cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Establishment of a Host-to-Host Transmission Model for Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis Using Caenorhabditis elegans and Identification of Colonization-Associated Genes

Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis (M. avium) is a member of the non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), and is a common cause of lung infection in patients with chronic NTM lung conditions. M. avium is an environmental bacterium believed to be transmitted from environmental sources. In this work we used a recently developed model in Caenorhabditis elegans to ask whether M. avium can be transmitted from host-to-host, and the bacterial genes associated with host colonization. Infection of C. elegans was carried out by placing the nematode in cultured with M. avium. Bacteria eliminated from the intestines of infected C. elegans were used to infect naive nematodes. In parallel experiments, to identify colonization associated genes, a transposon library of M. avium was screened for the ability to bind to HEp-2 mucosal cells. Thirty clones were identified and five selected clones with impaired adherence to HEp-2 epithelial cells were used to infect C. elegans to determine the degree of colonization. It was determined that M. avium eliminated from infected C. elegans were able to colonize a naive C. elegans with high efficiency. Thirty of the most adherence-deficient M. avium clones obtained from the HEp-2 cell screening were sequenced to identify the location of the transposon. Many of the genes associated with the bacterial cell wall synthesis were shown to be inactivated in the selected mutants. Five out of the 30 bacterial clones were then used to infect C. elegans. All five mutants had impaired ability to colonize C. elegans compared with the wild type bacteria (decrease of 1.5-2.0 logs, p < 0.05). The limitation of this work is that the model can be used for initial screening, but other more complex systems should be used to confirm the findings. C. elegans can be used as a model to test for M. avium adherence/colonization-associated virulence determinants. All the tested adherence-deficient clones that were examined had impaired ability to colonize the host C. elegans, and some can be potentially used to prevent colonization.
Greater reductions in fat preferences in CALHM1 than CD36 knockout mice.

Several studies indicate an important role of gustation in intake and preference for dietary fat. The present study compared fat preference deficits produced by deletion of CD36, a putative fatty a...
Explanation of Terms and Procedure

The type is considered to be the plant which was used as the basis of the original description. However, in the instance of mosses it is possible and probable that several plants of the same kind in one packet may have been used in the preparation of the original description. The author refers to these as the type or the type collection. These plants or this collection in the herbarium of the author of the original description, or the first author if more than one, with data on label corresponding to those given in their published description should be the type or the type collection, unless otherwise stated. Occasionally, but rarely, the word “type” occurs on the label or the packet. Frequently the abbreviation, sp. nov., etc. has been used. But, these indications are usually found in all herbaria to which the author of the species distributed duplicates. In the absence of definite indication as to the type, it has been necessary for the author to compare label and original description data in selecting the plant, plants, or collection which the author or authors may have used in writing the original description. These have been indicated by “selected to be the type,” “selected to be the type collection,” “assumed to be the type,” or “assumed to be the type collection.”
Listing Data Files

You will want to list data files either for your use or for presentation to others. The first lists will be for your editing, so that you can verify that the files prepared with the programs in Chapter 1 are complete and accurate. Once the files are correct, you will want lists for records. Scanning the lists will detect patterns in the data that are obvious from visual inspection. Generally, your lists will include all of the identification and chemical variables.
Structured Illumination Microscopy

Abstract Structured illumination is a resolution-enhancement technique for widefield fluorescence microscopy that can double its spatial resolution in three dimensions by using spatially patterned excitation light. Such patterned excitation encodes conventionally unobservable high-resolution information in the form of low-resolution information, which is then computationally decoded to form a final image with extended resolution. In this chapter, we introduce the basic principles of structured illumination and describe in detail a number of key issues in its implementation as well the image reconstruction algorithms. We also discuss different forms of structured illumination and its extension, including its combination with interferometer and nonlinear structured illumination. We also present imaging results on quite a few different kinds of biological specimens.
Abstract WP153: Depressive Symptom Trajectories Are Associated With Blood Pressure Reduction Among Stroke Survivors

Little is known about the longitudinal course of post-stroke depression and its impact on vascular risk reduction, a key secondary prevention strategy. Data for this study came from the Discharge E...
Improved Chemical Prediction from Scarce Data Sets via Latent Space Enrichment

Modern machine learning provides promising methods for accelerating the discovery and characterization of novel chemical species. However, in many areas experimental data remain costly and scarce, and computational models are unavailable for targeted figures of merit. Here we report a promising pathway to address this challenge by using chemical latent space enrichment, whereby disparate data sources are combined in joint prediction tasks to enable improved prediction in data-scarce applications. The approach is demonstrated for p Ka prediction of moderately sized molecular species using a combination of experimentally available p Ka data and density functional theory-based characterizations of the (de)protonation free energy. A novel autoencoder framework is used to create a continuous chemical latent space that is then used in single and joint training tasks for property prediction. By combining these two data sets in a jointly trained autoencoder framework, we observe mutual improvement in property prediction tasks in the scarce data limit. We also demonstrate an enrichment mechanism that is unique to latent space training, whereby training on excess computational data can mitigate the prediction losses associated with scarce experimental data and advantageously organize the latent space. These results demonstrate that disparate chemical data sources can be advantageously combined in an autoencoder framework with potential general application to data-scarce chemical learning tasks.
Introduction to geriatric forensic evaluations

