cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Five-year review of Aspergillus ICD-9-CM coded infection in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Healthcare System

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Aspergillus infection generally occurs in immunosuppressed patients and often leads to adverse outcomes. The VA healthcare system provides a convenient nationwide inpatient system in which to review data on Aspergillus epidemiology. METHODS: The national VA data warehouse for discharge diagnoses was reviewed for federal fiscal years (FYs) 2000 through 2004. ICD-9-CM codes for Aspergillus (117.3) and Aspergillus with pneumonia (117.3 with 484.6) were used as search parameters. Denominator data were defined as a unique person-inpatient episode of care. The numerator was defined as a unique-inpatient episode with an Aspergillus ICD-9-CM diagnosis. The rate is per 1000 inpatient episodes of care. RESULTS: FY Unique Inpatient Episodes Total Aspergillus (#) Total Aspergillus (rate) Aspergillus w/ Pneumonia (#) Aspergillus w/ Pneumonia (rate) 2000 563,630 214 0.38 67 0.12 2001 565,971 206 0.36 60 0.11 2002 562,917 237 0.42 51 0.09 2003 560,695 201 0.36 54 0.10 2004 570,995 215 0.38 61 0.11 Over the 5 years, the mean age of patients was 61.6 years, with a range from 59.1 to 63.5. The mean length of stay was 17 days, with a range from 14.2 to 19.7. In FY 2002, the rate for total Aspergillus exceeded the rate of the other 4 years (p = 0.02). Of the 11 facilities with the greatest number of Aspergillus with pneumonia episodes, only 5 (45%) had in-house transplant programs of any type. CONCLUSION: Aspergillus infection, based on ICD-9-CM coding, was relatively unchanged over a 5-year period with an increase during one fiscal year (FY 2002). This excess was traced to a single facility with a small cluster of Aspergillus ICD-9-CM coded inpatients during the year. Discharge diagnosis surveillance has yielded normative national case rates and retrospectively identified a cluster of discharges associated with an ICD-9-CM diagnosis for Aspergillus. Further work is necessary to clarify whether this methodology can be useful on a more contemporaneous basis.
Hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of a new vanadyl sulfate compound: crystal structure of [V(IV)OSO4(H2O)4]·SO4·[H2N(C2H4)2NH2]

Abstract The hydrothermal reaction of a mixture of vanadylacetylacetonate-VO(acac)2, Na2SO4, piperazine, and diluted H2SO4 at 160°C gives a blue colored solution which yields rectangular blue crystals of [V(IV)OSO4(H2O)4]·SO4·[H2N(C2H4)2NH2] (1) in a 60% yield. Complex 1 is a new organic–inorganic compound: a vanadyl sulfate cocrystallized with organic species. The structure of 1 consists of layers of [V(IV)OSO4(H2O)4] separated by SO4 2− and doubly protonated piperazine cations [H2N(C2H4)2NH2]2+ which are hydrogen bonded with each other. Crystal data for 1: monoclinic, space group P21/c (no. 14), a=17.1502(10), b=7.2860(4), c=12.4448(7) A, β=107.058(10)°, V=1486.7(2) A3, Z=4. The structure was solved by direct methods and least-squares refinement converged at R=0.0305.
DR6 as a diagnostic and predictive biomarker in adult sarcoma.

Background The Death Receptor 6 (DR6) protein is elevated in the serum of ovarian cancer patients. We tested DR6 serum protein levels as a diagnostic/predictive biomarker in several epithelial tumors and sarcomas.
The impact of student learning styles on interviewing skills and academic performance

Background: Many U.S. medical schools struggle to identify how to teach students the content and skills needed to communicate effectively with patients. Some schools have developed predoctoral curricula emphasizing both biomedical and psychosocial dimensions of patient care. It is important to identify whether this approach has a measurable impact on doctor‐patient communication. Purpose: This study examined the impact of learning styles on 200 Ist‐year medical students’ academic performance and interviewing skills. Methods: Analysis of variance were conducted comparing academic performance and interviewing skills across 4 learning styles in Kolb ‘s Learning Style Inventory. Results: Findings revealed statistically significant differences in academic performance (p < .05) and interviewing skills (p < .05) by students’ learning styles. Conclusions: Students possess different learning styles that influence their success in medical school. Educators can vary their teaching methods to ensure that students, re...
Insulin as an Autoantigen in NOD/Human Diabetes

Although multiple islet autoantigens are recognized by T lymphocytes and autoantibodies before the development of type 1A (immune-mediated diabetes), there is increasing evidence that autoimmunity to insulin may be central to disease pathogenesis. Evidence is strongest for the NOD mouse model where blocking immune responses to insulin prevents diabetes, and insulin peptides can be utilized to induce diabetes. In man insulin gene polymorphisms are associated with disease risk, and autoantibodies and T cells reacting with multiple insulin/proinsulin epitopes are present. It is not currently clear why insulin autoimmunity is so prominent and frequent, and though insulin can be used to immunologically prevent diabetes of NOD mice, insulin-based preventive immunoregulation of diabetes in man is not yet possible.
Simulation of an urban transportation transfer point

