cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exploring the limits of redox non-innocence: pseudo square planar [{κ4-Me2C(CH2NCHpy)2}Ni]n (n = 2+, 1+, 0, −1, −2) favor Ni(II)

Treatment of Ni(COD)2 with Me2C(CH2NCHpy)2 (dmp(PI)2) afforded pseudo-square planar, diamagnetic {dmp(PI)22−}NiII (Ni[0]), which contains radical anion pyridine-imine (PI) units bound to Ni(II). Ag+ oxidation of Ni[0] provided [{dmp(PI)2}Ni]+ (Ni[+]) whose assignment as Ni(I) or Ni(II) was made on the basis of ab initio calculations, and EPR spectroscopy. Upon crystallization, Ni[+] formed an asymmetric dimer, [{dmp(PI)2}2NiIINi0]2+ (Ni[2+]Ni[0]), consisting of pseudo-octahedral Ni(II) and pseudo-tetrahedral Ni(0). Ferrocenium oxidation (2 equiv.) of Ni[0] provided [{dmp(PI)2}(MeCN)2NiII]2+ (Ni[2+]), while KC8 reduction provided [{dmp(PI)23−}NiII]−(K(THF)2)+ (Ni[−]) in polymeric form (K+ counterion) or as ion-pairs (with K+(crypt-2.2.2)). Excess K0 or 2 equiv. Cs0 and Ni[0] provided highly sensitive [{dmp(PI)24−}NiII]2− (Ni[2−]), which disproportionates with CC bond formation and dehydrogenation to afford [{2-py,3-PI,4-Me2-azacyclopent-2-ene2−}2Ni]2− [K+(crypt-2.2.2)]2 (Ni[AcPP]) upon addition of crypt-2.2.2. All redox events may be construed as shuttling electrons in and out of the ligand scaffold. While radical character is implicated in the calculations of Ni[+], Ni[0], and Ni[−], the pseudo-square planar species are remarkably resilient to further reactivity, thereby highlighting the stability provided by this geometry.
A cell-specific and selective effect on transactivation by the androgen receptor.

Abstract The androgen (AR) and glucocorticoid receptors (GR) are related ligand-activated transcriptional regulators which bind the same cis-acting element and are coexpressed in a variety of cell types. Despite a shared DNA binding site, these receptors mediate diverse cellular responses. To explain this paradox, the existence of cell-specific factors that interact with, and modulate the function of, distinct receptors has been proposed. Prostate epithelial cell growth is sensitive to androgens, but is not affected by glucocorticoids, even though both AR and GR are expressed in these cells. We have recently isolated a unique panel of prostate epithelial cell lines from normal rats and have used these cell lines to examine cell-specific steroid responses. In this study, we compared the abilities of AR and GR to enhance transcription of several different reporter genes regulated by simple (i.e., noncomposite) hormone response elements (HREs) in prostate and nonprostate cell lines. The cell-specific effect occurred independently of the AR hormone binding domain and could he observed with a GAL4 fusion protein containing only the AR N-terminal regulatory domain. Gel shift analyses showed that the relative DNA binding affinity of AR for a probe containing a simple HRE was similar in prostate and nonprostate cell extracts. Presently, the only factors known to mediate steroid receptor-specific gene regulation are cJun and cFos, but there were no cell-specific differences in the functional levels of these proteins which could account for a preferential effect on AR-dependent transcription. Taken together, these results suggest that cell-specific activities exist which can preferentially modulate transcriptional transactivation by AR.
The swelling and shrinking of chloroplasts during electron transport in the presence of phosphorylation uncouplers.

Abstract Illuminated chloroplasts undergo light-scattering changes which are associated with volume changes. These changes can be greatly increased in the presence of electron transport and the increase is quantitatively related to the Hill reaction rate. Chloroplasts treated with the uncoupler atebrin (quinacrine) are capable of very high Hill reaction rates and shrink a great deal during electron transport. The shrinking is reversed rapidly if the light is turned off and even more rapidly if the electron acceptor is exhausted. Chloroplasts treated with the uncoupler methylamine are capable of even higher Hill reaction rates but such chloroplasts swell in the light and shrink again in the dark or after the electron acceptor is exhausted. Both the atebrin-stimulated shrinking and the methylamine-stimulated swelling are partially inhibited by the presence of ATP. Carbonylcyanide phenylhydrazones, like atebrin and methylamine, permit high electron-transport rates by uncoupling the Hill reaction from phosphorylation but they completely abolish the conformational changes of chloroplasts.
The Dying Patient in the Intensive Care Unit: Assisting the Family in Crisis

Critically ill patients belong to larger phenomenologic systems, their families. What affects one member affects other system members. Nursing care requires meticulous observation and assessment of family concerns, understanding of clinical events, and practical experience to achieve positive outcomes even if a death occurs. It seems easy to dismiss the family from the clinical and technical matters of the critical care unit, especially when much nursing energy goes into operating peripheral machinery, performing tasks, and pursuing ever-changing patient-centered goals. The following case study attempts to redefine and redirect the focus of what "patient-centered" means to include the nurse, the patient, and the family in the meaning of the core of family-centered care.
Color Atlas of Emergency Trauma

