cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vagally mediated suppression of premature ventricular contractions in man

Twelve patients with PVC's were studied to assess the possible role of the vagus nerves in suppressing PVC's. All were without significant heart disease and under forty years of age. A series of five autonomically active drugs, including vagotonic and vagolytic agents, was administered intravenously, each drug being given after the effects of the previous one had abated. Two of the patients did not have PVC's at the time of study. Of the remaining ten patients, five showed vagally mediated suppression of PVC's. Phenylephrine (40 to 60 mug per minute) reduced HR, from an average of 63.2 bpm to 48.5 bpm by a vagally mediated reflex, and decreased PVC incidence in all five patients. The per cent of ventricular heart beats which were PVC's (per cent PVC) decreased from an average of 18.2 per cent to 3.2 per cent in these patients (p smaller than 0.005 in each case). Edrophonium (10 mg.) produced less bradycardia and less reliable PVC suppression. In two of these five patients, atropine (1.5 mg.) increased PVC incidence markedly, although the per cent PVC did not change significantly because of the concomitant tachycardia. These data suggest that strongly increased vagal tone can suppress PVC's in a significant percentage of such patients. This finding in man extends previous animal work which has shown a protective role of the vagus against ventricular arrhythmias under certain conditions.
Automatic triangular mesh generation of trimmed parametric surfaces for finite element analysis

This paper describes a new computational method for fully automated triangulation of the trimmed parametric surfaces used in finite element analysis. The method takes as input the domain geometry and a node-spacing function, and then generates a mesh, or a set of connected triangles, that satisfies basic requirements such as (1) precise control over node spacing or triangle size, (2) node placement that is compatible with domain boundaries, (3) generation of well-shaped triangles, and (4) continuous remeshing and local remeshing capabilities. The approach consists of two stages: placing initial nodes using recursive spatial subdivision, and relaxing the mesh by assuming the presence of proximity-based, repulsive/attractive internode forces and then performing dynamic simulation for a force-balancing configuration of nodes. In both stages, algorithms are developed in accordance with the observation that a pattern of tightly packed spheres mimics Voronoi polygons, from which well-shaped Delaunay triangles can be created by connecting the centers of the spheres.
3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl Coenzyme A Reductase Inhibitors Unmask Cryptic Regulatory Mechanisms

The possibility that potent inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase may alter the mechanisms by which dietary cholesterol and farnesol regulate this gene was investigated by comparing the regulatory responses of rats maintained on diets with or without 0.04% Lovastatin supplementation to dietary cholesterol. It was found that the rate of hepatic HMG-CoA reductase transcription was significantly decreased by dietary cholesterol in animals fed Lovastatin-supplemented diets, whereas animals maintained on a normal chow diet showed no decrease in the rate of transcription. The levels of reductase mRNA were decreased to about 10% of controls in Lovastatin-supplemented animals in response to dietary cholesterol but not affected in nonsupplemented animals. Administration of farnesol, reputed to be the nonsterol regulator of reductase, to rats maintained on a diet containing Lovastatin decreased hepatic HMG-CoA reductase protein by 30% and the half-life of reductase immunoreactive protein to 4.0 h, which is close to that observed in chow-fed animals. In contrast, farnesol treatment does not affect the turnover rate of reductase protein in rats fed a normal chow diet. These results suggest that potent inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase may unmask transcriptional regulation by dietary cholesterol and accelerated degradation of the reductase by the putative nonsterol regulator farnesol.
On Axerʼs theorem

Abstract In Axerʼs theorem, conditions on a function of bounded variation and an infinite series of real numbers imply an order condition on the multiplicative convolution of the series and the function. We prove an extension of Axerʼs theorem. We show that although the converse of Axerʼs theorem is false without further restriction on the function, with such a restriction one can prove the converse of the strengthened theorem. We also consider the changes in Axerʼs theorem resulting from assuming the function to be in Λ BV or Φ BV .
Desperately Seeking a Cause for Hotspots in Regional-Scale Groundwater Plumes Resulting from Non-Point Source Pesticide Applications

The source of high concentration pesticide hotspots within groundwater is of considerable concern. This paper reports on a simulation intensive study designed to examine if and how nonpoint source (NPS) pesticide applications can result in regional-scale groundwater contamination with local high-concentration hotspots. For this study, a hotspot is defined to have a concentration of at least one order of magnitude greater than the maximum contaminate level for the pesticide of interest. To address the hotspot question synthetic data were prepared for a generalized regional-scale saturated NPS system. The synthetic data were constructed by generating 1, 2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) water-table loading scenarios that vary in space and time, creating alternative porous media realizations for different large-scale features, and designing well networks to simulate pumping. Fluid flow and solute transport simulations were conducted in a straightforward concept-development mode, for the individual boundary-value problems that result from the different synthetic data combinations. The simulations were conducted hierarchically, with only the data combinations that result in high concentrations being used at the next simulation level. The results from the more than 11 000 NPS simulations scenarios considered in this study yielded only 15 DBCP hotspots. Generating hotspots for label recommended NPS applications, within contaminated regional-scale groundwater systems, required the combination of elevated water-table loading concentrations and high pumping rates. The effort reported here provides a foundation for future work focused on the sources of pesticide hotspots in regional-scale groundwater systems.
Formation of subsurface carbon induced by oxygen adsorption on carbon-covered W(001)

