cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthetic Antibacterial Peptide Exhibits Synergy with Oxacillin against MRSA

One proposed solution to the crisis of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) infections is the development of molecules that potentiate the activity of antibiotics for AMR bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Rather than develop broad spectrum compounds, we developed a peptide that could potentiate the activity of a narrow spectrum antibiotic, oxacillin. In this way, the combination treatment could narrowly target the resistant pathogen and limit impact on host flora. We developed a peptide, ASU014, composed of a S. aureus binding peptide and a S. aureus inhibitory peptide conjugated to a branched peptide scaffold, which has modest activity against S. aureus but exhibits synergy with oxacillin for MRSA both in vitro and in a MRSA skin infection model. The low concentration of ASU014 and sub-MIC concentration of oxacillin necessary for activity suggest that this molecule is a candidate for future medicinal chemistry optimization.
Imaging carrier dynamics on the surface of the N-type silicon

The nonequilibrium dynamics of carriers in semiconductors plays a major role in the performance and efficiency of the electronic and photovoltaic devices. In this study, we use the scanning ultrafast electron microscopy (SUEM) technique to study the surface photovoltage dynamics in doped silicon samples. We observe that the optical excitation of lightly doped n-type and p-type silicon as well as heavily doped n-type silicon increases the electron density on the surface. In contrast, the optical excitation of heavily doped p-type silicon increases the hole density on the surface. Furthermore, we show that the rise and the decay timescales of these events strongly depend on the doping concentration.
New developments in small bowel enteroscopy.

Purpose of review Endoscopic technology has evolved such that device-assisted enteroscopes (DAEs) are readily available and utilized to diagnose and treat patients with small bowel disease. In this review, we briefly discuss the DAE platforms and the expanding role for small bowel enteroscopy. Recent findings The indications for small bowel endoscopy are rapidly increasing with new diagnostic and therapeutic maneuvers that are allowing patients to obtain treatments that would have otherwise required more invasive or higher risk procedures. The evolving utilization of DAE tools in patients with altered gastrointestinal anatomy and otherwise palliative conditions is allowing for more aggressive and therapeutic choices for patients who would otherwise have limited options. Summary There are currently four different platforms for small bowel endoscopy each with different operational characteristics. The literature comparing double-balloon and single-balloon enteroscopy is relatively established, but there are still limited data evaluating the role of the two newer platforms (spiral and on-demand enteroscopy) in diagnostic and therapeutic small bowel endoscopy - a reflection of the potential and vast opportunities that are available in the field of small bowel enteroscopy.
Method of controlling the low speed single-ended signal interference to the RF bands

Low speed IO signals on single ended lines such as the low pin count (LPC), high definition audio (HDA), serial peripheral interface (SPI) and so forth, typically has low emission energy from 30MHz onwards and normally meeting the EMC radiated emission requirements. However, the harmonics of these low speed IO signals may still pose the risk of interfering the RF bands such as the 3G/LTE/WCDMA and WiFi. These harmonics noise increases the noise floor of the platform at the mentioned RF bands and de-sensitizing the receive sensitivity. One of the root causes identified is the fast slew rate on the clock that causes the high amount of harmonics content. In this paper, an example of the data signal slew rate control on a flexible printed circuit (FPC) cable simulation model was being studied and with careful control of the data signal slew rate, the platform noise interfering with the GSM 850 bands can be reduced.
Vertebral osteomyelitis: How to differentiate it from other causes of back and neck pain

Vertebral osteomyelitis, an uncommon infection, usually presents with the very common symptom of neck or back pain. Awareness of this disorder and its distinctive features aids physicians in prompt ordering of appropriate imaging studies, which usually lead to the diagnosis. Early diagnosis, identification of the infecting microbe, and appropriate antimicrobial therapy are the keys to preventing complications and reducing the need for surgical intervention.
Apoptosis and Response to Radiation: Implications for Radiation Therapy

Apoptosis is a mode of cell death that is currently of intense research interest in developmental and cancer biology. For more than 40 years, radiobiologists have been aware of cells in irradiated specimens that display the
The Morality of an American Infidel

Never in American history has an outspoken freethinker gained so much widespread attention as Robert Green Ingersoll. One of the greatest orators in American history, Ingersoll traveled across the country entrancing audiences with his astonishing speaking skills, quick wit, and genuine concern for humanity. Despite the religiosity of his audiences, Ingersoll's ability as an orator allowed him to speak freely about his nonbelief at a time when it was usually dangerous to do so. Some Christians like to think they have a monopoly on virtue and that nonbelievers must be tempted by sin, so Ingersoll debunked this misconception with logic in his speeches and impeccable behavior in his personal affairs. Ingersoll became famous for uncovering the inconsistencies and dangers of religion; however, he also devoted considerable efforts to outlining his own secular philosophy. This article is available in Constructing the Past: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/constructing/vol14/iss1/13
Prognostics: a battery case study

