cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inverse Analysis of Rapid and Localized Energy Deposition

This paper examines multiscale inverse analysis of rapid and localized energy deposition, where there exists extremely strong filtering of spatial and temporal structure within the associated diffusion pattern. This strong filtering tends to establish conditions where system identification, or in particular reconstruction of detailed features of the energy source, based on data-driven inverse analysis of the diffusion pattern alone is not well posed. An accurate and well-posed characterization of rapid energy deposition processes should be in terms of two distinctly separate scales for both spatial and temporal structures. Accordingly, the inverse rapid and localized energy deposition problem requires a formulation with respect to system identification and parameterization that should be cast in terms of two separate sets of parameters. One should represent energy source characteristics on spatial and temporal scales commensurate with that of thermal diffusivity within the material. The other parameter set should represent energy source characteristics on spatial and temporal scales commensurate with those of surface phenomena. The general procedure presented here for inverse analysis of rapid and localized energy deposition is formulated in terms of these two separate sets of parameters.
A cometary ionosphere model for Io

A source for the ionosphere of Io is proposed based on the assumption that the satellite is rather moonlike but continuously bombarded by intense fluxes of energetic particles, which makes its surface electrically conducting so that a significant Birkeland current is drawn up along magnetic field lines from Jupiter's ionosphere. It is suggested that the ion current is neutralized upon contact with Io's surface and that subsequent sputtering of this material from the surface supplies the satellite's neutral atmosphere. A model for the generation and maintenance of Io's ionosphere is outlined, according to which the structure of the ionosphere is determined by the impact of energetic trapped electrons from the Jovian magnetosphere and the ram pressure of the corotational magnetospheric wind. The first of these two processes provides the main ionization mechanism, while the second compresses the upstream (or 'nighttime') ionosphere via Alfven's critical-velocity phenomenon. It is concluded that Io's ionosphere is more nearly analogous to the coma and tail of a comet in the solar wind than to the earthlike case of a permanent gravitationally bound ionosphere.
Single fundamental mode photonic crystal vertical cavity surface emitting laser with 9 GHz bandwidth

A record 9 GHz small signal modulation in a single fundamental mode photonic crystal vertical cavity surface emitting laser is demonstrated for the first time. The device is designed by incorporating etched photonic crystal holes in the top distributed Bragg reflector for optical confinement. Emission spectra measured during small signal modulation confirms single fundamental mode operation.
Early Retinal and Renal Abnormalities in Diabetes

Abstract The integrity of the blood–retinal and blood–glomerular vascular barriers were investigated simultaneously in diabetic individuals to determine whether or not the early forms of diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy are temporally related. The blood–retinal barrier was assessed by the technique of vitreous fluorophotometry. Twenty-four hour urinary excretion of albumin was determined by radioimmunoassay before fluorescein measurement. Posterior vitreous fluorescein leakage was greater in the study cohort than in the control population after diabetes had been present 11–20 years (p (p
Missing Minorities? The Phases of IRCA Legislation and Relative Net Undercounts of the 1990 vis-à-vis 2000 Decennial Census for Foreign-born Cohorts

The quality of the decennial census of the United States is compromised by population undercount, which often misses immigrants and racial/ethnic minorities, thereby diminishing federal resources allocated to such groups. Using a modified version of demographic analysis and informed by the latest contributions of emigration scholarship, this research estimates net undercount for the 1990 census relative to the 2000 census by age, sex, year-of-entry, and place-of-birth cohorts. Ordinary least squares estimates suggest that males, recent arrivals, and cohorts aged 15-44 had higher relative net undercount for 1990 compared with 2000. Much higher relative net undercount was found for cohorts from Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean (excluding Cuba and Puerto Rico) who were ineligible for amnesty under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (i.e., those fitting the profile of an undocumented immigrant). Larger implications of these findings suggest that the political climate in which a person is embedded-particularly for persons who may feel threatened or marginalized by the government and/or the public-affects that person's willingness to respond to the census.
Wine, liquor, beer and risk of breast cancer in a large population.

Abstract Population studies show a relation of alcohol drinking to an increased risk of breast cancer (BrCa). Aiming to investigate uncertainties about a risk threshold, the role of beverage type and interactions with other BrCa predictors, we performed a cohort study among 70,033 women, 2829 of whom developed BrCa. Using Cox proportional hazards models with 8 covariates, the following relative risks (95% confidence intervals) for BrCa versus lifelong abstainers were found: 1.08 (0.95–1.22) at p = 0.01) at 1–2 drinks daily and 1.38 (1.13–1.68, p = 0.002) at ⩾3 drinks daily. Increased BrCa risk was concentrated in women with oestrogen receptor positive tumours with no major disparity related to choice of wine, liquor, beer or type of wine (red, white, etc). We conclude that with a threshold below 1–2 drinks daily, a hormone-related mechanism mediates a relation of alcohol drinking to an increased BrCa risk.
Shell-model description of nuclear analog states☆

Abstract A shell-model description is presented of the splitting of single-proton levels into components with definite isotopic spin in the presence of a neutronrich nuclear core. Explicit expressions for the renormalized energies, wave functions and particle escape widths of the resulting states are obtained. The intermediate-resonance mechanism of the formation of an analog excitation in proton-initiated nuclear reactions is discussed.
A brief history of the Ryan White CARE Act in the USA and its implications for other countries.