Abstract The adsorption of oxygen on the carbon-covered W(001) surface was studied by AES and low energy ion scattering. At low carbon and oxygen coverages, both species can be accommodated on the surface. At higher coverages, the oxygen displaces the carbon into the near-surface (selvedge) region. When oxygen is adsorbed on the W(001)-p(5 × 1)C surface (formed by exposure to more than 50 L of ethylene at 1500 K), carbon is displaced in a nearly one for one manner. Annealing the oxygen-covered p(5 × 1)C surface to 950 K removes up to 0.5 ML oxygen as CO. Interestingly, the surface carbon coverage is unchanged by CO desorption at 950 K and subsurface carbon is partially replenished by diffusion from the bulk. Oxygen adsorption in excess of 0.5 ML suppresses carbon segregation from the bulk at 950 K. The additional oxygen does not desorb until 1300 K. Surface carbon is restored by annealing to 1500 K.. The degree and rate of carbon segregation depend on the initial ethylene exposure even though the resulting W(001)-p(5 × 1)C surfaces are identical according to AES, LEED, and ion scattering.
Mutation Choice to Eliminate Buried Free Cysteines in Protein Therapeutics

Buried free-cysteine (Cys) residues can contribute to an irreversible unfolding pathway that promotes protein aggregation, increases immunogenic potential, and significantly reduces protein functional half-life. Consequently, mutation of buried free-Cys residues can result in significant improvement in the storage, reconstitution, and pharmacokinetic properties of protein-based therapeutics. Mutational design to eliminate buried free-Cys residues typically follows one of two common heuristics: either substitution by Ser (polar and isosteric), or substitution by Ala or Val (hydrophobic); however, a detailed structural and thermodynamic understanding of Cys mutations is lacking. We report a comprehensive structure and stability study of Ala, Ser, Thr, and Val mutations at each of the three buried free-Cys positions (Cys16, Cys83, and Cys117) in fibroblast growth factor-1. Mutation was almost universally destabilizing, indicating a general optimization for the wild-type Cys, including van der Waals and H-bond interactions. Structural response to Cys mutation characteristically involved changes to maintain, or effectively substitute, local H-bond interactions—by either structural collapse to accommodate the smaller oxygen radius of Ser/Thr, or conversely, expansion to enable inclusion of novel H-bonding solvent. Despite the diverse structural effects, the least destabilizing average substitution at each position was Ala, and not isosteric Ser. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 104:566–576, 2015
Children and the Political Community: A Comparison across Racial Lines

This paper is an analysis of black and white children's orientations to the American political community. It is part of a larger project that seeks to delineate the patterns of development of supportive attitudes towards the American political system among children of the two racial groups.1 The analysis proceeds within a framework proposed by David Easton. That is, the project represents an effort to measure diffuse support2 for the political community, regime, and authorities.3 The goals are (1) to determine the extent to which the black child gains a set of political perspectives fundamentally different from that of his white counterpart and (2) to assess in some manner the attitudinal consequences of the grim history of race relations in America.
Practical differential diagnosis of chronic craniofacial pain

Abstract Diagnosis of chronic craniofacial pain may be difficult because of the complex psychological and somatic interrelationships of chronic pain, the similarities between diagnoses, and the frequent multiple overlying diagnoses. This article discusses the importance of thorough evaluation and understanding of patients with chronic pain and presents a practical clinical classification of craniofacial pain for systematic differential diagnosis. Examples of the eight groups, with the basic clinical characteristics of each, are presented.
In vitro modulation of cyst formation by a novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor

In vitro modulation of cyst formation by a novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Background Recessively transmitted polycystic kidney disease (PKD) in many murine models is characterized by the initial formation of proximal tubular cysts (stage 1), followed by growth and enlargement of renal collecting tubule (CT) cysts (stage 2). Previous studies have reported that stage 1 cyst formation and growth could be manipulated in vitro by using embryonic kidney explants and newborn explant microslices in organ culture. Methods Microslices of postnatal kidneys cultured on Transwell tissue culture inserts allow experimental manipulation of stage 2 CT cyst development and growth. This system was used to test a potential therapeutic compound for treatment of PKD. This compound, EKI-785, modulates altered epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression in CT cysts by inhibition of EGFR autophosphorylation. Results These studies demonstrate that: ( a ) minor modifications of the previously described organ culture system permit successful culture of more mature renal tissue, and ( b ) cystic explants treated with EGF and EKI-785 demonstrated a marked reduction in CT cystic lesions compared with cystic explants treated with EGF alone. Conclusions This study suggests that pharmacological strategies can be used to decrease EGFR tyrosine kinase activity and CT cyst formation and enlargement in murine PKD.
GLUCOAMYLASE (α-1, 4-GLUCAN GLUCOHYDROLASE) PRODUCTION BY ASPERGILLUS NIGER AS INFLUENCED BY MEDIUM COMPOSITION