Abstract A model of a passenger transfer point between a geometrically flexible distributor system and a regional rapid transit system is developed. The model includes the scheduled arrivals of regional trains, the passenger movements and waits in the transfer point and the scheduled departures of distributor trains. The role of the simulation in transfer point design and system scheduling is discussed with its relation to overall systems objectives. An example illustrating the morning input rush is given assuming a simple passenger arrival distribution with time. The results of the simulation runs with different parameter sets are compared, and an evaluation of the simulation is presented.
Hyperalimentation during pregnancy: a case report.

Severe, prolonged hyperemesis gravidarum was managed with total parenteral nutrition throughout three trimesters. Reversal of maternal weight loss and adequate fetal growth were achieved. A viable, large for gestational age infant was delivered prematurely at 34 wk. Serum values for selected nutrients, taken at delivery from maternal and cord blood, suggest that present estimates of parenteral nutritional needs for vitamins and minerals during pregnancy are probably low. An important corollary to maternal weight gain and caloric intake is to provide adequate nutrition as early as possible for optimal fetal weight gain. (Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 9:212-215, 1985)
Diffusion of Antimony in Silver

The diffusion coefficient of antimony tracers in single crystals of pure silver has been measured as a function of temperature over the range 468-942\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. The relation $D={D}_{0}\mathrm{exp}(\ensuremath{-}\frac{H}{\mathrm{RT}})$ was found to be obeyed with $H=38320$ cal/mole and ${D}_{0}=0.169$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$/sec. These values are in marked disagreement with those appearing in the literature. The data suggest, in addition, that any variation with temperature in ${D}_{0}$ of the form ${D}_{0}={{D}_{0}}^{\ensuremath{'}}{T}^{n}$ is such that $n$ probably lies in the range 0 to +\textonehalf{}. This implies that any temperature variation of $H$ is probably less than 1 cal/mole deg.
Reducing the memory required to find a geodesic shortest path on a large mesh

Finding shortest paths and distances on the surface of a mesh in R3 is a well studied problem, with most research aiming to minimize computation time. However for large meshes, such as TIN terrain models in GIS, the major bottleneck is often the memory required by an algorithm.In this paper, we evaluate techniques for computing path distances (both for paths restricted to edges of the mesh and for paths traveling freely across the triangles of the mesh) that do not need to store data structure for the entire mesh in memory. In particular, we implement a novel combination of Dijkstra, A*, and MMP (aka, continuous Dijkstra) methods that, in our experiments on TINs containing millions of triangles, reduces the memory requirement by two orders of magnitude. We are also able to compare distances computed by Dijkstra, fast marching, and the MMP methods.
Hsp27, Hsp70, and metallothionein in MDCK and LLC-PK1 renal epithelial cells: effects of prolonged exposure to cadmium

Cadmium is a widely distributed industrial and environmental toxin. The principal target organ of chronic sublethal cadmium exposure is the kidney. In renal epithelial cells, acute high-dose cadmium exposure induces differential expression of proteins, including heat shock proteins. However, few studies have examined heat shock protein expression in cells after prolonged exposure to cadmium at sublethal concentrations. Here, we assayed total cell protein, neutral red uptake, cell death, and levels of metallothionein and heat shock proteins Hsp27 and inducible Hsp70 in cultures of MDCK and LLC-PK1 renal epithelial cells treated with cadmium for 3 days. Treatment with cadmium at concentrations equal to or greater than 10 μM (LLC-PK1) or 25 μM (MDCK) reduced measures of cell vitality and induced cell death. However, a concentration-dependent increase in Hsp27 was detected in both cell types treated with as little as 5 μM cadmium. Accumulation of Hsp70 was correlated only with cadmium treatment at concentrations also causing cell death. Metallothionein was maximally detected in cells treated with cadmium at concentrations that did not reduce cell vitality, and further increases were not detected at greater concentrations. These results reveal that heat shock proteins accumulate in renal epithelial cells during prolonged cadmium exposure, that cadmium induces differential expression of heat shock protein in epithelial cells, and that protein expression patterns in epithelial cells are specific to the cadmium concentration and degree of cellular injury. A potential role for Hsp27 in the cellular response to sublethal cadmium-induced injury is also implicated by our results.
A nuclear receptor to prevent colon cancer.

