cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Learning how to be efficient property owners and accountable governments: the case of Kyrgyzstan's cities

As a result of government decentralization and property devolution from central to local governments many city governments in transition countries became the largest real property owners in urban areas. For transitional countries lacking sufficient democratic traditions efficient asset management represents a dramatic and multifaceted challenge. Kyrgyzstan happened to be among the first transitional countries where cities obtained systematic technical assistance in adapting the most advanced methodology of municipal asset management which was recently developed under the auspecies of the World Bank. Based on experience of work within five pilot cities the article summarizes factors and methods that help develop a sense of strong ownership and internalization of new asset management vision and approaches among local officials and elected members of city councils. The article presents the experience of how the government of Uzgen a city of about 40000 people in South Kyrgyztan has changed its attitudes and approach regarding management of municipal property. The article demonstrates how two key processes-improving professional aspects of municipal asset management and developing local democracy though public involvement-have been reinforced by each other. One of the main lessons from Uzgens experience is that municipal property asset management-because it deals with tangible issues-is a perfect focal point for developing local democracy and communication between a local population and its government. (authors)
A Theoretical Study of Plasma Spraying in a Hybrid Torch

A mathematical model for the analysis and design of RF, and hybrid DC/RF plasma torches for the thermal spraying of materials under conditions of high particle loading is presented. The model is based upon a numerical solution of Maxwell’s equations for the electromagnetic field, the turbulent Navier/Stokes equations for the plasma velocity field, and the thermal energy balance equation for the temperature field. The interaction between the plasma and the injected particles is calculated using the Particle Source in Cell technique. The trajectories and thermal histories of nickel particles injected into a hybrid torch are compared to those of particles injected into a conventional RF torch. It is demonstrated that hybrid torches possess some superior characteristics over conventional plasma spray systems and may constitute a viable future technology for the spraying of advanced materials.
Free trade area formation with quota protection

Abstract In this article, it is found that the formation of free trade areas (FTAs) is typically welfare enhancing when the form of protection that is avoided by the FTA is a quota. This conclusion stands in contrast to the traditional finding that FTAs have ambiguous welfare effects in tariff-ridden economies. The unambiguous welfare gains of FTAs in the presence of quotas allow the argument to be made that in liberalization-protection policymaking conflicts, the pressure for liberalization may be manifested as pressure for FTAs.
Contrast in adenine uptake by chicken and rabbit erythrocytes in vitro.

Abstract 1. 1. Relative to rabbit erythrocytes, chicken red blood cells exhibit a much greater capacity to utilize [ 3 H]adenine for nucleotide synthesis in vitro , even at 5°C and in the absence of added inorganic phosphate. 2. 2. This difference is largely due to a higher concentration of phosphoribosylpyrophosphate and greater activity of adenine phosphoribosyltransferase in the avian cells. lli]3. The capacity of avian erythrocytes for utilization of guanine and hypoxanthine is several fold less than that of adenine. 3. 4. The data are consistent with lower activity for hypoxanthine/guanine phosphoribosyltransferase than for adenine phosphoribosyltransferase in intact chicken erythrocytes. 4. 5. The results indicate that reutilization of adenine by chicken erythrocytes may be physiologically significant.
Speculation on measurements of the viscosity of shocked fluid water

Different reports of the shear viscosities of shocked water, relying on measurements of ionic drift speeds in aqueous solution, of propagation of corrugations impressed on the shock front and of the acceleration of entrained cylinders, disagree by six orders of magnitude (ranging from $$10^{-3}$$ to $$10^{3}$$ Pa-s) across overlapping ranges of shock pressure (up to 25 GPa). Measurements made at static pressures and high temperatures have proved that viscosities vary little along the Hugoniot, verifying the shock-wave results based on ionic drift speeds. Why the other two procedures yielded such different results has been a matter of speculation. Here, I show reason to believe that the trajectories of the entrained cylinders were in a region of drag in which viscosities of $$10^{-3}$$ and $$10^{0}$$ Pa-s were experimentally indistinguishable, resulting in much larger supposed viscosities than warranted by the data. It follows that the observations concerning impressed corrugations are best interpreted as resulting from dissipative processes that are distinct from the shear viscosity of the equilibrated fluid.
Alveolar development and disease

