cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perlesta placida (Hagen), an eastern nearctic species complex (Plecoptera: Perlidae)

Perlesta placida (Hagen), long regarded as a widespread variable species, is a complex of at least 12 species which differ in pigmentation, egg morphology and male and female genital structures. Species removed from the synonymy of P. placida (= Chloroperla virginica Banks, 1898; = P. virginica immaculata Klapalek, 1921) include P. cinctipes (Banks, 1905), P. decipiens (Walsh, 1862) (= Perla brunnipennis Walsh, 1862, syn. n.; = Isoperla texana Banks, 1914, syn. n.; = P. costalis Klapalek, 1921, syn. n.) and P. nitida Banks, 1948. New species described include P. adena, P. baumanni, P. bolukta, P. browni, P. lagoi, P. nelsoni and P. shubuta. Lectotypes are designated for most older species, including P. frisoni Banks, 1948, which is also valid, and all are redescribed from types.
Common Clinical Substitutions Enhance the Carbapenemase Activity of OXA-51-Like Class D β-Lactamases from Acinetobacter spp.

Carbapenem resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii is a growing threat to the effective treatment of nosocomial infections. Acquired carbapenemases (e.g., OXA-23, OXA-24, and their variants) are a major source of carbapenem resistance ([1][1]). A. baumannii has a chromosomal carbapenem-hydrolyzing
Staged excision and split-thickness skin graft for circumferential perianal Paget's disease.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to describe a surgical technique for the treatment of circumferential Paget's disease. METHODS: A search of our computerized patient registry was undertaken, and case records for those patients with perianal Paget's disease were systematically reviewed. RESULTS: Between July 1993 and October 1998, four patients with perianal Paget's disease were identified. Circumferential lesions were identified in three of the four patients. Wide local excision was considered the procedure of choice. All patients underwent a two-staged excision using split-thickness skin graft reconstruction. A similar second stage was performed six to eight weeks later; the other half of the circumference was excised and grafted. No patient had a protective stoma. Graft survival was 100 percent for two patients (four operations) and 80 percent and 70 percent for the other two patients (two operations). The remaining surface healed successfully by secondary intention. In one patient, residual disease was positive at one margin, and a third local excision and split-thickness skin graft was performed. Hospital stay ranged from five to nine days for each procedure. There were no major complications; one patient developed a mild anal stenosis three months after the second procedure and was successfully medically treated. CONCLUSIONS: Staged excision and split-thickness skin graft is a viable option for the treatment of circumferential perianal lesions. It carries a minimal morbidity and no observed mortality, the functional result is good, and it is technically simple compared with myocutaneous grafts. Moreover, a stoma is not required.
Approximate Cloaking for the Full Wave Equation via Change of Variables

We study, in the context of the full wave equation, an approximate cloaking scheme that was previously considered for the Helmholtz equation [R. V. Kohn, D. Onofrei, M. S. Vogelius, and M. I. Weinstein, Comm. Pure Appl. Math., 63 (2010), pp. 973--1016, H.-M. Nguyen and M. S. Vogelius, Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal., 203 (2011), pp. 769--807]. This cloaking scheme consists in a combination of an absorbing layer with an anisotropic layer, obtained by so-called transformation optics. We give optimal bounds for the visibility that tend to zero as a certain regularization parameter approaches 0. Our bounds are based on recent estimates for the Helmholtz equation [from Nguyen and Vogelius], some low frequency improvements of these estimates, and the use of Fourier transformation in time. Read More: http://epubs.siam.org/doi/abs/10.1137/110833154
Bone mineral status in prepubertal children with cystic fibrosis.

