cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protein intake compliance of morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery and its effect on weight loss and biochemical parameters.

Abstract Background Grade D evidence supports a daily protein intake (DPI) of >60 g/d after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. However, the physiologic effects of this recommendation have yet to be elucidated. The primary aim of the present study was to assess the effects of DPI after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass on weight loss, leptin levels, and albumin levels. The setting was a 617-acute inpatient bed university-affiliated teaching hospital. Methods The data from 427 consecutive bariatric surgery patients were prospectively collected from December 2007 to April 2011. The data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation, the chi-square test, the paired t test, analysis of covariance, and hierarchical linear regression analysis. Results Of the 427 patients, 167 (39.1%) had complete data at 3, 6, and 12 months of follow-up and were used for the present analysis. Of the 427 patients, 140 (83.8%) were women with a mean age and preoperative body mass index (BMI) of 42.7 ± 11 years and 47.3 ± 8.1 kg/m 2 , respectively. Of the 427 patients, 71.3% were compliant with a DPI of ≥1 g/kg/d at 12 months postoperatively. The patients had a mean percentage of excess weight loss of 74.9% ± 16.7% and a mean BMI of 29.4 ± 5.4 kg/m 2 at 12 months. When controlling for the preoperative BMI, carbohydrate violations, and exercise increase, DPI was associated with a greater percentage of excess weight loss ( P = .001), BMI change ( P P = .003), and a lower percentage of body fat ( P Conclusion Excellent compliance with a DPI of ≥1 g/kg/d at 12 months after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is feasible and might result in the benefits of increased weight loss, a decreased percentage of body fat, and improved percentage of lean mass.
Intracanopy variation in nitrogen cycling through leaves is influenced by irradiance and proximity to developing fruit in mature walnut trees

Intracanopy variation in net leaf nitrogen (N) resorption and N cycling through leaves in mature walnut (Juglans regia L. cv Hartley) trees were monitored in 3 different years. Differential irradiance among the spurs sampled was inferred from differences among leaves in dry weight per unit area (LW/LA) which varied from 4.0 mg · cm−2 to 7.0 mg · cm−2 in shaded (S) and exposed (E) canopy positions, respectively. Our results, using 15N-depleted (NH4)2SO4 validated the concept that N influx and efflux through fully expanded leaves occurred concurrently during the period of embryo growth. Additionally, it also suggested that N influx into leaves was substantially greater in exposed as compared with shaded canopy positions. Because of its well documented phloem immobility, leaf Ca accumulation was used to better estimate the relative influx of N into exposed and shaded leaves. N cycling varied locally within the tree canopy, i. e. Ca (and presumably N) influx was 100% greater in exposed than shaded tree canopy positions, but influx was not influenced significantly by the proximity of developing fruit. In contrast, both the amount and percentage N efflux was significantly greater during embryo growth in fruit-bearing than defruited spurs. Net leaf N resorption averaged 2–4 times greater (25–30%) in fruit-bearing spurs than the 5–10% decrease in the leaf N content in defruited spurs. Since about 90% of leaf N content reportedly occurs as protein, fruit N demand apparently influenced protein turnover and catalysis in associated spur leaves. The amount of leaf N resorption was greater in exposed than shaded positions in the tree canopy in 2 of the 3 years of data collection. Our data show that like leaf N content, N influx, N efflux and net leaf N resorption vary throughout mature walnut tree canopies under the combined local influences of fruiting and irradiance.
Prehospital care: The future of emergency medical services

Most prehospital interventions, both pharmacologic and procedural, have been accepted without clear demonstrations of their abilities to impact patient outcomes or without clear indications that withholding or delaying the intervention pending arrival at a definitive emergency department will adversely affect the patient. Interventions that have the benefit of supportive research have been applied equally to urban and nonurban emergency medical services environments. In selecting interventions, inadequate consideration has been given to the differences in emergency medical services personnel training, frequencies of their exposure to patients, frequencies of skill use, and availabilities of effective continuing education programs in the urban and nonurban environments. These issues are discussed, and the necessary focus of the future of emergency medical services in urban, suburban, and rural environments is predicted.
Energies and lifetimes of excited states in copperlike Kr viii

The spectrum of Kr VIII has been observed between 180 and 2000 A by using foil excitation of 2.5--3.5-MeV krypton ions. Twenty new transitions have been classified and eleven new excited-state energies have been determined within the n=4 --7 shells. The ionization potential is derived to be 1 015 800 +- 200 cm/sup -1/. The excited-state energies and fine structures are compared with recent relativistic Hartree-Fock calculations. The 4p-state lifetime has been measured by performing a simultaneous analysis of decay data for the 4p level and for its dominant cascade-repopulating levels. The 4p lifetime is found to be 30% shorter than previously measured values and is in excellent agreement with the result of a recent multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock calculation. The source of the discrepancy between this result and earlier measurements is discussed.
Should Duplex Ultrasonography Be Performed for Surveillance of Femoropopliteal and Femorotibial Arterial Prosthetic Bypasses