FDP methods were developed in RS framework with great achievement for its simplicity. With the trend of distributed FDP, LSM is introduced with a philosophy of “execution when needed" to reduce the computation and make the long-term online prognosis possible on embedded systems. In this chapter, EKF algorithm is developed in the LS framework. An experiment of lithium-ion battery SOH diagnosis and prognosis with comparison against traditional RS-based approach is presented. It is demonstrated that the proposed approach is able to reduce the requirement on computational sources. This proposed approach combines the advantages of EKF and LS method, which results in low computation and small uncertainty accumulation.
Spiritual Care of Transgender Persons

Spiritual care is increasingly recognized as an essential component of healthcare delivery. Professional chaplains play a specialized role in meeting the religious/spiritual (R/S) needs of patients. This chapter focuses on the provision of spiritual care to transgender populations and introduces key concepts, terms, and related research. The authors describe screening and assessment tools that may assist clinicians in identifying the R/S needs of transgender patients. The authors also present case studies that demonstrate how clinicians and chaplains might address the R/S needs of transgender adults and adolescents. Given that R/S can play significant, complex, and varying roles in the coping and decision-making of transgender patients, clinician sensitivity to R/S needs and familiarity with supportive resources, including chaplains, are recommended.
Product Reliability Methods to Enable High Performance CPU's

Over the past several years, Intel released five generations of Core™ processors with increasing performance. Some performance improvements are due to transistor and process enhancements. There are also opportunities for performance and reliability co-optimization through the product life cycle (PLC). In this paper, we report on co-optimization methods in the post-Si and external phases of the PLC: improved use condition insights from telemetry; novel stress assessments; reliability control through manufacturing; and partnering with personal computer (PC) designers. These methods contributed to substantial improvement in CPU frequency without compromising reliability.
Factors Associated With Diagnosis and Treatment of Thyroid Microcarcinomas

CONTEXT Nearly one-third of all thyroid cancers are ≤1 cm. OBJECTIVE To determine diagnostic pathways for microcarcinomas vs larger cancers. DESIGN/SETTING/PARTICIPANTS Patients from Georgia and Los Angeles Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries with differentiated thyroid cancer diagnosed in 2014 or 2015 were surveyed. Survey data were linked to SEER data on tumor and treatment characteristics. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Method of nodule discovery; reason for thyroid surgery. RESULTS Of patients who underwent surgery, 975 (38.2%) had cancers ≤1 cm, and 1588 cancers (61.8%) were >1 cm. The reported method of nodule discovery differed significantly between patients with cancers ≤1 cm and those with cancers >1 cm (P < 0.001). Cancer ≤1 cm was associated with nodule discovery on thyroid ultrasound (compared with other imaging, OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.21 to 2.10), older patient age (45 to 54 years vs ≤44, OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.16 to 1.82), and female sex (OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.22 to 1.87). Hispanic ethnicity (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.57 to 0.89) and Asian race (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.49 to 0.92) were negative correlates. Cancers ≤1 cm were associated with lower likelihood of surgery for a nodule suspicious or consistent with cancer (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.57). CONCLUSION Thyroid microcarcinomas are more likely to be detected by ultrasound and less likely to be associated with surgery scheduled for known thyroid cancer. Understanding diagnostic pathways allows for targeted interventions to decrease overdiagnosis and overtreatment.
Making our invisible racial agendas visible: Race talk in Assessing Writing, 1994–2018

Abstract “Writing” is far from the only construct relevant to writing assessment research. The construct “race” is arguably crucial for the field’s considerations of human diversity, difference, and inequity. To examine how race has been constructed within the field, this paper provides a content analysis of explicit race talk in Assessing Writing (1994–2018). Drawing on insights from critical race and Whiteness theories, this study examined a corpus of 304 articles and found 68 containing explicit talk of race, which were characterized by four trends: scholars discuss race in the contexts of examinee/examiner perceptions and preferences; patterns in assessment performance; and the textual content of students’ writings or assessment documents; but most commonly, they engage with race in more marginal or circumstantial ways, referencing race without analysis (e.g., in literature reviews, calls for future research). Additionally, “race,” “ethnicity,” and “racism” seemingly have never been explicitly defined within the journal, potentially contributing to denotative uncertainty and confusion. These findings suggest that future research could benefit by more consistently clarifying its race constructs; disaggregating data with an attention to racial fairness; deepening historical and theoretical engagements with race; diversifying the voices and interpretations that circulate in the field; and turning toward intersectional justice.
Pupillary light reflex circuits in the Macaque Monkey: the olivary pretectal nucleus