The production of glucoamylase (α-1, 4-glucan glucohydrolase) by Aspergillus niger, as a function of the composition of the growth medium was investigated. With D-mannose as the sole carbon source, the quantity and nature of the nitrogen compounds, as well as the amount of trace elements, were varied. The levels of glucoamylase, α-amylase (α-1, 4-glucan 4-glucanohydrolase), and glucosyltransferase produced by the A. niger were influenced by the kind of nitrogen, the concentration of both nitrogen and carbohydrate, the concentration of trace elements and the pH of the medium. Conditions were established for the production of glucoamylase with minimal quantities of α-amylase and glucosyltransferase.
Odorants with multiple oxygen-containing functional groups and other odorants with high water solubility preferentially activate posterior olfactory bulb glomeruli.

In past studies in which we mapped 2-deoxyglucose uptake evoked by systematically different odorant chemicals across the entire rat olfactory bulb, glomerular responses could be related to each odorant's particular oxygen-containing functional group. In the present study, we tested whether aliphatic odorants containing two such functional groups (esters, ketones, acids, alcohols, and ethers) would stimulate the combination of glomerular regions that are associated with each of the functional groups separately, or whether they would evoke unique responses in different regions of the bulb. We found that these very highly water-soluble molecules rarely evoked activity in the regions responding to the individual functional groups; instead, they activated posterior glomeruli located about halfway between the dorsal and ventral extremes in both the lateral and the medial aspects of the bulb. Additional highly water-soluble odorants, including very small molecules with single oxygenic groups, also strongly stimulated these posterior regions, resulting in a statistically significant correlation between posterior 2-deoxyglucose uptake and molecular properties associated with water solubility. By showing that highly water-soluble odorants stimulate a part of the bulb associated with peripheral and ventral regions of the epithelium, our results challenge a prevalent notion that such odorants would activate class I odorant receptors located in zone 1 of the olfactory epithelium, which projects to the dorsal aspect of the bulb.
Contemporary strategies for the stabilization of peptides in the α-helical conformation

Herein we review contemporary synthetic and protein design strategies to stabilize the alpha-helical motif in short peptides and miniature proteins. Advances in organometallic catalyst design, specifically for the olefin metathesis reaction, enable the use of hydrocarbon bridges to either crosslink side chains of specific residues or mimic intramolecular hydrogen bonds with carbon-carbon bonds. The resulting hydrocarbon-stapled and hydrogen bond surrogate alpha-helices provide unique synthetic ligands for targeting biomolecules. In the protein design realm, several classes of miniature proteins that display stable helical domains have been engineered and manipulated with powerful in vitro selection technologies to yield libraries of sequences that retain their helical folds. Rational re-design of these scaffolds provide distinctive reagents for the modulation of protein-protein interactions.
Was ferrocyanide a prebiotic reagent

Hydrogen cyanide is the starting material for a diverse array of prebiotic syntheses, including those of amino acids and purines. Hydrogen cyanide also reacts with ferrous ions to give ferrocyanide, and so it is possible that ferrocyanide was common in the early ocean. This can only be true if the hydrogen cyanide concentration was high enough and the rate of reaction of cyanide with ferrous ions was fast enough. We show experimentally that the rate of formation of ferrocyanide is rapid even at low concentrations of hydrogen cyanide in the pH range 6–8, and therefore an equilibrium calculation is valid. The equilibrium concentrations of ferrocyanide are calculated as a function of hydrogen cyanide concentration, pH and temperature. The steady state concentration of hydrogen cyanide depends on the rate of synthesis by electric discharges and ultraviolet light and the rate of hydrolysis, which depends on pH and temperature. Our conclusions show that ferrocyanide was a major species in the prebiotic ocean only at the highest production rates of hydrogen cyanide in a strongly reducing atmosphere and at temperatures of 0°C or less, although small amounts would have been present at lower hydrogen cyanide production rates. The prebiotic application of ferrocyanide as a source of hydrated electrons, as a photochemical replication process, and in semi-permeable membranes is discussed.
Near the ground laser communication system: Fried parameter estimation from the WFS measurements

