cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heme and FLVCR-related transporter families SLC48 and SLC49

Heme is critical for a variety of cellular processes, but excess intracellular heme may result in oxidative stress and membrane injury. Feline leukemia virus subgroup C receptor (FLVCR1), a member of the SLC49 family of four paralogous genes, is a cell surface heme exporter, essential for erythropoiesis and systemic iron homeostasis. Disruption of FLVCR1 function blocks development of erythroid progenitors, likely due to heme toxicity. Mutations of SLC49A1 encoding FLVCR1 are noted in patients with a rare neurodegenerative disorder: posterior column ataxia with retinitis pigmentosa. FLVCR2 is highly homologous to FLVCR1 and may function as a cellular heme importer. Mutations of SLC49A2 encoding FLVCR2 are observed in Fowler syndrome, a rare proliferative vascular disorder of the brain. The functions of the remaining members of the SLC49 family, MFSD7 and DIRC2 (encoded by the SLC49A3 and SLC49A4 genes), are unknown, although the latter is implicated in hereditary renal carcinomas. SLC48A1 (heme responsive gene-1, HRG-1), the sole member of the SLC48 family, is associated with the endosome and appears to transport heme from the endosome into the cytosol.
865 NUTRITION AND POOR GROWTH IN PRE-ADOLESCENT CHILDREN WITH SICKLING DISORDERS

Of 170 sickle cell patients 2-12 years old, 22% had height and/or weight <5%ile. Growth and nutrition studies were done on 20 growth-retarded patients (GR) and 20 growth-normal patients (GN) matched for age, sex, hemoglobin disorder, and hematologic values. Selected tests were done on 10 control patients (C). Bone age was delayed in 5/16 GR and 5/12 GN. Somatomedin C (Som C) levels were below age-normals in 7/18 GR and 9/18 GN. Serum zinc levels were <70μg/dl in 32% of GR, 63% GN, and 10% C. Prealbumin levels were normal in all, suggesting that protein malnutrition was not present. Vitamin A (Vit A) levels <20μg/dl were found in 70% of GR. 47% GN, and 20% C. The mean Vit A level in C was higher than in GR (P =.004) or GN (P=.017). Retinol binding protein (RBP) was normal in all but <2.0mg/dl in 20% of GR and 5% of GN. The mean RBP was lower (P=.004) in GR than in GN; both means were significantly lower than in C. RBP and Vit A levels correlated well in C (r=.81) but poorly in sickle cell patients. Zinc, Som C, and bone age were frequently abnormal in sickle cell patients but did not correlate with growth status. Vit A and RBP were more often abnormal in GR than in GN. While zinc and Som C do not seem to cause poor growth, other nutritional factors, such as Vit A,may be important.
Aquarius/SAC-D Microwave Radiometer brightness temperature validation

The Microwave Radiometer (MWR) on-board Aquarius/SAC-D is part of a joint international science mission between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Argentine Space Agency (Comision Nacional de Actividades Espaciales, CONAE). MWR, developed by CONAE, is a three channel Dicke radiometer operating at 23.8 GHz H-Pol and 36.5 GHz V-& H-Pol. This instrument complements the prime sensor, Aquarius L-band radiometer/scatterometer, by providing simultaneous spatially collocated environmental measurements such as integrated atmospheric water vapor, ocean surface wind speed, oceanic rain rate, and sea ice concentration, which aid in retrieving accurate Sea Surface Salinity. This paper presents the post-launch brightness temperature (Tb) validation, which was conducted using the CFRSL XCAL approach for inter-satellite radiometric comparison with the US Navy's WindSat radiometer during the first 10 months of MWR on-orbit measurements.
Epidemiology of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is a form of hemorrhagic stroke that affects up to 30,000 individuals per year in the United States. The incidence of aSAH has been shown to be associated with numerous nonmodifiable (age, gender, ethnicity, family history, aneurysm location, size) and modifiable (hypertension, body mass index, tobacco and illicit drug use) risk factors. Although early repair of ruptured aneurysms and aggressive postoperative management has improved overall outcomes, it remains a devastating disease, with mortality approaching 50% and less than 60% of survivors returning to functional independence. As treatment modalities change and the percentage of minority and elderly populations increase, it is critical to maintain an up-to-date understanding of the epidemiology of SAH.
Kinetics of the gas‐phase reactions of OH radicals with alkyl nitrates at 299 ± 2 K

