cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
RAPTOR: Closed‐Loop monitoring of the night sky and the earliest optical detection of GRB 021211

Laboratory. RAPTOR is a fully autonomous robotic system that is designed to identify and make follow-up observations of optical transients with durations as short as one minute. The RAPTOR design is based on Biomimicry of Human Vision. The sky monitor is composed of two identical arrays of telescopes, separated by 38 kilometers, which stereoscopically monitor a field of about 1300 square-degrees for transients. Both monitoring arrays are carried on rapidly slewing mounts and are composed of an ensemble of wide-field telescopes clustered around a more powerful narrow-field telescope called the “fovea” telescope. All telescopes are coupled to real-time analysis pipelines that identify candidate transients and relay the information to a central decision unit that filters the candidates to find real celestial transients and command a response. When a celestial transient is found, the system can point the fovea telescopes to any position on the sky within five seconds and begin follow-up observations. RAPTOR also responds to Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) alerts generated by GRB monitoring spacecraft. Here we present RAPTOR observations of GRB 021211 that constitute the earliest detection of optical emission from that event and are the second fastest achieved for any GRB. The detection of bright optical emission from GRB021211, a burst with modest gamma-ray fluence, indicates that prompt optical emission, detectable with small robotic telescopes, is more common than previously thought. Further, the very fast decline of the optical afterglow from GRB 021211 suggests that some so-called “optically dark” GRBs were not detected only because of the slow response of the follow-up telescopes. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
International guidelines for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in adults: the role of macrolides.

The significance of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) has led to the publication of guidelines from numerous international organisations. Because the macrolide class of antimicrobials is active against most of the key pathogens associated with CAP, agents from this class are commonly included in recommendations from these guidelines. However, there are differences among the various guidelines concerning the positioning of the macrolides for empirical therapy. An important factor concerning the use of macrolides for CAP is the emergence of resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae over the past decade. The rate of S. pneumoniae resistance to macrolides ranges from 4 to 70% of strains in Worldwide surveillance studies. The most common mechanisms of resistance include methylation of a ribosomal target encoded by the erm gene and efflux of the macrolides by a cell membrane protein transporter, encoded by the mef gene. S. pneumoniae strains with the mef gene are resistant at a lower level (with minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] values generally 1–16 μg/ml) than erm resistant strains; and it is possible that such strains may be inhibited if sufficiently high levels of macrolide can be obtained at the infected site. Currently mef-associated resistance predominates in North America, whereas erm predominates in Europe. Until recently, reports of failure of treatment of CAP with macrolides has been rare, particularly for patients with low-risk for drug-resistant strains. However, since 2000, several patients treated with an oral macrolide who have subsequently required admission to the hospital for macrolide-resistant S. pneumoniae (MRSP) bacteraemia have been reported in the literature. Major issues, which are fundamental to the use of the macrolides as recommended in the various guidelines, include the importance of providing therapy for ‘atypical’ pathogens and the clinical significance of MRSP. Presently, the macrolides are more prominently recommended in the North American guidelines than in other parts of the world. The difference in the emphasis placed on the importance of the atypical pathogens as well as the expression of MRSP in North America compared with Europe partly explains this variance.
Micromachined biocapsules for cell-based sensing and delivery

In recent years, rapid advancements have been made in the biomedical applications of micro- and nanotechnology. While the focus of such technology has primarily been on in vitro analytical and diagnostic tools, more recently, in vivo therapeutic and sensing applications have gained attention. The long-term integration of cells with inorganic materials provides the basis for novel delivery and sensing platforms. Our recent work has focused on the ability to maintain cells long term in nanoporous silicon-based microenvironments. This paper describes the creation of monodisperse, nanoporous, biocompatible, silicon membranes as a platform for the delivery of cells. Studies described herein focus on the interaction of silicon-based substrates with cells of interest in terms of viability, proliferation, and functionality. Such microfabricated nanoporous membranes can be used both in vitro for cell-based assays and in vivo for immunoisolation and drug delivery applications.
Regulation of the filament structure and assembly of Acanthamoeba myosin II by phosphorylation of serines in the heavy-chain nonhelical tailpiece