Abstract This chapter provides a general introduction to the geriatric forensic evaluation and highlights how geriatric forensic evaluations differ from general forensic evaluations. Many factors make evaluation of an elderly individual different from a young person including the role of complex medical factors, medications, generational questions and ethical considerations. The chapter reviews key components of the mental status exam.
Fitting growth curve models to longitudinal data with missing observations

We discuss the analysis of growth curve data with missing or incomplete information. The approach is to fit subject-specific models and then to carry out an analysis in terms of the estimated parameters. This achieves reduction of data and eliminates the need for special considerations for subjects with missing data. Although there is no perfect substitute for complete data, our approach provides a way to handle missing data using a straightforward application of well-known statistical methodology.
The Influence of Therapeutics on Prognostication After Cardiac Arrest.

The goal of this review is to highlight the influence of therapeutic maneuvers on neuro-prognostication measures administered to comatose survivors of cardiac arrest. We focus on the effect of sedation regimens in the setting of targeted temperature management (TTM), one of the principle interventions known to improve neurological recovery after cardiac arrest. Further, we discuss the critical need for novel markers, as well as refinement of existing markers, among patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in the setting of failed conventional resuscitation, known as extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR). Automated pupillometry may have some advantage over standard pupillary examination for prognostication following TTM, sedation, or the use of ECMO after cardiac arrest. New serum biomarkers such as Neurofilament light chain have shown good predictive abilities and need further validation in these populations. There is a high-level uncertainty in brain death declaration protocols particularly related to apnea testing and appropriate ancillary tests in patients receiving ECMO. Both sedation and TTM alone and in combination have been shown to affect prognostic markers to varying degrees. The optimal approach to analog-sedation is unknown, and requires further study. Moreover, validation of known prognostic markers, as well as brain death declaration processes in patients receiving ECMO is warranted. Data on the effects of TTM, sedation, and ECMO on biomarkers (e.g., neuron-specific enolase) and electrophysiology measures (e.g., somatosensory-evoked potentials) is sparse. The best approach may be one customized to the individual patient, a precision-medicine approach.
Complementary Bayesian method of moments strategies

Methodology is proposed that addresses two problems that arise in application of the generalized method of moments representation of the likelihood in Bayesian inference: (1) a missing Jacobian term and (2) a normality assumption. The proposals are illustrated by application to the seminal application of the generalized method of moments methodology in the econometric literature: an endowment economy whose representative agent has constant relative risk aversion utility.
The European Migrant Crisis: A Case Study in Failure of Governmental and Supra-governmental Responses

One of the main reasons for advocating international integration and, even more precisely, for the creation of supra-state governance structures is the very idea of crisis and crisis management. This chapter explores the case of the migrant crises in European and the European Union’s (EU’s) response. Starting 2015, millions of migrants and refugees crossed into Europe and EU countries have struggled to cope. Tensions and divisions emerged in the EU over how best to deal with this massive resettlement of people. Taking a look at the case, we get a better sense of the role of the states (and state-like structures) not only in solving such crises but also in fueling and maintaining them.
Shortened Positive and Negative Symptom Scale as an Alternate Clinical Endpoint for Acute Schizophrenia Trials: Analysis from the US Food & Drug Administration

Objective To evaluate the performance of the individual Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) items, and to assess the feasibility of using a shortened version of the PANSS as an alternative ...
Challenges and Opportunities to Bolster the Effectiveness of Childhood Screening.

* Abbreviation: NIH — : National Institutes of Health Collectively, through the articles in this supplement, the authors identify numerous challenges to advancing the science of childhood screening but also note exciting opportunities for future research, including potential advances in terminology, theoretical frameworks, and methodologic approaches. The authors’ contributions are grounded in the existing standards of pediatric research but enhanced through contributions from developmental science, econometrics, data science, and public health scholarship. Implementation of the novel and rigorous approaches described herein (and the development of new, yet unimagined innovations) may hold promise for identifying approaches to surveillance and screening that will be the most effective in improving children’s health, development, and well-being. The term “screening” is used differently across various disciplines and research contexts. In the context of prevention, screening is defined as the systematic testing of asymptomatic individuals to identify people at an increased risk (or early stage) of a disease or condition, with the aim of providing information and other services that reduce the risk of complications.1–3 Although this definition is relatively straightforward, quantifying the benefits of such screening in clinical practice can be a challenge because of factors such as lack of consistent follow-up diagnostic evaluation and treatment, even in clinical trials. One proposition to address this issue is to expand the definition of screening from mere receipt of a screening test to the entire process from invitation to screening among asymptomatic people through completion of the treatment of the people identified with the condition.1 Accessible follow-up thus becomes an important issue to consider if the benefits of screening, diagnosis, and treatment are to be quantified at a population level. “Surveillance” is another term that has different connotations … Address correspondence to Rosalind B. King, PhD, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, 6710B Rockledge Dr, Room 2305, Bethesda, MD 20892-7002. E-mail: rosalind.king{at}nih.gov
American Immigration: A Very Short Introduction