Objectives: To determine whether osteopenla is evident in prepubertal children with cystic fibrosis (CF) and, if so, whether it is caused by a deficiency in bone formation or increased bone resorption. Study design: With the use of a prospective case control study design, we investigated 11 prepubertal children with CF between the ages of 8 and 12 years old and a non-CF control group matched by weight and sex. Bone density at the radius, ulnar, trochanter, femoral neck, and lumbar spine, biochemical markers of bone metabolism, calcium, vitamin D metabolites, and intact parathyroid hormone were measured in all subjects. Comparisons between the 2 groups were performed with Wilcoxon matched pairs and Fisher exact tests. Results: Intake of total calories, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D was significantly greater in the CF group than in the control group. Serum 25(OH)vitamin D levels were significantly lower in the CF group: median 22 ng/mL for the CF group and 39 ng/mL for the control group ( P = .02). 1,25(OH) 2 vitamin D levels were borderline or low in 7 subjects in the CF group and 2 members of the control group ( P = .08, Fisher exact test). Intact parathyroid hormone levels were higher than the upper limit of normal in 4 subjects of the CF group and 1 member of the control group. Despite these biochemical abnormalities, we found no evidence of bone mineral deficiency in the CF group. Conclusions: Prepubertal children with CF do not have bone mineral deficit compared with a weight- and sex-matched control group; however, their lower vitamin D levels max portend problems with bone mineralization during adolescence and adulthood.
Central Serous Chorioretinopathy in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Purpose: To describe three patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in whom ophthalmoscopic and fluorescein angiographic evidence of central serous chorioretinopathy developed. Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed the clinical and photographic records of three patients with systemic lupus erythematous in whom central serous chorioretinopathy developed. Results: Ophthalmoscopic changes observed in these patients with systemic lupus erythematosus included discrete areas of clumping and mottling of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), focal RPE detachments, serous elevations of the neurosensory retina, and late subretinal fibrosis with scar formation. Fluorescein angiographic findings included transmission hypofluorescence and hyperfluorescence corresponding to focal RPE alterations, early punctate intense hyperfluorescence corresponding to RPE leaks with progressive filling of sub-RPE detachment spaces, and slow late filling of subretinal detachment spaces. Conclusion: Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus are at increased risk to have central serous chorioretinopathy develop. The pathogenetic implications for an association between systemic lupus erythematosus and central serous chorioretinopathy as well as the similarity to the chorioretinopathy seen with accelerated hypertension, pregnancy, hemodialysis, organ transplantation, and exogenous and endogenous hypercortisolism are discussed. Focal choroidal vasculature compromise with secondary dysfunction of overlying RPE cells is the proposed common mechanism.
Anthraquinone-based repellent for horned larks, great-tailed grackles, American crows and the protection of California's specialty crops

Abstract Specialty crops include fresh and dried fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and horticultural and nursery crops. California accounts for 28% of the specialty crop acreage in the United States of America, including 72% of U.S. lettuce production (Lactuca sativa L.), 27% of U.S. melon production and 100% of U.S. almond production (Prunus dulcis L.). We conducted controlled feeding experiments to evaluate an anthraquinone-based repellent for horned larks (Eremophila alpestris L.), great-tailed grackles (Quiscalus mexicanus Gmelin) and American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos Brehm) associated with the depredation of California's lettuce, melon and almond crops, respectively. We observed 38–100% feeding repellency among horned larks offered wheat seeds (Triticum spp. L.) treated with 168–3010 ppm anthraquinone during the concentration-response experiment. Great-tailed grackles exposed to rice seeds (Oryza sativa L.) treated with 2060–35,400 ppm anthraquinone exhibited 90–100% repellency. We observed 80–100% repellency among American crows offered almonds treated with 2980–31,500 ppm anthraquinone. We predicted a threshold concentration of 5200 ppm anthraquinone for American crows offered treated almonds. Our laboratory efficacy data provide a reliable basis for planning future field applications of anthraquinone-based bird repellents for the protection of specialty crops. Supplemental field efficacy studies are necessary for the registration of avian repellents and the management of agricultural depredation caused by wild birds.
Performance analysis of channel de-allocation schemes for dynamic resource allocation in GSM/GPRS networks

Channel de-allocation for GSM voice call (DASV) has been considered for dynamic resource allocation in GSM/GPRS networks. Two new de-allocation schemes are proposed: de-allocation for GPRS packet (DASP) and de-allocation for both GSM voice call and GPRS packet (DASVP). An analytic model with general GPRS data channel requirement is derived to evaluate the performance of the schemes in terms of GSM voice call incompletion probability, GPRS packet dropping probability, average GPRS packet transmission time and channel utilisation.
Nosocomial pneumonia: new concepts on an old disease.

Despite great strides in medical treatment over the past 20 years, there has been little progress in efforts to prevent or reduce nosocomial pneumonia. Numerous new antibiotics have been developed for treatment, but case fatality rates for patients with bacterial nosocomial pneumonia still exceed 20% and may be as high as 50% in selected populations.2-4 Hospital-acquired pneumonia is now the second most common nosocomial infection in the United States5 and
Automatic building exterior mapping using multilayer feature graphs

We develop algorithms that can assist robot to perform building exterior mapping, which is important for building energy retrofitting. In this task, a robot needs to identify building facades in its localization and mapping process, which in turn can be used to assist robot navigation. Existing localization and mapping algorithms rely on low level features such as point clouds and line segments and cannot be directly applied to our task. We attack this problem by employing a multiple layer feature graph (MFG), which contains five different features ranging from raw key points to planes and vanishing points in 3D, in an extended Kalman filter (EKF) framework. We analyze how errors are generated and propagated in the MFG construction process, and then apply MFG data as observations for the EKF to map building facades. We have implemented and tested our MFG-EKF method at three different sites. Experimental results show that building facades are successfully constructed in modern urban environments with mean relative errors of plane depth less than 4.66%.
Editorial: In Memoriam--Irving J. Spiro

This PDF file contains the editorial “Editorial: In Memoriam--Irving J. Spiro” for OE Vol. 30 Issue 04
The Latin Dative: Nomenclature and Classification