The new edition of this full-color atlas presents nearly 900 images from one of the largest and busiest trauma centers in North America. The images bring the reader to the bedside of patients with the full spectrum of common and uncommon traumatic injuries including motor vehicle accidents, falls, lacerations, burns, impalements, stabbings and gunshot wounds. The clinical, operative and autopsy photographs; x-ray, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging and angiography radiographs; and original illustrations depicting injury patterns will help guide clinicians in recognizing, prioritizing and managing trauma patients. Organized by major body regions into separate chapters on the head, face, neck, chest, abdomen, musculoskeletal system, spine and soft tissue, this thorough text discusses management guidelines, emergency workup protocols and common pitfalls. The Color Atlas of Emergency Trauma is an essential resource for those involved in trauma care.
Benzo[e]pyrene pretreatment of immature, female C57BL/6J mice results in increased bioactivation of aflatoxin B1 in vitro.

Abstract Hepatic microsomes were prepared from immature C57BL/6J mice 24 h after receiving intraperitoneal injections of either corn oil, benzo[e]pyrene (BeP, 50 mg/kg) or 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD, 4 × 10−3mg/kg). The capacity of these hepatic microsomes to bioactivate aflatoxin b1 (AFB1), 2-aminoanthracene (AA), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), 3-methylcholanthrene (MC), 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA), BeP and pyrene (PY) was measured using strain TA 100 in the Salmonella typhimurium/ microsome reversion assay. BeP pretreatment of mice resulted in a 33% increase in mutagenic potency (MP) of AFB1 over the corn oil controls and a 70% increase in MP relative to TCDD-pretreated microsomes. With AA, BaP and DMBA as promutagens, BeP pretreatment reduced MP an average of 24%, while TCDD pretreatment increased MP of these 3 promutagens 263% compared to controls. Since the general effects of BeP and TCDD on murine hepatic cytochrome P-450 (P450)-mediated activities in this study were discordant, it appears that changes in P450 activity by BeP pretreatment are not mediated through the Ah receptor.
Arsenic in glacial drift aquifers and the implication for drinking water - Lower Illinois River Basin

The lower Illinois River Basin (LIRB) covers 47,000 km2 of central and western Illinois. In the LIRB, 90% of the ground water supplies are from the deep and shallow glacial drift aquifers. The deep glacial drift aquifer (DGDA) is below 152 m altitude, a sand and gravel deposit that fills the Mahomet Buried Bedrock Valley, and overlain by more than 30.5 m of clayey till. The LIRB is part of the USGS National Water Quality Assessment program, which has an objective to describe the status and trends of surface and ground water quality. In the DGDA, 55% of the wells used for public drinking-water supply and 43% of the wells used for domestic drinking water supply have arsenic concentrations above 10 micrograms/L (a new U.S. EPA drinking water standard). Arsenic concentrations greater than 25 micrograms/L in ground water are mostly in the form of arsenite (AsIII). The proportion of arsenate (AsV) to arsenite does not change along the flowpath of the DGDA. Because of the limited number of arsenic species analyses, no clear relations between species and other trace elements, major ions, or physical parameters could be established. Arsenic and barium concentrations increase from east to west in the DGDA and are positively correlated. Chloride and arsenic are positively correlated and provide evidence that arsenic may be derived locally from underlying bedrock. Solid phase geochemical analysis of the till, sand and gravel, and bedrock show the highest presence of arsenic in the underlying organic-rich carbonate bedrock. The black shale or coal within the organic-rich carbonate bedrock is a potential source of arsenic. Most high arsenic concentrations found in the DGDA are west and downgradient of the bedrock structural features. Geologic structures in the bedrock are potential pathways for recharge to the DGDA from surrounding bedrock.
A Martian yellow cloud—July 1971

A number of photographs illustrate the changing appearance of Mars just before and during the early stages of the July 1971 yellow cloud. Photographs from July 23 to 27 show that the cloud activity was essentially over 12 days after the initial disturbance had begun. Studies conducted with the aid of photographic differential photometry are discussed along with measurements regarding 95 multicolor photographic sequences for the cloud's initial location, diurnal behavior, areal coverage, and apparent motion.
An explanation of magic angle spinning NMR experiments in the time domain

Sample spinning is successful in narrowing line widths of NMR spectra in both liquid and solid-state NMR experiments due to a common underlying mechanism. Here, sample spinning is demonstrated to convert the effects on line width due to magnetic field inhomogeneity in the space domain into a periodic frequency variations in the time domain. The conditions needed to achieve this conversion differ significantly for liquids and solids by spinning the sample along a different axis having a unique orientation with the direction of external magnetic field. This is in order to form an NMR signal with a periodic frequency modulation composed of a distinct center band and side bands. The reason for this will be explained in detail in the text. Commonly, encountered experimental results can be clearly understood when described in terms of frequency modulation including the origin of spinning side-bands in liquids and solids, and why one needs to spin the solid state sample faster for narrowing line widths of NMR spectra caused by magnetic dipole–dipole interaction when compared with chemical shift anisotropy. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part A 34A: 249–263, 2009.
A Combinatorial Genetic Algorithm for Computational Doping based Material Design

