cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous synthesis of mass separating agents and interception networks

In this work, we introduce the new problem of simultaneously synthesizing interception networks and mass separating agents ‘MSAs’ (e.g. solvents). The essence of this work is to synthesize solvents in tandem with synthesizing the separation system. An optimization-based procedure is developed with the objective of minimizing the total cost for the separation of the targeted species from a set of rich sources (gaseous or liquid) via a set of synthesized solvents. The program is formulated as a mixed integer nonlinear program which employs group contribution methods to design solvents to accomplish the separation task while satisfying physical and structural property constraints. An illustrative case study on the separation of butane in an oil production plant is presented.
Solid State Structures and Gold-Gold Bonding in Luminescent Halo(dimethylphenylphosphine)gold(I) Complexes.

The structures of the series of two-coordinate gold(I) complexes {(Me2PhP)AuX}n where X is Cl, Br, or I have been examined by X-ray diffraction. The chloro complex crystallized in two separate polymorphic forms. Colorless hexagonal blocks of {(Me2PhP)AuCl}3 crystallized in the monoclinic space group P21/m with a = 12.141(4) A, b = 8.433(2) A, c = 14.834(3) A, and β = 94.15(2)° at 130 K with Z = 2. Refinement of 2837 reflections and 177 parameters yielded R = 0.066 and Rw = 0.069. The complex consists of three nearly linear P−Au−Cl units that are connected by Au−Au contacts at 3.091(2) and 3.120(2) A. Colorless prisms of {(Me2PhP)AuCl}2 form in the orthorhombic space group P212121 as described earlier (Cookson, P. D.; Tiekink, E. R. T. Acta Crystallogr. 1993, C49, 1602). The two nearly linear P−Au−Cl units are staggered and connected through a Au−Au bond (3.230(2) A). Colorless rectangular prisms of {(Me2PhP)AuBr}2 form in the monoclinic space group P21 with a = 9.572(5) A, b = 8.757(3), and c = 12.915(7) ...
Changing Acute Pain Management Outcomes in Surgical Patients

Patient outcome studies indicate that patients accept pain as part of hospitalization. The majority of hospitalized patients who report experiencing pain are recovering from surgical intervention. To achieve successful outcomes, a comprehensive multidisciplinary effort must begin preoperatively and continue through discharge. The perioperative period is an essential link in effective pain management, and perioperative nurses are key in helping direct the care of surgical patients before, during, and after surgical procedures. Pain relief and the patients satisfaction with care frequently are used to measure pain management outcomes. This article examines the results of a secondary analysis of a subset of surgical patients drawn from a larger data set that was collected during two studies in urban and rural hospitals. It focuses on two outcomes, namely characteristics of pain and patient satisfaction with pain management after surgery. These outcomes were measured using the American Pain Society patient outcome questionnaire and the pain management index. Correlational, descriptive, and regression analyses indicate that postoperative management of patients' pain in these studies was less than optimal. From this new understanding, strategies for effective pain management of surgical patients are recommended.
Short-pulse detection by acousto-optic processing

In this paper we show how the Fresnel transform helps to detect time-delayed short pulse signals. A short pulse disperses spatially as it propagates through free space according to the Fresnel transform. A point photodetector produces a signal whose temporal frequency is directly proportional to the time delay between the pulses. When this signal is fed to an acousto-optic spectrum analyzer, the frequency domain represents a time delay domain.
VOICES FROM THE UNCONSCIOUS

The author, a Manhattan-based psychotherapist, contrasts the fascinating but profound differences between the autobiographical narratives of young college students and the free-associative unconscious voices of patients engaged in the process of psychotherapy. The author begins by recounting the immense impact of his own divorce upon his subsequent professional and personal life. The Children of Divorce: Stories of Loss and Growth by John Harvey and Mark Fine is cited as a compelling chronicle. The unique non-linear characteristics of the unconscious voices of patients in psychotherapy are then described. Certain universal themes and traumatically charged scenes that are the aftermath of divorce are examined. The pervasive, defensive denial of the aftermath of survivors of divorce is then explored. The author challenges the popular wisdom of those who, like Judith Wallerstein, believe children are almost invariably worse off after the divorce than before. Drawing on his own extensive studies of the self, ...
Ethical principles of Catholic social teaching behind the United States bishops' letter on the economy

This article analyzes six ethical principles at work in the Pastoral Letter of the Roman Catholic Bishops on the United States economy. The first three principles derive from the Thomistic tradition with its attempt to avoid the extremes of collectivism and individualism. Human beings are by nature social and called to live in political society. The principle of subsidiarity guides the role of the state. Distributive and social justice furnish the criteria for a just distribution of human goods. The fourth ethical principle which is a later development in the Catholic tradition recognizes human rights including economic rights. In keeping with recent emphases in Catholic teaching the fifth principle insists that the goods of creation exist to serve all and stresses the social aspect of property. The sixth principle enunciates a preferential option for the poor and has come to the fore in the light of recent liberation theology.
Pattern specification and pattern regulation in the embryonic chick limb bud

SYNOPSIS. The embryonic chick limb bud is a growing organ rudiment whose undifferentiated cells give rise to a precise spatial pattern of differentiated structures. The establishment of positional values of chick limb bud cells (pattern specification) and the response of limb bud cells with established positional values to experimental perturbations (pattern regulation) are the major topics considered in this paper. The results of recent experiments with developing chick limb buds analyzing pattern specification and pattern regulation are presented. These studies with the chick limb are described in light of the postulates of a model that was originally formulated from experiments performed on regenerating amphibian and insect appendages.
The fortification of bread with lysine. III: Supplementation with essential amino acids.

