cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thrombopoietin receptor agonist therapy in primary immune thrombocytopenia is associated with bone marrow hypercellularity and mild reticulin fibrosis but not other stromal abnormalities

Primary immune thrombocytopenia is an acquired autoimmune disorder characterized by platelet count of <100 × 10(9)/l in the absence of other causes of thrombocytopenia. Primary immune thrombocytopenia is defined as 'chronic' when it has been present for more than 12 months without spontaneous remission or maintenance of complete response to therapy. Recently, thrombopoietin receptor agonists became available for treatment of chronic primary immune thrombocytopenia. Anecdotal reports have raised concerns about a possible association between therapy with thrombopoietin receptor agonists and an increase in bone marrow fibrosis. To investigate this association we studied eight patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia in detail comparing fibrosis and other morphological features in pre-therapy and on-therapy bone marrow biopsies, with the longest follow-up reported to date. A slight but significant increase to MF-1 in reticulin fibrosis was observed during therapy, but collagen was never present. On-therapy bone marrows were hypercellular due to panmyelosis with increased trilineage hematopoiesis. Megakaryocytes were increased in number, with acquisition of evident pleomorphism, nuclear hyperlobulation and tendency in some cases to form clusters. The overall picture of the on-therapy marrows was characterized by myeloproliferative neoplasm-like features, resembling essential thrombocythemia or occasionally early primary myelofibrosis. As thrombopoietin receptor agonists are becoming a mainstream treatment for primary immune thrombocytopenia, general pathologists and especially hematopathologists need to be aware of the characteristic morphological changes associated with use of these therapeutic agents, in order to avoid misdiagnosis of a myeloid neoplasm.
Spatial, temporal and interactive variability of infauna in Swedish coastal sediments

The relative sizes and importance of spatial, temporal and interactive variability of soft-sediment assemblages in Swedish coastal waters were estimated using a hierarchical sampling programme. Spatial scales ranged between 10 0–1 and 10 3 m and samples were collected at three times within 1 year. Variability in diversity of assemblages, as well as abundances of the 15 most common taxa, were estimated and tested using ANOVA. Nonparametric multivariate analyses of variance (NPMANOVA) were used to test and estimate the variability of whole assemblages. Univariate analyses revealed that all variables showed significant spatial and temporal patterns but that these differed among individual taxa. A general finding was that there was much interactive variability between times of sampling and the two spatial scales tested. This means that abundance and diversity of infauna changed differently among bays located a few kilometers apart and among locations within bays located hundreds of meters apart. Thus, spatial patterns of assemblages changed among times of sampling. Conclusions were similar for univariate as well as multivariate analyses, although multivariate patterns appeared slightly more persistent. Furthermore, estimation of variance components showed a substantial variability among cores within locations. The results provide the first coherent analysis of interactive scale-dependent variability in these geographic areas and one of few in soft sediments. Results are discussed in relation to previously observed patterns of spatio-temporal variability in soft sediments and in a context of potential processes responsible for creating patterns at particular spatial scales. Results were also used for cost– benefit analyses in order to compare precision of optimal solutions to what was observed and to optimise future sampling of these assemblages. D 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Wave dispersion and the discrete aurora: New constraints derived from high-speed imagery

[1] An analysis of multiscale observations of a substorm auroral breakup are presented which clarify the role of wave dispersion in the formation of elemental (<100 m) auroral structure. At coarse resolution (all-sky white light camera, 1 frame/s), observations fit the established substorm morphology—namely, arc brightening, formation of spatial distortions, and breakup into multiple “rayed” structures. At fine-scale resolution (electron multiplying charge-coupled device [EMCCD] camera, 9-degree field of view, prompt emission filter, 30 frames/s), an entirely different type of coherence is observed. The “arc,” as identified at lower resolution, is observed to be a dynamic structure composed of bifurcating elemental arcs that propagate outward from the center of an “arc packet.” This dynamic process is well captured in time-brightness histories (keograms) along a cut bisecting the structure. The observations are interpreted with respect to theoretical predictions for inertial Alfven wave dispersion. Specifically, the arc packets are interpreted as the B⊥ projection of the parallel electric field within the Alfven resonant cone. Prebreakup observations are found to be qualitatively consistent with this model. However, some difficulties are encountered for the more active postbreakup period. The article includes a discussion of perspective considerations in interpreting small-scale auroral features; in particular, it is shown that the “rayed” appearance of discrete breakup aurora is, in fact, a consequence of sharply kinked sheets viewed obliquely.
AOP for the domain of runtime monitoring: breaking out of the code-based model

Runtime monitoring, even the canonical "logging" example of AOP, has long been one of the domains into which AOP has effectively been deployed. Yet to date AOP has not supported the full breadth of needs across the scope of widely varied runtime monitoring applications. In this paper we present the directions in which we believe AOP needs to be extended in order to better support the breadth of runtime monitoring needs.
INEQUALITY IN CITIES

