cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tumor Treating Fields for Ovarian Carcinoma: A Modeling Study.

Abstract Purpose Since the inception of tumor treating fields (TTFields) therapy as a Food and Drug Administration–approved treatment with known clinical efficacy against recurrent and newly diagnosed glioblastoma, various in silico modeling studies have been performed in an effort to better understand the distribution of applied electric fields throughout the human body for various malignancies or metastases. Methods and Materials Postacquisition attenuation-corrected positron emission tomography–computed tomography image data sets from 2 patients with ovarian carcinoma were used to fully segment various intrapelvic and intra-abdominal gross anatomic structures. A 3-dimensional finite element mesh model was generated and then solved for the distribution of applied electric fields, rate of energy deposition, and current density at the clinical target volumes (CTVs) and other intrapelvic and intra-abdominal structures. Electric field-volume histograms, specific absorption rate–volume histograms, and current density-volume histograms were generated, by which plan quality metrics were derived from and used to evaluate relative differences in field coverage between models under various conditions. Results TTFields therapy distribution throughout the pelvis and abdomen was largely heterogeneous, where specifically the field intensity at the CTV was heavily influenced by surrounding anatomic structures as well as its shape and location. The electric conductivity of the CTV had a direct effect on the field strength within itself, as did the position of the arrays on the surface of the pelvis and/or abdomen. Conclusion The combined use of electric field-volume histograms, specific absorption rate-volume histograms, current density-volume histograms, and plan quality metrics enables a personalized method to dosimetrically evaluate patients receiving TTFields therapy for ovarian carcinoma when certain patient- and tumor-specific factors are integrated with the treatment plan.
Regulation of Alanine Dehydrogenase in Bacillus licheniformis

Cell extracts of Bacillus licheniformis were found to contain nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent l-alanine dehydrogenase (ADH) (l-alanine: NAD oxidoreductase, EC 1.4.1.1). High specific activities (3.5 to 6.0 IU/mg of protein) were found in extracts of cells throughout growth cycles only when l-alanine served as the primary source of carbon or carbon and nitrogen. Specific activities were minimal (0.02 to 0.04 IU/mg of protein) during growth on glucose, but increased at least sevenfold during the first 5 h of postlogarithmic-phase metabolism. Addition of 10 mM glucose to cultures during logarithmic-phase growth on l-alanine resulted in a rapid decrease in enzyme activity. Addition of 20 mM l-alanine to cells near the completion of log-phase growth on glucose resulted in a 20-fold increase in ADH specific activity during less than one cell generation. Extracts of postlogarithmic-phase cells cultured on glucose, malate, l-glutamate, or Casamino Acids contained intermediate levels of ADH activity. The enzyme was partially purified from crude extracts of B. licheniformis, and apparent kinetic constants were estimated. A role for ADH in the catabolism of l-alanine to pyruvate during vegetative growth on l-alanine and during sporulation of cells cultured on glucose is proposed on the basis of these experimental results.
The Environmental Litigation Bond: An Illegal and Shortsighted Limitation on Environmental Litigation in Utah

Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert signed House Bill 399, the Environmental Litigation Bond, into law on March 21, 2011. The Environmental Litigation Bond requires parties seeking a preliminary injunction or administrative stay related to state environmental permitting decisions to post a bond covering the costs that are likely to be incurred by the defendant due to project delays resulting from litigation.
A Regional Geography of the United States and Canada: Toward a Sustainable Future

One of the strengths of geography as a discipline is its ability to fuse the human and physical worlds together. Still, most introductory college textbooks on the geography of the United States and...
The Bellman–Harris Process

The Bellman–Harris branching process is more general than the processes considered in the preceding chapters. Lifetimes of particles are nonnegative random variables with arbitrary distributions. It is described as follows. A single ancestor particle is born at t = 0. It lives for time τ which is a random variable with cumulative distribution function \(G(\tau)\). At the moment of death, the particle produces a random number of progeny according to a probability distribution with pgf f(s). Each of the first generation progeny behaves, independently of each other and the ancestor, as the ancestor particle did, i.e., it lives for a random time distributed according to \(G(\tau)\) and produces a random number of progeny according to f(s). If we denote Z(t) the particle count at time t, we obtain a stochastic process \(\{Z(t),\ t\geq 0\}\). This so-called age-dependent process is generally non-Markov, but two of its special cases are Markov: the Galton–Watson process and the age-dependent branching process with exponential lifetimes. The Bellman–Harris process is more difficult to analyze, but it has many properties similar to these two processes.
Praise and subversion of romance ethos in the prose Lancelot