Abstract The nutritional effect which may be obtained by the addition of lysine, methionine, valine and threonine to a diet composed of commercial white bread, fat, salts, and vitamins has been investigated with weanling rats. A beneficial effect could be observed only from the addition of lysine. The results of these experiments indicate that, as far as rat growth is concerned, the only amino acid deficiency in commercial white bread is lysine.
Thermodynamics, interfacial structure, and pH hysteresis of Rb+ and Sr2+ adsorption at the muscovite (001)-solution interface.

The coverage and average height of adsorbed Rb+ and Sr2+ at the muscovite (001)−solution interface were measured with resonant anomalous X-ray reflectivity (RAXR) as a function of cation concentration (10−8 < [Sr2+] < 10−1 m, 10−6 < [Rb+] < 10−1 m at pH 5.5 and 3.5) and pH (1.5 to 5.5 at [Men+] = 10−3 m) without background electrolyte. At pH 5.5, Rb+ uptake approximately follows a Langmuir isotherm with ΔGoRb = −23.5 ± 4.0 kJ·mol−1 and a saturation coverage of Γmax = 0.94 ± 0.06 Rb+ per unit cell area, Auc = 46.72 A2, compensating the nominal surface charge density (1 e−/Auc). The Sr2+ isotherm has a saturation coverage of 0.47 ± 0.05 Sr2+/Auc that also compensates the muscovite’s charge, but the adsorption edge is both more abrupt and shifted significantly to lower concentration than that for Rb+. The uptake of Sr2+ is consistent with a Frumkin isotherm with an intrinsic adsorption constant, ΔGoSr = −28.8 ± 6.0 kJ·mol−1 and a correlation energy, γSr = −7.2 ± 3.7 kJ·mol−1. The average height of each adsor...
A Spectral Method for Polar Coordinates

A new set of polynomial functions that can be used in spectral expansions of C∞ functions in polar coordinates (r, ?) is defined by a singular Sturm-Liouville equation. With the use of the basis functions, the spectral representations remain analytic at the pole despite the coordinate singularity because the pole condition is exactly satisfied at the origin for ag azimuthal modes, not just a few of the gravest modes (which is the usual case). Based on recurrence relations, fast and stable numerical operators for 1/r, r(d/dr), the Laplacian and Helmholtz operators and their inverses are developed. Although the spacings in the azimuthal direction of the collocation points near the origin are small (i.e., ? 1/M2, where M is the number of radial modes), the explicit numerical method for Euler's equation is not stiff at the origin. Namely, the CFL number ? is O(1) where the grid size in is defined as ?/M (i.e., the maximum allowable timestep is proportional to 1/M, not 1/M2).
A Few Parting Thoughts

By the time you are reading this, the holiday season will soon be upon us, as will our high-volume seasons in the emergency department. Enterovirus D68 will be a thing of the past, and fingers crossed, we will be gearing up for a mild influenza season. The seasons will have changed, and in a few weeks, we will be changing Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) Presidents as well. It seems as if everything in the world of an emergency nurse is changing. A little more than a year ago, I added to your list of reasons we should change. I talked about changing our attitudes about patient safety. I insisted we start reporting near misses and system failures instead of working around them. I asked each of you to point your finger inward and think about how your own bedside behaviors negatively affect patient safety. Essentially, I asked each of you to think differently about patient safety and to keep your responsibility of keeping patients safe at the top of your mind. So here we are, almost a year later. In this era of outcomes-driven health care, I cannot help but question whether we have made any progress. To be honest, one should have a measurable outcome in mind when starting down the path of improvement. I did not start that way. I understood we had a problem on our hands of epidemic proportions with a moving target. The actual number of patient deaths as a result of errors in health care is one that can only be estimated. Some estimate it is about 400,000. Others have placed that number at 2 million. Breaking
Patient Care: Bridging Evidence and Functional Outcomes

In this article, we invite the reader to think about the most important component of clinical practice—the patient—and to think about ways clinicians theoretically and personally approach a residen...
Lung vascular targeting through inhalation delivery: insight from filamentous viruses and other shapes.

