cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Validation of the effectiveness of a vancomycin nomogram in achieving target trough concentrations of 15-20 mg/L suggested by the vancomycin consensus guidelines.

Study Objective. To assess and validate the effectiveness of a newly constructed vancomycin dosing nomogram in achieving target trough serum concentrations of 15–20 mg/L. Design. Prospective multicenter study. Setting. Five tertiary care teaching hospitals. Patients. A total of 200 adults who required vancomycin dosages targeted to attain recommended trough vancomycin serum concentrations of 15–20 mg/L. Intervention. The new nomogram, which based dosing on weight and renal function, was used to calculate patients' initial vancomycin dosages. Serum trough concentrations were measured before the fourth or fifth dose, and dosages were adjusted as needed. Measurements and Main Results. Median patient age was 56 years (interquartile range [IQR] 49–65 yrs), median weight was 71.2 kg (IQR 63–85 kg), and median creatinine clearance was 66.5 ml/minute (IQR 52–82 ml/min). The median initial vancomycin trough concentration achieved was 17.5 mg/L (IQR 15.0–20.0 mg/L), with 116 patients (58%) achieving the initial target trough of 15–20 mg/L. The median percent error was 13.6%, and the mean ± SD error for predicted versus actual serum trough concentrations was −0.50 ± 0.021 mg/L. One hundred fifty-four patients (77%) eventually achieved the trough target concentration within a median of 2 days. One hundred forty patients (70%) achieved initial troughs of 14–21 mg/L and 160 (80%) achieved troughs of 13–22 mg/L. Nine patients (4.5%) experienced nephrotoxicity while receiving vancomycin, which occurred after a median of 8 days of therapy. The median initial vancomycin trough concentration for these patients was 18.5 mg/L (IQR 15.3–19.3 mg/L), with eight of the nine patients having trough concentrations of 15 mg/L or greater. Conclusion. Fifty-eight percent of patients achieved the target trough of 15–20 mg/L (median 17.5 mg/L). The performance of the nomogram improved to 80% when the trough range was adjusted to 13–22 mg/L. Caution should be applied when using this nomogram. The nomogram should not replace clinical judgment, and dosage adjustments should be based on pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic targets and clinical response.
Robust derivative superposition method for linearising broadband LNAs

A linearisation methodology for broadband low noise amplifiers (LNAs) is considered. The proposed scheme is composed of the main transistor operating in strong inversion healed by a couple of auxiliary transistors operating in triode and subthreshold regions. The nonlinearities of these transistors graciously and efficiently compensate each other, improving main transistor linearity by over 10 dB over all corners for input signals as large as −14 dBm. Power consumption increases by 6% while frequency response and input impedance are almost not affected because the compensating circuits are quite small compared with the main device. Simulation results show that the compensated LNA implemented in Jazz-Semiconductor 0.18 µm CMOS technology has a gain of 11.3 dB, IIP3=18.4 dBm, BW=3.6 GHz while drawing 7.4 mA from a 2.4 V supply voltage.
Determination of Damage Development in Asphalt Concrete Using Small-Scale Accelerated Pavement Testing via Frequency Domain Analysis Approach

To predict the pavement response correctly at any condition, the constitutive relation between stress and strain will require the use of a damaged modulus. Several asphalt concrete slabs constructed in the laboratory using vibratory roller compactor and instrumented with strain gauges and thermocouples were tested under the one-third scaled accelerated loading device called MMLS3. A frequency domain approach has been used to analyze the continuous strain data. The constitutive equation in time domain has been transformed to frequency domain using the Fourier transform technique, and the complex modulus values have been determined continuously during the loading. The results indicated that complex modulus is affected by the combined effect of loading and temperature. A general trend of reduction of complex modulus attributable to these factors has been observed in the study. The analysis results indicate that the frequency domain approach is an efficient and better way to handle large amount of data generated in long-term pavement studies and it can be used to determine the change in the complex modulus attributable to loading.
Microcrystallization by spontaneous evaporation of dilute saturated solutions of difficultly soluble substances. Sodium nitrate from concentrated nitric acid

A method of preparing sodium nitrate crystals suitable for profile angle measurement is described and the values of those angles was determined as 102° 38′ for the obtuse angle of the rhomb and 77° 36′ for the acute angle of this parallelogram.
Enhanced Reservoir Imaging With 3-D Mapping Techniques And Facies Analysis of Shoreface Reservoirs In the Middle Frio J-K Interval, Corpus Christi Northwest Field, Texas

