cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A prospective randomized comparison of an attached silver-impregnated cuff to prevent central venous catheter-associated infection.

Abstract The VitaCuff catheter, a specialized central venous catheter (CVC) with an attached silver-impregnated cuff, is designed to permit percutaneous placement and prolonged venous access. A prospective randomized study was undertaken comparing the VitaCuff with standard triple lumen catheters to determine if the VitaCuff reduces infection during extended use. All consenting patients underwent percutaneous placement of subclavian lines. By study design, control and VitaCuff catheters could remain in site for up to 7 and 14 days, respectively. Cultures were obtained from the preinsertion skin site, and upon removal, from the skin, hubs, infusates, CVC tip, and cuff. Statistical methods included χ2, the Student t test, and the log-rank test on Kaplan-Meier estimates. Of 133 patients completing this study, 64 patients (48.1%) underwent VitaCuff placement and 69 patients (51.8%) served as controls. In 124 patients (93.2%), the indication for catheter placement was for perioperative care. Overall, 67 patients (50.4%) required central venous access >7 days. necessitating ⩾1 additional line in 29 patients (21.8%). The incidence of pneumothorax per patient from the initial central line insertion was 4/104 (3.85%), significantly lower than the 4/29 (13.8%) incidence during secondary catheter placement ( P = 0.046). Culture results upon catheter removal demonstrated a reduction in colonization of skin sites and hubs for the VitaCuff patients, but not for catheter tips or infusates. Regardless of the type of catheter used, colonization was dependent upon duration of insertion. The incidence of catheter-related sepsis was 6.8%, and did not differ significantly between the study groups. Multiple CVC insertions increase the incidence of pneumothorax. Because VitaCuff catheters permit extended access up to 14 days without increasing the incidence of sepsis, we recommend their use in patients who require prolonged CVC access.
Projections of the mesencephalic locomotor region in the rat

Retrograde labeling and electrophysiological techniques were used to determine the organization of efferent projections of the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR) in the rat. Injections of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) or fluorescent dyes were made into suspected terminal zones of the MLR. After allowing for retrograde transport, the same animals underwent precollicular transection under anesthesia. The MLR was identified physiologically by the induction of controlled locomotion on a treadmill at low current (less than 50 microA) levels. Stimulation sites were marked and the brain processed accordingly. Retrogradely labeled cells in proximity (less than 0.5 mm) to locomotion-inducing stimulation sites were considered to be putative MLR neurons and were plotted according to stereotactic coordinates. These studies revealed the intrinsic organization of MLR neurons projecting to various brainstem sites. This organization may be related to the different types of transmitter systems involved in mediating MLR function.
Community Relations Training in the Seattle Police Academy

Community relations training by social and behavioral scientists was incorporated into the Seattle Police Academy during the 1960s. Initially all of the training was of the stand-up-and-lecture type. But in the late sixties, role playing of difficult interracial and other police situations was conducted. The role-playing procedures and situations were planned and carried out in a collaborative effort between the police and the role-playing experts from the behavioral science community.
Catheter-Related Thrombosis in Cancer Patients: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management

Central venous catheters (CVCs) are commonly used in oncology patients. Up to 50% of CVCs are complicated by thrombosis within the catheter or the blood vessel. These thrombi are the result of local tissue damage, the catheter itself, and the thrombophilia of cancer. Frequent flushes with saline or heparin may reduce the frequency of catheter dysfunction but do not reduce the rate of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in the catheterized blood vessel. Efforts to use prophylactic heparin or warfarin to reduce catheter-related DVT have not been rewarding.
Towards Defining Molecular Determinants Recognized by Adaptive Immunity in Allergic Disease: An Inventory of the Available Data

Adaptive immune responses associated with allergic reactions recognize antigens from a broad spectrum of plants and animals. Herein a meta-analysis was performed on allergy-related data from the immune epitope database (IEDB) to provide a current inventory and highlight knowledge gaps and areas for future work. The analysis identified over 4,500 allergy-related epitopes derived from 270 different allergens. Overall, the distribution of the data followed expectations based on the nature of allergic responses. Namely, the majority of epitopes were defined for B cells/antibodies and IgE-mediated reactivity, and relatively fewer T-cell epitopes, mostly CD4(+)/class II. Interestingly, the majority of food allergen epitopes were B-cells epitopes whereas a fairly even number of B- and T-cell epitopes were defined for airborne allergens. In addition, epitopes from nonhumans hosts were mostly T-cell epitopes. Overall, coverage of known allergens is sparse with data available for only ~17% of all allergens listed by the IUIS database. Thus, further research would be required to provide a more balanced representation across different allergen categories. Furthermore, inclusion of nonpeptidic epitopes in the IEDB also allows for inventory and analysis of immunological data associated with drug and contact allergen epitopes. Finally, our analysis also underscores that only a handful of epitopes have thus far been investigated for their immunotherapeutic potential.
Unbalanced random matching markets

