP3654 has been compared with that of 111 In-DTPA-Octreotide and 99m Tc-anti-CEA scan in nude mice bearing human colorectal cancer LS174T. Finally, pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution studies of 99m Tc-TP3654 have been performed in four normal human volunteers. Data suggest that 99m Tc-TP3654 can be prepared efficiently without loss of its receptor specificity and biological activity. Although the 24 hr tumor uptake of 99m Tc-TP3654 in the animal model used was modest (0.21 ± 0.07% I.D./g), the tissue distribution profile was more favorable than that of 111 In-DTPA-Octreotide or 99m Tc-anti-CEA scan. Human studies indicated that 99m Tc-TP3654 had no adverse effect in any subject. Within 24 hours, approximately 70% of the injected dose cleared through the kidneys, and approximately 20% through the hepatobiliary system. In these non-fasting volunteers hepatobiliary clearance was slow and in cancer patients tumor uptake was rapid. Data suggest that 99m Tc-TP3654 is a promising agent for imaging colorectal cancer.
Family Cohesion and Its Relationship to Psychological Distress Among Latino Groups

This paper presents analyses of a representative sample of US Latinos (N=2540) to investigate whether family cohesion moderates the effects of cultural conflict on psychological distress. The results for the aggregated Latino group suggests a significant association between family cohesion and lower psychological distress and the combination of strong family cohesion with presence of family cultural conflict was associated with higher psychological distress. However, this association differed by Latino groups. We found no association for Puerto Ricans, Cuban results were similar to the aggregate group, family cultural conflict in Mexicans was associated with higher psychological distress, while family cohesion in Other Latinos was associated with higher psychological distress. Implications of these findings are discussed to unravel the differences in family dynamics across Latino subethnic groups.
Dynamic Tactile Diagram Simplification on Refreshable Displays

The increasing use of visual diagrams in educational and work environments, and even our daily lives, has created obstacles for individuals who are blind or visually impaired to independently access the information they represent. Although physical tactile pictures can be created to convey the visual information, it is typically a slow, cumbersome, and costly process. Refreshable haptic displays, which interact with computers, promise to make this access quicker, easier, and cheaper. One important aspect in converting visual to tactile diagrams is to simplify the diagram as otherwise it can be too difficult to interpret with touch. Enabling this to be under user control in an interactive environment, such as with refreshable displays, could allow users to avoid being overwhelmed by the diagrams at any instant in time while still retaining access to all information in “storage”. Through this article the authors investigate whether two types of diagram simplification—boundary simplification and contextual s...
Ontogenetic development of somatosensory thalamus. I. Morphogenesis.

Abstract Structural maturation of the somatosensory thalamus in several laboratory mammals has been studied with the use of the Golgi methods. The period covered extends from approximately 1 week before term to 90 days after birth with emphasis on the immediate postnatal period. Although all systems appear immature at birth, the data indicate that those ascending and descending axon systems playing upon the ventrobasal complex tend to mature more quickly than certain significant elements in the neuropil of the receptive field. Those elements are particularly the small dendritic structures (for example, excrescences, tufts, etc.) which enter into the formation of synaptic glomeruli and are probably involved in the dendrodendritic linkages which abound in this part of the thalamus. The possible significance of the earlier maturation of thalamopetal afferents compared to the intrinsic thalamic neuropil whose processing operations they modulate, is discussed.
Autobiography in science education: Greater objectivity through local knowledge

In our paper we argue that (1) autobiography ought to be considered both the telling of one's story and the using of that story with others to understand and use difference productively, and (2) autobiography (as telling and interacting) dismantles the universalistic tug of science and replaces it with a push for science as local knowledge. To accomplish this dual task, we share selective autobiographical accounts of lives (autobiography as telling), and then use these accounts to have a conversation about urban science education (autobiography as interacting). Following these autobiographical accounts we then discuss how our different stories apart and together provide a greater objective insight into what it means to come-to-know science.
Intensification of a triple-nucleoside regimen with tenofovir or efavirenz in HIV-1-infected patients with virological suppression.