Like many of the works in this series, David Gerber’s American Immigration: A Very Short Introduction, 2nd Edition provides what the title suggests: a very short introduction. The paperback, at 136...
Prior Glucose-Lowering Medication Use and 30-Day Outcomes Among 64,892 Veterans With Diabetes and COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To identify preinfection risk factors for adverse outcomes among veterans with diabetes and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We identified all Veterans Health Administration patients with diabetes and one or more positive nasal swab(s) for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (1 March 2020-10 March 2021) (n = 64,892). We examined associations of HbA1c and glucose-lowering medication use with hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and mortality at 30 days using logistic regression models and during 4.4 months of follow-up (range <1-13.1) using proportional hazards models. RESULTS: Compared with HbA1c <7.0%, HbA1c ≥9.0% was associated with higher odds of hospitalization, ICU admission, and death at 30 days (odds ratio [OR] 1.27 [95% CI 1.19-1.35], 1.28 [95% CI 1.15-1.42], 1.30 [95% CI 1.17-1.44], respectively) as well as higher risk of death over 4.4 months (hazard ratio [HR] 1.22 [95% CI 1.12-1.32]). Insulin use was associated with higher odds of hospitalization, ICU admission, and death (OR 1.12 [95% CI 1.07-1.18], 1.12 [95% CI 1.04-1.22], and 1.18 [95% CI 1.09-1.27], respectively) and higher risk of death (HR 1.12 [95% CI 1.07-1.18]). Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i), glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP1-RA), or angiotensin receptor blocker use were associated with lower odds of hospitalization (OR 0.92 [95% CI 0.85-0.99], 0.88 [95% CI 0.81-0.96], and 0.94 [95% CI 0.89-0.99], respectively). Metformin and SGLT2i use were associated with lower odds (OR 0.84 [95% CI 0.78-0.91], 0.82 [95% CI 0.72-0.94], respectively) and risk of death (HR 0.84 [95% CI 0.79-0.89], 0.82 [95% CI 0.74-0.92], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Among veterans with diabetes and COVID-19, higher HbA1c and insulin use were directly associated with adverse outcomes, while use of a GLP1-RA, metformin, and SGLT2i was inversely associated.
AN INTERFEROMETRIC INVESTIGATION OF HEAT TRANSFER IN HONEYCOMB SOLAR COLLECTOR CELLS

ABSTRACT Local and average heat transfer coefficients for natural convection between parallel plates with honeycomb cells in between have been experimentally studied using an interferometric technique. The experimental conditions are similar to those proposed for honeycomb solar collectors. Nusselt numbers were obtained experimentally for collector tilt angles of 60° and 90°, and various Grashof numbers and aspect ratios. This study also proposes varying the honeycomb angle (with respect to the plates) from the conventional 90°, and honeycomb angles of 90° and 60° are studied. The results are useful in determining the top convective loss coefficient, and therefore in minimizing losses and optimizing the design of honeycomb solar collectors. The results indicate that these losses are strong functions of the aspect ratio and that honeycomb angles below 90° help reduce these losses.
The role of the “indifferent” cell of the tubal epithelium

Abstract The "indifferent" cell of the tubal epithelium is a specific variety and is recognized by simple histologic study. By use of acridine orange fluorescence and incubation with H 3 -thymidine this cell appears to be metabolically more active than the commonly described varieties of the tubal epithelium. In conditions demonstrating increased proliferation of the epithelium, e.g., salpingitis, increase in metabolically active cells corresponds to the increase in the numbers of "indifferent" cells. It is postulated that this indifferent cell is the cell from which the mature epithelial cell, and possibly even the stroma, regenerates.
A general boundary element analysis of 2-D linear elastic fracture mechanics