Acanthamoeba myosin II (AMII) has two heavy chains ending in a 27-residue nonhelical tailpiece and two pairs of light chains. In a companion article, we show that five, and only five, serine residues can be phosphorylated both in vitro and in vivo: Ser639 in surface loop 2 of the motor domain and serines 1489, 1494, 1499, and 1504 in the nonhelical tailpiece of the heavy chains. In that paper, we show that phosphorylation of Ser639 down-regulates the actin-activated MgATPase activity of AMII and that phosphorylation of the serines in the nonhelical tailpiece has no effect on enzymatic activity. Here we show that bipolar tetrameric, hexameric, and octameric minifilaments of AMII with the nonhelical tailpiece serines either phosphorylated or mutated to glutamate have longer bare zones and more tightly clustered heads than minifilaments of unphosphorylated AMII, irrespective of the phosphorylation state of Ser639. Although antiparallel dimers of phosphorylated and unphosphorylated myosins are indistinguishable, phosphorylation inhibits dimerization and filament assembly. Therefore, the different structures of tetramers, hexamers, and octamers of phosphorylated and unphosphorylated AMII must be caused by differences in the longitudinal stagger of phosphorylated and unphosphorylated bipolar dimers and tetramers. Thus, although the actin-activated MgATPase activity of AMII is regulated by phosphorylation of Ser639 in loop 2 of the motor domain, the structure of AMII minifilaments is regulated by phosphorylation of one or more of four serines in the nonhelical tailpiece of the heavy chain.
The effect of intracameral ethacrynic acid on the intraocular pressure of living monkeys.

Previous studies have shown that the sulfhydryl-reactive ethacrynic acid increases outflow facility in living monkeys when perfused via the anterior chamber. To study its potential clinical use further, living monkeys were intracamerally injected with 10 μl of ethacrynic acid, with concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 7.5 mmol/l. The fellow control eye was injected with 10 μl of diluent. The status of the anterior segment was monitored by slit-lamp biomicroscopy and the intraocular pressure was measured by pneumatonometry with the monkeys anesthetized with ketamine. The anterior segment of living monkeys tolerated injections up to 3.0-mmol/l ethacrynic acid without marked adverse effects. One of 13 monkey eyes injected with 3.0-mmol/l ethacrynic acid demonstrated mild reversible segmental corneal edema. The greatest mean intraocular pressure reduction in the 3.0- to 3.75-mmol/l group occurred at six hours, with the experimental intraocular pressure decreasing 2.9 mm Hg compared to a mean intraocular pressure increase of 0.1 mm Hg in the control group (n = 19). Concentrations of ethacrynic acid less than 3.0 mmol/l did not provide reliable reduction of intraocular pressure, whereas concentrations greater than 3.75 mmol/l caused a greater incidence and severity of corneal edema. We believe that the intracameral injection of ethacrynic acid can reliably and safely reduce intraocular pressure in living monkey eyes, and that this drug deserves further investigation as a potential antiglaucomatous agent.
A high-molecular-weight alveolar glycoprotein in human amniotic fluid

A glycoprotein of an apparent molecular weight of 250,000 has been purified from human amniotic fluid. Its amino acid composition includes trace amounts of hydroxyproline but no hydroxylysine. It has relatively high contents of aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine and leucine. It contains approximately 6% hexose, 2% sialic acid, and 4% glucosamine. The hexoses are galactose, mannose and fucose. No glucose and galactosamine can be detected. This high-molecular-weight glycoprotein cross-reacts with an antiserum prepared in rabbits against a glycoprotein of similar size and composition isolated from the alveolar secretions of humans suffering from pulmonary alveolar proteinosis [20]. It therefore appears that the glycoprotein isolated from human amniotic fluid is similar in size, composition and immunological properties to the glycoprotein present in human alveolar secretions.
Hypertonic saline resuscitation improves intestinal microcirculation in a rat model of hemorrhagic shock

Background Conventional resuscitation (CR) from hemorrhagic shock (HS) often restores and maintains hemodynamics but fails to restore intestinal perfusion. Post-CR intestinal ischemia has been implicated in the initiation of a gut-derived exaggerated systemic inflammatory response and in the progressive organ failure following HS. We propose that intestinal ischemia can be prevented with hypertonic saline resuscitation (HTSR). Methods Anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats (200 to 215 g) were hemorrhaged to 50% of mean arterial pressure (MAP) for 60 minutes and randomly assigned to 1 of the resuscitation groups (n = 7 each): Group I: sham operation and no HS; Group II: HS + CR with the return of the shed blood + 2 volumes of normal saline (NS); Group III: HS + return of the shed blood + hypertonic saline (HTS); (7.5 % NaCl, 4 ml/kg); Group IV: HS + HTS, then return of the shed blood after 60 minutes; Group V: HS + HTS, then 1 volume of NS after 60 minutes. Microvascular diameters of inflow (A1) and proximal and distal premucosal arterioles (A3) in terminal ileum and flow in A1 were measured using in vivo videomicroscopy and optical Doppler velocimetry. Hematocrit, plasma osmolarity, and electrolytes were measured in Groups II and III. Results HS caused a selective vasoconstriction in A1 arterioles that was not seen in the premucosal arterioles. CR restored and maintained MAP and caused generalized, progressive vasoconstriction at all intestinal arteriolar levels that is associated with hypoperfusion. HTSR failed to restore or maintain MAP or intestinal A1 arteriolar blood flow until the shed blood was returned. However, HTSR prevented the post-resuscitation, premucosal vasoconstriction and produced an insidious selective vasodilation in the A3 arterioles, which was most significant with early blood return (Group III). This selective arteriolar vasoactivity was associated with a significant improvement of endothelial cell function. Plasma hyperosmolality and hypernatremia persisted during the entire 2 hours post-resuscitation with HTS. Conclusions Small-volume HTSR can be used as a resuscitation regimen at the trauma scene and for selective clinical conditions where hypotensive resuscitation is indicated. HTSR improves intestinal perfusion by selective vasodilation of the precapillary arterioles even at MAP close to shock levels.
Radioimmunoassay of fragment E-related neoantigen: validation studies and clinical application