Summary New observations and better understanding of the genetic stratigraphy and sand geometry of the middle Frio J-K interval were achieved from modern tools of seismic interpretation and visualization in Corpus Christi Northwest field. A clear interpretation of this complex area emerged through enhanced reservoir imaging with 3-D mapping techniques and facies analysis. Stratal slices from the flattened seismic volume, integrated with thickness attribute analysis and gross-sandstone maps, clearly show crosscutting relationships that indicate incision into an older barrier-island complex in the northern part of the field. A stratal-slice map revealed a large-scale, lobate feature in the southwestern part of the field previously interpreted as an ebb-tidal delta. However, the scale of this feature was perceived to be inconsistent with that of the associated barriercore and shoreface system. An alternate interpretation considered a sequence-stratigraphic origin for this downdip anomalous feature that more adequately explains the volumetric relationships of these depositional elements. These imaging techniques are effective tools in visualizing and documenting potential reservoir sandstone distribution in areas between existing well control. These techniques can be used to augment and extend preliminary interpretations of sandbody geometry from conventional log data to build a larger and more complete reservoir model and to fully reconstruct the depositional history and paleogeography. This methodology provided insight into understanding possible mechanisms for downdip transport of sand beyond the main depositional axis in the northern part of the field.
Stable E-beam metrology on ArF resist for advanced process control

ABSTRACT We studied the effect of ArF resist shrinkage under electron bombardment during ebeam metrology and also the effect of resist shrinkage on the after-etch CD. The traditional approach is to reduce the electron energy and dose to minimize resist shrinkage, often at the cost of reduced precision and image quality. We found that resist trimming by high-density plasma etcher (ion density about 10 12 cm -3 ) can improve the stability of resist under ebeam. Exposed to beams of 600V and 300V accelerating voltage, fresh photoresist CD shrinkage was reduced by ~70% and ~50% after resist trimming in the etcher. The effect of resist trimming is similar to that of e-beam curing. More interestingly, after etch and clean of the wafer, no difference in average CD value was found between area exposed to ebeam measurement and area that were not measured. This suggests that the resist trimming step in the normal etching process may overwhelm resist shrinkage effect caused by ebeam metrology. The implication is that the key selection criteria for stable ebeam metrology on ArF resist is a beam that produces consistent shrinkage, not minimizing average shrinkage. Keywords: ArF resist, 193nm resist, ebeam metrology, shrinkage, feed-forward, APC, process control
Identification of amplified clonal T cell populations in the blood of patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease: positive correlation with response to photopheresis.

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is a multiorgan disorder with skin manifestations resembling scleroderma. Since photopheresis, a treatment that induces an anticlonotypic immune response, has proven to be effective in both cutaneous T cell lymphomas with circulating clonal T cells and in cGVHD, we have searched for circulating clonal T cell populations in patients with cGVHD, and determined whether T cell clonality in the blood is associated with therapeutic response. We screened blood samples from 27 patients after HLA-matched allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo-BMT), 10 without cGVHD and 17 with extensive cGVHD, for clonal T cell receptor γ (TCRγ) gene rearrangements using fluorescent-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and automated high-resolution capillary electrophoresis. Amplified populations of clonal T cells with unique TCRγ gene rearrangements were found in six of 10 (60%) allo-BMT patients without cGVHD and 13 of 17 (76.5%) allo-BMT patients with cGVHD (P = 0.41), as compared to none of 10 (0%) healthy controls. Twelve patients with cGVHD were treated by photopheresis, and the presence of amplified populations of clonal T cells was found to be associated with a cutaneous response to photopheresis, as eight of eight (100%) clone-positive vs none of four (0%) clone-negative patients experienced a clinically significant cutaneous response to treatment (P = 0.001). Our findings suggest that patients with cGVHD that have detectable expanded clonal T cell populations in their peripheral blood, may be more likely to respond to treatment by photopheresis.
Role of carrier diffusion in semiconductor microdisc lasers

A theoretical analysis of the influence of carrier diffusion on the threshold characteristics of semi-conductor microdisc lasers is given. The cold-cavity modes (Whispering Gallery Modes) and their wavelengths are obtained from approximate analytical solutions of Maxwell's equations. In the steady-state, the parameters of these modes are modified in an active semiconductor medium by the presence of intensity dependent gain, refractive index and diffusion of the carriers. An increase of threshold current with decreasing carriers' lifetime is predicted. Also, the dependence of the mode pulling on the diffusion length is discussed. These effects can be explained by considering spatially varying carrier density and therefore the spatially dependent refractive index and gain.
Incorporating New Technologies in Periodontal Diagnosis into Training Programs and Patient Care: A Critical Assessment and a Plan for the Future*