We analyze large random matching markets with unequal numbers of men and women. Agents have complete preference lists that are uniformly random and independent, and we consider stable matchings under the realized preferences. We find that being on the short side of the market confers a large advantage.We characterize the men's average rank of their wives. For each agent, assign a rank of 1 to the agent's most preferred partner, a rank of 2 to the next most preferred partner and so forth. If there are n men and n+1 women then, we show that with high probability, in any stable matching, the men's average rank of their wives is no more than 3 log n, whereas the women's average rank of their husbands is at least n(3 log n). If there are n men and (1+λ)n women for λ0 then, with high probability, in any stable matching the men's average rank of wives is O(1), whereas the women's average rank of husbands is λ (n).Moreover, we find that in each case, whp, the number of agents who have multiple stable partners is o(n). Thus our results imply a limited scope for manipulation in unbalanced random matching markets for mechanisms that implement a stable match.These results are in stark contrast with previously known results for random matching markets with an equal number of men and women. In such balanced random matching markets, the lattice of stable matches is large, with the two extreme points of the lattice, the men optimal stable match (MOSM) and the women optimal stable match (WOSM) possessing contrasting properties. The men's average rank of their wives is just log n under the MOSM, but as large as n/log n under the WOSM, and the opposite holds for the women's average rank of their husbands. Thus, the proposing side in the Gale-Shapley deferred acceptance algorithm is greatly advantaged in a balanced market, whereas we prove that in markets with even a slight imbalance, the MOSM and WOSM are almost identical. This reveals the balanced case to be a knife edge.Our proof uses an algorithm which calculates the WOSM from the MOSM through a sequence of proposals by men. A woman improves if, by divorcing her husband, she triggers a rejection chain that results in a proposal back to her from a more preferred man. The algorithm lends itself to a stochastic analysis, in which we show that most rejection chains are likely to end in a proposal to an unmatched woman. Simulations show that our results hold even for small markets.
THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL PROBLEMS IN MODELING OPTIMAL REPLACEMENT OF FARM MACHINES

Research on the optimal replacement problem has emphasized specification of the theoretically appropriate criterion. Today, the most commonly applied replacement decision theory for machinery assumes that the owner will replace each older machine, “defender,” with an identical new machine, “challenger,” in accordance with long-run cost minimizing or profit maximizing criteria (i.e., wealth maximization). Perrin (p. 60) summarizes the cost minimization criterion which should be applied: “A machine should be kept another period if the marginal costs of retaining it … are less than the ‘average’ periodic costs of a replacement machine.” As Chisholm noted, this criterion is “deceptively simple.” Support for Chisholm's observation is evidenced throughout the literature, because acceptance and use of an appropriate criterion has come about slowly.
Microstructural study of the low‐temperature nanocrystallization of amorphous Fe78B13Si9

The amorphous Fe 78 B 13 Si 9 (Metglas 2605S-2) alloy is treated by high current density electropulsing and the preliminary, partial, and full nanocrystallization can be achieved at temperatures lower than the bulk crystallization temperature by isothermal annealing. Analysis of Mossbauer spectra along with XRD measurement and TEM observation is presented. The preliminary crystalline product is the disordered b.c.c. Fe-based solid solution, probably containing a trace amount of B. In the partially and fully crystallized samples, α-Fe(Si), t-Fe 2 B, and also a small amount of t-Fe3B appear. i The hyperfine magnetic field distribution P(H) of the residual amorphous phase in the crystallized sample takes a distinct bimodal type. It was suggested that the secondary peak at the higher field side can be associated with Fe-rich clusters in the residual amorphous phase of the preliminarily crystallized sample and that the lower field side is caused by the local segregation of some Si and B atoms in the residual amorphous phase excluded during the crystallization processes of the partially and fully nanocrystallized samples.
Carbon allotropes: beyond graphite and diamond

Carbon offers unmatched versatility among the elements of the periodic table. Depending on its hybridization state and atomic arrangement, carbon forms the layered semiconductor graphite, the insulator diamond, with its unmatched hardness, the high surface area amorphous carbons, and the nano-sized fullerenes and nanotubes, among others. This paper broadly reviews carbon allotropes, with emphasis on some recent results and applications, particularly in the field of high surface area amorphous carbons. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Fabrication of 3D-silicon micro-pillars/walls decorated with aluminum-ZnO/ZnO nanowires for optoelectric devices

In this study, regularly patterned and hierarchically structured silicon (Si) micro-scale pillars and walls with high aspect ratio were fabricated using the deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) process. Dense arrays of ZnO nanowires were hydrothermally grown on the surface of the Si structures subsequent to the deposition of Aluminum–ZnO (AZO) thin films onto the vertically oriented p- and n-type Si micro-scale pillars and walls – resulting in three-dimensional (3D) heterostructures. Electrical and optical measurements of the fabricated p–n nano-heterojunctions demonstrate strong capabilities for detecting ultraviolet (UV)–visible (VIS) photons with drastically reduced reflection loss. We also demonstrate low-voltage sensing of gases using these structures through the field ionization process.
Experiences from a decade of TinyOS development