This paper presents a boundary element method (BEM) analysis of linear elastic fracture mechanics in two-dimensional solids. The most outstanding feature of this new analysis is that it is a single-domain method, and yet it is very accurate, efficient and versatile: Material properties in the medium can be anisotropic as well as isotropic. Problem domain can be finite, infinite or semi-infinite. Cracks can be of multiple, branched, internal or edged type with a straight or curved shape. Loading can be of in-plane or anti-plane, and can be applied along the no-crack boundary or crack surface. Furthermore, the body-force case can also be analyzed. The present BEM analysis is an extension of the work by Pan and Amadei (1996a) and is such that the displacement and traction integral equations are collocated, respectively, on the no-crack boundary and on one side of the crack surface. Since in this formulation the displacement and/or traction are used as unknowns on the no-crack boundary and the relative crack displacement (i.e. displacement discontinuity) as unknown on the crack surface, it possesses the advantages of both the traditional displacement BEM and the displacement discontinuity method (DDM) and yet gets rid of the disadvantages associated with these methods when modeling fracture mechanics problems. Numerical examples of calculation of stress intensity factors (SIFs) for various benchmark problems were conducted and excellent agreement with previously published results was obtained.
Clinical Outcomes Associated With Chronic Antimicrobial Suppression Therapy in Patients With Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Devices

This retrospective cohort study evaluates the effect of chronic antimicrobial suppression (CAS) therapy on clinical outcomes in patients with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVADs) and a history of device-related infection. Patients with CF-LVAD implantation between January 2008 and August 2011 who received systemic CAS after index antibiotic treatment of a device-related infection were included. Chronic suppression was defined as continuation of antibiotics for longer than 6 weeks after the index infection. Standard International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation definitions were used. The primary outcome is failure of CAS, defined as a clinical deterioration resulting in the need for transition from oral to intravenous (IV) therapy or a need to change to a different IV antibiotic, elevation to status 1A on the transplant list as a result of ongoing infection, or device/driveline exchange. Of 140 patients screened, 16 patients were included (69% male, 63% African American, median age 52 years). The driveline was the most common site of infection (69%). Organisms isolated included Gram-positive cocci (n = 7), Gram-negative bacilli (n = 10), and Candida (n = 1). Oral trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole treatment was most commonly used for suppression (37.5%). Failure of CAS occurred in 5/16 (31%) patients after a mean time of 175 days on therapy (range 10-598). The majority of failures (60%) required device exchanges. Side effects of nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea were reported in three patients; all required changes in oral suppression regimen. Clostridium difficile infection was noted in two patients. These results, which must be confirmed by a larger analysis, suggest that one-third of CF-LVAD patients may develop recurrent infections while on CAS therapy.
What is Philadelphia?: The city as polity☆

Abstract This article examines definitions of Philadelphia — and, by implication, of all cities. The author assesses definitions of the city as a set of persons, an economy and a community. He argues that these common definitions presuppose political assumptions and institutions. He proceeds to analyse the concept of Philadelphia as a polity within the US federal system and concludes by arguing that the most cogent definition treats the city as a coporate polity; as a political unit behaving as a firm.
Free Market Fairness

Can libertarians care about social justice? In Free Market Fairness, John Tomasi argues that they can and should. Drawing simultaneously on moral insights from defenders of economic liberty such as F. A. Hayek and advocates of social justice such as John Rawls, Tomasi presents a new theory of liberal justice. This theory, free market fairness, is committed to both limited government and the material betterment of the poor. Unlike traditional libertarians, Tomasi argues that property rights are best defended not in terms of self-ownership or economic efficiency but as requirements of democratic legitimacy. At the same time, he encourages egalitarians concerned about social justice to listen more sympathetically to the claims ordinary citizens make about the importance of private economic liberty in their daily lives. In place of the familiar social democratic interpretations of social justice, Tomasi offers a "market democratic" conception of social justice: free market fairness. Tomasi argues that free market fairness, with its twin commitment to economic liberty and a fair distribution of goods and opportunities, is a morally superior account of liberal justice. Free market fairness is also a distinctively American ideal. It extends the notion, prominent in America's founding period, that protection of property and promotion of real opportunity are indivisible goals. Indeed, according to Tomasi, free market fairness is social justice, American style.
The Relationship of Hardiness and Social Support to Student Appraisal of Stress in an Initial Clinical Nursing Situation

The stressful nature of the clinical experience of nursing students was examined within the context of Lazarus' theory of cognitive appraisal of stress. The students' evaluation of their initial medical-surgical clinical experience as a threat or a challenge was determined along with the hypothesized mediating variables of hardiness and social support. The sample of 246 students from seven different colleges and universities in Pennsylvania completed a hardiness measure, the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire (NSSQ), and a Clinical Stress Questionnaire (CSQ). Although the correlations were low, hardiness was found to be positively related to the evaluation of challenge and negatively related to the evaluation of threat. Social support was positively related to the evaluation of challenge only when using a work-related measure of support. The hypothesis that social support would be negatively related to the evaluation of threat was not supported. This research raises important questions related to the theories of hardiness, social support, and cognitive appraisal of stress. Implications for further research in this area are offered.
Distribution of early life Pacific halibut and comparison with Greenland halibut in the eastern Bering Sea