Summary. Measurement of fibrinogen-fibrin degradation products (FDP) levels in plasma may provide a direct index of plasmin action, and increased levels of FDP would indicate coagulopathy. We have established an E-neoantigen radioimmunoassay (Eneo RIA) that can determine normal and pathological plasma levels of E-related FDP. The assay employs rabbit antiserum produced against fragment E derived from a plasmin digest of fibrinogen and subsequently absorbed with fibrinogen. The absorbed antiserum contains antibodies which are equally reactive with fibrinogen derived E (Fg-E) and fibrin derived E (Fb-E) but not with fibrinogen at 1 mg/ml. The Eneo RIA was validated by assay parallelism and by recovery experiments. Plasma Eneo immunoreactivities in 14 normals were 4–22 ng/ml (mean 12.7 ng/ml). Plasma Eneo levels in 23 of 24 patients with neoplastic and haematological diseases were elevated above normal (range 27–2027 ng/ml). Unusually high Eneo values were observed with three patients whose diseases were complicated by either disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) or deep vein thrombosis. After heparin therapy, the Eneo level of a patient with chronic DIC declined. A pathological plasma was eluted from a Sephadex G-200 column and Eneo immunoreactivity was determined on the eluates. The gel filtration pattern of Eneo indicates that E-related FDP is a family of plasmic fragments derived from crosslinked fibrin.
Structural characterization of flavonoid glycosides by collisionally activated dissociation of metal complexes.

Collisionally activated dissociation is used for structural characterization of a series of flavonoid glycosides. Dissociation of transition metal/flavonoid binary complexes of the type [MII(L − H+)]+ and transition metal/2,2′-bipyridine/flavonoid ternary complexes of the type [MII(L − H+)bpy]+ give fragmentation patterns that are complementary and more diagnostic than those of the protonated, deprotonated, or sodium-cationized flavonoids. Analysis of fragmentation patterns of the [M (L − H+)bpy]+ complexes permits determination of the disaccharide as a rutinose or neohesperidose and the relative placement of the disaccharide (i.e., 3 vs. 7 positions).
Malnutrition in Critically III Infants and Children

The prevalences of acute and chronic protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) and deficiencies in stores of fat and somatic protein have not been previously examined in pediatric intensive care unit. One hundred eight nutritional assessments were performed using anthropometric techniques on infants and children in a multidisciplinary intensive care unit. Overall, the prevalence of acute PEM was 19% and chronic PEM was 18%. The prevalence of fat store depletion was 14% and somatic protein store depletion was 21%. In general, children less than 2 years had poorer nutritional status compared to children greater than 2 years. There was not a statistically significant difference between medical and surgical patients. It is concluded that PEM and deficiencies in the macronutrient stores of fat and somatic protein are common in critically ill infants and children.
Spatial development, density gradients and their planning implications: The Rome case

Like urban space population density patterns are constantly changing. While Newling observed four stages of density gradients from youthful through mature and old stages of a city, this study shows that Rome was not a youthful city at the end of the 19th century yet Newling's youthful stage density gradients were prevalent at that time. In the 20th century, like Newling's later stages Rome also showed depopulation of the center leading to a crater-like density gradient. City planning policies were only partially responsible for patterning the density over the century. Though Newling's model is not applicable in the 19th century Rome, it is largely valid when automobiles were introduced.
The effect of hypotension and hypoxia on children with severe head injuries

Survival of children (< 17 years) with severe head injuries (Glascow Coma Scale [GCS] score < 8) has been shown to be better than that of adults. The addition of hypotension (HT) or hypoxia (H) has a deleterious effect on outcome in adults but no information is currently available about their effects in children. Over a 5-year period, 58 children with GCS scores < 8 were admitted and prospectively evaluated at this institution. Patients were divided into two groups on the basis of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and arterial blood gasses. Patients exhibiting HT, defined as a SBP < 90 mm Hg, and patients demonstrating H with a PaO2 < 60 mm Hg were compared with normoxic, normotensive children. Survival was increased fourfold in patients with neither H nor HT as compared with children with either H or HT (P < .001). To validate these observations we reviewed the data from the National Pediatric Trauma Registry for similar patients and included our cohort in the analysis. In total, 509 children had sufficient data for analysis and were studied. Hypoxia alone was not associated with increased mortality in normotensive patients (P = .34). Hypotension significantly increased mortality in these children even without concomitant H (P < .00001). If both HT and H were found together, mortality was only slightly increased over those children with HT alone (P = .056). These data confirm that HT with or without H causes significantly increased mortality in head-injured children to those levels normally found in adults (P = .9), alleviating any age-related protective mechanisms normally afforded.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Dental fiberoptic handpieces: recommendations for proper use