It is not often that two seemingly separate lines of investigation converge to yield both a new insight into the pathogenesis of a disease and possibilities for clinical applications. Such is the c...
Discriminative properties of phencyclidine in mice: generalization to ketamine and monohydroxy metabolites

The discriminative properties of phencyclidine (PCP) and their generalization to the effects of ketamine and monohydroxylated PCP metabolites were examined in C57BL/6cr mice utilizing two-lever operant procedures. As previously reported for pigeons and rats, PCP was discriminable in this species at a training dose of 3.0 mg/kg. PCP discriminability generalized to test doses of the drug that did not influence response rates (as low as 1.75 mg/kg) and also to ketamine (10 mg/kg). Both PCP monohydroxylated metabolites were active in mice. PCP partially generalized to the monohydroxylated metabolite, 1-(1-phenylcyclohexyl)4-hydroxy piperidine (PCHP) but not to 1-(1-phenyl-4-hydroxycyclohexyl) piperidine (PPC), which is consistent with previous reports on rats. The generalization of the PCP stimulus to PCHP was not as extensive in mice as previously reported for rats, suggesting that it may be less potent in this species. Although PCP discriminability generalized to PCHP, this generalization required PCHP doses that would produce tissue concentrations much higher than could result from discriminable doses of PCP. Therefore, the PCHP metabolite does not appear to mediate PCP discriminability in C57BL/6cr mice.
Sociobiology, human nature and psychological egoism

Abstract It is commonly thought, at least in philosophical circles, that the thesis of psychological egoism—the view that all of human behavior can be understood in terms of causes, motives or reasons which concern the maximization of self-interest—is a conceptually muddled and untenable doctrine. This paper reviews and evaluates some of the arguments that have been made against psychological egoism. Then an attempt is made to formulate a viable version of psychological egoism which may prove to be of significant interest for both humanists and scientists. Recent empirical research on the biological and genetic bases of human social behavior is cited as illustrative of empirical evidence for a thesis of psychological egoism about human social and ethical behavior. The paper concludes with two claims about an empirically grounded version of psychological egoism: (1) that psychological egoism is (a) an intelligible hypothesis for explaining human behavior, (b) a testable hypothesis and (c) probably a false hypothesis, but that (2) a good deal of ethical and philosophical anxiety about this thesis is misplaced since the most viable versions of psychological egoism are compatible with most theories of morals and ethics.
The atrioventricular valves of the guinea‐pig. I. A light microscopic study

The atrioventricular valves contain dense plexuses of adrenergic nerve fibers, derived from atrial and ventricular sources. Most of the adrenergic terminals are located in the lower third of the cusps. This region, which contains adrenergic terminals and acetylcholinesterase-positive nerve endings is devoid of muscle fibers and blood vessels. The acetylcholinesterase-positive endings may be sensory; and norepinephrine released from the adrenergic terminals may influence their performance. In the mitral valve, the atrial adrenergic plexus is separated from the ventricular plexus by a narrow zone that is free of adrenergic nerves. In most other respects the innervation, musculature and vascular supply of the mitral valve is similar to that of the tricuspid valve. Each valve has an intrinsic skeleton. This is made up of collagenous “ribs” that pass up from the chordae tendineae and fan out in the cusps. “Ribs” from adjacent chordae overlap and interweave, forming a complex support system. The musculature of the valves is complex and seems to have several functions. The annular muscle around the valve orifice may act as an atrioventricular sphincter, while offshoots that insert into the collagenous “ribs” of the cusp may assist the papillary muscles in maintaining tension on the cusps. The meshwork of muscle fibers between “ribs” may prevent ballooning of the cusps during systole. We found no consistent association between valvar muscles and nerves. Blood vessels are restricted mainly to the upper muscular part of the cusps, although a few capillary loops descend into the midzone of the cusps.
Double-blind dose determination study of a new antidepressant-sertraline

As part of a multicenter dose determination study designed to evaluate the safety and therapeutic activity of four fixed dose levels of sertraline—a new antidepressant with biochemical characteristics different from tricyclics—17 patients with diagnoses of major depressive disorder were treated with active medication under double-blind conditions for 4 weeks following a 1-week washout period. Patients receiving the two higher dose levels of sertraline exhibited almost no symptomatic improvement and manifested more adverse events that patients receiving the two lower dose levels. No statistically significant differences between the low-dose groups and the placebo group were found. Thus, the efficacy of sertraline could not be demonstrated under these design constraints, although differential dose level effects were indicated. Dosage levels up to 100 mg/day would appear to be more clinically appropriate than higher dosage levels.
Using a Client Memo to Assess Critical Thinking of Finance Majors

This article describes a holistic, discourse-based method for assessing the critical thinking skills of undergraduate senior-level finance majors. Rejecting a psychometric assessment approach in which component features of critical thinking are disaggregated, this study is based on a holistic scoring of student memos. Students were asked to recommend and justify a course of action to a lay client facing an ill-structured finance problem. Analysis of student memos reveals critical thinking weaknesses that may be ameliorated by changes in assignments or instructional methods. The memos reveal four kinds of critical thinking problems: (a) failure to address the client's problem, (b) random rather than purposeful application of finance tools and methodologies, (c) inability to translate finance concepts or methods into lay language, and (d) inability to construct rhetorically useful graphics. The curricular implications of this study are discussed.
Cognitive Penetration and the Tribunal of Experience

