cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
REANIMACIÓN CARDIOPULMONAR INTRA-HOSPITALARIA DEL PACIENTE ADULTO

RESUMEN El paro cardiaco intra-hospitalario es habitualmente precedido de deterioro clinico que puede durar horas o dias. Protocolos desarrollados para detectar el deterioro clinico e intervenir a tiempo y adecuadamente pueden prevenir el paro cardiaco. Las condiciones que originan deterioro clinico son mayoritariamente respiratorias y cardiovasculares. El manejo del deterioro clinico frecuentemente requiere el traslado del paciente a unidades de mayor complejidad. Los protocolos de reanimacion cardiopulmonar (RCP) deben incluir procedimientos para activar los sistemas de rescate, iniciar RCP basica por personal testigo incluyendo uso de desfibriladores, continuacion con RCP avanzada por equipos de especializados considerando uso de tecnicas de mayor eficacia hemodinamica, y finalmente manejar el periodo post-paro cardiaco en unidades de cuidados intensivos. La calidad de la RCP se puede definir en base a parametros especificos e incluir tecnologia para monitorear su efectividad. Cada centro hospitalario tiene la responsabilidad de organizar sistemas de prevencion y rescate que otorguen seguridad al paciente hospitalizado.
Optimal accelerometer placement on a robot arm for pose estimation

The performance of robots to carry out tasks depends in part on the sensor information they can utilize. Usually, robots are fitted with angle joint encoders that are used to estimate the position and orientation (or the pose) of its end-effector. However, there are numerous situations, such as in legged locomotion, mobile manipulation, or prosthetics, where such joint sensors may not be present at every, or any joint. In this paper we study the use of inertial sensors, in particular accelerometers, placed on the robot that can be used to estimate the robot pose. Studying accelerometer placement on a robot involves many parameters that affect the performance of the intended positioning task. Parameters such as the number of accelerometers, their size, geometric placement and Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) are included in our study of their effects for robot pose estimation. Due to the ubiquitous availability of inexpensive accelerometers, we investigated pose estimation gains resulting from using increasingly large numbers of sensors. Monte-Carlo simulations are performed with a two-link robot arm to obtain the expected value of an estimation error metric for different accelerometer configurations, which are then compared for optimization. Results show that, with a fixed SNR model, the pose estimation error decreases with increasing number of accelerometers, whereas for a SNR model that scales inversely to the accelerometer footprint, the pose estimation error increases with the number of accelerometers. It is also shown that the optimal placement of the accelerometers depends on the method used for pose estimation. The findings suggest that an integration-based method favors placement of accelerometers at the extremities of the robot links, whereas a kinematic-constraints-based method favors a more uniformly distributed placement along the robot links.
Cocaine dependence modulates the effect of HIV infection on brain activation during intertemporal decision making

Abstract Background Both HIV infection and chronic cocaine use alter the neural circuitry of decision making, but the interactive effects of these commonly comorbid conditions have not been adequately examined. This study tested how cocaine moderates HIV-related neural activation during an intertemporal decision-making task. Methods The sample included 73 participants who differed on cocaine and HIV status (18 COC+/HIV+, 19 COC+/HIV-, 19 COC-/HIV+, 17 COC-/HIV-). Participants made choices between smaller, sooner and larger, delayed rewards while undergoing functional MRI. Choices varied in difficulty based on subjective value: hard (equivalently valued), easy (disparately valued), and control choices. A mixed-effects model controlling for education and smoking identified main and interactive effects of HIV and COC during hard relative to easy choices (difficulty contrast). Results COC+ status was associated with lower activation in bilateral frontal gyri and right insular and posterior parietal cortices. HIV+ status was associated with higher activation in the visual cortex, but lower activation in bilateral prefrontal cortices and cerebellum and left posterior parietal cortex. COC moderated the effects of HIV in several clusters centered in the bilateral prefrontal cortices and cerebellum. In post-hoc analyses, there were significant effects of HIV status on activation for COC+, but not COC-, participants; interaction effects remained after controlling for polysubstance use. Conclusion Cocaine use may diminish the compensatory neural activation often seen among HIV+ samples during decision making. Our results highlight the importance of examining the neuropsychiatric effects of comorbid medical conditions to identify potential neural targets for cognitive remediation interventions.
EPIDEMIOLOGY OF ROCK CLIMBING INJURIES TREATED IN UNITED STATES EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS, 2006–2015