(2002). A brief history of the Ryan White CARE Act in the USA and its implications for other countries. AIDS Care: Vol. 14, No. sup1, pp. 3-6.
Annualized was found better than absolute risk reduction in the calculation of number needed to treat in chronic conditions

Abstract Background and Objective Recent studies have calculated number needed to treat (NNT) estimates based on annualized rates; however, the ramifications of altering the NNT statistic have not yet been explored in the literature. Here we introduce the concept of annualized NNT (ANNT), and apply it to data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods Incidence rates from RCTs for serious adverse events for three medicines were compared to an older class of drugs. NNT and ANNT were calculated from the event rates for these events. Results Based on the data, the NNT to prevent one adverse event a year vs. older medications was drug A, ANNT = 88; drug B, ANNT = 77; drug C, ANNT = 68. Equivalent calculations based on Bayesian statistics are drug C, ANNT = 54; drug B, ANNT = 49. Drug A produced a bimodal distribution, with one mode within the NNT range and the other in the number needed to harm range. Conclusions NNT can erroneously inflate differences between treatments when based on absolute and not differential safety. We propose that NNT be limited to acute conditions with short-term, well-defined treatment courses, and that ANNT be used for chronic conditions.
Schools, Families, and Communities Partnering for Middle Level Students’ Success

This article identifies key issues, concepts, and strategies that may assist middle school leaders in developing comprehensive and permanent partnership programs as part of their school improvement...
Psychomotor seizures, Penfield, Gibbs, Bailey and the development of anterior temporal lobectomy: A historical vignette

Psychomotor seizures, referred to as limbic or partial complex seizures, have had an interesting evolution in diagnosis and treatment. Hughlings Jackson was the first to clearly relate the clinical syndrome and likely etiology to lesions in the uncinate region of the medial temporal lobe. With the application of electroencephalography (EEG) to the study of human epilepsy as early as 1934 by Gibbs, Lennox, and Davis in Boston, electrical recordings have significantly advanced the study of epilepsy. In 1937, Gibbs and Lennox proposed the term "psychomotor epilepsy" to describe a characteristic EEG pattern of seizures accompanied by mental, emotional, motor, and autonomic phenomena. Concurrently, typical psychomotor auras and dreamy states were produced by electrical stimulation of medial temporal structures during epilepsy surgery by Penfield in Montreal. In 1937, Jasper joined Penfield, EEG was introduced and negative surgical explorations became less frequent. Nevertheless, Penfield preferred to operate only on space occupying lesions. A milestone in psychomotor seizure diagnosis was in the year 1946 when Gibbs, at the Illinois Neuropsychiatric Institute, Chicago, reported that the patient falling asleep during EEG was a major activator of the psychomotor discharges and electrographic ictal episodes becoming more prominently recorded. Working with Percival Bailey, Gibbs was proactive in applying EEG to define surgical excision of the focus in patients with intractable psychomotor seizures. By early 1950s, the Montreal group began to clearly delineate causative medial temporal lesions such as hippocampal sclerosis and tumors in the production of psychomotor seizures.
Critical Points in the QCD Phase Diagram with Two Flavors of Quarks

Abstract We employ the linear σ model to study the chiral dynamics of two flavors of quarks at finite temperature and density. Our calculations include thermal fluctuations of both the bosonic and fermionic fields. In particular, we determine the phase diagram in the plane of temperature and baryon chemical potential as a function of the pion mass. An interesting phase structure occurs that results in zero, one, or two critical points depending on the value of the vacuum pion mass.
Characterizing tool use in an interactive drawing environment

The metaphor of tool use for describing the interaction between a human and a computer is pervasive in user interface design. The basic concept of tool use, however, is difficult to define precisely, for HCI purposes or in general. In this paper we argue that a close examination of physical tool use can improve the design of interactive software. We describe a drawing application, HabilisDraw, that incorporates some of the properties we associate with physical tools but are not commonly found in software: persistent tool objects that encapsulate behavior and information, that can be used in conjunction with one another, and that embody rich cues about their appropriate usage. Initial results from formative evaluation suggest that the approach has some promise.
Diffusion of individual adatoms