Gas exchange after birth is entirely dependent on the remarkable architecture of the alveolus, its formation and function being mediated by the interactions of numerous cell types whose precise positions and activities are controlled by a diversity of signaling and transcriptional networks. In the later stages of gestation, alveolar epithelial cells lining the peripheral lung saccules produce increasing amounts of surfactant lipids and proteins that are secreted into the airspaces at birth. The lack of lung maturation and the associated lack of pulmonary surfactant in preterm infants causes respiratory distress syndrome, a common cause of morbidity and mortality associated with premature birth. At the time of birth, surfactant homeostasis begins to be established by balanced processes involved in surfactant production, storage, secretion, recycling, and catabolism. Insights from physiology and engineering made in the 20th century enabled survival of newborn infants requiring mechanical ventilation for the first time. Thereafter, advances in biochemistry, biophysics, and molecular biology led to an understanding of the pulmonary surfactant system that made possible exogenous surfactant replacement for the treatment of preterm infants. Identification of surfactant proteins, cloning of the genes encoding them, and elucidation of their roles in the regulation of surfactant synthesis, structure, and function have provided increasing understanding of alveolar homeostasis in health and disease. This Perspective seeks to consider developmental aspects of the pulmonary surfactant system and its importance in the pathogenesis of acute and chronic lung diseases related to alveolar homeostasis.
A GIS-assisted regional screening tool to evaluate the leaching potential of volatile and non-volatile pesticides

Summary A regional screening tool—which is useful in cases where few site-specific parameters are available for complex vadose zone models—assesses the leaching potential of pollutants to groundwater over large areas. In this study, the previous pesticide leaching tool used in Hawaii was revised to account for the release of new volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the soil surface. The tool was modified to introduce expanded terms in the traditional pesticide ranking indices (i.e., retardation and attenuation factors), allowing the estimation of the leaching fraction of volatile chemicals based on recharge, soil, and chemical properties to be updated. Results showed that the previous tool significantly overestimated the mass fraction of VOCs leached through soils as the recharge rates increased above 0.001801 m/d. In contrast, the revised tool successfully delineated vulnerable areas to the selected VOCs based on two reference chemicals, a known leacher and non-leacher, which were determined in local conditions. The sensitivity analysis with the Latin-Hypercube-One-factor-At-a-Time method revealed that the new leaching tool was most sensitive to changes in the soil organic carbon sorption coefficient, fractional organic carbon content, and Henry’s law constant; and least sensitive to parameters such as the bulk density, water content at field capacity, and particle density in soils. When the revised tool was compared to the analytical (STANMOD) and numerical (HYDRUS-1D) models as a susceptibility measure, it ranked particular VOCs well (e.g., benzene, carbofuran, and toluene) that were consistent with other two models under the given conditions. Therefore, the new leaching tool can be widely used to address intrinsic groundwater vulnerability to contamination of pesticides and VOCs, along with the DRASTIC method or similar Tier 1 models such as SCI-GROW and WIN-PST.
A Learner-Centered Diabetes Management Curriculum: Reducing resident errors on an inpatient diabetes pathway

OBJECTIVE Diabetes errors, particularly insulin administration errors, can lead to complications and death in the pediatric inpatient setting. Despite a lecture-format curriculum on diabetes management at our children’s hospital, resident diabetes-related errors persisted. We hypothesized that a multifaceted, learner-centered diabetes curriculum would help reduce pathway errors. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The 8-week curricular intervention consisted of 1 ) an online tutorial addressing residents’ baseline diabetes management knowledge, 2 ) an interactive diabetes pathway discussion, 3 ) a learner-initiated diabetes question and answer session, and 4 ) a case presentation featuring embedded pathway errors for residents to recognize, resolve, and prevent. Errors in the 9 months before the intervention, as identified through an incident reporting system, were compared with those in the 10 months afterward, with errors classified as relating to insulin, communication, intravenous fluids, nutrition, and discharge delay. RESULTS Before the curricular intervention, resident errors occurred in 28 patients (19.4% of 144 diabetes admissions) over 9 months. After the intervention, resident errors occurred in 11 patients (6.6% of 166 diabetes admissions) over 10 months, representing a statistically significant ( P = 0.0007) decrease in patients with errors from before intervention to after intervention. Throughout the study, the errors were distributed into the categories as follows: insulin, 43.8%; communication, 39.6%; intravenous fluids, 14.6%; nutrition, 0%; and discharge delay, 2.1%. CONCLUSIONS An interactive learner-centered diabetes curriculum for pediatric residents can be effective in reducing inpatient diabetes errors in a tertiary children’s hospital. This educational model promoting proactive learning has implications for decreasing errors across other medical disciplines.
Considerations of Inhomogeneity Effects in Sintering

Inhomogeneous regions of powder particle size or of particle packing result in nonuniform sintering rates. This nonuniformity induces stresses which may, in turn, create microstructural defects. A method for calculating these stresses is described and some aspects of defect development are discussed.
Outlier detection in chemical data by fractal analysis

A new outlier detection technique has been created which functions effectively with non-bilinear data, a situation in which more common detection techniques have difficulty. The method involves the calculation of the data set's fractal dimension in the latent variable score space. For batch data sets a full cross-validation is used to find outliers, while process data are analyzed using a training set. If a spectrum in either case significantly changes the fractal dimension statistically, then it is identified as an outlier. The technique shows good results for surface plasmon resonance data sets and has been shown to be effective in detecting even subtle outliers. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
DIAMAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY OF PYROLYTIC GRAPHITE