Objective: To compare a quadruple-nucleoside with an efavirenz-containing regimen for treatment of HIV-1 infection. Design: A randomized, open-label study of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG). Methods: Subjects receiving zidovudine/lamivudine/abacavir on ACTG 5095 with HIV-1 RNA less than 200 copies/ml were randomly assigned to intensify either with tenofovir or efavirenz. Subjects were followed for time to treatment failure, defined as either virological failure or treatment discontinuation. Analyses were intent-to-treat. Results: One hundred and seventy subjects (21% women; 56% non-white) entered the study. At baseline, 95 and 73% had HIV-1-RNA levels less than 200 and 50 copies/ml, respectively; the median CD4 cell count was 453 cells/μl. Over a median 79 weeks follow-up, 165 (97%) completed the study, three (2%) discontinued, and two (1%) died. Treatment failure occurred in 31 subjects: 18 (21%) (quadruple nucleosides) and 13 (15%) (efavirenz-containing regimen); however the failure–time curves crossed and demonstrated a non-constant treatment effect over time, characterized by more early treatment failures on the efavirenz-containing regimen and more late treatment failures on the four-nucleoside regimen. HIV-1 RNA remained suppressed in more than 88% of subjects to less than 200 copies/ml and in more than 78% to less than 50 copies/ml at weeks 24, 48, and 72, without differences by treatment arm. There were no significant differences between the regimens in CD4 cell increases, time to new grade 3/4 adverse events, or adherence. Conclusion: The safety, tolerability, and efficacy of the four-nucleoside regimen were not significantly different from the efavirenz-containing regimen. These pilot data support further investigation of the quadruple-nucleoside regimen.
Dilute solution properties of a polyurethane. I. Linear polymers

A linear polyurethane of high molecular weight was prepared in solution by the polyaddition of equimolar amounts of ethylene glycol and methylene bis(4-phenyl isocyanate). The polymer was fractionated by using a direct sequential extraction procedure, with a solvent–nonsolvent system consisting of N,N′-dimethylformamide (DMF) and acetone (A). The resulting fractions were characterized by viscosity and lightscattering measurements. The relationship between the intrinsic viscosity and molecular weight was found in DMF at 25°C. to be [η] = 3.64 × 10−4M0.71. The unperturbed polymer chain dimensions were determined from intrinsic viscosity measurements carried out under experimentally determined theta conditions.
Effect of savings-led economic empowerment on HIV preventive practices among orphaned adolescents in rural Uganda: results from the Suubi-Maka randomized experiment.

Improving economic resources of impoverished youth may alter intentions to engage in sexual risk behaviors by motivating positive future planning to avoid HIV risk and by altering economic contexts contributing to HIV risk. Yet, few studies have examined the effect of economic-strengthening on economic and sexual behaviors of orphaned youth, despite high poverty and high HIV infection in this population. Hierarchal longitudinal regressions were used to examine the effect of a savings-led economic empowerment intervention, the Suubi-Maka Project, on changes in orphaned adolescents' cash savings and attitudes toward savings and HIV-preventive practices over time. We randomized 346 Ugandan adolescents, aged 10-17 years, to either the control group receiving usual orphan care plus mentoring (n = 167) or the intervention group receiving usual orphan care plus mentoring, financial education, and matched savings accounts (n = 179). Assessments were conducted at baseline, 12, and 24 months. Results indicated that intervention adolescents significantly increased their cash savings over time (b = $US12.32, ±1.12, p < .001) compared to adolescents in the control group. At 24 months post-baseline, 92% of intervention adolescents had accumulated savings compared to 43% in the control group (p < .001). The largest changes in savings goals were the proportion of intervention adolescents valuing saving for money to buy a home (ΔT1-T0 = +14.9, p < .001), pursue vocational training (ΔT1-T0 = +8.8, p < .01), and start a business (T1-T0 = +6.7, p < .01). Intervention adolescents also had a significant relative increase over time in HIV-preventive attitudinal scores (b = +0.19, ±0.09, p < .05), most commonly toward perceived risk of HIV (95.8%, n = 159), sexual abstinence or postponement (91.6%, n = 152), and consistent condom use (93.4%, n = 144). In addition, intervention adolescents had 2.017 significantly greater odds of a maximum HIV-prevention score (OR = 2.017, 95%CI: 1.43-2.84). To minimize HIV risk throughout the adolescent and young adult periods, long-term strategies are needed to integrate youth economic development, including savings and income generation, with age-appropriate combination prevention interventions.
Age-Associated Impairment in Brain MAPK Signal Pathways and the Effect of Caloric Restriction in Fischer 344 Rats