The article addresses a problem that confronts the prose Lancelot's readers: the narration's contradictory glorification and censure of chivalric romance ethos illustrated by its heroes' deeds and loves. The contradictory presentation, along with the occasional absence of narrative evaluation of chivalric misdeeds, undermines the romance ethos that the work illustrates – e.g., fine amor, knightly honor, and the quest of adventures – and it prepares for the overthrow of that worldly ethos in the following romance in the Lancelot-Grail cycle, The Quest of the Holy Grail. Expanding upon critical observations in Alexandre Micha's Essais sur le cycle du Lancelot-Graal, the article examines several instances in the Old French romance where the narration presents oppositional judgments on a knight's acts or attitudes or withholds judgment regarding dishonorable actions performed by its title character. The study defines the reader's role with respect to the narration's problematic moral contradictions and lack of evaluation in places where one expects to find meaning and value.
Urinary incontinence and psychological distress in community-dwelling older African Americans and whites.

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common condition in older adults. Although sampling and methodological differences account for variability in estimates from surveys,1 the prevalence of UI in community-dwelling older adults has been reported to be about 10% for men and 20% for women.2,3 African-American women appear to be less likely to experience UI than white women.4,5 In a large study of an ethnically diverse sample of women, the prevalence of UI was lowest in African American women,6 but older African-American women may also have different presenting symptoms of UI, different disorders causing the UI, and different personal characteristics associated with UI.5,7 Despite the lower prevalence of UI in certain ethnic groups, there may be ethnic differences in the effect of UI on daily life. Overall, the evidence for the negative emotional consequences of UI has been conflicting. Some studies have suggested an association between UI and symptoms of depression as well as anxiety.8–15 Other studies found no association between UI and depression16 or that UI was only weakly related to psychological well-being.17,18 One study found incontinent respondents who were younger, male, less educated, lower in social desirability, in poorer health, or losing greater quantities of urine were slightly more likely to report psychological distress. Psychological distress associated with UI was not more likely in ethnic minorities, but fewer than 10% of individuals with UI in that sample were African American.18 However, a study with an ethnically diverse sample found that Hispanic and African-American women experienced a greater level of effect on daily life with increasing severity of UI than white women.19 Another study on a convenience sample of college-educated African-American women who reported UI found that 20% said that UI bothered them a great deal, and 8.5% reported behavioral modifications such as avoiding exercise or decreasing fluid intake.20 Furthermore, the strength of any association between UI and depression may depend on the instrument used to measure depression.21 The aim of this paper was to compare ethnic differences in the association between UI and psychological distress in older African Americans and whites. The hypothesis was that, although there appears to be a decreased prevalence of UI in African Americans, UI may have a greater effect on the lives of African Americans. This investigation differed from previous investigations in the association between UI and psychological distress because of the specific focus on ethnicity. This sample consisted of community-dwelling adults, thus increasing generalizability. In addition, this investigation used a standard measure of psychological distress and adjusted the measures of association for potentially influential characteristics.
Precision electromagnetic calorimetry with liquid krypton

Test beam results of a liquid krypton electromagnetic calorimeter with projective accordion electrode are presented. The electrode design includes a fine segmentation section to enhance the π0 rejection and pointing. The test was carried out at the H4 beam line at the CERN SPS with electron beams of energy from 20 to 200 GeV. Preliminary results of energy resolution, linearity, μ response are presented. We also present the dependence of the energy resolution on the amount of inactive material in front of the calorimeter.
Synthesis, characterization and properties of series coordination polymers constructed from a biphenyl dicarboxylate and nitrogen-containing mixed ligands

Abstract A series of coordination polymers have been prepared by the combination of flexible ligand 1,1′-biphenyl-2,2′-dicarboxylic acid (H2dpa) and different types of nitrogen-containing ligands, with various metal ions such as Co(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II). The single-crystal structure analyses reveal that the above complexes possess different structure features with the introduction of different nitrogen-containing ligands. When auxiliary linear ligand 4,4′-bipyridine (4,4′-bpy) is introduced, two-dimensional layered complex, [Co2(dpa)2(4,4′-bpy)2(H2O)]n (1) is formed. Whereas if chelating ligand, 1,10-phenanthroline (1,10′-phen) and 2,2′-bipyridine (2,2′-bpy) are introduced, one-dimensional complex [Zn(dpa)(1,10′-phen)]n (2) and discrete complexes [Co2(dpa)2(2,2′-bpy)2(H2O)2] (3), [Co3(dpa)3(1,10′-phen)6(H2O)2] (4), [Cd(dpa)(1,10′-phen)2][(H2dpa)2(H2O)2] (5) are synthesized. To our interest, 1 and 2 crystallize in homochiral spacegroup. Furthermore, the magnetic property of complex 1 and the fluorescent properties of complexes 2 and 5 are studied.
Projection methods coupled to level set interface techniques