Background Rock climbing, an increasingly popular sport internationally, has become more accessible to broader populations with increasing numbers of climbing gyms and clubs. Even more participation should result from competitive climbing9s inclusion in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Describing injury patterns among broad populations of climbers is a first step in developing recommendations for increasing the safety of both recreational and competitive climbers. Objective Describe incidence, characteristics, and trends of rock climbing injuries presenting to United States (US) emergency departments (EDs) from 2006–2015. Design Retrospective descriptive epidemiology. Setting US EDs. Patients Patients presenting with climbing injuries. Assessment of Risk Factors Case reports were obtained from a large national hospital surveillance system that included sample weighting factors enabling calculation of national estimates. Main Outcome Measurements Injury incidence and characteristics. Results An estimated 39,285 climbing injuries were treated in US EDs from 2006–2015; incidence increased by 36% during that period. The majority of injured climbers were male (70.0%) and aged 20–39 years (57.5%). Ankles (21.7%) and lower legs (16.0%) were the most commonly injured body parts. Fractures (28.4%) and sprains/strains (27.3%) were the most common diagnoses. Most common mechanisms included falls (73.0%) and acute non-contact (13.0%). Overall, 12.1% of injuries treated in the ED resulted in hospitalization. Males (OR=1.91, 95% CI=1.11–3.30) and climbers who fell >20ft (OR=7.46, 95% CI=4.01–13.71) were more likely to be hospitalized than other injured climbers. Hospitalization was most frequent for fractures (66.6%) and head injuries (19.8%). Conclusions Climbing injury incidence increased over the past decade with young males most commonly injured. While lower limb injuries were the most commonly treated, head injuries accounted for nearly 20% of all hospitalizations. Such basic descriptive epidemiology studies characterizing injuries among broad populations of climbers can inform health care coverage decisions at competitions and drive future injury prevention efforts.
The Fundamental Law of Opposition: Lehi and Schelling

In The Theological Foundations of the Mormon Religion , Sterling McMurrin considers what I've called the theorem of Lehi, according to which there must necessarily be an opposition in all things. McMurrin offers up two possible interpretations: First, evil exists to make good possible such that God creates or allows evils to the favor of a greater good. Related to this is that idea that evil is necessary to experience and appreciated the value of good. A second option is that rather than stipulating that the opposition must exist with a purpose in mind, it is content with observing that evil exists as a matter of metaphysical necessity. In this view, God is not responsible for the creation or allowance of evil. In this article, I defend a scheme that combines the first option (a teleology of evil) with a theme that belongs to the second (divine limitation), which guarantees God's innocence. What is excluded is the idea that evil exists as a matter of fact. My purpose is to integrate Lehi's theorem into a dynamic theodicy that utilizes Friedrich Shelling's dialectic philosophy, and to do so without removing it from its Mormon context.
Performance Study of Monte Carlo Codes on Xeon Phi Coprocessors — Testing MCNP 6.1 and Profiling ARCHER Geometry Module on the FS7ONNi Problem

This paper contains two parts revolving around Monte Carlo transport simulation on Intel Many Integrated Core coprocessors (MIC, also known as Xeon Phi). (1) MCNP 6.1 was recompiled into multithreading (OpenMP) and multiprocessing (MPI) forms respectively without modification to the source code. The new codes were tested on a 60-core 5110P MIC. The test case was FS7ONNi, a radiation shielding problem used in MCNP’s verification and validation suite. It was observed that both codes became slower on the MIC than on a 6-core X5650 CPU, by a factor of ~4 for the MPI code and, abnormally, ~20 for the OpenMP code, and both exhibited limited capability of strong scaling. (2) We have recently added a Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG) module to our ARCHER code to provide better support for geometry modelling in radiation shielding simulation. The functions of this module are frequently called in the particle random walk process. To identify the performance bottleneck we developed a CSG proxy application and profiled the code using the geometry data from FS7ONNi. The profiling data showed that the code was primarily memory latency bound on the MIC. This study suggests that despite low initial porting e_ort, Monte Carlo codes do not naturally lend themselves to the MIC platform — just like to the GPUs, and that the memory latency problem needs to be addressed in order to achieve decent performance gain.
Nitrogen Fixation via a Terminal Fe(IV) Nitride.

Terminal iron nitrides (Fe≡N) have been proposed as intermediates of (bio)catalytic nitrogen fixation, yet experimental evidence to support this hypothesis has been lacking. In particular, no prior synthetic examples of terminal Fe≡N species have been derived from N2. Here we show that a nitrogen-fixing Fe–N2 catalyst can be protonated to form a neutral Fe(NNH2) hydrazido(2−) intermediate, which, upon further protonation, heterolytically cleaves the N–N bond to release [FeIV≡N]+ and NH3. These observations provide direct evidence for the viability of a Chatt-type (distal) mechanism for Fe-mediated N2-to-NH3 conversion. The physical oxidation state range of the Fe complexes in this transformation is buffered by covalency with the ligand, a feature of possible relevance to catalyst design in synthetic and natural systems that facilitate multiproton/multielectron redox processes.
Prevention of Cognitive Decline

Effective strategies to prevent cognitive decline in the context of normal aging, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia are imperative. Existing studies have provided some clues into the puzzle of prevention, yet it is rare that the evidence is unquestionable. Specific dietary changes rich in vegetables, fruits, and fish and low in carbohydrates and saturated fat are advisable, with particular emphasis in patients at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or vascular dementia. Patients should remain active physically and mentally. Physical exercise is among the best of all potential interventions against AD. There is no evidence that hormonal supplementation can decrease the incidence of dementia. Some agents that are touted as having cognitive protective effects should only be used under physician supervision. AD patients should be considered for medical therapy unless contraindicated. Promising novel therapies include active and passive immunization against Aβ peptides and gamma secretase inhibitors to reduce Aβ production. In this chapter, we review strategies used to prevent age related cognitive decline.
The Long and Short of It: Insights Into the Short QT Syndrome