New diagnostic technologies may be capable of providing the dental practitioner with powerful tools that can assist in the early identification of periodontal disease that can result in expediated treatment. In this paper, clinical, host, and microbiological parameters will be evaluated for their ability to assess disease activity and to assist in the treatment decision-making process. The discussion will focus on: 1) the perceived need for markers of disease activity; 2) the most commonly proposed markers of disease activity currently under consideration for clinical application; and 3) a plan for future use of disease activity markers. The review concludes that: 1) tooth loss and most forms of rapid disease progression is limited to a small subset of patients within the periodontally diseased population; 2) no single parameter will stand alone as a measure of disease activity; 3) different aspects of treatment may require different combinations of tests to successfully intercept disease in this vulnerable patient group; and 4) early diagnosis can affect long-term periodontal status. Best estimates are presented for: 1) pre-disease identification of high-risk population groups; 2) early diagnosis of disease activity on a site and patient basis; and 3) assistance in the therapeutic decision-making process. It is further concluded that the complexity of the problem may require a re-examination of priorities such that more time and money is allocated to early diagnosis as opposed to treatment in this highly vulnerable patient population.
Nonlinear structural optimization using goal programming

Abstract This paper presents a method for solving nonlinear structural optimization problems using goal programming techniques. The method can be used as a conceptual design tool since goal programming removes the difficulty of having to define one equation as the objective function and the rest as constraints. The developed algorithm uses the linear goal programming techniques with successive linearization for the nonlinear equations to obtain the solution for the nonlinear goal optimization problems. The linear goal programming method with the steps required to obtain the goal programming solution are discussed. The linearization of the general nonlinear optimization problem along with the flow chart of the algorithm are presented. In order to demonstrate the formulation of the nonlinear goal optimization problem and the use of the method, as a design tool, an illustrative example of a three-bar truss structure is included.
Glia and the elimination of transient cortical projections

Over the past decade a number of studies have demonstrated that during the course of development, cortical projection neurons undergo major changes in their areal distribution. In particular, the distribution of neurons projecting to a given target is much wider in the infant than in the adult. This was first demonstrated for callosal projection neurons in the visual system of the cat 1 , but since then the observation has been extended to callosal projections of the somatosensory system of the cat 2 , rat 3 and monkey 4 . There is also evidence that similar changes occur in the distribution of cortical neurons which project sub-cortically 5–7 . Other evidence, obtained utilizing retrograde double labelling techniques, has suggested that these changes are accomplished, not by the elimination of neurons (‘cell death') 8.9 , but by the selective elimination of neuronal processes 10 . These findings, which were treated in detail in a recent review in TINS by Stanfield 11 , raise the intriguing question of how axonal processes are selectively eliminated during the course of development.
Too Much Experience: A Desensitization Bias in Emotional Perspective Taking

People often use their own feelings as a basis to predict others' feelings. For example, when trying to gauge how much someone else enjoys a television show, people might think "How much do I enjoy it?" and use this answer as basis for estimating others' reactions. Although personal experience (such as actually watching the show oneself) often improves empathic accuracy, we found that gaining too much experience can impair it. Five experiments highlight a desensitization bias in emotional perspective taking, with consequences for social prediction, social judgment, and social behavior. Participants who viewed thrilling or shocking images many times predicted first-time viewers would react less intensely (Experiments 1 and 2); participants who heard the same funny joke or annoying noise many times estimated less intense reactions of first-time listeners (Experiments 3 and 4); and further, participants were less likely to actually share good jokes and felt less bad about blasting others with annoying noise after they themselves became desensitized to those events (Experiments 3-5). These effects were mediated by participants' own attenuated reactions. Moreover, observers failed to anticipate this bias, believing that overexposed participants (i.e., repeatedly exposed participants who became desensitized) would make better decisions on their behalf (Experiment 5). Taken together, these findings reveal a novel paradox in emotional perspective taking: If people experience an evocative event many times, they may not become wiser companions but worse, unable to disentangle self-change from other-oriented thinking. Just as lacking exposure to others' experiences can create gaps in empathy and understanding, so may gaining too much. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved)
Holoprosencephaly: new models, new insights

Holoprosencephaly (HPE) is a common congenital malformation that is characterised by a failure to divide the forebrain into left and right hemispheres and is usually accompanied by defects in patterning of the midline of the face. HPE exists in inherited, autosomal dominant (familial) forms and mutation-associated sporadic forms, but environmental factors are also implicated. There are several features of HPE that are not well understood, including the extremely variable clinical presentation, even among obligate carriers of familial mutations, and the restriction of structural anomalies to the ventral anterior midline, despite association with defects in signal transduction pathways that regulate development of many additional body structures. The new animal models described in this review may help unravel these puzzles. Furthermore, these model systems suggest that human HPE arises from a complex interaction between the timing and strength of developmental signalling pathways, genetic variation and exposure to environmental agents.
Components of the Protein Synthesis and Folding Machinery Are Induced in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells by Hypertrophic and Hyperplastic Agents IDENTIFICATION BY COMPARATIVE PROTEIN PHENOTYPING AND MICROSEQUENCING