In this work, we consider hydrodynamic problems with cold flame propagation by merging a second-order projection method for viscous Navier-Stokes equations with modern techniques for computing the motion of interfaces propagating with curvature-dependent speeds. This is part of our efforts to try and approximate the solution of a simplified model of turbulent combustion. Results are given for a simple model of a flame burning in driven cavities and shear layers.
Eli Lilly and Company Uses Integer Programming to Form Volunteer Teams in Impoverished Countries

Each year, Eli Lilly and Company Lilly offers its worldwide employees the opportunity to participate in paid volunteer teams serving communities in impoverished countries. The company’s Connecting Hearts Abroad service program gives employees a unique opportunity to take part in service trips aimed at improving global health. Lilly annually offers about 23 trips, enabling employees to serve some of the world’s most resource-constrained regions where people lack basic resources or access to healthcare. A selection committee at Lilly manually forms volunteer teams from a large pool of applicants. Unfortunately, the manual selection process is time consuming and often fails to meet employee preference or adequately represent some applicant groups. This paper describes how we developed a mathematical programming model to improve Lilly’s process of volunteer selection. We incorporated the model into a decision support tool that assigns applicants to volunteer assignments and maximizes the chosen volunteers’ preferences under constraints that help ensure fair team compositions. Running the model against the prior year’s applicant data pool took less than two minutes to configure teams such that all volunteers received their first-choice assignment. The automated decision support system also provides a more consistent method of configuring teams that appears fair to the applicants.
"Conversational" coupling of gaze behavior in prelinguistic human development.

Mathematical regularities in the gross temporal pattern of infant-adult gaze behavior are identical to those found in adult verbal conversations. Both types of interaction conform to a Markov chain model. Such regularities suggest some universal property of human communication which predates the onset of speech. The present infants were 3.5 months old.
Culicoides variipennis (Diptera:Ceratopogonidae) host selection in Colorado.

Drop traps containing either steer or ewe bait were used to investigate host selection and crepuscular period host seeking activity of Culicoides spp. at 2 farms in Colorado. Of the 1,103 Culicoides spp. collected, 755 were Culicoides variipennis (Coquillett). Of these, 86% were collected from steers and 14% from ewes. The engorgement rate of C. variipennis was 31%- on steers and 6% on ewes. Culicoides crepuscularis Malloch was the 2nd most abundant species. Of the 253 collected, 39% were from the steers, and 61% were from ewes. The engorgement rate of the C. crepuscularis collected was 71% on ewes and 34% on steers. Thus, C. variipennis preferentially selected and fed upon cattle, whereas C. crepuscularis preferentially selected and fed upon sheep.
Maximizing the Yield of Small Samples in Prevention Research: A Review of General Strategies and Best Practices

The goal of this manuscript is to describe strategies for maximizing the yield of data from small samples in prevention research. We begin by discussing what “small” means as a description of sample size in prevention research. We then present a series of practical strategies for getting the most out of data when sample size is small and constrained. Our focus is the prototypic between-group test for intervention effects; however, we touch on the circumstance in which intervention effects are qualified by one or more moderators. We conclude by highlighting the potential usefulness of graphical methods when sample size is too small for inferential statistical methods.
Race/ethnicity and gender disparities in the utilization of a school-based hepatitis B immunization initiative.

Abstract Objective To determine if participation and completion rates in a school-based hepatitis B vaccination program differ based on individual demographic factors including insurance status, race, and gender. Methods From 1998 through 2001, a school-based adolescent hepatitis B immunization initiative targeted elementary schools with a high percentage of free lunch and "at risk" students and provided free hepatitis B immunization (0,1, and 4 month schedule) during school hours. Demographic data were collected regarding potential enrollees in the project. The rate of return of consent/refusal forms, participation rates, and immunization completion rates were determined. Analyses were completed using the z statistic, frequencies, and stratified Chi-square analyses. Results Families of female children ( p p p p p = .012) and Hispanic ( p p Conclusions Even when access issues are eliminated as a potential barrier to hepatitis B immunization, gender and race disparities exist in the participation in, and completion of, the hepatitis B immunization series given in the schools. Race and gender clearly play separate and distinct roles in health care utilization, unrelated to the traditional variables of socioeconomic status often associated with access to care.
Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition of Titanium Aluminum Nitride Films

The atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition of titanium aluminum nitride films was accomplished using a three-precursor system comprised of titanium tetrachloride, tert-butylamine, and trimethylaluminum at a substrate temperature of 600 °C. Smooth, specular, and highly adherent violet-black films were obtained. The aluminum content of the films varied with trimethylaluminum flow rate up to a maximum aluminum/titanium ratio of about 1:1. Higher aluminum flow rates afforded rough, poorly adherent coatings. Films having the compositions Ti0.83Al0.17N0.89, Ti0.69Al0.31N0.85, and Ti0.52Al0.48N1.38 were analyzed in detail. The films were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and resistivity measurements. The films were subjected to nanoindentation hardness testing and high-temperature oxidation studies. The Ti1-xAlxN films were found to be harder and more resistant to oxid...
ENHANCEMENT OF THE HEMOLYTIC ACTIVITY OF THE SECOND COMPONENT OF HUMAN COMPLEMENT BY OXIDATION