Sudden cardiac death in the absence of structural heart disease remains a tragic and often perplexing problem, especially when it affects otherwise healthy young people. Conditions resulting in sudden death, once labeled idiopathic ventricular fibrillation, are now recognized as distinct disorders
Obesity, Inflammation, and Prostate Cancer

Obesity and the associated metabolic syndrome produce a complex set of alterations both systemically and locally in tissues that support cancer development and progression. In prostate cancer (PCa), the weight of evidence suggests that obesity is primarily associated with more aggressive disease and increased risk of biochemical failure following prostatectomy or radiation treatment. Inflammation processes and inflammation-associated signaling pathways are upregulated in the obese state, and both human and mouse studies support an important role for inflammation in obesity-driven PCa progression. Inflammation signaling pathways along with other signaling pathways (e.g., growth factor signaling pathways) altered in the obese state represent promising targets for both lifestyle and pharmacologic interventions to prevent or control PCa progression.
Noninvasive Optical Studies of the Brain: Contributions From Systemic Physiology

Abstract We describe noninvasive, near-infrared spectroscopy measurements of the brain and discuss their sensitivity to systemic physiological changes. We relate those systemic changes to cardiac output, arterial blood pressure, respiration, intracranial pressure, etc., and describe how such contributions to the optical signals may be removed in order to disentangle local responses from systemic influences. We also discuss how such systemic contributions can be used to derive information about cerebrovascular health, for example by pulse oximetry, spiroximetry, and cerebral autoregulation measurements. Experimental designs, signal processing approaches, as well as clinical potential are discussed.
Not All Features Are Equal: Feature Leveling Deep Neural Networks for Better Interpretation

Self-explaining models are models that reveal decision making parameters in an interpretable manner so that the model reasoning process can be directly understood by human beings. General Linear Models (GLMs) are self-explaining because the model weights directly show how each feature contributes to the output value. However, deep neural networks (DNNs) are in general not self-explaining due to the non-linearity of the activation functions, complex architectures, obscure feature extraction and transformation process. In this work, we illustrate the fact that existing deep architectures are hard to interpret because each hidden layer carries a mix of low level features and high level features. As a solution, we propose a novel feature leveling architecture that isolates low level features from high level features on a per-layer basis to better utilize the GLM layer in the proposed architecture for interpretation. Experimental results show that our modified models are able to achieve competitive results comparing to main-stream architectures on standard datasets while being more self-explainable. Our implementations and configurations are publicly available for reproductions
Phylogeny and Taxonomy of Agriculturally Important Bacillus Species

The species of agriculturally important Bacillus strains have previously been plagued with inconsistencies in their taxonomic treatment. Most of these problems can be traced to the historical lack of distinguishing phenotypic characters and easy genotyping methods to provide appropriate taxonomic placement. Currently, the two most important clades in this area are the Bacillus subtilis group and the B. cereus group. The B. subtilis group encompasses species that are important as biological control agents, plant growth promoters, probiotics, sources of food processing enzymes, and food fermentation inoculants, while the B. cereus group comprises species that impact agriculture as food poisoning agents and human and livestock pathogens and are extensively used for the biological control of insects. Modern DNA sequencing techniques have resolved many of the historical conflicts and inconsistencies. This chapter provides the current updated status on the taxonomy of these two important Bacillus groups and provides guidance on how to identify isolates from these groups.
Factors influencing operative time in arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: a comparison of knotless single-row vs. transosseous equivalent dual-row techniques.

Background Despite the widespread use of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (aRCR), there remains considerable debate on the benefits of a dual-row vs. a single-row (SR) repair technique. This study compares operative time of a knotless SR technique with transosseous equivalent (TOE) dual-row technique for aRCR and defines patient-specific factors that affect operative time. Methods Data from 118 patients who underwent aRCR with a knotless SR technique was compared with data from 95 patients who underwent aRCR with a TOE technique by a single surgeon between 2014 and 2018. Baseline patient demographic information and operative time were recorded and compared between the 2 groups. Subgroup analysis was performed to determine if demographic information or tear size influenced operative time. Results The average operative time in the SR group was 75.68 minutes and the average operative time in the TOE group was 89.24 minutes (P Conclusion When controlling for concomitant procedures, a knotless, TOE dual-row technique for aRCR adds an average of 8 minutes' operative time compared with a knotless SR technique. This was despite a significantly larger tear size in the TOE group.
Architecture x Margiela

The fast fashion industry in the U.S. generates over 15 million tons of textile waste due to the rapid disposal rates of garments each year. This industry is moving at such a rapid pace that consumers cannot appreciate and value what they wear. By incorporating Haute Couture sewing techniques and fabric manipulation, my garments can offer a less wasteful alternative and provide more meaning for consumers. This look was inspired by the Parisian Neo-Byzantine architecture of Galeries Lafayette and the experimental fabric manipulations often used at Maison Margiela, who is known for deconstructive design (displaying the inside of the garment as the outside) and mixing of unconventional fabrics. The bustier is made out of a silver-green Veneta lace and has smocked, off-the-shoulder sleeves and ruffled trim along the princess seams. The high-waisted, Neoprene shorts are pleated, and the pockets expose the inside of the garment.
Central Nervous System Pain