Systemic delivery of therapeutic agents via inhalation of particulates remains an attractive, noninvasive means of administration due to the possibilities of high bioavailability and high patient compliance. Optimization of particle shapes and particle properties for deep lung deposition after inhalation continues to be one of the key challenges. Here, we review several aspects of nanoparticle design for deep lung deposition as well as the nature and extent of translocation through the air–blood barrier for local or systemic vascular targeting. We describe filamentous influenza virus in comparison to worm-like “filomicelle” polymers as one example of a nature inspired design. © 2011 IUBMB IUBMB Life, 2011
On the role of simulation in the statistical evaluation of econometric models

Abstract Macro model builders routinely utilise the techniques of dynamic and static simulation for model selection and evaluation, as well as for discovering the properties of their models. Some researchers have suggested that the output of these simulations might be used for the purpose of formally evaluating models. The present paper looks at what information is conveyed by such simulations. It is argued that, because of relationships existing between the simulation residuals and estimation residuals, no new information is forthcoming from a simulation. Current proposals using simulation output for the purpose of model evaluation are analysed and it is shown that the same information could be extracted by a thorough analysis of the estimation residuals.
Reducing variability in the output of pattern classifiers using histogram shaping.

Purpose: The authors present a novel technique based on histogram shaping to reduce the variability in the output and (sensitivity, specificity) pairs of pattern classifiers with identical ROC curves, but differently distributed outputs. Methods: The authors identify different sources of variability in the output of linear pattern classifiers with identical ROC curves, which also result in classifiers with differently distributed outputs. They theoretically develop a novel technique based on the matching of the histograms of these differently distributed pattern classifier outputs to reduce the variability in their (sensitivity, specificity) pairs at fixed decision thresholds, and to reduce the variability in their actual output values. They empirically demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed technique by means of analyses on the simulated data and real world mammography data. Results: For the simulated data, with three different known sources of variability, and for the real world mammography data with unknown sources of variability, the proposed classifier output calibration technique significantly reduced the variability in the classifiers' (sensitivity, specificity) pairs at fixed decision thresholds. Furthermore, for classifiers with monotonically or approximately monotonically related output variables, the histogram shaping technique also significantly reduced the variability in their actual output values. Conclusions: Classifier output calibration basedmore » on histogram shaping can be successfully employed to reduce the variability in the output values and (sensitivity, specificity) pairs of pattern classifiers with identical ROC curves, but differently distributed outputs.« less
The family as an economic system: A conceptual model supported by empirical research

Economic functions found in any economic system can be observed in the family as a production and consumption unit of analysis. The development of a resource base and the decisions in performing each function are each influenced by the larger economy and influence the larger economy. Decisions about the use of the resource base determine the ultimate outcomes of satisfaction with goods and services and quality of life. These relationships, as hypothesized in a conceptual flow model presented in this article, can direct the selection of variables in empirical research. Results of several research projects that included selected components of the economic functions document the validity of the family economy model and contribute to theory development of the sources and role of consumption. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Firm heterogeneity and the structure of U.S. multinational activity

Abstract We use firm-level data for U.S. multinational enterprises (MNEs) and the model of firm heterogeneity presented in Helpman, Melitz, and Yeaple [Helpman, E., Melitz, M., Yeaple, S., 2004. Exports versus FDI with heterogeneous firms. The American Economic Review 94 (1), 300–316.] to make four empirical contributions. First, we show that the most productive U.S. firms invest in a larger number of foreign countries and sell more in each country in which they operate. Second, we assess the importance of firm heterogeneity in the structure of MNE activity. Third, we use the model to identify the mechanisms through which country characteristics affect the structure of MNE activity. Finally, we assess the model's shortcomings in order to inform the development of new theory.
Closed-Loop Control of a Microtab-Based Load Control System

A closed-loop control system has been developed for microtabs and demonstrated in the University of California, Davis, Aeronautical Wind Tunnel. Input to the system comes from two dynamic pressure transducers located at 15% chord on the upper and lower surfaces of the airfoil. Microtabs with a height of 1% chord are located at 95% chord on the lower surface and 90% chord on the upper surface, enabling rapid increase or decrease of the lift force through deployment of the tabs on the pressure or suction side of the airfoil, respectively. Tests have been conducted with variations of up to 23% in airspeed, and the control system is able to reduce the total deviation in the lift force by 60% compared to the performance of the airfoil without the control system. The experiment validates the effectiveness of closed-loop control of lift using a trailing-edge tab-based system for lifting surfaces such as wind-turbine rotor blades.
Development and Application of an Index of Biotic Integrity for Fish Communities of Wadeable Monongahela River Tributaries

ABSTRACT We developed an index of biotic integrity (IBI) to assess the health of fish communities inhabiting low-order tributaries of the Monongahela River in Pennsylvania. Environmental stressors observed were urbanization, agriculture, raw and treated sewage discharges, net alkaline mine drainage, and acid mine drainage (AMD). Species richness ranged from zero in streams impacted by AMD and/or untreated sewage to 24 in our reference stream. Our IBI classified the majority (>90%) of streams in this region as significantly stressed, receiving qualitative evaluations of “fair” to “very poor.” Moreover, of the 4,090 fishes collected, only four species representing 2% of the total number collected were classified as intolerant to pollution.
Confocal microscopy and three‐dimensional reconstruction of electrophysiologically identified neurons in thick brain slices