Relative rate constants for the gas-phase reactions of OH radicals with a series of alkyl nitrates have been determined at 299 ± 2 K, using methyl nitrite photolysis in air as a source of OH radicals. Using a rate constant for the reaction of OH radicals with cyclohexane of 7.57 × 10−12 cm3/molec·s, the rate constants obtained are (× 1012 cm3/molec·s): 2-propyl nitrate, 0.18 ± 0.05; 1-butyl nitrate, 1.42 ± 0.11; 2-butyl nitrate, 0.69 ± 0.10; 2-pentyl nitrate, 1.87 ± 0.12; 3-pentyl nitrate, 1.13 ± 0.20; 2-hexyl nitrate, 3.19 ± 0.16; 3-hexyl nitrate, 2.72 ± 0.22; 3-heptyl nitrate, 3.72 ± 0.43; and 3-octyl nitrate, 3.91 ± 0.80. These rate constants, which are the first reported for the alkyl nitrates, are significantly lower than those for the parent alkanes, and a formula, based on the numbers of the various types of CH bonds in the alkyl nitrates, is derived for rate constant estimation purposes.
The Isotopic Constitution of Uranium and the Half-Lives of the Uranium Isotopes. I

A mass spectrographic determination of the relative abundances of the uranium isotopes has been made. The following abundance ratios were found: ${\mathrm{U}}^{238}$/${\mathrm{U}}^{235}$=139\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1 percent; ${\mathrm{U}}^{238}$/${\mathrm{U}}^{234}$=17,000\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}10 percent. A search was made for other isotopes but none was found. From the above values, together with the results of the alpha-particle counting experiments of Kovarik and Adams, and the assumption that the actinium series is 4.6 percent as active as the uranium, the following decay constants are computed: ${\mathrm{U}}_{\mathrm{I}}$, 1.520\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}10}$ ${\mathrm{yr}.}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$; ${\mathrm{U}}_{\mathrm{II}}$, 2.6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$ ${\mathrm{yr}.}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$; AcU, 9.72\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}10}$ ${\mathrm{yr}.}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The corresponding half-lives are, respectively, 4.56\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{9}$ yr., 2.7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{5}$ yr. and 7.13\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{8}$ yr.
Spatial and temporal studies of a glow discharge

Abstract A demountable glow discharge tube was constructed with the objective of studying the various processes taking place in the discharge and resolving these both spatially and temporally. Argon and neon were used as fill gases. Continuous wave laser excited fluorescence was used to study the spatial distribution of sodium atoms which were sputtered off the cathode; a value for the diffusion coefficient of sodium in argon was obtained from time-resolving these experiments. From the population ratios of the various excited levels which we observed, we conclude that no single excitation temperature predominates anywhere between the electrodes under our conditions; instead, several population inversions were observed. Emission intensities of lines from atoms and ions were resolved as a function of the axial position between the electrodes. A temporal region was found where the signal-to-noise ratio for the detection of small quantities of analytes may be optimized. In addition to numerous atomic lines from the fill gas, we also detected fill gas ions as well as Fe, Fe+ and Cr when using stainless steel as a sample.
Conformational stabilities of the rat α- and β-parvalbumins

Abstract It is widely believed that β-parvalbumin (PV) isoforms are intrinsically less stable than α-parvalbumins, due to greater electrostatic repulsion and an abbreviated C-terminal helix. However, when examined by differential scanning calorimetry, the apo-form of the rat β-PV (i.e. oncomodulin) actually displays greater thermal stability than the α-PV. Whereas the melting temperature of the α isoform is 45.8°C at physiological pH and ionic strength, the Tm for the β isoform is more than 7° higher (53.6°C). This result suggests that factors besides net charge and C-terminal helix length strongly influence parvalbumin conformational stability. Extension of the F helix in the β-PV, by insertion of Ser-109, has a modest stabilizing effect, raising the Tm by 1.1°. Truncation of the α-PV F helix, by removal of Glu-108, has a more profound impact, lowering the Tm by 4.0°.
THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF A PROGRAM OF HOME VISITATION FOR PREGNANT WOMEN AND PARENTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN

This article reviews the theoretical foundations of a program of prenatal and early childhood home visitation that has been tested and refined over the past two decades while it was examined in a series of three randomized trials. It describes the role that theories of self-efficacy, human attachment, and human ecology have played in shaping the content and clinical methods of the program. The program was designed to improve: (1) the outcomes of pregnancy; (2) qualities of parental caregiving (and associated child health and developmental outcomes); and (3) maternal life-course development (helping women return to school, find work, and plan future pregnancies). Each of the theoretical perspectives provides insights into different aspects of parents' and children's lives that the visitors attempted to support in their efforts to prevent a set of interrelated health and developmental problems that compromise mothers' prenatal health, their own life-course development, and the health and development of their children. While adhering to a common core, the program content and methods evolved over each of three trials and were reflected in program protocols that increasingly were connected in more explicit ways to their theoretical foundations. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Proving correctness of regular expression accelerators

A popular technique in regular expression matching accelerators is to decompose a regular expression and communicate through instructions executed by a post-processor. We present a complete verification method that leverages the success of sequential equivalence checking (SEC) to proving correctness of the technique. The original regular expression and the system of decomposed regular expressions are modeled as net-lists and their equivalence is proved using SEC. SEC proves correct handling of 840 complex patterns from the Emerging Threats open rule set in 50 hours, eliminating altogether informal simulation and testing.
Never Mind Pearl Harbor--What about a Cyber Love Canal?