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) play important roles in cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Important functional roles for MAPKs in postmitotic cells have recently been suggested. In the present study, we investigated the effect of aging on the brain ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) and p38 MAPK signaling pathways of Fischer 344 rats. The results show that basal tyrosine-phosphorylated ERK1/ERK2 in cortex of 24-month-old rats was reduced by 36%-59%, compared to 6- and 12-month-old rats (p<.05, 24- vs. 12- or 6-month-old rats). Similarly, the phosphotransferase activities of ERK and p38 MAPK, measured by in vitro immunocomplex kinase assays using myelin basic protein (MBP) as substrate, were shown to be reduced approximately 50% and 59% respectively, in the cerebrocortex of 24-month-old rats (p<.01, 24- vs. 12- or 6-month-old rats). The reductions in basal ERK and p38 MAPK activities are not due to altered protein levels of these kinases as assessed by Western analysis. Immunohistochemically, no age-related differences in ERK expression and cellular distribution were observed However, cytosolic ERK tended to aggregate in brain neurons of aged rats. In contrast brain tyrosine-phosphorylated PLCgamma1 did not change with age. Activation of ERK in response to EGF or PMA was also reduced in cortical brain slices of 24-month-old rats. These results demonstrate an age-associated selective impairment in the MAPK signaling pathways. Moreover, lifelong caloric restriction completely prevented the age-related decrease in basal brain ERK activity and diminished the age-related reduction of p38 MAPK activity. Taken together, these data indicate that ERK and p38 MAPK signaling pathways are impaired in the aged brain and that lifelong caloric restriction modulates these defects in brain intracellular signaling pathways.
Measurement of Resistance and Impedances at High Frequencies

It is well known that the resistance of a conductor increases with frequency. At very high frequencies the usual method of measurement fail, especially if the unknown resistance is more than about one hundred ohms. In the following it is shown that the absolute value of the unknown impedance, when put across the end of a transmission line, is a simple function of the ratio of the currents, measured at the beginning and the end of a transmission line. This method has been tested out at a wavelength of 21.8 meters, measuring the resistance of a number of grid leaks and of a decade box. The a-c resistance was considerably higher than the labeled d-c value. At the same time, the shunted capacity across the resistors has been measured and valutes have been obtained, which agree with expectations. In general, this method lends itself to measurement of impedances of any kind; but it only gives the absolute value of the unknown impedance. However, by means of a known capacity or resistance, connected in series or in parallel with the impedance to be determined, the phase of the latter and, therefore, its real and imaginary components are found. At frequencies corresponding to wavelengths longer than 100 meters the line becomes rather long. In this case another method, as described in the second part of this paper, can be applied.
An Implicit Theories of Personality Intervention Reduces Adolescent Aggression in Response to Victimization and Exclusion

Adolescents are often resistant to interventions that reduce aggression in children. At the same time, they are developing stronger beliefs in the fixed nature of personal characteristics, particularly aggression. The present intervention addressed these beliefs. A randomized field experiment with a diverse sample of Grades 9 and 10 students (ages 14–16, n = 230) tested the impact of a 6-session intervention that taught an incremental theory (a belief in the potential for personal change). Compared to no-treatment and coping skills control groups, the incremental theory group behaved significantly less aggressively and more prosocially 1 month postintervention and exhibited fewer conduct problems 3 months postintervention. The incremental theory and the coping skills interventions also eliminated the association between peer victimization and depressive symptoms.
The Interaction of Oculomotor Cues and Stimulus Size in Stereoscopic Depth Constancy