ABSTRACT Much of the inequality literature has focused on national inequality, but local inequality is also important. Crime rates are higher in more unequal cities; people in unequal cities are more likely to say that they are unhappy. There is a negative association between local inequality and the growth of city-level income and population, once we control for the initial distribution of skills. High levels of mobility across cities mean that city-level inequality should not be studied with the same analytical tools used to understand national inequality, and policy approaches need to reflect the urban context. Urban inequality reflects the choices of more and less skilled people to live together in particular areas. City-level skill inequality can explain about one-third of the variation in city-level income inequality, while skill inequality is itself explained by historical schooling patterns and immigration. Local income also reflects the substantial differences in the returns to skill across, which are related to local industrial patterns.
Identification of Key Residues in Subgroup A Avian Leukosis Virus Envelope Determining Receptor Binding Affinity and Infectivity of Cells Expressing Chicken or Quail Tva Receptor

To better understand retroviral entry, we have characterized the interactions between subgroup A avian leukosis virus [ALV(A)] envelope glycoproteins and Tva, the receptor for ALV(A), that result in receptor interference. We have recently shown that soluble forms of the chicken and quail Tva receptor (sTva), expressed from genes delivered by retroviral vectors, block ALV(A) infection of cultured chicken cells ( approximately 200-fold antiviral effect) and chickens (>98% of the birds were not infected). We hypothesized that inhibition of viral replication by sTva would select virus variants with mutations in the surface glycoprotein (SU) that altered the binding affinity of the subgroup A SU for the sTva protein and/or altered the normal receptor usage of the virus. Virus propagation in the presence of quail sTva-mIgG, the quail Tva extracellular region fused to the constant region of the mouse immunoglobulin G (IgG) protein, identified viruses with three mutations in the subgroup A hr1 region of SU, E149K, Y142N, and Y142N/E149K. These mutations reduced the binding affinity of the subgroup A envelope glycoproteins for quail sTva-mIgG (32-, 324-, and 4,739-fold, respectively) but did not alter their binding affinity for chicken sTva-mIgG. The ALV(A) mutants efficiently infected cells expressing the chicken Tva receptor but were 2-fold (E149K), 10-fold (Y142N), and 600-fold (Y142N/E149K) less efficient at infecting cells expressing the quail Tva receptor. These mutations identify key determinants of the interaction between the ALV(A) glycoproteins and the Tva receptor. We also conclude from these results that, at least for the wild-type and variant ALV(A)s tested, the receptor binding affinity was directly related to infection efficiency.
Early HLA-B*57-Restricted CD8+ T Lymphocyte Responses Predict HIV-1 Disease Progression

Although HLA-B*57 (B57) is associated with slow progression to disease following HIV-1 infection, B57 heterozygotes display a wide spectrum of outcomes, including rapid progression, viremic slow progression, and elite control. Efforts to identify differences between B57-positive (B57(+)) slow progressors and B57(+) rapid progressors have largely focused on cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) phenotypes and specificities during chronic stages of infection. Although CTL responses in the early months of infection are likely to be the most important for the long-term rate of HIV-1 disease progression, few data on the early CTL responses of eventual slow progressors have been available. Utilizing the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS), we retrospectively examined the early HIV-1-specific CTL responses of 14 B57(+) individuals whose time to development of disease ranged from 3.5 years to longer than 25 years after infection. In general, a greater breadth of targeting of epitopes from structural proteins, especially Gag, as well as of highly conserved epitopes from any HIV-1 protein, correlated with longer times until disease. The single elite controller in the cohort was an outlier on several correlations of CTL targeting and time until disease, consistent with reports that elite control is typically not achieved solely by protective HLA-mediated CTLs. When targeting of individual epitopes was analyzed, we found that early CTL responses to the IW9 (ISPRTLNAW) epitope of Gag, while generally subdominant, correlated with delayed progression to disease. This is the first study to identify early CTL responses to IW9 as a correlate of protection in persons with HLA-B*57.
The mechanism of ionization radiation-induced compaction in fused silica

A number of fused silica samples were evaluated for their resistance to densification by deep ultraviolet (UV) radiation at 193nm wavelength. Density changes for all the samples equal the product of a material dependent constant and the absorbed two-photon dose to a sub-linear power of about 2/3. This dose dependence is consistent with earlier compaction studies using UV, electron and gamma radiation. We propose a fictive temperature model to describe fused silica structure; and the observed stretched power dependence of compaction on deposited energy for ionization damage can be explained by a simple network relaxation process. Experimental observations of isothermal-annealing behavior of UV-induced compaction in fused silica agree very well with our theoretical prediction; e.g. strong correlation between thermal recovery of compaction and the compaction rates for different fused silica samples; preheat-treatment can manipulate the compaction damage rates.
A MINSAT Approach for Learning in Logic Domains