Abstract E.W. Muller's invention of the field ion microscope in the 1950s for the first time made it possible to see single metal atoms adsorbed on crystals, and in the 60s this lead to diffusion studies on individual adatoms. The background and beginning of experiments probing the motion of single adatoms is sketched briefly, as are some of the significant developments in this field that have taken place over the last three decades and have provided quite a detailed picture of atomic behavior.
Valuating residential real estate using parametric programming

Abstract When the estimation of the single equation multiple linear regression model is looked upon as an optimization problem, we show how the principles and methods of optimization can assist the analyst in finding an attractive prediction model. We illustrate this with the estimation of a linear prediction model for valuating residential property using regression quantiles. We make use of the linear parametric programming formulation to obtain the family of regression quantile models associated with a data set. We use the principle of dominance to reduce the number of models for consideration in the search for the most preferred property valuation model (s). We also provide useful displays that assist the analyst and the decision maker in selecting the final model (s). The approach is an interface between data analysis and operations research.
Keeping the Serpin Machine Running Smoothly

Serpins are a widely distributed family of structurally very closely related medium molecular weight proteins (mostly 40–50 kDa) that are primarily known as inhibitors of serine proteinases (hence the origin of the name serpin; Gettins et al. 1996). They are found in most organisms, with notable exceptions being bacteria and fungi. There are both extracellular and intracellular serpins. The proteinase targets are often involved in complex physiological processes that must be carefully regulated both temporally and spatially, such as blood coagulation, fibrinolysis, and inflammation. Some of the best known human serpins are antithrombin, the principal inhibitor of the blood clotting cascade proteinases thrombin and factor Xa, 1antitrypsin, the principal inhibitor of elastase secreted by neutrophils at sites of inflammation, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), an inhibitor of the plasminogen activators t-PA and u-PA. Because serpins do not inhibit proteinases by a simple noncovalent lock and key mechanism but, instead, use a conformational change-based trapping mechanism that depends on their structural and thermodynamic properties, understanding the common elements of serpin structure, folding and conformational change is at the heart of understanding how serpins function in both normal and pathological states. In this issue, Irving and colleagues report serpin sequence comparisons that provide insight not only into the evolutionary relationships between serpins but also into those residues that must play critical roles for serpin structure and function (Irving et al. 2000).
On modular representations of\((\bar Q/Q)\) arising from modular forms

where G is the Galois group GaI ( I ) /Q) and F is a finite field of characteristic I > 3. Suppose that p is modular of level N, i.e., that it arises from a weight-2 newform of level dividing N and trivial "Nebentypus character." Then p is an odd representation: the matrix p(c) (where c is a complex conjugation in G) has eigenvalues + 1, 1. Since + 1 and 1 are distinct in F, p is absolutely irreducible and has a model over every subfield of F containing the set trace(p ). We assume that F has been chosen so that it is generated by this set. Assume that p is a prime which exactly divides N (we write p I[ N), and restrict p to a decomposition group of G for the prime p. View the restriction as a representation p p of Gal(t)p/Qp). We say that p is finite at p ([34] or [35], w if there is a finite flat F-vector space scheme H over Zp for which the action of Gal( t )p/Qp) on the F-vector space H(1)p) gives pp. ( I f / ~ p,/9 is finite at p if and only if pp is unramified.) It is clear that p is finite at p whenever p is already modular of level N/p. In w of [34] (cf. [35]), Serre conjectured the converse, i.e., that if p is finite, then p is modular of level N/p. Soon thereafter, Mazur 1-20] proved this conjecture in the case
Are You Prepared for Daylight Saving Time 2007

The odds are good that the appointments you've made with US or Canadian associates through Microsoft's Exchange or IBM's Lotus Notes or Domino are going to be off by an hour in the last three weeks of March 2007. Your legacy Java runtime environments also will likely produce incorrect time-sensitive results. Why? Buried among the hundreds of provisions in the 1,700 pages of the United States' Energy Policy Act of 2005 is a modest change to the rules that establish when daylight saving time starts and ends. The changes, which the government ostensibly implemented as part of a federal energy conservation effort, require that beginning in 2007, daylight saving time (DST) start three weeks earlier and end one week later than in previous years. (For more information on the policy's history, see the sidebar "US Laws governing daylight saving time.") These new start and end dates can greatly affect IT systems. Users will expect the effects to be transparent, so the burden of managing the situation will fall to IT professionals. Unfortunately, the fixes are not automatic. In this article, we'll describe the possible risks to computer networks and discuss some remediation strategies to keep your systems running on time
An Alternative Hydrograph for the Missouri River Based on the Precontrol Condition