Near the ground laser communication systems must operate in the presence of strong atmospheric turbulence. The effects of atmospheric turbulence on the laser beam which are relevant to optical communications are a broadening of the laser footprint, random jitter of the laser beam, and high spatial frequency intensity fluctuations referred to as scintillation. The overall goal of our program is to improve the performance and extend the range of optical communications systems by exploring the use of adaptive optics and channel coding. Knowledge of the turbulence conditions and the ability to describe its properties are the key aspects to make these improvements effective. The multi-phase approach described here is directed to statistically describe atmospheric turbulence based on results derived from experimentally collected data. To model the performance of a real world system, we have developed an outdoor path partially over water, spanning 3 km turbulence measurement and monitoring system. The system described in this paper has two transmitters and two receivers. The transmitter side is equipped with a laser and a bank of 14 horizontally, in-line mounted LEDs. The laser transmitter and LED operate at 808 nm with laser power of 2mW. The receiver side consists of two channels. The WFS channel captures the signal from the laser transmitter and is specifically designated for the wavefront sensing. The wavefront sensor channel consists of relay optics, a Hartmann WFS, and a CCD camera. The PSF channel is designed to capture the signal from LED bar and consists of relay optics and a CCD camera. The data collected from the PSF channel is used for measurements of anisoplanetic effects. In this paper we emphasize the data collection and consecutive analysis from the WFS channel only. Statistics of the Fried parameter r 0 are derived from 6TB of data collected over 50 days under various day and night atmospheric conditions. Significant fluctuations of r 0 are found with the values ranging from 2mm and up to 15cm.
A PROSPECTIVE, DOUBLE-BLINDED, RANDOMIZED TRIAL EVALUATING THE USE OF PREEMPTIVE ANALGESIA OF THE SKIN BEFORE THORACOTOMY

Abstract Background Thoracic surgeons spend a lot of time treating the pain of thoracotomy. Methods A total of 119 consecutive patients underwent elective thoracotomy. They were prospectively randomized into two groups. One group received an injection of 1% lidocaine with epinephrine in the planned skin incision just before thoracotomy, and the other group received an equal amount of saline and epinephrine. All patients had a functioning preoperative epidural; a skin incision the width of their latissimus dorsi muscle, which was cut; sparing of the serratus anterior muscle; undercutting of the sixth rib; intercostal nerve blocks before rib spreading; a similar number of chest tubes and pulmonary resections; and comparable postoperative pain management. Pain was objectified by a numeric pain score, a visual pain score, and by the Modified McGill pain questionnaire each day in the hospital, and at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Results There were 66 patients in the lidocaine group (L group) and 53 patients in the saline group (S group). Although a trend was noted toward less pain in the L group during the first 3 postoperative days (on the numeric pain scale only) the difference was not statistically significant in overall pain in the hospital or at 3, 6, and 12 months after the operation. Other pain scores and descriptors were similar throughout. Conclusions The injection of lidocaine and epinephrine in the skin just before thoracotomy does not decrease the amount or type of pain during the hospital stay or at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery.
Thermal drilling in planetary ices: an analytic solution with application to planetary protection problems of radioisotope power sources.

Abstract Thermal drilling has been applied to studies of glaciers on Earth and proposed for study of the martian ice caps and the crust of Europa. Additionally, inadvertent thermal drilling by radioisotope sources released from the breakup of a space vehicle is of astrobiological concern in that this process may form a downward-propagating “warm little pond” that could convey terrestrial biota to a habitable environment. A simple analytic solution to the asymptotic slow-speed case of thermal drilling is noted and used to show that the high thermal conductivity of the low-temperature ice on Europa and Titan makes thermal drilling qualitatively more difficult than at Mars. It is shown that an isolated General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) “brick” can drill effectively on Earth or Mars, whereas on Titan or Europa with ice at 100 K, the source would stall and become stuck in the ice with a surface temperature of <200 K. Key Words: Planetary protection—Planetary environments—Ice—Titan. Astrobiology 12, 799–802.
MODIFICATIONS OF VECTOR-MESON DOMINANCE IN PHOTOPRODUCTION.

It is suggested that a dispersion approach provides an unambiguous formulation of vector-meson dominance. Discussion is given of the problem of subtraction constants and their possible use in explaining the present discrepancy between polarized-photoproduction experiments and conventional formulations.
Characterization and Analysis of Human Chordoma Cell Lines