This paper describes a method for learning logic relationships that correctly classify a given data set. The method derives from given logic data certain minimum cost satisfiability problems, solves these problems, and deduces from the solutions the desired logic relationships. Uses of the method include data mining, learning logic in expert systems, and identification of critical characteristics for recognition systems. Computational tests have proved that the method is fast and effective.
Signal transduction pathways that contribute to increased protein synthesis during T-cell activation

Protein synthesis rates were maximally stimulated in human lymphocytes by ionomycin and the phorbol ester PMA (I+P), which promotes proliferation, whereas PMA alone, which does not promote proliferation, stimulated protein synthesis to a lesser degree. Three translation-associated activities, eIF4E phosphorylation, eIF2B activity and 4E-BP1 phosphorylation also increased with stimulation by I+P and PMA, but only 4E-BP1 phosphorylation was differentially stimulated by these conditions. Correspondingly, signaling pathways activated in T cells were probed for their connection to these activities. Immunosuppressants FK506 and rapamycin partially blocked the protein synthesis rate increases by I+P stimulation. FK506 had less of an inhibitory effect with PMA stimulation suggesting that its mechanism mostly affected ionomycin-activated signals. I+P and PMA equally stimulated phosphorylation of ERK1/2, but I+P more strongly stimulated Akt, and p70(S6K) phosphorylation. An inhibitor that blocks ERK1/2 phosphorylation only slightly reduced protein synthesis rates stimulated by I+P or PMA, but greatly reduced eIF4E phosphorylation and eIF2B activity. In contrast, inhibitors of the PI-3 kinase and mTOR pathways strongly blocked early protein synthesis rate stimulated by I+P and PMA and also blocked 4E-BP1 phosphorylation and release of eIF4E suggesting that these pathways regulate protein synthesis activities, which are important for proliferation in T cells.
AxsJAX: a talking translation bot using google IM: bringing web-2.0 applications to life

Web-2.0 applications turn static Web documents into dynamic user interfaces. They epitomize the final realization of the vision "The Document Is The Interface!". This transition from static Web pages to interactive Web applications also requires the introduction of a fresh set of innovations to how such applications are accessed in conjunction with adaptive technologies.Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) breathes life into static Web pages. ARIA live regions helps bring such interaction to life when used in conjunction with adaptive technologies such as screenreaders and self-voicing browsers. This paper introduces the motivation behind live regions in ARIA, and describes how this support can be used to enhance the user interaction provided by Google Talk --- an instant-messaging client that is integrated into the GMail Web interface. We describe the interaction model as it is surfaced to the end-user, and show how the introduction of live regions makes all aspects of the resulting UI usable with adaptive technologies.Web-2.0 applications---especially mashups---excel at creating end-user solutions that are greater than the sum of their individual building blocks. We demonstrate this by bringing together Google Talk, Live Regions and Natural Language translation by demonstrating a multi-lingual talking translation interface that is the result of speech-enabling these applications using the Google AxsJAX framework.
Inflaton decay and heavy particle production with negative coupling

We study the decay of the inflaton in a general Z{sub 2}{times}Z{sub 2} symmetric two scalar theory. Since the dynamics of the system is dominated by states with large occupation numbers which admit a semiclassical description, the decay can be studied by solving the classical equations of motion on the lattice. Of particular interest is the case when the cross coupling between the inflaton and the second scalar field is negative, which is naturally allowed in many realistic models. While the inflaton decays {ital via} parametric resonance in the positive coupling case we find that for negative coupling there is a new mechanism of particle production which we call {ital negative coupling instability}. Because of this new mechanism the variances of the fields grow significantly larger before the production is shut off by the back reaction of the created particles, which could have important consequences for symmetry restoration by nonthermal phase transitions. We also find that heavy particles are produced much more efficiently with negative coupling, which is of prime importance for GUT baryogenesis. Using a simple toy model for baryogenesis and the results of our lattice simulations we show that for natural values of the cross coupling enough 10{supmore » 14}GeV bosons are created to produce a baryon to entropy ratio consistent with observation. This is to be contrasted with the situation for positive coupling, where the value of the cross coupling required to produce such massive particles is technically unnatural. In addition to our numerical results we obtain analytical estimates for the maximum variances of the fields in an expanding universe for all cases of interest: massive and massless inflaton, positive and negative cross coupling, with and without significant self-interactions for the second field. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}« less
Assessment of Aortic Valvular Stenosis from the Aortic Pressure Pulse

In a search for an indirect estimate of severity, data from 40 patients with pure aortic stenosis have been analyzed. Calculated aortic valvular areas ranged from 0.5 cm2 to 2.4 cm.2 Both aortic systolic upstroke time and the rate of aortic pressure rise were significantly altered by aortic stenosis; neither permitted reliable estimates of severity of the stenosis. An estimate of arterial compliance, stroke volume divided by pulse pressure, has been used in conjunction with the first derivative of rising aortic pressure to obtain an index of aortic stenosis. This index correlates well with calculated aortic valvular area (r = 0.912) and permits estimates of the severity of aortic stenosis when the left ventricle cannot be entered.
Cancer therapies utilizing the camptothecins: a review of the in vivo literature.