The diamagnetic susceptibilities of some pyrolytic graphites deposited at 2100-2300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C have been measured at room temperature. As-deposited samples had significantly larger susceptibilities than that of well-graphitized carbons or single-crystal graphite. Heat treatment at temperatures above 2300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C caused the total susceptibility to decrease to a minimum value, then rise and level out at a value characteristic of graphite, as a function of treatment temperature. The relationship of the susceptibility behavior to the structure of the pyrolytic graphite is discussed.
Sticks and Stones

I believe that research should be refuted by research. More and more of our scarce journal space is being taken up by attacks, rebuttals, and rebuttals to the rebuttals, often ending with a whimper of recognition that the adversaries were not so very far apart to begin with, and that the only way (if possible) to resolve the disagreement is through empirical research. Communication of scientific disagreement does not require a published article. Grant proposals and manuscripts submitted to refereed journals like this one are sent out to reviewers, who provide written evaluations that are communicated to the author. Papers presented at conferences are evaluated and often criticized by discussants and members of the audience. The best strategy, I think, is direct communication between the critic and the author. Unlike the published criticism, this method allows both critic and author to reach a clear understanding of each other's position, to identify specific topics of agreement and disagreement, and perhaps even to arrive at possible resolutions through the normal give and take of scientific dialogue. The best a published criticism can do is to provide an opportunity for back-to-back monologues, surely a far less effective means of communication. I also feel that the attack-and-rebuttal format gives too much of an advantage to the critic at the expense of the original author, who, after all, is the one who put in all the hard work of carrying out the research in the first place. The critic gets to define the time line, taking as long as she or he wants to work on the critique, consulting with other like-minded scholars, and sending it off when it is ready. The author is often completely unaware that any such critique is in the works until it arrives in the mailbox with a letter from the editor graciously offering the author a chance to reply to the criticism, and asking that the reply be sent back within 3 weeks or a month. Very few of us are sitting around wondering how we are going to occupy ourselves for the next month. Students are waiting for grades or recommendations or feedback on their dissertations, committees are faced with urgent decisions, families demand attention, and we are already past the deadline on several other commitments. The author is forced to drop everything and respond immediately, or forego the opportunity to respond, leaving the readers to conclude
DNAzyme-Mediated Silencing of Ornithine Decarboxylase†

The value of reducing the activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of polyamines, is well-appreciated. Polyamines are necessary components for cell growth, and manipulation of polyamine homeostasis may be an effective strategy for the treatment of a number of disorders, including neoplastic diseases. An approach to develop an effective DNAzyme, using the 10-23 model, against ODC is described in these studies. DNAzymes able to cleave the target ODC RNA were identified in vitro and further characterized by the effect each had on ODC protein and activity levels using in vitro translated ODC RNA. ODC protein levels and activity correlated well with the RNA cleavage activity of the DNAzyme. One of the DNAzymes, DZ IV, which exhibited good activity, was optimized for use in cell culture studies. The DNAzyme hybridization arms were altered from equal length arms varying in length (8, 9, 10, or 11 nucleotides) or to unequal length arms (7/11 nucleotides), and kinetic analyses were performed to identify the most catalytically efficient configuration. DZ IV with equal arms nine nucleotides in length proved to be the most catalytically efficient. In HEK 293 cells, DZ IV was able to reduce the amount of translated ODC protein, resulting in approximately 80% reduction in ODC activity-a statistically significant enhancement over the apparent antisense effect of a catalytically inactive DNAzyme. These results indicate that this DNAzyme may be a useful tool to study the function of ODC and may have potential therapeutic uses.
Saccharin and sucrose intake in rats: Long- and short-term tests

Twenty-four- hour and 30-min intake of sucrose and saccharin solutions were compared across a range of concentrations. While quantities ingested differed, the intake functions for each substance were similar over long and short periods. However, saccharin intake was markedly lower than sucrose over 24 h, despite the absence of the satiating effects attributed to sucrose. It is suggested that qualitative taste differences rather than postingestional effects could account for differences in sucrose and saccharin preference.
Photosensitization of methyl linoleate oxidation by tryptophan in peptides.