In the natural world, observers perceive an object to have a relatively fixed size and depth over a wide range of distances. Retinal image size and binocular disparity are to some extent scaled with distance to give observers a measure of size constancy. The angle of convergence of the two eyes and their accommodative states are one source of scaling information, but even at close range this must be supplemented by other cues. We have investigated how angular size and oculomotor state interact in the perception of size and depth at different distances. Computer-generated images of planar and stereoscopically simulated 3-D surfaces covered with an irregular blobby texture were viewed on a computer monitor. The monitor rested on a movable sled running on rails within a darkened tunnel. An observer looking into the tunnel could see nothing but the simulated surface so that oculomotor signals provided the major potential cues to the distance of the image. Observers estimated the height of the surface, their distance from it, or the stereoscopically simulated depth within it over viewing distances which ranged from 45 cm to 130 cm. The angular width of the images lay between 2 deg and 10 deg. Estimates of the magnitude of a constant simulated depth dropped with increasing viewing distance when surfaces were of constant angular size. But with surfaces of constant physical size, estimates were more nearly independent of viewing distance. At any one distance, depths appeared to be greater, the smaller the angular size of the image. With most observers, the influence of angular size on perceived depth grew with increasing viewing distance. These findings suggest that there are two components to scaling. One is independent of angular size and related to viewing distance. The second component is related to angular size, and the weighting accorded to it grows with viewing distance. Control experiments indicate that in the tunnel, oculomotor state provides the principal cue to viewing distance. Thus, the contribution of oculomotor signals to depth scaling is gradually supplanted by other cues as viewing distance grows. Binocular estimates of the heights and distances of planar surfaces of different sizes revealed that angular size and viewing distance interact in a similar way to determine perceived size and perceived distance.
Predictors of spiritual struggles: an exploratory study

The purpose of the current study was to identify factors that predict spiritual struggles. It was hypothesised that factors from religious (e.g., God image, attachment to God, church attitudes, religious history), personal (e.g., neuroticism, pessimism, trait anger), social (e.g., social support, loneliness), and situational (e.g., negative appraisals) domains may predispose people to spiritual struggles during times of distress. Participants (309 undergraduate students) filled out questionnaires measuring relevant constructs and a two-step hierarchical multiple regression equation was generated separately for each of the four domains. Upon identifying significant predictors from each of the four domains, a final hierarchical regression equation revealed that: (1) more negative appraisals of a stressful situation, (2) an insecure ambivalent attachment to God, and (3) neuroticism significantly predicted unique variance in spiritual struggles beyond the effects of relevant religious variables, thus generall...
Analysis of space-charge wave propagation at semiconductor surface in an MIS structure

The space-charge wave guided along the surface of the semiconductor in a metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structure is analyzed by coupling the Maxwell's equations with the transport equations of the carriers. Numerical results on the propagation constant, carrier concentrations, and field distribution for the fundamental mode (TM) are presented. The numerical results indicate that the space charge has a strong screening effect on the transverse component of the electric field of the fundamental (TM) mode. The longitudinal component, however, is mainly governed by an energy dissipation effect resulting from the conduction current. >
Registered, Sensor-Integrated Virtual Reality for Surgical Applications

Image guidance is a technique that often uses virtual reality to provide accurate localization and real-time surgical navigation. Combining image guidance with a biosensor based on Raman spectroscopy, a powerful laser-based analysis technique, would provide a surgeon both a diagnosis of tissue being analyzed (e.g. cancer) and localization information displayed within an imaging modality of choice. A virtual reality-based presentation of this type of mutual and registered information could lead to faster diagnoses and enable more accurate tissue resections. For our system, a portable Raman probe was attached to a passively articulated mechanical arm and used to scan and classify objects within a phantom skull. We discuss the implementation of the integrated system, its accuracy, its visualization techniques, and the future steps for its development and eventual application.
The effect of a mild strain of latent mosaic virus X on yield of some of the new Potato varieties in Maine.

The reduction in yield from potato seed infected with virus X reported by several investigators varies from a very small amount to as high as 30 per cent. The reduction varies with the potato variety and the strain of virus X.
CMOS Integrated Single Electron Transistor Electrometry (CMOS-SET) Circuit Design for Nanosecond Quantum-Bit Read-out

Novel single electron transistor (SET) read-out circuit designs are described. The circuits use a silicon SET interfaced to a CMOS voltage mode or current mode comparator to obtain a digital read-out of the state of the qubit. The design assumes standard submicron (0.35 um) CMOS SOI technology using room temperature SPICE models. Implications and uncertainties related to the temperature scaling of these models to 100mK operation are discussed. Using this technology, the simulations predict a read-out operation speed of approximately Ins and a power dissipation per cell as low as 2nW for single-shot read-out, which is a significant advantage over currently used radio frequency SET (RF-SET) approaches.
Seizures after orthotopic liver transplantation