Three-dimensional morphology and electrophysiology were correlated from individual neurons in a thick brain slice preparation. The hippocampal formation from immature and adult rats was cut transverse to the longitudinal axis into 500 microns-thick slices which were maintained under physiologic conditions. Individual neurons were impaled and physiologically characterized using microelectrodes. Recordings were made from the soma and in some cases from a dendrite. The impaled neurons were filled through the microelectrode with the fluorescent dye lucifer yellow and imaged by confocal scanning laser microscopy using an analog preprocessor. As many as 180 optical sections were recorded as a function of depth through the slices. Images are presented as a series of optical sections, stereo pairs, or three-dimensional reconstructions. Both stereo contouring and volume rendering methods were employed, and the reconstructions were viewed from any arbitrary perspective. Dendritic and axonal fields were separated from each other and displayed separately or as different pseudocolors. The three-dimensional reconstructions provided perspectives that were difficult or impossible to appreciate by viewing the optical sections or conventionally formed stereo pairs.
Third parties and status position: How the characteristics of status systems matter

For organizations, as for individuals, status position governs access to a variety of valued rewards. To uncover the causes of status position, recent research has focused on the relationship between the attributes of individual organizations and their standing in a status hierarchy. Although this research has made valuable contributions to our understanding of both the consequences of status to organizations and the determinants of status, its emphasis on organizational attributes has not addressed how the characteristics of status systems shape the nature and distribution of these positions. Drawing on data from 134 in-depth interviews with law school administrators and faculty, this article investigates how variations in the characteristics of status systems influence status processes. Concentrating on the theoretically underdeveloped role that third parties play in status systems, I examine how a third party change – the emergence and increasing popularity of the U.S. News and World Report’s law school rankings – has had powerful effects on the shape of the status hierarchy of legal education as well as the values that underlie this hierarchy. These changes have, in turn, transformed the landscape of positions that are available to actors, the process by which these positions are allocated among various actors, and the bases upon which this allocation is carried out.
Epithelial transport of weak electrolytes. Properties of a model of the three compartment system

Abstract A study has been made of the properties of a theoretical model of a mechanism that has been proposed for the transport of weak electrolytes in several epithelia. The model consists of three aqueous compartments arranged in series, in which adjacent compartments are separated by barriers that may discriminate between the ionized and non-ionized forms of weak electrolytes, and where the pH of the intermediate compartment may be different than that of the bulk phases. Significant asymmetries in weak electrolyte transport may be associated with relatively modest driving forces. The abilities of the barriers to discriminate between the ionized and non-ionized forms of a weak electrolyte are critical parameters of transport in this system, and both the relative, and the individual absolute values of these parameters are important determinants of weak electrolyte transport. The degree of asymmetry in the fluxes of a weak electrolyte varies markedly with the discriminatory properties of the barriers within a range of values that may be appropriate to the barriers found in epithelia. The range of p K a values for which transport may be observed in the system varies with the discriminatory properties of the barriers, and some versions of the system may be effective in the transport of acids of p K a p K a > 13, in addition to the transport of weak electrolytes. The study allows description of two main types of potential biological analogs of the model system, and criteria of tenability of each version are identified.
Titanium: a high-performance Java dialect

Titanium is a language and system for high-performance parallel scientific computing. Titanium uses Java as its base, thereby leveraging the advantages of that language and allowing us to focus attention on parallel computing issues. The main additions to Java are immutable classes, multidimensional arrays, an explicitly parallel SPMD model of computation with a global address space, and zone-based memory management. We discuss these features and our design approach, and report progress on the development of Titanium, including our current driving application: a three-dimensional adaptive mesh refinement parallel Poisson solver. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
One True Anaphor

I argue that there is only one true anaphor in natural language, which takes many shapes. Building on the idea that some pronouns are constructed and others are ‘‘natural-born’’ with features, as suggested by Kratzer (2009), I suggest that all nonlocally anteceded bound variable pronouns that are traditionally bound (c-commanded) are the spell-out of a special, but universally available, dependent form, D-bound. The language-specific spell-out of D-bound in phase-internal contexts is responsible for Principle A effects, but not every language imposes phase-internal morphology for binding (thus, Principle A effects are not universal). This approach resolves morphological paradoxes that arise in ellipsis contexts when distance-bound antecedent forms behave as locally bound and vice versa. Finally, the distribution of Principle B and C effects is shown to be a consequence of the distribution of D-bound—the preferred form for anaphoric relations wherever it is available.
Exact Macroscopic Charge-Independent Analysis of Quasielastic (p,n) Reactions