The use of fiberoptic handpieces in dentistry may have advanced faster than has the knowledge on how to use them. Differences in brightness are extreme in the dentist's work environment and may result in the dentist's experiencing fatigue. This article discusses lighting of the operating field in general, presents basic characteristics of available handpiece fiberoptic systems, and provides the dental practitioner with guidelines for adjustment and safe use of intraoral fiberoptic lighting.
Boolean models of within-host immune interactions

The role of various immune cells and intra-cellular components involved in immune responses has been elucidated. We describe how this information can be assembled in the form of causal interaction networks and how the dynamics of these networks can be described by qualitative/semi-qualitative modeling methods even in the absence of knowledge about kinetic constants. Recent models analyze signaling induced by the epidermal growth factor, the stimuli leading to pathological conditions, pathogen induced cellular interactions, and the intra-cellular and cellular signaling involved in the regulation of T cell responses. The models make testable predictions regarding yet undetected interactions, process durations and strengths, and novel therapeutic targets, several of which have been experimentally validated.
Analysis of mutant Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamylases isolated from a series of suppressed pyrB nonsense strains.

Abstract A large collection of mutant versions of Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamylase (carbamoylphosphate: l -aspartate carbamoyltransferase, EC 2.1.3.2) differing from the wild-type enzyme by a single amino acid has been characterized. These mutant aspartate transcarbamylases were produced by suppression of nonsense codons in the pyrB gene of E. coli K12. By using different suppressors, up to four different enzymes were produced that had their amino acid substitutions at the identical position in the enzyme's primary structure. Thirty-four of these mutant aspartate transcarbamylases derived from nine pyrB nonsense mutations, are described here. These represent enzymes from our collection that exhibit substantial alterations in homotropic and or heterotropic interactions. Suppression of most of the nonsense mutations with supB yields enzymes indistinguishable from the wild-type enzyme, supporting the conclusion that this suppressor has a high probability of regenerating the wild-type enzyme. Enzymes with tyrosine, serine and lysine insertions for the nonsense codon showed significant alterations in kinetic properties. The aspartate concentration at one-half maximal velocity ([S] 0.5 ) was reduced to 7.0 m m for some mutants and increased to greater than 500 m m for others, compared to 12.7 m m for the wild-type enzyme. The allosteric interactions of many of the mutants were altered substantially, for example, some of the enzymes exhibited almost hyperbolic kinetics while others exhibited kinetics even more sigmoidal than the wild-type enzyme. ATP activation and CTP inhibition showed both co-ordinated and independent alterations. The changes in the kinetic properties induced by the mutations were reflected in alterations in the kinetic properties of the catalytic subunits derived from the mutant enzymes. However, enhanced substrate affinity for the native enzyme does not always reflect enhanced substrate affinity for the catalytic subunit. The kinetic data derived from these mutant enzymes have revealed correlations between the inserted amino acids and the homotropic and heterotropic interactions of the enzyme.
Interchange Between Reflection and Transmission Holograms Using Mirrors

Abstract Using a single mirror in contact with a hologram in reconstruction leads to a variety of interesting properties. We discuss some of these for very simple transmissive and reflective holograms. One experimental result is also presented for demonstration.
Flow Table Simplification-Some Useful Aids

Three results are presented pertinent to the problem of finding minimum-row versions of incompletely specified flow tables for sequential or iterative circuits. 1) Conditions are precisely stated under which preliminary mergers can be made without the danger of ruining opportunities for ultimately finding a minimal-row version. 2) A theorem by McCluskey is generalized to show that for all flow tables if optional entries arise only due to restrictions as to which input states may immediately follow one another, then the reduction problem is relatively simple. 3) A useful heuristic in the form of a diagram illustrating implication relations of 2-member compatibles is introduced as an aid in finding minimal closed sets of compatibles.
SU-E-T-245: Survival Fractions for Head-And-Neck Cancer Derived from Tumor-Volume Variation Curves Using a 2-Level Cell Population Model