Computational material discovery can search large design space to identify promising candidates for experimental material design. Density Functional Theory (DFT) based first principle calculation has been able to calculate many electrical and physical properties of materials, making them suitable for computational doping based material discovery. In material doping, given a base material, one can change its properties by substituting some elements with new ones or adding additional elements. In computational doping, we have a grid of atoms in a supercell, some of which can be substituted with dopant atoms. For each such substitution, we use the Vienna Ab-Initio Simulation Package (VASP) to calculate its physicochemical properties, which takes about 30 hours for a grid of 75 atoms. This is a typical optimization problem with expensive evaluation functions. Here we developed a genetic algorithm for finding the most stable structure of the doped material with the lowest free electronic energy. It can reduce the running time for computational doping by up to 70%. We used SrTiO3 perovskite as the base material and Nb as the substitution element.
Group technology: a systematic approach to the design of flexible robot grippers for metal-cutting cells

Abstract The principles and techniques of Group Technology have the scope for universal application, being adaptable to the required areas in manufacturing system planning. This report suggests the extension of existing Classification and Coding systems, and approaches for the creation of manufacturing cells using techniques of machine-component grouping, to the design to robot grippers possessing the flexibility to handle a large variety of part shapes. It proposes the use of appropriate part attributes and the inclusion of a part attribute ranking scheme in the Classification and Coding exercise to systematise this effort, using data originally intended for use in machine tool selection, process-planning and design retrieval.
Twenty-five years of excellence: the legacy and the challenge.

The legacy for the present Western Thoracic Surgical Association began in the mid-1960s in Oakland, California. A group of thoracic surgeons from the East Bay and San Francisco began conducting monthly meetings in the Alameda Contra Costa County Medical Society offices to train residents in the delivery of scientific papers. The group, originated by Dr Kenneth Hardy, was known as the Bay Area Thoracic Surgical Society. Dr Hardy was subsequently killed in an accident and the meetings were suspended. In 1973, the records and bank account of the society, totaling $500, were turned over to Dr David Dugan, and a meeting of the members was organized to determine the future of the society. These members met at Samuel Merritt Hospital in Oakland on November 27, 1973. A decision was made to continue the society and to include chest surgeons from all of Northern California. The name of the society was changed to the Northern California Thoracic Surgical Society and officers were elected: Dr David Dugan, president; Dr Arthur Thomas, secretary/treasurer; and Dr Buford Burch of Martinez, California, recorder. Dr Thomas was given the assignment of writing the by-laws and constitution for the society. On December 11, 1973, the executive committee, consisting of Drs Dugan, Thomas, and Burch, met again at Samuel Merritt Hospital. At this meeting a decision was made to change the name of the society to The Samson Thoracic Surgical Society, this decision being made unilaterally and without the knowledge or permission of Dr Paul Samson. A decision was also made to extend membership to thoracic surgeons throughout all of California, and an inaugural dinner of the society was organized. Invitations were sent to 98 thoracic surgeons in California on new stationery bearing the red and white Chief, Division of Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery, LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah; Clinical Professor of Surgery, University of Utah, College of Medicine. Read at the Twenty-fifth Annual Meeting of The Western Thoracic Surgical Association, Olympic Valley (Lake Tahoe), Calif, June 23-26, 1999. Received for publication June 29, 1999; accepted for publication July 13, 1999. Address for reprints: Kent W. Jones, MD, 324 Tenth Ave, No. 160, Salt Lake City, UT 84103. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2000;119:203-9 Copyright © 2000 by Mosby, Inc. 0022-5223/2000 $12.00 + 0 12/6/101412
Optimal control in polyester staple fiber plants

This paper addresses the problem of optimizing control in polyester staple fiber plants. The problem concerns the planning and scheduling of a production consist of two sequence of stages each involving one production line that are interconnected by storage buckets. A mixed-integer programming (MILP) model for cyclic schedules in polyester staple fiber plants is formulated according to traveling salesman problem (TSP). The objective function of the problem is minimization of sum of costs for changeover and for holding inventory. The MILP formulation was applied to a real-world manufacturing facility and solved by a tabu search algorithm. The computational results are compared to manual in the plant and verify the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed methods.
Design of a network architecture with inherent data path security

Next-generation Internet architectures require designs with inherent security guarantees.We present a network architecture that uses credentials to audit traffic in the data path, where defenses can be employed often more quickly and efficiently than on end-systems.
Women who farm: A preliminary portrait

Nearly 500,000 women are engaged in farm work. Although the majority are unpaid family workers, in recent years greater proportions are in salaried and managerial positions. In-depth interviews with farming women in Baca County, Colorado, however, suggest that wage classification has negligible predictive value in explaining a woman's attitude toward farm work. Satisfaction with doing “men's work” depends on early socialization experiences and the degree to which a woman adopts the traditional female value system. The relevance of a masculinity—femininity dimension to distinguish women with career versus homemaking proclivities is demonstrated.
Do Psychogenic Dysphagia Patients Have an Eating Disorder