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) are the principal cellular component of the blood vessel wall. Atherosclerosis, hypertension, and angiogenesis are associated with abnormal VSMC growth. Angiotensin II is hypertrophic for cultured adult rat aortic VSMC, whereas platelet-derived growth factor and serum are hyperplastic. To identify changes in specific proteins associated with either hyperplastic or hypertrophic growth, high resolution two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was performed on extracts from quiescent rat aortic VSMC and from VSMC exposed for 24 h to growth factors (10% fetal calf serum, platelet-derived growth factor, or angiotensin II). 12 proteins were up-regulated and 5 down-regulated by treatment with growth factors. Eight of the up-regulated and one of the down-regulated proteins were identified by internal protein microsequencing from electroblotted two-dimensional gels or by co-electrophoresis of purified proteins in two-dimensional gels. Four of the proteins up-regulated by growth factors were identified as mediators of protein folding. These were heat shock proteins, HSP-60 and HSP-70, protein disulfide isomerase, and protein disulfide isomerase isozyme Q-2. Additional proteins were identified as elongation factor EF-1β, a component of the protein synthesis apparatus, and calreticulin, another putative molecular chaperone. Vimentin and actin were also up-regulated, whereas an isoform of myosin heavy chain was down-regulated. Hyperplastic and hypertrophic growth were accompanied by similar changes in protein expression, suggesting that both types of growth require up-regulation of the protein synthesis and folding machinery.
A new approach to characterize scratch and mar resistance of automotive coatings

Mar damage is a major customer concern of the automotive coatings industry. Our study of mar performance can be separated into two distinct areas, a detailed understanding of the damage formation mechanism, and an investigation of the relationship between the damage morphology and appearance. We have developed a nanoscratch technique that can measure important physical quantities, such as penetration depth, normal force and tangential force during the formation of the scratch. Mar resistance of three coatings was evaluated and compared based on the damage mechanisms: plastic flow and fracture. The different deformation mechanisms result in different damage morphologies and a corresponding change in visual impact of the scratch. Statistical surveys of appearance of well-defined scratches indicate that in very short observation times, scratches where fracture has occurred are much more visible than those made by plastic deformation alone. However, with sufficient time and strong illumination a significant percentage of observers could see plastic deformation as well.
Pilot-scale conversion of manure—straw mixtures to methane☆

Abstract A pilot-scale two-stage fermentation system designed to accomodate manure—straw mixtures was evaluated. The mixture was composed of 50% beef cattle manure and 50% wheat straw based on volatile solids (VS) content. The manure—straw mixture was mixed into a slurry and fermented in a hydrolysis tank for 1 day. The slurry in the hydrolysis tank was observed to autoheat from 40°C up to about 60°C, due to aerobic hydrolysis of substrate and mixing energy dissipation. Slurry from the hydrolysis tank either passed through a vibrating-screen solids separator or went directly to the anaerobic fermentor. When the solids were separated, approximately 37% of the screened solids were returned to the hydrolysis tank. The screened liquid, which accounted for 35% of the VS in the manure and straw, was pumped to the anaerobic fermentor for conversion to methane (CH 4 ). The fermentor, operated at 8-day hydraulic retention time (HRT), 44 to 47°C, and influent concentration of 47.3 kg VS/m 3 , produced 1.81 m 3 CH 4 /m 3 fermentor·day and 0.31 m 3 CH 4 /kg VS fed. When solids were not removed, the fermentor was operated at 5-day HRT, 52 to 54°C and influent concentration of 68.1 kg VS/m 3 . The CH 4 production rate and yield were 2.96 m 3 CH 4 /m 3 fermentor·day, and 0.22 m 3 CH 4 /kg VS fed, respectively. After correcting for differences in fermentation temperature and HRT, the system with solids separation produced only 58% of the daily CH 4 production of the system without solid separation.
Improved Scheduling Algorithms for SS/TDMA Systems

In this paper we present two scheduling algorithims for Satellite Switched/ Time Division Multiple Access(SS/TDMA). Both of them are optimal in the sense of maximizing transponder utilizatioirn. In addition the algorithms have certain other improved characteristics such as;1) both generate small number of switching modes, and 2) the overall computational complexity has been reduced. In the first algorithm the idea of Latin Squares is utilized while in the second a new approach of the problem has been, introduced, the approach of transmitting simultaneusly "nonconflicting" submatrices of the traffic matrix.
On Duplicate Measurements in the Chemical Laboratory

Duplicate measurements are used routinely in the chemical laboratory as a check on the results. In case of disagreement, a third measurement is taken. There are a number of possible ways in which the third observation can be used. This paper discusses several commonly used procedures, together with their impact on the estimation of the mean. It is shown that. in the presence of outliers, the mean of the closest pair is a better estimator of the mean than either the median or the remaining observation.
Practical SAR orthorectification