Purpose: Volumetric tumor response to radiotherapy is an integrated process which includes several radiobiological mechanisms, such as cell killing, cell proliferation, dead‐cell removal and tumor reoxygenation. Our goal is to reconstruct the information about these underlying radiobiological processes and specifically the cell survival fractions by fitting a 2‐level cell‐population tumor‐volume model to imaging‐derived tumor‐volume variation curves obtained during radiotherapy for head‐and‐neck cancer.Methods:Modeling tumor‐volume during radiotherapy is a challenging problem because it is described by a sum of exponentials; therefore, the problem of accurately fitting a model to measured data is ill‐posed. As an initial point of this research, we utilize a simplest 2‐level cell‐population tumor‐volume model which separates the entire tumor‐cell population into oxygenated viable cells and oxygenated lethally damaged cells. The 2‐level cell population tumormodel has the advantage of being conditionally well‐posed. We integrated this parameterized radiobiological model with a least squares objective function and a simulated annealing optimization algorithm to characterize individual patients' time‐dependent tumor‐volume regression rates. The measured tumor‐volume variation curves were taken from a clinical study on tumor‐volume variation during radiotherapy for 14 head‐and‐neck cancer patients in which an integrated CT/linac system was used for tumor‐volume measurements. Results: The 2‐level tumor volume modeling is able to predict tumor behavior throughout an entire treatment for 8 of 14 patients. The average survival fraction 0.44 agrees very well with the published survival fraction of 0.45 for the head‐and‐neck squamous cellcarcinoma. However, the 2‐level model cannot describe the variation of the cell disintegration rate which is observed at the end of treatment for some of the head‐and‐neck cancer patients. Conclusions: The 2‐level cell population model is an acceptable approximation for the tumor‐volume for some clinical cases, but it cannot describe all tumor‐volume regression cases. This may be explained by omitting hypoxia in the 2‐level model.
The Role of Parts and Spatial Relations in Object Identification

An investigation of the role of parts and their spatial relations in object identification is reported. At the most general level, two important results were obtained. First, proper spatial relations among components of an object are critical for easy identification. When parts were scrambled on the page, naming times and error rates increased. And, second, the way an object is divided into parts (parsed) affects identification only under the most impoverished viewing conditions. When subjects had as little as 1 s (and sometimes as little as 200 ms) to view an object, the way objects were divided into parts had no effect on naming times or accuracy. There was no hint of an interaction between type of parse and how parts were arranged on the page. This pattern of effects supports theories that suggest that objects typically are recognized without being parsed into parts. The findings are in agreement with theories suggesting that object features (not specifically related to parts) are matched directly with...
Feline Alimentary Lymphoma: Demystifying the Enigma

Alimentary lymphoma is one of the most commonly diagnosed neoplasms of the cat. The incidence of this disease has increased significantly over the past 15 years during the post-feline leukemia era. Despite the common prevalence of this disease, appropriate diagnosis and treatment can be challenging. There are two main forms of feline alimentary lymphoma: the small-cell (lymphocytic, well-differentiated, low-grade) lymphoma variety and the large-cell (lymphoblastic, high-grade) lymphoma variety. These two diseases are related; however, each presents its own diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Additionally, it can be difficult to differentiate these malignancies from other nonneoplastic diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and other chronic inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal tract. The purpose of this article is to tackle the challenges of this allusive disease with a step-by-step approach to diagnosis, staging, and therapy.
Impinging Jet Noise Suppression Using Water Microjets

Supersonic impinging jets have been of interest both from an applications and a fundamental fluid mechanics point of view for several decades. The vertical hot jet used by aircraft capable of vertical landing or take-off during hover is perhaps the most significant application. When the distance between the ground and the aircraft is small, the impinging jet has been shown to produce lift loss, hot gas ingestion and a highly unsteady flow field producing ground erosion and damaging vibrational loads on aircraft, structures and personnel in the vicinity. Previous tests using an ideally-expanded, axisymmetric Mach 1.5 primary jet heated up electrically to a total temperature of up to 500K have been carried out to establish both baseline acoustic features of this flow field and noise suppression using microjets. Pressure spectra acquired in this setup showed discrete, high-amplitude acoustic impingement tones at frequencies varying with jet temperature. These tones were found to grow more pronounced at elevated versus ambient conditions. In these tests, microjets produced substantial suppression of both tones and broadband noise. Of recent interest is the case of a jet impinging on an angled surface, as seen on the decks of aircraft carriers using blast deflectors. With such geometry, a new opportunity to effect noise control downstream of the nozzle arises. The present paper describes experiments carried out in a high-temperature, supersonic jet facility in which a heated jet produced by the combustion of ethylene was allowed to impinge on a flat plate outfitted with oblique aqueous microjets. Steady microjet suppression was tested in this configuration. Water flow rates of up to 10% of the main jet flow were tested for ground plane locations of 8 and 10 nozzle throat diameters downstream of the nozzle exit and at jet exhaust temperatures from 288K to 1033K. Measurements were carried out to quantify the noise suppression in the acoustic farfield for various stagnation temperatures and ground plane locations. It was found that the angled ground plane microjets suppressed the impingement tones as well as produced additional broadband noise reduction at low temperatures. Reductions of up to nearly 4 dB were observed in the far-field.
Stable adaptive control of a class of continuous-flow bioreactors

