cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CXCL16-mediated cell recruitment to rheumatoid arthritis synovial tissue and murine lymph nodes is dependent upon the MAPK pathway.

Objective Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by profound mononuclear cell (MNC) recruitment into synovial tissue (ST), thought to be due in part to tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), a therapeutic target for RA. Although chemokines may also be involved, the mechanisms remain unclear. We undertook this study to examine the participation of CXCL16, a novel chemokine, in recruitment of MNCs to RA ST in vivo and to determine the signal transduction pathways mediating this process.
Susceptibility of Escherichia coli to Bactericidal Action of Lactoperoxidase, Peroxide, and Iodide or Thiocyanate

Abstract The bactericidal action that results from lactoperoxidase-catalyzed oxidation of iodide or thiocyanate was studied, using Escherichia coli as the test organism. The susceptibility of intact cells to bactericidal action was compared with that of cells with altered cell envelopes. Exposure to ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, to lysozyme and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, or to osmotic shock were used to alter the cell envelope. Bactericidal action was greatly increased when the cells were exposed to the lactoperoxidase-peroxide-iodide system at low temperatures, low cell density, or after alteration of the cell envelope. When thiocyanate was substituted for iodide, bactericidal activity was observed only at low cell density or after osmotic shock. Low temperature and low cell density lowered the rate of destruction of peroxide by the bacteria. Therefore, competition for peroxide between the bacteria and lactoperoxidase may influence the extent of bactericidal action. Alteration of the cell envelope had only a small effect on the rate of destruction of peroxide. Instead, the increased susceptibility of these altered cells suggested that bactericidal action required permeation of a reagent through the cell envelope. In addition to altering the cell envelope, these procedures partly depleted cells of oxidizable substrates and sulfhydryl components. Adding an oxidizable substrate did not decrease the susceptibility of the altered cells. On the other hand, mild reducing agents such as sulfhydryl compounds did partly reverse bactericidal action when added after exposure of cells to the peroxidase systems. These studies indicate that alteration of the metabolism, structure, or composition of bacterial cells can greatly increase their susceptibility to peroxidase bactericidal action.
Managing capacity in tightly constrained systems

Abstract Many make-to-order firms face total expected demand in excess of available capacity. This is particularly true, in the short range, for capital intensive firms such as those in the flow process industry, firms making short life cycle products such as those in high-fashion apparel industry, and printing-shops. In such situations the manager is left with the difficult task of allocating the available capacity between competing classes of products and/or customers. At the same time the manager is faced with the challenge of achieving delivery dependability and speed in order to stay competitive. In this paper, I describe the problem, contrast it with a class of problems known as perishable asset revenue management problems, review recent literature that presents alternative approaches for managing capacity such as capacity rationing, improved coordination mechanisms, and subcontracting, and discuss fruitful avenues for future research.
Recent advances in our understanding of intercalated cells

Purpose of reviewThis review will summarize newly described novel functions of renal intercalated cells.Recent findingsOver the past 20 years, the importance of intercalated cells in the process of renal net acid excretion has been recognized. More recently, many of the molecular mechanisms responsi
Neutral Gas Transport Modeling with DEGAS 2

We are currently rewriting the neutral gas transport code, DEGAS with a view to not only making it faster, but also easing the process of including new physics. The goal is to make adding new species and reactions relatively simple so that the code can be rapidly adapted to new divertor physics regimes. DEGAS 2 will also be optimized for coupling to fluid plasma codes, incorporating many of the techniques utilized in B2-EIRENE. Finally, it is our intention that DEGAS 2, like DEGAS, be well-documented and easy to use. We ill present model calculations including ionization and charge exchange which will illustrate the way reactions are included into DEGAS 2 and will demonstrate operation of the code on a distributed network of workstations.
Determinants of outcomes after resection of renal cell carcinoma with venous involvement

Purpose To determine the outcomes and to identify prognostic variables determining mortality and recurrence after surgery for renal cell cancer (RCC) with venous involvement.
Characteristics of CO2CH4 reforming-methanation cycle relevant to the solchem thermochemical power system

Abstract The CO 2 CH 4 reforming-methanation chemical cycle provides an attractive means of transporting solar energy to a central station in accord with the Solchem concept. The CO 2 CH 4 working fluid permits use of low temperature pipelines, in constrast to H 2 OCH 4 , and has low toxicity, in contrast to SO 3 . Thermochemical receivers are expected to operate at or above the carbon removal temperature. Catalyst specificity is required in the methanator to provide high methanation temperature without carbon deposition. Methanator operation at 500°C may be achievable.
A pseudo-elastic material damage model, part I: Strain energy density criterion