It must have been shortly after I entered college in my middle teens that I first heard of the grammatical doctrine that psychological opposites take the same construction. As a mnemonic, alone, the doctrine is immensely worth while and practically helps with categories like (damnare)(absoluere, meminisse)(obliuisci, cedere)(resistere, similis)(alienus (dissiniilis)—which rouses a literary interest by recalling Thackeray's use of different to as a counter term to equal to, similar to, like to. And, to get back to grammar, for English folk it clarifies prope ab to counter it with procul ab. By the doctrine of opposites we clarify even so elusive a matter as the ‘subjunctive of repudiation’ which I once sought to explain by partial obliquity (Cl. Rev. XI. 344 sq.), not mistaking therein, I am fain to believe, the valuable stylistic note of echo. In this subjunctive I now see a clear opposite to the concessive. It is a survival, on the cold page, of a speech form that owed its meaning to the speaker's mood (⋯ ψυχικ⋯ δι⋯θeσις, the pitch of his voice, all the things that manifest and betray emotion, and so far forth is ‘polemic’ It is often introduced by ut, utne, egone ut, where ut is exclamatory and interrogative at once, and the tone converts the concessive to an anticoncessive, indicating repudiation, disavowal.
Energy requirements of ammonia-carbon dioxide forward osmosis desalination

The energy requirements of ammonia–carbon dioxide forward osmosis (FO) desalination are predicted by the use of chemical process modeling software (HYSYS). The FO process is modeled using single or multiple distillation columns to separate draw solution solutes from the product water for solute recycling within the FO system. Thermal and electrical energy requirements of the process are calculated, as well as a combined term for equivalent electrical work. The results of the simulations are compared to the energy requirements of current desalination technologies. Energy savings of FO compared to current technologies, on an equivalent work basis, are projected to range from 72% to 85%. Forward osmosis desalination is in an early stage of its development, and several areas of future work promise opportunities to improve its energy utilization and cost.
Evolution of the neurohormonal hypothesis to explain the progression of chronic heart failure

During the last 20 years, physicians have generally regarded heart failure as a haemodynamic disorder in an attempt to explain patients' symptoms and disability. This model led to the widespread evaluation of peripheral vasodilators and the development of novel positive inotropic agents, but long-term use of these drugs failed to improve symptoms and was frequently accompanied by an increase in the risk of death. These clinical observations raised concerns about the validity of the haemodynamic hypothesis and led to the development of alternative models of heart failure--most importantly, the neurohormonal hypothesis. According to the neurohormonal model, heart failure develops and progresses because endogenous neurohormonal systems that are activated by the initial injury to the heart exert a deleterious effect on the circulation. Recognition of the importance of neurohormonal activation has led to the intense interest in the use of neurohormonal antagonists--converting--enzyme inhibitors and beta-adrenergic blockers--in the treatment of chronic heart failure. The results of randomized clinical trials with a variety of neurohormonal antagonists have been encouraging, and widespread acceptance of these drugs is expected to lead to clinical benefits for many patients.
A new version of the Hahn-Banach theorem

We discuss a new version of the Hahn-Banach theorem, with applications to linear and nonlinear functional analysis, convex analysis, and the theory of monotone multifunctions. We show how our result can be used to prove a “localized” version of the Fenchel-Moreau formula - even when the classical Fenchel-Moreau formula is valid, the proof of it given here avoids the problem of the “vertical hyperplane”. We give a short proof of Rockafellar’s fundamental result on dual problems and Lagrangians - obtaining a necessary and sufficient condition instead of the more usual sufficient condition. We show how our result leads to a proof of the (well-known) result that if a monotone multifunction on a normed space has bounded range then it has full domain. We also show how our result leads to generalizations of an existence theorem with no a priori scalar bound that has proved very useful in the investigation of monotone multifunctions, and show how the estimates obtained can be applied to Rockafellar’s surjectivity theorem for maximal monotone multifunctions in reflexive Banach spaces. Finally, we show how our result leads easily to a result on convex functions that can be used to establish a minimax theorem.
Enacting Brittany: tourism and culture in provincial France, 1871–1939

In an excellent new monograph, Patrick Young offers a thoughtful analysis of the development of tourism in Brittany, France's culturally distinctive north-western region. During the years of France...
Low-energy electron diffraction studies of (100) and (111) surfaces of semiconducting diamond