A technique is described in which a strictly charge-independent optical potential for nucleons is derived from empirical neutron and proton potentials which provide optimum fits to the available data. Predictions for the ($p,n$) charge-exchange reaction on $^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$ and $^{209}\mathrm{Bi}$ are made by solving the coupled Lane equations exactly. It is found that both angular-distribution and excitation-function data are fitted quite well, without adjustable parameters.
Quantitative Genetics of Traits Indicative of Biomass Production and Heterosis in 34 Full-sib F1 Salix eriocephala Families

This project examined the heritability of traits that affect biomass production of Salix eriocephala, a shrub willow native to North America and an essential species in the breeding of bioenergy crop varieties. Using an incomplete factorial design, seven females and eight males were crossed to produce 34 full-sib F1 families. Five to 12 entries per family were planted in four-plant plots in a randomized complete block design on two sites. Melampsora rust incidence was scored in the fall of the first growing season (prior to coppice). Height of the tallest stem, cross-sectional stem area per stool, and number of stems per stool were recorded in the winter after the first growing season post-coppice. Plants were harvested 3 years post-coppice and biomass yield was determined. A large percentage of the total variance was additive for all of the traits studied and heritability estimates were low to moderate, suggesting that phenotypic expression of these traits is predictable and can be improved through breeding. Based on yield 3 years after coppice, 29 of the 34 families displayed midparent heterosis, ranging from 1–115%, for the composite trait—biomass yield, strongly indicating that offspring often perform better than their parents in this population. This study will assist in selecting parents which may produce superior progeny in the breeding program.
Investment Strategies and Market Structure: An Empirical Analysis of Bank Branching Decisions

This paper analyzes the relationship between the competitive environment faced by depository institutions and the decisions these institutions make regarding the size of their branch networks. Specifically, we consider branches as a sunk investment that potentially increases utility for consumers and examine how local competition and product differentiation affect firms’ decisions regarding whether to make such investments. We account for endogenous market structure using an equilibrium structural model, which corrects for bias caused by correlation in the unobservables associated with market structure and branching activity. We estimate the model using data from 1,882 concentrated rural markets. Our results demonstrate the importance of accounting for market structure and product differentiation, and are consistent with a potential entry-deterring effect of bank branch investments.
Natural Thermal Refugia for Temperate Warmwater Stream Fishes

Abstract The seasonal use of an Ozark spring branch by fishes was evaluated from January 1993 to January 1995. Temperatures in the spring branch were fairly constant, at 13.5 ± 1°C, and usually exceeded the temperature of a receiving stream during the November–March coldwater period. Black redhorse Moxostoma duquesnei, smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu, shadow bass Ambloplites ariommus, and longear sunfish Lepomis megalotis showed a temporal pattern of use in the spring branch. The lowest use was during the April–October warmwater period, and the greatest use was during the coldwater period. During cold periods, biomass of these four species in the spring branch was significantly greater and fish size significantly larger than in similar habitats in the adjoining stream. The weight per unit length of fish using the spring branch during cold periods was also significantly greater. Shadow bass and longear sunfish had significantly greater relative stomach contents than conspecifics in equivalent habitats...
Cloning and Expression of a Novel Human Brain Na Channel

We have cloned a novel cDNA from human brain which encodes a non-voltage-dependent Na+ channel (BNC1). BNC1 has some sequence similarity (24-28%) with a new channel family that includes subunits of the mammalian epithelial Na+ channel, the Caenorhabditis elegans degenerins, and the Helix aspersa FMRF-amide-gated Na+ channel. Like other family members it is inhibited by amiloride. However, its predicted structure differs from other family members, its discrimination between Na+ and Li+ is different, and in contrast to other mammalian family members, coexpression with other cloned subunits of the family does not increase current. BNC1 has a unique pattern of expression with transcripts detected only in adult human brain and in spinal cord. Thus, BNC1 is the first cloned member of a new subfamily of mammalian Na+ channels. The function of BNC1 as a non-voltage-gated Na+ channel in human brain suggests it may play a novel role in neurotransmission.
Gaining and losing weight: identity transformations

Individuals who experience weight problems frequently have a long history of weight gain and weight loss. Based on observation and participation, this study follows a group of dieters in a weight loss clinic over a period of one year. The findings suggest that social factors in the dieter's world have a significant impact on the degree of success experienced. Of particular significance are the perceptions of others once extensive weight loss occurs. It is argued that the loss of weight is only one of a number of issues that the heavy person deals with as he or she moves into the thin world.
Clinical laboratory-based assay methodologies may underestimate and increase variability of vancomycin protein binding in hospitalized patients.