A stable adaptive control strategy is suggested for a class of continuous-flow bioreactor processes described by Monod kinetics with two unknown parameters, one of which appears nonlinearly. Similarly, as in the case of the previously reported adaptive controllers, the parametrization of the process model, in conjuction with the adaptive exponential feeding strategy and corresponding adaptive algorithms, results in a stable system in which the convergence of the output errors to zero is guaranteed. In the former, however, two major problems are encountered: (1) both output errors were used to adjust the controller parameters, which may yield unacceptable performance of the resulting adaptive system; (2) conditions under which the process output can assume only positive values are difficult to derive. Hence, a design of a stable adaptive controller is suggested, whose parameters are adjusted using only one of the output errors and that yields acceptable performance of the control system. With this method, conditions under which the process outputs can assume only positive values can be readily derived. These conditions in turn guarantee that the control input saturation at value zero cannot occur. In this context, two adaptive controllers are suggested, such that the resulting adaptive systems are stable and the control objective is met. The adaptive controller design relies on a convenient coordinate transformation, while the proof of stability is based on suitably chosen Lyapunov functions. The performance of the adaptive system is evaluated through computer simulations.
A cognitive-affective system theory of personality: Reconceptualizing situations, dispositions, dynamics, and invariance in personality structure.

A theory was proposed to reconcile paradoxical findings on the invariance of personality and the variability of behavior across situations. For this purpose, individuals were assumed to differ in (a) the accessibility of cognitive-affective mediating units (such as encodings, expectancies and beliefs, affects, and goals) and (b) the organization of relationships through which these units interact with each other and with psychological features of situations. The theory accounts for individual differences in predictable patterns of variability across situations (e.g., if A. then she X, but ifE then she Y), as well as for overall average levels of behavior, as essential expressions or behavioral signatures of the same underlying personality system. Situations, personality dispositions, dynamics, and structure were reconceptualized from this perspective. The construct of personality rests on the assumption that individuals are characterized by distinctive qualities that are relatively invariant across situations and over time. In a century of personality research, however, abundant evidence has documented that individual differences in social behaviors tend to be surprisingly variable across different situations. Although this finding has been interpreted as evidence against the utility of the personality construct, we show that it need not be and, on the contrary, that this variability reflects some of the essence of personality coherence. When personality is conceptualized as a stable system that mediates how the individual selects, construes, and processes social information and generates social behaviors, it becomes possible to account simultaneously for both the invariant qualities of the underlying personality and the predictable variability across situations in some of its characteristic behavioral expressions. In this article, we begin with a review of recent empirical data demonstrating that individuals are characterized not only by stable individual differences in their overall levels of behavior, but also by distinctive and stable patterns of behavior variability across situations. These findings invite a new conception of personality in which such patterns of variability are seen not as
Estimating Additive Character Sums for Fuchsian Groups

In the usual construction of non-holomorphic Eisenstein series, for a general Fuchsian group, a multiplicative character may be included. The properties of these series are well known. Here we instead include an additive character and develop the properties of the resulting series. We pay particular attention to additive characters that are non-cuspidal, i.e., that are not zero on some parabolic generators. These series may be used to estimate certain additive character sums. For example, asymptotics for a weighted sum over group elements that counts the number of appearances of a fixed generator of the Fuchsian group are obtained.
CORONAL HOLES AND SOLAR WIND STREAMS DURING THE SUNSPOT CYCLE

Complementary synoptic observations of the Sun and interplanetary space have been obtained nearly continuously for more than two sunspot cycles and have led to new ideas about the origin of the solar wind. These observations show an inverse correlation between wind speed at Earth and magnetic flux tube expansion in the corona, with fast wind originating from slowly diverging tubes and vice versa. Although this result is consistent with the Skylab-era concept that fast wind originates from the center of a large isolated coronal hole, it implies that the wind may be even faster at the facing edges of like-polarity holes where the flux-tubes converge as they begin their outward extension. Thus, very fast wind ought to originate from the high-latitude edges of the circumpolar holes soon after sunspot maximum and from the mid-latitude necks of the polar-hole lobes during the declining phase of the cycle. The observed inverse correlation may be understood physically in terms of a model in which Alfven waves boost the wind to high speed provided that the wave energy flux is distributed approximately uniformly at the coronal base.
Exercise and energy intake in overweight, sedentary individuals.