A method has been described for the chemical modification of human C'2 which results in a pronounced enhancement of its hemolytic activity and a marked increase in the stability of the intermediate complex EAC'1a,4,2a prepared with the modified C'2. Both effects are fully explained by the observed increase in activity and stability of the C'3 converting enzyme, C'4,2a, following its generation with modified C'2. Evidence has been presented in support of the hypothesis that the modification resulting from treatment of C'2 with a critical concentration of iodine consists of oxidation of one or more sulfhydryl group within the molecule.
Fluorescence as a source of noise in Q-switched ruby laser atmospheric backscattering experiments

Abstract Interpretation of the results of atmospheric baekscattering experiments, when using a Q -switched ruby laser as the source of photons, requires consideration of several sources of noise in the statistical analysis. This paper discusses the effects of directly backscattered ruby fluorescence in detail. It is found that, for an unshuttered system, fluorescense noise will be equal to the signal expected from altitudes above about 50–60 km (assuming only a molecular atmosphere). The “crossover” altitude is lowered if aerosols are present. When a shutter is used as a fluorescence block, it is found that a spurious “layer” structure may be produced—but only for shutter cutoff times of greater than about 375 μsec. It is concluded that, for a properly designed optical radar system, ruby fluorescence will not be a significant source of spurious returns. In particular, it is concluded that this source will not explain the enhanced returns from about 80 km observed by McCormick et al. (1967).
ProductiveC: enabling high productivity in C-family languages

Today's big data challenge presses for a breakthrough in programming models. A simple programming model capable of both high productivity and high performance is desired.This paper proposes a simple solution to realize a set of restricted yet fundamental productivity features in C-family languages, without sacrificing their efficiency. This is achieved by leveraging a productivity language runtime and compiler analyses. Programmers write a program in the familiar C/C++/ObjectiveC style, without even knowing it is a mix of productivity and efficiency code. The program evolves as both a rapid prototype and efficiency code.
A fast coalescence-avoiding JPDAF

In this paper we present a new algorithm for approximating the target-measurement association probabilities of the Joint Probabilistic Data Association Filter (JPDAF). This algorithm is designed to robustify the JPDAF against track coalescence which can greatly degrade the performance of the JPDAF and other approximate algorithms. It is based on the works of Roecker and the JPDAF* of Blom and Bloem. We compare our new algorithm with the two it is based on, as well as the "cheap JPDAF" and the Set JPDAF, and show that it offers a significant improvement in computational complexity over the JPDAF*, and improvement in tracking error over the Roecker algorithm. We compare their performance with respect to the Mean Optimal Subpattern Assignment (MOSPA) statistic in scenarios involving several closely-spaced targets. A consistency comparison of the various algorithms considered is also presented.
Differential Reactivity between Two Copper Sites in Peptidylglycine α-Hydroxylating Monooxygenase

Peptidylglycine α-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHM) catalyzes the stereospecific hydroxylation of the Cα of C-terminal glycine-extended peptides and proteins, the first step in the activation of many peptide hormones, growth factors, and neurotransmitters. The crystal structure of the enzyme revealed two nonequivalent Cu sites (Cu(M) and Cu(H)) separated by ∼11 A. In the resting state of the enzyme, Cu(M) is coordinated in a distorted tetrahedral geometry by one methionine, two histidines, and a water molecule. The coordination site of the water molecule is the position where external ligands bind. The Cu(H) has a planar T-shaped geometry with three histidines residues and a vacant position that could potentially be occupied by a fourth ligand. Although the catalytic mechanism of PHM and the role of the metals are still being debated, Cu(M) is identified as the metal involved in catalysis, while Cu(H) is associated with electron transfer. To further probe the role of the metals, we studied how small molecules such as nitrite (NO(2)(-)), azide (N(3)(-)), and carbon monoxide (CO) interact with the PHM copper ions. The crystal structure of an oxidized nitrite-soaked PHMcc, obtained by soaking for 20 h in mother liquor supplemented with 300 mM NaNO(2), shows that nitrite anion coordinates Cu(M) in an asymmetric bidentate fashion. Surprisingly, nitrite does not bind Cu(H), despite the high concentration used in the experiments (nitrite/protein > 1000). Similarly, azide and carbon monoxide coordinate Cu(M) but not Cu(H) in the PHMcc crystal structures obtained by cocrystallization with 40 mM NaN(3) and by soaking CO under 3 atm of pressure for 30 min. This lack of reactivity at the Cu(H) is also observed in the reduced form of the enzyme: CO binds Cu(M) but not Cu(H) in the structure of PHMcc obtained by exposure of a crystal to 3 atm CO for 15 min in the presence of 5 mM ascorbic acid (reductant). The necessity of Cu(H) to maintain its redox potential in a narrow range compatible with its role as an electron-transfer site seems to explain the lack of coordination of small molecules to Cu(H); coordination of any external ligand will certainly modify its redox potential.
Walking reveals trunk orientation bias for visual attention.