The ability of tryptophan in peptides to photosensitize the oxidation of methyl linoleate (ML) was evaluated. Purified ML was irradiated (λ > 270 nm) alone or in the presence of a tryptophan-containing peptide in ethanol solution. Oxidation was monitored by measuring the dienc hydroperoxides formed from ML by high performance liquid chromatography. N-acetylphenylalanyltryptophan (NAPT) and N-acetyltryptophan were about 2-fold more effective as photosensitizers than leucyltryptophan and tryptophylleucine. N-acetylphenylalanyltryptophan photolyzed in ethanol to form multiple photoproducts including N-formylkynurenine-type compounds. However, the NAPT photoproducts did not photosensitize the oxidation of ML and N-formylkynurenine was about 8% as effective as NAPT. Sodium azide partially quenched the photooxidation sensitized by NAPT.
Prognostic assessment of nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma: A clinically based model

Abstract Objectives. Determining the recurrence risk in patients treated for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is important for providing prognostic information and planning potential surveillance strategies. The pathologic stage has been the most widely used single prognostic variable. However, with minimally invasive treatment modalities, the pathologic stage may not be readily available. We developed a biostatistical prognostic model for postoperative RCC that is independent of the pathologic stage. Methods. The records of 296 patients who underwent open nephrectomy for RCC at Johns Hopkins Hospital between 1990 and 1999 were reviewed. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to generate a prognostic model. Results. The recurrence risk (R rec ) was determined from this model: R rec =1.55× presentation (0-1)+0.19× clinical size ( in centimeters ). Using this equation, 79% of patients were identified as low risk compared with 45% of patients considered low risk by pathologic stage (pT1). Moreover, the separation between the high and low-risk survival curves increased. Conclusions. This model is the first to our knowledge that uses purely clinical variables to assess the postoperative prognosis in patients with RCC. These results, although not validated, provide substantial evidence that preoperative clinical variables may be used instead of the pathologic stage to determine the risk of recurrence. Uncoupling the reliance on pathologic stage for prognostic information removes a potential barrier to novel minimally invasive treatments for renal malignancy and provides a standard to which observation protocols can be compared. In the future, this model may facilitate selection of appropriate patients for less toxic adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapies.
APL functions for interactive data analysis: Preparation of data files

APL functions to support preparation of data files are presented: a function to manage the entry of raw data, functions to display the entered data in formats convenient for checking, a function to support correction of errors, a function to organize the data into tables and file them, and a user interface function that provides menu selection of the data preparation functions. General-purpose support functions to assist in file use and in menu selection are also provided.
Regional modulations in tegumental glucose transporter kinetics in the rat tapeworm.

Abstract Comparisons of glucose transporter kinetics in 8-day (Km = 0.34 mM, Vmax = 14 nmole · min−1 · g−1), 10-day (Km = 0.46 mM, Vmax = 18 nmole · min−1 · g−1), the first quartile of 17-day (Km = 0.51 mM, Vmax = 21 nmole · min−1 · g−1), and the first quartile of 32-day (Km = 0.33 mM, Vmax = 39 nmole · min−1 · g−1) rat tapeworms (Hymenolepis diminuta) suggest maximal velocities may vary with age. A gradient in glucose transporter density is suggested in the rat tapeworm by changes in the estimated transporter Vmax in the first through fourth quartiles. Alterations in the physiological efficiency (as indicated by the V max K m ratio) and permeability (indicated by the unsaturated permeability-area product) of the glucose transporter were determined to be significantly greater in the first quartile than in other quartiles of 17-day hymenolepids. A similar trend was apparent in older (32-day) worms. In tapeworms maintained for 30 min in glucose-free medium, maximal velocities were highest in the anterior (first) quartile, and reductions were seen in successive second, third, and fourth quartiles. When worms were maintained in a medium containing 11 mM glucose, maximal velocities were about twofold greater, but the Vmax increased in each successive quartile. The apparent half-saturation constants, which indicate that concentration of external glucose at which half of the glucose transporter proteins are occupied, are reduced approximately 50% in tapeworms maintained in glucose-free medium. These studies demonstrate that regional differences exist in the glucose transporter of the rat tapeworm, analogous to the intestinal glucose gradient. Furthermore, substrate-induced modulations in the transporter may also exhibit independent regional variability.
Orientation of Undergraduates Toward Careers in the Computer and Information Sciences: Gender, Self-Efficacy and Social Support

Researchers have been working to understand the factors that may be contributing to low rates of participation by women and other minorities in the computer and information sciences (CIS). We describe a multivariate investigation of male and female university students’ orientation to CIS careers. We focus on the roles of self-efficacy and peer-based social support as social-cognitive variables in the students’ learning process. We explore these variables and their impact on career orientation through a set of overlapping regression models. In general, we find that strong social support and high self-efficacy are associated with strong orientation toward careers in CIS careers. However the influences of perceived self-efficacy and social support appear to differ for men and women: while low self-efficacy is tied to less social support for males, we see no similar tendency for females. In fact many females who report themselves as low in self-efficacy consider themselves to have high social support among their peers. We discuss the implications of our findings for programs aimed at outreach to both males and females regarding CIS education and careers.
Cystatin C, Albuminuria, and Mortality Among Older Adults With Diabetes