This review summarizes the in vivo assessment—preliminary, preclinical, and clinical—of chemotherapeutics derived from camptothecin or a derivative. Camptothecin is a naturally occurring, pentacyclic quinoline alkaloid that possesses high cytotoxic activity in a variety of cell lines. Major limitations of the drug, including poor solubility and hydrolysis under physiological conditions, prevent full clinical utilization. Camptothecin remains at equilibrium in an active lactone form and inactive hydrolyzed carboxylate form. The active lactone binds to DNA topoisomerase I cleavage complex, believed to be the single site of activity. Binding inhibits DNA religation, resulting in apoptosis. A series of small molecule camptothecin derivatives have been developed that increase solubility, lactone stability and bioavailability to varying levels of success. A number of macromolecular agents have also been described wherein camptothecin(s) are covalently appended or noncovalently associated with the goal of improv...
Sequentially designed experiments for screening out bad models with F tests

Techniques for discrimination should depend on the purpose of discrimination. That considered here is to screen out invalid models from a set of contemplated models. The function of the experimental design is to provide opportunities for evidence of invalidity of false models to be as strong as possible. Once some observations have been made, information is available to help design subsequent trials. One way to use this information is, for each possible location of the next trial, to forecast the next response and hence the next set of significance levels for the contemplated models. The location of the next trial may then be chosen to optimize some property of these forecast significance levels. In ? 2 these levels are defined. In ? 3 a design procedure is proposed and in ? 4 this procedure is illustrated with a simple polynomial example involving four hypothesized models.
Soviet Theory of Classes

Whereas the classic Marxism defines the class lines legalistically, congruent with the property lines, soviet Marxism faces a real difficulty in solving the class problem. Soviet demography tends to omit the class concept altogether; the party ideology requires the postulates of a "dictatorship of the proletariat" to remain unchanged. Soviet society experiences an occupational stratification with a reasonable degree of social mobility; it seems that the tenets of soviet Marxism supply a suitable rationale for those successfully upwardly mobile. SOPHISTICATED sociology outside the boundaries of the socialist states a long i_} time ago abandoned attempts to reduce social reality to one variable. But among governments which profess to strive for a communist society nineteenth century social frustrations have been retained and codified. Thus the concept of class has become the fundamental premise on which the forceful erection of a modern totalitarian state must rely. Actually, however, the picture of society framed by Marxism-Leninism (which functions as a soviet sociology) is not too clear. On the one hand, there are demographic manuals and reports by the census bureaus which either treat the class question as a matter of occupational stratification or of ruralurban differences or omit it altogether. On the other hand, soviet social theory with its, continuous historical references to Marx and Lenin still tends to treat the class question as the basic tenet of the very existence of the soviet state. Let us then first scrutinize the soviet theory and later relate it to the soviet practice. Apparently Marx was not able to find enough sociological information in the reading rooms of the British Museum to provide him with a solid basis for a theory of stratification; nonetheless, patches of social information provided by the industrial revolution, and Marx's own historical retrospection induced him to conceive of society as a matrix of class conflict. The very existence of the class conflict diverted his attention from the conflicting "parties," the classes themselves. His illness and resulting death prevented Marx from finishing his only chapter on classes.' There Marx distinguishes among the three major social groups in a capitalist society, as exemplified by nineteenth century England: workers, capitalists, and landowners. Class characteristics are derived from the legal forms of the ownership of the means of production (labor, machines and shops, land) rather than from the kind of revenue and income (wages, profits, and rents). All groups (classes) have in common the capitalist characteristic of a commodity market situation. Thus, the 1 Karl Marx, Das Kapital, Vol. III (Berlin: Dietz,
Engineering systems designs for a recirculating heavy ion induction accelerator

Recirculating heavy-ion induction accelerators are being investigated as possible drivers for heavy ion fusion. Part of this investigation included the generation of conceptual design for a recirculator system. The authors describe the overall engineering conceptual design of this recirculator, including discussions of the dipole magnet system, the superconducting quadrupole system, and the beam acceleration system. Major engineering issues, evaluation of feasibility, and cost tradeoffs of the complete recirculator system are presented and discussed. >
Components for atomistic-to-continuum multiscale modeling of flow in micro- and nanofluidic systems