Abstract A failure criterion is presented which relates the strain energy density of the material to both yielding and fracture. Cumulative material damage throughout a structural component may be monitored and the relative influence of yielding and stable crack growth assessed. The criterion is demonstrated, using finite element analysis, for center cracked panel specimens differing by material toughness values. From crack growth increment predictions using the uniaxial stress-strain behavior of the material, the criterion predicts the critical value of the strain energy density factor S c governing crack instability.
Comparison of extent and severity of quantitative perfusion defects on rest Tl-201 and rest Tc-99m sestamibi myocardial perfusion SPECT

Abstract Background: Rest Tl-201 (Tl) myocardial perfusion SPECT (MPS) has been widely used alone or in dual isotope MPS, but the direct comparison of quantitative perfusion defect (PD) on rest Tl and rest sestamibi (MIBI) MPS has not been evaluated in depth. Methods: 162 pts in a randomized clinical trial with known or suspected CAD ( ≥4/20 segments with reversible defects, age 40–76, 34 F) underwent same day rest Tl followed immediately by rest MIBI injection and MPS 1 hr later. The same protocol was repeated in 56 pts of the placebo group (with no clinical changes or coronary interventions) at day 60. Reconstruction using Butterworth filtered backprojection, cutoff /order 0.55 / 5.00 for MIBI and 0.50 / 10.00 for Tl, sex and isotope specific normal limits were used. PD extent (% of pixels abnormal) and severity (mean number of standard deviations by which counts of abnormal pixels fell below normal profile) were determined by QPS. Correlation and regression analysis were performed. Results: The linear correlation between rest Tl and rest MIBI showed high agreement as follows: N = 162 R2 Rt MSE Regression Extent MIBI-TI 0.93;*> 2.91 MIBI ext = 1.03 TI ext + 1.32 Severity MIBI-TI 0.90;*> 0.20 MIBI sev = 1.04 TI sev + 0.06 Repeated scans at day 60 showed similar results for MIBI and Tl agreement, and good inter scan reproducibility (MIBI day 0 vs day 60). * . N = 56 R2 Rt MSE Interscan R2-MIBI Rt MSE Extent MIBI-TI 0.96 * 2.42 Extent 0.94 * 2.69 Severity MIBI-TI 0.92 * 0.18 Severity 0.94 * 0.16 * (p Conclusion: Quantitative analysis of perfusion defect extent and severity on same day rest Tl and rest MIBI MPS shows excellent correlation which is as high as the reproducibility of day 0 vs day 60 MIBI. These findings indicate that a rest Tl / rest MIBI protocol may be useful in same day assessment of changes in myocardial perfusion with therapeutic interventions.
Length Does Not Matter: A New Take on Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase

The role of telomeres in maintaining genetic stability was first described by Blackburn1 in 1991. Telomeres and their associated proteins provide protection against DNA degradation because 40 to 200 bp of the telomere's tandem repeats are lost on each successive cell division, resulting in the progressive shortening of chromosomes. Telomeres also help to regulate the “cellular clock” because critically short telomeres trigger a cell cycle checkpoint, resulting in replicative senescence (ie, a natural process for terminally differentiated somatic cells, yet undesirable for hematopoietic cells, which require the potential for regulated proliferation throughout life).2 Thus, exquisite regulation of telomerase is required for extension of telomeres under appropriate conditions in immune cells. Indeed, overexpression or underexpression of telomerase or its reverse transcriptase catalytic domain, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), is associated with numerous chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disorders,3 underscoring the importance of telomerase activity in immune cell function. See accompanying article on page 245 Nearly 10 years ago, Stewart et al4 demonstrated a novel role for telomerase in the promotion of tumorigenesis. By using an hTERT-mutant protein unable to extend telomere length, the researchers showed that TERT, together with transforming protein p21 (H-RAS), induced tumorigenesis independently of effects on telomeres. Adding further complexity to telomerase activity, recent work from Park et al5 showed that TERT associates with Brahma-related gene …
Universal formability technology and applications