OBJECTIVE Albuminuria and impaired glomerular filtration rate (GFR) are each associated with poor health outcomes among individuals with diabetes. Joint associations of albuminuria and impaired GFR with mortality have not been comprehensively evaluated in this population. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This is a cohort study among Cardiovascular Health Study participants with diabetes, mean age 78 years. GFR was estimated using serum cystatin C and serum creatinine. Albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) was measured in single-voided urine samples. RESULTS Of 691 participants, 378 died over 10 years of follow-up. Cystatin C–estimated GFR <60 ml/min per 1.73 m2, creatinine-based estimated GFR <60 ml/min per 1.73 m2, and urine ACR ≥30 mg/g were each associated with increased mortality risk with hazard ratios of 1.73 (95% CI 1.37–2.18), 1.54 (1.21–1.97), and 1.73 (1.39–2.17), respectively, adjusting for age, sex, race, diabetes duration, hypoglycemic medications, hypertension, BMI, smoking, cholesterol, lipid-lowering medications, prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD), and prevalent heart failure. Cystatin C–estimated GFR and urine ACR were additive in terms of mortality risk. Cystatin C–estimated GFR predicted mortality more strongly than creatinine-based estimated GFR. CONCLUSIONS Albuminuria and impaired GFR were independent, additive risk factors for mortality among older adults with diabetes. These findings support current recommendations to regularly assess both albuminuria and GFR in the clinical care of patients with diabetes; a focus on interventions to prevent or treat CVD in the presence of albuminuria, impaired GFR, or both; and further consideration of cystatin C use in clinical care.
Molecular sequence accuracy and the analysis of protein coding regions

Molecular sequences, like all experimental data, have finite error rates. The impact of errors on the information content of molecular sequence data is dependent on the analytic paradigm used to interpret the data. We studied the impact of nucleic acid sequence errors on the ability to align predicted amino acid sequences with the sequences of related proteins. We found that with a simultaneous translation and alignment algorithm, identification of sequence homologies is resilient to the introduction of random errors. Proteins with greater than 30% sequence identity can be reliably recognized even in the presence of 1% frameshifting (insertion or deletion) error rates and 5% base substitution rates. Incorporation of prior knowledge about the location and characteristics of errors improves tolerance to error of amino acid sequence alignments. Similarly, inclusion of prior knowledge of biased codon utilization by yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) allows reliable detection of correct reading frames in yeast sequences even in the presence of 5% substitution and 1% frameshift errors.
A NOTE ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NYSTAGMUS DURATION AND THYROID CONDITION

For many years the duration of post-rotation nystagmus was regarded by clinical otologists as a highly reliable index of the functional integrity and general sensitivity of the so-called vestibular apparatus of the inner ear. However, it has been found that nystagmus time varies so greatly from individual to individual and in a given individual from time to time that such measurements are likely to be very deceptive (8). As early as 1914 Guttich (7) called attention to the fluctuation in the nystagmus time of the same individual on different occasions, and ascribed a prominent share in the causation of this fluctuation to changes in the emotional state of the subject. More recently Detlefsen (4), Boenninghaus (2), Fenton (6), and others have discussed the variability of nystagmus duration and have likewise emphasized the apparent influence of emotion and excitement. Other writers (3) have noted a correlation between nystagmus duration and certain abnormal mental conditions; but nowhere, apparently, has th...
The long‐term prognosis in untreated cerebral aneurysms: I. The incidence of late hemorrhage in cerebral aneurysm: A 10‐year evaluation of 364 patients

Three hundred sixty-four patients who suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage from an aneurysm in either the posterior communicating or anterior communicating artery and who were not surgically treated have been followed for up to 21 years in order to determine the frequency of subsequent hemorrhage. For patients surviving six months: (1) rebleeding occurs on the average of 3.5% per year during the first decade; (2) the mortality associated with a late rebleed is 67%; (3) high blood pressure and female sex predispose to late rebleeding in posterior communicating artery aneurysms; (4) young patients take longer to rebleed than older patients but do so at the same rate; and (5) increase in aneurysm size as judged by routine arteriography six months after the initial hemorrhage did not correlate with rebleeding, although an increase in size had occurred in all patients who were studied angiographically at the time of their late rebleed.
Classification of solution cleavage in pelagic limestones

Spaced cleavage formed by rock dissolution can represent major amounts of shortening parallel to bedding; much so-called fracture cleavage is of this origin. We classify the solution cleavage developed in Mesozoic pelagic limestones of the Umbrian Apennines into four intensity types ( weak, moderate, strong, very strong ) on the basis of qualitative attributes and mean spacing of cleavage surfaces. Shortening can be determined from imbricated chert beds and reaches 50% in rocks with very strong cleavage. In the Umbrian Apennines, solution cleavage is commonly associated with detachment thrusts. We describe an example in which the dissolution mechanism “damaged” the rock beneath a thrust by creating closely spaced discontinuities; fragments bounded by these discontinuities were torn up and incorporated in a nearly chaotic shear zone as the thrust sheet moved forward.
Degradation of 3-Phenoxybenzoic Acid in Soil by Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes POB310(pPOB) and Two Modified Pseudomonas Strains

Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes POB310(pPOB) and Pseudomonas sp. strains B13-D5(pD30.9) and B13-ST1(pPOB) were introduced into soil microcosms containing 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-POB) in order to evaluate and compare bacterial survival, degradation of 3-POB, and transfer of plasmids to a recipient bacterium. Strain POB310 was isolated for its ability to use 3-POB as a growth substrate; degradation is initiated by POB-dioxygenase, an enzyme encoded on pPOB. Strain B13-D5 contains pD30.9, a cloning vector harboring the genes encoding POB-dioxygenase; strain B13-ST1 contains pPOB. Degradation of 3-POB in soil by strain POB310 was incomplete, and bacterial densities decreased even under the most favorable conditions (100 ppm of 3-POB, supplementation with P and N, and soil water-holding capacity of 90%). Strains B13-D5 and B13-ST1 degraded 3-POB (10 to 100 ppm) to concentrations of <50 ppb with concomitant increases in density from 10(6) to 10(8) CFU/g (dry weight) of soil. Thus, in contrast to strain POB310, the modified strains had the following two features that are important for in situ bioremediation: survival in soil and growth concurrent with removal of an environmental contaminant. Strains B13-D5 and B13-ST1 also completely degraded 3-POB when the inoculum was only 30 CFU/g (dry weight) of soil. This suggests that in situ bioremediation may be effected, in some cases, with low densities of introduced bacteria. In pure culture, transfer of pPOB from strains POB310 and B13-ST1 to Pseudomonas sp. strain B13 occurred at frequencies of 5 x 10(-7) and 10(-1) transconjugant per donor, respectively. Transfer of pPOB from strain B13-ST1 to strain B13 was observed in autoclaved soil but not in nonautoclaved soil; formation of transconjugant bacteria was more rapid in soil containing clay and organic matter than in sandy soil. Transfer of pPOB from strain POB310 to strain B13 in soil was never observed.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of cholecystectomy during Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for morbid obesity

Background Controversy exists regarding the use of concurrent cholecystectomy during Roux-en-Y gastric bypass performed for morbid obesity. Methods A decision model was developed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of current strategies: routine concurrent cholecystectomy, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass alone with or without postoperative ursodiol therapy, and selective cholecystectomy based on preoperative findings on ultrasonography. Probabilities were obtained from a comprehensive literature review. Costs and hospital days were obtained from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample. One-way sensitivity analyses were performed. Results The least expensive strategy was to perform RYGB alone without preoperative ultrasonography, with an average cost (over RYGB costs) of $537 per patient. RYGB with concurrent cholecystectomy had a cost of $631. Selective cholecystectomy based on preoperative ultrasonography was dominated by the other 2 strategies. Our model was most sensitive to the probability of developing gallbladder-related symptoms after RYGB alone. When the incidence of gallbladder-related symptoms was 6.9%, performing concurrent cholecystectomy at the time of the RYGB was superior to other strategies. When ursodiol was used, the least expensive strategy was to perform a concurrent cholecystectomy during RYGB. Conclusion The main factor determining the most cost-effective strategy is the incidence of gallbladder-related symptoms after RYGB. The use of ursodiol was associated with an increase in cost that does not justify its use after RYGB. Finally, selective cholecystectomy based on preoperative ultrasonography was dominated by the other strategies in the scenarios evaluated.
A fuzzy-tuned adaptive Kalman filter

In this paper, fuzzy processing is applied to the adaptive Kalman filter. The filter gain coefficients are adapted over a 50 dB range of unknown signal/noise dynamics, using fuzzy membership functions. Specific simulation results are shown for a dynamic system model which has position-velocity states, as in vehicle tracking applications such as the global positioning system (GPS). The filter is single-input single-output, driven by measurements of position, corrupted by additive (Gaussian) noise. The fuzzy adaptation technique is also applicable to multiple-input multiple-output applications for the cases where the states are higher-order moments of motion. The fuzzy processing is driven by an inaccurate online estimate of signal-to-noise ratio for the signal being tracked. A robust Bayes scheme calculates the filter gain coefficients from the signal-to-noise estimate. In our implementation, the inaccurate signal-to-noise estimate is corrected by the use of fuzzy membership functions. Performance comparisons are given between optimum, fuzzy-tuned adaptive, and fixed-gain Kalman filters for the second-order position-velocity model. >
Human Myometrial Gene Expression Before and During Parturition