Micro- and nanofluidics pose a series of significant challenges for science-based modeling. Key among those are the wide separation of length- and timescales between interface phenomena and bulk flow and the spatially heterogeneous solution properties near solid-liquid interfaces. It is not uncommon for characteristic scales in these systems to span nine orders of magnitude from the atomic motions in particle dynamics up to evolution of mass transport at the macroscale level, making explicit particle models intractable for all but the simplest systems. Recently, atomistic-to-continuum (A2C) multiscale simulations have gained a lot of interest as an approach to rigorously handle particle-level dynamics while also tracking evolution of large-scale macroscale behavior. While these methods are clearly not applicable to all classes of simulations, they are finding traction in systems in which tight-binding, and physically important, dynamics at system interfaces have complex effects on the slower-evolving large-scale evolution of the surrounding medium. These conditions allow decomposition of the simulation into discrete domains, either spatially or temporally. In this paper, we describe how features of domain decomposed simulation systems can be harnessed to yield flexible and efficient software for multiscale simulations of electric field-driven micro- and nanofluidics.
Soft curvature sensors for joint angle proprioception

We introduce a curvature sensor composed of a thin, transparent elastomer film (polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS) embedded with a microchannel of conductive liquid (eutectic Gallium Indium, eGaIn) and a sensing element. Bending the sensor exerts pressure on the embedded microchannel via the sensing element. Deformation of the cross-section of the microchannel leads to a change in electrical resistance. We demonstrate the functionality of the sensor through testing on a finger joint. The film is wrapped around a finger with the sensing element positioned on top of the knuckle. Finger bending both stretches the elastomer and exerts pressure on the sensing element, leading to an enhanced change in the electrical resistance. Because the sensor is soft (elastic modulus E ∼ 1 MPa) and stretchable (>350%), it conforms to the host bending without interfering with the natural mechanics of motion. This sensor represents the first use of liquid-embedded elastomer electronics to monitor human or robotic motion.
Comparison of transtracheal aspirate and bronchoalveolar lavage cytology in 50 horses with chronic lung disease

Summary Comparisons were made between transtracheal aspirate (TTA) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology obtained from 50 horses with chronic lung disease and from 10 control horses. There was no significant correlation between the TTA cytology and the BAL cytology, suggesting that the cell population in the trachea is not representative of the cell population in the lower airways. In control horses the range of differential cell counts obtained from TTA fluid was remarkably large, whereas the variability in cell populations observed in BAL fluid was smaller. In the principal horses the total and differential cell counts of the TTA and BAL fluids were within the 95 per cent confidence interval in 38 and 24 per cent of cases, respectively; and an increase in percentage neutrophils was most common. It was concluded that BAL may be a useful diagnostic aid when evaluating horses with chronic lung disease, but that the clinical usefulness of cytological evaluations of TTA fluid may be limited in these cases.
Depression among pregnant adolescents: an integrated treatment approach.

In this report we describe the case of an adolescent girl with a history of multiple early abandonments who developed a depressive disorder in the context of the interplay between developmental factors inherent to adolescence and issues related to pregnancy. It demonstrates many important diagnostic and treatment considerations with respect to treating depression in this population, including 1) the developmental tasks of adolescence, 2) the normal developmental stages of pregnancy and differentiation of normal emotional responses from pathological mood states, 3) the role of psychosocial interventions, which contribute to both the psychotherapeutic alliance and the involvement and utilization of key social support networks for the adolescent, 4) the risk-benefit assessment of using psychopharmacological agents for the treatment of depression during pregnancy, and 5) appropriate integration of psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacological treatment approaches.
Gender, Hukou, and the Occupational Attainment of Female Migrants in China (1985–1990):

In this paper, I argue that the occupational attainment of female migrants in China has to be understood in its unique sociocultural and institutional contexts. In addition to the constraints of human capital, the patriarchal culture and the Household Registration (hukou) System greatly constrain the occupational attainment of female migrants. An empirical study based on a 1% sample of China's 1990 Census shows that female migrants are at a disadvantage in the labour market not only because of their gender but also because of their rural identities and outsider status, as defined by the hukou system. They can only attain jobs with lower prestige than their male counterparts, such as agricultural work and a few gender-stereotyped, family-related urban jobs.
Multitapered x-ray capillary optics for mammography.

