cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Semi-Blind Signal Recovery in Impulsive Noise with L1-Norm PCA

The time-varying nature of the underwater acoustic channel typically requires the use of frequent channel re-training and tracking at the receiver, which increases communication over-head due to pilot signaling and reduces overall system spectral efficiency. At the same time, underwater acoustic communication links are subject to both man-made and natural noise sources that may exhibit impulsive characteristics. We investigate the performance of blind signal recovery based on L2-norm principal-component analysis (PCA) and propose a new receiver design based on Ll-norm PCA. We evaluate the performance of both blind and pilot-based signal recovery mechanisms in terms of bit-error rate (BER) under simulated underwater acoustic channels and impulsive noise conditions due to snapping shrimp.
Evaluating intermuscular Golgi tendon organ feedback with twitch contractions.

Key points Golgi tendon organ feedback has been evaluated most frequently using electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves, which is not a physiological or selective stimulus for Golgi tendon organs. Golgi tendon organs are most responsive to active muscle contractions. This study provides evidence that muscle stimulation evoked twitches - a physiological stimulus for Golgi tendon organs - induces intermuscular effects most likely due to mechanical activation of Golgi tendon organ feedback and not direct activation of sensory axons. The results demonstrate that twitch contractions are a feasible non-invasive approach that can be used to advance understanding of the functional role of Golgi tendon organ feedback. Abstract Force feedback from Golgi tendon organs (GTOs) has widespread intermuscular projections mediated by interneurons that share inputs from muscle spindles, among others. Because current methods to study GTO circuitry (nerve stimulation or muscle stretch) also activate muscle spindle afferents, the selective role of GTOs remains uncertain. Here, we tested the hypothesis that intramuscular stimulation evoked twitch contractions could be used to naturally bias activation of GTOs and thus evaluate their intermuscular effects in decerebrate cats. This was achieved by comparing the effects of twitch contractions and stretches as donor inputs onto the motor output of recipient muscles. Donor-recipient pairs evaluated included those already known in the cat to receive donor excitatory muscle spindle feedback only, inhibitory GTO feedback only, and both excitatory spindle and inhibitory GTO effects. Muscle stretch, but not twitch contractions, evoked excitation onto recipient muscles with muscle spindle afferent inputs only. Both donor muscle stretch and twitch contractions inhibited a recipient muscle with GTO projections only. In a recipient muscle that receives both muscle spindle and GTO projections, donor muscle stretch evoked both excitatory and inhibitory effects, whereas twitch contractions evoked inhibitory effects only. These data support the hypothesis that muscle stimulation evoked contractions can induce intermuscular effects most consistent with mechanical GTO receptor activation and not direct activation of sensory axons. We propose this approach can be used to evaluate GTO circuitry more selectively than muscle stretch or nerve stimulation and can be adapted to study GTO feedback non-invasively in freely moving cats and humans.
The Probability of Liner Failure in a Mark-I Containment, Part II: Melt Release and Spreading Phenomena

This is the second part of a three-part series of papers addressing the probability of liner failure in a Mark-I containment. The purpose is to quantify melt release and spreading phenomena in a form suitable for use in the probabilistic framework as discussed in the first part of this series. The quantification of melt release parameters (quantity, superheat, and zirconium content) is derived from an assessment of available system code results and certain independent auxiliary considerations of the physics of the meltdown and slumping processes in the relevant geometries. The quantification of melt spreading phenomena is based primarily on simulant scaled experiments run specifically for this purpose; however, auxiliary considerations of the physics of operative cooling and quenching mechanisms also play a significant role in this assessment.
Low Temperature Ag-Ag Direct Bonding Technology for Advanced Chip-Package Interconnection

Nowadays, with increasing integration density on very large scale integrated-circuits (VLSI), the pitch between joints and the joint size within the package of advanced device have been scaled down to sub-100 μm. As a result, traditional method which employs solder joint would induce more reliability and yield issues. Direct metal to metal bonding (Cu-Cu and Au-Au) have been proposed as alternative methods. However, high temperature, high bonding pressure, excellent surface finish and high vacuum are required during direct bonding, which restricts their wide acceptance by the industry. In this manuscript, a method to achieve direct Ag-Ag bonding at low temperature (210 °C) with low bonding pressure (1.38 MPa) is proposed by in-situ self-reduction of surface oxides. The temperature is lower than the reflow temperature of lead-free solder (250 °C) and the pressure is much lower than the pressure required in thermal-compression process. The preparation and characterization of surface oxides have been elaborated. During bonding, the in-situ generated Ag "wets" the surfaces and enhanced the surface diffusion, which enables the bonding of materials at atomic scale and merging of grains from two sides. The requirement for surface roughness is much lower that direct Cu-Cu bonding reported in literatures. The quality of the joint is studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the results show that two Ag films join together to form one piece "bulk-like" polycrystalline materials without any trace of the original interface. We believe that this technique will be promising in flip chip bonding for advanced VLSI packages. In addition, this bonding technique is valuable to die attachment for high power devices as it provides the minimum heat resistance between chip and substrate.
A Quality Improvement Project Focused on Improving First Dose Antibiotic Timeliness for Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Patients with Severe Sepsis.