Duplex ultrasonography (DU) has been shown to be beneficial for surveillance of lower extremity vein bypasses. However, DU as part of surveillance program for prosthetic grafts is not widely accepted. The purpose of this report was to determine if DU could reliably detect failing prosthetic infrainguinal arterial bypasses and if there were differences in predictability between femoropopliteal (FP) and femorotibial (FT) prosthetic grafts. Between January 1992 and December 1997, 89 infrainguinal grafts in 66 patients were entered into our postoperative prosthetic graft surveillance protocol, which included clinical evaluation, segmental pressures, pulse volume recordings, and DU performed every 3 months. Patients with follow-up of less than 3 months were excluded unless the graft thrombosed. An abnormal DU considered predictive of graft failure included (1) peak systolic velocity (PSV) >300 cms/sec at inflow or outflow arteries, in the graft or at an anastomosis (unless an adjunctive arteriovenous fistula had been performed); (2) adjacent PSV ratio >3.0; (3) uniform PSVs 75% the luminal diameter of the graft, at an anastomosis, or in an inflow/outflow artery was confirmed by operative or arteriographic findings or if the graft thrombosed after an abnormal DU but before intervention. Our results support the routine use of DU as a part of a graft surveillance protocol for femorotibial, but not femoropopliteal, prosthetic grafts.
Child abuse reporting.

Sir .—We read with interest the article by Saulsbury and Campbell 1 entitled "Evaluation of Child Abuse Reporting by Physicians." Saulsbury and Campbell's data provide important information on physician attitudes, which should ultimately help guide the needed development of educational curricula in medical schools, residency training, and continuing education programs. Becuase of the results of a similar survey, we recently conducted in Illinois (unpublished data), several comments seem germane. It is easy to understand our colleagues' hesitancy to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect when the diagnoses are uncertain. In other areas of medical problem solving, a physician establishes hypotheses based on empirical suspicions and cues. 2 His/her next step is to test the hypotheses using historical information in conjuction with clinical and laboratory data. Closure and therapeutic intervention usually occur only after the physician is reasonably certain of the diagnosis. In cases of child abuse and neglect, however, closure for
Health state information derived from secondary databases is affected by multiple sources of bias.

Abstract Objective Secondary databases are used in descriptive studies of patient subgroups; evaluation of associations between individual characteristics and diagnosis, prognosis, and/or service utilization rates; and studies of the quality of health care delivered. This article identifies sources of bias for health state characteristics stored in secondary databases that arise from patients' encounters with health systems, highlighting sources of bias that arise from organizational and environmental factors. Study Design and Setting Potential sources of bias, from patient access of services and diagnosis, through encoding and filing of patient information in secondary databases, are discussed. A patient presenting with acute myocardial infarction is used as an illustrative example. Results The accuracy of health state characteristics derived from secondary databases is a function of both the quality and quantity of information collected before data entry and is dependent on complex interactions between patients, clinicians, and the structures and systems surrounding them. Conclusion The use of health state information included in secondary databases requires that estimates of potential bias from all sources be included in the analysis and presentation of results. By making this common practice in the field, greater value can be achieved from secondary database analyses.
Soil response to cattle trampling and mechanical seedbed preparation

Abstract Cattle trampling and mechanical cultivation have been recommended to prepare seedbeds in association with rangeland revegetation. The effects of one‐time light and heavy cattle trampling, land imprinting, and root plowing or ripping on physical and hydrologic characteristics of a sandy loam soil were measured in southern Arizona. Soil disturbance by these treatments initially increased soil penetrability and slightly increased bulk density. Land imprinting increased the depth of wetting of an initial rainstorm but not sorptivity. Plowing or ripping increased surface roughness, penetrability, depth of wetting, and sorptivity. Heavy trampling and land imprinting initially increased the volume of water that was held at field capacity by the surface soil. This effect did not persist after summer rainfall. None of the treatments strongly positively or negatively affected soil physical properties. One‐time heavy cattle trampling slightly increased depth of wetting but not sorptivity compared to undistu...
Merkel Cell Carcinoma: Is there a Role for 2-Deoxy-2-[F-18]fluoro-d-glucose-Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography?