When first written in 2000, TinyOS's users were a handful of academic computer science researchers. A decade later, TinyOS averages 25,000 downloads a year, is in many commercial products, and remains a platform used for a great deal of sensor network, low-power systems, and wireless research.We focus on how technical and social decisions influenced this success, sometimes in surprising ways. As TinyOS matured, it evolved language extensions to help experts write efficient, robust systems. These extensions revealed insights and novel programming abstractions for embedded software. Using these abstractions, experts could build increasingly complex systems more easily than with other operating systems, making TinyOS the dominant choice.This success, however, came at a long-term cost. System design decisions that seem good at first can have unforeseen and undesirable implications that play out over the span of years. Today, TinyOS is a stable, self-contained ecosystem that is discouraging to new users. Other systems, such as Arduino and Contiki, by remaining more accessible, have emerged as better solutions for simpler embedded sensing applications.
Divergent role of nitric oxide in insulin-stimulated aortic vasorelaxation between low- and high-intrinsic aerobic capacity rats.

Low-intrinsic aerobic capacity is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and is a strong predictor of early mortality. The effects of intrinsic aerobic capacity on the vascular response to insulin are largely unknown. We tested the hypothesis that rats selectively bred for a low capacity to run (LCR) exhibit vascular dysfunction and impaired vascular reactivity to insulin compared to high capacity running (HCR) rats. Mature female LCR (n = 21) and HCR (n = 17) rats were maintained under sedentary conditions, and in vitro thoracic aortic vascular function was assessed. LCR exhibited greater body mass (13%), body fat (35%), and subcutaneous, perigonadal, and retroperitoneal adipose tissue mass, than HCR. During an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test, glucose area under the curve (AUC) was not different but insulin AUC was 2-fold greater in LCR than HCR. Acetylcholine and insulin-stimulated aortic vasorelaxation was significantly greater in LCR (65.2 ± 3.8%, and 32.7 ± 4.1%) than HCR (55.0 ± 3.3%, and 16.7 ± 2.8%). Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) with L-NAME entirely abolished insulin-mediated vasorelaxation in the aorta of LCR, with no effect in HCR. LCR rats exhibited greater expression of Insulin Receptor protein, lower Endothelin Receptor-A protein, a down-regulation of transcripts for markers of immune cell infiltration (CD11C, CD4, and F4/80) and up-regulation of pro-atherogenic inflammatory genes (VCAM-1 and MCP-1) in the aorta wall. Contrary to our hypothesis, low-aerobic capacity was associated with enhanced aortic endothelial function and NO-mediated reactivity to insulin, despite increased adiposity and evidence of whole body insulin resistance.
Crowds and communities: Light and heavyweight models of peer production

Two collaborative forms of organizing dominate discussion of open participation and production on the Internet: a crowdsourcing model based on microparticipation from many, unconnected individuals, and a virtual community model, based on strong connections among a committed set of connected members. This paper argues that dimensions such as task interdependence, authority control, and group focus underpin behaviors associated with participation in such open systems, resulting in contributory behaviors that can be described at one end as ‘lightweight’, functioning by weak-tie attachment to a common purpose, enacted through authority-determined, rule-based contribution, and at the other end as ‘heavyweight’, operating through strong-tie affiliation with community members and community purpose, enacted through internallynegotiated, peer-reviewed contribution. Examination and articulation of these dimensions, and the resulting patterns of contributory behavior they engender, help reconcile peer production and virtual community approaches to online collaboration, explain motivational and structural aspects of new forms of collaborative production, and inform design for building and sustaining collective contributory systems.
Molecular physiology of zinc transport in the Zn hyperaccumulator Thlaspi caerulescens

In this manuscript, recent research from this laboratory into physiological and molecular aspects of heavy metal (Zn) transport in the hyperaccumulating plant species, Thlaspi caerulescens is reviewed. This research is aimed at elucidating the processes that underlie the accumulation of extraordinarily high levels of Zn in the T. caerulescens shoot (up to 3% Zn dry wt.) without any associated toxicity symptom. Physiological studies focused on the use of radiotracer flux techniques ( 65 Zn 2+ ) to characterize zinc transport and compartmentation in the root, and translocation and accumulation in the shoot of T. caerulescens in comparison with a related non-accumulator, T. arvense. These studies indicated that Zn transport was stimulated at a number of sites in T. caerulescens, contributing to the hyperaccumulation trait. The transport processes that were stimulated included Zn influx into both root and leaf cells, and Zn loading into the xylem. The 4- to 5-fold stimulation of Zn influx into the root was hypothesized to be due to an increased abundance of Zn transporters in T. caerulescens root cells. Additionally, compartmental analysis (radiotracer wash out or efflux techniques) was used to show that Zn was sequestered in the vacuoles of T. arvense root cells which retarded Zn translocation to the shoot in this non-accumulator species. Molecular studies have focused on the cloning and characterization of Zn transport genes in T. caerulescens. Complementation of a yeast Zn transport-defective mutant with a T. caerulescens cDNA library resulted in the recovery of a cDNA, ZNT1, that encodes a Zn transporter. Sequence analysis of ZNT1 indicated it is a member of a recently discovered micronutrient transport gene family which includes the Arabidopsis Fe transporter, IRT1, and the ZIP Zn transporters. Expression of ZNT1 in yeast allowed for a physiological characterization of this transporter. It was shown to encode a high affinity Zn transporter which can also mediate low affinity Cd transport. Northern analysis of ZNT1 and its homologue in the two Thlaspi species indicated that enhanced Zn transport in T. caerulescens results from a constitutively high expression of the ZNT1 gene in roots and shoots. In T. arvense, ZNT1 is expressed at far lower levels and this expression is stimulated by imposition of Zn deficiency.
Mutational Analysis of a Conserved Signal-Transducing Element: the HAMP Linker of the Escherichia coli Nitrate Sensor NarX