Perception purports to help you gain knowledge of the world even if the world is not the way you expected it to be. Perception also purports to be an independent tribunal against which you can test your beliefs. It is natural to think that in order to serve these and other central functions, perceptual representations must not causally depend on your prior beliefs and expectations. In this paper, I clarify and then argue against the natural thought above. All perceptual systems must solve an under-determination problem: the sensory data they receive could be caused by indefinitely many arrangements of distal objects and properties. Using a Bayesian approach to perceptual processing, I argue that in order to solve the under-determination problem, perceptual capacities must rely on prior beliefs or expectations of some kind. I then argue that perceptual states or processes can help ground knowledge of the world whether the ‘beliefs’ necessary for perceptual processing are encoded as (or influenced by) sub-personal states within a perceptual system or cognitive states, such as person-level beliefs. My argument has two main parts. First, I give a preliminary argument that cognitive influence on perception can be appropriate, and I respond to three lines of objection. Second, I argue that cognitively influenced perceptual states can be instances of seeing that p, which makes the relevant states well suited to help ground knowledge that p. I conclude that a cognitively penetrated perceptual state or process can help ground knowledge under some circumstances.
Make Measurable What Is Not So: National Monitoring of the Status of Persons with Intellectual Disability.

AbstractBackground Statistics are critical in holding governments accountable for the well-being of citizens with disability. International initiatives are underway to improve the quality of disability statistics, but meaningful ID data is exceptionally rare.Method The status of ID data was evaluated in a review of 12 national statistical systems. Recurring data collection by national ministries was identified and the availability of measures of poverty, exclusion, and disadvantage was assessed.Results A total of 131 recurring systems coordinated by 50 different ministries were identified. The majority included general disability but less than 25% of the systems screened ID. Of these, few provided policy-relevant data.Conclusions The scope of ID data was dismal at best, though a significant statistical infrastructure exists for the integration of ID data. Advocacy will be necessary. There is no optimal form of data monitoring, and decisions regarding priorities in purpose, targeted audiences, and the goal...
THE INFLUENCE OF CARRIER GAS ON THE OUTPUT OF AUTOMATIC PLENUM VAPORIZERS

SUMMARY The effect of the physical characteristics of the carrier gas on the output of automatic plenum vaporizers was studied. The Vapor and Fluomatic halothane output at all dial settings was highest with oxygen as the carrier gas, as compared with helium and nitrous oxide and was a function of carrier gas viscosity at all dial settings. The output of the Fluotec Mark 2 at the 0.5 and 1 % settings was highest with nitrous oxide as the carrier gas, but at 2, 3 and 4% settings it was highest with oxygen; at the 0.5% and 1% dial settings it was a function of carrier gas density, but at 2%, 3% and 4% it was a function of carrier gas viscosity.
High-resolution electromagnetic altimetry over the ocean

A pair of coils acting as transmitter and receiver of a harmonic electromagnetic (EM) wave is found to be an excellent high-resolution altimeter at low altitudes over ocean regions. Due to high seawater conductivity, the altimetric determination from a received signal is computationally simple. Experimental results obtained from the Cape Cod Bay area indicate that an EM altimeter may be superior in resolution to a radar altimeter. Because of its wide beamwidth, the EM altimeter measures the distance to the instantaneous mean sea level and ignores ripples and waves. This may be considered an advantage over a laser altimeter which, despite its high resolution, is susceptible to noise caused by small surface fluctuations (due to its small beamwidth). The method has potential application to determining the sea-ice thickness.
A definition for information system survivability

Society has become dependent on information systems. As networks develop into large-scale systems, often critical to personal and business operations, survivability of these systems is imperative. While these systems continue to emerge and grow, answers to questions like: "What does survivability mean?", "How is survivability being measured?", and "How is survivability computed?" become very important. This paper summarizes the standard or lack of standard methods for defining and computing survivability while providing an easy to reference baseline of the current state. It also provides a template for defining survivability to facilitate subsequent research into computational quality attributes by using standard definitions. Where there are gaps or inconsistencies in current research and practice, assessments can be made to continue research and development in the areas most needed to develop taxonomy of survivability.
The relationship between age and incidence of cybersickness among immersive environment users

Simulator sickness - or cybersickness, as it is referred to when applied to virtual reality environments - is distinct from motion sickness in that the subject is stationary, but has a compelling sense of motion induced through exposure to changing visual imagery. Symptoms of simulator sickness are similar to those commonly experienced by subjects reporting motion sickness, thus the results of motion sickness studies tend to have application in simulator and cybersickness studies as well. However, while observing numerous visitors to their virtual environment facilities, the authors noticed a pattern of cybersickness which appeared inconsistent with the traditional understanding of motion sickness: older visitors often appeared to suffer more severe cybersickness than younger visitors. These observations contrasted sharply with traditional motion sickness studies, in which younger subjects have been found to be more prone to sickness than older subjects. The pilot study described in this poster demonstrates that indeed traditional explanations of the relationship between age and motion sickness may not hold true for cybersickness.
An electricity generation planning model incorporating demand response