X-raymammography is currently the primary tool used for breast cancer detection. However, studies have shown that 5%–15% of breast cancers are not visualized mammographically. The long term goal of this project is to improve the x-raymammographicimaging system using capillary optics. A post-patient capillary optic lens has the potential to increase spatial resolution and eliminate the detection of scatteredx rays, thereby improving imagecontrast and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Several individual and two prototype multitapered optics were studied to determine the feasibility of a full-field multitapered optic.Scatter fraction, contrast, transmission, uniformity, and the modulation transfer function(MTF) were measured for a Mo target tube/computed radiography (CR)imaging system when this prototype was applied. The results were compared with standard grid and airgap techniques. The multitapered optic lens removed 85% of the scattered photons as compared to 66% and 39% for the air gap and grid methods, respectively. This resulted in an improvement of contrast by approximately 80% for the optics, 51% for the air gap, and 30% for grid methods. The single optic lens improved the limiting resolution (5% MTF level) of the CR detector by 78% due to magnification with very little focal spot blurring, while the multitapered prototype improved resolution significantly, but not as much as the single optic. These measurements have shown that it is feasible to create a multitapered optic lens that significantly improves system MTF and virtually eliminates scatter. With continued improvements in fabrication techniques, a full-field multitapered lens will be feasible.
A monolithic PNGase F enzyme microreactor enabling glycan mass mapping of glycoproteins by mass spectrometry

We demonstrate a simple and rapid single-step method to fabricate an enzyme microreactor incorporating the N-glycosidase PNGase F (peptide-N-glycosidase F) into a porous polymer-based monolith. The monolith is contained in a capillary format, while the enzyme reactor is ready to use within 1 h of preparation. The monomers making up the monolith, including N-acryloxysuccinimide for covalent immobilization of the enzyme, are mixed with PNGase F and introduced into the column by capillary force for polymerization/immobilization. Glycoproteins (ribonuclease B, asialofetuin, alpha1-acid glycoprotein, and ovalbumin) perfused through the PNGase F reactor were shown to be effectively deglycosylated on a time-scale of seconds/low minutes using low nanogram to microgram per microliter concentration (corresponding to a total sample consumption of 0.1-20 microg of a glycoprotein). The reactor enzyme activity was shown to be reproducible for at least 8 weeks when used and stored at room temperature. Evaluation was performed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
Pain severity and pain catastrophizing predict functional disability in youth with inflammatory bowel disease

Background: Abdominal pain is commonly reported by youth with IBD. In a significant subset of youth, pain severity and pain catastrophizing (i.e., unhelpful thoughts related to the pain) may contribute to more negative outcomes and greater impairment in functioning. This study aimed to examine relationships of pain severity and pain catastrophizing with functional disability among a sample of youth with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods: Seventy-five youth aged 11 to 18 years completed ratings of abdominal pain severity, pain catastrophizing, and functional disability using validated measures. Disease activity was rated by treating physicians. Results: Over half of participants reported abdominal pain in the past two weeks, and pain was present among those with and without clinical disease activity. Nearly one-third of youth reported mild to moderate functional disability. After controlling for gender, pain severity accounted for 15% of the variance in patient functional disability. Moreover, pain catastrophizing contributed significant variance to the prediction of functional disability (approximately 7%) beyond the role of pain severity.
Ultra-Low-Power and Robust Digital-Signal-Processing Hardware for Implantable Neural Interface Microsystems

Implantable microsystems for monitoring or manipulating brain activity typically require on-chip real-time processing of multichannel neural data using ultra low-power, miniaturized electronics. In this paper, we propose an integrated-circuit/architecture-level hardware design framework for neural signal processing that exploits the nature of the signal-processing algorithm. First, we consider different power reduction techniques and compare the energy efficiency between the ultra-low frequency subthreshold and conventional superthreshold design. We show that the superthreshold design operating at a much higher frequency can achieve comparable energy dissipation by taking advantage of extensive power gating. It also provides significantly higher robustness of operation and yield under large process variations. Next, we propose an architecture level preferential design approach for further energy reduction by isolating the critical computation blocks (with respect to the quality of the output signal) and assigning them higher delay margins compared to the noncritical ones. Possible delay failures under parameter variations are confined to the noncritical components, allowing graceful degradation in quality under voltage scaling. Simulation results using prerecorded neural data from the sea-slug (Aplysia californica) show that the application of the proposed design approach can lead to significant improvement in total energy, without compromising the output signal quality under process variations, compared to conventional design approaches.
Bonded Hydrogen Atom Participation in Metastable Defect Formation in Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon

This paper proposes intrinsic reaction pathways for generation of metastable defects in hydrogenated undoped or intrinsic amorphous silicon (i-a-Si:H). Since these pathways involve only silicon (Si) and hydrogen (H) atoms, this approach is valid for device grade materials in which concentrations of oxygen (0) atoms, and nitrogen-hydrogen (N-H) groups are present at concentrations below about 1019 cm-3. Ab initio calculations demonstrate that the proposed generation pathway reactions are exothermic with relatively small reaction barriers (< 0.4 eV).
Assessment of mentor involvement with pharmacy students pursuing post-graduate residency training