Recommended time to start administration of first dose antibiotics for sepsis patients is 60 minutes from time 0. Institution-specific data revealed that only one-quarter of severe sepsis patients were meeting this goal when measured from the time of provider order entry. Reliance on a pneumatic tube system for first-dose antibiotic delivery was deemed largely responsible for this finding. This project aimed to increase the percentage of pediatric intensive care unit patients with severe sepsis receiving first dose antibiotics within 60 minutes of provider order entry to ≥50%. Methods Baseline data were collected from May to June 2018 and resulted in the development of a new "antibiotic champion" process, which we piloted for 1 week in early August 2018. The primary outcome measure was the cumulative percentage of patients meeting the 60-minute goal as measured from provider order entry to start of antibiotic administration. A key secondary endpoint was the median time in minutes from provider order entry to antibiotic administration. Results We included 14 patients in baseline data analysis and 16 patients in the pilot. The overall percentage of patients receiving antibiotics within 60 minutes of order entry increased from 29% to 75% (P-value: 0.026). The median time from provider order entry to antibiotic administration decreased by 36.5 minutes [baseline: 84.5 (range 58.8-117) versus pilot 48 (range 32-65), P-value: 0.0017]. Conclusion The antibiotic champion process significantly increased the total percentage of severe sepsis patients meeting the 60-minute goal and decreased the median time to first-dose antibiotic administration for pediatric intensive care unit patients.
Mapping mammography in Arkansas: Locating areas with poor spatial access to breast cancer screening using optimization models and geographic information systems.

Introduction: Arkansans have some of the worst breast cancer mortality to incidence ratios in the United States (5th for Blacks, 4th for Whites, 7th overall). Screening mammography allows for early detection and significant reductions in mortality, yet not all women have access to these life-saving services. Utilization in Arkansas is well below the national average, and the number of FDA-approved screening facilities has decreased by 38% since 2001. Spatial accessibility plays an important role in whether women receive screenings. Methods: We use constrained optimization models within a geographic information system (GIS) to probabilistically allocate women to nearby screening facilities, accounting for facility capacity and patient travel time. We examine accessibility results by rurality derived from rural–urban commuting area (RUCA) codes. Results: Under most models, screening capacity is insufficient to meet theoretical demand given travel constraints. Approximately 80% of Arkansan women live within 30 minutes of a screening facility, most of which are located in urban and suburban areas. The majority of unallocated demand was in Small towns and Rural areas. Conclusions: Geographic disparities in screening mammography accessibility exist across Arkansas, but women living in Rural areas have particularly poor spatial access. Mobile mammography clinics can remove patient travel time constraints to help meet rural demand. More broadly, optimization models and GIS can be applied to many studies of healthcare accessibility in rural populations.
BRAIN MR SPECTROSCOPIC FINDINGS IN THREE CONSECUTIVE COVID-19 PATIENTS: PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

Brain magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) was performed in three consecutive COVID-19 patients, as part of a pilot investigation of the pathophysiological processes underlying the brain involvement by the SARS-CoV-2 infection. These included one with necrotizing leukoencephalopathy, one after recent PEA cardiac arrest without leukoencephalopathy, and one without frank encephalopathy or recent severe hypoxic episode. The MRSI findings were compared to those of two patients with white matter pathology not SARS-CoV2 infection related, and a control patient without clinical encephalopathy. The N-acetyl-aspartate reduction, choline elevation, and glutamate/glutamine elevation found in the COVID necrotizing leukoencephalopathy patient and, to a lesser degree, the COVID post-cardiac arrest patient, follow a similar pattern as seen with the delayed post-hypoxic leukoencephalopathy patient. Lactate elevation was most pronounced in the patient with COVID necrotizing leukoencephalopathy.
Neuroprosthesis for individuals with spinal cord injury.

Individuals who sustain a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) often have a loss of multiple body systems. Significant functional improvement can be gained by individual SCI through the use of neur...
The cult of Russianicity: mobilising anti-fascist affect in Putin’s Russia

This article argues that after the Russian presidential election in 2012, the Kremlin mobilised a populist, anti-fascist affect called ‘Russianicity’ that Vladimir Putin used to help legitimate his...
Estimating the Upper Value of Spectrum for Mobile Broadband: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Auctioning the 1755-1850 MHz Band in the U.S.