Chordoma is an uncommon neoplasm with the majority arising in the axial skeleton, most commonly the sacrum, followed by the skull base and the mobile spine.1–3 Morphologically, immunohistochemically, and ultrastructurally, chordomas are identical to the normal notochord, and it has been hypothesized that they arise from benign notochordal rests or so-called benign notochordal cell tumors.4 Chordomas are relatively resistant to radiation and refractory to chemotherapy.4–7 Therefore, surgery is the primary modality to achieve the best long-term control.3,8–11 However, as chordomas are typically large and locally invasive at the time of diagnosis, obtaining tumor-free margins around the spine are challenging and frequently impossible to achieve.9–12 A large number of patients with chordoma (~50%–70%) are not cured and ultimately die.8 The overall median survival for chordoma has been estimated to be ~6 years, with a survival rate of 70% at 5 years, falling to 40% at 10 years.8 To date, there is limited understanding of the biology of chordomas. Cultured chordoma cell lines are invaluable tools for the study of these tumors and the identification of drugs that can affect their growth. To date, only 3 cultured human chordoma cell lines have been successfully created; however, their characterization is incomplete.13–15 Complete characterization of chordoma cell lines is necessary for them to be a useful preclinical model. In this study, we sought to further characterize chordoma cell lines by (a) measuring the growth rates of cell lines in different media, levels of oxygen, and collagen substrates; (b) studying cell lines in 3-dimensional (3D) culture; and (c) assessing each of the cell lines for sensitivity to a variety of chemotherapeutic agents.
Rhynchosporoside binding proteins of barley

R/z4ltzdlosporiltl,l secalis (Oud.) Davis causes the scald disease in barley and several other grasses. The fungus establishes a subcuticular mycelium prior to invasion of the tissues [ 1,2]. Eventually, an increase in the permeability of the underlying host cells occurs with disruptlon of the plasmalemma and symptoms appear [3,4]. Cell disruption may be caused by the toxin, rhynchosporoside, one of the l-Q-c~-cellobiosides of 1,3-propanediol [5,6]. One explanation for the selectivity of fungal phytotoxins is that the susceptible host possesses protein receptors. which, when interacting with the toxin, undergo a conformational change that modifies one or more key metabolic processes in the cell [7]. We demonstrate here the isolation and characterization of rhynchosporoside-binding proteins from crude membrane preparations of barley cultivars either sensitive or insensitive to rhynchosporoside. Furthermore, we relate these findings to the involvement of these proteins in the host-parasite interaction.
The maximum density points of pure and saline water

Abstract Measurements of the temperature-pressure-salinity points at which the density of saline water is a maximum can be made more directly than previously by determining conditions under which compressive heating vanishes. These measurements show that the density formulas of Chen and Millero (Deep-Sea Research, 23, 595–612, 1976) and the expression for maximum-density temperature, Tm of Gebhart and Mollendorf (Deep-Sea Research, 24, 831–848, 1977) give eatimates of Tm several tenths of a degree too high for saline water. Disagreement is observed at temperatures below 0°C where density measurements have not been made, andso may indicate caution should be used in extrapolating the various equations of state to these temperatures. The recent pure-water equation of Chen, Fine and Millero (Journal of Chemical Physics, 66, 2142–2144, 1977) predicts the observed Tm within 0.04°C. The dependence of Tm on pressure is non-linear at higher pressures. The formula Tm=T0−AS−BP(1+CS)(1+DP) represents these data for Tm as a function of salinity in parts per thousand (S) and pressure in bars (P with a root-mean-square deviation of 0.044°C if T0=3.982, A=0.2229, B=0.02004, C=0.00376 and D=0.000402.
Wet deposition and air-water gas exchange of currently used pesticides to a subestuary of the Chesapeake Bay.

The shallow nature of the Chesapeake Bay makes it vulnerable to both runoff and atmospheric inputs of anthropogenic chemicals. The project goal was to determine agricultural pesticide concentration...
A Photoelectric Transmission Spectrophotometer for the Measurement of Photosensitive Solutions

This spectrophotometer was designed specifically to measure in the visible region the absorption spectrum of visual purple, the photosensitive substance of the retinal rods. It is independent of both the photoelectric cell and amplifier characteristics, relying only on the law of crossed polarizing prisms. The sensitivity of the detecting system is high enough so that the measuring light produces no detectable effect upon the measured solution. The entire system can measure a transmission of 1 percent to a precision of about 1 percent.
Missed appendicitis in a pediatric emergency department.

Appendicitis is the most common cause of abdominal pain requiring surgery in children. Missed appendicitis is also a frequent cause of professional liability in an emergency department (ED). A retrospective review of all patients with appendicitis diagnosed in the ED was undertaken to identify: 1) h
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle security using Recursive parameter estimation

The proliferation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) raises a host of new security concerns. Our research resulted in a prototype UAV monitoring system, which captures flight data and performs real-time estimation/tracking of airframe and controller parameters utilizing the Recursive Least Squares Method. Subjected to statistical validation and trend analysis, parameter estimates are instrumental for the detection of some classes of cyber attacks and incipient hardware failures that can invariably jeopardize mission success. Our results demonstrate that achieving efficient anomaly detection during flight is possible through the intelligent application of statistical methods to system behavioral profiling.
National five-year mortality after inpatient cataract extraction.