tudy Objective To evaluate and compare the percent protein binding of vancomycin in hospitalized patients by using a clinical or research laboratory–derived assay methodology, and to evaluate potential patient characteristics accounting for alterations in protein binding. Design Prospective noninterventional cohort study. Setting Single-center tertiary care medical center. Patients A total of 55 hospitalized adults who were receiving vancomycin for a suspected or documented infection between August and November 2011 and required therapeutic drug monitoring. Measurements and Main Results Vancomycin protein-binding studies were conducted by using ultracentrifugation of 63 blood samples collected from the 55 patients for therapeutic drug monitoring as part of clinical practice. Total and free drug concentrations were assayed in the research laboratory by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and in the clinical laboratory by using fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA). Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to identify patient variables that were predictive of vancomycin protein binding. The average protein binding was statistically significantly lower and more variable when assayed by FPIA compared with HPLC (mean ± SD 47.3 ± 13.0% vs 54.6 ± 9.5%, p<0.001). Multivariate analyses showed that after controlling for days of vancomycin therapy, patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) had a protein binding value that was 8.4% lower than non-ICU patients (p=0.005). Conclusion Using research laboratory–based HPLC methodology, we identified an average vancomycin protein binding of 54.6% with considerably less variability than reported in the literature using clinical-based assay methodologies. Further, we identified patient factors that may likewise have an impact on this value. Future studies of vancomycin protein binding should consider use of a nonclinical assay to minimize methodological-induced variability.
An Upper Cretaceous Fault-Line Coast: ABSTRACT

From northern San Diego County, California, to End_Page 647------------------------------ the Viscaino Desert of Baja California, a distance of 400 miles, the eastern extent of the Upper Cretaceous Rosario Formation can be plotted with the edge of a ruler. At several points the exhumed coast line is well exposed. In some places marine strata buttress directly against precipitous bedrock slopes. In other localities they interfinger with deltas of conglomerate which built from narrow gorges incised in the bedrock coast. Westward from this paleocoast the Rosario thickens considerably in a short distance. At times, relatively deep water must have extended almost to the shore. The steep and straight paleocoast appears to have coincided with a hinge line, suggesting fault control. This tectonic line has continued to be active throughout the Cenozoic. Faults of Pleistocene age parallel the modern coast in several places. End_of_Article - Last_Page 648------------
Three-Dimensional Secretion Signals in Chaperone-Effector Complexes of Bacterial Pathogens

The type III secretion system (TTSS) of Gram-negative bacterial pathogens delivers effector proteins required for virulence directly into the cytosol of host cells. Delivery of many effectors depends on association with specific cognate chaperones in the bacterial cytosol. The mechanism of chaperone action is not understood. Here we present biochemical and crystallographic results on the Yersinia SycE-YopE chaperone-effector complex that contradict previous models of chaperone function and demonstrate that chaperone action is isolated to only a small portion of the effector. This, together with evidence for stereochemical conservation between chaperone-effector complexes, which are otherwise unrelated in sequence, indicates that these complexes function as general, three-dimensional TTSS secretion signals and may endow a temporal order to secretion.
Structural alterations in a transcribed region of the T type cytoplasmic male sterile maize mitochondrial genome.

H. maydis toxin resistance, and cytoplasmic reversion from sterility to fertility in Zea mays T type cytoplasm are correlated with sequence changes in a 6.6 kb Xhol fragment of T mitochondrial DNA. Comparative Northern blot analysis of N (normal male fertile), and cmsT (cytoplasmic male sterile) mitochondrial RNAs using subclones of the 6.6 kb Xho I region of cmsT as probes, reveals different sized transcripts. In cmsT these RNA coding sequences have been mapped onto a 1.5 kb AvaI fragment completely internal to the 6.6 kb XhoI region. Comparative Southern analysis of AvaI digested mitochondrial DNA from cmsT, N and a T-type cytoplasm which has reverted to fertility (designated V3) (Brettel et al. 1979), positions the RNA coding sequences on a 1.5 kb, 2.1 kb and 2.1 kb fragment respectively. These sequence rearrangements in the fertile T revertants create a novel mtRNA transcript. Southern hybridization experiments of other higher plant mitochondrial DNAs using the 1.5 kb Ava I fragment from cmsT mtDNA as a probe, indicate the presence of homologous sequences.
Hole-Trapping in ATiO3, (A = Ba, Sr, Ca)

Measurements of the equilibrium oxygen activity as a function of temperature at constant defect concentrations have been used to obtain the chemical enthalpy of oxidation, i.e. the reaction to add a stoichiometric excess of oxygen and trapped holes, for acceptor-doped BaTiO3, SrTiO3, and CaTiO3. The values are −0.15, +0.21, and −0.28 eV, respectively. Combined with the enthalpy of oxidation obtained from equilibrium conductivity measurements, i.e. the reaction to form free holes, the depths of the acceptor hole traps are found to be 0.54, 0.60, and 1.22 eV, respectively.
Defective Release Of Eosinophil Chemotactic Factor From Peripheral Leukocytes In Patients With Chronic Urticaria