Our trunks influence where we perform actions in space. Thus, trunk direction may define a region of space that is accorded special treatment by the attention system. We investigated conditions under which a trunk orientation bias for attention might be relevant for healthy adults. Three experiments compared visual detection performance for participants standing and walking on a treadmill. Together, the experiments disambiguate the relative contributions of motor activity, motor load, and cognitive load on trunk orientation biases. In Experiment 1, trunk orientation biases (i.e., faster target detection for targets in front of the body midline) were observed in both forward and sideways walking conditions, but not in standing conditions. In Experiment 2, we ruled out the notion that the trunk orientation bias arose from increased motor activity; in fact, the bias was greatest when participants walked at an unusually slow pace. In Experiment 3, we directly compared motor load with cognitive load in a dual-task paradigm; cognitive load influenced overall performance speed, but only motor load produced trunk orientation bias. These results suggest that a trunk orientation bias emerges during walking and motor load conditions.
P3G-7 Adaptive Field-of-View Imaging for Efficient Phase Rotation Beamforming

Digital quadrature demodulation (QD)-based phase rotation beamforming (PRBF) is commonly used in ultrasound machines due to its low sensitivity to phase delay errors. However, it is very expensive computationally. To alleviate this high computational requirement during the QD, we have previously developed two efficient methods, two-stage demodulation (TSD) and multi-stage uniform coefficient (MSUC) filter. In this paper, we present an adaptive field-of-view (FOV) imaging method, which dynamically varies the beamforming frequency based on the FOV of display. When the number of channels is 32 and the number of beamforming points is 512, the proposed method lowers the complexity of the MSUC- and the TSD-based PRBF by 26.2% and 65.3%, respectively, in terms of the number of operations. The image quality with adaptive FOV imaging has been evaluated using simulation and in vivo data. Adaptive FOV imaging with the MSUC-based PRBF provides comparable contrast resolution (CR) to the QD-based PRBF for various FOV sizes (e.g., CR degradation of 0.4% and 0.01% was obtained for the FOV size of 160 mm and 85 mm, respectively). Adaptive FOV imaging with the TSD-based PRBF suffers from some degradation in image quality for the large FOV (i.e., 4.3% degradation in CR). On the other hand, it provides comparable image quality for the smaller FOV (i.e., 0.5% degradation in CR). These preliminary results indicate that the adaptive FOV imaging method has good potential to further reduce the hardware complexity of the PRBF based on MSUC and TSD
Compliance-enhancing counseling strategies for cholesterol management

Nutrition plays a major role in the prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD).I Several of the National Health Objectives for the year 2000 emphasize the importance of nutrition intervention in reducing coronary heart disease risks.2 Epidemiologic evidence from various studies identified elevated serum cholesterol as a coronary heart disease risk factor.38 The preferred initial treatment for lowering serum cholesterol is dietary treatment.9.10 Primary care providers have a role in nutrition counseling for elevated serum cholesterol because of the recommended treatment guidelines 10 and their frequent contact with patients. ll However, physicians report barriers to nutrition counseling such as lack of time, 12 staff, payment or insurance coverage; 13.14 lack of skills to give practical advice; and lack of confidence in their ability to help change patients' dietary behavior. 15-17 The adult treatment guidelines released by the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) recommend that dietitians counsel individuals having difficulty adhering to therapeutic diets. lo As nutrition counselors, dietitians should use the best available strategies to promote patient compliance to the prescribed diet since dietary changes are effective in preventing CHD only if they are adopted over the long term. 18 This article reports on the extent to which counseling practices of dietitians coincide with state-of-the-art recommendations for enhancing dietary compliance for the treatment of adults with high blood cholesterol. Nutrition counseling is a personalized, systematic process that includes assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. 19 Experts in counseling advise counselors to use compliance-enhancing strategies, such as goal setting, contingency contracting with goals and a time frame set by both parties, reminder calls, follow-up visits, self-monitoring,
Human factors systems approach to healthcare quality and patient safety