Abstract The low-energy electron diffraction technique has been used to investigate (100) and (111) surfaces of semiconducting diamond single crystals. Subsequent to cleaning the crystals in acid and placing them in the experimental tube, the surfaces were covered with a stable layer of contamination which yielded diffraction patterns characteristic of the normal diamond lattice spacing. Attempts to remove the contamination by thermal out-gassing or ion bombardment and annealing in vacuum resulted in surfaces which were unsuitable for diffraction measurements. Essentially clean (111) and (100) surfaces were obtained, however, by heating the crystals in a hydrogen ambient under suitable conditions of temperature and pressure. The intensities of the diffraction patterns which resulted from this treatment were as much as 20 times those observed prior to heating in hydrogen, and the patterns also contained very weak half-integral order beams which indicated that the atoms on clean diamond surfaces are displaced from their “ideal” or bulk positions as in the case of other diamond and zinc-blende structure semiconductors but by a smaller amount. The patterns were considerably more complex than those predicted by simple theory. The effective inner potential varied over a wide range of values (both positive and negative) having no apparent correlation with primary beam energy or other known factors. Attempts to obtain a quantitative interpretation of the intensity distributions were unsuceesful. Neither the (100) or (111) surface adsorbed oxygen readily at room temperature as indicated by the low value of the sticking coefficient for oxygen (S Heating the diamond crystals in vacuum at temperatures in excess of 450°C carbonized the surfaces. This surface carbon could be removed by heating in hydrogen at the proper temperature and pressure, and also by heating in either O2 or CO2, although the latter procedures left a partial monolayer of O2 or CO2 on the surface. Mass spectrometer analysis of the gaseous products released from the surface indicated that surface carbon was removed by hydrogen primarily in the form of CH4 and by O2 in the form of CO and CO2.
AN ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY FOR MYELIN BASIC PROTEIN-SPECIFIC PROTEIN METHYLASE I

A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been developed to determine myelin basic protein (MBP)-specific protein methylase I. Rabbit immunoglobulin anti-bovine MBP-specific protein methylase I, purified by Sepharose-A affinity chromatography, was utilized as the primary antibodies, while the same antibodies which had been conjugated to peroxidase were employed as the indicator antibodies. This assay method was about 280 times more sensitive than the conventional trichloracetic acid (TCA) precipitation method. Employing the ELISA, the level of MBP-specific protein methylase I during mouse brain development was examined; the peak level of the methylase was shown to be at 16th postnatal day, indicating temporal correlation with myelination. Among several species of brains examined, human showed the highest and carp the least amount of MBP-specific protein methylase I; 6.33 micrograms and 0.33 micrograms per mg of brain cytosol protein, respectively. Dysmyelinating jimpy hemizygous mouse brain showed the immunoreactive MBP-specific protein methylase only 60% that of the control at 20 days of age. The high sensitivity of the method together with the fact that MBP-specific protein methylase is present in human cerebrospinal fluid suggests a possible clinical application of this method for evaluating demyelinating disorders.
Neoadjuvant Radiotherapy Improves Survival in Patients With T2b/T3 Bladder Cancer: A Population-Based Analysis

Abstract Background Neoadjuvant radiotherapy (NART) for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is currently underused. However, the outcomes for MIBC have remained suboptimal. We investigated the relationship of NART to cause-specific mortality (CSM) and overall mortality (OM) among patients with a diagnosis of MIBC. Materials and Methods The patients diagnosed with primary invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder from 1983 to 2008 with localized disease were included. Patients aged > 90 years, those diagnosed with T1 or T4 BC, and those with no information on tumor grade were excluded from the analysis. Kaplan-Meier, Cox regression, and competing risk methods were used in the analysis of OM and CSM. Results A total of 5562 patients were included in the cohort (115 NART and 5447 surgery alone). On univariate analysis, NART significantly decreased the OM for patients with high-grade BC (hazard ratio [HR], 0.8), stage T2b (HR, 0.74), and stage T2b/T3 (HR, 0.74). CSM was also lower for those with stage T2b disease (HR, 0.63). Multivariable analysis revealed that NART was associated with a significant decrease in CSM (P = .043) and OM (P = .0462) for those with T2b. Likewise, an improvement was seen in OM (P = .0337) for patients with T2b/T3 who had received NART. Conclusion NART was significantly associated with decreased CSM and OM in patients with clinical T2b/T3 BC and OM for patients with T2b/T3. These data suggest that NART could be beneficial in patients with T2b/T3 BC. In the modern era, the greatest utility would potentially be for patients with an incomplete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy or as an adjunct to chemotherapy to improve the complete response rates.
The motornervous system of Ascaris: electrophysiology and anatomy of the neurons and their control by neuromodulators.

Analysis of the electrical properties of neurons in the motornervous system of Ascaris suum suggests that it is largely an analogue system. The motorneurons do not conduct action potentials and they release transmitter tonically at their normal resting potential; transmitter release is increased or decreased as a continuous function of membrane potential. Despite extensive physiological descriptions of the electrical properties of the neurons and their synapses, as well as morphological descriptions of the synaptic circuitry of the system, the predicted activities of the neurons in the circuit differ from those observed by direct recording in semi-intact behaving animals. We conclude that the description of the circuit is incomplete. There are several possibilities for the missing elements, including chemical, proprioceptive, and additional neuronal components. Recently, attention has been focussed most heavily on the intercellular chemical signalling systems; in addition to those mediated by classical neurotransmitters, a surprisingly complex array of neuropeptides has been identified. ()ne family of these peptides, the AF peptides, has been analyzed in detail. It comprises at least 20 peptides, and they fall into sequence-related subfamilies. ()ne of these subfamilies, containing 6 peptides, is encoded by a single transcript, suggesting that the AF peptides are under multiple genetic control. All AF peptides tested have potent activity on the motornervous system and/or on muscle. There are multiple physiological activities, and cellular localization studies show multiple patterns of cellular expression. Studies on Panagrellus and Caenorhabditis emphasize the diversity of this family and its genetic control.
Potomac River Streamflow Since 1730 as Reconstructed by Tree Rings