Abstract Energy policies that aim to reduce carbon emissions and change the mix of electricity generation sources, such as carbon cap-and-trade systems and renewable electricity standards, can affect not only the source of electricity generation, but also the price of electricity and, consequently, demand. We develop an optimization model to determine the lowest cost investment and operation plan for the generating capacity of an electric power system. The model incorporates demand response to price change. In a case study for a U.S. state, we show the price, demand, and generation mix implications of a renewable electricity standard, and of a carbon cap-and-trade policy with and without initial free allocation of carbon allowances. This study shows that both the demand moderating effects and the generation mix changing effects of the policies can be the sources of carbon emissions reductions, and also shows that the share of the sources could differ with different policy designs. The case study provides different results when demand elasticity is excluded, underscoring the importance of incorporating demand response in the evaluation of electricity generation policies.
Innovative power gating for leakage reduction

Leakage has become one of the most dominant factors of power management and signal integrity of nanometer scale integrated circuits. Recently, power gating structures has proven to be effective in controlling leakage. In this paper an alternative dual-F/A reduced power gating structure is proposed for better reduction of leakage currents, especially for low-power, high-performance portable devices. The proposed technique maintains an intermediate power saving state as well as the conventional power cut-off state. The experimental results have demonstrated that the proposed technique can significantly reduce leakage current and associated power consumptions during the HOLD and CUT-OFF power saving modes.
A body powered prehensor with variable mechanical advantage

The purpose of this research was to improve body powered, voluntary closing (VC) prosthetic prehension. A prototype prehensor with variable mechanical advantage was fabricated and tested. The device operates at low mechanical advantage during sizing of an object to reduce cable excursion requirements. It shifts to high mechanical advantage during gripping to allow high prehensile forces to be generated with reduced cable tension. The prototype provides a mechanical advantage of 2.4, nearly five times that of conventional VC devices. The prototype also acts as a holding assist; after grip forces are applied, they can be maintained with a cable tension of only 3 lb (13.34N). Field testing indicated that the device performs well in many tasks. The mechanism allows greater range of motion while an object is grasped than standard voluntary closing prehensors. However, the device performed poorly in grasping very compliant objects. To address this problem, a switch has been incorporated into the prototype to allow it to be used in a free-wheel mode.
Acetylcholine suppresses calcium current in neurons of Aplysia californica.

Abstract 1. The left upper quadrant neurons L2–L6 in the abdominal ganglion of Aplysia californien were voltage clamped in order to examine effects of acetylcholine on voltage-dependent Ca and Ca-dependent K currents. 2. “Puffed” application of 10–100 μM acetylcholine reduced both the early inward and late outward phases of the current elicited by depolarizing voltage steps. An identical effect of the peptide FMRFarnide was previously found to result from a suppression of the Ca and Ca-dependent K currents. 3. This effect of acetylcholine was obscured by the simultaneous activation of a previously described K current resembling the “S” current. Extracellular tetraethylammonium (TEA) and 4-aminopyridine could not be used to eliminate this current, because both compounds also appeared to block the acetylcholine receptor mediating the putative suppression of Ca and Ca-dependent K currents. 4. The acetylcholine-induced “S”-like and other K currents could, however, be reduced or eliminated by injection of TEA+ or Cs+ into the cell, replacement of extracellular Ca2+ with Ba2+, and by shifting the K+ equilibrium potential so as to null K currents at the potential used to record Ca current, revealing in each case a partial (10–40%) suppression of the Ca (or Ba) current by acetylcholine. 5. The reduction of the outward phase of depolarization-activated current was confirmed to represent suppression of the Ca-dependent K current by acetylcholine. This effect was indirect, secondary to the suppression of Ca current, since acetylcholine had no effect on Ca-dependent K current elicited by direct injection of Ca2+ into the cell. 6. Activation of the “S”-like K current and suppression of the Ca current by FMRFarnide are likely to be important in its proposed role as an agent of presynaptic inhibition inAplysia, Since acetylcholine has identical effects, it too may have such a function.
Field and semifield evaluation of impacts of transgenic canola pollen on survival and development of worker honey bees.