Patients who report dysphagia, but have no detectable physical defect, have often been diagnosed as having an eating disorder. This diagnosis was evaluated by administering the Eating Disorders Inventory-2 (EDI-2) and a measure of distress, the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90R), to a sample of 21 adult psychogenic dysphagia patients (PDPs). Their EDI-2 responses were then compared with samples of anorexics, college men, and college women, and their SCL-90R responses were compared with published data of patients with dysphagia due to a motility disorder, an obstruction, or neither. Relative to the anorexics, the PDPs scored significantly lower on all EDI-2 dimensions except maturity fears. For the SCL-90R, PDPs scored significantly higher on the interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, and general severity index than did the dysphagia comparison groups. Moreover, PDP scores on the anxiety and interpersonal sensitivity dimensions were indicative of clinically significant distress. These findings suggest that PDPs do not appear to have an eating disorder, but that they report clinically significant levels of psychological distress, particularly anxiety.
DISCRETE WAVELET TRANSFORM BASED CIRCUIT LAYOUT FINGERPRINTING USING CHAOTIC SYSTEM

Tight time-to-market pressure requires CAD tools to heavily involve component reuse, or intellectual property (IP) reuse, which imposes intense security concerns on IP protection. For the IP providers, it is critical to protect their products against unauthorized reproduction. Thus, circuit layout fingerprinting becomes quite important which helps the IP providers to detect which user distributes the illegal IPs. However, previous works addressing the circuit fingerprinting all have large area and runtime overhead. In this paper, a novel efficient discrete wavelet transform (DWT)-based key sensitive circuit layout fingerprinting technique using chaotic system is proposed. The new circuit layout fingerprinting technique targets to be applied after placement and routing, while before fabrication. Thus, it only slightly impacts the original design and introduces small runtime overhead as well. To further enhance the security, the chaotic system based on Fibonacci transformation is integrated. The experimental results demonstrate that our chaotic DWT-based technique largely outperforms a median-based technique for various attacks. The chaotic DWT-based technique improves the detection error rate by 68.5% for the gate swapping attack, by 65.8% for the random perturbation attack, by 54.8% for the partition-based perturbation attack and by 54.5% for the combined perturbation attack. In addition, the average wirelength overhead is only 0.0149% compared to the original design and the average runtime overhead is only 6.73 s. These demonstrate the effectiveness of our circuit layout fingerprinting technique.
Transesterification of tributyrin with methanol over basic Mg:Zr mixed oxide catalysts

Abstract Two series of Mg:Zr mixed oxides, prepared by either co-precipitation or sol–gel synthesis, were characterized and evaluated in the base catalyzed transesterification of tributyrin with methanol. A co-precipitated Mg-rich mixed oxide catalyst with Mg:Zr 11:1 was approximately 300% more active than MgO on a surface area basis, whereas pure ZrO 2 was inactive for the reaction. To explore the nature of the activity enhancement, samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, N 2 adsorption, CO 2 adsorption microcalorimetry and DRIFTS of adsorbed CO 2 and CH 3 OH. Although the sol–gel synthesis method provided better atomic level mixing of Mg and Zr, the resulting catalysts were not as effective as mixed oxides prepared by co-precipitation. The most active mixed oxide (Mg:Zr 11:1) exhibited a high initial heat of CO 2 adsorption and modified modes of methanol adsorption compared to MgO. However, the CO 2 adsorption capacity did not correlate to catalyst activity.
Factor structure of the Vocational interest models of Roe and Holland

Abstract Analyses of interscale relations in 235 college students for the Vocational Preference Inventory and Vocational Interest Inventory, based on interest models of Holland and Roe, respectively, suggest that the twodimensional, circular configuration of occupational or personality types may be an oversimplification which impedes the understanding of the structure of vocational interests. For both interest models four orthogonal dimensions seem necessary to capture interindividual variability: Social vs. Technical, Organizational vs. Outdoor, Science vs. Business, and Artistic.
How patients and visitors to an urban emergency department view clinical research.

Objectives: To assess views about clinical research, drawing current opinion from an urban, largely minority population within the authors' emergency department (ED). Methods: Two focus groups of ED patients and visitors were conducted. These data informed the development of a 27-item interview examining views about clinical research and knowledge of human subjects protections. Results: The authors interviewed a total of 172 patients and visitors within an adult ED. Study participants reflected the diverse patient population: 38% were African American, 32% Hispanic, 25% white, and 6% other. When asked why one might choose to participate in medical research, 46% said to benefit mankind, 26% said to improve one's own health, 18% cited access to medical care, 17% said financial incentive, and 11% said curiosity. When asked why one might decline research participation, 38% cited fear, 24% cited lack of interest in research, 10% cited medical mistrust, 9% indicated not wanting to feel like a "guinea pig," 6% indicated lack of time, and 5% suggested privacy concerns. When asked about the meaning of informed consent, 32% did not know. Many respondents (26%) were unaware that they could withdraw from a study. Although the majority (96%) endorsed a statement about the potential benefit of research for themselves or their loved ones, a sizable proportion of respondents (49%) equated research subjects to "human guinea pigs." Conclusions: Although many individuals tend to view clinical research favorably, a level of medical mistrust exists. The concerns about human experimentation and the limited understanding of human subject protections underscore the need to improve informed consent.
Central tolerance: learning self-control in the thymus