Abstract The Missouri River and its tributaries have been impounded and channelized, and their hydrographs, sediment and organic matter dynamics, and floodplain connectivity have been altered, adversely impacting native fish and wildlife and leaving many species with an uncertain future. Using stage and discharge data collected prior to dam construction, we defined the precontrol hydrograph and compared it with the present hydrograph and with hydrographs proposed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. We offer an alternative to present operations based on the precontrol percentage of total annual discharge for each day of the year, averaged monthly. Our model may be used to restore the seasonality of flow and to minimize discharge peaks until floodplain planning and management can provide a public corridor contiguous to the river to allow reestablishment of high discharge.
Common Themes and Variations in Animal Orientation Systems

Although only a small number of disparate taxa have been studied in detail, there are some general themes that transcend the orientation and navigation mechanisms of animals. I will identify some of these commonalities and illustrate them with data from selected species. Nearly all species rely on multiple environmental cues in orientation and these mechanisms seem often to be related hierarchically. Magnetic effects on orientation are widespread. The various cue-based orientation mechanisms are not independent, but influence one another during early development and later in life. The development of orientation capabilities involves complex interactions of experience and endogenous rules and learning predispositions. At the same time, considerable plasticity characterizes both the development of orientation and the behavior of adults in response to environmental situations requiring oriented movement.
Modified quadratic stochastic estimation of resonating subsonic cavity flow

There is an obvious need for the development of reduced-order time-resolved models of the off-body physics of wall-bounded shear flows. This work represents a preliminary step toward producing such a model for the resonating subsonic cavity flow by presenting the modified quadratic stochastic estimation (mQSE) as a means to estimate flow field quantities using surface pressure measurements. The mQSE estimates these flow field quantities using statistics calculated between surface-pressure fluctuations and the flow field's POD expansion coefficients. In the current work, the mQSE is applied separately to both the velocity and density fields for subsonic flow over a resonating cavity. The velocity data are obtained using particle image velocimetry, while the density gradients are obtained using spark Schlieren photography. The results demonstrate the ability of the mQSE to estimate the structure of the complex cavity flow field using a few wall-pressure measurements. The results also show an interaction bet...
The effect of air cells and mortar joints on the thermal resistance of concrete masonry walls

Abstract A testing program to investigate the thermal performance of concrete masonry wall assemblies has been developed and completed. The intent was to study the thermal contribution of both the air cells contained in concrete masonry blocks and the mortar joints holding the unit blocks together. This was accomplished by testing three individual walls. The first constituted a 6-in (0.15 m) conventional concrete masonry wall. This wall acted as the control specimen with which the other walls were compared. In the second wall, the mortar was eliminated and replaced by an adhesive. This allowed the measurement of the contribution of the mortar to the thermal resistance of the conventional prototype wall. In the third wall the air cells (along with the mortar joints) were eliminated to study the effect of the air cells on the thermal resistance of the conventional wall assembly. A temperature-controlled test plate, calibrated with fibrous glass board material of known thermal conductivity was used with heat flow sensors to determine periodically the thermal resistances of the test walls. Results indicated that the R-value of the 6-in conventional concrete masonry wall (including mortar joints) measured 2.05 (hr ft2 °F)/Btu. However, in the absence of mortar joints, the thermal resistance of the concrete masonry wall assembly decreased by approximately 8%. Thermal resistance of concrete masonry walls in which the air cells were eliminated was approximately 25% less than the conventional prototype wall, and 18% lower than the mortarless wall. This indicates that the air cells in the concrete blocks contribute significantly to the thermal resistance of masonry walls. Based on the testing conditions, it is concluded that both the containment of air cells and mortar joints in the masonry wall assembly represent an asset rather than a liability to the thermal integrity of masonry envelopes. Analysis and comparison of these results with published data are included.
FLAVIN COMPOUNDS AS AGENTS FOR THE OXIDATION OF PLASTOCYANIN IN BLUE LIGHT

—Flavins, flavin nucleotides and selected flavoproteins have been compared in a reaction using blue light. in which plastocyanin is oxidized as the flavin is photoreduced. Per unit of light absorbed. flavin mononucleotide is more effective than flavin adenine dinucleotide, ribotlavin or lumiflavin. Of the flavoproteins tested, diaphorase from Clostridium kluyveri was most effective, but was less active than free flavin mononucleotide. The oxidation of plastocyanin requires aerobic conditions. and appears to be mediated by the production of singlet oxygen when the flavin is irradiated.
Use of spectral clustering to enhance clutter suppression for hyperspectral change detection

Hyperspectral change detection has been shown to be a promising approach for detecting subtle targets in complex backgrounds. Reported change detection methods are typically based on linear predictors that assume a space-invariant affine transformation between image pairs. Unfortunately, several physical mechanisms can lead to significant space variance in the spectral change associated with background clutter, including shadowing and other illumination variations as well as seasonal impacts on the spectral nature of vegetation, and this can lead to poor change detection performance. This paper outlines a methodology to deal with such space-variant change using spectral clustering and other related least-squares optimization techniques. Several specific algorithms are developed and applied to change imagery captured under controlled conditions, and the impacts on clutter suppression are quantified and compared. The results indicate that such techniques can provide markedly increased clutter suppression and change detection performance when the environmental conditions associated with the image pairs are substantially different.
Penalty approximation of stokes flow