Human factors systems approaches are critical for improving healthcare quality and patient safety. The SEIPS (Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety) model of work system and patient safety is a human factors systems approach that has been successfully applied in healthcare research and practice. Several research and practical applications of the SEIPS model are described. Important implications of the SEIPS model for healthcare system and process redesign are highlighted. Principles for redesigning healthcare systems using the SEIPS model are described. Balancing the work system and encouraging the active and adaptive role of workers are key principles for improving healthcare quality and patient safety.
Mechanical Characterization of Diesel Particulate Filter Substrates

Test procedures for the mechanical evaluation of diesel particulate filter (DPF) substrate materials have been developed and applied for the characterization of porous cordierite under ambient conditions. Specifically the double-torsion test method was employed to characterize fracture toughness and slow crack behavior while resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS) was used to determine the elastic properties of the substrate walls. A dry grinding procedure was developed to fabricate test specimens for these tests. The fracture behavior of porous cordierite was related to the pore structure inside the filter wall. Implications of the test results on the mechanical reliability of DPFs are discussed.
Post‐translational processing and Thr‐206 are required for glycosylasparaginase activity

Lysosomal glycosylasparaginase is encoded as a 36.5 kDa polypeptide that is post-translationally processed to subunits of 19.5 kDa (heavy) and 15 kDa (light). Recombinant glycosylasparaginase has been expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda insect cells enabling the precursor and processed forms to be isolated and their catalytic potential determined. Only the subunit conformation was functional indicating glyeosylasparaginase is encoded as an inactive zymogen. The newly created amino terminal residue of the light subunit following maturation, Thr-206, is believed to be involved in the catalytic mechanism [1992, J. Biol. Chem. 267,6855-6858]. Here we have constructed two amino acid substitution mutants replacing Thr-206 with Ala-206 or Ser-206 and demonstrate that both destroy enzyme activity.
Point-of-Care Testing at Triage Decreases Time to Lactate Level in Septic Patients

Early recognition of elevated lactate levels may hasten the detection of time-sensitive illness. We studied a method to measure lactate levels in septic patients using a point-of-care (POC) device at Emergency Department triage. A convenience sample of adult patients with sepsis was enrolled. Consenting patients received a fingertip lactate measurement using a POC device. Treating clinicians were blinded to study and POC test results. Whole blood lactate levels were drawn at the discretion of the treating physician. A total of 238 patients were eligible; 154 (65%) consented, 5 left without treatment after consenting. Of the remaining 149, 44 (30%) patients received both POC and whole blood lactates. Median time from triage to POC lactate result was 21 min (interquartile range [IQR] 14-25). Median time from triage to whole blood lactate result was 172 min (IQR 119-256). The time difference between POC test result and whole blood lactate result was 151 min (IQR 101-247). Triage POC fingertip lactate is a feasible method for reducing time to identification of lactate levels in patients with sepsis. Larger studies are needed to determine the ability of POC lactate measurement to aid in the risk stratification of septic patients.
Can β-carotene regulate cell growth by a redox mechanism? An answer from cultured cells

Many studies suggest a protective role of β-carotene against cancer. However, the ATBC and the CARET trials have shown that β-carotene increases the incidence of lung cancer in heavy smokers and asbestos workers. To explain this paradox, it can be hypothesized that β-carotene modulates intracellular redox status and through this mechanism, it affects redox-sensitive molecular pathways involved in the regulation of cell cycle progression and apoptosis. Studies conducted in cultured cells seem to confirm such a hypothesis. At low concentrations, the carotenoid may serve as an antioxidant, inhibiting free radical production, while at relatively high concentrations and/or in the presence of a chronic oxidative stress (i.e. smoke), it may behave as a prooxidant, propagating free radical-induced reactions, consuming endogenous antioxidants and inducing DNA oxidative damage. In this context, it may regulate cell growth and death by the modulation of redox-sensitive genes and transcription factors.
In-Situ Characterization of MWCNTs Reinforced Epoxy Nanocomposite Under Mechanical Load

In this study, the mechanical properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) reinforced epoxy nanocomposite were measured with the custom-built micro/nano three point bending tester mounted on an atomic force microscope (AFM). With in-situ observation of the AFM, the movement of an individual MWCNT on the sample surface was traced, captured, and quantified using the image correlation technique. The Halpin-Tsai and Hui-shia models were applied and compared with the experimental data. Results showed that the elastic modulus from the experiment is much lower than the predicted values from the two models. Detailed mechanical deformation behavior and MWCNT reinforcement mechanism were discussed.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Positive interactions between cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora, and the brown alga, Ascophyllum nodosum ecad scorpioides, in a mid-Atlantic coast salt marsh