Abstract A 248-year reconstruction of the low-flow (July, August and September) period of the Potomac River indicates that the prolonged drought of the 1960s may have been the most severe since 1730. However, there appear to have been several long periods of about 50 years in length when flow was generally above or below the long-term median flow. The period from 1900 through 1950, which comprises most of the measured flow period, was generally above median. Long-period climatic shifts can have important water resource implications. The Potomac River streamflow at Point of Rocks, Maryland was reconstructed by using tree-ring chronologies from sites in or near the river basin. Canonical regression analysis was used to reconstruct simultaneously July, August and September discharge after screening all the tree-ring predictors. Verification statistics and cross-spectral analysis indicate that the average reconstruction of these three months is most reliable for periods longer than about six years and shorter...
The impact of PSA and digital rectal examination on the risk of prostate cancer specific mortality in men with a PSA level <2.5 ng/ml

Abstract Introduction It is unknown whether a normal range, diagnostic serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) level's influence on prostate cancer specific mortality (PCSM) is dependent upon digital rectal examination (DRE) findings. Methods Between 2004 and 2007, 9081 men diagnosed with non-palpable (T1c, N = 1710) or palpable (T2–T4, N = 7371) and non-metastatic prostate cancer (PC) were identified from surveillance, epidemiology, and end results data, selected based on pre-treatment PSA Results After median follow-up of 2.83 years, 118 of 548 deaths (21.5%) were due to PC. Increasing diagnostic PSA was associated with increased risk of PCSM (AHR = 3.52; 95% CI: 1.25–9.89; P = .017) in men with T1c, Gleason score 7–10 PC, but decreased PCSM risk (AHR = 0.66; 95% CI: 0.52–0.83; P Discussion For men with diagnostic PSA level
An algorithm for the detection and measurement of rail surface defects

Abstract Defects on the surface of railroad tracks have been the cause of growing concern over the past three decades. The automated detection and classification of rail surface defects would be of great assistance to rail maintenance planners, who develop grinding strategies to prevent the development of potentially dangerous deterioration. Videotaped images of the surface of rail have been obtained, but they are subject to distortions due to the acquisition process as well as physical phenomena on the track itself. In this analysis, an algorithm is presented for the simultaneous restoration and segmentation of objects in a two-dimensional image. The algorithm relies on distributions that model the relationships between sites and neighbors in order to restore a distorted image to an estimate of its ideal form, and also obtain detailed information about the objects located in the image. The foundation of the algorithm is the Iterated Conditional Modes procedure for image restoration. The resulting extensi...
Solid-Waste Management: A Test of Alternative Strategies Using Optimization Techniques

The objective of this paper is to determine how residential solid waste has been and could be disposed of or reused in metropolitan regions. By means of optimization techniques, the authors examine the economic efficiency of landfilling, energy and materials recovery, and waste-transportation technologies at centralized and dispersed sites. The results indicate that dry-fuel technology is the most efficient system for the near future. Pyrolysis, incineration, and landfilling are less efficient systems in metropolitan regions which are running out of inexpensive landfill space. Northern New Jersey is used as a case study.
Doramectin systemic activity against cattle grubs, Hypoderma lineatum and H. bovis (Diptera: Oestridae), and cattle lice, Bovicola bovis (Mallophaga: Trichodectidae), Linognathus vituli and Solenopotes capillatus (Anoplura: Linognathidae), and Haematopinus eurysternus (Anoplura: Haematopinidae), in Wyoming

Abstract Seven individual trials were conducted in Wyoming to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of doramectin administered subcutaneously at a dosage of 200 μg kg−1 against multiple, natural infestations of cattle grubs or cattle lice. Insect species present and the number of trials that included each species were: Hypoderma lineatum, 2; Hypoderma bovis, 1; Bovicola bovis, 5; Haematopinus eurysternus, 1; Linognathus vituli, 5; and Solenopotes capillatus, 3. Examinations for lice were performed prior to treatment and either weekly or bi-weekly thereafter for 28 days. Examinations for cattle warbles were performed either weekly or every 4 to 5 weeks from time of first appearance through last appearance in the backs of the cattle. No H. lineatum, H. bovis, H. eurysternus, L. vituli, or S. capillatus were found on doramectin-treated animals at any time following treatment. By 29 days following treatment, the number of B. bovis was reduced between 58 and 98%. Treatments applied later in the season, i.e. in March, were more efficacious against B. bovis than those applied in January or February.
Parallel state estimation assessment with practical data