In the past few years, there has been a flurry of discoveries and advancements in our understanding of how the thymus prepares T cells to exist at peace in normal healthy tissue: that is, to be self-tolerant. In the thymus, one of the main mechanisms of T-cell central tolerance is clonal deletion, although the selection of regulatory T cells is also important and is gaining enormous interest. In this Review, we discuss the emerging consensus about which models of clonal deletion are most physiological, and we review recent data that define the molecular mechanisms of central tolerance.
Kinetic mechanism of Escherichia coli isocitrate dehydrogenase.

The kinetic mechanism of the NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase of Escherichia coli was investigated using initial steady-state kinetic analyses. Kinetic coefficients, obtained using natural and alternative substrates with the wild-type and two mutant enzymes (S113L and S113N), suggest that the forward reaction [the oxidative decarboxylation of (2R,3S)-isocitrate by NADP] of the wild-type enzyme is a steady-state random mechanism, with catalysis more rapid than product release. The mechanism of the wild-type enzyme becomes rapid-equilibrium random when an alternative substrate [(2R)-malate or NAD] is used. The mutant enzymes always display rapid-equilibrium random kinetics, and for each enzyme the apparent dissociation constant of each substrate from the binary complex [Kia = E.A/(EA)] is similar to its apparent dissociation constant from the Michaelis complex [Ka = (EB).A/(EAB)], which suggests that the binding of one substrate is independent of the binding of the second. When the wild-type enzyme catalyzes the forward reaction, the apparent dissociation constant, KiIso, is equal to its equilibrium dissociation constant, KdIso, determined from equilibrium binding studies. However, the apparent dissociation constant of the cofactor, KiNADP, is far smaller than its equilibrium dissociation constant, KdNADP. This is consistent with the proposed mechanism, because simulations show that when catalysis is steady-state and product release is rate-limiting, KiNADP and KNADP will be far smaller than KdNADP, while KiIso and KIso remain similar to KdIso. Product inhibition studies support the steady-state random mechanism of the wild-type enzyme.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Temperatures near the interface between an ideal heat exchanger and a thermal buffer tube or pulse tube

A thermal buffer tube (or pulse tube) thermally isolates two heat exchangers at different temperatures in a thermoacoustic engine or refrigerator while allowing the flow of acoustic power. For many heat transport mechanisms, the quality of the thermal isolation depends on the time-averaged mean temperature distribution in the thermal buffer tube, which is determined by boundary conditions set up by the heat exchangers. However, finite-amplitude effects within one peak-to-peak gas displacement of the heat exchangers can lead to significant modification of the thermal boundary conditions and thus the heat transport. To explore these effects, measured mean temperature profiles in the vicinity of the interface between a heat exchanger and thermal buffer tube are reported for a broad range of acoustic and thermal conditions. A one-dimensional Lagrangian model is developed to predict the mean temperature distribution, and reasonable agreement between experimental data and model results is found for the majority of the acoustic conditions considered.
The importance of addressing multidrug resistance and not assuming single-drug resistance in case-control studies.

Background. Case-control studies analyzing antibiotic exposure as a risk factor for antimicrobial resistance usually assume single-drug resistance in the bacteria under study, even though resistance to multiple antimicrobials may be present. Since antibiotic selection pressures differ depending on the susceptibility profile of the antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, an accurate assessment of whether exposure to an individual antimicrobial is a risk factor for the emergence of resistance should distinguish between single-drug–resistant and multidrug-resistant bacteria. Objective. To determine whether the exposures to individual antibiotics that were identified as independent risk factors in case-control studies differed depending on whether single-drug–resistant or multidrug-resistant bacteria were evaluated. Design. Two retrospective case-control studies were performed with data on patients harboring Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains resistant only to ciprofloxacin (CRPA) and patients harboring P. aeruginosa strains resistant to ciprofloxacin and other antibiotics (multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa [MDR-PA]). These 2 groups were compared with patients not harboring P. aeruginosa. Setting. Two tertiary care hospitals. Results. A total of 41 patients harboring CRPA and 151 patients harboring MDR-PA were identified and matched to 192 control subjects. By conditional logistic regression, independent risk factors associated with presence of CRPA were nonambulatory status (OR, 5.6 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.4-23]; P = .02) and prior ciprofloxacin exposure (OR, 5.0 [95% CI, 1.2-21]; P = .03). Independent risk factors for presence of MDR-PA were a Charlson score greater than 2 (OR, 3.3 [95% CI 1.8-6.0]; P<.001) and exposure to quinolones (OR, 2.8 [95% CI, 1.2-5.0]; P = .001), third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins (OR, 3.5 [95% CI, 1.7-7.1]; P<.001), imipenem (OR, 3.8 [95% CI, 1.2-12.1]; P = .02), and/or aminoglycosides (OR, 2.3 [95% CI, 1.04-5.1]; P = .04). Conclusion. There were substantial differences in exposure to individual antimicrobials between patients harboring CRPA and patients harboring MDR-PA. Future case-control studies addressing risk factors for single-drug–resistant bacteria should consider the complete susceptibility profile of the bacteria under investigation.
CONTROLLING ALVEOLAR OVERDISTENTION |[lpar]|AO|[rpar]| DURING RAPID RATE VENTILATION |[lpar]|RRV|[rpar]|