Abstract The particular class of problems considered is Stokes flow in which the constraint is the incompressibility condition ▽ · u = 0 on the velocity field u . In Part I we present first of all a simple constructive method for determining the spurious modes. This is followed by an analysis of the discrete stability condition for the penalty method, showing that this condition holds with a parameter that is O( h ). We develop improved estimates of the dependence of the stability parameter on mesh size h in a more general proof than previously available. In Part II we prove error estimates for the velocity and computed pressure approximations and use an Aubin-Nitsche technique to get L 2 estimates for the velocity. In the concluding numerical studies we examine the stability of the computed pressure and convergence rates with uniform mesh refinement for problems having data with varying degree of regularity.
Special article: Pediatric AIDS: Worlds apart

Abstract In the United States and in other developed countries, the number of children newly infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has decreased dramatically as a result of the availability of educational programs, counseling and testing services, and potent anti-HIV therapy. Children with HIV are living longer, healthier lives. However, the pediatric HIV pandemic continues virtually unabated across much of the developing world. The reasons for this difference are complicated and include lack of resources, lack of infrastructure, and lack of trained health professionals in many developing nations. The Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative is addressing these issues by developing comprehensive programs for health professional education and HIV clinical research in parts of the world hardest hit by the HIV acquired immunodeficiency syndrome epidemic. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company
Effect of biochemical constituents on macaroni quality. I.—Differences between hard red spring and durum wheats†

Durum semolina and farina from hard red spring wheat were fractionated into starch, gluten, watersoluble fraction and sludge. By systematic interchange of the various fractions, a series of reconstituted ‘flours’ was formed. Macaroni was made from these reconstituted materials and the colour and cooking characteristics of these macaroni samples were evaluated. In this way, differences in the effects of the four fractions from the two wheat types on macaroni quality were studied. Macaroni made from durum wheat had superior colour, higher cooked weight, greater residue and lower firmness score than macaroni made from hard red spring wheat. Interchange of gluten and water-soluble fractions had the most pronounced effect on macaroni colour and on macaroni cooking characteristics. Interchange of starch and sludge fractions had no effect on colour and only a small effect on cooking quality.
Cytoplasmic Viruses: Rage against the (Cellular RNA Decay) Machine

As our appreciation increases for the pervasive nature of transcription in the cell, so too has our appreciation for the major role of RNA decay/stability in regulating both the quantity and the quality of gene expression. As soon as viral RNAs appear in the cell, they must be prepared to combat or avoid cellular RNA decay pathways. This review describes the myriad ways that viruses deal with the general host RNA decay machinery that is active in the cell immediately upon viral infection—turning what, at first, appears to be very hostile territory for a foreign transcript into a sort of “promised land” for viral gene expression. It is interesting to note that cells likely try to adapt to this viral interference with the general RNA decay machinery by inducing a variety of novel RNases as part of a molecular arms race.
Psychiatric Complications of Anabolic Steroid Abuse

The authors review the literature from human and animal studies on the neurochemical and pathological psychiatric effects of supraphysiological doses of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) and discuss the AAS use and abuse patterns, additional drug use patterns, and personality and behavioral characteristics of AAS abusers.
Simple Biochemical Pathways far from Steady State Can Provide Switchlike and Integrated Responses

Covalent modification cycles (systems in which the activity of a substrate is regulated by the action of two opposing enzymes) and ligand/receptor interactions are ubiquitous in signaling systems and their steady-state properties are well understood. However, the behavior of such systems far from steady state remains unclear. Here, we analyze the properties of covalent modification cycles and ligand/receptor interactions driven by the accumulation of the activating enzyme and the ligand, respectively. We show that for a large range of parameters both systems produce sharp switchlike response and yet allow for temporal integration of the signal, two desirable signaling properties. Ultrasensitivity is observed also in a region of parameters where the steady-state response is hyperbolic. The temporal integration properties are tunable by regulating the levels of the deactivating enzyme and receptor, as well as by adjusting the rate of accumulation of the activating enzyme and ligand. We propose that this tunability is used to generate precise responses in signaling systems.
Effects of cloud overlap in photochemical models