Release of eosinophil chemotactic factor (ECF) and histamine was studied in peripheral leukocytes of 16 normal and 12 ragweed allergic volunteers and compared to 15 patients with chronic urticaria. Cells were exposed to varying concentrations of anti-IgE or to ragweed antigen E in the case of allergic donors. Twelve of 15 patients with chronic urticaria showed defective release of ECF as well as histamine, while almost all normal and all allergic donors were able to release larger quantities of both mediators. Since the eosinophil is thought to have a modulating effect at sites of inflammation induced by anaphylactic mechanisms, the defective release of a factor attracting these cells may explain the persistence of symptoms in chronic urticaria.
The relA gene is not required for glycogen accumulation during NH4+ starvation of Escherichia coli

Abstract When glucose is the carbon source, glycogen accumulates in partial (NH 4 + ) or total (NH 4 + and required amino acids) nitrogen starvation in Escherichia coli strains that are relA + or relA − . But glycogen accumulates only in the relA + strain when required amino acids are depleted or isoleucine starvation is induced by valine addition. However, when glycerol is the carbon source, glycogen accumulates in both relA + and relA − strains after valine addition. We conclude that the relA gene is not required for glycogen accumulation when synthesis of all nitrogen-containing compounds of the cell is limited or abolished. We also conclude that, although the relA gene is needed for glycogen to accumulate in amino acid starvation, this requirement can be replaced by a high cellular concentration of 3′,5′-cyclic AMP.
English weather and Rhine wine quality: An ordered probit model

Abstract This paper analyses the quality of Rhine wine vintages from Schloss Johannisberg over the last 300 years. It draws on vintage lists and transforms the verbal qualitative assessments into five quality ranks. These ranks are related to temperature and precipitation data, using an ordered probit model. Since reliable instrumental weather data for the Rhine region do not exist for the time before 1826, we utilised the English Manley temperature series (beginning in 1659) and precipitation data for Kew Gardens (available from 1697 on). In addition, we used index data for Germany from the historical climate data bank Historische Klimadatenbank Deutschland of the University of Heidelberg. The results show that English weather is a good proxy variable for the actual weather conditions in the Johannisberg vineyards. While Frankfurt weather data yield a better goodness-to-fit, the data cover only half of the observation period. The models show that the biggest marginal temperature effects occur in the mont...
Effects of gpx4 haploid insufficiency on GPx4 activity, selenium concentration, and paraquat-induced protein oxidation in murine tissues.

Selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase-4 (GPx4) catalyzes the reduction of phospholipid hydroperoxides. Because a full gpx4 knockout is embryonic lethal, we examined the effect of deletion of one copy of gpx4 on the activities of three selenoperoxidases (GPx1, GPx3, and GPx4), selenium concentrations, and pro-oxidant-induced protein oxidation in various tissues of mice. A total of 32 gpx4 hemizygous (GPx4 + / - ) and wild-type (WT) mice (8- to 10-weeks old; 16 males and 16 females) were fed a selenium-adequate diet and given an intraperitoneal injection of paraquat (PQ; 24 mg/kg body wt) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). All mice were euthanized 4 hrs after injection to collect tissues for analyses. In PBS-treated mice, GPx4 activities in lung, liver, kidney, and testes of GPx4 + / - mice were 24-39% lower (P < 0.05) than in WT mice. Among PQ-treated mice, only testis GPx4 activity in GPx4 + / - mice was significantly lower (54% P < 0.05) than WT mice. Selenium concentration in testes, but not in other tissues, was reduced (34% P < 0.05) in GPx4 + / - mice compared with WT mice, irrespective of treatment. Tissue GPx1 activities and plasma GPx3 and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities were unaffected by PQ treatment or gpx4 hemizygosity. Total protein carbonyl was elevated (73% P < 0.05) by PQ only in lung, and this effect of PQ was independent of genotypes. In conclusion, gpx4 haploid insufficiency reduced GPx4 activities and/or selenium concentrations, but had no effect on pro-oxidant-induced protein oxidation in various tissues of mice.
Adaptive Causal Models for Fault Diagnosis and Recovery in Multi-Robot Teams

This paper presents an adaptive causal model method (adaptive CMM) for fault diagnosis and recovery in complex multi-robot teams. We claim that a causal model approach is effective for anticipating and recovering from many types of robot team errors, presenting extensive experimental results to support this claim. To our knowledge, these results show the first, full implementation of a CMM on a large multi-robot team. However, because of the significant number of possible failure modes in a complex multi-robot application, and the difficulty in anticipating all possible failures in advance, our empirical results show that one cannot guarantee the generation of a complete a priori causal model that identifies and specifies all faults that may occur in the system. Instead, an adaptive method is needed to enable the robot team to use its experience to update and extend its causal model to enable the team, over time, to better recover from faults when they occur. We present our case-based learning approach, called LeaF (for Learning-based Fault diagnosis), that enables robot team members to adapt their causal models, thereby improving their ability to diagnose and recover from these faults over time.
The relationship between depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores and activation of Ca2+ current by muscarinic receptors in neuroblastoma cells.