Exercise expends energy, but without dietary intervention, exercise does not appear to produce substantial weight loss. The present study examined whether overweight, sedentary individuals increase their energy intake after moderate intensity exercise, particularly in the presence of negative mood. A repeated measures design was used where overweight, sedentary individuals (N=65) completed, in counterbalanced order, two conditions: 3 minutes of exercise (Active) and 3 minutes of sedentary activity (Sedentary) during one session. Snack foods were presented 10 minutes after each activity. Mixed-effects regression modeling revealed no significant effect of Active versus Sedentary condition on energy intake. However, moderational analyses revealed that change in negative mood interacted with condition to predict energy intake, such that participants who reported increased negative mood during exercise consumed more calories in the Active compared to the Sedentary condition. That a short bout of exercise resulted in mood deterioration and increased energy intake for some overweight, sedentary individuals is concerning. Further research examining behavioral and physiological mechanisms of mood deterioration and caloric overcompensation following exercise in overweight, sedentary individuals is warranted.
Topography of the AV node and left-sided His-bundle recordings.

AV node reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) is the most common cause of supraventricular tachycardia seen in clinical practice, yet the “precise” pathways are still unknown.1 Misconceptions regarding the topography of the AV node, its environs, and its transmission pathways may relate to differences in data among anatomic and electrical studies.2 The report by Katritsis et al., in Heart Rhythm, 2006;3:993–1000 considers the AV node a septal structure (p. 993). However, as illustrated by Tawara a century ago for different species including dog and human in histologic sections, whole heart and schematics,4: Figs. A, B the AV node is located within the central fibrous body, and deep to the posterior noncoronary aortic cusp, thus it cannot be in the atrial septum. I have verified these associations in dog5: Fig. 3; 6–9 and human (unpublished data) hearts. The AV node is an intracardiac structure. Its topography is just superior to the anterior half of the medial tricuspid leaflet, and at the ventricular outflow tract deep to the posterior aortic cusp, the “atrioventricular septum of the ventricular outflow tract” in the human heart. Therefore neither the AV node nor the His bundle are associated with atrial septum, which correlates with the fossa ovalis, and in the human heart is two centimeters removed from these structures.10: Fig They also considered 1) that the so-called left-sided His bundle catheter, placed in the pocket of the posterior aortic cusp3, is located on the left side of the septum, and 2) that His bundle potentials are recorded here. However the posterior aortic pocket is attached to the right atrium at the level of the “medial atrial wall” and the “atrioaortic septum, and not atrial septum; and the so-called His potential is likely from the AV node. A full report on these associations in human heart is in preparation. These details suggest that a clear understanding of AVNRT will have to take into account the true anatomy.
Dual PI3K/AKT/mTOR Inhibitor BEZ235 Synergistically Enhances the Activity of JAK2 Inhibitor against Cultured and Primary Human Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Cells

Hemopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) from myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) such as myelofibrosis commonly express mutant JAK2-V617F or other mutations that are associated with increased activities of JAK-STAT5/3, RAS/RAF/MAPK, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways. This confers proliferative and survival advantage on the MPN HPCs. Treatment with JAK tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), for example, TG101209, TG101348 (SAR302503), or INCB018424 (ruxolitinib), inhibits mutant JAK2-mediated signaling. Although effective in reducing constitutional symptoms and splenomegaly, treatment with JAK-TKI does not ameliorate myelofibrosis or significantly improve survival of patients with advanced myelofibrosis. Here, we show that treatment with the dual phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT and mTOR inhibitor BEZ235 attenuated PI3K/AKT and mTOR signaling, as well as induced cell-cycle growth arrest and apoptosis of the cultured human JAK2-V617F-expressing HEL92.1.7 (HEL), UKE1 cells, and primary CD34+ myelofibrosis (MF)-MPN cells. Treatment with BEZ235 also induced significant apoptosis of the JAK2-TKI resistant HEL/TGR cells that were selected for resistance against JAK-TKI. Cotreatment with BEZ235 and JAK2-TKI (TG101209 and SAR302503) synergistically induced lethal activity against the cultured and primary CD34+ MPN cells while relatively sparing the normal CD34+ HPCs. These findings create a compelling rationale to determine the in vivo activity of dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitors in combination with JAK inhibitors against myelofibrosis HPCs.
Minimizing Human Tracking Error for Robotic Rehabilitation Device

Background: This paper explores the design of a novel robotic device for gait training and rehabilitation, a method to estimate a human's orientation within the rehabilitation device, as well as an optimal state space controller to actuate the rehabilitation device. Method of approach: The Robotic Parallel Bars (RPB) were designed to address the shortcomings of currently available assistive devices. The RPB device moves in response to a human occupant to maintain a constant distance and orientation to the human. To minimize the error in tracking the human, a complementary filter was optimized to estimate the human's orientation within the device using a magnetometer and gyroscope. Results: Experimental measurements of complementary filter performance on a test platform show that the filter estimates orientation with an average error of 0.62 degrees over a range of angular velocities from 22.5 deg/s to 180 deg/s. The RPB device response was simulated and an optimal state space controller was implemented using a linear quadratic regulator. The controller has an average position error of 14.1 cm and an average orientation error of 14.3 degrees when tracking a human, while the simulation predicted an average error of 10.5 cm and 5.6 degrees. Conclusions: The achieved level of accuracy in following a human user is sufficiently sensitive for the RPB device to conduct more advanced, realistic gait training and rehabilitation techniques. Keywords: Medical Robotics, Rehabilitation Devices, Sensors/Actuators
Succinct Survey Measures of Web-Use Skills