Central nervous system pain is an unpleasant emotional experience due to abnormal processing of information due to a lesion or disease affecting the processing of somatosensory information. Sensation of pain is continuously modulated at the spinal cord level by descending influences and at the brain stem and cortical levels via interconnected pain networks. Neuroplasticity is central to pathological pain, may be initiated by pathology anywhere in the CNS, and occurs at molecular, neuronal, and network levels. Common causes of CPS include central poststroke pain (CPSP), spinal cord injury, and multiple sclerosis. Central pain syndromes are difficult to diagnose as they often coexist with other types of pain and may occur months or years after the initial injury, and there is lack of a clear, widely accepted diagnostic criteria. Diagnosis requires a history consistent with central nervous system pathology and neurologic signs of abnormal pain processing such as allodynia and hyperalgesia. Medications used for treatment of CPS aim to target different pathophysiological mechanisms and include antidepressants, anticonvulsants, cannabinoids, and other drugs. Management of CPS can be challenging as patients often require combinations of medications attained through slow titration and a process of trial and error. Despite this, most patients still experience incomplete pain relief. Neuromodulatory techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, spinal cord stimulation, and deep brain stimulation are promising treatments in select patients. Ultimately, management of CPS requires a multidisciplinary approach with the aggressive treatment of other causes of pain, optimal management of depression and other psychosocial factors, and use of cognitive behavioral therapy, medications, and if needed, neuromodulatory techniques.
Compressive trochlear nerve palsy caused by ischaemic stroke

Trochlear nerve (CN IV) nuclei are located in the midbrain at the level of the inferior colliculi and innervate the superior oblique extraocular muscles.1 As they are the only cranial nerves to exi...
Policy narratives: the perlocutionary agents of political discourse

The ontological and epistemological footing of narrative policy research remains uncertain. In this article, interpretive approaches to policy narrative research are advanced and scientism is esche...
Pulsed Current Resistance Thermometry

Taking advantage of the recent advances in electronics we have developed a resistance thermometry system for the cryogenic environment of Fermilab’s Energy Saver Accelerator that fits in a natural way with its microcomputer based control logic. The system is based on measuring the voltage across a sensing resistor immersed in the cryogenic fluid while a current of 2.5 mA flows through it. High level signals (0.05 to 0.25 V) allows the use of integrated circuit multiplexers and reduces the relevance of thermal emf corrections. In order to prevent excessive self-heating of the sensor the current is kept on for a very short time (50 μs), just enough for it to stabilize. Near the end of the current pulse the voltage is sampled and held for an analog to digital conversion followed by storage in memory. The total operation is carried out in 100 μs. The repetition rate, 1 Hz, allows time for the sensing resistor to come again into thermal equilibrium with the surrounding fluid.
Looking through the Crystal Ball: The Role of Affective Forecasting and Misforecasting in Consumer Behavior

A recent addition to the literature in psychology concerns individuals’ forecasts of the affective states they predict will arise in the future. Affective forecasts are extremely relevant to marketing and consumer behavior as they impact choice as well as a set of other marketing-relevant outcomes. Interestingly, however, affective forecasts are often erroneous because they are susceptible to a variety of errors and biases that reduce their accuracy. As a result, experienced affect differs from forecasted affect, and affective misforecasting (hereafter AMF), occurs. This chapter reviews the literature on affective forecasting, indicates the importance and relevance of this area of research to consumer behavior and marketing, and identifies the factors that lead to errors in affective forecasting and hence result in affective misforecasting. Our review is designed to both illustrate the relevance of affective forecasting and misforecasting to marketing and consumer behavior and to identify novel research directions for future work in this research domain.
Comparison of Ab Interno XEN Gelatin Stent vs Trabeculectomy with Mitomycin C: A Retrospective Study