The HAMP linker, a predicted structural element observed in sensor proteins from all domains of life, is proposed to transmit signals between extracellular sensory input domains and cytoplasmic output domains. HAMP (histidine kinase, adenylyl cyclase, methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein, and phosphatase) linkers are located just inside the cytoplasmic membrane and are projected to form two short amphipathic alpha-helices (AS-1 and AS-2) joined by an unstructured connector. The presumed helices are comprised of hydrophobic residues in heptad repeats, with only three positions exhibiting strong conservation. We generated missense mutations at these three positions and throughout the HAMP linker in the Escherichia coli nitrate sensor kinase NarX and screened the resulting mutants for defective responses to nitrate. Most missense mutations in this region resulted in a constitutive phenotype mimicking the ligand-bound state, and only one residue (a conserved Glu before AS-2) was essential for HAMP linker function. We also scanned the narX HAMP linker with an overlapping set of seven-residue deletions. Deletions in AS-1 and the connector resulted in constitutive phenotypes. Two deletions in AS-2 resulted in a novel reversed response phenotype in which the response to ligand was the opposite of that seen for the narX(+) strain. These observations are consistent with the proposed HAMP linker structure, show that the HAMP linker plays an active role in transmembrane signal transduction, and indicate that the two amphipathic alpha-helices have different roles in signal transduction.
Theories of cognition and image categorization: What category labels reveal about basic level theory

Information search and retrieval interactions usually involve information content in the form of document collections, information retrieval systems and interfaces, and the user. To fully understand information search and retrieval interactions between users' cognitive space and the information space, researchers need to turn to cognitive models and theories. In this article, the authors use one of these theories, the basic level theory. Use of the basic level theory to understand human categorization is both appropriate and essential to user-centered design of taxonomies, ontologies, browsing interfaces, and other indexing tools and systems. Analyses of data from two studies involving free sorting by 105 participants of 100 images were conducted. The types of categories formed and category labels were examined. Results of the analyses indicate that image category labels generally belong to superordinate to the basic level, and are generic and interpretive. Implications for research on theories of cognition and categorization, and design of image indexing, retrieval and browsing systems are discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Peer-centered service learning

We believe that improved learning by the undergraduate computer science major is intrinsically linked with improving student engagement. We have developed a framework aimed at encouraging student engagement. Most of the individual ideas are not especially innovative. However, we think others will be interested in how we have integrated them and made them a visible and central part of our undergraduate educational experience. We focus on three particular areas identified as critical for improving student engagement: student-faculty interaction, active and collaborative learning, and experiences outside the classroom. It requires that students take on roles that either previously did not exist or were the sole province of the faculty. The key to this approach is the integration of two techniques that others have identified: peer learning and service learning. Because the service learning is centered on the peer of the student providing the service we use the term peer-centered service learning.
Herpesvirus-induced Atherosclerosis

Our studies have established that a herpesvirus infection leads to atherosclerosis strikingly similar to the human arterial disease in a normocholesterolemic animal model [1–3]. This finding has introduced two important new concepts in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. (1) A herpesvirus may have a primary etiological role in a disease considered for many years to be degenerative or metabolic in origin. (2) Virus-induced alteration of arterial smooth muscle cell lipid metabolism may cause lipid accumulations in atherosclerotic lesions.
Capsular extracellular polysaccharide and hydroxamate formation by iron‐deficient azotobacter chroococcum B‐8

Abstract The free‐living diazotroph Azotobacter chroococcum B‐8 requires a high complement of Fe to support nitrogen fixation. The yield of capsular extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) and the formation of high‐affinity Fe‐binding compounds were used to measure the response of A. chroococcum B‐8 to iron‐stressed growth conditions. Cultures were nutritionally stressed for Fe by successive transfers on Fe‐deficient nitrogen‐free solid‐plating media, or on the same media supplemented with NO3‐ or NH4 + as the sources of fixed nitrogen. Under all nitrogen growth conditions, the same two anodally‐migrating Fe‐binding compounds were detected using the paper electrophoresis siderophore assay. Both Fe‐binding compounds were Csaky positive for bound hydroxylamines and both relieved the growth requirement of the hydroxamate auxotroph, Arthrobacter flavescens JG‐9. Fe‐deficient liquid cultures, grown in the presence of N2, NO3 ‐, or NH4 +, produced much higher levels of hydroxamate over the Fe‐sufficient control cult...
Measurements of regional mechanical stress on blood vessels by intravascular ultrasound imaging