[1] Different schemes have been used to represent the vertical coherence of clouds for radiation and cloud microphysics in general circulation models and for photolysis in photochemical transport models. Here, we examine the maximum-random overlap scheme, the random overlap scheme, and a linear scheme (linear scaling of the cloud optical depth in a grid box with cloud fraction) and evaluate their effects on averaged photolysis frequencies and OH concentrations in a global photochemical model. Photolysis frequencies are increased in the upper tropical troposphere and decreased in the lower troposphere if clouds are assumed to be randomly overlapped or if a linear assumption is followed rather than the maximum-random overlap assumption. The underestimate is of order 50% and 20–30% at the surface in the tropics and over some continental midlatitude regions for the linear and the random assumptions, respectively, relative to the maximum-random assumption. The global average CH4 + OH reaction rate-weighted OH concentration calculated with the random overlap assumption is within a few percent of that calculated with the maximum-random overlap assumption but is underestimated with the nonphysically based linear assumption, by 4 to 6% relative to the maximum-random overlap assumption and by 6 to 7% relative to the random overlap assumption. An underestimate of rate-weighted OH concentration implies that the tropospheric lifetime for CH4 and other greenhouse gases that react with OH is too long in models that use this scheme.
Bioorthogonal chemistry amplifies nanoparticle binding and enhances the sensitivity of cell detection

Nanoparticles have emerged as key materials for biomedical applications because of their unique and tunable physical properties, multivalent targeting capability, and high cargo capacity. Motivated by these properties and by current clinical needs, numerous diagnostic and therapeutic nanomaterials have recently emerged. Here we describe a novel nanoparticle targeting platform that uses a rapid, catalyst-free cycloaddition as the coupling mechanism. Antibodies against biomarkers of interest were modified with trans-cyclooctene and used as scaffolds to couple tetrazine-modified nanoparticles onto live cells. We show that the technique is fast, chemoselective, adaptable to metal nanomaterials, and scalable for biomedical use. This method also supports amplification of biomarker signals, making it superior to alternative targeting techniques including avidin/biotin.
Eating Attitudes and Behaviors of Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian College Women

Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare eating attitudes and behaviors between young female vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Subjects (n=143) were volunteers from general education courses at Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, CA. Participants filled out a general questionnaire detailing nutritional habits and completed the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT). The response rate for the survey was 97%. Descriptive statistics were performed. Thirty subjects were self-reported vegetarians and 113 were non-vegetarians. Subjects were an average of 19 years of age, 66 in. tall, and weighed 132 Ibs. There was no significant difference between vegetarians and non-vegetarians in age, height or weight. The Kruskal -Wallis test was used to compare median EAT score for the two groups. Median EAT score of the vegetarians (16.5) was significantly higher (p0
Problems of International Crisis Management in the Nuclear Age

When the topic to be discussed has to do with the dangers posed by international crisis and the threat of nuclear war, the very first thing we must talk about is the problem of hope. It is common knowledge that if we allow ourselves to adopt a hopeless outlook, we will not want to think or talk about the dangers of nuclear war at all, or listen to what anyone else has to say about these dangers. And those of us who do research and teaching will certainly not be willing to devote time and energy carrying out relevant research on conflict resolution or trying to educate others about the threat of nuclear war and about political actions that might be constructive ways to minimize it. My own conflict theory of decision making specifies that lack of hope is one of the major determinants of defensive avoidance–the tendency to avoid thinking about distressing issues that might require action.
Innate and adaptive functions of the CD1 pathway of antigen presentation

Abstract In the past few years, several studies have unravelled a novel pathway of antigen presentation to T cells of the mammalian immune system. The antigens are presented by CD1, which appears to have evolved to present glycolipid antigens to αβ T cells. CD1-restricted T cells are frequently autoreactive, and can promptly release key regulatory cytokines such as IL-4 and IFN-γ. They have been implicated in a variety of autoimmune diseases including type I diabetes and lupus, in intracellular bacterial infections, and in tumor rejection. They are likely to be involved at the early, innate phase of these immune responses, providing a unique model to study the interface between the innate and adaptive immune systems.
Epi-fluorescence imaging of colloid transport in porous media at decimeter scales.

A noninvasive epi-fluorescence imaging technique was developed for real-time observation of colloid transport in porous media at decimeter scales. Fluorescent latex microspheres and translucent quartz sand were used as a model colloid-porous medium system. Various calibrations were performed for accurate conversion of fluorescence intensities to microsphere concentrations. Fluorescence intensities were found to linearly increase with microsphere concentrations (5 × 105−5 × 108 spheres/mL in saturated sand) and with camera exposure time. Fluorescence intensities also increased with sand thickness (saturated with microsphere solution), indicating that the fluorescence signals detected by the imaging system were integrated signals from the entire thickness (10 mm) of the sand. A set of microsphere transport experiments was conducted to demonstrate the versatility of the imaging system. Excellent mass recoveries (93−103%) were achieved in all transport experiments, demonstrating the robustness of the imaging ...
How is Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease acquired?