ABSTRACT Information about spatial distribution patterns during early life stages of fish is key to understanding dispersal trajectories and connectivity from spawning to nursery areas, as well as adult population dynamics. More than 30 years of historical field data were analyzed in order to describe the horizontal and vertical distributions of Pacific halibut early life stages (larvae to juveniles) in the eastern Bering Sea and to compare the distributions between Pacific halibut and Greenland halibut. Our results indicate that spawning for both species likely occurred in Bering and Pribilof canyons, along the slope between the two canyons, and on the eastern side of the Aleutian Islands during winter, but Pacific halibut spawning was protracted until early spring. Larvae of both species rose to shallower depths in the water column as they developed, but Pacific halibut larvae had an abrupt movement toward shallower depths. Geographically, larvae for both species either advected northwestward along the Bering Sea Slope or crossed onto the shelves from the slope regions, but the timing in Pacific halibut larval progression onto the shelf and along the slope was earlier than for Greenland halibut larvae. Pacific halibut juveniles (≤ 90 mm total length (TL)) were mostly found in the inner shelf between Bristol Bay and Nunivak Island, along the Alaskan Peninsula, and in the vicinity of the Pribilof Islands. The range of Greenland halibut juvenile (≤ 90 mm TL) distribution was expanded to south of the Pribilof Islands in the middle shelf and to the inner shelf. Although the two species share some attributes (i.e., spawning location) during early life stages, there were species-specific differences associated with spatial distribution (vertically and horizontally), timing differences in larval progression onto the shelves, pelagic larval duration, and juvenile nursery areas.
Tibial length growth curves for ambulatory children and adolescents with cerebral palsy.

Aim The aim of this study was to generate growth curves for ambulatory children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) using tibial lengths and to determine if they differed according to sex or Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level. Method Growth data were studied from a cohort of 750 participants (442 males, 308 females [1199 visits]; mean age 10y 9mo, SD 3y 4mo, range 4–21y) with CP (hemiplegia, n=163; diplegia, n=573; triplegia, n=11; quadriplegia n=2; GMFCS levels I–III), and 165 typically developing children (96 males, 115 females; [211 visits]) mean age 10y 9mo, SD 4y 2mo, range 4–19y). Tibial length measurements calculated from data collected during routine gait analyses were validated using anthropometric tibial length measurements and were used to generate growth curves for males and females classified as GMFCS level I, II, or III. Growth was compared in participants of different sexes and GMFCS levels using the median curves. Results Growth curves for males and females (GMFCS levels I–III) with estimate lines for 3rd, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 97th centiles were generated. Mean tibial length was greater in males than in females in all GMFCS levels. Tibial lengths were shorter in participants classified as GMFCS level III than in those classified as GMFCS level I or II. Interpretation To our knowledge this is the first large-scale investigation of bone growth in ambulatory children and adolescents with CP. The large sample made it possible to generate growth curves and to provide insight into growth trends. The study findings serve as a basis for analysis of the relationships between growth, function, and treatment outcomes.
Detection of specularity using colour and multiple views

This paper presents a model and an algorithm for the detection of specularities from Lambertian reflections using multiple color images from different viewing directions. The algorithm, called spectral differencing, is based on the Lambertian consistency that color image irradiance from Lambertian reflection at an object surface does not change depending on viewing directions, but color image irradiance from specular reflection or from a mixture of Lambertian and specular reflections does change. The spectral differencing is a pixelwise parallel algorithm, and it detects specularities by color differences between a small number of images without using any feature correspondence or image segmentation. Applicable objects include uniformly or nonuniformly colored dielectrics and metals, under extended and multiply colored scene illumination. Experimental results agree with the model, and the algorithm performs well within the limitations discussed.
Sitting in Your Reader's Chair: Attending to Your Academic Sensemakers

This article describes to authors what journal reviewers expect of the scholarly publications they review and how authors can anticipate reviewers' sensemaking processes to increase their chances of being understood and making their contribution clear. Authors are urged to (a) clarify their research question and intended contribution early in the paper; (b) guide readers' understanding of literature relevant to the paper; (c) understand readers' perspective and anticipate their questions; (d) be aware of and explain how terms and figures are used; (e) obtain collegial feedback on a paper before submitting it; (f) use editors' and reviewers' feedback to understand how they made sense of the paper; (g) use feedback to improve the paper in revising; and (h) manage the flow of papers from a project to incorporate sensemaking feedback.
Review article : drug-induced pancreatitis