Focusing on malicious attacks on the current infrastructure might be distracting us from another looming challenge: the risk to emerging infrastructure due to carelessness.
Persistence and presentism

Etude du debat opposant la theorie de la perdurance a celle de l'endurance, d'une part, et la these presentiste a la these non-presentiste, d'autre part, concernant l'existence dans le temps. Rejetant les interpretations de N. Markosian et D. Lewis, l'A. developpe une conception de l'etre-pleinement-present qui fait place a une theorie des parties temporelles non-instantanees
Evolution of scleractinian corals inferred from molecular systematics

Scleractinian corals have a continuous fossil record from the mid-Triassic, but taxonomic difficulties have impeded an understanding of their evolution. A molecular phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA showed departures from previous hypotheses of coral evolution. Families clustered into two major groups that do not correspond to morphologically based suborders. These clades differed in their 16S ribosomal DNA sequence by 29.4 percent, which suggests evolutionary divergence before the appearance of scleractinian skeletons 240 million years ago. Together, these fossil and molecular data suggest multiple origins of the scleractinian skeleton, and the great morphological diversity of present-day scleractinians may be a reflection of these multiple origins.
A Subretinal Matrigel Rat Choroidal Neovascularization (CNV) Model and Inhibition of CNV and Associated Inflammation and Fibrosis by VEGF Trap

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible visual disability and blindness in the population over 65 years of age in North America and Europe. It affects 11% of the population between 65 and 74 years of age and 28% of the population older than 74 years.1 A more rapid and severe visual loss occurs in those with exudative, or wet, AMD in which new blood vessel invasion from the choroid results in severe retinal edema and can ultimately destroy the architecture of the retina due to hemorrhage, retinal detachment, and disciform scar formation, leading to irreversible loss of central vision. Although the pathogenesis of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in AMD is not entirely clear, it is highly associated with accumulation of abnormal extracellular deposits in the space between the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and Bruch's membrane,2–5 suggesting a role of these deposits in the development of CNV. In addition, it is believed that the deposits provide a favorable microenvironment and space for new vessels to grow and ramify, as they create a plane of least resistance.5 Supporting this notion, recent studies have shown that artificially created sub-RPE deposits are sufficient to induce the development of CNV in rodents (Wen R, et al. IOVS 2002;43:ARVO E-Abstract 1297)6 and in rabbits.7 The critical role of VEGF, the major regulator of vasculogenesis and angiogenesis,8 in CNV is now clear.9–11 VEGF immunoreactivity is found in CNV membranes removed from AMD patients.12,13 Blocking VEGF signaling by a variety of pharmacologic agents has been shown to effectively inhibit laser-induced CNV in experimental animals,14,15 and neutralization of VEGF has become standard in treating wet AMD.16–20 In the present work, we further characterized the features of the Matrigel (BD Biosciences, Franklin Lakes, NJ) model of CNV and show that it replicates several of the cardinal features of human AMD. The progressive nature of the CNV in this model offers several advantages with respect to understanding the etiology of CNV, as well as evaluating potential treatments. In addition, we confirmed that, as in the human disease, endogenous VEGF plays a critical role in the development and maintenance of CNV in the Matrigel model.
Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure Fails To Extract Oxoanion-Forming Elements That Are Extracted by Municipal Solid Waste Leachates

U.S. EPA and state regulatory agencies rely on standard extraction tests to identify wastes that have the potential to contaminate surface water or groundwater. To evaluate the predictive abilities of these extraction tests, the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP), the Waste Extraction Test (WET), and the Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure (SPLP) were compared with actual municipal solid waste leachates (MSWLs) for their ability to extract regulated elements from a variety of industrial solid wastes in short- and long-term extractions. Short-term (18 and 48 h) extractions used MSWLs from a variety of California landfills. Long-term sequential extractions (48−84 days) simulated longer term leaching, as might occur in MSW landfills. For most regulated elements, the TCLP roughly predicted the maximum concentrations extracted by the MSWLs. For regulated elements that form oxoanions (e.g., Sb, As, Mo, Se, V), however the TCLP underpredicted the levels extracted by the MSWL. None of the st...
Ultrasound therapy: A comparative study of different coupling media

Four different materials, water, oil, gel, and silicon, were considered for their relative efficiency as coupling media for ultrasonic therapy. The power loss (attenuation) as a function of distance in each medium was experimentally studied. The degree of impedance match (power reflection into the transmitter) between the medium and transducer head was also determined by measuring the standing wave ratio. The results of the study indicated that oil and water have a large degree of attenuation as well as poor impedance match with the sound head. Gel offered a smaller degree of attenuation and better impedance match. Silicon appeared to offer little attenuation but the encasing material has so much impedance mismatch with the sound head that very little power is transmitted into the silicon medium. For future automated clinical applications, the use of encased silicon such as is used for breast implant is proposed, if mismatch is reduced.
Diffuse capillary malformation with overgrowth: a clinical subtype of vascular anomalies with hypertrophy.