SAR orthorectification procedures have been implemented at major processing facilities for several years, but only recently has workstation computer speed increased to a level where it is now practical for the SAR researcher to have their own orthorectification capability in-house. The present article presents the authors' efforts to implement such a program and the practical lessons learned in doing so. Orthorectification encompasses all the corrections needed to precisely align a SAR image with a map, accounting for actual topography. However, there are several other operations that are required in order to produce radiometrically corrected data during the orthorectification process: calculating layover and shadow masks, local incidence angle, and calibration to /spl sigma//sup 0/. Without calibration the image is far less useful in further processing, such as in land-cover classification and biophysical parameter estimation. Specifics of the authors' effort to apply this to ERS PRI data, and to JERS level 2.1 data are presented, including an assessment of how well it performed.
Development of an Inherent Safety Index Based on Fuzzy Logic

During the past several years, researchers in the U.S. and Europe have developed measurement techniques and analysis tolls to estimate the inherent safety of a plant or a processing unit. These tolls are based on traditional Boolean mathematical methodologies that are limited by the uncertain and subjective nature of the information analyzed. Preliminary results reported here are on the development of an inherent safety index based on fuzzy logic theory that is an extension of the Boolean theory. The basic ideas of fuzzy logic theory and its application are presented by the inherent safety evaluation of a storage tank. The inherent safety index developed by Heikkila is taken as a base and is compared with the results of the proposed prototype index. It shows the benefits of using fuzzy logic. Strengths and limitations of the proposed methodology are also presented.
A fuzzy inference approach for fast analysis of AC skin impedance

In the conventional methods, we determined AC skin impedance resulting from off-line estimation. However, these methods lack real time convenience. In order to improve the conventional methods, we investigated a fast direct method of measurement of AC skin impedance which, based on a fuzzy inference approach, is proposed in this paper. A novel direct noninvasive method which uses instantaneous input data of voltage and current as a function of time is desired. These data are subsequently processed with a discrete Fourier transform and a fuzzy inference computation, producing a set of resistance and capacitance values of the components of the skin equivalent circuit. This technique is faster than the conventional methods because it uses a real-time, online measurement and computation, and requires only a high frequency input signal rather than multifrequency. >
Pornography, social harm, and legal control: Observations on Bart

Both the relatively recent appearance of research on the effects of pornography and the initiative of the current Administration to convene an inquiring commission to study pornography seem to be indicative of an interest in the regulation/control of pornographic material. Consistent with this interest, the Bart article argues both that certain kinds of pornography produce harmful social effects and that legal remedies ought to be pursued. The use of unsupported assertions, the limited generalizability of the social-psychological experimental research, the inability of the research to measure the magnitude of the effects of pornography, and the failure to conduct the discussion in comparative cost/benefit terms severely undermines the persuasiveness of the argument presented by Bart.
Neanderthal genomics and the evolution of modern humans

Humans possess unique physical and cognitive characteristics relative to other primates. Comparative analyses of the human and chimpanzee genomes are beginning to reveal sequence changes on the human lineage that may have contributed to the evolution of human traits. However, these studies cannot identify the genetic differences that distinguish modern humans from archaic human species. Here, I will discuss efforts to obtain genomic sequence from Neanderthal, the closest known relative of modern humans. Recent studies in this nascent field have focused on developing methods to recover nuclear DNA from Neanderthal remains. The success of these early studies has inspired a Neanderthal genome project, which promises to produce a reference Neanderthal genome sequence in the near future. Technical issues, such as the level of Neanderthal sequence coverage that can realistically be obtained from a single specimen and the presence of modern human contaminating sequences, reduce the detection of authentic human–Neanderthal sequence differences but may be remedied by methodological improvements. More critical for the utility of a Neanderthal genome sequence is the evolutionary relationship of humans and Neanderthals. Current evidence suggests that the modern human and Neanderthal lineages diverged before the emergence of contemporary humans. A fraction of biologically relevant human–chimpanzee sequence differences are thus likely to have arisen and become fixed exclusively on the modern human lineage. A reconstructed Neanderthal genome sequence could be integrated into human–primate genome comparisons to help reveal the evolutionary genetic events that produced modern humans.
In vitro activity and beta-lactamase stability of FK-037, a parenteral cephalosporin.