This paper presents a parallel state estimation (PSE) implementation using a preconditioned conjugate gradient algorithm and an orthogonal decomposition-based algorithm. Preliminary tests against a commercial Energy Management System (EMS) State Estimation (SE) tool using real-world data are performed. The results show that while the preconditioned conjugate gradient algorithm can solve the SE problem faster with the help of parallel computing techniques, it might not be good for real-world data due to the large condition number of its gain matrix introduced by the wide range of measurement weights. With the help of PETSc package, the orthogonal decomposition-based PSE algorithm can achieve 5-20 times speedup comparing against the commercial EMS tool. It is very promising that the developed PSE can solve the SE problem for large power systems at the SCADA rate, to improve grid reliability.
Heart Block During Bacterial Endocarditis: A Review of the Literature and Guidelines for Surgical Intervention

The management of patients with bacterial endocarditis complicated by atrioventricular block is based on uncontrolled data, mostly from retrospective surgical and autopsy series. It is difficult to advance broad recommendations on the basis of such a biased population. Nevertheless, it is the firm opinion of many experienced clinicians that heart block developing as the result of aortic endocarditis signals myocardial abscess formation, and thereby is an indication for early surgery. I present a patient with aortic and mitral endocarditis in whom first degree heart block developed and then disappeared over five days; she was successfully managed with medical therapy alone. This case illustrates that some patients with endocarditis and heart block will not require surgery. In this setting, I propose the following guidelines in selecting patients for operation: 1) the observed appearance or progression of heart block; 2) the presence of aortic valve involvement; 3) the persistence of heart block, despite at least one week of optimal antibiotics; and 4) the elimination of other potential causes of conduction abnormalities.
Phorbol ester regulation of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase, proliferation, and TcR α in a pre-T cell line

Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) is a template-independent DNA polymerase that is transiently expressed during the normal development of T and B lymphocytes. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) has been reported to induce maturation-like changes, including the loss of TdT, in many leukemic cell lines. We investigated the mechanism of TdT repression by PMA in an early thymocyte-like cell line, RPMI 8402. At a concentration of 8 nM, PMA caused both repression of TdT synthesis and arrest of proliferation. At greater concentrations of PMA, these same changes initially occurred, but then cell proliferation resumed, and TdT was reexpressed. At both 8 and 160 nM PMA, TdT biosynthesis and TdT mRNA became undetectable within 8 hours, while cell proliferation and DNA synthesis were not significantly reduced until 16 hours. Growth arrest induced by serum starvation did not result in a similar reduction of TdT RNA even after 48 hours. With 160 nM PMA, TdT mRNA could be detected again by 24 hours, and proliferation resumed. Transcription run-off assays indicated that TdT RNA synthesis ceased within 1 hour after exposure to both 8 and 160 nM PMA. T cell receptor α (TcR α) RNA was induced when TdT RNA was repressed. TcR β RNA levels were unchanged, and TcR γ RNA was up-regulated. TdT gene repression and modulation of cell proliferation as well as induction of TcR gene expression are normal events during intrathymic T cell maturation. This cell model provides a system for analyzing the molecular regulation of these significant developmental events.
Demonstrated Efficacy of Models of Marriage and Family Therapy: An Update of Gurman, Kniskern, and Pinsof's Chart.

Abstract Opportunities for third-party reimbursement, marriage and family therapy (MFT) legislation, and federal funding depend largely on evidence supporting the efficacy of specific family therapies in treating specific disorders. The following comprehensive review of literature attempts to answer this “specificity question.” The article summarizes outcome research (1986-95) relating to the efficacy of specific modalities of MFT in treating certain disorders and updates the chart originally introduced by Gurman, Kniskern, and Pinsof (1986). Implications for clinical practice and research are discussed.
Evidence for a role of heat shock protein-90 in toll like receptor 4 mediated pain enhancement in rats.

Spinal cord microglial toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) has been implicated in enhancing neuropathic pain and opposing morphine analgesia. The present study was initiated to explore TLR4-mediated pain modulation by intrathecal lipopolysaccharide, a classic TLR4 agonist. However, our initial study revealed that intrathecal lipopolysaccharide failed to induce low-threshold mechanical allodynia in naive rats, suggestive that TLR4 agonism may be insufficient to enhance pain. These studies explore the possibility that a second signal is required; namely, heat shock protein-90 (HSP90). This candidate was chosen for study given its known importance as a regulator of TLR4 signaling. A combination of in vitro TLR4 cell signaling and in vivo behavioral studies of pain modulation suggest that TLR4-enhancement of neuropathic pain and TLR4-suppression of morphine analgesia each likely require HSP90 as a cofactor for the effects observed. In vitro studies revealed that dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) enhances HSP90 release, suggestive that this may be a means by which DMSO enhances TLR4 signaling. While 2 and 100 μg lipopolysaccharide intrathecally did not induce mechanical allodynia across the time course tested, co-administration of 1 μg lipopolysaccharide with a drug that enhances HSP90-mediated TLR4 signaling now induced robust allodynia. In support of this allodynia being mediated via a TLR4/HSP90 pathway, it was prevented or reversed by intrathecal co-administration of a HSP90 inhibitor, a TLR4 inhibitor, a microglia/monocyte activation inhibitor (as monocyte-derived cells are the predominant cell type expressing TLR4), and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (as this proinflammatory cytokine is a downstream consequence of TLR4 activation). Together, these results suggest for the first time that TLR4 activation is necessary but not sufficient to induce spinally mediated pain enhancement. Rather, the data suggest that TLR4-dependent pain phenomena may require contributions by multiple components of the TLR4 receptor complex.
The priming activities of deoxyribonuclease-treated deoxyribonucleic acid preparations in two enzyme systems for deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis in vitro.