Orthotopic liver transplantation is the accepted treatment for endstage liver disease. In the US alone, more than 3000 patients receive liver transplants yearly distributed through more than 100 liver transplant programmes. Neurological complications occur in up to 47% of these patients. Among them, seizures are one of the most common. They tend to occur during the first few weeks after transplantation. Generalized seizures are the most frequently encountered. Their aetiology is usually multifactorial requiring a comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic approach. Seizures must be differentiated from a variety of behavioural and movement disorders. In this review article, the frequency and time of occurrence of seizures, their types and aetiology, diagnostic approaches and treatment are discussed.
The Toyota Production System Applied to the Upholstery Furniture Manufacturing Industry

There are five generally recognized manufacturing systems with Toyota Production System (TPS) being the most recent manufacturing system design. The TPS is functionally and operationally different from any other manufacturing system. The TPS uses less of everything when compared to the common functional job shop manufacturing system. In addition, the implementation of TPS by a manufacturer results in fewer defects; and therefore, an increase in quality. The fundamentals of the TPS are: manufacturing and assembly cells, pull system methodology, 100% good quality, on-time delivery every time, respect for people, and maximum utilization of non-depreciable resources—people and raw materials. The Toyota Production System uses its cellular manufacturing subsystem for increased productivity. The cellular manufacturing subsystem is flexible while designed to sproduce superior quality products, on-time, at the lowest possible cost, and on a continuous basis. This article reports the applied research utilized to co...
Multivariable model reference adaptive control without constraints on the high-frequency gain matrix

Stability is improved for a multivariable model reference adaptive control algorithm when the high-frequency gain matrix is unknown. Only an upper bound on the norm of the matrix is required. A transformation of the parameters, with a sort of 'hysteresis', is used to guarantee that a controller matrix, which is nominally the inverse of the high-frequency gain matrix, remains nonsingular. It is shown that all the signals in the adaptive system are bounded and that the tracking error and the regressor error converge to zero for all bounded reference inputs. Furthermore, exponential convergence is achieved when the regressor vector is persistently exciting. >
Elementary, My Dear Doctor Watson

> Mr. Watson – Come here – I want to see you. > > —Alexander Graham Bell, March 1876 Many readers will recognize these as the first words ever transmitted by telephone. The Watson on the other end of the line was Thomas A. Watson, Bell's assistant. Over a century later, we may soon be hearing these words again, this time at the hospital. But this time the Watson on the other end may not be a person but a machine: IBM's Watson, a state-of-the-art computer system capable of answering questions posed to it in natural human language. No one knows exactly what the arrival of the new Watson will mean for medicine, or for laboratory medicine in particular, but it is clear that change is coming, and coming soon enough to warrant speculation on what to expect. For most people, Watson entered popular consciousness on Valentine's Day 2011 with its now-legendary victory over human competitors on the TV game show Jeopardy! (1, 2). In a 3-day, nationally televised performance, Watson defeated the show's 2 greatest champions, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, prompting Jennings to quip, “I for one welcome our new computer overlords” (3). Watson's victory did not come out of the blue, however. It was the culmination of a 4-year, multimillion-dollar effort by a 25-member team as part of an IBM project called DeepQA (“question answering”) (3, 4). The project's goal: to build a computer system that can sort through massive amounts of data—terabytes, or hundreds of millions of Web pages, in the case of the Jeopardy! performance (3)—to answer virtually any question a human might ask, however he or she might ask it, instantly. Because the questions on Jeopardy! can be about anything, because they can involve puns, slang, and other wordplay, and because contestants have only seconds to answer them, winning on …
Premenstrual Symptoms and Perimenopausal Depression

OBJECTIVE: The role of ovarian steroids in both premenstrual dysphoria and perimenopausal depression has led to the suggestion that these conditions represent expressions of the same underlying disorder. Premenstrual mood symptoms were evaluated in women with perimenopause-related depression. METHOD: Self-reports and daily symptom ratings during one menstrual cycle were examined in 70 depressed perimenopausal women attending a menopause clinic and 35 nondepressed perimenopausal women. RESULTS: Twenty-six percent of the depressed and 9% of the nondepressed women reported premenstrual symptoms. Thirty-one percent of the depressed and 20% of the nondepressed women met criteria for significant menses-related symptom cyclicity (at least a 30% increase in the average ratings of at least two of four measured negative mood symptoms in the premenstrual versus the postmenstrual week); 5 of these depressed women and none of the comparison subjects described premenstrual symptoms on self-reports. Finally, 21% of the ...
Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Management of Primary Antibody Deficiencies and Infections