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is one of several related disorders collectively called prion diseases. These disorders affect man and animals and are now known to be caused by the abnormal configurat
Changing pattern of infective endocarditis

There has been a significant trend toward an increase in the age of patients with endocarditis, and it seems likely that the age of these patients will continue to increase as the population ages. The proportion of patients with endocarditis who have rheumatic heart disease as an underlying lesion has decreased from about 40 percent in patients studied from 1950 to 1970 to about 25 percent in more recent series, and this trend will probably continue. Prosthetic valves and degenerative heart disease will undoubtedly become increasingly important underlying heart lesions in patients with endocarditis. Another large group of patients with infective endocarditis have no diagnosable underlying heart disease and comprise an increasing proportion of patients with endocarditis. Because of the aging of the population, more Streptococcus bovis and enterococcal endocarditis should be expected. With more prosthetic valves and with the aging of the population, more staphylococcal endocarditis should be anticipated. Economic forces will probably result in earlier discharge from the hospital, with either shorter courses of therapy or completion of therapy at home and perhaps more valve replacements.
N-acetylcysteine-conjugated pyrrole identified in rat urine following administration of two pyrrolizidine alkaloids, monocrotaline and senecionine.

Abstract This report demonstrates that an Ehrlich-reagent-positive metabolite of monocrotaline and senecionine is excreted in the urine of male rats as an N-acetylcysteine conjugate of (±)-6,7-dihydro-7-hydroxy-1-hydroxymethyl-5H-pyrrolizine (NAC-DHP). Isolation of the metabolite employed an initial organic extraction followed by HPLC separation of remaining urinary components using a reverse-phase, polymer-based, PRP-1 column. Fast-atom-bombardment tandem mass spectrometry was used to identify the metabolite. This finding suggests that reactive metabolites of pyrrolizidine alkaloids generated in the liver can survive the aqueous environment of the circulatory system as glutathione conjugates or mercapturic acids.
Modification of the american burn association injury severity grading system

This study evaluated the regional burn health care system of the Commonwealth of Virginia using the criteria for optimal care of the burn patient designated by the American Burn Association. The data base for this evaluation was hospital records of seven hospitals in Virginia. The major shortcoming of the designated criteria was the grading system for the severity of burn injury. Using the criteria designated by the American Burn Association, a large number of minor burn injuries were judged erroneously to be major burn injuries. A modification of the American Burn Association's injury severity grading system is proposed which more precisely identifies the minor burn injury.
Robotic partial nephrectomy with superselective versus main artery clamping: A retrospective comparison

Abstract Background Concerns have been raised regarding partial nephrectomy (PN) techniques that do not occlude the main renal artery. Objective Compare the perioperative outcomes of superselective versus main renal artery control during robotic PN. Design, setting, and participants A retrospective analysis of 121 consecutive patients undergoing robotic PN using superselective control (group 1, n =58) or main artery clamping (group 2, n =63). Intervention Group 1 underwent tumor-specific devascularization, maintaining ongoing arterial perfusion to the renal remnant at all times. Group 2 underwent main renal artery clamping, creating global renal ischemia. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Perioperative and functional data were evaluated. The Pearson chi-square or Fisher exact and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used. Results and limitations All robotic procedures were successful, all surgical margins were negative, and no kidneys were lost. Compared with group 2 tumors, group 1 tumors were larger (3.4 vs 2.6cm, p =0.004), more commonly hilar (24% vs 6%, p =0.009), and more complex (PADUA 10 vs 8, p =0.009). Group 1 patients had longer median operative time ( p p p =0.01) and at last follow-up (11% vs 17%, p =0.03). On computed tomography volumetrics, group 1 patients trended toward greater parenchymal preservation (95% vs 90%, p =0.07) despite larger tumor size and volume (19 vs 8ml, p =0.002). Main limitations are the retrospective study design, small cohort, and short follow-up. Conclusions Robotic PN with superselective vascular control enables tumor excision without any global renal ischemia. Blood loss, complications, and positive margin rates were low and similar to main artery clamping. In this initial developmental phase, limitations included more perioperative transfusions and longer operative time. The advantage of superselective clamping for better renal function preservation requires validation by prospective randomized studies. Patient summary Preserving global blood flow to the kidney during robotic partial nephrectomy (PN) does not lead to a higher complication rate and may lead to better postoperative renal function compared with clamped PN techniques.
THE SPINE-BRUSH COMPLEX IN SYMMORIIFORM SHARKS (CHONDRICHTHYES; SYMMORIIFORMES), WITH COMMENTS ON DORSAL FIN MODULARITY