RRV has been used to reduce PaCO2 in infants with persistent fetal circulation. RRV produces AO in the rabbit lung (time constant (τ) similar to infants). We hypothesized that AO could be reduced if the PEEP in the trachea (PEEPT) was controlled during RRV. We studied 10 rabbits measuring tracheal airway pressure, functional residual capacity (FRC) PaO2 and PaCO2 at ventilator (Baby Bird®) rates of 30, 60, 90 and 120 BPM white: 1) controlling ventilator PEEP (PEEPV) at 2 cm H2O then 2) controlling PEEPT at 2 cm H2O. Peak inspiratory pressure was held constant (15 cm H2O) as was inspiratory:expiratory time (1:2) at rates of 60, 90 ahd 120 BPM. To control PEEPT we lowered PEEPv to 1.2, 1.1 and 0.5 cm H2O. As rates were increased, controlling PEEPT resulted in significant decreases in mean airway pressure (Paw) (by 0.0±.0(SE), 0.4±.1, 0.5±.1 and 1.0±.2 cm H2O) and FRC (14±1, 15±1, 17±2, 21±2 ml/kg when PEEPV was 2 cm H2O vs. 14±1, 14±1, 15±1, 16±2 ml/kg when PEEPT was 2 cm H2O) (p<0.01). When rate was increased from 30 to 60 BPM, PaO2 increased significantly from 68±4 to 78±5 mm Hg when PEEPV was 2 cm H2O, then increased to 79±6 mm Hg when PEEPT was 2 cm H2O; PaCO2 decreased from 26±2 to 20±2 mm Hg when PEEPV was 2 cm H2O then decreased to 18±2 mm Hg when PEEPT was 2 cm H2O. Further increases in rate did not lead to significant changes in PaO2 or PaCO2 in either part of the study. We conclude: controlling PEEPT during RRV of lungs with normal τ results in decreased Paw, eliminates AO and blood gases comparable to those obtained when PEEPV is controlled.
Noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis using ultrasound-based shear wave measurement and comparison to magnetic resonance elastography.

OBJECTIVES Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) has excellent performance in detecting liver fibrosis and is becoming an alternative to liver biopsy in clinical practice. Ultrasound techniques based on measuring the propagation speed of the shear waves induced by acoustic radiation force also have shown promising results for liver fibrosis staging. The objective of this study was to compare ultrasound-based shear wave measurement to MRE. METHODS In this study, 50 patients (28 female and 22 male; age range, 19-81 years) undergoing liver MRE examinations were studied with an ultrasound scanner modified with shear wave measurement functionality. For each patient, 27 shear wave speed measurements were obtained at various locations in the liver parenchyma away from major vessels. The median shear wave speed from all measurements was used to calculate a representative shear modulus (μ) for each patient. Magnetic resonance elastographic data processing was done by a single analyst blinded to the ultrasound measurement results. RESULTS Ultrasound and MRE measurements were correlated (r = 0.86; P < .001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was applied to the ultrasound measurement results with the MRE diagnosis as the "ground truth." The area under the ROC curve for separating patients with minimum fibrosis (defined as μ(MRE) ≤2.9 kPa) was 0.89 (95% confidence interval, 0.77-0.95), and the area under the ROC curve for separating patients with advanced fibrosis (defined as μ(MRE) ≥5.0 kPa) was 0.96 (95% confidence interval, 0.87-0.99). CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that the ultrasound-based shear wave measurement correlates with MRE and is a promising method for liver fibrosis staging.
Teacher evaluation reform implementation and labor relations

The Michigan legislature recently enacted a teacher evaluation law which requires school districts to incorporate student achievement data into evaluation systems and mandated that evaluations be used to make high-stakes personnel decisions. Though administrators have considerable discretion to design and implement their evaluation systems, the legislature also passed legislation which barred teacher evaluations from the scope of collective bargaining, thus restricting any formal role teacher unions would have in shaping teacher evaluation at the local level. Using survey data gathered from local district superintendents and human resources directors (n = 73), this study identifies variations in the features of the evaluation systems adopted by Michigan school districts, and reports on the administrators’ evaluation of the new systems. Further, we quantify the extent to which teacher unions were involved in the development of teacher evaluation reform at the local level, and identify the association betwe...
Accumulation of sorbitol in copper deficiency: Dependency on gender and type of dietary carbohydrate