Abstract In the stamping industry, there are certain needs to develop formability technology to process a great amount of (raw) mechanics data obtained from both experiment and mechanics calculation, especially in automotive body manufacturing. Universal formability technology (UFT), based on mathematical plasticity theories, has been developed to meet the needs. UFT includes six sections: (a) forming mode theory; (b) bending process models; (c) universal formability theory; (d) stamping process window; (e) control principles of metal flow tendency; (f) stamping similarity theory. Using UFT, relationships between/among the severities of six types of defects and seven types of stamping variables can be established quantitatively. This has been applied successfully for: (a) product feasibility analysis; (b) material selection; (c) strain-level draw die development; (d) post analysis of finite element analysis results; (e) a stamping engineering expert system; (f) production control.
COMPARISON OF MEASURED AND CALCUIATED SERUM BILIRUBIN BINDING CAPACITY (BBC)-A DANGER EXPOSED

We devised a paper chromatoelectrophoresis technique to measure serum BBC which compares favorably with results from Sephadex G25 chromatography. We measured serum BBC and total protein (TP) concentration in 27 infants of various gestational ages who required no special care (normal) and 51 infants with various problems who received treatment beyond routine(abnormal). The mean ± 1 SD of the BBC/TP ratio is 3.92 ± 0.47 (range 3.20-5.40) and 3.59 ± 0.74 (range 1.50-5.29) respectively for the normal and abnormal infants (p<0.05). If normal and abnormal infants are grouped together, the mean of the ratio is 3.75, which is similar to the derived value of 3.7 presented in some textbooks of neonatology. Many use that value together with a patient's serum TP in grams/dl to calculate an artificial BBC which then becomes the serum bilirubin concentration in mg/dl used to determine the need for exchange transfusion. If that process were applied to our subjects, 27% of normal and 18% of abnormal infants would receive an unnecessary exchange transfusion and the risk of bilirubin encephalopathy would be increased in 22% of normal and 51% of abnormal infants because they would not have received an exchange transfusion before the primary protein binding sites for bilirubin were saturated. It is clear that measuring the BBC of each infant's serum is imperative for accurate and reliable information. A calculated value based on a fixed ratio such as 3.7 appears to be unsafe.
Descent Rates of Salt Fingers

SALT fingers sometimes occur when a salty layer of water overlies a colder, fresher layer. Slender columns of liquidI move vertically across the interface, driven by the potential energy which is due to the salinity difference and is liberated by the difference of diffusion rate of heat and salt1,2. Al-though the importance of these fingers in natural situations remains to be conclusively determined, such indications as thermocline layering strongly suggest their presence3. One incompletely explored facet is the time scale involved. We performed a simple experiment some time ago that sheds some light on this matter. A sharp interface was created artificially, and the descent rates of newly formed salt fingers were observed over a range of layer temperatures and salinities4.
Crack layer analysis of nonmonotonic fatigue crack propagation in high density polyethylene

Abstract The rate of fatigue crack propagation (FCP) in high density polyethylene (HDPE) is a nonmonotonic function of the energy release rate, a phenomenon previously noted for other semicrystalline polymers. Microscopic observations reveal a single craze-like active zone preceding the crack during the initial crack acceleration. Subsequently crack deceleration is associated with a circular active zone. Ultimate failure occurs by crack reacceleration preceded by large scale yielding through an elongated damage zone accompanied by large scale deformation. Thus, FCP involves two mechanisms: quasibrittle and ductile. The former dominates the initial acceleration regime and the latter dominates subsequent nonmonotonic crack propagation. This anomalous crack propagation behaviour is well described by the ‘crack layer’ (CL) theory according to which the specific enthalpy of damage for the brittle and ductile mechanisms are found to be about 0.1 and 1 cal/g, respectively.
Power Doppler evaluation of joint effusions: investigation in a rabbit model

Objective. To study the power Doppler findings of septic arthritis and noninfectious synovitis in an animal model. Materials and methods. The right knees of 10 rabbits were inoculated with an aqueous suspension of Staphylococcus aureus. The right knees of 5 rabbits were injected with talc suspension. The right knees of 5 rabbits were injected with saline. All 20 left knees were injected with saline. Serial power Doppler images were obtained using constant-imaging parameters. Images were reviewed by blinded observers who assessed for increased power Doppler signal. Results. All 10 knees inoculated with S. aureus developed septic arthritis. Each infected rabbit knee demonstrated increased signal on power Doppler on at least one examination, ranging from 1–6 days after inoculation. Only 23 of 45 examinations of infected knees were unequivocally positive by power Doppler on examinations performed 1 to 6 days after inoculation. No knee with talc synovitis demonstrated increased power Doppler signal. No control knee demonstrated increased power Doppler signal. Conclusion. Increased power Doppler signal may be seen with septic arthritis; however, its intensity and timing may vary from subject to subject. A normal power Doppler examination does not exclude septic arthritis.
The growing role of nanotechnology in combating infectious disease.