ABSTRACT A bizarre “spine-brush complex” is found only in extinct symmoriiform chondrichthyans (Order Symmoriiformes). Its structural complexity makes the spine-brush complex a rich source of morphological characters for phylogenetic analysis, and it has been used as a basis for their family-level subdivision. Development of the complex is sex-linked in one of the three symmoriiform families customarily recognized (Falcatidae), but its distribution within members of the other two families (Symmoriidae, Stethacanthidae) is poorly documented. Consequently, earlier family-level diagnoses (which were largely based on the presence or absence of the spine-brush complex) are probably misleading. Some features of the spine-brush complex can be homologized with structures found in “normal” shark dorsal fins, suggesting that the spine-brush complex is a highly specialized first dorsal fin. The spine-brush complex may have arisen by co-option of the first dorsal fin module, possibly involving its suppression in fema...
Performance analysis of ultra-scaled InAs HEMTs

The scaling behavior of ultra-scaled InAs HEMTs is investigated using a 2-dimensional real-space effective mass ballistic quantum transport simulator. The simulation methodology is first benchmarked against experimental I d –V gs data obtained from devices with gate lengths ranging from 30 to 50 nm, where a good quantitative match is obtained. It is then applied to optimize the logic performance of not-yet-fabricated 20nm InAs HEMT. It is demonstrated that the best performance is achieved in thin InAs channel devices by reducing the insulator thickness to improve the gate control while increasing the gate work function to suppress the gate leakage.
THE WELFARE CONSEQUENCES OF DIRECTLY-UNPRODUCTIVE PROFIT-SEEKING (DUP) LOBBYING ACTIVITIES Price versus quantity distortions*

Abstract This paper is a contribution to the growing literature on the theory of what Bhagwati (1982) has christened the theory of DUP activities. These are activities that use up real resources in making profits (i.e. income) without producing directly or indirectly a ‘good’. They result therefore in the contraction of the availability set defined on goods. For one generic subset of such DUP activities, namely distortion-triggered lobbying activities, the paper establishes asymmetrical propositions on the possibility of such DUP lobbying resulting in a paradoxical improvement of welfare.
Environmental Proteomics, Biodiversity Statistics, and Food-Web Structure

Pioneering studies in environmental proteomics have revealed links between protein diversity and ecological function in simple ecological communities, such as microbial biofilms. In the near future, high-throughput proteomic methods will be applied to more complex ecological systems in which microbes and macrobes interact. Data structures in biodiversity and protein surveys have many similarities, so the statistical methods that ecologists use for analyzing biodiversity data should be adapted for use with quantitative surveys of protein diversity. However, increasing quantities of protein and bioinformatics data will not, by themselves, reveal the functional significance of proteins. Instead, ecologists should be measuring changes in the abundance of protein cohorts in response to replicated field manipulations, including nutrient enrichment and removal of top predators.
RNA G-Quadruplexes in the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana: prevalence and possible functional roles

Tandem stretches of guanines can associate in hydrogen-bonded arrays to form G-quadruplexes, which are stabilized by K(+) ions. Using computational methods, we searched for G-Quadruplex Sequence (GQS) patterns in the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana. We found ∼ 1200 GQS with a G(3) repeat sequence motif, most of which are located in the intergenic region. Using a Markov modeled genome, we determined that GQS are significantly underrepresented in the genome. Additionally, we found ∼ 43,000 GQS with a G(2) repeat sequence motif; notably, 80% of these were located in genic regions, suggesting that these sequences may fold at the RNA level. Gene Ontology functional analysis revealed that GQS are overrepresented in genes encoding proteins of certain functional categories, including enzyme activity. Conversely, GQS are underrepresented in other categories of genes, notably those for non-coding RNAs such as tRNAs and rRNAs. We also find that genes that are differentially regulated by drought are significantly more likely to contain a GQS. CD-detected K(+) titrations performed on representative RNAs verified formation of quadruplexes at physiological K(+) concentrations. Overall, this study indicates that GQS are present at unique locations in Arabidopsis and that folding of RNA GQS may play important roles in regulating gene expression.
Reducing Unnecessary Inpatient Laboratory Testing in a Teaching Hospital

After an inpatient phlebotomy–laboratory test request audit for 2 general inpatient wards identified 5 tests commonly ordered on a recurring basis, a multidisciplinary committee developed a proposal to minimize unnecessary phlebotomies and laboratory tests by reconfiguring the electronic order function to limit phlebotomy–laboratory test requests to occur singly or to recur within one 24-hour window. The proposal was implemented in June 2003. Comparison of fiscal year volume data from before (2002–2003) and after (2003–2004) implementation revealed 72,639 (12.0%) fewer inpatient tests, of which 41,765 (57.5%) were related directly to decreases in the 5 tests frequently ordered on a recurring basis. Because the electronic order function changes did not completely eliminate unnecessary testing, we concluded that the decrease in inpatient testing represented a minimum amount of unnecessary inpatient laboratory tests. We also observed 17,207 (21.4%) fewer inpatient phlebotomies, a decrease sustained in fiscal year 2004–2005. Labor savings allowed us to redirect phlebotomists to our understaffed outpatient phlebotomy service.