A 2-yr field trial (2001 and 2002) and 1-yr semifield trial (2002) were conducted to evaluate the effect of transgenic herbicide (glyphosate)-tolerant canola Brassica napus L. pollen on larval and adult honey bee, Apis mellifera L., workers. In the field trial, colonies of honey bees were moved to transgenic or nontransgenic canola fields (each at least 40 hectares) during bloom and then sampled for larval survival and adult recovery, pupal weight, and hemolymph protein concentrations. No differences in larval survival, adult recovery, and pupal weight were detected between colonies placed in nontransgenic canola fields and those in transgenic canola fields. Colonies placed in the transgenic canola fields in the 2002 field experiment showed significantly higher hemolymph protein in newly emerged bees compared with those placed in nontransgenic canola field; however, this difference was not detected in the 2001 field experiment. In the semifield trial, bee larvae were artificially fed with bee-collected transgenic and nontransgenic canola pollen and returned to their original colonies. Larval survival, pupal survival, pupal weight, and hemolymph protein concentration of newly emerged adults were measured. There were no significant differences in any of the parameters measured between larvae that were fed transgenic canola pollen and those fed nontransgenic corn pollen. Results from this study suggest that transgenic canola pollen does not have adverse effects on honey bee development and that the use of transgenic canola dose not pose any threat to honey bees.
Trade-Off Between Localization and Expression Levels in Flagellar Pole Development of the Bacterium Caulobacter Crescentus

The bacterium Caulobacter crescentus is a model organism for cell cycle regulation and development. Upon division Caulobacter differentiates into two phenotypically distinct cells, a sessile stalked cell and a motile swarmer cell. Throughout the Caulobacter cell cycle, the localization of several key proteins is highly regulated. In this study, we address the importance of spatial localization in signal transduction and development using synthetic redesign of protein localization coupled with mathematical modeling. Development at the flagellar pole is controlled by the response regulator DivK, whose phosphorylation state is controlled by the histidine kinase DivJ and the phosphatase PleC. PleC localizes to the swarmer cell pole, while DivJ localizes at the stalked pole. To address the importance of localization, To address this question, we have constructed strains with a variety of PleC and DivJ localization patterns, including delocalization and mislocalization to the opposite pole. To determine whether phenotypic changes can be explained purely on the basis of altered localization, we have developed a mathematical model that suggests that flagellar pole development does not rely critically on precise localization of DivJ and PleC, and that developmental defects due to complete mislocalization of PleC can be compensated for by overexpression. Our results indicate that localization is not absolutely necessary for some cellular functions, but that localized proteins enhance the robustness of the system to fluctuations.
High-leadcount, single- and multi-metal-layer TAB: design considerations

It is suggested that high-leadcount, single- and multi-metal-layer TAB (tape automated bonding) can offer a viable, longer-term power distribution alternative. High-leadcount, single-metal-layer TAB will soon provide in excess of 1000 I/O at an inner lead bond pitch of 0.002". The overall size of the TAB package, or its outer lead bond (OLB) footprint, can be minimized by reducing a 2* fanout to zero-fanout. This shortens the line length, which improves the electrical performance characteristics of the device, provides drastic reductions in inductance, and takes up much less area. As board-mounted device speeds exceed 50 MHz, critical parameters can best be optimized by the use of multi-metal-layer TAB. The addition of a ground plane in close proximity to the signal plane also allows for reduced inductance, thus lowering simultaneous switching noise. The three-metal-layer design approach offers even lower simultaneous switching noise by further reducing inductance. Area array TAB, which uses a three-metal-layer construction, offers a more powerful interconnection solution. This approach enables design engineers to locate power and ground planes directly over the active area of the die. >
Interactions among forages and nonforage fiber sources.

Source, amount, and physical characteristics of dietary forage can interact with nonforage fiber sources and influence ruminal and total tract fiber digestion, passage, and performance of dairy cows fed diets containing substantial nonforage fiber in place of forage. Dietary NDF from forage can be reduced to ≤60% and still provide sufficient amounts of effective fiber for FCM production that is similar to or superior to that with high forage diets. Because of small particle size and high specific gravity, increased ruminal rate of passage may be responsible for lower ruminal NDF digestibility of nonforage fiber sources fed at high dietary amounts. As the amount of soybean hulls increased from 50 to 95% of a pelleted mix for dairy cows, passage rate increased by 8%. In five studies, the digestion of soybean hull diets was improved by the addition of coarse forage. Fiber digestibility might have improved because coarse hay increased ruminal retention time of nonforage fiber sources and allowed more complete digestion. Addition of coarsely chopped alfalfa hay to diets based on silage containing 25% soybean hulls increased ruminal mat consistency by 49% and tended to slow the ruminal escape rate of soybean hulls by 16%. When high percentages of nonforage fiber are fed, the amount of dietary forage is necessarily low, and forage particle size should be adequate to stimulate rumination and entrap small feed particles. The amount and particle size of forage in the diet interacts with the substituted nonforage fiber source to determine the net impact on the rate of ruminal digestion and passage of nonforage fiber.
Indirect Adaptive External Neuro-Control for a Series Capacitive Reactance Compensator Based on a Voltage Source PWM Converter in Damping Power Oscillations