The treatment and prevention of infectious diseases is a major part of both clinical and investigative medicine. As the use of conventional antibiotics rises, antimicrobial resistance patterns develop, necessitating the continuous need for newer and more effective therapies. Nanotechnology, defined as the production and application of materials in the nanoscale range (1-100nm), has been the focus of several investigations as a result of unique physical and chemical properties of nanomaterials. . Specifically, nanomaterials provide added benefits due to their small size; allowing for an increased ability to surpass most physiologic barriers and reach their intended targets, and high surface area-to-volume ratio, allowing for increased potential to interact with pathogen membranes and cell walls. This review focuses of the potential therapeutic and preventative applications of nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems in infectious disease.
Induced Dimerization of the Amyloid Precursor Protein Leads to Decreased Amyloid-β Protein Production

The amyloid precursor protein (APP) plays a central role in Alzheimer disease (AD) pathogenesis because sequential cleavages by β- and γ-secretase lead to the generation of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide, a key constituent in the amyloid plaques present in brains of AD individuals. In several studies APP has recently been shown to form homodimers, and this event appears to influence Aβ generation. However, these studies have relied on APP mutations within the Aβ sequence itself that may affect APP processing by interfering with secretase cleavages independent of dimerization. Therefore, the impact of APP dimerization on Aβ production remains unclear. To address this question, we compared the approach of constitutive cysteine-induced APP dimerization with a regulatable dimerization system that does not require the introduction of mutations within the Aβ sequence. To this end we generated an APP chimeric molecule by fusing a domain of the FK506-binding protein (FKBP) to the C terminus of APP. The addition of the synthetic membrane-permeant drug AP20187 induces rapid dimerization of the APP-FKBP chimera. Using this system we were able to induce up to 70% APP dimers. Our results showed that controlled homodimerization of APP-FKBP leads to a 50% reduction in total Aβ levels in transfected N2a cells. Similar results were obtained with the direct precursor of β-secretase cleavage, C99/SPA4CT-FKBP. Furthermore, there was no modulation of different Aβ peptide species after APP dimerization in this system. Taken together, our results suggest that APP dimerization can directly affect γ-secretase processing and that dimerization is not required for Aβ production.
Understanding the relationship between urban land surface temperature, landscape heterogeneity and social structure

Urban areas are generally several degrees hotter than surrounding rural areas, which is referred to as the urban heat island effect. Understanding the spatial pattern of land surface temperature (LST) in cities is important for urban planning, heat mitigation, and air pollution studies. This study developed five models to compare how land cover classes, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), social factors, and the combinations of social factors with land cover classes and NDVI perform in estimating LST at the census block group level. We found that all three groups of variables contribute significantly to understanding the spatial heterogeneity in LST. Land cover and NDVI explained LST to a similar extent (approx. 70%). Social factors alone explained 53% of LST's variance. Adding social factors in the combined models added little to the explanatory power (4.0%) compared to using land cover classes or NDVI along as independent variables.
Sialic acid deficiency of human red blood cells associated with persistent red cell, leucocyte, and platelet polyagglutinability.

Summary. This study reports, for the first time, a persistent polyagglutinability involving all blood cells of a patient. The phenomenon is shown to be an immunological reaction due to an antibody present in sera of all normal adults, whereas the antigen, tentatively designated ‘Tcr’, is unique to the patient. It is shown that Tcr is related to Tn, an antigen previously described in association with red cell polyagglutinability. A partial deficiency of red cell sialic acid is also found to be associated with this abnormality. It is suggested that this sialic acid deficiency may be a manifestation of a primary underlying muco-protein abnormality.
Sea-surface temperature from Suomi-NPP VIIRS: algorithm development and uncertainty estimation

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi-NPP (National Polar-orbiting Partnership) satellite is the first of a new series of imaging radiometers on polar-orbiting earth-observation satellites. In addition to providing real-time data for weather and ocean forecasting, VIIRS is intended to continue the measurements of MODIS (MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer), including contributing to the Climate Data Record of Sea-Surface Temperature (SST). To achieve this objective requires a thorough assessment of the errors and uncertainties in the VIIRS SST retrievals. The results of comparisons with a range of independent measurements of SST indicate that the VIIRS SSTs have equal or better accuracies than those of the MODIS’s on Terra and Aqua, and that the VIIRS SSTs are suitable to extend the satellite-derived Climate Data Records of SST into the future.
CaM kinase II and phospholamban contribute to caffeine-induced relaxation of murine gastric fundus smooth muscle