With demand for mobile data expected to grow exponentially for the foreseeable future, federal officials are moving to auction off “new” spectrum to alleviate congestion and facilitate growth. In this paper, we estimate the net benefits of auctioning off the 1755-1850 MHz government spectrum band, a fast-track candidate for auction, using a novel model that takes advantage of the indifference between cell sites and spectrum. Under a set of assumptions that deliberately overestimates benefits, we find that 95 MHz of new spectrum creates $100 billion in net benefits. This “high water” estimate, when compared to estimates for spectrum sharing regimes, suggests that new auctions are not the obviously correct decision and will become less favorable over time. Our analysis also estimates that 95 MHz of new spectrum will generate only $488 million in net government revenue, which is problematic given that current law prohibits auctions that are not expected to be profitable. A reserve price system or one-time or ongoing spectrum reallocation tax can help alleviate this issue.
Programmable LED array reflectance microscopy for multi-contrast imaging

LED array microscopy is an emerging platform for computational imaging . Existing LED array systems often exploit transmission imaging geometries of standard brightfield microscopes that leave the rich backscattered field undetected. Here, we develop an LED array reflectance microscope capturing the sample’s backscattered signal. In particular, we demonstrate multimodal brightfield, darkfield, and differential phase contrast imaging on fixed and living biological specimens including Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), zebrafish embryos, and live cell cultures. Video-rate multimodal imaging records real-time features of freely-moving C. elegans and the fast beating heart of zebrafish embryo. Our new reflectance mode is a valuable addition to the LED array microscopic toolbox.
The effects of hydration status and ice-water dousing on physiological and performance indices during a simulated soccer match in the heat.

Abstract Objectives To assess the effects of hydration status and ice-water dousing on physiological and performance parameters. Design Randomized, crossover. Methods Twelve athletes (mean[M] ± standard deviation[SD]; age, 20 ± 1 years; height, 174 ± 8 cm; body mass, 72.1 ± 11.0 kg; VO2max 53.9 ± 7.3 mL⋅kg−1⋅min−1) completed four trials (euhydrated without dousing, hypohydrated without dousing, euhydrated with dousing, and hypohydrated with dousing), which involved intermittent treadmill running (five 15-minute bouts) in the heat (M ± SD; ambient temperature, 34.7 ± 2.1 °C; relative humidity, 46 ± 3%; wet-bulb globe temperature, 28.0 ± 0.4 °C). Participants also completed four cognitive, power, agility, reaction time, and repeated sprint performance tests throughout each trial. Heart rate (HR) and rectal temperature (Trec) were measured continuously. Repeated measures ANOVAs were performed to assess differences between physiological and performance variables. Alpha was set at ≤0.05, a priori. Data are reported as mean difference ± standard error (MD ± SE). Results HR was significantly lower in euhydrated trials compared to hypohydrated trials, irrespective of dousing (8 ± 2 bpm; p = 0.001). Dousing did not significantly impact HR (p = 0.455) and there was no interaction between hydration and dousing (p = 0.893). Trec was significantly lower in euhydrated trials compared to hypohydrated trials (0.39 ± 0.05 °C, p Conclusions Athletes should aim to maintain euhydration during exercise in the heat for improved physiological function and cooling with ice-water dousing elicits additional performance benefits.
The On-Axis Magnetic Field for a Single, Helical Turn Coil

Science and engineering students in the second semester of a calculus-based physics sequence typically study and measure the on-axis magnetic field for a multiple, circular turn coil. There are four benefits to this approach: 1) an analytical solution is easily obtained, 2) the coil is easily constructed using tightly wound, high-gauge wire where each turn is approximately circular, 3) the magnetic field along the axis of symmetry is parallel to that axis, which simplifies the placement of a magnetic field sensor, and 4) the magnetic field strength can be increased by increasing the number of turns, which increases the signal to “noise” ratio. This approach is fine as an introduction, but it doesn’t address several practical questions. How does one calculate the magnetic field for a current-carrying wire that isn’t in the shape of a line, circle, or multiple concentric circles? Are all coils made of high-gauge wire? Aren’t coils helical? Under what conditions can a circular coil in theory be used to represent a helical coil in practice? How does one measure small magnetic fields in the presence of other magnetic fields? This paper presents a secondary approach that begins to address these questions. It determines the on-axis magnetic field for a single, helical turn coil and then details the setup and procedures used for an experimental confirmation. It is presented to students as a guided experiment.
The Voter Model

The voter model is the spin system with rates c(x,η) given by $$ c(x,\eta ) = \left\{ {\begin{array}{*{20}c} {\sum\limits_y {p(x,y)\eta (y)} } & {if{\text{ }}\eta (x) = 0,} \\ {\sum\limits_y {p(x,y)[1 - \eta (y)]} } & {f{\text{ }}\eta (x) = 1,} \\ \end{array} } \right. $$ (0.1) where p(x,y) ≥ 0 for x, y ∈ S and $$ \begin{array}{*{20}c} {\sum\limits_y {p(x,y) = 1} } & {for{\text{ }}x{\text{ }} \in {\text{ }}S.} \\ \end{array} $$
Deoxyribonucleic Acid Synthesis During Microcyst Germination in Myxococcus xanthus