The olivary pretectal nucleus is the first central connection in the pupillary light reflex pathway, the circuit that adjusts the diameter of the pupil in response to ambient light levels. This study investigated aspects of the morphology and connectivity of the olivary pretectal nucleus in macaque monkeys by use of anterograde and retrograde tracers. Within the pretectum, the vast majority of neurons projecting to the preganglionic Edinger-Westphal nucleus were found within the olivary pretectal nucleus. Most of these neurons had somata located at the periphery of the nucleus and their heavily branched dendrites extended into the core of the nucleus. Retinal terminals were concentrated within the borders of the olivary pretectal nucleus. Ultrastructural examination of these terminals showed that they had clear spherical vesicles, occasional dense-core vesicles, and made asymmetric synaptic contacts. Retrogradely labeled cells projecting to the preganglionic Edinger-Westphal nucleus displayed relatively few somatic contacts. Double labeling indicated that these neurons receive direct retinal input. The concentration of retinal terminals within the nucleus and the extensive dendritic trees of the olivary projection cells provide a substrate for very large receptive fields. In some species, pretectal commissural connections are a substrate for balancing the direct and consensual pupillary responses to produce pupils of equal size. In the macaque, there was little evidence for such a commissural projection based on either anterograde or retrograde tracing. This may be due to the fact that each macaque retina provides nearly equal density projections to the ipsilateral and contralateral olivary pretectal nucleus.
Spinning FlexHD canaloplasty following parotidectomy: A case report

Abstract The common method of external auditory canal (EAC) reconstruction is using a split thickness skin graft. We describe a case of a unique method of ear canal reconstruction using a spinning FlexHD graft. Using allograft allows a decrease in donor site morbidity and also a thicker graft for a more robust repair. A FlexHD graft was used to resurface the bony ear and a posterior meatoplasty was performed to approximate the constructed ear canal with the anterior canal skin. In the process of wound closure, a brisk bleed developed that required embolization. At a four week follow up appointment, the ear canal remained patent and the patient had no concerns.
Recent Advances in Wireless Charging

The field of wireless power transfer (WPT) has been developing significantly. Wireless Power Transfer completely eliminates the existing high voltage power transmission lines, cables, and towers.Electric Vehicles (EV) have been proposed to achieve green transportation. Even though EV usage is currently increasing, a technology breakthrough would be required to overcome battery related drawbacks.Wireless power transfer provides inherent electrical isolation and reduces on board charging cost, weight and volume. Nevertheless, WPT for EVs pose additional challenges and sustainability trade-offs and concerns that have stimulated discussion in academia and industry.In this presentation, we first review existing technologies for both stationary and dynamic charging of vehicles. We then propose a wireless power transfer technology using microwaves for the wireless charging of stationary EVs. It involves the design of a beam forming phased array antenna as a transmitter (TX) distributed on the parking walls or on garage walls that transmit power to the receiver antenna existing in the car.We use a phased array antenna technology to control and adjust the microwave power beam in order to increase efficiency and to reduce unexpected radiation outside of the receiving antenna. The harvested RF power is converted into DC supply to charge the battery while the EV parks over night by using an appropriate rectifier- antenna (rectenna) circuit. The technology lends itself also for charging implantable or wearable medical devices as well. This will be highlighted in the presentation with an example of a self-powered wearable medical device.
Radical Cystectomy and Perioperative Sexual Function: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

Abstract Background Cancer-related changes in sexual function (SF) negatively impact quality of life and intimate partner relationships. There is a lack of data regarding SF among patients who underwent radical cystectomy (RC). Aim To comparatively evaluate perioperative SF among patients who underwent RC. Methods A prospective cohort of 150 patients undergoing RC for bladder cancer and participating in an internal validation study at a single institution from 2016 to 2019 were eligible for analysis. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire–Bladder Cancer Muscle Invasive (EORTC QLQ–BLM 30) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Bladder were administered; those completing the SF subscale of the EORTC QLQ–BLM 30 were included in final analysis. Analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and generalized linear modeling. Outcomes The primary outcome was interest or engagement in sexual activity within 4 weeks of survey completion, whereas the secondary outcome was a mean score on the EORTC QLQ–BLM 30 SF subscale. Results Overall, 132 of 150 (88%) of patients were eligible, of whom 82% were male, and the median age was 68.5 years. 53% reported at least a little interest in sexual activity, and 40% endorsed sexual activity within the last 4 weeks. The mean SF subscale score was 61.5 ± 25.2. Women had significantly worse mean scores of 72.9 ± 27.1 versus 59.1 ± 24.2 for men (P = .02). On multivariate analysis, both age and female gender were independently associated with higher SF domain scores. Clinical Implications A substantial portion of patients who underwent RC endorse being sexually active or express interest in sexually activity in the perioperative period. Given the recent increase in attention given to SF outcomes and quality of life, this work supports further efforts to explore this area and develop novel interventions to improve outcomes. Strengths and Limitations Strengths include rigorously collected, cross-sectional data using standardized methodology. Limitations include a relatively small sample size of female patients and unknown meaningful clinical difference. Conclusions A substantial portion of patients report sexual interest and activity in the perioperative period; however, female gender is associated with worse SF domain scores. These findings support further inquiry into this topic. Westerman ME, Kokorovic A, Wang XS, et al. Radical Cystectomy and Perioperative Sexual Function: A Cross-Sectional Analysis. J Sex Med 2020;17:1995–2004.
Continuous-Time Look-Ahead Optimization of Energy Storage in Real-Time Balancing and Regulation Markets