Background Categorization of vascular anomalies with overgrowth is evolving rapidly with the aid of massively parallel genomic sequencing; however, accurate clinical diagnosis is still essential. We identified a group of patients with an extensive, diffuse, reticulate capillary malformation (CM) and variable hypertrophy without major complications. Objective We sought to study a subset of patients with diffuse CM to better define prognosis and management. Methods Chart review identified 73 patients with diffuse CM who did not fit the criteria for known disorders with CM and/or overgrowth. Results Soft-tissue or bony overgrowth did not correlate with location, morphology, or intensity of the vascular stain. Patients required periodic follow-up to monitor for leg length discrepancy. They were found to exhibit normal neurologic development and proportionate overgrowth rather than progressive, disproportionate asymmetry or vascular complications. Limitations This retrospective review was limited to observations documented at clinic visits; these patients require long-term assessment. Further studies are necessary to accurately assess Wilms tumor risk and clinical outcomes in older adults. Conclusion We propose the term "diffuse capillary malformation with overgrowth" to designate this extensive reticular vascular staining with proportionate overgrowth. We differentiate diffuse capillary malformation with overgrowth from other disorders with CM and hypertrophy.
Cloning and characterization of mouse 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase γ3 subunit

Naturally occurring mutations in the regulatory γ-subunit of 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) can result in pronounced pathological changes that may stem from increases in muscle glycogen lev...
Allocation of partitioned data by using a neural network based approach

Secret sharing and erasure coding based approaches have been used in distributed storage systems to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability of critical information. However, these approaches introduce some access overhead since each access now needs to access multiple data sites to retrieve the original data. In this paper, we investigate allocation of data partitions in the network for data objects that are partitioned by using secret sharing schemes or erasure coding schemes. We define the problem as finding M nodes in the network to host the data partitions so that the total communication cost (the sum of the read communication cost and write communication cost in terms of communication distance) is minimized to read K partitions and update M partitions by all nodes in the network. This problem is NP-hard. We propose a self-organizing feature map (SOFM)-like algorithm and a heuristic algorithm for this problem. The numerical study shows both algorithms are effective for this problem.
Merck's perspective on the implementation of dried blood spot technology in clinical drug development - why, when and how

This paper communicates Merck’s thoughts on why, when and how to use dried blood spot (DBS) technology in a clinical setting, and provides a strategic approach, emphasizing the necessary steps, for successful clinical implementation of this microsampling technique. PK consideration based on relevant in vitro data, that is, blood-to-plasma ratio, hematocrit, plasma unbound fraction and/or blood cell partition, is suggested to be part of the decision tree on when to choose DBS as a surrogate matrix for PK analysis. A quick feasibility assessment addressing analytical challenges, including sensitivity, hematocrit impact and storage stability, needs to be evaluated before initiating DBS studies. Special attention should be paid to the clinical sample collection procedures to ensure data quality. Bridging studies are required to establish the correlation between plasma and DBS data to ensure that pooling of data from the various clinical studies can be used in population PK or PK/PD assessment. Seeking regulat...
Hapten-specific responses to the phenyltrimethyl-amino hapten.I. Evidence for idiotype-anti-idiotype interactions in delayed-type hypersensitivity in mice

The delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction to the phenyltrimethylamino (TMA) hapten in mice has been investigated. TMA-derivatized syngeneic spleen cells (TMA-SC) administered s.c. in several strains of mice consistently evoked DTH reactivity, as measured by footpad swelling after challenge with the diazonium salt of TMA. DTH could be induced by low levels of anti-idiotypic antisera (anti-Id) in lieu of antigen. The DTH reaction induced by either mode was hapten-specific, could be transferred into naive recipients by viable lymph node cells but not with serum from immune mice and was not influenced by cyclophoshamide pretreatment. Unlike TMA-SC which induced DTH in all of the strains of the mice tested, anti-Id induced DTH only in strains of the Igh-1e allotype. Positive DTH reactions were induced by anti-Id in the C57.Ige strain (H-2b, Igh-1e) but not in its allotype-congenic partner C57BL/6J (H-2b, Igh-1b). Interestingly this reaction could be suppressed if relatively high amounts of anti-Id were inoculated i.v. just prior to antigen challenge. In addition, the administration of anti-Id 1 h prior to antigen challenge in TMA-SC-sensitized mice significantly blocked the DTH reaction only in the Igh-1e strains. These results demonstrate that the induction and abrogation of TMA-specific DTH by anti-Id is linked to the IgCh locus.
Spontaneous formation of small sized albumin/acacia coacervate particles