Aim To compare outcomes of ab interno XEN gelatin stent (Allergan, Dublin, Ireland) implantation vs trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (MMC). Materials and methods A retrospective review was conducted of eyes that underwent standalone XEN implantation or trabeculectomy with MMC at a single institution from 2014 to 2019. Intraocular pressure (IOP), visual acuity, glaucoma medications, complications, and postoperative interventions were evaluated. The primary endpoint was the reduction in IOP at 6 months postoperatively. Secondary endpoints included the incidence of postoperative intervention and complications. Results One hundred and seventy-nine eyes were included who underwent XEN (n = 90) or trabeculectomy (n = 89). The mean age was 74.5 ± 7.6 and 68.1 ± 8.2 years old for the XEN and trab groups, respectively (p < 0.001). Baseline IOP for XEN was 17.8 ± 6.0 vs 20.4 ± 9.0 mm Hg for the trab group (p = 0.03). At 6 months, mean IOP for XEN group was 13.5 ± 5.9 mm Hg, representing a 24.1% IOP reduction from baseline (p < 0.001) while mean for trab group was 10.8 ± 4.8 representing a 47% IOP reduction from baseline (p < 0.001). The mean IOP was 2.7 mm Hg lower in trab compared to the XEN group at 6 months (p < 0.003). The number of medications was reduced in both groups from 2.9 ± 1.1 and 3.1 ± 0.9 to 1.1 ± 2.3 and 0.8 ± 1.4 by 6 months postoperatively for XEN and trab groups, respectively (p < 0.001). Complication rates were low for both groups. The needling rate was 30% in XEN vs 7.9% in the trab group (p < 0.001), and 46.1% of eyes in the trab group underwent laser suture lysis. Additionally, IOP reduction and complication rates were similar following XEN in eyes receiving <40 or ≥40 μg of MMC. Conclusion XEN implantation produces a substantial reduction in IOP with a favorable safety profile comparable to trabeculectomy. Careful postoperative bleb management is critical to obtain optimum outcomes, and higher MMC doses appear safe and may reduce needling rates. Clinical significance This study confirms the safety and efficacy of XEN gelatin stent implantation in comparison to trabeculectomy with MMC. How to cite this article Sharpe R, Pham G, Chang P. Comparison of Ab Interno XEN Gelatin Stent vs Trabeculectomy with Mitomycin C: A Retrospective Study. J Curr Glaucoma Pract 2020;14(3):87-92.
Compressive forces of the Shute forceps

Abstract Strain-gauge instrumentation of the Shute parallel forceps, together with use of the similarly instrumented Bill axis traction handle, permitted measurements of the forces of compression and traction exerted during delivery. Traction was identical with other reports for varying types of forceps. Compression was about half that observed with the Simpson forceps when the Shute forceps were tightened 2 mm. However, it was often felt necessary to tighten the forceps to an average of 4 mm., increasing the average maximum compression to 4.1 pounds.
Synchronous panniculectomy with stomal revision for obese patients with stomal stenosis and retraction.

Study Type – Therapy (case series) Level of Evidence 4 OBJECTIVE To report our experience of synchronous panniculectomy with stomal revision in morbidly obese patients after radical cystectomy (RC) and ileal conduit urinary diversion (UD). Abnormal skin folds with an uneven surface, stomal retraction and stomal stenosis result in a poorly fitting appliance which leads to urinary leakage, need for frequent change of appliances and skin excoriation. PATIENTS AND METHODS In all, 302 RCs with UD were done by one surgical team between 2002 and 2008, with ileal conduit diversion in 182 (60%); 18 had a body mass index (BMI) of >35 kg/m2, and among them four had severe stomal stenosis with retraction. We report the technique we used for managing stomal stenosis in these patients. RESULTS The mean (range) BMI of the patients was 42 (38–46) kg/m2; all were women. The mean (sd) operative duration was 2 (0.5)h. The drain was removed once the drainage was <25 mL in 24 h. The mean (sd) hospital stay was 3 (1) days; there were no significant complications. After a mean follow-up of 3 years there was no recurrent stomal stenosis or retraction. CONCLUSIONS The unique advantage of this procedure is that it avoids laparotomy in a morbidly obese patient, and it provides excellent cosmesis while correcting the stomal complication.
Asymptotically optimal function estimation by minimum complexity criteria

The minimum description length principle applied to function estimation can yield a criterion of the form log(likelihood)+const/spl middot/m instead of the familiar log(likelihood)+(m/2) log n where m is the number of parameters and n is the sample size. The improved criterion yields minimax optimal rates for redundancy and statistical risk. The analysis suggests an information-theoretic reconciliation of criteria proposed by Rissanen (1983), Schwarz (1978), and Akaike (1973). >
AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ETHNOHISTORICAL INVESTIGATION OF SELECTED AREAS IN KOOTENAI NATIONAL FOREST, NORTHWESTERN MONTANA

During a preliminary archaeological survey of selected areas in Kootenai National Forest, located in northwestern Montana, ten archaeological sites were recorded. The majority of these sites were l...
A comparative biochemical and structural analysis of the intracellular chorismate mutase (Rv0948c) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and the secreted chorismate mutase (y2828) from Yersinia pestis

The Rv0948c gene from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H{sub 37}R{sub v} encodes a 90 amino acid protein as the natural gene product with chorismate mutase (CM) activity. The protein, 90-MtCM, exhibits Michaelis-Menten kinetics with a k{sub cat} of 5.5 {+-} 0.2 s{sup -1} and a K{sub m} of 1500 {+-} 100 {micro}m at 37 C and pH 7.5. The 2.0 {angstrom} X-ray structure shows that 90-MtCM is an all {alpha}-helical homodimer (Protein Data Bank ID: 2QBV) with the topology of Escherichia coli CM (EcCM), and that both protomers contribute to each catalytic site. Superimposition onto the structure of EcCM and the sequence alignment shows that the C-terminus helix 3 is shortened. The absence of two residues in the active site of 90-MtCM corresponding to Ser84 and Gln88 of EcCM appears to be one reason for the low k{sub cat}. Hence, 90-MtCM belongs to a subfamily of {alpha}-helical AroQ CMs termed AroQ{delta}. The CM gene (y2828) from Yersinia pestis encodes a 186 amino acid protein with an N-terminal signal peptide that directs the protein to the periplasm. The mature protein, *YpCM, exhibits Michaelis-Menten kinetics with a k{sub cat} of 70 {+-} 5 s{sup -1} and Km of 500 {+-} 50 {micro}m at 37more » C and pH 7.5. The 2.1 {angstrom} X-ray structure shows that *YpCM is an all {alpha}-helical protein, and functions as a homodimer, and that each protomer has an independent catalytic unit (Protein Data Bank ID: 2GBB). *YpCM belongs to the AroQ{gamma} class of CMs, and is similar to the secreted CM (Rv1885c, *MtCM) from M. tuberculosis.« less
Very Long Baseline Interferometry Recent Results and Future Prospects