Purpose 2-Deoxy-2-[F-18]fluoro-d-glucose (FDG)–positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) is becoming widely available as a powerful imaging modality, combining the ability to detect active metabolic processes and their morphologic features in a single study. The role of FDG-PET/CT is proven in lymphoma, melanoma, colorectal carcinoma, and other cancers. However, there are rare malignancies such as Merkel cell carcinoma that can potentially be evaluated with PET/CT. We were therefore prompted to review our experience with FDG-PET/CT in the management of patients with Merkel cell carcinoma.
Phenology of an Established Population ofGalerucella calmariensis(L.) andG. pusilla(Duft.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) on Purple Loosestrife,Lythrum salicariaL. (Lythraceae), in Southwest Virginia

Abstract Two beetlesGalerucella calmariensisandG. pusilla(Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) were introduced into Virginia for biological control of purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria). From initial releases of each species made in 1992 in Coeburn, Virginia, the beetles have been recovered for 3 consecutive years and are well established at the release site. Dispersal, as measured by the area covered by the beetles, has been slow; the area withGalerucellaspp. increased from 92 m2in 1993 to 414 m2in 1995. The proportion of purple loosestrife plants with one or more life stages of the beetles increased from 43% in 1993 to 67% in 1995. Both beetle species have one generation per year. Overwintering adults and eggs are found in early May, followed by larvae in late May through mid June. The F1adults emerge and feed briefly in late June and early July before going into diapause.
Interaction of H-2Eb with an IAP retrotransposon in the A20/2J B cell lymphoma.

In the A20/2J BALB/c B cell lymphoma, Southern analysis revealed an insertion of approximately 6 kilobases of DNA into the first intron of one Ebd-allele. Two observations suggest that the rearrangement did not occur recently in the A20/2J subline. Firstly, normal and altered Ebd-alleles are present in equal numbers, and secondly, the LB 27.4 and LS 102.9 somatic cell hybrids formed at an earlier date both possess the rearrangement. Sequences of two cDNA clones, λEb-7 and λEb-125, selected from an A20/2J cDNA library prepared from poly [A+] RNA indicate that the rearranged Ebd-allele directs the synthesis of atypical Eb transcripts. The clones contain Eb sequence linked to a portion of retroviral-like intracisternal A-particle (IAP) genomic sequence, and they appear to be copies of mRNA produced by splicing between a 5′ donor site in the retroviral transcript and the 3′ acceptor site of the Eb gene's first intron. The longer λEb-125 insert corresponds to RNA that initiated in the 5′-untranslated region of the Eb gene. The 3′-end of the first Eb exon joins to long terminal repeat sequence, and retroviral sequence extends up to the splice junction with the second Eb exon; 3′ of the junction, the λEb-125 sequence corresponds to that of a correctly spliced Eb transcript. It seems feasible that the cDNA clones represent hybrid RNA synthesized by read-through transcription of the Eb coding region and an IAP element inserted into the first intron of the rearranged Ebd-allele.
An examination of response covariation in the behavioral treatment of identical twin boys with multiple behavioral disorders

This study examined the response covariation phenomenon in the behavioral treatment of a noncompliant, nonattentive child with autism in a school setting. The treatment consisted of reinforcement for compliance and attention. Results showed that the reinforcement of compliance was associated with increased levels of compliance, attending, and directed verbalizations. Sequential scatterplot data analysis suggested that compliance and attending directly covaried as a function of the reinforcement for compliance contingency. The results of this multiple treatment study suggests that reinforcement of compliance had the broadest positive effect for the subject since positive collateral changes were observed in attending and directed verbalizations when compliance was reinforced.
Using spam farm to boost PageRank

Nowadays web spamming has emerged to take the economic advantage of high search rankings and threatened the accuracy and fairness of those rankings. Understanding spamming techniques is essential for evaluating the strength and weakness of a ranking algorithm, and for fighting against web spamming. In this paper, we identify the optimal spam farm structure under some realistic assumptions in the single target spam farm model. Our result extends the optimal spam farm claimed by Gyongyi and Garcia-Molina through dropping the assumption that leakage is constant. We also characterize the optimal spam farms under additional constraints, which the spammer may deploy to disguise the spam farm by deviating from the unconstrained optimal structure.
A Mechanistic Model of Effects of Dioxin on Gene Expression in the Rat Liver

Abstract Improved methods for estimating the shape of the response curve for effects of exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD) are needed in order to evaluate possible adverse health effects of TCDD. A mathematical model has been constructed to describe TCDD-mediated alterations in hepatic proteins in the rat. In this model it was assumed that TCDD mediates increases in the liver concentration of transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α) by a mechanism which requires the aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor. TGF-α subsequently binds to the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor, a process which is known to cause internalization of this receptor in hepatocytes. This action is thought to be an early event in the generation of a mitogenic signal. Because TCDD decreases binding of EGF in the livers of intact female rats but not in ovariectomized rats, this effect was further assumed to be dependent on estrogen action. The model postulates Ah receptor-dependent effects on the concentration of cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2), which is involved in the metabolism of estradiol, and on the concentration of the estrogen receptor. The model also incorporates information on induction of cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) by TCDD. The biochemical response curves for all these proteins were hyperbolic (Hill exponents in the equations for their expression were found to be 1), indicating a proportional relationship between target tissue dose and protein concentration at low administered doses of TCDD. The model successfully reproduced the observed tissue distribution of TCDD, the concentrations of CYP1A1 and CYP1A2, and the effects of TCDD on the Ah, estrogen, and EGF receptors over a wide dose range.
Wavelet transforms and edge detectors on digital images