Summary: Primary antibody deficiencies are the most common primary immunodeficiency diseases. They are a heterogeneous group of disorders with various degrees of dysfunctional antibody production resulting from a disruption of B-cell differentiation at different stages. While there has been tremendous recent progress in the understanding of some of these disorders, the etiology remains unknown for the majority of patients. As there is a large spectrum of underlying defects, the age at presentation varies widely, and the clinical manifestations range from an almost complete absence of B cells and serum immunoglobulins to selectively impaired antibody responses to specific antigens with normal total serum immunoglobulin concentrations. However, all of these disorders share an increased susceptibility to infections, affecting predominantly the respiratory tract. A delay of appropriate treatment for some diseases can result in serious complications related to infections, while timely diagnosis and adequate therapy can significantly decrease morbidity and increase life expectancy and quality of life.
Phytochrome Signaling Mechanisms

Phytochromes are red (R)/far-red (FR) light photoreceptors that play fundamental roles in photoperception of the light environment and the subsequent adaptation of plant growth and development. There are five distinct phytochromes in Arabidopsis thaliana, designated phytochrome A (phyA) to phyE. phyA is light-labile and is the primary photoreceptor responsible for mediating photomorphogenic responses in FR light, whereas phyB-phyE are light stable, and phyB is the predominant phytochrome regulating de-etiolation responses in R light. Phytochromes are synthesized in the cytosol in their inactive Pr form. Upon light irradiation, phytochromes are converted to the biologically active Pfr form, and translocate into the nucleus. phyB can enter the nucleus by itself in response to R light, whereas phyA nuclear import depends on two small plant-specific proteins FAR-RED ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 1 (FHY1) and FHY1-LIKE (FHL). Phytochromes may function as light-regulated serine/threonine kinases, and can phosphorylate several substrates, including themselves in vitro. Phytochromes are phosphoproteins, and can be dephosphorylated by a few protein phosphatases. Photoactivated phytochromes rapidly change the expression of light-responsive genes by repressing the activity of CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1), an E3 ubiquitin ligase targeting several photomorphogenesis-promoting transcription factors for degradation, and by inducing rapid phosphorylation and degradation of Phytochrome-Interacting Factors (PIFs), a group of bHLH transcription factors repressing photomorphogenesis. Phytochromes are targeted by COP1 for degradation via the ubiquitin/26S proteasome pathway.
A family of fault-tolerant routing protocols for direct multiprocessor networks

Our goal is to reconcile the conflicting demands of performance and fault-tolerance in interprocessor communication. To this end, we propose a pipelined communication mechanism-pipelined circuit-switching (PCS)-which is a variant of the well known wormhole routing (WR) mechanism. PCS relaxes some of the routing constraints imposed by WR and as a result enables routing behavior that cannot otherwise be realized. This paper presents a new class of adaptive routing algorithms-misrouting backtracking with m misroutes (MB-m). This class of routing algorithms is made possible by PCS. We provide an analysis of the performance and static fault-tolerant properties of MB-m. The results of an experimental evaluation of PCS and MB-3 are also presented. This methodology provides performance approaching that of WR, while realizing a level of resilience to static faults that is difficult to achieve with WR. >
Controlled clinical evaluations of chlorine dioxide, chlorite and chlorate in man.

Abstract To assess the relative safety of chronically administered chlorine water disinfectants in man, a controlled study was undertaken. The clinical evaluation was conducted in the three phases common to investigational drug studies. Phase I, a rising dose tolerance investigation, examined the acute effects of progressively increasing single doses of chlorine disinfectants to normal healthy adult male volunteers. Phase II considered the impact on normal subjects of daily ingestion of the disinfectants at a concentration of 5 mg/L for twelve consecutive weeks. Persons with a low level of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase may be expected to be especially susceptible to oxidative stress ( Moore, 1980b ); therefore, in Phase III, chlorite at a concentration of 5 mg/L, was administered daily for twelve consecutive weeks to a small group of potentially at-risk glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient subjects. Physiological impact was assessed by evaluation of a battery of qualitative and quantitative tests. The three phases of this controlled double-blind clinical evaluation of chlorine dioxide and its potential metabolites in human male volunteer subjects were completed uneventfully. There were no obvious undesirable clinical sequellae noted by any of the participating subjects or by the observing medical team. In several cases, statistically significant trends in certain biochemical or physiological parameters were associated with treatment; however, none of these trends was judged to have physiological consequence. One cannot rule out the possibility that, over a longer treatment period, these trends might indeed achieve proportions of clinical importance. However, by the absence of detrimental physiological responses within the limits of the study, the relative safety of oral ingestion of chlorine dioxide and its metabolites, chlorite and chlorate, was demonstrated.
Field Testing of High-Speed Power Line Communications in North American Homes