The potential of VLBI — with its sub-milliarcsecond resolution and 10 microarcsecond astrometric accuracy — has long been recognized. However difficulties of execution have severely limited its growth and application. In spite of this VLBI has made many important contributions to astrophysics. Over the next two decades — as dedicated new instruments on earth and in space, combined with a formidable array of new VLBI techniques, come into use — the technique will be exploited to the full.
How Many Geometric (p) Samples Does It Take to See All the Balls in a Box

Reach into a box containing m balls and pull out a geometric (p) - sized sample. Then put the balls back into the box and sample again. Let X be the number of samples needed to see all m balls. We derive nonrecursive approximation formulas for the mean and standard deviation of X.
Automatic Generation of Block-Recursive Codes

Block-recursive codes for dense numerical linear algebra computations appear to be well-suited for execution on machines with deep memory hierarchies because they are effectively blocked for all levels of the hierarchy. In this paper, we describe compiler technology to translate iterative versions of a number of numerical kernels into block-recursive form. We also study the cache behavior and performance of these compiler generated block-recursive codes.
Understanding Corporate Culture

Positions within health care organizations require clinical and organizational skills. Understanding the organization's political climate is key to the clinical coordinator's success. Approaching the corporate culture is similar to managing patient care: it requires diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation of the situation. Diagnostic issues include the status of the pharmacy services and analyses of the organization's performance in external and internal assessments. Treatment issues include management style, communication skills, and interaction with key players in the organization. Evaluation issues include the ability to objectively assess the worth of clinical programs.
Motion - Genetic testing is useful in the diagnosis of nonhereditary pancreatic conditions: Arguments for the motion

Mutations of three major genes are associated with an increased risk of acute and chronic pancreatitis: the cationic trypsinogen (PRSS1) gene, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, and the pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor (PSTI) or serine protease inhibitor, Kazal type 1 (SPINK1) gene. Some autosomal dominant forms of hereditary pancreatitis are associated with mutations of the PRSS1 gene, which can be readily identified by genetic testing. Mutations of the CFTR gene can lead either to cystic fibrosis or to idiopathic chronic pancreatitis, and to a variety of cystic fibrosis-associated disorders, including congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens and sinusitis. These mutations, as with those of the SPINK1 (or PSTI) gene, are prevalent in North America; thus, the presence of such a mutation in an asymptomatic person does not confer a high risk of developing pancreatitis. Combinations of mutations of the PRSS1 and SPINK1 genes lead to more severe disease, as indicated by an earlier onset of symptoms, which suggests that SPINK1 is a disease modifier. The major fear expressed by potential candidates for genetic testing is that the results could lead to insurance discrimination. Studies of the positive predictive value of genetic tests are hampered by recruitment bias and lack of knowledge of family history of pancreatitis. Genetic testing is most useful for persons for whom family members have already been found to exhibit a particular pancreatitis-associated mutation. In the future, increased knowledge of the myriad genetic causes of pancreatitis, as well as advances in the diagnosis and treatment of early chronic pancreatitis, should enhance the utility of genetic testing.
Introductory Speech for Albert de la Chapelle

It is with great personal pleasure that I presentthisyear’srecipient of the William Allan Award, Albert de la Cha-pelle. This prize is the major award of our society andis granted yearly to a scientist for substantial contri-butions to human and medical genetics that have beencarried out over a lifetime of scientiﬁc and scholarlyinquiry.Albert de la Chapelle received his M.D. in 1957 atthe University of Helsinki; he then began his clinicaltraining, becoming board certiﬁed in internal medicinein 1965. His career has been almost exclusively devotedto research in human genetics. He earned a Ph.D. inhuman genetics at the University of Helsinki in 1962,received postdoctoral training with Paul Marks in bio-chemistry at Columbia University in 1966–1968, andtraining in biochemicalgeneticsattheMRCBiochemicalGenetics Unit in London in 1974. He was one of fourscientists who founded the subspecialty of medical ge-netics in Finland. He was the ﬁrst professor of medicalgenetics in Finland and was chairman of the Departmentof Medical Genetics at the University of Helsinki, be-ginning in 1974. Since 1997, Dr. de la Chapelle has beenthe Charlotte and Leonard Immke Chair of Cancer Ge-netics at the Ohio State University, where he directs theHuman Cancer Genetics Program.The cytogenetics of human sex determination and dif-ferentiation was the focus of his doctoral thesis. Heshowed that a high proportion of patients with Turnersyndrome were mosaics and that these cases displayedmilderandsomewhatatypicalclinicalfeaturescomparedwith the standard 45,X cases. In 1964, he described theﬁrst example of a human male with an entirely normal-appearing female karyotype 46,XX (de la Chapelle etal. 1964). In a series of papers over the next 20 years,he deﬁned the epidemiology, cytogenetics, genealogy,
EOS Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer