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis was measured during microcyst germination in Myxococcus xanthus by radioactive thymidine incorporation, autoradiography, and chemical analysis. Microcysts contained an average of 6.6 conserved units of DNA, corresponding to 3 to 4 chromosomes per cell. Correlation of the DNA content and chromosome number of microcysts indicated that the molecular weight of the nonreplicating M. xanthus chromosome is 4.9 x 10(9) daltons. DNA synthesis was initiated 3.5 to 4 hr after induction of germination. From 4 to 6 hr, the rate of synthesis was constant and the accumulation was linear. After a lag period (6 to 6.5 hr), the rate of DNA synthesis increased, reaching a second plateau at 9 hr. From 9 to 11 hr, the rate was again constant and the accumulation was linear. Cellular division during germination showed an unusual kind of synchrony. A model is presented that accounts for chromosomal replication and cell division during microcyst germination.
Measurement of interscapular brown adipose tissue of mice in differentially housed temperatures by chemical-shift-encoded water-fat MRI.

To determine differences in fat-signal fraction (FF) from chemical-shift-encoded water-fat MRI of interscapular BAT in mice housed at different ambient temperatures (Ta ).C57BL/6J male mice (8 weeks old) were singly housed at 16°C, 23°C, or 30°C (n = 16/group) for 4 weeks. Measures included food intake, body weight (both measured weekly) and body composition (at baseline, 2, and 4 weeks post-thermal exposure); chemical-shift-encoded water-fat MRI was performed on a 9.4 Tesla Bruker magnet with respiratory gating and anesthesia at 4 weeks post-thermal exposure.A significant inverse relationship between food intake and Ta was evidenced (P < 0.0001). Lean mass was similar among groups, while total fat mass was significantly different among groups ([mean ± SE]: 30°C = 5.10 ± 0.19 g; 23°C = 4.18 ± 0.16 g; 16°C = 3.48 ± 0.54 g; P < 0.0001). Mean BAT-FF was positively related to Ta (means: 30°C = 79.4%; 23°C = 61.8%; 16°C = 50.9%; P < 0.0001).These cross-sectional results demonstrate that MRI measurement of FF within the interscapular BAT in mice reflects recent functional status of the tissue, with a lower Ta leading to a significantly reduced BAT-FF, indicative of the tissue's involvement in thermogenesis.
Phytochrome genes and their expression

The molecular cloning of phytochrome (phy) genes has unveiled a rich source of information on the structure, evolution and biological functions of the photoreceptor. In addition, it has provided a powerful experimental system for exploring the central unresolved question in phytochrome research, namely, the molecular mechanism by which the photoreceptor regulates gene expression and thereby plant growth and development.
Integrating Sample-Driven and Pattern-Driven Approaches in Motif Finding

The problem of finding conserved motifs given a set of DNA sequences is among the most fundamental problems in computational biology, with important applications in locating regulatory sites from co-expressed genes. Traditionally, two classes of approaches are used to address the problem: sample-driven approaches focus on finding the locations of the motif instances directly, while pattern-driven approaches focus on finding a consensus string or a profile directly to model the motif. We propose an integrated approach by formulating the motif finding problem as the problem of finding large cliques in k-partite graphs, with the additional requirement that there exists a string s (which may not appear in the given sample) that is close to every motif instance included in such a clique. In this formulation, each clique represents the locations of the motif instances, while the existence of string s ensures that these instances are derived from a common motif pattern. The combined approach provides a better formulation to model motifs than using cliques alone, and the use of k-partite graphs allows the development of a fast and exact divide-and-conquer approach to handle the cases when almost every sequence contains a motif instance. Computational experiments show that this approach is feasible even on the most difficult motif finding problems of moderate size. When many sequences do not contain a motif instance, we complement the above approach by an optimized branch-and-bound algorithm that is much faster than standard clique finding approaches. We will discuss how to further generalize the formulation to better model biological reality.
Plant management, the locus of decision making, and the information services department

Abstract:A theory of intraorganizational power is discussed and applied to the information services department. This study involved the collection of data from 37 plant managers on their perceptions of the power of information services. The results indicate that plant managers, like their department manager counterparts in an earlier study, considered the information services department to be the least critical for success of five departments. Centralization of decision making was found to be positively related to information services department power. The implications of the study for distributed versus centralized information processing are discussed.
Nocturia: an overview of evaluation and treatment

Objective: Nocturia is a highly prevalent and bothersome condition. It is associated with multiple medical comorbidities and an increased mortality. Recent investigations have improved understanding of nocturia and its evaluation and treatment. This paper aims to review the classification, etiology, associated medical conditions, evaluation, and treatment of nocturia. Materials and Methods: A review was conducted surveying published clinical trials, meta-analyses and current clinical practice guidelines on nocturia available as of July 2014. Epidemiology, presentation, evaluation, and treatment recommendations are presented. Results: Nocturia is a multifactorial condition. Evaluation should include thorough medical history documenting fluid intake, quantified and timed urine output, as well as signs and symptoms of other comorbid conditions. Thorough physical Exam should focus upon detection of conditions contributing to nocturia. Treatment should consist of optimization of underlying medical conditions, behavioral modifications, followed by medications if conservative management fails. Antimuscarinics and alpha blockers have not demonstrated to be effective. Recent studies indicate a possible role of desmopressin in the treatment of nocturia, but concerns about hyponatremia in older patients remain. Conclusions: Nocturia is a bothersome condition. Treatment of associated co-morbidities is central to treatment. Currently available treatments are available, but efficacy is limited.
Children's constitutional rights: Interpretations and implications