The paper investigates the problem of locating edges on digital images. The process is completed through various mathematical transforms. The edges are found by implementing mathematical algorithms for convolutions that are adapted to locate the edges and highlights the technique on using wavelet transforms. We are especially addressing the problem of edge detection, because it has far reaching applications to all fields and especially within medicine. A patient can be diagnosed as having an aneurysm by studying an angiogram. An angiogram is the visual view of the blood vessels whereby the edges are highlighted through the implementation of edge detectors. This process can be completed through wavelet transforms and other convolution techniques.
Histone kinase activity and histone phosphorylation from Pinus pinea cotyledons following x-irradiation

Abstract Cotyledons of Pinus pinea have been irradiated with various dosages of 260 kVp X-ray up to 30 Gy at 13–14 days post-initiation of germination which is a period of active mitosis throughout the tissue. Although there was no apparent effect on electrophoretic mobility of histone isolated 16 hr post-irradiation, the net incorporation of inorganic phosphate was significantly depressed in varying degress among histone subfractions. Histone kinase activity of irradiated cotyledons (30 Gy) was reduced 65% whereas histone kinase irradiated in vitro exhibited 20% loss of activity. Phosphorylation of histones isolated from irradiated cotyledons was reduced by 40%. Irradiation of isolated histones with the same dose had no effect on subsequent phosphorylation by non-irradiated kinase. The relationship between radiosensitivity of histone kinase and mittotic arrest is discussed.
Current and Future Innovations in Soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) Oil Composition

Biotechnology often is regarded strictly sa transgenic research. In practice, it involves a team effort among plant breeders, genomicists, and molecular geneticists. Genetic improvement of soybean (Glycine max) began over 5000 years ago when wild soybeans (Glycine soja) were introduced into China. These ancestors of cultivated soybean exhibit a wide range of genetic diversity for traits that range from seed size and color to genes that govern oil composition. However, the ’gene pool’ for US varieties comes from less than 12 of the 18000 types of Glycine max. Thus, the genetic base for modern soybeans is rather narrow. For example, wild soybeans contain desaturase genes (FAD3) are not present in domesticated soybean that sontribute to elevated polyunsaturates in Glycine max. How can we extract and utilize untapped genetic diversity in soybean or any other crop? The answer is through biotechnology. Soybean breeders have an arsenal of natural gene mutations (resessive alleles) that influence fatty acid composition. Modern genetic technology helps identify the gene, gene product and the exact nature of the mutation in each allele. Transgenic research provides ’proof of concept’ and also may be used to create genetic diversity for novel traits. Gene markers, maps and micro-array technology help to locate selected genes in segregating populations. These tools accelerate breeding progress and enable variety development in a socially acceptable manner. These concepts are applied to the development of agronomic soybeans with lower-palmitic acid, higher oleic acid and lower-linolenic acid concentration. In the near future, the means to create natural mutations that fine-fune regulation of metabolic enzyme activities for specific traits will be in hand. Such technical advances may lesson social concern for biotechnology, through more effective use of natural genetic diversity to achieve goals now thought possible only by application of transgenes in commercial food/feed products.
Nanoparticle Drug Delivery Platform

The use of polymers and polymeric structures in the treatment, diagnosis, and monitoring of biological systems is continuing to increase in sophistication. Research exploring the use of nanoparticles for drug delivery applications has included the exploration and development of nanocolloids, liposomes, micelles, nanogels, polymer‐drug conjugates, and a variety of other polymeric nanoparticles that are composed of organic polymers with specific physical or chemical properties that make them relevant delivery vehicles. One of the current trends is the fabrication of tunable, mono‐dispersed, polymeric nanostructures to be used as nanoparticle drug delivery platforms. The PRINT technology used to fabricate monodisperse particles from a wide range of particle matrix materials including biocompatible poly(ethylene glycol) and bioabsorbable poly(d‐lactic acid) is described along with an abbreviated overview of other polymeric drug delivery platforms.
Cytokinesis: welcome to the Rho zone

Cytokinesis follows nuclear division and generates two distinct daughter cells, each replete with a full complement of the genome and cytoplasmic organelles. Members of the Rho family of GTPases are crucial regulators of this process in a wide variety of species. In many cell types, cytokinesis is mediated by a discretely localized contractile ring that is rich in actin and myosin. In this article (which is part of the Cytokinesis series), we review recent studies in animal cells that have shown that local assembly of the contractile ring is mediated by a discrete pool of GTP-bound, active RhoA. Advances in detecting the active pool of RhoA have allowed insights into the mechanisms and the molecules that promote the accumulation of active RhoA at the correct time and place in the cell.
Competing Epoxidation and Allylic Hydrogen Activation: trans-β-Methylstyrene Oxidation on Au(111)