Caffeine has been shown to increase the Ca2+ release frequency (Ca2+ sparks) from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) through ryanodine-sensitive stores and relax gastric fundus smooth muscle. Increase...
On the distribution of the number of mutants at the hypoxanthine-quanine phosphoribosal transferase locus in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Abstract The probability distribution of the number of mutants at the hypoxanthine-quanine phosphoribosal transferase locus in Chinese hamster ovary cells is derived. The probability generating function, the probability density, and the cumulants are obtained. Some applications of the results are indicated.
Environmental factors affecting bee diversity in urban and remote grassland plots in Boulder, Colorado

Insects provide essential ecological services in both the natural environment and in human-dominated habitats. Because pollinator declines associated with land use change have been reported across the globe, there is great concern that pollinators and the ecosystem services they provide will be negatively affected. This study examines the diversity and abundance of bee pollinators in grasslands in Boulder County, Colorado, USA. Over five years, 5,200 bees were collected in grassland plots with different levels of urbanization. Most of the difference in species composition among three levels of urbanization was due to rare species that may not have been discovered in all plots. Neither the number of species nor their abundance differed significantly among the plot types, although the trend indicated increasing diversity with increasing distance from urbanization. Most notably, measures of urbanization, such as the amount of pavement and development, were not correlated with diversity. The most important factor affecting bee abundance, particularly for ground-nesting bees, was grazing regime. Bee abundance also was positively related to the number of flowering plant species. Other studies of different insects (grasshoppers and butterflies) in these plots showed results similar to ours. In contrast, previous studies on song-birds, raptors, and rodents showed significant differences between urban edge and remote plots in terms of organism abundance and diversity. Together, these results suggest that factors other than the degree of urbanization are important in determining insect abundance and diversity.
Cerebral metabolism in the newborn lamb with polycythemia.

ABSTRACT: Infants with polycythemia and hyperviscosity are known to have a reduced cerebral blood flow. Eight newborn lambs were studied to determine what effect the reduction in cerebral blood flow might have on the cerebral delivery and uptake of oxygen, glucose, lactate, pyruvate, β-hydroxybutyrate, and acetoacetate. Measurements of cerebral blood flow, hematocrit, blood viscosity as well as delivery and uptake of the forementioned substrates were made during a control period and at 60, 180, and 300 min after an exchange transfusion with packed newborn red blood cells was performed to increase the hematocrit. Sixty min after the exchange transfusion, cerebral blood flow fell while cerebral oxygen delivery and uptake were stable. Although arterial glucose concentration remained unchanged, there was a significant fall in cerebral glucose delivery. At 180 min after the exchange transfusion, the arterial glucose concentration fell from 90 to 70 mg/100 ml causing the cerebral glucose delivery to further decrease. This resulted in a significant fall in the cerebral glucose uptake and glucose:oxygen quotient. At 300 min arterial glucose concentration remained low but a rise in cerebral blood flow resulted in a small increase in the cerebral glucose delivery and consequently the cerebral glucose uptake and glucose:oxygen quotient returned to normal. We conclude that polycythemia results in a decrease in cerebral glucose delivery and uptake during normoglycemia.
Effect of low earth orbit atomic oxygen exposure on epoxy functionalized siloxanes

Epoxy functionalized siloxanes (EFS) are a novel class of UV curable monomers that can be rapidly photopolymerized to give transparent coatings and composites. Thin films of these materials have been subjected to low Earth orbit exposure to atomic oxygen (AO) aboard the space shuttle. It was found that UV cured samples of all four different EFS monomers exhibited excellent AO resistance both to ambient in-flight conditions as well as exposure at 120°C. Based on SEM, STM, XPS, and weight loss data, it was proposed that AO exposure of these materials efficiently produces a thin layer of Sio x at the surface of the sample. This layer provides a barrier toward further attack by AO. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Propagation Of Thin Annular Scalar Field Distributions

Numerical propagation of scalar fields within thin annuli over short distances demands very high sampling density when employing techniques which evaluate the Fresnel-Kirchhoff integral. Previous work on using asymptotic expansion methods has been limited to field distributions which display a high degree of azimuthal symmetry. This paper describes an extension of the approach to more asymmetric field distributions. The resolution requirements for this technique are discussed and some numerical results are presented. The problem of propagating thin annular scalar field distributions over short distances lends itself to very high fresnel number configurations and consequently requires high resolution sample density. The fresnel number is defined as© (1982) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Inhibition of apolipoprotein secretion and phosphatidate phosphohydrolase activity by eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids in the perfused rat liver