Constitutional law, as it applies to children, is a new and evolving area. It is essential that school psychologists, educators, and others professionally involved with children have an understanding of children's developing legal rights. While school psychology is shaped by both education and psychology, in greater part its parameters are described in law. Thus, school psychologists, as consultants to education and advocates for children, require a working knowledge of law. This paper discusses a brief historical overview; children's constitutional rights as delineated in the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments; and implications for the role of the school psychologist.
Diabetic dyslipidemia and the heart.

A major metabolic abnormality in diabetes mellitus (DM) is dyslipidemia, typically characterized by an elevation in serum triglyceride (TG) levels and a decrease in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. DM per se does not alter the serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentration, but for any given level of LDL-C, patients who are diabetic are more likely to suffer cardiovascular events than those who are not diabetic. Also, DM is often associated with elevated levels of non– HDL-C (Eq. 1) and typically has a preponderance of the more atherogenic smaller, denser low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles, even when LDL-C levels are within the normal range [1], as demonstrated in the following equation:
Bosentan, an endothelin antagonist, augments hepatic graft function by reducing graft circulatory impairment following ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Endothelin is a potent hepatic vasoconstrictor. We evaluated the role of an endothelin antagonist in hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury. Bosentan, a novel endothelin receptor antagonist, was infused directly into the portal vein prior to cold ischemia and immediately on reperfusion, in five porcine livers. Five other pigs underwent routine liver harvest and reperfusion without bosentan treatment. Hepatic vascular resistance and liver tissue blood flow, as measured by thermistor flow probes, were determined following reperfusion. Hepatocellular damage was assessed through hepatic venous levels of sorbitol dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase. Endothelial cell damage was determined in sections immunostained for factor VIII. Graft function was determined through oxygen consumption, bile production, and response to bile acid challenge. Organs treated with bosentan demonstrated lower vascular resistance and enhanced tissue blood flow (P <0.05) as compared to untreated organs. Portal vein inflow to hepatic tissue was significantly enhanced (4.4-fold) in the bosentan-treated organs (P <0.05). No difference was observed in hepatocellular damage. Pathology scores for factor VIII immunohistochemical staining were 2.3-fold higher in the bosentan-treated livers as compared to untreated livers (P <0.05). The bosentantreated livers also demonstrated enhanced oxygen consumption, increased bile production, and augmented biliary response to a bile acid challenge (P <0.05). These results indicate that administration of bosentan before and after ischemia/reperfusion reduces hepatic circulatory disturbances, diminishes endothelial cell damage, and augments hepatic graft function.
Roles of CXCL8 in squamous cell carcinoma proliferation and migration

Previous work from our laboratory has demonstrated overexpression of chemokines in head and neck cancer, and the utility of targeting CXCL5 for tumor therapy in a preclinical model. In the present study, we investigated the contribution of a related chemokine, CXCL8, to cellular properties associated with tumor progression, namely cell growth and motility. Expression of CXCL8 was detectable in multiple squamous carcinoma cell lines, indicating a possible role in pathogenesis. Overexpression of CXCL8 in HN4 primary tumor cells with low endogenous CXCL8 levels was found to increase cell growth, as judged by cell counting and MTT assays. Conversely, RNAi-mediated knockdown of CXCL8 expression in HN12 cells, derived from a synchronous metastasis and which express high levels of this chemokine, resulted in a decrease in proliferation. Similarly, overexpression of CXCL8 enhanced migration of HN4 cells, while suppression of CXCL8 inhibited HN12 cell migration and invasion through a basement membrane substitute. Taken together, these findings support the hypothesis that CXCL8 affects multiple processes involved in tumor progression and identify CXCL8 as a potential therapeutic target, similar to CXCL5.
Pressure dependence of the magnetic susceptibility of pyrite (FeS2) and calculation of its van vleck susceptibility based on its band structure

Abstract The pressure dependence of the magnetic susceptibility of pyrite (FeS 2 ) has been measured to 11 kbar at room temperature. The small paramagnetic susceptibility was found to be independent of pressure within experimental error. A theoretical calculation of the susceptibility of pyrite is treated taking into account its band structure.
The evaluation of Escherichia coli as a model for oxidant stress in mammalian hepatocytes: role of glutathione.