The reaction of trans-β-methylstyrene with atomic oxygen on Au(111) has been investigated under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. Temperature programmed reactions, isothermal reactions, and infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy have been employed in order to probe the competing reactivity of the bifunctional allylic olefins. Partial oxidation products, including epoxide, benzoic acid, and cinnamic acid, are observed, in addition to combustion to CO2 and water. These products can be understood in terms of the competing oxidation of the C═C bond and the allylic C−H bond. In particular, we show that cinnamic acid is formed via oxygen-insertion into the allylic C−H bond to form the phenylallyloxy intermediate. This latter pathway appears unique to gold and, specifically, has not been reported for silver or copper surfaces. Epoxidation and allylic H activation proceed with a selectivity of approximately 60 and 27%, respectively, at an initial oxygen coverage of 0.2 ML. Our results provide direct evidence that...
The Evolution of an Amine Dehydrogenase Biocatalyst for the Asymmetric Production of Chiral Amines

The reductive amination of ketones to produce chiral amines is an important transformation in the production of pharmaceutical intermediates. Therefore, industrially applicable enzymatic methods that enable the selective synthesis of chiral amines could be very useful. Using a phenylalanine dehydrogenase scaffold devoid of amine dehydrogenase activity, a robust amine dehydrogenase has been evolved with a single two-site library allowing for the direct production of (R)-1-(4-fluorophenyl)-propyl-2-amine from para-fluorophenylacetone with a kcat value of 6.85 s−1 and a KM value of 7.75 mM for the ketone substrate. This is the first example of a highly active amine dehydrogenase capable of accepting aliphatic and benzylic ketone substrates. The stereoselectivity of the evolved amine dehydrogenase was very high (>99.8% ee) showing that high selectivity of the wild-type phenylalanine dehydrogenase was conserved in the evolution process. When paired with glucose/glucose dehydrogenase, NADH cofactor can be effficiently regenerated and the reaction driven to over 93% conversion. The broad specificity, high selectivity, and near complete conversion render this amine dehydrogenase an attractive target for further evolution toward pharmaceutical compounds and subsequent application.
Improving dynamic operability in mimo systems with time delays

Time delays often dominate the process dynamics and limit the dynamic operability of the plant. The assessment of their effect has been investigated and has been quantified by upper bounds (unachievable) and lower bounds (achievable). Since existing delay compensators can perform only to the limits imposed by these measures, the problem of identifying the effects of time delays and developing strategies for reducing their impact on the control system performance has become very important. A rigorous approach for the study of these issues is introduced. Within the framework of mixed-integer linear programming, the suggested methodology provides the position of the delays that should be increased, as well as their new magnitude necessary to accomplish improved closed-loop performance. The optimum lower bounds when dynamic decoupling is required are identified. As a result of the modified process, the performance of existing multi-delay compensators can be improved and driven to the optimum lower bound for dynamic decoupling of the system.
Left Ventricular Diastolic Pressure Elevation Consequent to Pulmonary Stenosis

Patients with mild pulmonary stenosis, predominant mitral stenosis, or aortic valvular disease were studied by standard catheterization technics to determine the effect of their lesions upon both the ipsilateral and contralateral ventricles. The study suggested (1) that left heart lesions which produce an elevation of left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) do not necessarily cause an abnormal rise in diastolic pressure in the contralateral ventricle, (2) that eccentric right ventricular hypertrophy by definition without septal involvement may produce elevated right ventricular end-diastolic pressure without affecting LVEDP, and (3) that concentric right ventricular hypertrophy appears to effect an elevation in end-diastolic pressure in both the ipsilateral and contralateral ventricles. Possible mechanisms related to the biventricular architecture are discussed.
High efficiency organic photovoltaic cells based on inverted SubPc/C60/ITO cascade junctions

Abstract Conventional heterojunction organic photovoltaic cells typically involve the deposition of the electron donor layer (or donor–acceptor blend) on top of a transparent anode, with the cathode deposited last. Inverting the structure and deposition sequence usually worsens the performance characteristics, except device lifetime. We compare conventional (SubPc/C60) and inverted (C60/SubPc) junctions, the latter exhibiting a power conversion efficiency of 3.5%. We also find a significant trade-off between the open circuit voltage and short circuit photocurrent, potentially attributable to the formation of a C60/ITO Schottky junction, and a change from exciton-quenching to exciton-blocking behavior of the SubPc:MoOX interface in inverted devices.
Horizontal ampullary nerve fiber projections to the crista angustarum in the crista ampullaris