Identification of temporal and spatial changes in myometrial gene expression during parturition may further the understanding of the coordinated regulation of myometrial contractions during parturition. The objective of this study was to compare the gene expression profiles of human fundal myometrium from pregnant women before and after the onset of labor using a functional genomics approach, and to further characterize the spatial and temporal expression patterns of three genes believed to be important in parturition. Fundal myometrial mRNA was isolated from five women in labor and five women not in labor, and analyzed using human UniGEM-V microarrays with 9182 cDNA elements. Real-time polymerase chain reaction using myometrial RNA from pregnant women in labor or not in labor was used to examine mRNA levels for three of the genes; namely, prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), calgranulin B (S100A9), and oxytocin receptor (OXTR). The spatial expression pattern of these genes throughout the pregnant uterus before and after labor was also determined. Immunolocalization of cyclooxygenase-2 (also known as PTGS2) and S100A9 within the uterine cervix and myometrium were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Few genes were differentially expressed in fundal myometrial tissues at term with the onset of labor. However, there appears to be a subset of genes important in the parturition cascade. The cellular properties of S100A9, its spatial localization, and dramatic increase in cervix and myometrium of women in labor suggest that this protein may be very important in the initiation or propagation of human labor.
Another look at rejection sampling through importance sampling

Abstract We show that rejection sampling is inferior to the importance sampling algorithm in terms of the χ 2 distance between the proposal distribution and the target distribution. Similar conclusions are drawn for comparing rejection control with importance sampling.
Generating plausible individual agent movements from spatio-temporal occupancy data

We introduce the Spatio-Temporal Agent Motion Model, a data-driven representation of the behavior and motion of individuals within a space over the course of a day. We explore different representations for this model, incorporating different modes of individual behavior, and describe how crowd simulations can use this model as source material for dynamic and realistic behaviors.
Takotsubo syndrome and polymorphic ventricular tachycardia: The chicken or the egg

To the Editor, I read with great interest the study by Hojo et al. [1], published in the Journal, about a 74-year-old woman with bouts of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (PVT) in the setting of Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) who was found to be hypokalemic and had prominent T-wave and J-wave electrical alternans, and mechanical alternans. The following are some thoughts and questions for the authors’ kind consideration: (1) It is conceivable that TTS came first, as the authors propose, followed by J-wave and T-wave alternans, and QTc interval prolongation, which led to PVT, with perhaps some further facilitation caused by the underlying hypokalemia. However, it is also possible that the patient had bouts of PVT precipitated by the underlying hypokalemia (although later hypokalemia was not associated with electrocardiographic repolarization changes), J-wave and T-wave alternans, and QTc interval prolongation, which in turn led to the physical stress that triggered the TTS. (2) Why did the patient’s hypokalemia take 56 h to control? Was there any reason that larger potassium infusions, of course under close potassium blood level monitoring, were not implemented? (3) The mechanical alternans could have been a phenomenon previously encountered in association with T-wave alternans and in the absence of heart failure, or could have been an epiphenomenon of the precipitated left ventricular failure due to TTS. (4) Although this patient’s hypokalemia was attributed to the hydrocortisone “she had taken for pituitary adrenal insufficiency after surgery for a pituitary tumor” [1], it is conceivable that hypokalemia was also further aggravated by the underlying circulating catecholamines (particularly epinephrine), and thus poorly responded to the potassium infusion. Both, TTS [2] and hypokalemia [3], [4] have been shown to be mediated by specific β2-adrenoreceptor stimulation.
Eigenvalues of Random Power law Graphs

Many graphs arising in various information networks exhibit the "power law" behavior — the number of vertices of degree k is proportional to k −β for some positive β. We show that if β > 2.5, the largest eigenvalue of a random power law graph is almost surely (1+ o(1)) √ m where m is the maximum degree. Moreover, the k largest eigenvalues of a random power law graph with exponent β have power law distribution with exponent 2β − 1 if the maximum degree is sufficiently large, where k is a function depending on β, m and d, the average degree. When 2< β < 2.5, the largest eigenvalue is heavily concentrated at cm 3−β for some constant c depending on β and the average degree. This result follows from a more general theorem which shows that the largest eigenvalue of a random graph with a given expected degree sequence is determined by m, the maximum degree, and ˜ d, the weighted average of the squares of the expected degrees. We show that the k-th largest eigenvalue is almost surely (1+ o(1)) √ m k where mk is the k-th largest expected degree provided mk is large enough. These results have implications on the usage of spectral techniques in many areas related to pattern detection and information retrieval.
Sensitivity and Specificity of Obesity Diagnosis in Pediatric Ambulatory Care in the United States

Objective. We examined the sensitivity and specificity of an obesity diagnosis in a nationally representative sample of pediatric outpatient visits. Methods. We used the 2005 to 2009 National Ambulatory Medical Care and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care surveys. We included visits with children 2 to 18 years, yielding a sample of 48 145 database visits. We determined 3 methods of identifying obesity: documented body mass index (BMI) ≥95th percentile; International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code; and positive answer to the question, “Does the patient now have obesity?” Using BMI as the gold standard, we calculated the sensitivity and specificity of a clinical obesity diagnosis. Results. Among the 19.5% of children who were obese by BMI, 7.0% had an ICD-9 code and 15.2% had a positive response to questioning. The sensitivity of an obesity diagnosis was 15.4%, and the specificity was 99.2%. Conclusions. The sensitivity of the obesity diagnosis in pediatric ambulatory visits i...
Vitamin E Trafficking in Neurologic Health and Disease