The in vitro activity of FK-037, 5-amino-2-[[(6R, 7R)-7-[[(Z)-2-(2-amino-4-thiazolyl)-2- methoxyimino) acetyl] amino]-2-carboxy-8-oxo-5-thia-1- azabicyclo[4.2.0]oct-2-en-3-yl]methyl]-1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1H-pyrazoli um hydroxide, inner salt, sulfate (1:1), a new parenteral cephem, was compared with those of cefepime, ceftazidime, imipenem, and ciprofloxacin. FK-037 inhibited methicillin-susceptible staphylocci at 32 micrograms/ml with Bush type 2b9 beta-lactamases were inhibited by 4 micrograms of FK-037 per ml. E. cloacae, Citrobacter freundii, and S. aureus stably resistant to FK-037 could be selected by repeated transfer in the presence of FK-037. The FK-037 MIC90 for Pseudomonas aeruginosa was 4 microgram/ml, compared to 32 microgram/ml for cefepime and ceftazidime and 8 microgram/ml for imipenem. Xanthomonas maltophilia, Pseudomonas cepacia, Acinetobacter anitratus, and Bacteroides species were resistant to FK-037 (MIC, more than or equal 32 microgram/ml). MBCs were identical to or within twofold of the MICs except for a 32-fold greater MBC for P. aeruginosa. Inoculum size and acid environment did not lower the activity of FK-037. FK-037 was not appreciably hydrolyzed by Bush group 1, 2a, 2b, and 2e beta-lactamases but was hydrolyzed by 2b9 and 2d enzymes at rates comparable to that of ceftazidime. Nonetheless, FK-037 inhibited bacteria possessing TEM-3, -5, and -7 and SHV -5 at less than or equal 8 microgram/ml. Overall, FK-037 has lower MICs against staphylococci and P. aeruginosa than the currently available iminomethoxy aminothiazolyl cephalosporins and has activity against members of the family Enterobacteriaceae comparable to that of cefepime.
Geographic Variation in the Humoral Response to Pneumocystis carinii

The reported incidence of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia varies in different areas of the world, but little is known about geographic variation in the antibody response to specific antigens. The frequency of anti-P. carinii antibodies in the serum of normal and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals from five different regions was compared. Serum specimens from 948 subjects were assayed for IgG antibodies to human-derived P. carinii by Western blot. The overall prevalence of anti-P, carinii antibodies was 72.9%. Among HIV-seronegative individuals, the rate of seropositivity was similar in all regions (70.5%-82.4%). Antibodies to the 30- to 40-kDa antigen were most commonly detected. The frequency of antibodies to high-molecular-mass antigens (95, 120, and >120 kDa) demonstrated significant geographic variation. This study demonstrates that antibody responses to P. carinii are common in all areas studied but vary in frequency and pattern.
Proximity energies: a framework for understanding concentrated solutions

A high-concentration fluid may be defined as one in which the distance between the van der Waals surfaces of the molecules is on the same order of magnitude as the size of the molecules. Many biological fluids meet this definition of being concentrated. High concentration protein solutions are of commercial interest, too. In the biopharmaceutical industry, there is a desire to produce high concentration (>100 mg/ml) protein formulations. The goal of this paper is to provide an energetic framework for understanding the functional properties (e.g., solubility, stability and viscosity) of high concentration solutions. Using this framework not only provides a simple, clear view of protein behavior at high concentrations, it also provides insights into how modifications to the protein or the solvent affect solution behavior. Thus, the paper provides a starting point for the rational manipulation of protein solubility, viscosity and stability. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of C Locus Alleles on Neonatal Development in the Domestic Fowl

Neonatal development, as influenced by the autosomal albino (ca/ca), recessive white (c/ca), or colored (C+/-) genotype, was investigated. Albino chicks exhibited smaller (P less than or equal to .005) body weights at 3, 6, and 9 days of age. A significant (P less than or equal to .005) reduction in growth rate also occurred in albinos from hatching to 3 days of age. Associated with the suppression of growth was the retention of greater (P less than or equal to .05) amounts of yolk sac contents. Albino chicks exhibited smaller (P less than or equal to .01) bursal weights at hatching and 6 days of age. Plasma glucose and protein levels were depressed (P less than or equal to .005) in albinos at hatching when compared to recessive white or colored chicks. No significant differences in plasma glucose or protein were noted at any other time periods. These data provide evidence for the retardation of neonatal development and a reduction in maternal yolk utilization by the ca/ca embryo. We suggest that there may exist additional physiological functions for melanin/functional tyrosinase that are not directly involved with pigmentation.
Shaping agility through digital options: reconceptualizing the role of information technology in contemporary firms

Agility is vital to the innovation and competitive performance of firms in contemporary business environments. Firms are increasingly relying on information technologies, including process, knowledge, and communication technologies, to enhance their agility. The purpose of this paper is to broaden understanding about the strategic role of IT by examining the nomological network of influences through which IT impacts firm performance. By drawing upon recent thinking in the strategy, entrepreneurship, and IT management literatures, this paper uses a multitheoretic lens to argue that information technology investments and capabilities influence firm performance through three significant organizational capabilities (agility, digital options, and entrepreneurial alertness) and strategic processes (capability-building, entrepreneurial action, and coevolutionary adaptation). We also propose that these dynamic capabilities and strategic processes impact the ability of firms to launch many and varied competitive actions and that, in turn, these competitive actions are a significant antecedent of firm performance. Through our theorizing, we draw attention to a significant and reframed role of IT as a digital options generator in contemporary firms.
Science, mathematics and technology education in the US: a perspective from the "frontlines of the classroom to national policy"