There is strong evidence to indicate a direct relationship between topograph distribution of atherosclerosis and the magnitude of circumferential wall stress (WS) and shear (S) due to blood flow. A computer algorithm that uses intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging to derive regional WS and S in three-dimensional space is reported. The measurements made on patient images show that polar plots vary significantly from one site to another. >
Inhibition of MEPE cleavage by Phex.

Abstract X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) and the Hyp -mouse disease homolog are caused by inactivating mutations of Phex which results in the local accumulation of an unknown autocrine/paracrine factor in bone that inhibits mineralization of extracellular matrix. In these studies, we evaluated whether the matrix phosphoglycoprotein MEPE, which is increased in calvaria from Hyp mice, is a substrate for Phex . Using recombinant full-length Phex (r Phex WT) produced in Sf 9 cells, we failed to observe Phex -dependent hydrolysis of recombinant human MEPE (rMEPE). Rather, we found that r Phex -WT inhibited cleavage of rMEPE by endogenous cathepsin-like enzyme activity present in Sf 9 membrane. Sf 9 membranes as well as purified cathepsin B cleaved MEPE into two major fragments of ∼50 and ∼42 kDa. r Phex WT protein in Sf 9 membrane fractions, co-incubation of r Phex WT and cathepsin B, and pre-treatment of Sf 9 membranes with leupeptin prevented the hydrolysis of MEPE in vitro. The C-terminal domain of Phex was required for inhibition of MEPE cleavage, since the C-terminal deletion mutant r Phex (1–433) [ rPhex 3 ′ M] failed to inhibit Sf 9-dependent metabolism of MEPE. Phex -dependent inhibition of MEPE degradation, however, did not require Phex enzymatic activity, since EDTA, an inhibitor of r Phex , failed to block r Phex WT inhibition of MEPE cleavage by Sf 9 membranes. Since we were unable to identify interactions of Phex with MEPE or actions of Phex to metabolize cathepsin B, Phex may be acting to interfere with the actions of other enzymes that degrade extracellular matrix proteins. Although the molecular mechanism and biological relevance of non-enzymatic actions of Phex need to be established, these findings indicate that MEPE may be involved in the pathogenesis defective mineralization due to Phex deficiency in XLH and the Hyp -mouse.
Performance analysis of super-resolution beamforming in smart antennas

Auto-regressive (AR) extrapolation has been used in recent years to achieve super-resolution capability in spectral estimation and in antenna beam forming. The performance of an auto-regressive, super-resolution beam forming technique is analyzed and compared with other high-resolution methods. The AR coefficients, which represent an IIR filter, are determined adaptively using the least mean squares (LMS) algorithm. A linear algebra-based analysis is developed to show that the gain in signal-to-noise ratio is determined by the order of the extrapolation filter. It is also shown that if the filter coefficients are chosen such that there are poles on the unit circle corresponding to each source present, then the interference between the sources can be eliminated. However, if a pole is not placed on the unit circle for any given source, then it may interfere with the other sources. This yields no improvement in signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio. This observation is of great importance in systems such as space division multiple access (SDMA), where separating the signals from sources that utilize the same frequency resources is critical.
A Systematic Monograph of the Tachardiinae or Lac Insects (Coccidae)

At the suggestion of Professor G.F. Ferris, of the Department of Entomology of Stanford University, I have undertaken the following review of this extremely important, equally interesting, and almost equally neglected group of the Coccidae. My acknowledgements are due to Professor Ferris for his aid in the preparation of the paper and of the material upon which it is based. To my fellow-students, Mr. Bryan Duncan, Mr. Carl Duncan, Mr. W.H. Irwin and Mr. P. N. Annand, I desire to extend my thanks for their aid in testing the included keys.
Development of an In Vitro Activity Assay as an Alternative to the Mouse Bioassay for Clostridium botulinum Neurotoxin Type A

Currently, the only accepted assay with which to detect active Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin is an in vivo mouse bioassay. The mouse bioassay is sensitive and robust and does not require specialized equipment. However, the mouse bioassay is slow and not practical in many settings, and it results in the death of animals. Here, we describe an in vitro cleavage assay for SNAP-25 (synaptosome-associated proteins of 25 kDa) for measuring the toxin activity with the same sensitivity as that of the mouse bioassay. Moreover, this assay is far more rapid, can be automated and adapted to many laboratory settings, and has the potential to be used for toxin typing. The assay has two main steps. The first step consists of immunoseparation and concentration of the toxin, using immunomagnetic beads with monoclonal antibodies directed against the 100-kDa heavy chain subunit, and the second step consists of a cleavage assay targeting the SNAP-25 peptide of the toxin, labeled with fluorescent dyes and detected as a fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay. Our results suggest that the sensitivity of this assay is 10 pg/ml, which is similar to the sensitivity of the mouse bioassay, and this test can detect the activity of the toxin in carrot juice and beef. These results suggest that the assay has a potential use as an alternative to the mouse bioassay for analysis of C. botulinum type A neurotoxin.
Multinuclear NMR studies of an actively dividing artificial tumor.