This article proposes a novel continuous-time look-ahead optimization model for scheduling balancing energy and regulation capacity provided by energy storage (ES) devices and generating units in real-time markets. The proposed model implements the receding horizon control approach, where at each time, the operation of ES devices and generating units are co-optimized to minimize the total real-time system operation cost for providing the services over the control horizon in future. A continuous-time Gaussian process is developed to characterize the uncertainty and variability of load, which is used to update the load forecast over each control horizon. The proposed continuous-time problem is solved in a finite-dimensional function space spanned by Bernstein polynomials, which converts the problem into a solvable mixed-integer linear programming problem. The proposed model is implemented on the IEEE reliability test system. Numerical results show the optimal participation of ES in balancing and regulation markets considerably reduces the total real-time operation cost of the system.
How Can Innovation Screening Be Improved? A Machine Learning Analysis With Economic Consequences for Firm Performance

Using USPTO patent application data, I apply a machine-learning algorithm to analyze how the current patent examination process in the U.S. can be improved in terms of granting higher quality patents. I make use of the quasi-random assignment of patent applications to examiners to show that screening decisions aided by a machine learning algorithm lead to a 15.5% gain in patent generality and a 35.6% gain in patent citations. To analyze the economic consequences of current patent screening on both public and private firms, I construct an ex-ante measure of past false acceptance rate for each examiner by exploiting the disagreement in patent screening decisions between the algorithm and current patent examiner. I first show that patents granted by examiners with higher false acceptance rates have lower announcement returns around patent grant news. Moreover, these patents are more likely to expire early. Next, I find that public firms whose patents are granted by such examiners are more likely to get sued in patent litigation cases. Consequently, these firms cut R&D investments and have worse operating performance. Lastly, I find that private firms whose patents are granted by such examiners are less likely to exit successfully by an IPO or an M&A. Overall, this study suggests that the social and economic cost of an inefficient patent screening system is large and can be mitigated with the help of a machine learning algorithm.
Peptidomic approaches to study proteolytic activity.

Peptidomics, the analysis of the peptide content of cells or tissues, can be used to study proteases in several ways. First, nearly all of the peptides detected in cells and tissues are proteolytic fragments of proteins. Analysis of the peptides therefore provides information regarding the proteolytic activities that occurred to generate the observed peptides. The use of quantitative peptidomic approaches allows the comparison of relative peptide levels in two or more different samples, which enables studies examining the consequences of increasing proteolytic activity (by enzyme activation or overexpression) or reducing proteolytic activity (by inhibition, knock-down, or knock-out). The quantitative peptidomics method can also be used in studies directly testing the cleavage specificity of purified proteases. For this, peptides are purified from the tissue/cell line of interest, incubated in the presence of various amounts of protease or in the absence of protease, and then analyzed by the quantitative peptidomics approach. This reveals which peptides are preferred substrates, which are products, and which are not cleaved. Collectively, these studies complement conventional approaches to study proteolytic activity and allow for a more complete understanding of an enzyme’s substrate specificity.
Transformation of Pneumococcal M Protein

Feingold, David S. (The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia), and Robert Austrian. Transformation of pneumococcal M protein. J. Bacteriol. 92:952–955. 1966.—Antisera prepared with vaccines of noncapsulated pneumococci of a given M protein type and absorbed with organisms of heterologous M protein type agglutinated specifically the homologous organisms. Specific anti-M protein sera can be used as selective reagents to permit isolation of organisms of heterologous M protein type from mixed populations. This capacity of anti-M protein sera was employed to facilitate recovery of intraspecific M protein transformants of pneumococcus. Attempted interspecific transfer of group A β-hemolytic streptococcal M protein to pneumococcus by means of transformation reactions, however, was not accomplished.
Towards the use of non-psychoactive cannabinoids for prostate cancer

The palliative effects of Cannabis sativa (marijuana), and its putative main active ingredient, Δ(9) -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which include appetite stimulation, attenuation of nausea and emesis associated with chemo- or radiotherapy, pain relief, mood elevation, and relief from insomnia in cancer patients, are well-known. Because of the adverse psychoactive effects of THC, numerous recent preclinical studies have been focused on investigating other non-psychoactive constituents of C. sativa, such as cannabidiol, for potential therapeutic use. In this issue of the British Journal of Pharmacology, De Petrocellis and colleagues present comprehensive evidence that plant-derived cannabinoids, especially cannabidiol, are potent inhibitors of prostate carcinoma viability in vitro. They also showed that the extract was active in vivo, either alone or when administered with drugs commonly used to treat prostate cancer (the anti-mitotic chemotherapeutic drug docetaxel (Taxotere) or the anti-androgen bicalutamide (Casodex)) and explored the potential mechanisms behind these antineoplastic effects.
QoS Translation and Admission Control for MPEG Video