Abstract. In the past decade significant emphasis has been placed on increasing the involvement and influence of the professional scientific community in America's K-12 classrooms. The origins of this thrust have arisen from a variety of real and perceived crises occurring in America's K-12 classrooms. Projections for the nation's future workforce needs indicate an increased demand for science and technically literate workers, while fewer of the nation's students are pursuing advanced degrees in these academic areas of expertise. In an effort to address these issues and to impact the overall understanding and quality of science, math and technology education, several of the federal agencies have increasingly included a percentage of research funding devoted to the objective of improving the quality of kindergarten through Grade 12 (K-12, see Table 1) formal education and informal public outreach. To this end, NASA's Space Science Enterprise in particular has demonstrated a successful implementation approach and has been a national leader in forging strong partnerships with the education community to address these concerns.
Analysis of subsidence in northeastern Venezuela as a discriminator of tectonic models for northern South America

Subsidence analysis of northeastern Venezuela9s exposed, parautochthonous Lower Cretaceous-Miocene sedimentary section reveals an Atlantic-type passive-margin subsidence history for the entire Cretaceous-middle Eocene interval; Oligocene-Miocene subsidence was rapid and great and was caused by foredeep formation and emplacement of the fold-and-thrust belt that now exposes the passive-margin sedimentary section. Our analyses support tectonic models of South America9s northern margin which propose Cenozoic eastward migration of a foredeep along northern South America9s late Mesozoic passive margin. The calculated subsidence is inconsistent with tectonic models that propose middle or Late Cretaceous subduction or obduction.
Path Complexity in Virtual Water Maze Navigation: Differential Associations with Age, Sex, and Regional Brain Volume

Studies of human navigation in virtual maze environments have consistently linked advanced age with greater distance traveled between the start and the goal and longer duration of the search. Observations of search path geometry suggest that routes taken by older adults may be unnecessarily complex and that excessive path complexity may be an indicator of cognitive difficulties experienced by older navigators. In a sample of healthy adults, we quantify search path complexity in a virtual Morris water maze with a novel method based on fractal dimensionality. In a two-level hierarchical linear model, we estimated improvement in navigation performance across trials by a decline in route length, shortening of search time, and reduction in fractal dimensionality of the path. While replicating commonly reported age and sex differences in time and distance indices, a reduction in fractal dimension of the path accounted for improvement across trials, independent of age or sex. The volumes of brain regions associated with the establishment of cognitive maps (parahippocampal gyrus and hippocampus) were related to path dimensionality, but not to the total distance and time. Thus, fractal dimensionality of a navigational path may present a useful complementary method of quantifying performance in navigation.
Constrained Least Absolute Deviation Neural Networks

It is well known that least absolute deviation (LAD) criterion or -norm used for estimation of parameters is characterized by robustness, i.e., the estimated parameters are totally resistant (insensitive) to large changes in the sampled data. This is an extremely useful feature, especially, when the sampled data are known to be contaminated by occasionally occurring outliers or by spiky noise. In our previous works, we have proposed the least absolute deviation neural network (LADNN) to solve unconstrained LAD problems. The theoretical proofs and numerical simulations have shown that the LADNN is Lyapunov-stable and it can globally converge to the exact solution to a given unconstrained LAD problem. We have also demonstrated its excellent application value in time-delay estimation. More generally, a practical LAD application problem may contain some linear constraints, such as a set of equalities and/or inequalities, which is called constrained LAD problem, whereas the unconstrained LAD can be considered as a special form of the constrained LAD. In this paper, we present a new neural network called constrained least absolute deviation neural network (CLADNN) to solve general constrained LAD problems. Theoretical proofs and numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed CLADNN is Lyapunov stable and globally converges to the exact solution to a given constrained LAD problem, independent of initial values. The numerical simulations have also illustrated that the proposed CLADNN can be used to robustly estimate parameters for nonlinear curve fitting, which is extensively used in signal and image processing.
Enhancers of Adeno-associated Virus AAV2 Transduction via High Throughput siRNA Screening

Intracellular barriers to adeno-associated virus (AAV) transduction may limit gene delivery. We screened a short interfering RNA (siRNA) library targeting 5,520 genes to help identify pathways that modulate AAV transduction of human endothelium. In replicate screening, 50 pools (three siRNAs per gene) resulted in greater than eightfold reporter gene expression enhancement. Single siRNA confirmation tests demonstrated that at least one siRNA from each of the top 10 pools provided greater than twofold enhancement. Several siRNAs when used together resulted in additive effects and two of the most potent siRNA sequences were enhancers in cultured airway epithelium. However, enhanced transduction was not correlated with mRNA knockdown by quantitative real time PCR, indicating an off-target mechanism. In fact, four of the five most potent siRNAs contained a consensus hexamer region 5′-UGUUUC-3′ at positions 2–7 of the antisense strand. The point mutation U4A within this region (but not mutations at positions 1 or 14) disrupted transduction enhancement, indicating a microRNA (miRNA)-like mechanism. Transcription profiling indicated that the hexamer also resulted in perturbation of the interferon pathway via reduced interferon-induced protein 44-like (IFI44L), interferon-inducible myxovirus resistance 1 (MX1), and interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats (IFIT5) mRNAs. Direct interferon (α, β, and ω) receptor 2 (IFNAR2) knockdown resulted in greater than twofold transduction enhancement. In addition to providing insight into AAV biology and enhanced transduction, the results demonstrate certain beneficial siRNA off-target effects.
Synthesis of Lipoteichoic Acids in Bacillus anthracis