Abstract Interactions between salt marsh cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora , and the brown alga, Ascophyllum nodosum ecad scorpioides, were examined by determining effects of experimental removal of each species. Three sites were located in areas where A. nodosum formed a dense understory mat in the tall S. alterniflora zone of the Flax Pond salt marsh on Long Island, New York, USA. Removal of the alga throughout the growing season (May–August, 1992) caused a significant reduction in cordgrass biomass at the end of the season compared to the control treatment. Repeated cutting of cordgrass, so that its height never exceeded 20 cm, did not have a consistent effect on algal biomass measured in mid-August compared to biomass in uncut control plots. However, tagged pieces of A. nodosum exhibited slower growth and greater dehydration when held in Spartina -removal plots than beneath the grass canopy in control plots. Most A. nodosum was lost from the Spartina -removal plots during the following fall. Thus, both the cordgrass and the alga benefit from their coexistence in the low marsh. A dense carpet of A. nodosum may enhance cordgrass biomass by providing nutrients to the sediments. The S. alterniflora canopy protects the alga from desiccation, photoinhibition, and biomass loss during storms.
Monitoring and evaluating disease management: information requirements

This paper addresses information essential to the creation, monitoring, and evaluation of disease management programs within managed-care organizations. Sound procedures for the collection and analysis of data are vital components of any effective disease management program. This presentation argues for a systemwide, rather than an atomistic, approach to data collection and analysis. Because every health system serves different populations, reliable demographic and health resource use data must be collected. Similarly, baseline data on physician prescribing behavior, patient compliance, and treatment costs are necessary to identify areas in need of improvement. Particular care must be taken to ensure that valid statistical models are developed to reflect the realities of the health system. The strengths and weaknesses of various internal and external data sources are discussed, with an emphasis on correlating and integrating information to provide comprehensive analyses of treatments and outcomes. The effects of different financial arrangements on data issues are also discussed, particularly in terms of contracting issues at successive stages in the development of a disease management program. This paper examines, in detail, data issues relating to monitoring prescribing behavior, modeling therapy interventions, classifying outcomes, and utilization of resources and treatments. Finally, this presentation makes specific recommendations for designing valid procedures for data collection and analysis.
The Physician's Changing Hospital Role

Although the hospital was not invented by doctors, and they might have devised quite another kind of organization if they had had the option, it has been their creature for a long span of recent history. Especially in the United States, with its tradition of voluntary private hospitals whose independence is limited only by the need to adhere to certain minimum legal and professional codes, the physician has enjoyed a highly autonomous role in the hospital organization. This autonomy has been laden with power to direct the course of the organization; explicit authority has been immense, and implicit authority perhaps even more potent. It is important to recognize that the doctor's ability to produce desired effects in organizational life has been joined to a flourishing negative capability—a freedom from—for escaping many of the ordinary demands of that life. In a curious sense, any doctor who is not a full-time department head in a teaching hospital has been a "guest" of the organization, much as the othe...
Diversification in the Financial Services Industry: The Effect of the Financial Modernization Act

The intent of the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999 (FSM) was to strengthen the overall financial services sector by allowing financial firms to diversify across industries within the financial sector. Similar to other studies of the reaction to this Act, we observe that investors consider the FSM to be good news. More interestingly, we also observe that systematic risk increased for some types of firms, but decreased for others as barriers were lowered. This finding is consistent with the idea that the reduction of regulation may increase systematic risk, but that the effects of deregulation on risk may be mitigated by anticipated effects of diversification. Specifically, bank holding companies that chose to diversify into other financial industries experienced increases in systematic risk while those that did not diversify realized decreases in systematic risk. Overall, we find that the systematic risk of financial firms converged and increased in the past few years as firms expanded into non-traditional businesses. In addition, we find that the Act reduced systematic risk for some firms, specifically those that diversified their product lines with insurance products.
Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions with Enhanced Oil Recovery Projects: A Life Cycle Assessment Approach

A wide range of industries are investigating methods of reducing their emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). Several options have been identified ranging from energy efficiency and reforestation to capture and storage in oceans, aquifers, or underground. Although greenhouse gases are not yet regulated, the power generation and petroleum industries are already considering greenhouse gas capture and storage methods to reduce their emissions to the atmosphere. Preferred options are the ones utilizing CO2 as a product and therefore providing an additional economic benefit to the oil and gas production process. Currently, CO2 is widely used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) projects to extract more oil out of aging reservoirs. Thus, storage of CO2 in active reservoirs does not require technology advances and offers the advantage of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. The present research conducted a life cycle assessment to determine...
The sound field of a vibrating disk

The velocity potential of the sound field produced by a vibrating disk in an infinite rigid wall (baffle problem) is derived in an elementary manner. In addition the case of an arbitrary (not necessarily time harmonic) motion of the disk is considered.
Error Analysis for ML Sequence Detection in ISI Channels With Gauss Markov Noise