Infusion of albumin-bound eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), or oleic acid (OA) in perfused rat livers was carried out for two hours at a rate that maintained the perfusate concentration at 1 mmol/L. When compared with fatty acid-poor albumin alone, triacylglycerol (TAG) output was not significantly increased with DHA or EPA, whereas OA infusion resulted in a twofold increase. Incorporation of labeled leucine into VLDL apo B-100, apo B-48, apo E, and apo Cs was decreased by 50% by DHA or EPA compared with OA. The total phosphatidate phosphohydrolase activity was decreased by 35% with DHA or EPA compared to oleic acid or albumin alone. In no case was there a significant change in the distribution of activity between the microsomal and cytosolic factions. Fatty acid infusion did not significantly change the liver TAG content. Total liver lipids, microsomal lipids, and lipids of secreted VLDL were enriched with the infused fatty acids. The degree of enrichment for secreted TAG averaged 24% for OA and 36% for DHA or EPA. The effects of DHA and EPA on PPH activity and on apo B secretion in feeding experiments with marine oils rich in these acids may relate to changes in the fatty acid composition of liver membranes.
A single cached copy data coherence scheme for multiprocessor systems

We present and evaluate a snoopy cache memory protocol, the Single Cache Copy Data Coherence (SCCDC), for multiprocessors that allows only a single cache to hold a given share-d data at any time. The simulations presented here indicate that despite its simplicity, the scheme has the potential for good performance comparable with more complex snoopy cache schemes. We have also shown in related work [8] that the existence of only a single copy of data in cache allows efficient access control to shared data by minimizing the overh-ead caused by critical sections. Thus, with low implementation cost, and the efficient support for important operating system functions, the SCCDC scheme appears attractive for multi-user, multi-thread environments where the actual shared rate is modest, and mostly caused by synchronization mechanisms.
Poor Validation of Medical Record ICD-9 Diagnoses of Gout in a Veterans Affairs Database

Objective. Diagnostic codes based on medical records or claims data have been used to identify patient populations with gout for important epidemiologic and clinical studies. We evaluated whether we can document the accuracy of such diagnoses by review of medical records and then on direct interviews with a subset of patients. Methods. Electronic medical records of 289 patients with 2 visits with ICD-9 codes for gout were extensively reviewed to search for documentation of features that would classify patients as having gout by 3 sets of proposed criteria, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), New York, or Rome criteria. Records of patients who had been seen by rheumatologists were compared with all others. A subset of patients seen in clinic were directly interviewed for comparison with the results from the records. Results. Based on medical records review there was documentation of gout by the ACR criteria in only 36%, Rome criteria in 30%, and New York criteria in 33%. Records of patients who had seen rheumatologists had better documentation of classification features. Interview in clinic of 37 patients also improved documentation of the 3 sets of criteria features of gout in 65%–81% of those with ICD-9 codes for gout. Conclusion. We found it difficult to confirm ICD-9 coded diagnoses of gout using currently available proposed criteria from details recorded in medical records. This may reflect a problem with available criteria and with documentation. Direct interview of patients may be needed to confirm the presence of typical features when high specificity is desired.
SNS October 2008 status

Abstract The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) completed construction in June, 2006. Since then the power has been ramped up and by October, 2008 has reached 620 kW with over 1200 MW-h of energy delivered to the target. During this period the complement of neutron scattering instruments has increased from the original 3–6 operational and 13 in varying stages of planning or construction. This paper will discuss the power ramp up history and availability with an emphasis on the target system components and operating experience .
On marginal health care--probability inflation and the tragedy of the commons

Even when there's a very small chance that a health care service will benefit us, we usually opt to receive it. In part, that's because we tend to assign too much weight to probabilities when they are low, a phenomenon that is exacerbated for emotional decisions.
Calibration of Safety Prediction Models for Planning Transportation Networks

The current planning practice addresses safety implicitly as a by-product of adding capacity and operational efficiency to the transportation system. Safety-conscious planning is a new proactive approach to the prevention of crashes based on establishing inherently safe transportation networks through integrating consideration of safety into the transportation planning process. One of the major concerns in predicting crashes in transportation networks is the applicability and accuracy of crash prediction models. The paper presents two alternative formulations of the calibration problem consistent with the maximum likelihood approach. The proposed formulations can be viewed as a generalized version of the existing calibration procedure proposed in the past for individual crash prediction models. The formulations are useful for road networks and for any transportation mode, provided that the needed prediction models are available. The proposed calibration applied to individual elements of the test network y...
Achieving a uniform federal primary care policy. Opportunities presented by national health reform.