Abstract— Microgel coacervate particles form spontaneously on mixing aqueous solutions of oppositely charged albumin and acacia, under specific conditions of pH, ionic strength, and polyion concentration, close to but not at the optimum conditions for maximum coacervate yield. The mean particle diameter of these coacervate particles is approximately 6 μm when suspended in aqueous media, as determined by HIAC/Royco particle analysis. The geometric standard deviation of the particles falls in the range 1·2–1·9 μm. The particle size was not dependent on the method of emulsification of the coacervate in the equilibrium phase, or on the stirring speed applied during the manufacturing process. The microgel particles were stable on storage, for periods up to forty-six days, without the addition of a chemical cross-linking agent, or the application of heat. Stability was measured with respect to the change in particle size of samples stored at different temperatures. The non-cross-linked microcapsules were also shown to be stable on pH change, to pH values outside the coacervation pH range. At the optimum conditions for maximum coacervate yield the albumin/acacia system formed a very viscous coacervate phase, which was unsuitable for microcapsule preparation. The Theological properties of albumin/acacia and gelatin/acacia complex coacervates optimized for maximum coacervate yield were compared. The albumin/acacia coacervate was shown to be three orders of magnitude more viscous than the gelatin/acacia system.
Depth reversals in stereoscopic displays driven by apparent size

In visual scenes, depth information is derived from a variety of monocular and binocular cues. When in conflict, a monocular cue is sometimes able to override the binocular information. We examined the accuracy of relative depth judgments in orthographic, stereoscopic displays and found that perceived relative size can override binocular disparity as a depth cue in a situation where the relative size information is itself generated from disparity information, not from retinal size difference. A size discrimination task confirmed the assumption that disparity information was perceived and used to generate apparent size differences. The tendency for the apparent size cue to override disparity information can be modulated by varying the strength of the apparent size cue. In addition, an analysis of reaction times provides supporting evidence for this novel depth reversal effect. We believe that human perception must be regarded as an important component of stereoscopic applications. Hence, if applications are to be effective and accurate, it is necessary to take into account the richness and complexity of the human visual perceptual system that interacts with them. We discuss implications of this and similar research for human performance in virtual environments, the design of visual presentations for virtual worlds, and the design of visualization tools.
Lights Out on finite graphs

Lights Out is a one-player game played on a finite graph. In the standard game the vertices can be either on or off; pressing a vertex toggles its state and that of all adjacent vertices. The goal of the game is to turn off all of the lights. We study an extension of the game in which the state of a vertex may be one of a finite number of colors. We determine which graphs in certain families (spider graphs and generalized theta graphs) are winnable for every initial coloring. We also provide a construction that gives every always-winnable tree for any prime power number of colors.
Changing the natural history of HIV disease

Our understanding of the pathogenesis of AIDS has advanced considerably since the disease was first reported 15 years ago. We now know that the primary damage inflicted by HIV-1 is mainly brought about by active virus replication. With the advent of sensitive tools for monitoring HIV replication in vivo, an individual's risk of disease progression can be assessed early in the course of the infection and the efficacy of antiviral therapies can now be determined accurately and expeditiously. When used appropriately, potent combinations of antiviral drugs seem to be able to circumvent the inherent tendency of HIV-1 to generate drug-resistant viruses, the main reason for failure of all antiviral therapies, and are significantly more effective than earlier approaches. For the first time, rational approaches to contain and perhaps eliminate HIV-1 infection can be pursued.
Regeneration with virtual copies for distributed computing systems

The authors consider the consistency control problem for replicated data in a distributed computing system (DCS) and propose a new algorithm to dynamically regenerate copies of data objects in response to node failures and network partitioning in the system. The DCS is assumed to have strict consistency constraints for data object copies. The algorithm combines the advantages of voting-based algorithms and regeneration mechanisms to maintain mutual consistency of replicated data objects in the case of node failures and network partitioning. The algorithm extends the feasibility of regeneration to DCS on wide area networks and is able to satisfy user queries as long as there is one current partition in the system. A stochastic availability analysis of the algorithm shows that it provides improved availability as compared to previously proposed dynamic voting algorithms. >
Leptospira interrogans at the Human–Wildlife Interface in Northern Botswana: A Newly Identified Public Health Threat