Vitamin E was identified almost a century ago as a botanical compound necessary for rodent reproduction. Decades of research since then established that of all members of the vitamin E family, α-tocopherol is selectively enriched in human tissues, and it is essential for human health. The major function of α-tocopherol is thought to be that of a lipid-soluble antioxidant that prevents oxidative damage to biological components. As such, α-tocopherol is necessary for numerous physiological processes such as permeability of lipid bilayers, cell adhesion, and gene expression. Inadequate levels of α-tocopherol interfere with cellular function and precipitate diseases, notably ones that affect the central nervous system. The extreme hydrophobicity of α-tocopherol poses a serious thermodynamic barrier for proper distribution of the vitamin to target tissues and cells. Although transport of the vitamin shares some steps with that of other lipids, selected tissues evolved dedicated transport mechanisms involving the α-tocopherol transfer protein (αTTP). The critical roles of this protein and its ligand are underscored by the debilitating pathologies that characterize human carriers of mutations in the TTPA gene.
Implicit Stereotypes, Gender Identification, and Math-Related Outcomes A Prospective Study of Female College Students

This study examined the effects of gender identification and implicit and explicit gender stereotyping among undergraduate women enrolled in college-level calculus courses. Women's gender identification and gender stereotyping regarding math aptitude were assessed after the course's first midterm exam. Implicit, but not explicit, stereotyping interacted with gender identification to affect women's performance on their final exams and their desire to pursue math-related careers. Women who showed low gender identification and low implicit gender stereotyping performed best on the final exam, and women with high scores on both factors were the least inclined to pursue math-based careers. Implications for the underrepresentation of women in math and the hard sciences are discussed.
Hardware Infection with Corynebacterium spp.: a Case Report and Review of the Literature

There are over 120 species in the genus Corynebacterium, many of which are generally non-pathogenic. Isolates are frequently recovered from human clinical specimens, but because Corynebacterium spp. are known to be colonizers of human skin and mucosal surfaces, they are often not identified to the species level due to limitations in identification methods and lack of consensus concerning their clinical relevance. In this article, we present a case report demonstrating the difficulty and importance of distinguishing different strains of Corynebacterium isolated from a patient with a post-operative spine infection and review the current literature. This case illustrates not only the role of molecular diagnostics in determining the etiology of infection, but also the diagnostic subtleties that remain for the clinical microbiologist and infectious disease practitioner regarding the genus Corynebacterium.
CDMA with power control and sequence design: the capacity region with and without multidimensional signaling

We consider the symbol-synchronous code-division multiple-access (CDMA) channel in which every user is assigned a rate at which arbitrarily reliable transmission in the Shannon sense is to be guaranteed. For an overloaded system in which the number of active users exceeds the available processing gain, we optimally design the users' signature sequences and a power-control policy to minimize the required sum-power (i.e., sum of the users' powers) while meeting the rate-tuple constraint with a (joint) maximum-likelihood receiver. This result is extended to find the power-constrained capacity region of the system; this is the set of all achievable rate-tuples over all signature sequences and power-control policies whose sum-power is constrained. Furthermore, it is shown that this capacity region may be substantially and maximally expanded in those regions where there are oversized users whose rate requirements are relatively large compared to those of the other users; this is accomplished by allowing for the flexibility of multidimensional signaling in the sense of a user simultaneously transmitting several different scalar symbols, each modulated by its own signature sequence. From the viewpoint of resource efficiency, this means that a multicarrier approach is essential in systems that support multiple classes of users. Finally, we also address the dual problem of determining the region of valid power-control policies subject to a sum-capacity constraint on the system.
Tonology of the Babanki Noun

In the present paper and abstract analysis is proposed to account for a number of intricate tonal alternations found in Babanki, a Grassfields Bantu language of the Ring (Nkom) subgroup spoken in Cameroon. This analysis, which makes heavy use of floating tones in underlying forms differing markedly from their surface realizations, as well as postulating ten ordered tone rules, essentially recapitulates the tonal history of the language.
VisMap: Exploratory Visualization Support for Introductory Data Science and Visualization

We present VisMap, a Web-based software tool that supports student exploration of possible data visualizations during a typical process of data science practice. Specifically, we detail visualization approaches within three major kinds of data analysis (part-to-whole and rank, correlation, and geospatial) and discuss how VisMap allows students to visually explore visualization options that correspond to the kind of analysis. The discussion is rooted in our experiences developing an introductory undergraduate course in data science and in our classroom observations of the limitations of existing software tools. These limitations include inefficiency of visualization comparison, difficulty in manipulating data to achieve visualization goals, and current challenges novices face when using professional tools simultaneous with learning about visualization. We finally offer a variety of future paths to further evaluate and refine VisMap.