We assessed the five-year mortality in all United States Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 to 79 years who underwent inpatient cataract extraction in 1984. The risk of dying within five years after cataract extraction was compared to the five-year mortality risk of the same aged persons in the United States population. Patients with cataracts who were younger than 75 years had significantly higher age-specific rates of mortality than would be predicted from United States life tables (P
Applying epidemiologic principles to mandatory reporting, our success story

ISSUE: A bill to mandate nosocomial infection (NI) reporting has been introduced in the Virginia General Assembly (VGA) during four annual sessions. In 3 previous years, APIC-VA worked to defeat the bills. Each year the patron of the bill became less accommodating to the members. This year, by applying epidemiologic methodology and working with stakeholders, APIC-VA wrote a bill with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) which was enthusiastically substituted by the patron in lieu of his original bill. PROJECT: In first year, infection control professionals (ICPs) met with the patron, attended legislative committee meetings, and sent sporadic e-mails to the committee members. The bill was ultimately tabled. In the second year, ICPs waged a more aggressive e-mail campaign but otherwise continued the same approach. Again, the bill was tabled. By the third year, we were savvier regarding the workings of the VGA; we met with every delegate or aide on the subcommittee, asked each chapter member to send e-mails to the delegates, and attended the legislative committee meetings. The patron became more adversarial and barely recognized the ICPs during the subcommittee session. The bill was again tabled. RESULTS: A collaborative effort produced a statewide survey of ICPs on surveillance activities that gave us evidence about what could be reported. The survey results and activity of other states' legislatures and the Consumers Union were reviewed. APIC-VA developed an alternative plan for mandatory reporting that provided sound methodology but was more limited in scope than the original bill, which required reporting of all NIs. ICPs contacted the original bill's patron and asked to meet with him, with the idea of working with, not against, him. ICPs also met with other key House members. The patron's response was completely different; he listened to the results of the study, asked for our recommendations, including ways to minimize financial impact and the impact on ICPs. The bill, which was collaboratively written with VDH based on our survey results and not on other groups' recommendations, was ratified by the House and will be presented to the Senate in 2 weeks. LESSONS LEARNED: Apply what you know, review current practice and the literature, draw sensible conclusions, and report those conclusions to the appropriate groups. As experts in infection control, don't be reactive and obstructive; instead, take ownership of the issue and proactively create a solution.
Plasma levels of glucose, alanine, lactate, and β-hydroxybutyrate after mammalian insulin treatment in the American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

Serial blood samples were collected from the adult American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) via a non-occlusive cannula chronically placed in the systemic subdivision (aortic) of the right truncus arteriosus. Plasma glucose, alanine, lactate, and β-hydroxybutyrate levels were estimated by standard enzymatic procedures. The metabolites remained relatively stable in the control animals during the 8-day experiments. A single infusion of mammalian insulin (5, 15, or 45 IU/kg body weight) via the cannula depressed plasma glucose and alanine to near or below detectable levels that required a minimum of 3 days to return to approximately the time-zero levels. Plasma lactate also fell severely after the infusion, but subsequently displayed precipitous surges followed by sharp declines on days 1 and 3, and also in some animals on day 5. In contrast, plasma β-hydroxybutyrate levels were not significantly altered by insulin. Despite the severe depressions of plasma glucose, alanine, and initially lactate, no symptoms were observed in the bullfrogs infused with 5 or 15 IU of insulin. The carnivorous adult bullfrog consumes abundant protein and lipid, but little carbohydrate, and is adapted to periods of food scarcity. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the bullfrog may rely on non-esterified fatty acids and ketone bodies as primary energy sources. Glucose, most of which must be synthesized, probably serves to maintain muscle glycogen reserves that are used for anaerobic glycolysis when the animal is engaged in predation, escape, or other vigorous activity. If other tissues and organs require glucose as a fuel, the amounts must be exceptionally small.
Learning enhancement and behavioral arousal induced by yohimbine.

Abstract Learning of a food motivated delayed reinforcement autoshaping task was investigated in rats treated with water vehicle or the prototypical anxiogenic agent and α 2 -adrenergic antagonist yohimbine (0.5 or 1.5 mh/kg, i.p. 30 min before behavioral testing). Unconditioned explaratory rearing activity was monitored concomitantly with acquisition of a lever touch response. The low dose of yohimbine enhanced learning, but it also increased unconditioned behavioral arousal. The high dose retarded acquisition, but when it was withdrawn the animals learned but exploratory activity increased beyond control levels prior to acquisition. Learning thus appeared to be related to the behavioral arousal produced by yohimbine, suggesting that learning enhancement by anxiogenic substances is not due to a direct effect on processes intrinsic to information storage and retrieval; rather, anxiogenic substances may be important modulators of vigilance and performance variables.
Sheltering network planning and management with a case in the Gulf Coast region