In this paper we present an integrated view of translation and admission control relations for MPEG video streams between a multimedia distributed application such as video-on-demand, and its underlying system resource, CPU. Both services are presented as core services of our Quality of Service (QoS) communication model. This communication model is analyzed for different MPEG grouping schemes and communication paradigms. We show under these schemes and paradigms the translation and admission control implications for deterministic QoS specification which must be considered in any MPEG-based multimedia system.
Diversity in academic medicine no. 2 history of battles lost and won

Spurred by its rapidly changing demographics, the United States is striving to reduce and eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities. To do so, it must overcome the legacy of individual, institutional, and structural racism and resolve conflicts in related political and social ideologies. This has moved the struggle over diversity in the health professions outside the laboratories and ivy-covered walls of academic medicine into the halls of Congress and chambers of the US Supreme Court. Although equal employment opportunity and affirmative action programs began as legal remedies for distinct histories of legally sanctioned racial and gender discrimination, they also became effective means for increasing the representation of underrepresented minorities in higher education and the health professions. Beginning in the 1970s and continuing today, legal challenges to measures for realizing equal opportunity and leveling the playing field have reached the US Supreme Court and state-wide ballot initiatives. These historical challenges and successes are the subject of this article. Although the history is not exhaustive, it aims to provide an important context for the struggles of advocates to improve the representation of underrepresented minorities in medicine and reduce racial and ethnic health disparities.
A "Seasonal Stew" -- Food for Thought; Fuel for Action

Welcome to the Fall 2013 issue of Advances in Social Work. Arriving on the heels of our previous, 17-article special issue on Latinos/Latinas, we now present the largest regular issue (21 articles) ever published by Advances. For this, we must thank the many authors who submitted manuscripts during the last several months, as well as a tireless cadre of reviewers who typically view and evaluate each eventually successful manuscript at least two times prior to its acceptance. We appreciate the increase in submissions and the growth in our ranks of registered authors, readers, and reviewers. We now have more than 800 social work researchers, educators, and practitioners from around the world registered with the journal, about 300 of whom serve as reviewers.
Housing Prices: More Room to Fall?

What do we know about the incidence and amplitude of house price cycles in countries across the globe? What are the driving forces behind these cycles? And what does this analysis tell us about the future of house prices?
Geertz, Gods, and Good Beginnings: Two Disciplines in Dialogue

Robert L. Moore and Frank E. Reynolds. eds. Anthropology and the Study of Religion. Chicago: Center for the Scientific Study of Religion, 1984, ix. 230 pp. $9-95 (paper).
Solar Wind Charge Exchange During Geomagnetic Storms

On March 31st. 2001, a coronal mass ejection pushed the subsolar magnetopause to the vicinity of geosynchronous orbit at 6.6 RE. The NASA/GSFC Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMe) employed a global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model to simulate the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction during the peak of this geomagnetic storm. Robertson et aL then modeled the expected 50ft X-ray emission due to solar wind charge exchange with geocoronal neutrals in the dayside cusp and magnetosheath. The locations of the bow shock, magnetopause and cusps were clearly evident in their simulations. Another geomagnetic storm took place on July 14, 2000 (Bastille Day). We again modeled X-ray emission due to solar wind charge exchange, but this time as observed from a moving spacecraft. This paper discusses the impact of spacecraft location on observed X-ray emission and the degree to which the locations of the bow shock and magnetopause can be detected in images.
Isolation of streptolysin O by preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Abstract Streptolysin O giving a single band by Ouchterlony and acrylamide gel analysis has been isolated by ammonium sulfate precipitation, Sephadex gel filtration chromatography, and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
Fluctuating experimental pain sensitivities across the menstrual cycle are contingent on women's romantic relationship status.

We explored the social-signaling hypothesis that variability in exogenous pain sensitivities across the menstrual cycle is moderated by women’s current romantic relationship status and hence the availability of a solicitous social partner for expressing pain behaviors in regular, isochronal ways. In two studies, we used the menstrual calendars of healthy women to provide a detailed approximation of the women’s probability of conception based on their current cycle-day, along with relationship status, and cold pressor pain and ischemic pain sensitivities, respectively. In the first study (n = 135; 18–46 yrs., Mage = 23 yrs., 50% natural cycling), we found that naturally-cycling, pair-bonded women showed a positive correlation between the probability of conception and ischemic pain intensity (r = .45), associations not found for single women or hormonal contraceptive-users. A second study (n = 107; 19–29 yrs., Mage = 20 yrs., 56% natural cycling) showed a similar association between greater conception risk and higher cold-pressor pain intensity in naturally-cycling, pair-bonded women only (r = .63). The findings show that variability in exogenous pain sensitivities across different fertility phases of the menstrual cycle is contingent on basic elements of women’s social environment and inversely correspond to variability in naturally occurring, perimenstrual symptoms. These findings have wide-ranging implications for: a) standardizing pain measurement protocols; b) understanding basic biopsychosocial pain-related processes; c) addressing clinical pain experiences in women; and d) understanding how pain influences, and is influenced by, social relationships.
Model discrimination difficulties in diffusion systems