Summary Growth of the A549 cell line in a perfusion system suitable for use in a magnetic resonance study has been characterized and shown to be stable physiologically and hence appropriate for serial observations. Several methods of monitoring cell growth were compared to assess the behavior of the cells in this system. Comparison between NMR metabolite data and cell growth via cell counting showed that 31 P NMR signals accurately reported cell doubling time. In contrast to most NMR cell culture systems, viable cells can be recovered from the perfusion system after the NMR measurements for further biochemical studies. These data further suggest that this system will be useful for studying the physiology and biochemistry of exponentially growing cells for at least two days in NMR tube culture.
Prevalence and Epidemiology of Pathological Gambling at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth Psychiatry Clinic

ABSTRACT Objective: Gambling has exploded in popularity, but pathological gambling (PG) is infrequently diagnosed. The objectives of this study were to calculate the prevalence of PG in a psychiatry clinic, to determine whether PG is underdiagnosed, and to analyze risk factors for PG. Methods: A survey was completed by 584 outpatients presenting to the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth psychiatry clinic over 6 months. Epidemiological data, smoking status, and alcohol use were assessed, and the South Oaks Gambling Screen was administered. Results: The prevalence of PG determined with the South Oaks Gambling Screen was 1.4%. The electronically documented prevalence of PG was 0.04%. Male subjects, smokers, and subjects with an alcohol problem were more likely to have a gambling problem. Active duty members did not have statistically significantly higher rates of PG. Conclusions: PG is markedly underdiagnosed. Military members are not at elevated risk for PG, relative to their dependents. Further research and g...
Chronic intermittent hyperoxia alters the development of the hypoxic ventilatory response in neonatal rats

Chronic exposure to sustained hyperoxia alters the development of the respiratory control system, but the respiratory effects of chronic intermittent hyperoxia have rarely been investigated. We exposed newborn rats to short, repeated bouts of 30% O2 or 60% O2 (5 bouts h(-1)) for 4-15 days and then assessed their hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR; 10 min at 12% O2) by plethysmography. The HVR tended to be enhanced by intermittent hyperoxia at P4 (early phase of the HVR), but it was significantly reduced at P14-15 (primarily late phase of the HVR) compared to age-matched controls; the HVR recovered when individuals were returned to room air and re-studied as adults. To investigate the role of carotid body function in this plasticity, single-unit carotid chemoafferent activity was recorded in vitro. Intermittent hyperoxia tended to decrease spontaneous action potential frequency under normoxic conditions but, contrary to expectations, hypoxic responses were only reduced at P4 (not at P14) and only in rats exposed to higher O2 levels (i.e., intermittent 60% O2). Rats exposed to intermittent hyperoxia had smaller carotid bodies, and this morphological change may contribute to the blunted HVR. In contrast to rats exposed to intermittent hyperoxia beginning at birth, two weeks of intermittent 60% O2 had no effect on the HVR or carotid body size of rats exposed beginning at P28; therefore, intermittent hyperoxia-induced respiratory plasticity appears to be unique to development. Although both intermittent and sustained hyperoxia alter carotid body development and the HVR of rats, the specific effects and time course of this plasticity differs.
Quality of Life after Cardiac Surgery

The term quality of life entered our vocabulary after World War II and was used initially in reference to material goods: a house, a car, better appliances, money and travel. In 1960, President Eisenhower’s Commission on National Goals broadened the term to include education, health and welfare. Following the social upheaval of the 1960s, emphasis shifted from material affluence toward personal freedom, leisure, enjoyment and personal caring.
Leakage and Transconductance in Polysilicon Thin Film Transistors: Effect of Grain Boundary Hydrogenation

The n- and p-channel field effect transistors are fabricated in as-deposited and grain boundary passivated polysilicon thin films. The performance of these thin film transistors (TFT’s) is characterized and compared. Specifically, the transconductance and leakage behavior are discussed in detail in correlation with the grain boundary properties. The I-V characteristics are modeled from a unified point of view.
CRT-300.03 The Use of CHA2DS2-VASc Score to Predict Risk of Stroke in General Population Without Atrial Fibrillation

CHA2DS2VASc score is used clinically for ischemic stroke risk stratification in atrial fibrillation (AF). Some studies of patients with MI and HF have shown that the CHA2DS2VASc score can be used to stratify the risk of stroke in the absence of AF. Anticoagulation may be indicated in patients with
Failure of Phomopsis phaseoli to produce mature pycnidia in senescent soybean stems at the end of the growing season