A series capacitive reactance compensator (SCRC), using a voltage source converter to inject a controllable voltage in quadrature with the line current of a power network, is capable of rapidly providing a specified and controllable magnitude of capacitive reactance compensation independent of the line current. Moreover, with a suitably designed external controller, the SCRC can also be used to damp low-frequency power oscillations in a power network. Conventionally, linear control techniques are used to design the SCRC external controller around a specific operating point, where the nonlinear system equations are linearized. However, at other operating points its performance degrades. Nonlinear adaptive neuro-controllers offer an attractive approach to overcome this degradation problem. In this paper, an indirect adaptive external neuro-controller (INDAEC) using two radial basis function neural networks (RBFNNs) is proposed to improve the damping performance of an SCRC connected to a power network. This nonlinear INDAEC needs no mathematical model of the SCRC or the power network. It provides the SCRC with improved damping performance over a wide range of system operating conditions. This is shown by results on a single machine infinite bus power system, as well as a multimachine power system
Development of spatial pattern in large woody debris and debris dams in streams

The spatial distribution of large woody debris (LWD) in streams was evaluated using Neighbor K statistics, following extensive wood deposition from an ice storm in the eastern Adirondack Mountains (New York). Two years after wood deposition, we surveyed individual pieces of LWD in one stream and surveyed debris dam locations in eight streams within the ice storm area. To examine the linear pattern of debris dams within a stream, we used a one-dimensional version of Ripley's K, a second-order statistic that evaluates the spatial pattern of points within a landscape. Both aggregated and segregated (regularly spaced) distributions of wood were identified. Individual pieces of LWD were aggregated at spatial extents ranging from 0 to 40 m and were segregated at spatial extents ranging from 80 to 100 m. In two streams, we found that debris dams were segregated at distances ranging from 100 to 300 m relative to randomly chosen locations, but debris dams showed no significant spatial pattern in six other study streams. Previous studies of wood distribution in streams have not observed segregated distribution patterns. Spatial segregation of debris dams in the study area likely occurred in response to regularly spaced stream features or processes that allow movement of individual pieces of LWD toward more stable accumulation points. Neighbor K statistics can be used to identify and describe spatial pattern in large woody debris, and such patterns can be used to help evaluate and identify processes responsible for their generation.
The growth of electronic journals in libraries : Access and management issues and solutions

ABSTRACT Libraries have greatly expanded their monetary and infrastructure investments in electronic journals. In addition, libraries have dramatically expanded their e-journal holdings through consortial agreements, publisher licenses, and aggregator subscriptions. User studies show a marked increase in the use of e-journals and a growing reliance on online journals for scholarship and instruction. The increased availability and usage of electronic journals has presented libraries with critical management, bibliographic control, and access problems. This paper explores e-resource management and bibliographic control mechanisms and access solutions, and examines the evolving relationship between e-resource management systems, the online catalog, local link resolvers, and full-text e-journal repositories. To address these interoperability issues, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Library has developed several management and access tools. The Online Research Resources (ORR) combines a re...
Divining a Patient's Religious Beliefs in Treatment Termination Decision-Making

The tortured path of the Schiavo case represented the worst case-scenario that results when a family fails to agree upon the most appropriate care for a severely impaired loved one. While many treatment termination cases consider how the incompetent patient's religious beliefs may inform how the patient would have viewed her treatment, religious tenants have rarely figured so prominently in a right-to-die case. Unfortunately, most of the discussion about the Catholic Church's position in treatment termination generally, and discontinuation of medically-assisted feeding for patients in persistent vegetative states specifically, was ill-informed and confusing. This article pursues two goals: first to clarify the teachings of the Church regarding treatment termination, and, second, to explore the relevance of those teachings to the legal resolution of the Schiavo case. It concludes that because Church teaching was not itself clear while Ms. Schiavo was still competent on the question of terminating nutrition and hydration from a person in PVS, and because it was even less clear whether Ms. Schiavo understood or subscribed to Catholic teaching on the subject, that Church teaching was unhelpful in determining what Ms. Schiavo would have decided about her continued treatment, or whether continued treatment was in her best interests.
Utilizing Multifaceted Rasch Measurement Through FACETS to Evaluate Science Education Data Sets Composed of Judges, Respondents, and Rating Scale Items: An Exemplar Utilizing the Elementary Science Teaching Analysis Matrix Instrument

When collecting data, science education researchers frequently have multiple respondents evaluate multiple artifacts using multiple criteria. Herein, the authors introduce Multifaceted Rasch Measurement (MFRM) analysis and explain why MFRM must be used when “judges’” data are collected. The authors use data from elementary science methods students enrolled in a senior-level, semester-length course. Acting as judges, students used the 23-item Elementary Science Teaching Analysis Matrix (ESTAM) instrument to evaluate five separate science lessons taught by five different teachers. Our MFRM analysis documents that multiple judges need not act as identical robots. Rather, differences in judges’ severity can be computed and corrections made in an analysis to take into consideration differing judge severity. This paper extends the current literature in Science Education regarding the application of Rasch measurement.
Beliefs in an Unjust World: Mediating Ethnicity-Related Stressors and Psychological Functioning.