Abstract Among bacteria, Escherichia coli are unique because they contain an amount of glutathione (GSH) comparable to that of mammalian cells. Thus, this bacterium has been suggested as a model for oxidant stress in mammalian systems. Two common strains of E. coli, ATCC 29682, a B strain, and AB 1157, a K-12 strain, were exposed to paraquat (PQ) or t-butyl hydroperoxide (TBH) and the effect on GSH, growth, and lethality was assessed. Exposure of both strains to 5 m m PQ resulted in an 80% decrease in GSH. Exposure to 5 m m TBH resulted in a 31% decrease in GSH in the K-12 strain and an 80% decrease in the B strain. No correlation was found between the GSH decrease in either strain and the PQ or TBH growth inhibitory effects. TBH exposures increased oxidized GSH (GSSG) export. However, no increase in intracellular GSSG or protein-mixed disulfides was found after exposure to either oxidant nor was GSSG secreted following PQ. After failing to inhibit GSH synthesis with buthionine sulfoximine, a B strain GSH-deficient mutant [RCI-1] was constructed. There was no difference in the growth and lethality responses to the oxidants between GSH-deficient and -sufficient strains. GSH supplementation with N-acetylcysteine or l -2-oxothiazolidine decreased the sensitivity of the E. coli B strain to the growth inhibitory but not the lethality effects of TBH. The lack of a correlation of changes in GSH with either oxidant-induced growth inhibitory or lethality effects, the presence of catalase in the cytoplasm not peroxisomes, and the absence of glutathione peroxidase are limitations to the value of this bacterium as a model for mammalian oxidant stress.
The catalytic role of the copper ligand H172 of peptidylglycine α-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHM): A spectroscopic study of the H172A mutant

An essential histidine ligand to the electron transfer copper (CuH) of peptidylglycine alpha-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHMcc) was mutated to an alanine and found to retain copper binding and hydroxylase activity [Jaron, S., et al. (2002) Biochemistry 41, 13274-13282]. An extensive kinetic and deuterium isotope effect study finds this mutant to maintain full coupling of O2 consumed to product formed despite a 3 order-of-magnitude decrease in kcat and a 300-fold decrease in kcat/Km(O2). Unexpectedly, electron transfer is not rate-limiting in H172A. Rather, the increased kinetic isotope effect (KIE) on kcat of 3.27 +/- 0.39 suggests that C-H bond cleavage has become more rate-limiting, implicating a role for His172 that goes beyond that of a simple ligand to CuH. The mechanistic implications are discussed.
Comparison of measured astigmatic retinoscopies from different lid specula.

Abstract Purpose: We wanted to study the effects of different lid specula on retinoscopy readings in the pediatric population. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 29 patients from the Eye Clinic at The Children's Hospital of Denver who were being examined under anesthesia and met the inclusion criteria for the study. Any patient with ocular pathology that could affect the pliability of the sclera of both eyes was excluded. Patients with preexisting lid abnormalities or adnexal masses were also excluded. Cycloplegic retinoscopies were performed under anesthesia with the Barraquer wire and the Lancaster solid-blade specula. The amounts and the axes of the astigmatism were tabulated and statistically analyzed with the paired t test. Results: A statistically significant difference occurred in the retinoscopies obtained from the 2 lid specula. The Barraquer lid speculum seemed to induce the least amount of astigmatism ( P =.0001). Conclusions: There was a statistically significant difference in the amount of astigmatism found with each lid speculum. The choice of lid speculum in performing retinoscopies on the pediatric population can influence the final refraction and may have implications for visual outcome. (J AAPOS 2001;5:357-60)
Feature fusion of detection systems via their ROC functions

A detection system outputs two distinct labels. Thus, there are two errors it can make. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) function quantifies both of these errors as parameters vary within the system. Combining two detection systems typically yields better performance when a combination rule is chosen appropriately. When multiple detection systems are combined, the assumption of independence is usually made in order to mathematically combine the individual ROC functions for each system into one ROC function. This paper investigates feature fusion of multiple detection systems. Given that one knows the ROC function for each individual detection system, we seek a formula with the resultant ROC function of the fused detection systems as a function (specifically, a transformation) of the respective ROC functions. In this paper we derive this transformation for a certain class of feature rules. An example will be given that demonstrates this transformation.© (2012) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Diaphragmatic nitric oxide synthase is not induced during mechanical ventilation

Mechanical ventilation (MV) is associated with diaphragmatic oxidative stress that contributes to both diaphragmatic atrophy and contractile dysfunction. However, the pathways responsible for oxida...
Are MMMFs money

In the last twenty years, continual financial innovation has led to the increased use of MMMFs as a substitute for checkable deposits. While many technical considerations suggest that it is inappropriate to list MMMFs as money, traditional Austrian thought has emphasized money’s subjective aspects: money is what people think it is. Since the public increasingly uses MMMFs as money substitutes, they are money in all practical respects. Every technical consideration that would restrict the use of MMMFs as a type of money thus crashes against the rocks of practical, everyday experience.
Generalized viscoelastic designer functionally graded auxetic materials engineered/tailored for specific task performances