Abstract It has been found that pretreatment of native calf thymus DNA with DNase I enables this material to serve as a “primer” in two enzyme systems for DNA synthesis in vitro , an effect which previously had been observed only when DNase was present during the course of the polymerization. This observation has led to the conclusion that DNase I probably does not play a role in DNA replication in vivo . Its action in vitro is thought to show that the polymerizing enzymes can produce fragments of DNA molecules, using molecular fragments of DNA as primers. In the course of this work some physical properties as well as the priming activity of a heattreated, reisolated DNA from calf thymus have been studied.
Ya shouldn’ta couldn’ta wouldn’ta

In a recent issue of this journal, Berit Brogaard and Joe Salerno presented a counterfactual theory of essence, designed to get around Kit Fine’s influential objections to the standard modal account of essence. I argue that Brogaard and Salerno’s theory does not avoid Fine’s objections. Then I propose a sequence of variations on their theory, and argue that none of them succeed either.
An invariant of basic sets of Smale flows

We consider one-dimensional flows which arise as hyperbolic invariant sets of a smooth flow on a manifold. Included in our data is the twisting in the local stable and unstable manifolds. A topological invariant sensitive to this twisting is obtained.
Designing to improve interpersonal impression accuracy in online peer production

In online peer production, users assess potential collaborators' expertise and warmth to inform interactions. However, people often make inaccurate first impressions. These false impressions hurt collaboration and lead to conflict based on incorrect behavioral attributions. Online peer production interface design can reduce or enhance impression accuracy. In this paper, we suggest ways to reduce bias in online impression formation. Based on our own previous research and social psychology literature on impression formation, we propose ways of presenting individuals' work history and interaction traces to reduce bias in impression formation. The design recommendations we present should improve efficiency and satisfaction with interactions in large-scale online peer production settings.
Multiphase equilibria in high-pressure ternary systems containing secondary alcohols and water

Abstract Multiphase transitions and compositions are discussed in systems containing 2-propanol-water-carbon dioxide and 2-butanol-water-n-butane. 2-Butanol has a different pattern of phase behavior due to a miscibility gap with water at lower temperatures. As a result, a three-phase VLL region is found at n-butane sub- and supercritical temperatures, which is bounded by a two-phase region in the PTx space. New experimental data, obtained through visual observation of phase transitions and direct GC analysis of equilibrium phase compositions, are used to prepared P-T, P-X and T-X diagrams. These diagrams provide a systematic basis for evaluating three-phase formation.
Reconsidering Depression in the Elderly.

The authors present a literature review and a scientific commentary. The prevalence of depressive disorders in the elderly and their association with significant morbidity and mortality are discussed in relation to study of clinical heterogeneity, which may provide useful insights into etiologic and pathophysiologic variability. The authors summarize findings regarding clinical and associated features of late-life depression, explore the limitations of current factual knowledge and conceptual approaches, and propose directions for future research. They argue that current sample selection procedures minimize the variability of the very phenomena under study; therefore, few phenomenologic differences or risk factors for long-term outcome have been noted consistently. Factors such as medical illness account for much of the observed heterogeneity in presentation and outcome. Future studies must include a broader range of subjects and carefully examine in a multidimensional fashion a wider range of "comorbid" conditions, personality and social assessments, and neuropsychologic and neurobiologic measures. Such approaches will enhance our understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms of depression in the elderly and across the lifespan.
Anxiety and Drinking Behavior: Moderating Effects of Tension‐Reduction Alcohol Outcome Expectancies

We evaluated whether alcohol outcome expectancies moderate the association between measures of anxiety and alcohol use. Student subjects completed questionnaires related to their level of anxiety, recent alcohol-use patterns, and outcome expectancies for alcohol to be tension reducing. Interviews were used to determine the presence or absence of alcohol dependence in subjects and in their first- and second-degree relatives. Consistent with predictions, male subjects with high tension-reduction alcohol outcome expectancies showed a stronger positive correlation between measures of anxiety and drinking behavior than did male subjects with low tension-reduction outcome expectancies. However, this effect was not found for female subjects. We note past studies showing similar gender effects, and relate the overall study findings to the tension-reduction hypothesis of stress-induced drinking.
Modeling energy transport in a cantilevered Euler-Bernoulli beam actively vibrating in Newtonian fluid