Objective Racism is negatively associated with health. Explorations of cognitive reactions, such as beliefs in an unjust world (BUW), are needed to understand the associations between both perceived discrimination and own-group conformity pressures (OGCPS) and reduced psychological well-being. Method With a sample of 215 ethnic minority individuals, this study used structural equation modeling to explore BUW's mediating role between the two aforementioned forms of ethnicity-related stressors (ERS), anger rumination, and negative affect. Results ERS were directly positively associated with BUW, anger rumination, and negative affect. BUW were directly and positively associated with both anger rumination and negative affect. Finally, BUW significantly mediated the direct relationships between both ethnicity-related stressors and anger rumination and negative affect. Conclusion Although addressing racism and OGCPS at a systemic level (e.g., policy, prejudice prevention) is needed to reduce ERS, these findings suggest that BUW is one point of possible clinical intervention for individuals who have experienced these stressors.
MRI-Arthroscopy Correlations in the Overhead Athlete

Overhead or throwing athletes subject the shoulder joint to repetitive high forces. These forces can result in either adaptation of the shoulder or injury to the shoulder. Repetitive microtrauma can injure either the rotator cuff or labrum. Not all damages to labrum and rotator cuff in the throwing shoulder require surgery as MRI abnormalities are present in a significant percentage of asymptomatic shoulders in throwing athletes. This chapter evaluates some common arthroscopy findings and correlates these findings with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Surgical techniques to repair superior labrum and partial rotator cuff tears in this setting are discussed.
Toward Transition Statistics Measured on a 7-Degree Hypersonic Cone for Turbulent Spot Modeling.

High-frequency pressure sensors were used in conjunction with a high-speed schlieren system to study the growth and breakdown of boundary-layer disturbances into turbulent spots on a 7 cone in the Sandia Hypersonic Wind Tunnel at Mach 5 and 8. To relate the intermittent disturbances to the average characteristics of transition on the cone, the statistical distribution of these disturbances must be known. These include the boundarylayer intermittency, burst rate, and average disturbance length. Traditional low-speed methods to characterize intermittency identify only turbulent/nonturbulent regions. However at high M , instability waves become an important part of the transitional region. Algorithms to distinguish instability waves from turbulence in both the pressure and schlieren measurements are being developed and the corresponding intermittency, burst rate, and average burst length of both regions have been provisionally computed for several cases at Mach 5 and 8. Distinguishing instability waves from turbulence gives a better description of the intermittent boundary layer at high M and will allow the fluctuations associated with boundary-layer instabilities to be incorporated into transitional models.
Reduction of Heterocyclic Nitro Compounds in the Rat Liver

SummarySQ-18,506, furazolidone, and nitrofurazone are metabolized by at least two enzyme systems in the microsomal and soluble fractions of rat liver. Under anaerobic conditions, the reduction in liver microsomes is mediated by an NADPH-dependent, carbon monoxide insensitive enzyme, presumably NADPH-cytochrome c reductase. Parallel increases in the rates of reduction of the nitrofuran compounds and cytochrome c were noted during the solubilization and partial purification of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase. In the soluble fraction, rat liver xanthine oxidase was able to reduce these compounds. Moreover, this reaction was blocked by allopurinol, an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase, and catalyzed by milk xanthine oxidase.
The Application of a Conceptual Scheme To Understand Organization Character

In this article Professor Wright presents empirical substantiation to an approach to study “organization character.” After presenting the theoretical methodology, the author proceeds by providing t...
Production of fatty livers by 4-aminopyrazolo-(3, 4-d)-pyrimidine; toxicological and pathological studies.

Summary and conclusionsThe toxic effects of 4-aminopyrazolo-(3,4-d)-pyrimidine (4-APP) have been studied in mice, rats, cats, and dogs. The agent was found to produce a fatty change in liver which was associated neither with necrosis nor with inflammation. Hepatic insufficiency was evidenced by hyperbilirubinemia, increases in one-stage prothrombin time and decreases in plasma fibrinogen. In rats fat nephrosis and depletion of hematopoietic elements in bone marrow were also seen. Hepatic insufficiency should be anticipated as a possible hazard in clinical trials with 4-APP.
Early Clinical Experience with the Transverse Colon-Gastric Tube Continent Urinary Reservoir

AbstractThe clinical results of the first 4 patients undergoing reconstruction with the transverse colon-gastric tube urinary reservoir are presented. All patients had a minimum 1-year followup. All 4 patients are continent with stable or improved renal function. Two patients required reoperation. Indications as well as possible modifications of this procedure are discussed.