Drugs are a relatively uncommon cause of pancreatitis in adult patients, but should be considered when other reasonable causes of pancreatitis are not present. A wide variety of drugs have been reported to cause pancreatitis. Drug-induced pancreatitis is almost always acute and may be mild to fatal in severity. Definite proof that a drug causes pancreatitis requires that pancreatitis develops during treatment with the drug, that other likely causes of pancreatitis are not present, that pancreatitis resolves upon discontinuing the drug, and that pancreatitis usually recurs upon readministration of the drug. For ethical reasons, rechallenge with the suspect drug can be done only if the drug is necessary to treat a serious condition; thus this highly convincing piece of evidence relating the drug to pancreatitis may not be available. Information about drug-related pancreatitis is often not readily available, particularly for newer drugs. Clinicians should consider obtaining information directly from regulatory agencies and manufacturers as well as the literature.
G1 smooth interpolation of curve meshes using rational Bezier patches

ABSTRACT In this paper, a new method for GC1 interpolating cubic unrestricted curve meshes is presented. By choosing the rational combination-functions which ensure the compatibility of twists at nodepoints, quintic vector-valued first order cross-boundary derivatives of surface patches are generated. The resulting surface patches are taken tobe the Coons-Boolean sum patches interpolating the boundary information obtained. and are converted to rational biquintic Bezier patches. Compared with other similar interpolation methods, this method has the advantagesthat it uses lower degree (biquintic) Bezier patches, and that it is local.Keywords: CAD, CAGD. geometric modeling, GC' surface construction, Bezier patches. Coons patches. 1 INTRODUCTION One can generate surfaces with first order (C1)andeven second order (C2) parametric continuity by interpo- lating data points using low degree surfaces such as bicubic B-spline surfaces by solving their control points from the corresponding equation systems. However, when the data points are unevenly distributed, the resulting sur-
Changing the rules again: Short selling in connection with public equity offers

Abstract We study the impact of two recent regulations that impose restrictions on short selling. First, since October 2007 any investor that short sells a firm’s stock is prohibited from purchasing shares in the firm’s seasoned equity offering (SEO) if the short occurred in the five days prior to the offering (pursuant to an amendment to Rule 105). Previously Rule 105 only disallowed investors from covering a pre-issue short sale with shares purchased in the offering. We hypothesize that the amended rule has the unintended consequence of greater discounting for overnight offers, which are not announced in advance, because the rule excludes some potential buyers and thereby forces underwriters to set lower offer prices to fully distribute the offer. The evidence supports this hypothesis. Second, we examine the impact of the SEC’s 2008 Emergency Order that greatly curtails naked short selling on all stocks under its jurisdiction. We find that the Emergency Order is associated with large increases in discounting for offers announced in advance, suggesting that the removal of naked short sellers is associated with reduced pre-SEO pricing efficiency. Taken together, the results imply that recent restrictions on short selling have significant unintended effects on the capital raising process.
Synthesis and biological evaluation of non-polyene analogs of amphotericin B☆

Abstract Synthesis of the first analog of a polyene macrolide antibiotic containing a rigid, non-polyene backbone has been accomplished. The sterol recognition surface of amphotericin B has been modified in an effort to better understand the role of the polyene backbone. Its antifungal activity is reduced significantly compared with amphotericin B.
Modification of a Commercial Spectrophotometer for Photoacoustic Measurement

Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) is an established technique for optical spectroscopic study of chemisorbed species on surfaces of highly absorbing or highly scattering condensed phase samples in the UV, VIS, and IR region. The technique typically involves enclosing the sample in a sealed cell containing a transparent gas which is also in contact with the diaphragm of a sensitive microphone. Intensity-modulated monochromatic light is directed onto the sample through a window in the cell. If the light is absorbed by the sample, subsequent nonradiative relaxation of the molecules at the sample surface will give rise to thermal fluctuations within the sample. When these thermal waves reach the sample/gas interface, heating and expansion of the thin layer of gas adjacent to the sample surface generates pressure fluctuation within the gas of the same frequency as the intensity modulation of the incident light. The acoustic waves are monitored by the microphone. As the wavelength of the light is continuously varied, a spectrum of the sample similar to an absorption spectrum is produced if the intensity of the acoustic wave is plotted vs wavelength of light.
The K-ABC and cognitive processing styles in autistic children

Abstract The theoretical basis of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) and its potential for use as a diagnostic instrument with autistic children was evaluated. Because it has been suggested that a central cognitive defect results in the deficits of autistic children in processing information in a sequential manner, autistic children should favor a simultaneous information-processing style as reflected in their performance on the K-ABC. A multiple discriminant analysis yielded no significant discriminant function that could differentiate a group of autistic children from a nonautistic control group of comparable cognitive ability on the basis of their K-ABC performance. In addition, t tests did not suggest a significant difference between Simultaneous and Sequential scores for either group, raising questions about whether autistic children truly possess deficits in sequential skills. The results of this study support the use of the K-ABC as a measure of general intellectual functioning but not as a measure of simultaneous and sequential processing.
6-OHDA lesions of the hypothalamus: Interaction of aphagia, food palatability, set-point for weight regulation, and recovery of feeding☆