We consider error probability analysis for a class of ISI channels with data-dependent Gauss-Markov noise and propose an efficiently computable BER upper bound that is tight in the high SNR regime.
An Evaluation of Digital Image Correlation Criteria for Strain Mapping Applications

The performance of four digital image correlation criteria widely used in strain mapping applications has been critically examined using three sets of digital images with various whole-field deformation characteristics. The deformed images in these image sets are digitally modified to simulate the less-than-ideal image acquisition conditions in an actual experiment, such as variable brightness, contrast, uneven local lighting and blurring. The relative robustness, computational cost and reliability of each criterion are assessed for precision strain mapping applications. Recommen- dations are given for selecting a proper image correlation criterion to efficiently extract reliable deformation data from a given set of digital images.
On Possible Chromophoric Structures in Wood And Pulpsa Survey of the Present State of Knowledge

Abstract Wood is a complex and inhomogeneous macromolecular system made up of cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin, mineral matter, and extractives. Most woods are relatively light in color, but all contain some coloring components. Within these, knowledge of the nature of chromophoric groups is still meager. Casey [1] claimed that almost every pulp component or reaction product is accused of being the carrier of chromophores. While it is generally conceded that the major contributor of color is the lignin component [2], it cannot be precluded that cellulose is not contributing also. In some species the extractives become the controlling factor [3–6]. Color reactions of lignin are a main subject of many textbooks [7–12].
Trade policy in a “super size me” world

Abstract When a foreign monopolist sets a single market clearing price for its product, the sign of the optimal tariff is determined by the extent of pass through (also known as the terms of trade effect). However, when a foreign monopolist employs a second degree price discrimination mechanism in the domestic market the calculus of welfare maximization is very different. While there are still terms of trade effects from the imposition of a tariff, the existence of such effects are neither necessary nor sufficient to determine the sign of the optimal tariff. Instead the distribution of valuations within the population is the key determinant of the nature of policy intervention. This result differs significantly from the uniform price case and is driven by the incentive compatibility constraint which places the distribution of types at the center of the analysis. If there is a relatively large fraction of high valuation types in the population, then domestic information rents may be increased by subsidizing imports thereby increasing the consumption of the low valuation types and moving the incentive constraint in favor of the high valuation types. However, if the share of high types in the population is relatively small then the increase in information rents will also be small but the fiscal implications of a subsidy will be large. Consequently, the optimal policy will be to impose a trade tax.
A review of entecavir in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B infection.

ABSTRACTBackground: Infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) affects two billion people worldwide, and an estimated 400 million people are chronically infected. Currently, FDA-approved regimens for the treatment of chronic HBV include interferon-alpha2b, peginterferon-alpha2a, lamivudine, adefovir dipivoxil, and recently, entecavir.Objective: The purpose of this review is to evaluate the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, and the clinical efficacy and safety of entecavir in the treatment of nucleoside-naive and nucleoside-resistant HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB).Search methodology: Computerized searches of PubMed and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts from 1985 to July 10, 2005, were performed with the search headings: entecavir, BMS‐200475, and chronic hepatitis B.Findings: Entecavir, a new deoxyguanosine analog, represents a third agent within the nucleoside/nucleotide HBV polymerase inhibitor class with distinct advantages over lamivudine and adefovir dip...
Exactly Stable Collective Oscillations in Conformal Field Theory

Any conformal field theory (CFT) on a sphere supports completely undamped collective oscillations. We discuss the implications of this fact for studies of thermalization using AdS/CFT. Analogous oscillations occur in Galilean CFT, and they could be observed in experiments on ultracold fermions.
Ca2+ channel-regulated neuronal gene expression.

Neuronal activity is required for the survival of specific populations of neurons, for the proper synaptic organization of the visual and somatosensory cortex, and for learning and memory. The biochemical mechanisms that couple brief neuronal activity to rapid and lasting adaptive changes within the nervous system are poorly understood. Over a decade ago, it was first shown that mimicking neuronal activity by membrane depolarization rapidly induced the expression of a class of genes known as immediate early genes. Subsequently, it has been shown that neuronal activity triggers a temporal sequence of gene expression that has been suggested to play a role in mediating long-term adaptive responses. A major mechanism coupling neuronal electrical activity and the intracellular biochemical processes that culminate in gene expression is Ca2+ influx through plasma membrane Ca2+ channels. In this review, we delineate some of the reported mechanisms by which Ca2+ regulates gene expression: from its ability to activate specific intracellular signal transduction pathways to its ability to regulate the initiation, elongation, and translation of RNA transcripts. We will discuss some known mechanisms by which different patterns of Ca2+ influx, or Ca2+ influx through different types of channel, could generate distinct patterns of gene expression and how our understanding of Ca2+-regulated gene expression relates to larger questions of activity-dependent nervous system function. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 37: 171–189, 1998