Abstract This paper studies sheltering network planning and operations for natural disaster preparedness and responses with a two-stage stochastic program. The preparedness phase decides the locations, capacities and resources of new Permanent Shelters. Under each disaster scenario, both evacuees and resources are distributed to shelters in the response phase. To address the computational burden, the L-shaped algorithm is applied to decompose the problem into the scenario level with linear programs. A case study for hurricanes in the Gulf Coast region of the US is conducted to demonstrate the implementation of the proposed model.
Micromolding Surface‐Initiated Polymerization: A Versatile Route for Fabrication of Coatings with Microscale Surface Features of Tunable Height

This article introduces a process termed micromolding surface-initiated polymerization (μMSIP) as a versatile route to provide surface-bound, partially fluorinated polymer coatings with a homogeneous array of microscale surface features. The process employs hard-polydimethylsiloxane (h-PDMS) to mold the surface structure of master substrates exhibiting patterned microscale features. Upon filling the mold with the monomer 5-(perfluorooctyl)norbornene (NBF8) and placing against a surface that is pre-activated for surface-initiated ring-opening metathesis polymerization (SI-ROMP), a partially fluorinated polymer film propagates from the surface with features that grow into the recesses of the mold to produce the final microtextured coating. The heights of these features can be tuned from 20–100% of the full height of the mold features based on the amount of initiator employed as well as the polymerization time and temperature. Reproduced topographies include pyramidal and inverted pyramidal structures. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) images show that the final polymer film exhibits a homogeneously microstructured surface that resembles that of its corresponding master.
Unusual biophysics of intrinsically disordered proteins

Research of a past decade and a half leaves no doubt that complete understanding of protein functionality requires close consideration of the fact that many functional proteins do not have well-folded structures. These intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and proteins with intrinsically disordered protein regions (IDPRs) are highly abundant in nature and play a number of crucial roles in a living cell. Their functions, which are typically associated with a wide range of intermolecular interactions where IDPs possess remarkable binding promiscuity, complement functional repertoire of ordered proteins. All this requires a close attention to the peculiarities of biophysics of these proteins. In this review, some key biophysical features of IDPs are covered. In addition to the peculiar sequence characteristics of IDPs these biophysical features include sequential, structural, and spatiotemporal heterogeneity of IDPs; their rough and relatively flat energy landscapes; their ability to undergo both induced folding and induced unfolding; the ability to interact specifically with structurally unrelated partners; the ability to gain different structures at binding to different partners; and the ability to keep essential amount of disorder even in the bound form. IDPs are also characterized by the "turned-out" response to the changes in their environment, where they gain some structure under conditions resulting in denaturation or even unfolding of ordered proteins. It is proposed that the heterogeneous spatiotemporal structure of IDPs/IDPRs can be described as a set of foldons, inducible foldons, semi-foldons, non-foldons, and unfoldons. They may lose their function when folded, and activation of some IDPs is associated with the awaking of the dormant disorder. It is possible that IDPs represent the "edge of chaos" systems which operate in a region between order and complete randomness or chaos, where the complexity is maximal. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: The emerging dynamic view of proteins: Protein plasticity in allostery, evolution and self-assembly.
AlGaN/AlGaN double-heterojunction ultraviolet light-emitting diodes grown by metal organic chemical vapour deposition

Light emitting diodes using an Al/sub x/Ga/sub 1-y/NiAl/sub y/Ga/sub 1-y/N double-heterojunction have been demonstrated with an ultraviolet emission peak at /spl lambda/=321 nm with a linewidth of 7.7 nm. The devices were grown by metal organic chemical vapour deposition on c-plane sapphire substrates. The active region is composed of a single layer of Al/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/N (x=0.23) and the cladding layers are p-type and n-type Al/sub y/Ga/sub 1-y/N (y=0.45). The light output from the diodes was measured through the sapphire substrate in a 'p-side down' configuration. At a current of 35 mA DC, an output power of /spl sim/39 nW was measured without any coatings on the device.
The origins and uses of self-awarenesss or the mental representation of me ☆

This paper explores the meaning and the development of consciousness in the human child. The idea of a self is made up of at least two major aspects. These can be referred to as the machinery of the self and the mental state of the idea of "me". The machinery of the self involves all unconscious, unreferenced action of the body, including its physiology and its processing of information that in turn includes cognitions and emotional states, which are unavailable to consciousness. The mental state or the idea of "me" is that part of the self that makes reference to itself. This mental state develops over the first 2 years of life and is a function of both brain maturation processes as well as socialization.
F-aggregate color centers in sodium-doped KI

Data are presented for additively colored KI:Na, which identifies the (F2)A absorption and emission bands as peaking at 1.03 and 1.62 μm, respectively. These transitions differ from those previously attributed to this defect. (F2+)A centers also were produced and found to absorb near 1.52 μm and emit near 2.36 μm. The (F2+)A emission would be of interest for use in achieving tunable color-center laser action.
High-temperature sapphire optical sensor fiber coatings