Summary Leptospirosis is the most widespread zoonosis in the world. In northern Botswana, humans live in close proximity to a diversity of wildlife and peridomestic rodents and may be exposed to a variety of zoonotic pathogens. Little is known regarding the occurrence and epidemiology of L. interrogans in Africa despite the recognized global importance of this zoonotic disease and the threat it poses to public health. In Botswana, banded mongooses (Mungos mungo) live in close proximity to humans across protected and unprotected landscapes and may be a useful sentinel species for assessing the occurrence of zoonotic organisms, such as L. interrogans. We utilized PCR to screen banded mongoose kidneys for leptospiral DNA and identified 41.5% prevalence of renal carriage of L. interrogans (exact binomial 95% CI 27.7–56.7%, n = 41). Renal carriage was also detected in one Selous' mongoose (Paracynictis selousi). This is the first published confirmation of carriage of L. interrogans in either species. This is also the first report of L. interrogans occurrence in northern Botswana and the only report of this organism in a wildlife host in the country. Pathogenic Leptospira are usually transmitted indirectly to humans through soil or water contaminated with infected urine. Other avenues, such as direct contact between humans and wildlife, as well as consumption of mongooses and other wildlife as bushmeat, may pose additional exposure risk and must be considered in public health management of this newly identified zoonotic disease threat. There is a critical need to characterize host species involvement and pathogen transmission dynamics, including human–wildlife interactions that may increase human exposure potential and infection risk. We recommend that public health strategy be modified to include sensitization of medical practitioners to the presence of L. interrogans in the region, the potential for human infection, and implementation of clinical screening. This study illustrates the need for increased focus on neglected zoonotic diseases as they present an important threat to public health.
Chronic foot wounds in diabetics and total contact casting

Abstract An understanding of the classification, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of diabetic foot ulcers can lead to healing of the ulcers and salvage of a foot or limb in the majority of patients.
Computing unambiguous TEC and ionospheric delays using only carrier phase data from NOAA's CORS network

A new method for computing absolute (unambiguous) levels of Total Electron Content (TEC) and subsequently the L1 and L2 phase delays of GPS is presented. Unlike previous computational methods, this one relies solely upon dual frequency, ambiguous carrier phase data without any reliance on pseudo-range, a-priori values or other external information. The only requirements for this method are that the ionosphere is assumed to lie in a two-dimensional shell of constant ellipsoidal height, and that the GPS data come from a network of ground stations, geographically separated so as to allow satellites to be viewed by a variety of stations at overlapping times. The usefulness of this method and its application toward nowcasting and forecasting of the ionosphere are also discussed.
Innovative bioremediation technologies: The DOD/AATDF contribution

The clean-up or remediation of contaminated soils, groundwaters and subsurface materials is a challenge facing many Department of Defense (DOD) facilities. A need exists for new remediation technologies that are proven, cost-effective alternatives. While many promising research ideas have emerged from the scientific community, the development and commercialisation of these ideas is hampered by the insufficiency of field data, poor technology transfer and the lack of adequate facilities to test technologies under controlled conditions. Often a field test with cost and performance data is the missing link between a research idea and technology implementation. Scarcity of quantitative field test data is one of the perceived barriers to the adoption of new methods for remediation.
Radar Measurements Utilizing FFT Spectrum Approach

Radar pulse measurements are a critical part of radar, EW (Electronic Warfare) and ELINT systems. Radar pulse measurements have historically presented many challenges for the design engineer, production test manager and field technician. The transient nature of the radar pulse combined with modern pulse compression schemes often demand elaborate test setups. With the advent of faster technology the ability to use a FFT based measurement approach greatly simplifies these measurements. Today we will review the measurement challenges and the approached used by a FFT based tool.
Thermoresistive characteristics of sintered inkjet printed gold nanoparticle microstructures

This paper presents the thermoresistive characteristics of hexanethiol encapsulated gold nanoparticles (NPs), inkjet printed onto Corning 0215 glass and sintered in air. The use of organic encapsulated metal NP precursors enables the growing field inkjet printed microsystems to build low-cost sensors and actuators on non-traditional substrates. However, this technology requires post-deposition thermal steps to sublimate organics and induce NP sintering. The resulting microstructures can have unique characteristics, giving rise to new sensing capabilities. Gold NP microstructures were patterned using inkjet printing and sintered under varied conditions. Four-point resistance measurements were performed on a hotplate to characterize the thermoresistive response of the resulting microstructures between 25oC and 150oC. Temperature coefficients of resistance (TCR) of 2000 and 2300 ppm/°C±10% have been measured for Au-NP films sintered at 175 and 225oC, respectively.
Composition evolution of nanoscale Al3Sc precipitates in an Al-Mg-Sc alloy: experiments and computations.

Abstract Controlling the distribution of chemical constituents within complex, structurally heterogeneous systems represents one of the fundamental challenges of alloy design. We demonstrate how the combination of recent developments in sophisticated experimental high resolution characterization techniques and ab initio theoretical methods provide the basis for a detailed level of understanding of the microscopic factors governing compositional distributions in metallic alloys. In a study of the partitioning of Mg in two-phase ternary Al–Sc–Mg alloys by atom-probe tomography, we identify a large Mg concentration enhancement at the coherent α-Al/Al3Sc heterophase interface with a relative Gibbsian interfacial excess of Mg with respect to Al and Sc, Γ Mg rel , equal to 1.9 ± 0.5 atom nm−2. The corresponding calculated value of Γ Mg rel is ∼1.2 atom nm−2. Theoretical ab initio investigations establish an equilibrium driving force for Mg interfacial segregation that is primarily chemical in nature and reflects the strength of the Mg–Sc interactions in an Al-rich alloy.
Internal Layer Tracing and Age&#8211;Depth Relationship From the Ice Divide Toward Jakobshavn, Greenland