Individual nerve fibers were traced on consecutive serial 1-micron-thick cross-sections to determine their position of origin within the horizontal ampullary nerve trunk (HANT) and the site at which they penetrated the basilar lamina of the horizontal crista in the guitarfish, Rhinobatos productus. Of the 132 fibers successfully traced, 87.1% followed an anatomical projection pattern consistent with the dynamic response characteristics of the nerve fibers. That projection pattern was: from the peripheral HANT region to the ipsilateral slope; from the central HANT region to the crest; and from the intermediate HANT region both to the ipsilateral slope and the crest of the horizontal crista. The 12.9% of "error" fibers not following this projection pattern were also consistent with the functional neurophysiological data. The terms crista bulbus and crista angustarum were introduced to designate specific anatomical regions of the dumb-bell shaped crista ampullaris.
Raman And Fluorescence Spectroscopic Characterization Of Diamonds And CVD Diamond Films

The Raman spectrum is a characteristic signature that identifies diamond carbon, diamond-like carbon, graphitic carbon in various structural states, and possibly another structural family of carbon. The single sharp Raman line at 1332 cm-1 allows cubic diamond to be recognized against a background of other types of carbon. Small shifts in band wavenumber have been related to stress state in deposited films and line width relates to structural order. Impurities in diamond act as luminescence centers. Some of these can be excited by the laser line used for Raman spectroscopy and the Raman spectrometer used as a luminescence spectrometer. Four major centers and several minor ones have been identified in CVD diamond films.
Normal human monocytes inhibit tumor cell growth in vitro

Abstract Normal human monocytes were evaluated in an in vitro assay of growth inhibition of tumor cells. Monocytes were isolated from the blood of 6 normal subjects by Ficoll-Hypaque separation and adherence to plastic microtest wells. Cervical carcinoma cells (HeLa) were added to the microwells to result in a ratio of 50 monocytes to one HeLa cell. Cultures were then incubated for 6 to 46 hr. Growth inhibition was evaluated by measuring the uptake of 3 H-thymidine over a 4-hr pulse period after 2, 18, or 42 hr of monocyte-HeLa interaction. Inhibition of HeLa growth by monocytes was 23.8% ± 8.6% over 6 hr, 22.0% ± 8.9% over 22 hr, and 68.3% ± 7.5% over 46 hr. Growth inhibition of HeLa cells was confirmed by direct enumeration of HeLa cells at the end of coincubation. Attachment of monocytes to the HeLa cells was confirmed by light and scanning electron micrographs. Granulocytes, lymphocytes, and other cell lines did not comparably inhibit HeLa growth and media replenishment did not ablate the effect. These data demonstrate that normal human monocytes can inhibit the growth of a malignant cell line in vitro in the absence of overt activation procedures.
Towards an autonomous integrated sensor system

We present a prototype, modular, autonomous fluidic sensor system that will be capable of long-term in the field use. Modularity extends from the ability of the system to support different sensing modes (gas or liquid), and autonomy extends from it being self-contained and operating independently. We demonstrate the first use of a custom CMOS integrated circuit that has a photodiode and charge amplifier for sensing, and combine this with a microcontroller to allow for autonomous operation in a very small package. The sensor portion can respond to color change in a liquid or intensity change from a luminescent chemical sensor. Ultimately, multiple sensors can be used at once to determine the concentration of pollutants.
Gender, Race, and Latina Identity: An Examination of Marvel Comics' Amazing Fantasy and Araña

This article analyzes gender and race issues as they appear in the comic book series Amazing Fantasy and Arana, especially pertaining to issues of representation. The author finds that although small steps toward a more varied representation of minority groups are present in this comic book series, the characters are still depicted in gender and race stereotypical ways. The author does, however, find that unlike most minority groups' portrayals and most heroines' portrayals, ethnic identity is expressed in many ways but still does not overcome the larger issues of racial stereotyping present in the comic book series.
FDA-approved sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS) versus compounded STS for venous sclerotherapy.

BACKGROUND In the area of endovenous chemical ablation (sclerotherapy), there has been much debate regarding sclerosant quality and efficacy. Only sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS) has garnered Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in the United States. OBJECTIVE The primary objective of this study was to compare clinical performance measures of compounded STS from 27% industrial-strength stock (compounded STS) versus FDA-approved Sotradecol (Bioniche Pharma USA, Inc., Belleville, Ontario, Canada). MATERIALS AND METHODS Phase I of this study focused on the chemical composition of the drugs, whereas Phase II studied the ablative abilities of the two drugs at comparable concentrations of 3%. RESULTS We documented the presence of various impurities in compounded STS. No impurities in AngioDynamics STS were found. Our studies suggest that compounded STS may have significant variation in concentration. The AngioDynamics STS concentration was found to be manufactured within a tight tolerance. Segments of incomplete ablation were more frequent in the compounded STS group when compared to the AngioDynamics STS group. This reached statistical significance (p=.02). Primary closure using the Kaplan-Meier statistic demonstrated a trend in the favor of AngioDynamics STS when compared to compounded STS. CONCLUSION When product quality, efficacy, and liability are carefully considered, we conclude that it would behoove physicians to use pharmaceutical-grade, FDA-approved sclerosant when treating their patients.
Cultural Relativity in the Conceptualization of Career Maturity.