The relationship between the depletion of IP3-releasable intracellular Ca2+ stores and the activation of Ca(2+)-selective membrane current was determined during the stimulation of M1 muscarinic receptors in N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells. External Ca2+ is required for refilling Ca2+ stores and the voltage-independent, receptor-regulated Ca2+ current represents a significant Ca2+ source for refilling. The time course of Ca2+ store depletion was measured with fura-2 fluorescence imaging, and it was compared with the time course of Ca2+ current activation measured with nystatin patch voltage clamp. At the time of maximum current density (0.18 + .03 pA/pF; n = 48), the Ca2+ content of the IP3-releasable Ca2+ pool is reduced to 39 + 3% (n = 10) of its resting value. Calcium stores deplete rapidly, reaching a minimum Ca2+ content in 15-30 s. The activation of Ca2+ current is delayed by 10-15 s after the beginning of Ca2+ release and continues to gradually increase for nearly 60 s, long after Ca2+ release has peaked and subsided. The delay in the appearance of the current is consistent with the idea that the production and accumulation of a second messenger is the rate-limiting step in current activation. The time course of Ca2+ store depletion was also measured after adding thapsigargin to block intracellular Ca2+ ATPase. After 15 min in thapsigargin, IP3-releasable Ca2+ stores are depleted by > 90% and the Ca2+ current is maximal (0.19 + 0.05 pA/pF; n = 6). Intracellular loading with the Ca2+ buffer EGTA/AM (10 microM; 30 min) depletes IP3-releasable Ca2+ stores by between 25 and 50%, and it activates a voltage-independent inward current with properties similar to the current activated by agonist or thapsigargin. The current density after EGTA/AM loading (0.61 + 0.32 pA/pF; n = 4) is three times greater than the current density in response to agonist or thapsigargin. This could result from partial removal of Ca(2+)-dependent inactivation.
Economic benefit of chemical dependency treatment to employers

Using assessment data from the Substance Abuse Treatment Support System, we estimated the economic benefit of chemical dependency treatment to employers. A cohort of individuals (N = 498) treated at Kaiser Permanente's Addiction Medicine programs in Southern California completed assessments before and at least 30 days after treatment began. Compared to intake, subsequent assessments indicated substantial reduction in the number of patients who missed work, were late for work, were less productive than usual at work, and/or had conflict with coworkers or management. The net economic value of these improvements to their employers depended upon the utilization rate of the benefit and the salary level of the employees receiving treatment. For a utilization rate of 0.9% and a mean annual salary of US$45,000, the net benefit of treatment was US$1,538 for ≥ 61 days of treatment. Based solely upon these employment-related measures, without factoring in the medical cost offset or indirect benefits of treatment that may help employees to maintain higher levels of productivity, employers break even on an investment of US$30 per member per year for a chemical dependency treatment benefit if the mean annual salary of the employees participating in treatment is US$36,565.
ParaSol: a multithreaded system for parallel simulation based on mobile threads

ParaSol is a novel multithreaded system for shared-and distributed-memory parallel simulation, designed to support a variety of domain-specific simulation object libraries. We report on the design of the ParaSol kernel, which drives executions based on optimistic and adaptive synchronization protocols. The active-transaction flow methodology we advocate is enabled by an underlying, efficient lightweight process system. Though this process- and object-interaction view is known to both simplify and speed transition from model design to simulation implementation, migratable threads and objects pose many serious challenges to efficient kernel operation. Good solutions to these challenging problems are key to good simulator performance. We present techniques for the support of optimistic parallel simulations, addressing synchronization, state-saving, rollback, inter-process communication, and process scheduling.
Wise-ShopFloor: An Integrated Approach for Web-Based Collaborative Manufacturing

This paper presents an integrated approach for Web-based collaborative manufacturing, including distributed process planning, dynamic scheduling, real-time monitoring, and remote control. It is enabled by a Web-based integrated sensor-driven e-ShopFloor (Wise-ShopFloor) framework targeting distributed yet collaborative manufacturing environments. Utilizing the latest Java technologies (Java 3D and Java Servlet) for system implementation, this approach allows users to plan and control distant shop floor operations based on runtime information from the shop floor. The objective of this research is to develop methodology and algorithms for Web-based collaborative planning and control, supported by real-time monitoring for dynamic scheduling. Details on the principle of the Wise-ShopFloor framework, system architecture, and a proof-of-concept prototype are reported in this paper. An example of distributed process planning for remote machining is chosen as a case study to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach toward Web-based collaborative manufacturing.
Adaptive solution of Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaac equation and practical H/sub /spl infin// stabilization of nonlinear systems

We consider adaptive approaches to the solution of the Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaacs equation (HJIE) arising from the H/sub /spl infin// control problem for nonlinear systems. We propose three approaches to the practical stabilization of a class of nonlinear systems using exact or approximate solutions of the HJIE. Starting with the solution of the linearized HJIE, we derive adaptive rules that will guarantee global exponential stability of the closed-loop system.