Signs of long-term glaciological processes and past ice-sheet structure are preserved in the internal layer manifestations of the Greenland ice sheet. Internal layer data have been collected over a substantial portion of the Greenland ice sheet using the University of Kansas ice-sounding radar. In this letter, these layers are traced along thousands of kilometers of flight lines from the ice divide toward Jakobshavn, which is the most active glacier in Greenland. The authors determine the traced radar layers' age at the Greenland Ice Core Project (GRIP) site using the GRIP core age-depth relationship. Inasmuch as the depth varies spatially for a layer of a specific dated age, an age-depth relationship for each location along the flight lines of this letter can be found using the traced layers. Thirty-one points where flight lines cross over one another were analyzed. From the flight line crossover analysis, a 9-m maximum difference (< 1%) was found
Algebra of concurrent design

I introduce some familiar algebraic laws governing the operators of sequential and concurrent composition of designs. They can be combined with the familiar operators of propositional calculus. The resulting logic seems to apply equally to hardware design and to software design; and perhaps also to the planning of other designs and plans for behaviour that evolves in space and time.
Virtual Electrophysiological Study of Atrial Fibrillation in Fibrotic Remodeling

Research has indicated that atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation failure is related to the presence of atrial fibrosis. However it remains unclear whether this information can be successfully used in predicting the optimal ablation targets for AF termination. We aimed to provide a proof-of-concept that patient-specific virtual electrophysiological study that combines i) atrial structure and fibrosis distribution from clinical MRI and ii) modeling of atrial electrophysiology, could be used to predict: (1) how fibrosis distribution determines the locations from which paced beats degrade into AF; (2) the dynamic behavior of persistent AF rotors; and (3) the optimal ablation targets in each patient. Four MRI-based patient-specific models of fibrotic left atria were generated, ranging in fibrosis amount. Virtual electrophysiological studies were performed in these models, and where AF was inducible, the dynamics of AF were used to determine the ablation locations that render AF non-inducible. In 2 of the 4 models patient-specific models AF was induced; in these models the distance between a given pacing location and the closest fibrotic region determined whether AF was inducible from that particular location, with only the mid-range distances resulting in arrhythmia. Phase singularities of persistent rotors were found to move within restricted regions of tissue, which were independent of the pacing location from which AF was induced. Electrophysiological sensitivity analysis demonstrated that these regions changed little with variations in electrophysiological parameters. Patient-specific distribution of fibrosis was thus found to be a critical component of AF initiation and maintenance. When the restricted regions encompassing the meander of the persistent phase singularities were modeled as ablation lesions, AF could no longer be induced. The study demonstrates that a patient-specific modeling approach to identify non-invasively AF ablation targets prior to the clinical procedure is feasible.
Medical tort reform: a novel approach.

A i t c A ( d n fi o m l P m t “ y g w c edical liability tort reform has een a priority of many medical oranizations for decades. However, he past several years have shown an scalation in the number of states xperiencing crisis; thus, a new imetus for a solution is upon us. ultimillion dollar payouts for idopathic disease states, medical oncompliance, and a lack of peronal responsibility for one’s health ave led to the origin of the innoative field of defensive medicine. efensive medicine, with its associted increased utilization of medial imaging, is not sustainable and s in direct conflict with the ACR ppropriateness Criteria. The ontinued overutilization of medial imaging services as a result of efensive medicine and self-referral ill ultimately “break the bank.” his situation, with the plethora of ther problems currently plaguing edicine, could conceivably bring bout a nationalized health care sysem that is even more onerous to eal with than the Centers for edicare and Medicaid Services, MOs, and preferred provider oranizations. Medical tort reform is herefore a cornerstone to mainaining a healthy environment for adiology and preserving our paients’ futures. Amendment 3 in lorida represents one novel aproach to tort reform. This pioeering and innovative measure, long with the trial-lawyer-sponored Amendments 7 and 8, is ighlighted in this discussion. Meaningful health care tort reorm has eluded the American poplace at a national level. Many bills ave come before Congress, includng House Resolution Bill 5, the elp Efficient Accessible, Lowt
Task choice, group dynamics and learning goals: Understanding student activities in teams

In this work-in-progress research paper, we explore the task choice of students in first-year, team-based engineering design project courses, with the goal of gaining insight on how to best structure and scaffold team projects so that all students have a positive, effective experience. What factors affect student task choice? Do students select tasks that they feel the most confident about completing, or do they challenge themselves to learn new skills? Do gender or team dynamics or self-imposed roles affect how students participate? If students are asked to develop individual learning goals for the project, does that influence the activities that they engage in, and does articulating learning goals lead to a more beneficial project experience? We are using a mixed-methods approach to investigate the experiences of a small cohort of students engaged in a first-year design project, in order to better understand how students choose to undertake different tasks in team projects.
An Empirical Study of Fossil Fuel Emissions and Ocean Acidification