FEDERAL policy toward primary care often seems hopelessly inconsistent. Just as there is no uniform, consistent policy toward housing, food, or health care coverage, there is no uniform federal primary care policy. Rather, primary care policy consists of the net total of a wide range of decisions made by several branches of the federal government, most often with no explicit consideration given to primary care. Some federal health legislation apparently establishes primary care as a national priority. Other federal policies leave primary care languishing while specialties and subspecialties prosper. This article explores the extent of this dichotomy and suggests possible opportunities for modifying the situation. The effects of these de facto federal policies on primary care are identified across four areas: education and training, physician payment, the service delivery system, and research. Based on this analysis, the obstacles to a coherent primary care policy, and possible ways to overcome those
Sliding Control Without Reaching Phase and Its Application to Bipedal Locomotion

A new variable structure control law based on the Lyapunov's second method that can be used in trajectory planning problems of robotic systems is developed. A modified approach to the formulation of the sliding domain equations in terms of tracking errors has been presented. This approach possesses three distinct advantages: (i) it eliminates the reaching phase, (ii) it provides means to predict the entire motion and directly control the evolution of tracking errors, (iii) it facilitates the trajectory planning process in the joint and/or cartesian spaces. A planar, five-link bipedal locomotion model has been developed
Accurate and efficient quadrature for volterra integral equations

Abstract Four quadrature schemes have been tested and compared in considerable detail to determine their usefulness in the noniterative integral equation method for single channel quantum mechanical calculations. They are two forms of linear approximation (Trapezoidal rule) and two forms of quadratic approximation (Simpson's rule). Their implementation in this method is shown, a formal discussion of error propagation is given, and tests are performed to determine actual operating characteristics on various bound and scattering problems in different potentials. The quadratic schemes are generally superior to the linear ones in terms of accuracy and efficiency. The previous implementation of Simpson's rule is shown to possess an inherent instability which requires testing on each problem for which it is used to assure its reliability. The alternative quadratic approximation which we propose does not suffer this deficiency, but still enjoys the advantages of higher order. In addition, the new scheme obeys very well an h 4 Richardson extrapolation, whereas the old one does so rather poorly.
Single-handed interaction techniques for multiple pressure-sensitive strips

We present a set of interaction techniques that make novel use of a small pressure-sensitive pad to allow one-handed direct control of a large number of parameters. The surface of the pressure-sensitive pad is logically divided into four linear strips which simulate traditional interaction metaphors and the functions of which may be modified dynamically under software control. No homing of the hand or fingers in needed once the fingers are placed above their corresponding strips. We show how the number of strips on the pad can be virtually extended from four to fourteen by detecting contact pressure differences and dual-finger motions. Due to the compact size of the device and the method of interaction, which does not rely on on-screen widgets or the 2D navigation of a cursor, the versatile input system may be used in applications, where it is advantageous to minimize the amount of visual feedback required for interaction.
Higher order PDEs and symmetric stable processes

We describe a connection between the semigroup of a symmetric stable process with rational index and higher order partial differential equations. As an application, we obtain a variational formula for the eigenvalues associated with the process killed upon leaving a bounded open set D. The variational formula is more ‘‘user friendly’’ than the classical Rayleigh--Ritz formula. We illustrate this by obtaining upper bounds on the eigenvalues in terms of Dirichlet eigenvalues of the Laplacian on D. These results generalize some work of Banuelos and Kulczycki on the Cauchy process. Along the way we prove an operator inequality for the operators associated with the transition densities of Brownian motion and the Brownian motion killed upon leaving D.
Development of a micromachined hazardous gas sensor array

AbstractThe objective of this work was to develop a micro-hotplate-based gas sensor array for detecting ammonia (NH 3 ), hydrogen sulﬁde (H 2 S),and methane (CH 4 ) gases. Sensing ﬁlm fabrication parameters were studied with micro-hotplates based on resistive temperature detectors andmicroelectro-mechanical system (MEMS) micro-hotplate arrays. SnO 2 /Pt, WO 3 /Au, and ZnO sensing ﬁlms were found sensitive to thetarget gases NH 3 ,H 2 S, and CH 4 , respectively, but had some cross-sensitivity. Other limitations of the sensing ﬁlms were baseline drift, highresistance, and recovery time. Sensor array responses to the gases were unique, which should allow selectivity to be obtained by patternrecognition.# 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Micromachined gas sensor; Hazardous gas sensor; Gas sensor array; MEMS gas sensor 1. IntroductionAgriculture has a strong need for improved gas sensors,especially in animal conﬁnement facilities, where hazardousgases such as hydrogen sulﬁde (H
Collaborative control of robot motion: robustness to error