The present study was designed to examine tissue sorbitol levels in copper-deficient rats consuming dietary fructose as the only source of carbohydrate and to determine if any changes in tissue sorbitol levels are influenced by the sex of the rat. Tissue levels of glucose, sorbitol, fructose, and glyceraldehyde were measured along with the activities of aldose reductase and sorbitol dehydrogenase of male and female rats consuming copper-deficient or adequate diets containing either fructose or starch for 3 weeks. Regardless of copper status, sorbitol accumulated in the livers of males consuming fructose compared to females and to males eating starch. The greatest sorbitol accumulation in the kidney occurred in the copper-deficient male rat consuming the fructose diet. These results strongly suggest that the pathology and complications of copper deficiency in the male rat fed fructose may be due to the increased sorbitol contents of tissues.
Monitoring eukaryotic and bacterial UDG repair activity with DNA-multifluorophore sensors

We report the development of simple fluorogenic probes that report on the activity of both bacterial and mammalian uracil-DNA glycosylase (UDG) enzymes. The probes are built from short, modified single-stranded oligonucleotides containing natural and unnatural bases. The combination of multiple fluorescent pyrene and/or quinacridone nucleobases yields fluorescence at 480 and 540 nm (excitation 340 nm), with large Stokes shifts of 140-200 nm, considerably greater than previous probes. They are strongly quenched by uracil bases incorporated into the sequence, and they yield light-up signals of up to 40-fold, or ratiometric signals with ratio changes of 82-fold, on enzymatic removal of these quenching uracils. We find that the probes are efficient reporters of bacterial UDG, human UNG2, and human SMUG1 enzymes in vitro, yielding complete signals in minutes. Further experiments establish that a probe can be used to image UDG activity by laser confocal microscopy in bacterial cells and in a human cell line, and that signals from a probe signalling UDG activity in human cells can be quantified by flow cytometry. Such probes may prove generally useful both in basic studies of these enzymes and in biomedical applications as well.
Viral strategies for studying the brain, including a replication‐restricted self‐amplifying delta‐G vesicular stomatis virus that rapidly expresses transgenes in brain and can generate a multicolor golgi‐like expression

Viruses have substantial value as vehicles for transporting transgenes into neurons. Each virus has its own set of attributes for addressing neuroscience-related questions. Here we review some of the advantages and limitations of herpes, pseudorabies, rabies, adeno-associated, lentivirus, and others to study the brain. We then explore a novel recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (dG-VSV) with the G-gene deleted and transgenes engineered into the first position of the RNA genome, which replicates only in the first brain cell infected, as corroborated with ultrastructural analysis, eliminating spread of virus. Because of its ability to replicate rapidly and to express multiple mRNA copies and additional templates for more copies, reporter gene expression is amplified substantially, over 500-fold in 6 hours, allowing detailed imaging of dendrites, dendritic spines, axons, and axon terminal fields within a few hours to a few days after inoculation. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression is first detected within 1 hour of inoculation. The virus generates a Golgi-like appearance in all neurons or glia of regions of the brain tested. Whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology, calcium digital imaging with fura-2, and time-lapse digital imaging showed that neurons appeared physiologically normal after expressing viral transgenes. The virus has a wide range of species applicability, including mouse, rat, hamster, human, and Drosophila cells. By using dG-VSV, we show efferent projections from the suprachiasmatic nucleus terminating in the periventricular region immediately dorsal to the nucleus. DG-VSVs with genes coding for different color reporters allow multicolor visualization of neurons wherever applied.
Implications of the Rank Concession Syndrome for Adult Education Programs: an Exploration in Social Roles and Program Effectiveness

This paper applies the theory of the rank concession syndrome (i.e., acceptance of the claims of one or more groups in a society to higher rank than one's own group) to Miller's analysis of factors influencing decisions to participate in or reject adult education programs. The theory of "ethnic boundaries" and their meaning in social change is included to elucidate the discussion and put it in the context of community development. The theories are then applied to the case of an American Indian group in rural Wis consin. It is argued that adult education programs aimed at lower income groups may be most successful if the whole group is recruited and the ultimate goals are community development and rank mobility of the group.
Photocurrent and intrinsic modulation speeds in P-I(MQW)-N GaAs/AlGaAs stark effect modulators

Abstract Theoretical and experimental studies on photocurrent are presented in p-i-n GaAs/Al 0.3 Ga 0.7 As MQW modulators and detectors. Field dependent excitonic spectra is calculated to obtain carrier generation and recombination rates using full band mixing effects in the valence band. A tunneling formalism is used to self consistently study the electric field dependence of the electron and hole collection efficiency. At low electric fields and low temperatures the carrier collection efficiency is very poor and we show that the collected photocurrent has a sublinear dependence on the impinging light intensity. This non-linearity is not due to band filling or exciton screening effects normally observed, but arises from the high recombination rates compared to tunneling rates. At higher electric field the collection efficiency is ∼ 100% resulting in a linear response and a negative differential resistance region. Consequences of our studies on intrinsic device speeds are discussed for p-i(MQW)-n modulators based on Stark effect.
Lack of effect of vasoactive intestinal peptide antagonists on blood flow in the rat thyroid.