Detrended correlation analysis of annual fossil fuel emissions and mean annual changes in ocean CO2 concentration in the sample period 1958-2014 shows no evidence that the two series are causally related. The finding is inconsistent with the claim that fossil fuel emissions have a measurable impact on the CO2 concentration of the oceans at a lag and time scale of one year. The results are presented with the disclaimer that the CO2 data time series is discontinuous.
Algorithms for permutation statistics

Two sequences u; v of n positive integers are order isomorphic if their terms are in the same relative order. A permutation p said to contain permutation q as a pattern if there is some subsequence of p which is order isomorphic to q. This subsequence is called a copy of q. This notion of pattern containment is generalized to include adjacency restrictions as per dashed patterns. The primary permutation statistics studied in this work are written in terms of the number of copies of a given pattern or patterns. The central concern of this thesis is to compute answers to problems of the following type: Given patterns q_1, q_2, ..., q_t and nonnegative numbers k_1, k_2, ..., k_t how many permutations in Sn have k_i copies of q_i for each i?" The techniques which apply will depend on the nature of the patterns (i), as well as whether or not all k_i = 0.
Laser surface modification of medical grade alloys for reduced heating in a magnetic resonance imaging environment

Nanoscale surface modification of medical grade metallic alloys was conducted using a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser-based dopantdiffusion technique. The objective of this approach was to minimize the induction heating by reducing the absorbed radio frequency field. Such an approach is advantageous in that the dopant is diffused into the alloy and is not susceptible to detachment or spallation as would an externally applied coating, and is expected to not deteriorate the mechanical and electrical properties of the base alloy or device. Experiments were conducted using a controlled environment laser system with the ability to control laser properties (i.e., laser power, spot size, and irradiation time) and dopant characteristics (i.e., temperature, concentration, and pressure). The reflective and transmissive properties of both the doped and untreated samples were measured in a radio frequency (63.86 MHz) magnetic field using a system comprising a high power signal generator, a localized magnetic field source and sensor, and a signal analyzer. The results indicate an increase in the reflectivity of the laser-treated samples compared to untreated samples. The effect of reflectivity on the heating of the alloys is investigated through a mathematical model incorporating Maxwell’sequations and heat conduction.
Kinetics of the Reactions of H and CH3 Radicals with n-Butane: An Experimental Design Study Using Reaction Network Analysis

The oxidation of hydrocarbon fuels proceeds through the attack of small radicals such as H and CH3 on large molecules. These radicals abstract H atoms from the large molecules, which then usually proceed by β-scission to form C2H4 and C3H6. Quantifying these rates is critical to the development of chemical models for the oxidation of hydrocarbons. Study of this reaction system is confounded by the rapid dissociation of the intermediate radicals, which produces both additional H and additional CH3, making it difficult to separate the behavior of the two radical species under many conditions. In this work, we propose an experimental design algorithm, experimental design through differential information (EDDI), that we apply to measuring H and CH3 attack rates on n-butane using a single-pulse shock tube. This design algorithm is based on the method of uncertainty minimization using polynomial chaos expansions (Sheen, D. A. and Wang, H. Combust. Flame 2011, 158, 2358−2374). We generate a set of proposed measu...
Career Management based on Competency:Good Solution to Graduate Employment

There are many factors leading to the difficulty of graduate employment,in which it is critical to fail to manage career efficiently.On the basis of the competency theory of graduate career management,Three steps were included in the process,which are respectively diagnosing career,determining career object,making and implementing career plan.The competency theory was introduced into the area of graduate career management can help students to determine employment goals and to decompose employment objectives have been identified.
SAMPLE SIZES FOR INDIVIDUALLY MATCHED CASE-CONTROL STUDIES A GROUP SEQUENTIAL APPROACH

This paper proposes the use of group sequential methods to calculate sample sizes for individually matched case-control study designs. A table is presented in which the average sample size required for a group sequential (i.e., multistage) matched pair design is compared to that of the conventional matched pair fixed sample size plan for the usual constant relative risk situation. The table shows that group sequential designs are in general more efficient than fixed sample size plans. Computer simulations showed that group sequential methods yield the appropriate type I and type II error rates not only for matching on a one-to-one basis, but also more generally with multiple matched controls per case. Further simulation studies indicated that there may be only a small loss of power when the matching variable(s) is associated with the probability of exposure but not with the disease. This is shown for both the multistage and fixed sample tests.
Introduction, Clefts 1993: Past, Present, and Future

A brief review of the history, current techniques, and future trends in the treatment of cleft lip and palate is presented.