Abstract The present study investigated whether theories and measurement of career maturity, because of their reliance on independence in career choice attitudes as a crucial variable, may be culturally relative and therefore less valid when working with Asian Americans. Asian American ( n =182) and European American ( n =235) college students completed Form B1 of the Crites Career Maturity Inventory (CMI), the Self-Construal Scale (SCS), and a demographic questionnaire. Asian American participants also completed the Suinn–Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale (SL-ASIA). As a group, Asian Americans exhibited less mature career choice attitudes than European Americans. However, High Acculturation Asian Americans and those with lower Interdependent self-construals did not differ from European Americans in maturity of career choice attitudes. Counseling implications are discussed.
Baseline colposcopic findings in women entering studies on female vaginal products.

Abstract Background Colposcopy is commonly used for genital tract assessment in safety studies on female-controlled vaginal products. However, findings that are considered ���lesions��� are present even without product use. We sought to categorize the type and frequency of lesions found on baseline colposcopy evaluation in healthy women to describe natural lower genital tract changes due to environmental factors. Study Design We reviewed demographic information and baseline colposcopic examination findings from subjects in 13 studies of vaginal products. All studies included an aim of identifying colposcopic changes as a means of monitoring safety of a vaginal product or device. Colposcopic evaluations were performed according to the WHO/CONRAD Manual for the Standardization of Colposcopy for the Evaluation of Vaginal Products . Results A total of 317 lesions were found on 569 baseline colposcopy evaluations, with 192 women (34%) having at least one lesion. The most commonly identified lesions were petechiae and erythema, accounting for 45% and 37% of lesions, respectively. Seventy-three percent of lesions were located on the cervix, whereas 15% of lesions were located on the vaginal wall or fornix. Conclusions Lower genital tract colposcopic findings are common in healthy women. Such findings likely represent normal physiologic changes. Future research needs to address whether routine colposcopic examination is necessary in the evaluation of new vaginal products.
Competitive routing of virtual circuits in ATM networks

Classical routing and admission control strategies achieve provably good performance by relying on an assumption that the virtual circuits arrival pattern can be described by some a priori known probabilistic model. A new on-line routing framework, based on the notion of competitive analysis, was proposed. This framework is geared toward design of strategies that have provably good performance even in the case where there are no statistical assumptions on the arrival pattern and parameters of the virtual circuits. The on-line strategies motivated by this framework are quite different from the min-hop and reservation-based strategies. This paper surveys the on-line routing framework, the proposed routing and admission control strategies, and discusses some of the implementation issues. >
EPR Studies of Xanthine Oxidoreductase and Other Molybdenum-Containing Hydroxylases

A summary is provided both of early work establishing the different types of EPR signals manifested by the molybdenum centers of enzymes such as xanthine oxidoreductase and of more recent studies, frequently employing more advanced EPR-related methods, which have contributed significantly to our understanding of the physical and electronic structures of the enzyme active site. Structures for the signal-giving species, frequently supported by independent x-ray crystallographic studies, are placed in a catalytic context.
Placement for configurable dataflow architecture

As wire delay increasingly becomes a significant performance bottleneck in monolithic architectures, there is a strong motivation to move to dataflow architectures. In this paper, we propose a set of placement algorithms for generic dataflow architectures. Our timing-driven and profile-driven placement algorithms respectively are targeting streaming and non-streaming applications. Compared to the conventional wirelength-driven algorithm, our timing-driven placer reduces the longest path delay by 23% and maximum slack by 26% at the cost of 10% increase in wirelength for streaming applications. In addition, our profile-driven placer reduces the total execution time of non-streaming applications by 17%. Lastly, our simultaneous timing/profile-driven placer reduces the total execution time of non-streaming applications by 13% on average.
The Communication Studies Researcher and the Communication Studies Indexes

Abstract The existence of widely available large, multi-subject, online databases calls into question the necessity for small, discipline-specific indexes to support research. This study attempts to determine whether the online Communication Studies indexes provide access to the journal literature that researchers in the field actually cite and whether, where the current journal literature is concerned, that access is in any way superior to that provided by large, multi-subject, online indexes.
Global stability of time-dependent flows. Part 2. Modulated fluid layers

The method of energy is used to develop two stability criteria for a large class of modulated Benard problems. Both criteria give stability limits which hold for disturbances of arbitrary amplitude. The first of these, designated as strong global stability, requires the energy of all disturbances to decay monotonically and exponentially in time. Application of this criterion results in a prediction of Rayleigh numbers below which the diffusive stagnant solution to the Bous-sinesq equations is unique. The second criterion requires only that disturbances decay asymptotically to zero over many cycles of modulation, and is a weaker concept of stability. Computational results using both criteria are given for a wide range of specific cases for which linear asymptotic stability results are available, and it is seen that the energy and linear limits often lie close to one another.
Breastfeeding and fathers: illuminating the darker side.