Phomopsis phaseoli (Desm.) Sacc. [syn. P. sojae Lehman; teleomorph = Diaporthe pha? seolorum (Cke. & Ellis) Sacc] does not produce mature pycnidia in senescent or dead soybean stems at the end of the growing season. Conidia did not form in pycnidia on stems collected from the field from October through December and incubated in laboratory moist chambers. Conidia were found in pycnidia after incubation of stems collected in January but conidia were not released from pycnidia under laboratory conditions until the May collection. Max? imum production of conidia on overwintered stems occurred in mid-June and declined to zero by early August. Production and release of conidia were induced on dead, non-overwintered stems by culturing on different agar media, and were highest on water agar plus 1 g/1 of allantoin. Weathering of stems in the field is evidently required for maturation of pycnidia of P. phaseoli to occur, perhaps due to the liberation of nutrients from decomposing host tissue. This may be the first report of a weathering requirement for the maturation of fruiting bodies by an anamorphic fungus. Phomopsis phaseoli (Desm.) Sacc. (syn. P. sojae Lehman) (Kulik, 1984) [te? leomorph = Diaporthe phaseolorum (Cke. & Ellis) Sacc] causes pod and stem blight and seed decay of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. In late spring, conidia are released from pycnidia borne on overwintered stems and other crop debris (Lehman, 1923). During the growing season, conidia are also liberated from pyc? nidia on infected plant parts of the current crop, such as fallen cotyledons and petioles (Lehman, 1923; Kmetz et al., 1979). Mature pycnidia with exuding co? nidia also form in abundance on P. phaseoli-infecXed stems collected during the summer and incubated in a moist chamber. At the end of the growing season, when plants are mature and bearing pods, numerous, immature, black pycnidia appear on infected stems (Lehman, 1923). Phomopsis phaseoli is seedborne and may be isolated readily from infected seeds at harvest or from storage. This fungus usually fruits abundantly on seeds cultured on agar or on seed germination blotters, often accompanied by copious conidial exudation. In an attempt to collect non-seedborne isolates of P. phaseoli during the late summer and early fall of 1977 and 1978, it was noticed that conidia would not be produced in nor exuded from pycnidia of this fungus on senescent soybean stems collected at the end of the growing season and placed in laboratory moist chambers. This was surprising because abundant, sporulating pycnidia invariably formed on stems collected during the summer and incubated in the same fashion. The present study was undertaken to determine whether this was an isolated phenomenon or part ofthe normal life cycle of P. phaseoli, at least at Beltsville. MATERIALS AND METHODS To minimize any effects of cultivars or soil differences, the soybean stems used in this study were taken at random as needed from non-harvested plots of 51
Thermo-Elastic Similarity Laws

In a book edited by Hetenyi [1], Mindlin and Salvadori have discussed certain similarity laws for thermo-elastic problems. They were, however, primarily concerned with the replacement of thermo-elastic problems by purely elastic problems involving dislocations. In the present paper we are concerned with the conditions which must be satisfied by the physical parameters describing the properties of a body and a scale model (scaled both in linear dimensions and time) in order that the stress in the original body may be determined from that at the corresponding position and time in the scale model by means of the multiplier M (= rigidity modulus of body/ rigidity modulus of model). It will be seen that the conditions for the stresses in the body to be an arbitrary constant C times those in the model are then easily obtained. In deriving these conditions much of the mathematical analysis of Mindlin and Salvadori could have been used. However, we have preferred to obtain them by somewhat different methods.
Fast Bayesian Factor Analysis via Automatic Rotations to Sparsity

ABSTRACTRotational post hoc transformations have traditionally played a key role in enhancing the interpretability of factor analysis. Regularization methods also serve to achieve this goal by prioritizing sparse loading matrices. In this work, we bridge these two paradigms with a unifying Bayesian framework. Our approach deploys intermediate factor rotations throughout the learning process, greatly enhancing the effectiveness of sparsity inducing priors. These automatic rotations to sparsity are embedded within a PXL-EM algorithm, a Bayesian variant of parameter-expanded EM for posterior mode detection. By iterating between soft-thresholding of small factor loadings and transformations of the factor basis, we obtain (a) dramatic accelerations, (b) robustness against poor initializations, and (c) better oriented sparse solutions. To avoid the prespecification of the factor cardinality, we extend the loading matrix to have infinitely many columns with the Indian buffet process (IBP) prior. The factor dimen...
Monte-Carlo Tree Search for Simulation-based Play Strategy Analysis.