Abstract When a mechanical and/or structural component is immersed in a fluid and it vibrates, the reasonable assumption is that part of the energy is transmitted to the adjacent media. For some engineering applications the energy transport between these two domains, i.e., structure and fluid, plays a central role. The work presented in this paper is focused on discussing the energy transport in beam-like structures as they can be used to represent flexible swimmers (fish-like pulsating mechanisms) in their simplest form. In order to expose the role of each of the fluid and beam properties effecting the energy transfer process, a simplified analytical fluid–structure interaction (FSI) model is derived. After analysis of the resulting coupled-systems' damping coefficient, a new energy transport component is added to the initial Euler–Bernoulli beam equation; a term associated with diffusion (fluid viscosity). In addition our modeling results in an added mass term, a characteristic consistent with previous literature. While deriving the model, an important assumption is made: beam mode shapes are not significantly affected by the domains' interaction. This hypothesis is experimentally tested in two different fluid media and confirmed to be reasonable for the first three vibration mode shapes.
Community structure and species diversity of hermatypic corals at Eilat, Red Sea

This study investigates the community structure of reefbulding corals in terms of species composition, zonation and diversity patterns, as well as possible factors affecting the observed distributions. The study was carried out by a series of line transects run underwater with SCUBA apparatus from the reef flat to a depth of 30 m. The reefs of Eilat are of the fringing type, with seleractinian corals as the most important hermatypic organisms. The different zones of the reef are analyzed on the basis of topographical characteristics of the reef, as well as from the numerical data on abundance and living coverage, using cluster analysis of all transects surveyed. The present knowledge concerning species diversity is reviewed and analyzed in the context of hermatypic coral data. Three different diversity indices (the species count, Simpson's index and Shannon and Weaver's index) were calculated for estimating the diversity obtained on different zones of the reef. It was found that there is a successive increase in diversity of hermatypic corals from shallow water to a depth of 30 m. Species diversity and living voverage of corals were significantly greater in steeper zones as compared to flatter zones of the reef. A possible explanation for this phenomenon is the accumulation of sediments in the flat zones. It is proposed that the severe and umpredictable nature of the reef flat may account for low abundance and living coverage of corals. It is also proposed that deep-water species which do not invade shallow water are species which have developed high specialization to their local environment. The idea that light intensity is a significant factor in calcium-carbonate deposition by scleractinian corals is supported by field measurements of individual colonies at different depths.
Ganglioside Microarrays for Toxin Detection

Microarrays of lipids containing gangliosides were fabricated on surfaces coated with γ-aminopropylsilane. A fluorescence microarray scanner was used to detect the binding of toxins to these arrays. The specific binding of cholera and tetanus toxins to microspots containing GM1 and GT1b gangliosides, respectively, was demonstrated. These results suggest the possibility of using ganglioside microarrays for multiplexed toxin detection and the screening of compounds that can inhibit toxin binding.
Effect of tyrosine on brain catecholamine turnover in reserpine-treated rats

The injection of reserpine [2.5 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p.)] increased brain concentration of tyrosine and of the major catecholamine metabolites, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylethylene--glycol-sulfate (MHPG-SO4) in the rat. In reserpine-treated animals, tyrosine administration (200 mg/kg, i.p.) caused further increases in brain tyrosine, DOPAC, and HVA, but not in brain MHPG-SO4. The increases in DOPAC and HVA levels were observed in a dopaminergic brain region (the corpus striatum) and a noradrenergic region (the cerebellum). These results support previous observations that catecholamine synthesis and release in both dopaminergic and noradrenergic neurons can depend in part upon brain tyrosine levels.
Random coil scission rates determined by time-dependent total intensity light scattering : hyaluronate depolymerization by hyaluronidase

A recently developed theory of the light scattering by random coils undergoing random scission is applied to the digestion of hyaluronate by hyaluronidase. The time dependence of the scattered light from solutions undergoing digestion was monitored. Working at a high angle with high molecular weight hyaluronate allowed the use of a powerful approximation for determining initial velocities and the Henri-Michaelis-menten coefficients, without explicit knowledge of the hyaluronate molecular weight, radius of gyration, second virial coefficient, or polydispersity. Effects due to a molecular weight dependent second virial coefficient and to non-Gaussian behavior are briefly considered. Assays were performed over nearly two orders of magnitude in substrate concentration. The initial velocities are compared with those obtained by a standard reducing sugar assay, which was performed on identical samples. The main advantages of the light scattering assay procedure over the more traditional assays are that many relatively high-precision data points can be quickly and automatically collected with simple apparatus, and that the technique is most sensitive for the initial period of digestion, where the other assays are least sensitive. The shapes of the scattering curves also provide evidence that hyaluronate in these solutions is not a stable double strand and that the hyaluronidase cleaves bond randomly. The curves also indicate that enzyme deactivation occurs, which accounts for the lower velocities yielded by the slower reductimetric assay, which is measured over longer initial periods.