Abstract Purpose To assess graduating pharmacy students' perceptions of mentorship received during pharmacy school when pursuing post-graduate residency training (PGRT). Methods A survey was emailed to all Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) accredited schools of pharmacy inviting graduating pharmacy students pursuing PGRT to evaluate aspects of mentorship. The 18-item survey instrument contained five sections: satisfaction with mentorship in various areas (e.g., interview preparation and selecting programs for application), importance of mentorship, amount of mentorship desired, mentorship programs, and match process results. Incomplete surveys were excluded from analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize responses while Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to compare responses from the matched and non-matched groups. Additionally, regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the students' match results with satisfaction in various areas of mentorship. Results Complete surveys were received from 268 students attending 39 schools of pharmacy. Students ranked curriculum vita (CV) preparation and establishing residency rank list as the most and least important mentorship activities, respectively. Compared with non-matched students, matched students found mentorship with CV preparation ( p = 0.02) and selecting programs to apply to ( p = 0.01) significantly more important. In addition, matched students were more satisfied with mentorship on CV preparation (85% vs. 71%, p = 0.02), interviewing (71% vs. 38%, p p = 0.03) and selecting programs to apply to (71% vs. 39%, p Conclusion Graduating pharmacy students pursuing PGRT were most satisfied with CV and residency recruitment at meetings preparation, and along with interview preparation, ranked them as most important.
Babesia in a Nonsplenectomized Patient Requiring Exchange Transfusion

Babesiosis is a tick born zoonosis caused by red blood cell parasites of the genus Babesia. It is caused predominantly by B. microti and B. divergens, microti being more common in the US. The parasites are transmitted by Ixodes tick to their host but infection can also spread by blood transfusion and perinatally. Clinical manifestations vary from subclinical infection to fulminating disease depending upon the immune status of the patient. About half of patients, hospitalized with babesiosis, develop complication with fatality rates of 6 to 9% which increase up to 21% among those with immunosuppression. A case of 58-year-old previously healthy man, infected by B. microti, was reported on 2000 who presented with severe disease characterized by severe anemia, DIC, and renal and respiratory failure. First case of overwhelming septic shock without respiratory involvement due to babesiosis in a healthy patient with an intact spleen was published in a case report on 2011. Since our patient here is an immunocompetent healthy male with intact spleen presenting with severe babesiosis requiring exchange transfusion, this presentation of Babesia is rare and warrants further study.
Arginase activity in endothelial cells: inhibition by NG-hydroxy-L-arginine during high-output NO production

Rat aortic endothelial cells were found to contain both constitutive and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-inducible arginase activity. Studies were performed to determine whether induction of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) by LPS and cytokines is accompanied by sufficient arginase induction to render arginine concentrations rate limiting for high-output NO production. Unactivated cells contained abundant arginase activity accompanied by continuous urea formation. LPS induced the formation of both inducible NOS (iNOS) and arginase, and this was accompanied by increased production of NO, citrulline, and urea. Immunoprecipitation experiments revealed the constitutive presence of arginase-I in both unactivated and LPS-activated cells and arginase-II induction by LPS. Arginase-I and iNOS were verified by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Induction of large amounts of iNOS by LPS plus several cytokines resulted in large quantities of NO, citrulline, and NG-hydroxy-L-arginine (NOHA), but urea production was markedly diminished. Decreased urea production was attributed to increased formation of NOHA, the precursor to NO and citrulline and a potent inhibitor of arginase-I activity with an inhibitory constant of 10-12 microM. Inhibition of iNOS activity by NG-methyl-L-arginine decreased NO and NOHA production and increased urea production. This study reveals for the first time that substantial arginase activity is present constitutively in rat aortic endothelial cells, a different isoform of arginase is induced by LPS, and intracellular arginase activity can be markedly inhibited during cytokine induction of iNOS because of NOHA formation. The inhibition of arginase activity that occurs by NOHA during marked iNOS induction may be a mechanism to ensure sufficient arginine availability for high-output production of NO.
Science, Skepticism, and Faith: Public Attitudes Toward Religion and Science

In this paper, I will estimate the dimensionality of public attitudes toward science, and assess the effects of religious belief, membership, and participation on the structure and distribution of attitudes toward science. In so doing, I hope to address the question of whether, and to what extent, public skepticism about scientific knowledge is based on religion. I will then consider the joint effects of attitudes toward science and religion on evolution and climate change.The paper will be based primarily on data from the 2008 General Social Survey.
Advances in Affinity Labeling of Purine Nucleotide Sites in Dehydrogenases