The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) experiment is an Instrument Investigation in the planning stages for the first NASA Earth Observing System polar platform, EOS-A. MISR will routinely acquire multispectral images of the angular reflectance signatures of terrestrial scenes. Scientific objectives include study of the climatic and environmental impacts of atmospheric aerosols, characterization of heterogeneous cloud fields and their impact on the shortwave radiation budget, development of surface bidirectional reflectance and albedo models for land surface climatology studies, and investigation of biosphere-atmosphere interactions and ecosystem change. This paper describes the MISR investigation, instrument, and data products.
Stable outcomes in spatial voting games

Abstract The traditional representation of outcomes for an n -person game as vectors in n -space was superseded in the 1960s when it became clear that, for political and related applications, a lower-dimensional space was generally sufficient for the purpose. Thus, instead of vectors in utility space , vectors in policy space came to be used. Utility to the various decision-makers (usually voters or parliamentarians) could then be defined in terms of distance from given ideal points . A well-known result states that, when the underlying policy space is one-dimensional, a non-empty core (one or more undominated points) will exist. In two or more dimensions, it is known that, for decisive games, where a bare majority is sufficient to carry motions, the core will be non-empty only under very special circumstances (degenerate cases). Stability is then sought in the form of near-core outcomes. Among the best known of the near-core outcomes are (a) the Copeland winner , defined as that outcome which defeats the greatest proportion of alternatives; (b) the yolk center , defined as that alternative which comes closest to satisfying all possible winning coalitions of voters; and (c) the minimal response (finagle) point , defined as the point which comes closest to defeating any other alternative. We show that each of these near-core outcomes has a well-defined analogue for games with side payments (classical von Neumann-Morgenstern games). In particular, the Copeland winner's analogue is the Shapley value and the yolk center's analogue is the nucleolus . The side-payment analogue of the finagle point has not been previously studied; a straightforward adaptation, known also as the finagle point , is however possible.
BILEVEL FORMULATION FOR OPTIMAL TRAFFIC-INFORMATION DISSEMINATION

With the fast-growing telematics market and maturing traffic-information services, telematics devices provide a feasible means with which to manage traffic more efficiently. The provision of traffic information to travelers usually involves different parties that have distinctive objectives: travelers are concerned with benefits of travel-time savings at an affordable service charge, private information service providers (ISPs) seek to provide marketable information services from which they can derive a profit, and traffic management centers (TMCs) have the responsibility to maintain and improve system performance, especially to minimize the total system travel time. How transportation system managers can analyze the trade-offs among these objectives and adjust this new traffic-information flow diagram to improve system performance remains an open question. The trade-offs needed among the conflicting multiple objectives of different parties are studied, and traffic system performance is analyzed. The complex traffic network is formulated as a bilevel program. The upper level can be formulated by using various objective functions, such as the objectives for ISP and TMC. The lower level is a multiclass dynamic traffic-assignment model, which determines dynamic traffic flows in the network by considering the information dissemination strategies provided by the upper-level model. Numerical results of a small network are provided to illustrate the behavior of this model, and they prove that when there is congestion in the dynamic transportation network, appropriate subscribed rates benefit both all travelers and system performance, while the ISPs' information influences little without congestion in the transportation network.
Measuring effect size: a robust heteroscedastic approach for two or more groups

Motivated by involvement in an intervention study, the paper proposes a robust, heteroscedastic generalization of what is popularly known as Cohen's d. The approach has the additional advantage of ...
Use of instructional technology to improve teacher candidate knowledge of vocabulary instruction

Abstract Teacher educators play an influential role in the chain of improvement needed to address gaps in vocabulary knowledge and performance for some children. If created in careful accordance to design principles, multimedia can serve as a tool to improve preservice teacher knowledge in this domain. The present experimental study investigated a multimedia-based intervention, which pairs a modeling video with a Content Acquisition Podcast (i.e., video plus CAP), to teach preservice teachers (n = 101) about an effective vocabulary intervention for students at risk for or with learning disabilities. Preservice teachers were randomly assigned to either watch a video plus CAP or read a practitioner-friendly reading on vocabulary instruction. Those who watched the video plus CAP significantly outperformed the comparison group on a posttest and maintenance test of knowledge.
Glass as encapsulation for low-cost photovoltaic solar arrays