There is a dearth of survey instruments for measuring Internet skills. This article presents results from additional implementations of a previously-developed index measure. It considers the performance of the original instrument over time as well as shortened versions of it on two surveys of different populations. Drawing on analyses of five different data sets, the article makes recommendations for various length survey items for measuring people's web-use skills.
Partial Cystectomy for Muscle Invasive Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder: A Contemporary Review of the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Experience

Purpose: Partial cystectomy is a surgical option for select patients diagnosed with urothelial carcinoma. We review our experience with partial cystectomy for muscle invasive urothelial carcinoma to assess local control and survival rates.Material and Methods: From 1982 to 2003 a total of 37 patients with muscle invasive urothelial carcinoma underwent partial cystectomy with curative intent. Reviewed data included history of superficial tumors, presence of variant histology, tumor location, clinical stage, pathological stage, presence of carcinoma in situ, adjuvant therapy and disease status.Results: The 5-year overall, disease specific and recurrence-free survival rates were 67%, 87% and 39%, respectively. Mean followup was 72.6 months (range 6 to 217). Of the 37 patients 19 (51%) did not have tumor recurrence, 9 (24%) had superficial recurrence in the bladder that was treated successfully and 9 (24%) had recurrence with advanced disease. A total of 24 patients (65%) had an intact bladder with no evidenc...
Cranial vault metastasis of giant cell tumor

Giant cell tumors are benign bony tumors involving the epiphysis of long bones. Here, we present a case of giant cell tumor involving the parietal bone that had metastasized from the sacrum. A 36-year-old healthy woman presented to neurosurgery clinic in April 2005 reporting a "bump" over the left parietal area that had been increasing in size over the past 6 months. The lesion was nontender, and the patient had no other associated neurological symptoms. As we have presented here, cranial vault metastases can occur and should be considered in a differential diagnosis of bony lesions found in this location. These distant metastases, although relatively uncommon, must be managed aggressively. Newer radiation treatments seem to be a promising favorable adjunct to wide local resection and should be investigated further for these tumors.
Biochemical and physiological consequences of an age-related increase in acetylcholinesterase activity at the rat neuromuscular junction

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) specific activity was assayed using diaphragm muscles obtained from mature adult (10 months) and aged (25– 27 months) rats. Biochemical assays indicated significant age-related increases in the AChE specific activity of both noninnervated and innervated tissue. The different molecular forms of AChE were separated by velocity sedimentation and were further assayed. The age-related increase was manifest primarily in the 10S (G4) form in both noninnervated and innervated tissue and also the 16S (A12) form of the noninnervated samples. To ascertain more conclusively whether AChE activity in the end-plate junctional region of innervated tissue changed in the older rats, miniature end-plate currents (m.e.p.c.s) were recorded under voltage-clamp conditions before and after AChE inhibition. When AChE activity was inhibited by 10 microM echothiopate or 1 mM methanesulfonyl fluoride, m.e.p.c. amplitudes and decay time constants increased in both age groups. The magnitude of these increases was larger in the older animals. However, calculations of the relative change in m.e.p.c. amplitudes after AChE inhibition indicated that less ACh was hydrolyzed by AChE in the older animals. Inhibition of AChE did not affect mean channel open time, which was estimated from spectral analyses of ACh-induced membrane noise. These data indicate that the prolonged decay times in the older rats following AChE inhibition is quite likely due to an expanded field of postsynaptic ACh receptors and not exclusively to a change in junctional AChE.
The Word-Faith Movement: A Theological Conflation of the Nation of Islam and Mormonism?

Abstract A relative newcomer to the world of New Religious Movements, the "Word-Faith Movement" is one of the most understudied developments on the margins of the Christian tradition. Typically dismissed by conservative Protestants and others as a "health and wealth gospel," such a characterization fails to account for the movement's theological roots and practical fruits. These roots are located in two historical predecessor NRMs—the Nation of Islam and Mormonism. Using both direct evidence from Faith theological architects of doctrinal appropriation and strong circumstantial evidence of exegetical borrowing on the part of the movement's leaders, I argue that this identification of the Faith Movement's parent traditions enhances our understanding of its major cultural fruits, including the personal empowerment jointly driven by gnōsis of one's true identity, and by the bestowal of ultimate concern upon socioeconomic movement via direct correlation with one's spiritual progress. I conclude with some reflections on what the Faith Movement's career to date can tell us about New Religious Movements and the state of religion in America today.