Abstract Optimum reduced linear dynamic models have been computed from the impulse response of higher order systems. The higher order systems are based on the lumped approximation of a distributed diffusion equation. Difficulties in identifying the model order are demonstrated.
Lowest 2 + , T = 2 States in 20 Mg and 20 F

A recent experiment located the lowest 2${}^{+}$ state in ${}^{20}$Mg and discovered that the corresponding 2${}^{+}$, $T$ $=$ 2 state in ${}^{20}$F does not fit expectations of the isobaric multiplet mass equation without a $d$ term. We have calculated the energies of the ground and 2${}^{+}$ states in ${}^{20}$Mg and the 2${}^{+}$ in ${}^{20}$F in a potential model, using shell-model spectroscopic factors. We conclude that this important ${}^{20}$F state has likely never been observed, and suggest a reaction to find it.
Influence of fillers on the water sorption of composites

The main objectives of this work were to characterize the water sorption of dental composites in terms of water uptake, diffusion coefficients (D), and polymer content, and to study how these parameters are influenced by the nature of the filler and the presence of 4-META (4-methacryloxy ethyl trimellitic anhydride). Four anhydrous composites--(1) tribasic calcium phosphate (TCP 50%) and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDM), (2) silanated lithium aluminum silicate (SS, 75%) and TEGDM, (3) barium sulfate [BaSO4 (70%) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)], and (4) silane-coated barium glass (SBG) (75%)--and PMMA were employed in the water-sorption studies at 37 degrees C. The effect of 5% 4-META on the diffusion and uptake of water was studied at 37 degrees C. The data conformed approximately to Fick's laws of diffusion. The values of D were found to be significantly smaller with SS, suggesting an effective coupling. Polymer contents in the latter two composites were determined by incineration of the samples to constant weight. The uptake of water by the filled specimens was about two-fold that which would be expected on the basis of the PMMA content. These filled specimens took nearly twice as much water as unfilled PMMA. An additional amount of water is perhaps accommodated at the interface between the filler and PMMA matrix. The D values for water in filled specimens were considerably larger than those in the unfilled specimens. It appears that the filler-matrix interface provides paths of facile diffusion similar to grain boundary diffusion.
Effects of midazolam on directly stimulated muscle biopsies from control and malignant hyperthermia positive patients.

Midazolam is a water soluble benzodiazepine of interest to the anaesthetist for use as a premedicant and for induction of anaesthesia. The effects of midazolam were observed on the resting tension of directly stimulated muscle biopsied from control and malignant hyperthermia (MH) susceptible patients. In addition, interactions between midazolam and the two most commonly used MH diagnostic agents (halothane and caffeine) were examined. Midazolam, at maximum therapeutic concentrations (ca. 0.5 ng·ml-1), had no detectable effects on muscle contraction in preparations from control or MH positive patients. Midazolam did elict a contracture from control and MH positive preparations when used in a concentration range of 160–1280 μg·ml-1. There was no significant difference between control and MH positive patients in minimum concentration of midazolam causing contracture or the strength of contracture at the respective eliciting concentration. There appears to be no interaction between midazolam and either halothane or caffeine on the resting tension of the directly stimulated muscle twitch preparation.
The E-state in database analysis: the PCBs as an example

Abstract The electrotopological state (E-state) is presented as a representation of atom and molecular fragment structure useful for structure–activity analysis and chemical database management. The E-state formalism is presented along with its extension to the atom-type E-state formalism. An approach to database analysis, using the polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) as an example, reveals the descriptive power of the E-state paradigm.
Effect of alkali metal cations on the structure of Mo(VI)SiO2 catalysts and its relevance to the selective oxidation of methane and methanol

The effect of alkali metal additives on both the structure of MoO[sub 3]/SiO[sub 2] and its behavior as a catalyst for selective oxidation of methane and methanol to formaldehyde was investigated. The structure of the silica-supported molybdenum oxide catalysts was determined by in situ Raman spectroscopy and the amount of reducible oxygen in the catalyst was determined by temperature-programmed reduction. In the absence of alkali metal, only an isolated surface molybdenum oxide species was present on the silica support. Addition of alkali metals decreased the number of isolated surface molybdenum oxide species and formed new alkali-molybdate compounds due to the weak interaction of the Mo species with the silica surface. The oxygen associated with the alkali-molybdate compounds are generally not available for oxidation reactions. Consequently, the addition of alkali metal decreased the catalytic activity for the oxidation of both methane and methanol. The activity for methane oxidation was found to correlate with the number of remaining isolated Mo species and the activity for methanol oxidation was found to correlate with the amount of reducible oxygen present in the catalyst. 32 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab.
Olfactory receptor axons influence the development of glial potassium currents in the antennal lobe of the moth Manduca sexta.