For arbitrary linear Kelvin model viscoelastic constitutive relations, generalized analyses based on collocation, least squares, Lagrangean multipliers, calculus of variation and inverse formulations are presented for determining viscoelastic designer material properties tailored and engineered to be best suited for specific boundary and loading conditions and their time histories. Optimum 3-D anisotropic designer materials, including auxetic viscoelastic functionally graded ones, are studied to minimize thermal stresses, creep buckling, creep rates, deflections, aero- and hydro- dynamic noise and static and dynamic aero-viscoelastic effects while concurrently lowering failure probabilities and extending structural survival times and maximizing or minimizing energy dissipation and its rate. The analyses are formulated for single structural elements as well as the entire structure. Extensions to the entire vehicle that incorporate aerodynamics, stability and control are discussed and the dimensions of computational requirements are estimated.
Clinical evaluation of a soluble trimeric HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein vaccine

Evaluation of: Spearman P, Lally MA, Elizaga M et al. A trimeric, V2-deleted HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein vaccine elicits potent neutralizing antibodies, but limited breadth of neutralization in human volunteers. J. Infect. Dis. 203, 1165–1173 (2011).Designing an HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) that can induce broadly neutralizing antibodies in humans remains one of the great challenges in biomedical research. Monomeric gp120 has repeatedly failed to induce cross-neutralizing antibodies in clinical trials. Spearman et al. vaccinated uninfected volunteers with a trimeric gp140 protein. They found that the vaccine was safe and induced neutralizing antibody responses against the homologous virus, but not cross-neutralizing responses. The results reinforce the notion that our Env vaccine design needs to improve.
Alcoholism treatment, severity of alcohol-related medical complications, and health services utilization

In efforts to contain costs and efficiently allocate resources, evaluation studies in alcoholism have increasingly assessed the effect of treatment on the use of health services through comparisons of treated and untreated alcoholics. The success of this approach requires that evaluators identify and adjust for differences between these two groups, thereby decreasing the likelihood that health utilization outcomes are attributed to the effects of treatment when in fact they may be related more to unidentified group differences. Using a sample of 63,873 hospitalized alcoholics, this study focused on one critical group difference, the severity of alcohol-related medical complications. Comparisons between treated alcoholics who either completed alcoholism treatment or detoxification only and untreated alcoholics with either primary medical/surgical or psychiatric diagnoses demonstrated the following: (a) untreated alcoholics with medical/surgical diagnoses were more likely to have severe alcohol-related medical complications than the other groups; (b) a positive linear relationship between health services utilization in the previous year and the severity of medical complications existed for all groups, except untreated alcoholics with psychiatric diagnoses; and (c) untreated alcoholics with psychiatric diagnoses with the most severe complications used fewer health services than any of the other three groups. Differences between treated and untreated alcoholics in both severity of medical complications and previous health utilization patterns demonstrate the need to identify and adjust for these factors in evaluation studies that examine the outcomes of alcoholism treatment.
The Incompleat Eco-Philosopher: Essays from the Edges of Environmental Ethics

Anthony Weston, Albany, NY, SUNY Press, 2009, xiii+196 pp, cloth, $65.50, paper, $21.95, ISBN 0-7914-7670-7 We do not and cannot know yet what environmental ethics could or should be. Our moral ima...
Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometric detection of bacterial biomarker proteins isolated from contaminated water, lettuce and cotton cloth.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectra of bacterial proteins were obtained from water, lettuce and cloth samples contaminated with Shigella flexneri, Escherichia coli, and Aeromonas hydrophila. Spectra were obtained using proteins directly isolated from water (or water used for rinsing samples) without culturing the bacteria. For S. flexneri and E. coli, two marker ions for specific proteins associated with a virulence-related property (acid resistance) were easily detected. For A. hydrophila, ions from two specifically selected marker proteins, as well as ions from the larger group of proteins isolated from pure cultures, all matched spectra from a contaminated water sample, providing strong evidence that A. hydrophila was the bacterial contaminant. Rinse water from contaminated lettuce and cloth samples showed the same marker ions as the contaminated water samples. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A model for the nonradiative decay of organic phosphor triplet states in solid matrices

Abstract The heat capacities of sodium acetate NaCl mixtures and 30% β-cyclodextrin NaCl were obtained over a wide temperature range. These data in addition to heat capacity data from the literature for sodium acetate and NaCl were related to the phosphorescence lifetimes of several phosphors adsorbed individually on sodium acetate, sodium acetate NaCl , and 30% β- cyclodextrin NaCl . Several linear relationships were obtained between a phosphorescence lifetime function and the reciprocal of the bulk heat capacity data for the phosphors adsorbed on the solid matrices. In addition, consideration was given to the solid-matrix phosphorescence quantum yields of the phosphors. The relationships developed were related to solid-state theories and organic luminescence theory. The bulk heat capacity had an influence on the phosphorescence lifetime, and low-frequency vibrational modes in the solid matrices were activating vibrational modes in the excited triplet state of the phosphors which caused nonradiative transitions from the excited triplet state. These results have important implications in room-temperature solid-matrix phosphorescence analysis because a model was developed that explains some of the details of the nonradiative transition from the excited triplet state of a phosphor adsorbed on a solid matrix.
Discussion on 'characteristics of fly ashes from full-scale coal-fired power plants and their relationship to mercury adsorption' by Lu et al.