Games are often designed to shape player behavior in a desired way; however, it can be unclear how design decisions affect the space of behaviors in a game. Designers usually explore this space through human playtesting, which can be time-consuming and of limited effectiveness in exhausting the space of possible behaviors. In this paper, we propose the use of automated planning agents to simulate humans of varying skill levels to generate game playthroughs. Metrics can then be gathered from these playthroughs to evaluate the current game design and identify its potential flaws. We demonstrate this technique in two games: the popular word game Scrabble and a collectible card game of our own design named Cardonomicon. Using these case studies, we show how using simulated agents to model humans of varying skill levels allows us to extract metrics to describe game balance (in the case of Scrabble) and highlight potential design flaws (in the case of Cardonomicon).
Impact of Improved Treatments on Perceptions About HIV and Safer Sex Among Inner-City HIV-Infected Men and Women

Protease inhibitor combination therapies have significantly improved the health of many people with HIV/AIDS. Prior studies, consisting mainly of gay men, have indicated that these treatments have prompted reduced concern about HIV and an increase in high-risk behavior. This study assessed the impact of HIV treatment advances on HIV-infected individuals living in inner-city areas. A convenience sample was used (n = 196), consisting largely of heterosexual African-Americans and Hispanics. Almost the entire sample had heard of the latest HIV treatments, and 75% were currently on protease inhibitor regimens. One-third of the sample reported that AIDS was a less serious threat nowadays and that being HIV-positive was not a big deal. Fifteen percent of respondents believed that protease inhibitor combination therapies reduced the risk of HIV transmission, and 10% believed that these treatments reduced need for safer sex practices. As in previous studies of other populations, a significant percentage (23%) of respondents practiced safer sex less often since new HIV treatments arrived. HIV prevention programs need to focus more attention on HIV-infected individuals in inner city areas. Interventions for these individuals need to address changing attitudes and behaviors stemming from HIV treatment advances.
Using snowflake surface area-to-volume ratio to model and interpret snowfall triple-frequency radar signatures

Abstract. The snowflake microstructure determines the microwave scattering properties of individual snowflakes and has a strong impact on snowfall radar signatures. In this study, individual snowflakes are represented by collections of randomly distributed ice spheres where the size and number of the constituent ice spheres are specified by the snowflake mass and surface-area-to-volume ratio (SAV) and the bounding volume of each ice sphere collection is given by the snowflake maximum dimension. Radar backscatter cross sections for the ice sphere collections are calculated at X-, Ku-, Ka-, and W-band frequencies and then used to model triple-frequency radar signatures for exponential snowflake size distributions (SSDs). Additionally, snowflake complexity values obtained from high-resolution multi-view snowflake images are used as an indicator of snowflake SAV to derive snowfall triple-frequency radar signatures. The modeled snowfall triple-frequency radar signatures cover a wide range of triple-frequency signatures that were previously determined from radar reflectivity measurements and illustrate characteristic differences related to snow type, quantified through snowflake SAV, and snowflake size. The results show high sensitivity to snowflake SAV and SSD maximum size but are generally less affected by uncertainties in the parameterization of snowflake mass, indicating the importance of snowflake SAV for the interpretation of snowfall triple-frequency radar signatures.
Predicting behavior change from persuasive messages using neural representational similarity and social network analyses.

Abstract Neural activity in medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), identified as engaging in self-related processing, predicts later health behavior change. However, it is unknown to what extent individual differences in neural representation of content and lived experience influence this brain-behavior relationship. We examined whether the strength of content-specific representations during persuasive messaging relates to later behavior change, and whether these relationships change as a function of individuals’ social network composition. In our study, smokers viewed anti-smoking messages while undergoing fMRI and we measured changes in their smoking behavior one month later. Using representational similarity analyses, we found that the degree to which message content (i.e. health, social, or valence information) was represented in a self-related processing MPFC region was associated with later smoking behavior, with increased representations of negatively valenced (risk) information corresponding to greater message-consistent behavior change. Furthermore, the relationship between representations and behavior change depended on social network composition: smokers who had proportionally fewer smokers in their network showed increases in smoking behavior when social or health content was strongly represented in MPFC, whereas message-consistent behavior (i.e., less smoking) was more likely for those with proportionally more smokers in their social network who represented social or health consequences more strongly. These results highlight the dynamic relationship between representations in MPFC and key outcomes such as health behavior change; a complete understanding of the role of MPFC in motivation and action should take into account individual differences in neural representation of stimulus attributes and social context variables such as social network composition.
Best Practices for Engaging Underserved Populations

This work developed and applied a set of “best practices” when engaging marginalized populations to collect data, attitudes, and opinions around a research topic. To support city stakeholders makin...
Truss Analysis: A Structural Mechanics Tour of the FEM—Nodal Equilibrium and Compatibility

Linear elastic behavior and small displacements and rotations (Spencer, Continuum mechanics. Longman, London, 1980) are assumed throughout. This model of linear systems allows us to obtain the nodal forces in terms of the bar stiffness matrices and nodal displacements that are the primary variables. The equilibrium equations can then be constructed in terms of displacements at nodes. The given forces and displacements are assumed to be prescribed as nodal quantities. The resulting system equation, which is in the matrix form, can be obtained in terms of nodal displacements and solved by employing the Mathematica function Solve.