In this paper, the results of field testing of high-speed powerline in-home networking in a large number of homes in North America are reported. The effects of cross-phase coupling are reported, and the characteristics of the most significant impairment identified during the testing are studied.
Getting on the Net: the struggle for digital inclusion of the Navajo

The digital divide is a problem for many groups of Americans, and for one group in particular, Native Americans. The plight and struggle of the American Indian to gain access to the Internet is illustrated with the Navajo Nation. They have tried to gain Internet access through two approaches: decentralized and centralized initiatives. Learning through their experiences, the more centrally organized the initiative, the more effective it was in bringing the Internet to the Navajo Nation. The lessons learned from the Navajo can serve as a guide to various other groups who are separated from American society by the digital divide.
Modeling 3-D slow phase velocity estimation during off-vertical-axis rotation (OVAR).

o Abstract - Off-vertical-axis rotation (OVAR) in darkness generates continuous compensatory eye velocity. No model has yet been presented that de­ fines the signal processing necessary to estimate head velocity in three dimensions for arbitrary ro­ tations during OVAR. The present study develops a model capable of estimating all 3 components of head velocity in space accurately. It shows that processing of two patterns of otolith activation, one delayed with respect to the other, for each plane of eye movement is not sufficient. (A pattern in this context is an array of signals emanating from the otoliths. Each component of the array is a signal corresponding to a class of otolith hair cells with a given polarization vector as described by Tou and Gonzalez in 1974.) The key result is that estimation of head velocity in space can be achieved by processing three temporally displaced patterns, each representing a sampling of gravity as the head rotates. A vector cross product of differ­ ences between pairs of the sampled gravity vectors implements the estimation. An interesting property of this model is that the component of velocity about the axis of rotation reduces to that derived previously using the pattern estimator model described by Raphan and Schnabolk in 1988 and Fanelli et al in 1990. This study suggests that the central nervous system (CNS) maintains a current as well as 2 delayed representations of gravity at every head orientation during rotation. It also SU!!­ gests that computing vector cross products and im­ plementing delays may be fundamental operations in the CNS for generating orientation information associated with motion.
Long-term clinical outcomes of focal impulse and rotor modulation for treatment of atrial fibrillation: A multicenter experience

Background New approaches to ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) include focal impulse and rotor modulation (FIRM). Studies of this technology with short-term follow-up have shown favorable outcomes. Objective The purpose of this study was to characterize the long-term results of FIRM ablation in a cohort of patients treated at 2 academic medical centers. Methods All FIRM-guided ablation procedures (n = 43) at UCLA Medical Center and Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center performed between January 2012 and October 2013 were included for analysis. During AF, FIRM software constructed phase maps from unipolar atrial electrograms to identify putative AF sources. These sites were targeted for ablation, along with pulmonary vein isolation in 77% of patients. Results AF was paroxysmal in 56%, and 67% had prior AF ablation. All patients had rotors identified (mean 2.6 ± 1.2 per patient, 77% in LA). Prespecified acute procedural end-point was achieved in 47% of patients (n = 20): AF termination in 4, organization in 7, >10% slowing of AF cycle length in 9. Acute complications occurred in 4 patients (9.3%). At 18 ± 7 months of follow-up, 37% were free from documented recurrent AF after a 3-month blanking period; 21% were free from documented atrial tachyarrhythmias and off antiarrhythmic drugs. Multivariate analysis did not reveal any significant predictors of AF recurrence, including pattern of AF, acute procedural success, or prior failed ablation. Conclusion Long-term clinical results after FIRM ablation in this cohort of patients showed poor efficacy, different from previously published studies. Randomized studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy and clinical utility of this ablation approach for treating AF.