Abstract We used three putative vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) antagonists: 1) [4Cl-D-Phe6,Leu17]VIP, 2) [N-Ac-Tyr1,D-Phe2]GRF(1–29)-NH2, and 3) VIP(10–28) to assess the involvement of endogenous VIP in the regulation of thyroid hormone secretion and thyroid blood flow (BF). We measured thyroid BF in ketamine-pentobarbital-anesthetized rats using the microsphere technique. Increases in thyroid BF induced by VIP administration (30 pmol-1.5 nmol/100 g b.wt.) were not affected by any of the three compounds tested at doses 10–100 times higher than that of VIP. These compounds (3–15 nmol/100 g b.wt.) also failed to affect basal thyroid BF or hormone secretion. Increases in pancreatic and salivary gland BFs induced by VIP (30 pmol/100 g b.wt.) were also not affected by [4Cl-D-Phe6,Leu17]VIP or [N-Ac-Tyr1,D-Phe2]GRF(1–29)-NH2 (3 nmol/100 g b.wt.). These results indicate that the three compounds tested are not effective inhibitors of VIP receptors in the thyroid vasculature and, therefore, they cannot be used in the investigation of the functional significance of endogenous VIP in the regulation of thyroid BF.
Diffusion effects in short-channel GaAs MESFETs

Diffusion effects in short-channel GaAs MESFETs are studied using a two-dimensional electron temperature simulation. A structure that consists of two n +-n contacts on a thin channel region was used as a test vehicle for the study. This structure was found to have a higher cutoff frequency than conventionally doped devices with the same gate length due to decreased gate capacitance and a selective modulation of the device transconductance. These results suggest that the performance of short-channel microwave MESFETs may be influenced strongly by electron diffusion.
A Regional Uplayering Technique for Preserving Reservoir Heterogeneities

An automated sequential statistical algorithm is proposed for nonuniform vertical upscaling (also known as uplayering) that uses the averaged property information (defined as trend) to capture reservoir heterogeneity globally. The fine scale geological model is first divided into multiple reservoir zones based on the geological boundary information and/or the vertical trend information. In each reservoir zone, the horizontal trend information is used to partition the zone into a set of regional blocks, with the intrablock property variance being minimized and the inter-block variance being maximized. Each regional block, regardless of its neighboring blocks, is further divided into a certain number of layers. Thus, this new upscaling method generates nonneighboring connections between the adjacent blocks. This technique can be used on continuous and categorical properties or on any property that is a good discriminator of reservoir flow. The other reservoir properties or any of their combinations can be used as the weighting functions, globally or by zone, to modify the uplayering process, such that the detailed reservoir features, such as the shale barriers, thief zones can be preserved. The proposed algorithm is size independent, scenario independent, and CPU efficient. The advantage of using vertical nonuniform upscaling over uniform upscaling is demonstrated with several case studies for different depositional systems.
Radiolabeled microsphere measurements of alveolar bone blood flow in dogs.

Radiolabeled microspheres were injected into the left cardiac ventricle in healthy adult dogs to quantify blood flow in maxillary and mandibular alveolar bone. Heart rate, arterial blood pressure and pulse contour were monitored throughout each experiment. Blood flow in maxillary alveolar bone was more than 30 % greater (p < .001) than in mandibular alveolar bone. Alveolar bone blood flow (mean ± S.D.) measured as ml/min per gram was 0.12 ± .02 in the maxilla compared to 0.09 ± .02 in the mandible. The cardiovascular paramenters monitored were constant immediately prior to the injection of microspheres and remained unchanged during and following injection. It is possible that radiolabeled microspheres can be used to quantify the circulatory changes in alveolar bone during the development of destructive periodontal disease in dogs.
LANGUAGE SCAFFOLDING AS A CONDITION FOR GROWTH IN LINGUISTIC COMPLEXITY

Over their evolutionary history, languages most likely increased in complexity from simple signals to protolanguages to complex syntactic structures. This paper investigates processes for increasing linguistic complexity while maintaining communicability across a population. We assume that higher linguistic communicability (more accurate information exchange) increases participants’ effectiveness in coordination-based tasks. Interaction, needed for learning others’ languages and for converging to communicability, bears a cost. There is a threshold of interaction (learning) effort beyond which (the coordination payoff of) linguistic convergence either doesn’t pay or is pragmatically impossible. Our central findings, established mainly through simulation, are: 1) There is an effort-dependent “frontier of tractability” for agreement on a language that balances linguistic complexity against linguistic diversity in a population. To remain below some specific bound on collective convergence effort, either a) languages must be simpler, or b) their initial average communicability must be higher. To stay below such a pragmatic effort limit, even agents who have the ultimate capability for complex languages must not invent them from the start or they won’t be able to communicate; they must start simple and grow complexity in a staged process. 2) Such a staged approach to increasing complexity, in which agents initially converge on simple languages and then use these to “scaffold” greater complexity, can outperform initially-complex languages in terms of overall effort to convergence. This performance gain improves with more complex final languages.