Advanced coal-fired power generation systems, such as pressurized fluidized-bed combustors and integrated gasifier-combined cycles, may provide cost effective future alternatives for power generation, improve our utilization of coal resources, and decrease our dependence upon oil and gas. When coal is burned or converted to combustible gas to produce energy, mineral matter and chemical compounds are released as solid and gaseous contaminants. The control of contaminants is mandatory to prevent pollution as well as degradation of equipment in advanced power generation. To eliminate the need for expensive heat recovery equipment and to avoid efficiency losses it is desirable to develop a technology capable of cleaning the hot gas. For this technology the removal of particle contaminants is of major concern. Several prototype high temperature particle filters have been developed, including ceramic candle filters, ceramic bag filters, and ceramic cross-flow (CXF) filters. Ceramic candle filters are rigid, tubular filters typically made by bonding silicon carbide or alumina-silica grains with clay bonding materials and perhaps including alumina-silica fibers. Ceramic bag filters are flexible and are made from long ceramic fibers such as alumina-silica. CXF filters are rigid filters made of stacks of individual lamina through which the dirty and clean gases flow in cross-wise directions. CXF filters are advantageous for hot gas cleanup applications since they offer a large effective filter surface per unit volume. The relatively small size of the filters allows the pressurized vessel containing them to be small, thus reducing potential equipment costs. CXF filters have shown promise but have experienced degradation at normal operational high temperatures (close to 1173K) and high pressures (up to 24 bars). Observed degradation modes include delamination of the individual tile layers, cracking at either the tile-torid interface or at the mounting flange, or plugging of the filter. These modes may be attributed to a number of material degradation mechanisms, such as thermal shock, oxidation corrosion of the material, mechanical loads, or phase changes in the filter material. Development of high temperature optical fiber (sapphire) sensors embedded in the CXF filters would be very valuable for both monitoring the integrity of the filter during its use and understanding the mechanisms of degradation such that durable filter development will be facilitated. Since the filter operating environment is very harsh, the high temperature sapphire optical fibers need to be protected and for some sensing techniques the fiber must also be coated with low refractive index film (cladding). The objective of the present study is to identify materials and develop process technologies for the application of claddings and protective coatings that are stable and compatible with sapphire fibers at both high temperatures and pressures.
Improving query I/O performance by permuting and refining block request sequences

The I/O performance of query processing can be improved using two complementary approaches: improve the buffer and the file system management policies of the DB buffer manager and the OS file system manager (e.g. page replacement), or improve the sequence of requests that are submitted to a file system manager and that lead to actual I/O's (block request sequences). This paper takes the latter approach. Exploiting common file system practices as found in Linux, we propose four techniques for permuting and refining block request sequences: Block-Level I/O Grouping, File-Level I/O Grouping, I/O Ordering, and Block Recycling. To manifest these techniques, we create two new plan operations, MMS and SHJ, each of which adopts some of the block request refinement techniques above. We implement the new plan operations on top of Postgres running on Linux, and show experimental results that demonstrate up to a factor of 4 performance benefit from the use of these techniques.
Clutter model with dispersion

We describe clutter noise models that involve propagation effect, namely dispersion and frequency dependent attenuation. By way of examples we show that amplitude and phase are highly correlated in contrast to the assumptions used in the derivation of the Rayleigh distribution. We also discuss the formulation of the clutter problem in phase-space.
Many Cases Need to Be Reviewed to Compare Performance in Surgical Pathology

Recent studies have shown increased interest in measuring error rates in surgical pathology. We sought to determine how many surgical pathology cases need to be reviewed to show a significant difference from published error rates for review of routine or biopsy cases. Results of 4 series with this type of diagnostic material involving a total of 11,683 cases were reviewed to determine the range of published false-negative, false-positive, typing error, threshold error, and clinically significant error rates. Error rates ranged from 0.00% to 2.36%; clinically significant error rates ranged from 0.34% to 1.19%. Assuming a power of 0.80 and a 1-sided alpha of 0.05, the number of cases needed to be reviewed to show that a laboratory with either twice or one half the published error rate was significantly different than the range of published error rates varied from 330 to 50,158. For clinically significant errors, the number of cases varied from 665 to 5,886. Because the published error rates are low, a relatively large number of cases need to be reviewed and a relatively great difference in error rate needs to exist to show a significant difference in performance in surgical pathology.
Skills Required of Managers in Livestock Production: Evidence from Focus Group Research

Identification of skill sets required of managers and supervisors in livestock production is necessary to guide selection, training, task assignment, and promotion. Management roles in livestock production differ from those in other industries, given the unique work environment and task attributes of production agriculture. Based on focus group discussions with pork operation managers, iterative code development resulted in five management skill sets: Change Agent, Counselor, Model Employee, Motivator, and Housekeeper. These skill sets were compared with a data set of dairy operation managers and with research in other industries based on the Competing Values Framework for managerial leadership.