An important goal of many biochemists is the identification of amino acids within the active and allosteric sites of enzymes and the elucidation of the role of those amino acids. One approach is to modify chemically critical amino acids and to rely on the specificity of the enzyme for its substrate or normal regulatory compound to limit the extent of chemical modification to the region of the active or allosteric sites. This is the strategy termed affinity labeling, which can potentially lead to specific but irreversible attack within purified enzymes, or even of particular enzymes when present in a mixture of proteins. In the case of dehydrogenases and kinases, custom designed purine nucleotide analogues which have reactive functional groups located at key positions of the natural structure can be effective in mapping amino acid residues in different subsites of the nucleotide binding regions (1).
Low-Thrust Interplanetary Orbit Transfers Using Hybrid Trajectory Optimization Method with Multiple Shooting

*† A hybrid trajectory optimization method (HTOM) with multiple-shooting techniques has been developed and utilized to compute a variety of optimal low-thrust interplanetary orbit transfers. Unlike direct methods, HTOM employs the system Lagrange costate equations to govern the optimal control, which are derived from the two-point boundary-value problem and expressed by a set of equinoctial elements. HTOM converts the optimal control problem to the parameter optimization that in turn is solved by nonlinear programming. A flexible multiple-shooting technique is developed to greatly improve robustness of convergence. This method is capable of modeling multiple powered and coast arcs, planetary gravity assists, intermediate rendezvous, and realistic electric propulsion systems. The advantages of the HTOM include significant reduction in the design space, improved solution accuracy compared with direct methods, large convergence domain with the aid of multiple shooting, flexibility for handling discrete system parameters, and rapid problem convergence that allows more trials of initial guesses in order to locate global optima. Numerical results are presented for several interplanetary mission examples.
Developing a patient safety surveillance system to identify adverse events in the intensive care unit.

Aggregation of adverse drug event data has evolved in the last decade. Several approaches are available to augment the standard voluntary incident reporting system. Most of these methods are applicable to nonmedication adverse events as well. To identify appropriately system trends as well as proces
DOUBLE CLAD HIGH BRIGHTNESS Nd FIBER LASER PUMPED BY GaAlAs PHASED ARRAY

We report on the most recent improved version of the double clad configuration for efficient pumping of a single mode fiber laser with a multi-mode pump1 In the earlier report, the first and second claddings were substantially fused slica and the core containing Nd was offset from the center of the fiber axis, as shown in Fig. (1,a).
Diruthenium(III,III) bis(alkynyl) compounds with donor/acceptor-substituted geminal-diethynylethene ligands.

Reported in this contribution are the preparation and characterization of a series of Ru2(DMBA)4 (DMBA = N,N′-dimethylbenzamidinate) bis(alkynyl) compounds, trans-Ru2(DMBA)4(X-gem-DEE)2 [gem-DEE = σ-geminal-diethynylethene; X = H (1), SiiPr3 (2), Fc (3); 4-C6H4NO2 (4), and 4-C6H4NMe2 (5)]. Compounds 1–5 were characterized by spectroscopic and voltammetric techniques as well as the single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies of 2 and 3. Both the single-crystal structural data of compounds 2 and 3 and the spectroscopic/voltammetric data indicate that the gem-DEE ligands are similar to simple acetylides in their impact on the molecular and electronic structures of the Ru2(DMBA)4 core. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations revealed more extensive π delocalization in aryl-donor-substituted gem-DEEs and that the hole-transfer mechanism will likely dominate the charge delocalization in Ru2-gem-DEE-based wires.
A direct correlation of x-ray diffraction orientation distributions to the in-plane stiffness of semi-crystalline organic semiconducting films

Large charge mobilities of semi-crystalline organic semiconducting films could be obtained by mechanically aligning the material phases of the film with the loading axis. A key element is to utilize the inherent stiffness of the material for optimal or desired alignment. However, experimentally determining the moduli of semi-crystalline organic thin films for different loading directions is difficult, if not impossible, due to film thickness and material anisotropy. In this paper, we address these challenges by presenting an approach based on combining a composite mechanics stiffness orientation formulation with a Gaussian statistical distribution to directly estimate the in-plane stiffness (transverse isotropy) of aligned semi-crystalline polymer films based on crystalline orientation distributions obtained by X-ray diffraction experimentally at different applied strains. Our predicted results indicate that the in-plane stiffness of an annealing film was initially isotropic, and then it evolved to transv...
Novel map-matching algorithm based on moving-related least squares

To improve the digital map-matching accuracy of military vehicle navigation and solve the problem that common methods are prone to false matches and cannot eliminate the longitudinal error along the path,a novel least-squares map-matching scheme based on mobile-related is presented.By making full use of the historical trajectory and network information,the method uses multi-resolution mobile relationship to search and locate matched sections,uses least-squares method to do the overall projection from SINS curve to the road section to be matched,and eliminates the deviation of the vehicle off the road centerline with vision or math approach.Experimental results show that the positioning circular error limit after matching is less than 1 m.This algorithm is simple and effective,and can meet the high-precision requirements.It can provide good auxiliary information for the integrated navigation.