Abstract 6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) exerted a marked effect on normal eating behavior when injected bilaterally into certain regions of the brainstem of the rat. The drug was administered in a volume ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 μl at sites in the hypothalamus and mesencephalon extending from AP 7.0 to 2.2. In 41 of 42 rats, 6-OHDA did not elicit an ingestive response following its injection in doses of 5, 8, 15, or 30μg per site. Rather, the immediate effect of the drug was a profound aphagia and adipsia which was either short-lived, chronic, or lethal depending on the anatomical locus of injection and the concentration of the drug given. The crucial factor in the reversal of anorexia and the reinstatement of a normal feeding pattern was the nature of the diet itself. Recovery from a 6-OHDA syndrome was enhanced or attenuated in 28 of 42 rats simply by altering the esculent property of the diet. In a test of the Powley-Keesey hypothesis for weight regulation, 4 of 5 of those rats reduced by food deprivation to 75% of their normal body weight recovered from the highest dose (30 μg) of 6-OHDA, whereas all but one rat died in another high dose group in which body weight had not been previously reduced. However, when 6-OHDA was injected in lower doses into the hypothalamus, the level of body weight did not necessarily determine the time course of recovery nor the extent to which drinking and feeding resumed. At 50 of 57 sites in which 6-OHDA had been injected, 5 μg of norepinephrine failed to elicit any eating response. Neither eating nor drinking was evoked by the micro-injection of acetylcholine-eserine, angiotensin, or dopamine at many of these sites or by calcium (Ca ++ ) injected into the cerebral ventricle. Although these findings give experimental support to the supposition that a catecholaminergic mechanism may be involved in food and water intake, it is clear that the metabolic weight regulation system, gustatory, motor and other factors required for ingestive behavior are all affected to a differential degree by the chemical lesion produced by 6-OHDA.
Improved Microvascular Network in Vitro by Human Blood Outgrowth Endothelial Cells Relative to Vessel-Derived Endothelial Cells

Evidence suggests that bone marrow-derived cells circulating in adult blood, sometimes called endothelial progenitor cells, contribute to neovascularization in vivo and give rise to cells expressing endothelial markers in culture. To explore the utility of blood-derived cells expressing an endothelial phenotype for creating tissue-engineered microvascular networks, we employed a three-dimensional in vitro angiogenesis model to compare microvascular network formation by human blood outgrowth endothelial cells (HBOECs) with three human vessel-derived endothelial cell (EC) types: human umbilical vein ECs (HUVECs), and adult and neonatal human microvascular ECs. Under every condition investigated, HBOECs within collagen gels elongated significantly more than any other cell type. Under all conditions investigated, gel contraction and cell elongation were correlated, with HBOECs demonstrating the largest generation of force. HBOECs did not exhibit a survival advantage, nor did they enhance elongation of HUVECs when the two cell types were cocultured. Network formation of both HBOECs and HUVECs was inhibited by blocking antibodies to alpha2beta1, but not alpha(v)beta3, integrins. Taken together, these data suggest that superior network exhibited by HBOECs relative to vessel-derived endothelial cells is not due to a survival advantage, use of different integrins, or secretion of an autocrine/paracrine factor, but may be related to increased force generation.
Evidence for involvement of the electron transport system at a late step of anaerobic microbial heme synthesis.

Abstract The penultimate step in heme biosynthesis, the oxidation of protoporphyrinogen to protoporphyrin, can be anaerobically coupled to the reduction of fumarate in extracts of anaerobically-grown Escherichia coli . This coupling is approximately 90% inhibited by 2-heptyl-4-hydroxy quinoline- N -oxide (HQNO), a known inhibitor of the electron transport chain. This observation suggests that the mechanism of the anaerobic oxidation of protoporphyrinogen in E. coli involves a coupling into the anaerobic electron transport system. In contrast, the aerobic oxidation of protoporphyrinogen, which occurs in mammalian and yeast mitochondria, is known to be linked directly to oxygen without the mediation of an electron transport system.
Breast Biopsies with ABBI®: Experience with 183 Attempted Biopsies

When first introduced, the advanced breast biopsy instrumentation (ABBI®) system seemed to have many advantages as a diagnostic procedure. Problems have arisen, however, both in terms of patient unsuitability and mechanical failure. In addition, there has been uncertainty as to whether the complete lesion removal it afforded could be considered definitive treatment in malignant cases. Incision margins were looked at to investigate that possibility. Of the 183 patients we saw in our first year of experience with ABBI, 48 (26%) were rejected for being poor candidates for it. In the remaining 132 biopsies there were 31 (23%) technical difficulties. All told, 14 malignancies were discovered, all of which appeared to have pathology-free incision margins radiologically. However, 13 of these 14 (93%) proved on pathologic examination to have residual malignancy. ▪
Polyalloocimene, a novel nonconjugated conductive polymer: The correct fundamental basis for conductive polymers