: Although breastfeeding may be the best form of infant nutrition and be an important practice for mother and infant, it may be perceived as negative by the father and thus inhibit the development of the father-infant relationship. This study provides a summary of data from a longitudinal study of the male experience of expectant and new parenthood, and a summary of the literature on breastfeeding and fathers. Fathers' concerns about breastfeeding included the lack of opportunity to develop a relationship with their child, feeling inadequate, and being separated from their mate by the baby. The professional literature fails adequately to represent the negative aspects of breastfeeding for fathers. The parents' literature contains one father's candid and humorous account that caregivers might use, together with other techniques, to make parents aware of these aspects.
The Sum1/Ndt80 Transcriptional Switch and Commitment to Meiosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Summary: Cells encounter numerous signals during the development of an organism that induce division, differentiation, and apoptosis. These signals need to be present for defined intervals in order to induce stable changes in the cellular phenotype. The point after which an inducing signal is no longer needed for completion of a differentiation program can be termed the “commitment point.” Meiotic development in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (sporulation) provides a model system to study commitment. Similar to differentiation programs in multicellular organisms, the sporulation program in yeast is regulated by a transcriptional cascade that produces early, middle, and late sets of sporulation-specific transcripts. Although critical meiosis-specific events occur as early genes are expressed, commitment does not take place until middle genes are induced. Middle promoters are activated by the Ndt80 transcription factor, which is produced and activated shortly before most middle genes are expressed. In this article, I discuss the connection between Ndt80 and meiotic commitment. A transcriptional regulatory pathway makes NDT80 transcription contingent on the prior expression of early genes. Once Ndt80 is produced, the recombination (pachytene) checkpoint prevents activation of the Ndt80 protein. Upon activation, Ndt80 triggers a positive autoregulatory loop that leads to the induction of genes that promote exit from prophase, the meiotic divisions, and spore formation. The pathway is controlled by multiple feed-forward loops that give switch-like properties to the commitment transition. The conservation of regulatory components of the meiotic commitment pathway and the recently reported ability of Ndt80 to increase replicative life span are discussed.
Asexual Reproduction in Pygospio elegans Claparède (Annelida, Polychaeta) in Relation to Parasitism by Lepocreadium setiferoides (Miller and Northup) (Platyhelminthes, Trematoda)

Life-history theory predicts that parasitized hosts should alter their investment in reproduction in ways that maximize host reproductive success. I examined the timing of asexual reproduction (fragmentation and regeneration) in the polychaete annelid Pygospio elegans experimentally exposed to cercariae of the trematode Lepocreadium setiferoides. Consistent with adaptive host response, polychaetes that became infected by metacercariae of trematodes fragmented sooner than unexposed controls. Parasites were not directly associated with fission in that exposed polychaetes that did not become infected also fragmented earlier than controls. For specimens of P. elegans that were not exposed to trematodes, new fragments that contained original heads were larger than those that contained original tails, whereas original head and tail fragments did not differ in size for infected polychaetes. In infected specimens, metacercariae were equally represented in original head and tail fragments and were more likely to be found in whichever fragment was larger. Despite early reproduction, parasitism was still costly because populations of P. elegans exposed to parasites were smaller than controls when measured 8 weeks later and because exposure to cercariae reduced survivorship of newly divided polychaetes. Taken together, my results suggest that early fragmentation is a host response to minimize costs associated with parasitism.
A query by humming system that learns from experience

Query-by-Humming (QBH) systems transcribe a sung or hummed query and search for related musical themes in a database, returning the most similar themes. Since it is not possible to predict all individual singer profiles before system deployment, a robust QBH system should be able to adapt to different singers after deployment. Currently deployed systems do not have this capability. We describe a new QBH system that learns from user provided feedback on the search results, letting the system improve while deployed, after only a few queries. This is made possible by a trainable note segmentation system, an easily parameterized singer error model and a straight-forward genetic algorithm. Results show significant improvement in performance given only ten example queries from a particular user.
Managing A Large Volume of Design/Manufacturing/Test Data in a Chip And Module Factory

In its highly automated East Fishkill semiconductor facility, IBM has exploited the "gate array" concept to its fullest in the support of computers designed using VLSI. IBM's Engineering Design System (which has been described in several papers in the past) in conjunction with the Direct Release System provides machine designers with a fast, controlled environment for designing and releasing chip part numbers into East Fishkill and getting fast turnaround on newly designed chips for their engineering model machines. This paper describes how Programmers and Engineers at the East Fishkill facility solved the huge logistical and information management problems associated with handling the large volume of unique chip part numbers that are released into East Fishkill with requests for quick shipment of hardware at that released design level. The problems discussed involve providing accurate, timely manufacturing information, tracking the product in the line, and collecting/analyzing in-process and final test results for thousands of unique part numbers.