In the olfactory (antennal) lobe of the moth Manduca sexta, olfactory receptor axons strongly influence the distribution and morphology of glial cells. In the present study, we asked whether the development of the electrophysiological properties of the glial cells is influenced by the receptor axons. Whole-cell currents were measured in antennal lobe glial cells in acute brain slices prepared from animals at different stages of metamorphic development (stages 3, 6, and 12). Outward currents were induced by depolarizing voltage steps from a holding potential of -70 mV. At all developmental stages investigated, the outward currents were partly blocked by bath application of the potassium channel blocker 4-aminopyridine (4AP, 10 mM) or by including tetraethylammonium (TEA, 30 mM) in the pipette solution. The relative contribution of the 4AP-sensitive current to the outward current increased from 18% at stages 3 and 6 to 42% at stage 12, while the TEA-sensitive current increased from 18% at stage 3 to 81% at stage 6, and then declined again to 40% at stage 12. In contrast, in the absence of receptor axons, these changes in the contribution of the TEA- and 4AP-sensitive currents to the total outward current did not occur; rather, the current profile remained in the most immature state (stage 3). The results suggest that olfactory receptor axons are essential for development of the mature pattern of glial potassium currents.
The effect of high-dose short-term ibuprofen on antihypertensive control with hydrochlorothiazide

The effect of high-dose ibuprofen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), on the blood pressure of treated hypertensive patients was evaluated in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover trial with 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Twelve middle-aged black women with essential hypertension, controlled with 50 mg hydrochlorothiazide per day, randomly received 3200 mg ibuprofen and a placebo for 8 days. Each treatment phase was separated by a 1-week washout period. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), body weight, and 24-hour urinary excretion of sodium, creatinine, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were determined at the end of each treatment phase. Mean (+/- SEM) 24-hour systolic and diastolic blood pressures were 122/85 (+/- 2.9/1.7) and 125/85 (+/- 3.0/1.1) during the placebo and ibuprofen phases, respectively. Mean ABPM during six consecutive 4-hour periods also revealed no significant differences between placebo and ibuprofen. We conclude that 3200 mg ibuprofen per day for up to 1 week induced little change in blood pressure in hypertensive who are receiving hydrochlorothiazide.
Structural changes in the heme proximal pocket induced by nitric oxide binding to soluble guanylate cyclase.

When expressed in Escherichia coli, the heme domain [β1(1−385)] of rat lung soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) is isolated with a stoichiometric amount of bound heme [Zhao, Y., and Marletta, M. A. (19...
Respiration of a Sublittoral Community

Respiration of a sublittoral community was examined off Sapelo Island, Georgia, from July 1969 through July 1970. Total community respiration ranged from 53.7 ml O_2 m(—2)hr(—1) in January to 92.7 ml O_2 m(—2)hr(—1) in July. A positive correlation was found between community respiration and water temperature. Annual community respiration was estimated to be 676.6 liters O_2 m(—2)yr(—1). The macrofauna consisted of 103 species representing ten phyla. Species abundance ranged from 744 individuals/m2 in July to 14,213 individuals/m2 in March. Biomass (ash free dry wt) increased from 7.3 g/m2 in October to 20.2 g/m2 in March. Macrofaunal respiration comprised from 5 to 26% of community respiration. Bacteria were the major functional component of the community accounting for 30% to 60% of the total respiration. Meiofaunal—microfaunal—microfloral respiration contributed from 25% to 58% to total community respiration. Sediment chemical oxidation was responsible for 2.8 ml O_2 m(—2)hr(—1) in January to 8.5 ml O_2 m(—2)hr(—1) in July of the total oxygen uptake.
Stability and change in work values: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies

Abstract A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies was conducted to investigate stability and change in work values across the life span. Both rank-order stability and mean-level change were investigated using an integrative classification for intrinsic, extrinsic, social and status work values (Ross, Schwartz, & Surkis, 1999). Results of rank-order stability indicated that work values were stable individual differences (ρ = .62). The stability level was lowest during college years (18–22 years old) and highest after entering the workforce (22 years old and later). Work values were more stable than personality traits across all age categories, whereas not as stable as vocational interests during college years and adulthood. Baby Boomers were found to possess a higher level of rank-order stability as compared to Generation X. Mean-level results showed that during college years (18–22 years old), the population as a whole attached more importance to intrinsic values while deemphasizing all the remaining values; during the initial entry of the workforce (22–26 years old), only extrinsic values showed an increase in importance while all the other values decreased; later on after adulthood years (26 years and after), besides the continuous increase of extrinsic values, there was also a dramatic increase in status values. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.
Monitoring of the ATLAS liquid argon calorimeter

The ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider is expected to collect an unprecedented wealth of new data at a completely new energy scale. In particular its Liquid Argon electromagnetic and hadronic calorimeters will play an essential role in measuring final states with electrons and photons and in contributing to the measurement of jets and missing transverse energy. Efficient monitoring of data will be crucial from the earliest data taking onward and is implemented at multiple levels of the read-out and triggering systems. By providing essential information about the performance of each partition and its impact on physics quantities, the monitoring will be crucial in guaranteeing data to be ready for physics analysis. The tools and criteria for monitoring the Liquid Argon data in the cosmics data taking will be discussed. The software developed for the monitoring of collision data will be described and the results of monitoring performance for data obtained from cosmics data will be presented.
Impact of Obesity on Perioperative Outcomes and Survival Following Pancreaticoduodenectomy for Pancreatic Cancer: A Large Single-Institution Study

To examine the effect of body mass index (BMI) on clinicopathologic factors and long-term survival in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Data on BMI, weight loss, operative details, surgical pathology, and long-term survival were collected on 795 patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy. Patients were categorized as obese (BMI > 30 kg/m2), overweight (BMI 25 to 10%. There were no differences in operative times among the groups; however, higher BMI was associated with increased risk of blood loss (P 0.05). Higher BMI patients had a lower incidence of a positive retroperitoneal/uncinate margin versus normal weight patients (P = 0.03). Perioperative morbidity and mortality were similar among the groups. Obese and overweight patients had better 5-year survival (22% and 22%, respectively) versus normal weight patients (15%; P = 0.02). After adjusting for other prognostic factors, as well as preoperative weight loss, higher BMI remained independently associated with improved cancer-specific survival (overweight: hazard ratio, 0.68; obese: hazard ratio, 0.72; both P < 0.05). Obese patients had similar tumor-specific characteristics, as well as perioperative outcomes, compared with normal weight patients. However, obese patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic cancer had an improved long-term survival independent of known clinicopathologic factors.
A novel context-sensitive random walk model for estimating node correspondence between two biological networks

In this work, we propose a novel context-sensitive random walk model to accurately estimate the node correspondence between two biological networks. We adopt a Markov random walk model that performs a simultaneous walk on two networks. At each step, the random walker examines its neighbors and performs a context-sensitive walk in the following step. More specifically, if there are similar node pairs among the neighbors, the random walker performs a simultaneous walk on both networks. Otherwise, it performs an individual walk on one of the networks. Based on this random walk model, we assume that random walker more frequently visits node pairs with higher correspondence in the long run. Then, we can estimate the node correspondence score by computing the steady state distribution that reflects the long-term behavior of the random walker. We show that the proposed method can accurately predict the correspondence between proteins in different protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, which implies that our context-sensitive random walker can provide an effective framework for the comparative analysis of large-scale biological networks.
Lessons from US Fossil Parks for Effective Informal Science Education

US fossil parks are unique venues that bridge informal field collecting sites and protected national parks that prohibit any type of specimen acquisition. Typically, fossil parks provide collecting opportunities for visitors for a nominal fee, allowing them to retain a small number of fossils. Often administered by a museum or community, fossil parks promote sustainable development of geotourism, while providing visitors with a tangible reminder of their excursion into another geological time and paleoenvironment. Our in-depth research and analysis of US fossil park sites resulted in the identification of the venues and site characteristics that optimized visitors’ understanding of geological time, biodiversity, and evolution, in addition to providing a fun collecting excursion. Although we do not advocate that national parks and protected sites allow visitors to collect mementoes of their visit, we propose that our fossil park research can provide guidelines for effective interpretation and display of the geological features of these protected sites. While some fossil parks promoted appreciation of a geological site or past environment, not all of them facilitated visitor understanding. Effective interpretation can promote meaningful learning for visitors, leading to increased geological understanding and awareness of the site’s importance, and therefore, an acceptance of the need to preserve it.
A Broad-Band, Automated, Stripline Technique for the Simultaneous Measurement of Complex Permittivity and Permeability

A broad-band automated technique for making frequency-swept measurements of complex permittivity and permeability simultaneously is described. Epsilon/sub r/ and µ/sub r/ are computed from S-parameter measurements made on a strip transmission-line device loaded with the material under test. The derivation of epsilon/sub r/ and µ/sub r/ as functions of S/sub 11/ and S/sub 21/ is included, as well as a practical design for a stripline sample holder. Measured epsilon/sub r/ and µ/sub r/ data for several dielectrics and ceramic ferrites is also presented. The technique has been found to have an overall accuracy of better than +-5 percent.