Lipoteichoic acid (LTA), a glycerol phosphate polymer, is a component of the envelope of Gram-positive bacteria that has hitherto not been identified in Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax. LTA synthesis in Staphylococcus aureus and other microbes is catalyzed by the product of the ltaS gene, a membrane protein that polymerizes polyglycerol phosphate from phosphatidyl glycerol. Here we identified four ltaS homologues, designated ltaS1 to -4, in the genome of Bacillus anthracis. Polyglycerol phosphate-specific monoclonal antibodies were used to detect LTA in the envelope of B. anthracis strain Sterne (pXO1+ pXO2−) vegetative forms. B. anthracis mutants lacking ltaS1, ltaS2, ltaS3, or ltaS4 did not display defects in growth or LTA synthesis. In contrast, B. anthracis strains lacking both ltaS1 and ltaS2 were unable to synthesize LTA and exhibited reduced viability, altered envelope morphology, aberrant separation of vegetative forms, and decreased sporulation efficiency. Expression of ltaS1 or ltaS2 alone in B. anthracis as well as in other microbes was sufficient for polyglycerol phosphate synthesis. Thus, similar to S. aureus, B. anthracis employs LtaS enzymes to synthesize LTA, an envelope component that promotes bacterial growth and cell division.
Poor prediction of blood transfusion requirements in adult liver transplantations from preoperative variables.

Abstract Study Objective: To assess the ability of preoperative information to predict intraoperative blood transfusion requirements in adult orthotopic liver transplantation. Design: Retrospective review. Setting: Liver transplantation program in a referral center. Patients: 583 sequential adult patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation. Measurements: Preoperative variables with a previously demonstrated relationship to intraoperative transfusion were identified from the literature. These variables were then collected retrospectively from 583 consecutive liver transplantations. Relationships between these and intraoperative blood transfusion requirements were examined by both univariate analyses and multiple linear regression analysis. Results: Univariate analysis revealed significant associations between blood transfused and the following preoperative variables: age, gender, diagnosis, presence of grade 3 or 4 encephalopathy, pseudocholinesterase, creatinine, bilirubin, mean pulmonary artery pressure, activated partial thromboplastin time, and platelet count. Multiple linear regression analysis with correction for diagnosis identified age, creatinine, bilirubin, and pseudocholinesterase as independent predictors; for the final model r 2 = 0.22. Conclusion: Preoperative variables are poor predictors of intraoperative transfusion requirements even when significant associations exist, identifying a small proportion of the variability observed. A predictive approach based on this method would be too inaccurate to be of clinical use. The majority of the variability in transfusion requirements during liver transplantation most likely results from intraoperative and donor organ factors.
Provision of evidence-based therapies to rural survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault via telehealth: Treatment outcomes and clinical training benefits.

Rural survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence experience considerable difficulties accessing mental health services. Similarly, graduate psychology training programs located in rural locations have historically been limited in their ability to provide trainees with extensive exposure to specific client populations. With the advent of distal technologies–especially secure, encrypted videoconferencing capabilities—it is now possible to connect rural clients with specialized, mental health services provided by university-based training clinics. This article reviews mental health care needs and treatment barriers experienced by rural populations, and describes an innovative solution to begin to address these problems. Specifically, a partnership between a university-based mental health care clinic and 3 rural domestic violence/rape crisis centers is described, and preliminary treatment outcome data are presented. Training benefits reported by graduate student therapists and satisfaction ratings provided by crisis center staff and advocates are also presented and discussed.
Tradeoffs among Ecosystem Services Associated with Global Tilapia Introductions

ABSTRACTPrevious publications have reached different conclusions about the balance between the socioeconomic benefits of tilapia introduction for aquaculture and capture fisheries, and the potential negative impacts of these species on ecosystem services such as the provisioning of food, habitat, and water quality. This review (1) provides a new estimate of the global scale of tilapia introduction and the reported occurrence of impacts to ecosystem services; (2) assesses whether reported changes to ecosystem services differ among species, regions and type of ecological effect reported; and (3) determine how perceptions of tilapia introduction are related to the reported occurrence of ecological effects and/or the contribution of tilapia to countries’ economies. Feral tilapia populations now exist in at least 114 countries. The majority of research is consistent with the occurrence of ecological change as a result of tilapia introduction, regardless of species or region of study, but there are important re...