Abstract A polymer does not have to be conjugated to become electrically conductive. The correct fundamental basis for a polymer to be conductive is that it must have at least one double bond in the repeat. The magnitude of conductivity increases with the number fraction of the double bonds in the repeat. Polyisoprene, the first known nonconjugated conductive polymer has a double bond number fraction of 1/4 while polyacetylene, the first known conjugated conductive polymer, has a number fraction of 1/2. A new nonconjugated conductive polymer, polyalloocimene, has a double bond number fraction of about 1/3. Consequently, the electrical conductivity, the doping rate and the optical transition energies of polyalloocimene are intermediate between those of polyisoprene and polyacetylene. The magnitude of conductivity has a power law dependence on the number‐fraction of double bonds. The optical absorption peak of the radical cation produced upon doping appears at lower energies as the separation between the do...
Risk evaluations and condom use decisions of homeless youth: a multi-level qualitative investigation

Homeless youth are at higher risk for sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancy than non-homeless youth. However, little is known about how they evaluate risk within the context of their sexual relationships. It is important to understand homeless youths' condom use decisions in light of their sexual relationships because condom use decisions are influenced by relationship dynamics in addition to individual attitudes and event circumstances. It is also important to understand how relationship level factors, sexual event circumstances, and individual characteristics compare and intersect. To explore these issues, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 37 homeless youth in Los Angeles County in 2011 concerning their recent sexual relationships and analyzed the data using systematic methods of team-based qualitative data analysis. We identified themes of risk-related evaluations and decisions at the relationship/partner, event, and individual level. We also identified three different risk profiles that emerged from analyzing how different levels of risk intersected across individual respondents. The three profiles included 1) Risk Takers, who consistently engage in risk and have low concern about consequences of risk behavior, 2) Risk Avoiders, who consistently show high concern about protection and consistently avoid risk, and 3) Risk Reactors, those who are inconsistent in their concerns about risk and protection and mainly take risks in reaction to relationship and event circumstances. Interventions targeting homeless youth should reflect multiple levels of risk behavior and evaluation in order to address the diversity of risk profiles. Relationship/partner-, event-, and individual-level factors are all important but have different levels of importance for different homeless youth. Interventions should be tailored to address the most important factor contributing to homeless youth reproductive needs.
Explaining Capital Account Liberalization in Latin America: A Transitional Cost Approach

In the past three decades governments around the world have lowered barriers to international capital flows. This movement is widely attributed to the forces of globalization, as developed nations moved toward relative convergence on international financial openness. Yet developing nations with much to gain from openness to foreign investment moved only hesitantly and inconsistently in this direction. Analysis of two decades of capital account liberalization in Latin America and the OECD reveals that nations in Latin America with weaker domestic financial sectors face higher risks of transitional dislocations following liberalization and move less aggressively toward openness. In the OECD, by contrast, financial weakness is associated with greater movements toward capital account opening, as transitional costs are lower and governments are better equipped to ameliorate them. Examination of the transitional costs of liberalization thus helps to explain how market pressures may impede, rather than promote, market-oriented reform in Latin America.
Neurons in brain cell culture specifically bind fluorescein-labelled angiotensin II

Abstract Cultured fetal rat brain cells were incubated with fluorescein-labelled angiotensin II in the presence or absence of excess unlabelled angiotensin II and viewed with epifluorescent light microscopy. Approximately 1% of the cells stained specifically in a bright patchy green pattern which were all of neuronal morphology. When excess angiotensin II was given, only a faint homogeneous green tint was seen, with 50–60% of all cells staining nonspecifically. This study demonstrates that certain neurons in cell culture have specific binding sites for ANG II.
Low voltage field emission from PbZr 0.2 Ti 0.8 O 3 -coated silicon nanotips

We report field emission from nanometer-sharp tips of polarized PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3 (PZT) and silicon. The ferroelectric PZT emitters are a high-density array of single-crystal silicon tips that are coated with a 30 nm thick film of crystalline PZT in a batch fabrication process. The PZT emitter tips begin to emit electrons at fields as low as 2 V/μm and reach threshold emission at fields as low as 3.9 V/μm. This is considerably lower than the threshold field of 7.2 V/μm for uncoated silicon emitter tips. This improvement is about one order of magnitude improvement over previous publications for silicon tips. Using a Fowler-Nordheim analysis, we calculate the effective work function of the PZT film to be 1.00 eV and the field amplification factor to be 1525.
Luminescence of alkali halide crystals by multiphoton excitation

Abstract Luminescence is observed for CsI and NaBr crystals due to two-photon excitation. Near UV fluorescence of a NaI crystal from three-photon excitation is reported. The mechanism of producing near UV luminescence is discussed.