Mercury capture by coal-combustion fly ash is a function of the amount of Hg in the feed coal, the amount of carbon in the fly ash, the type of carbon in the fly ash (including variables introduced by the rank of the feed coal), and the flue gas temperature at the point of ash collection. In their discussion of fly ash and Hg adsorption, Lu et al. [Energy Fuels 2007, 21, 2112−2120] had some fundamental flaws in their techniques, which, in turn, impact the validity of analyzed parameters. First, they used mechanical sieving to segregate fly ash size fractions. Mechanical sieving does not produce representative size fractions, particularly for the finest sizes. If the study samples were not obtained correctly, the subsequent analyses of fly ash carbon and Hg cannot accurately represent the size fractions. In the analysis of carbon forms, it is not possible to accurately determine the forms with scanning electron microscopy. The complexity of the whole particles is overlooked when just examining the outer pa...
The effects of differential vowel prolongations on perceptions of speech naturalness

Abstract Prolongation of speech sounds is currently used to modify stuttering and enhance fluency. Prolonged speech (PS) (e.g., prolonged vowels, prolongation throughout utterances) is, however, often perceived as unnatural by listeners. This study examined at which durations and in which contexts 52 college students (primary language was American English) perceived PS to be unnatural. Stimuli were limited to controlled variation in prolongation of the vowel in the middle single-syllable word of a carrier phrase (i.e., say word again). The prolongation was effected by digital waveform manipulation within the Kay Elemetrics Computerized Speech Laboratory (CSL). The listeners judged if they strongly agreed, agreed, or disagreed that the phrases sounded natural. Results indicated that the extent of vowel duration (and possibly context) does influence listener's perception of speech naturalness, findings which can be applied to facilitate fluency therapy. Educational objectives: (1) The reader will learn about and be able to summarize the digital waveform manipulation procedure in the study. (2) The reader will learn about and be able to describe the effects of differential vowel prolongation on listener's perception of speech naturalness. (3) The reader will learn about and evaluate how differential vowel prolongation can be used to enhance fluency.
Advanced Process Model for Polymer Pyrolysis and Uranium Ceramic Material Processing

Silicon carbide (SiC) based uranium ceramic material can be fabricated as hosts for ultra high temperature applications, such as gas-cooled fast reactor fuels and in-core materials. A pyrolysis-based material processing technique allows for the fabrication of SiC based uranium ceramic materials at a lower temperature compared to sintering route. Modeling of the process is considered important for optimizing the fabrication and producing material with high uniformity. This study presents a process model describing polymer pyrolysis and uranium ceramic material processing, including heat transfer, polymer pyrolysis, SiC crystallization, chemical reactions, and species transport of a porous uranium oxide mixed polymer. Three key reactions for polymer pyrolysis and one key reaction for uranium oxide polymer interaction are established for the processing. Included in the model formulation are the effects of transport processes such as heat-up, polymer decomposition, and volatiles escape. The model is capable of accurately predicting the polymer pyrolysis and chemical reactions of the source material. Processing of a sample with certain geometry is simulated. The effects of heating rate, particle size and volume ratio of uranium oxide and polymer on porosity evolution, species uniformity, reaction rate are investigated.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Creating a Bond Between Caregivers Online: Effect on Caregivers’ Coping Strategies

Numerous studies have investigated the effect of Interactive Cancer Communication Systems (ICCSs) on system users' improvements in psychosocial status. Research in this area, however, has focused mostly on cancer patients, rather than on caregivers, and on the direct effects of ICCSs on improved outcomes, rather than on the psychological mechanisms of ICCS effects. To understand the underlying mechanisms, this study examines the mediating role of perceived caregiver bonding in the relation between one ICCS (the Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System [CHESS]) use and caregivers' coping strategies. To test the hypotheses, a secondary analysis of data was conducted on 246 caregivers of lung cancer patients. These caregivers were randomly assigned to (a) the Internet, with links to high-quality lung cancer websites, or (b) access to CHESS, which integrated information, communication, and interactive coaching tools. Findings suggest that perceived bonding has positive effects on caregivers' appraisal and problem-focused coping strategies, and it mediates the effect of ICCS on the coping strategies 6 months after the intervention has begun.
Why involve physicians in assisted suicide

Ronald Lindsay's (2009) evaluation of the 10-year experience with the Oregon Death with Dignity Act centers on the arguments offered by opponents that such a law would result in widespread abuses, ...