In photovoltaic systems, the encapsulant material that protects the solar cells should be highly transparent and very durable. Glass satisfies these two criteria and is considered a primary candidate for low-cost, photovoltaic encapsulation systems. In this paper, various aspects of glass encapsulation are treated that are important for the designer of photovoltaic systems. Candidate glasses and available information defining the state of the art of glass encapsulation materials and processes for automated, high volume production of terrestrial photovoltaic devices and related applications are presented. The desired characteristics of glass encapsulation are (1) low degradation rates, (2) high transmittance, (3) high reliability, (4) low-cost, and (5) high annual production capacity. The glass design areas treated herein include the types of glass, sources, prices, physical properties and glass modifications, such as antireflection coatings.
Plane-dependent error diffusion on a GPU

In this paper, we study a plane-dependent technique that reduces dot-on-dot printing in color images, and apply this technique to a GPU-based error diffusion halftoning algorithm. We design image quality metrics to preserve mean color and minimize colorant overlaps. We further use randomized intra-plane error filter weights to break periodic structures. Our GPU implementation achieves a processing speed of 200 MegaPixels/second for RGB color images, and a speedup of 30 - 37x over a multi-threaded implementation on a dual-core CPU. Since the GPU implementation is memory bound, we essentially get the image quality benefits for free by adding arithmetic complexities for inter-plane dependency and error filter weights randomization.
The Radiation Environment on the Moon from Galactic Cosmic Rays in a Lunar Habitat

Abstract We calculated how the radiation environment in a habitat on the surface of the Moon would have depended on the thickness of the habitat in the 1977 galactic cosmic-ray environment. The Geant4 Monte Carlo transport code was used, and a hemispherical dome made of lunar regolith was used to simulate the lunar habitat. We investigated the effective dose from primary and secondary particles including nuclei from protons up to nickel, neutrons, charged pions, photons, electrons and positrons. The total effective dose showed a strong decrease with the thickness of the habitat dome. However, the effective dose values from secondary neutrons, charged pions, photons, electrons and positrons all showed a strong increase followed by a gradual decrease with the habitat thickness. The fraction of the summed effective dose from these secondary particles in the total effective dose increased with the habitat thickness, from ∼5% for the no-habitat case to about 47% for the habitat with an areal thickness of 100 g...
Characterization of Nanoparticles for Therapeutics, Diagnostics and Imaging by Means of Second Harmonic Scattering

A new field of study, called nano-bio interactions, investigates how nanomaterials interact with biological systems. This is an important issue because, in order to be able to engineer nanostructures capable of traveling in the body and interacting with cells, we need to develop an understanding of how the physico-chemical properties of nanoparticles (NPs) affect the way these objects interact with biological systems. For instance, when considering a cancer nanomedicine different parameters have to be taken into consideration [1]. An understanding of how the NP size, shape, composition, structure, charge and surface chemistry influence transport to the tumor site [2] can help to maximize the efficiency of delivery of the drugs or contrast agents for imaging as well as the effectiveness of photothermal therapy [3].Second harmonic scattering (SHS) is a coherent second-order optical technique that is specifically surface sensitive and can be performed in-situ [4]. It has also been recently shown to be sensitive to size, shape and composition of metallic and dielectric nano and microparticles with or without adsorbed molecular monolayers [5], presenting a huge potential in the characterization of nano-bio interactions as well as for use in imaging and photothermal therapy.[1] A. Albanese, et al. Annu. Rev. Biomed. Eng. 2012, 14, 1.[2] M. Ferrari. Trends Biotechnol. 2010, 28, 181.[3] R. Bardhan, et al. Adv. Func. Mater. (2009) 19, 3901.[4] S. Roke and G. Gonella. Annu. Rev. Phys. Chem. 2012, 63, 353.[5] S.-H. Jen, et al. J. Phys. Chem. A 2009, 113, 4758; S.-H. Jen, et al. J. Phys. Chem. C 2010, 114, 4302; G.Gonella and H.-L. Dai. Phys. Rev. B 2011, 84, 121402; G.Gonella, et al. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2012, 3, 2877.
Effects of alkyl substitution on the physical properties and gas transport behavior in selected poly(R-phenoxyphosphazenes)

Abstract A systematic preparation of alkyl substituted phenoxyphosphazene polymers was performed and their gas transport properties determined. In this study, phosphazenes substituted with 4-methylphenol, 4-ethylphenol, and 4-isopropylphenol are reported. An additional polymer substituted with 4-tert-butylphenoxy-1-ethanol also was synthesized in this work. Data derived for these materials, including chemical, thermal and gas transport characterization, were compared to previous reports discussing poly[bis-phenoxyphosphazene] and its analog with tert-butyl substitution: poly[bis-(4-tert-butylphenoxy)phosphazene]. The tert-butyl moiety influences orderly chain packing, presumably through steric hindrance that can influence aromatic π-stacking. For the new poly[(alkylphenoxy)phosphazenes], semicrystallinity is maintained and the added steric bulk serves to decrease the polymer glass transition temperature (Tg) and increase both permeability and selectivity for the gas pairs: O 2 /N 2 and CO 2 /CH 4 . Removal of the tert-butyl moiety from the immediate vicinity of the backbone through a flexible spacer serves to depress the Tg as compared to poly[bis-(4-tert-butylphenoxy)phosphazene], but provides no performance enhancement for gas transport.