We consider collaborative control systems, where multiple sources share control of a single robot. These sources could come from multiple sensors (sensor fusion), multiple control processes (subsumption), or multiple human operators. Reports suggest that such systems are highly fault tolerant, even with large numbers of sources. We develop a formal model, modeling sources with finite automata. A collaborative ensemble of sources generates a single stream of incremental steps to control the motion of a point robot moving in the plane. We first analyze system performance with a uniform ensemble of well-behaved deterministic sources. We then model malfunctioning sources that go silent or generate inverted control signals. We discover that performance initially improves in the presence of malfunctioning sources and remains robust even when a sizeable fraction of sources malfunction. Initial tests suggest similar results with non-deterministic (random) sources. The formal model may also provide insight into how humans can share control of an online robot.
Cultivation of Rickettsia amblyommii in tick cells, prevalence in Florida lone star ticks ( Amblyomma americanum )

Background: Rickettsia amblyommii is a bacterium in the spotted fever group of organisms associated with the lone star tick (LST), Amblyomma americanum. The LST is the most commonly reported tick to parasitize humans in the southeastern US. Within this geographic region, there have been suspected cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) where the causative agent, R. rickettsii, was not identified in the local tick population. In these areas, patients with clinical signs of RMSF had low or no detectable antibodies to R. rickettsii, resulting in an inability to confirm a diagnosis. Methods: R. amblyommii was cultivated from host-seeking LSTs trapped in Central Florida and propagated in ISE6 (Ixodes scapularis )a nd AAE2 (A. americanum) cells. Quantitative PCR targeting the 17-kD gene of Rickettsia spp. identified the genus of the organism in culture. Variable regions of groEL, gtl Aa ndrompA genes were amplified and sequenced to confirm the species. The prevalence of R. amblyommii in LSTs within the geographic region was determined by qPCR followed by conventional PCR and direct sequencing. Results: Analyses of amplified sequences from the cultured organism were 100% homologous to R. amblyommii. The overall prevalence of Rickettsia spp. in the local population of LSTs was 57.1% and romp As equence analysis identified only R. amblyommii in LSTs. Conclusions: A Florida strain of R. amblyommii was successfully cultivated in two tick cell lines. Further evaluation of the new strain and comparisons to the other geographic strains is needed. The prevalence of this SFG organism in the tick population warrants further investigation into the organism’s ability to cause clinical disease in mammalian species.
Slow turning reveals enormous quadrupolar interactions (STREAQI).

We introduce a new solid-state NMR method, which uses very slow sample rotation to visualize NMR spectra whose width exceeds feasible spectrometer bandwidths. It is based on the idea that if we reorient a tensor by a known angle about a known axis, the shifts in the NMR frequencies observed across the spectral width allow us to reconstruct the entire tensor. Called STREAQI (Slow Turning Reveals Enormous Anisotropic Quadrupolar Interactions), this method allows us to probe NMR nuclei that are intractable to current methods. To prove the concept and demonstrate its promise we have implemented the method for several 79 Br containing samples with quadrupolar coupling constants in the range of 10-50 MHz.
Tobacco sensitivity in the allergic population. A specific allergic entity.

Tobacco sensitivity is seen in atopic patients who are non-smokers but who have clinical symptoms on exposure to tobacco smoke. It is estimated that 8,000,000 people with common allergies are also clinically sensitive to tobacco. Females outnumber males by about 4:1, and children are affected as well as adults. The specificity of tobacco sensitivity in 16 atopic patients is confirmed by positive skin reactions, passive transfer and gel diffusion studies. The results of desensitization with tobacco extract in a larger series of 53 tobacco sensitive patients is discussed. The criteria for making the diagnosis of specific clinical tobacco sensitivity is outlined.
A Theory of Entrepreneurship

While definitions of terms must vary with the purposes of their use, several studies of American entrepreneurship might be started with the word entrepreneur confined to those business executives who are associated with (a) the organization of new business units, (b) substantial expansions of established units, and (c) strenuous efforts to adapt established units to a changing environment. Such a conception, which uses terms that would obviously have to be made more precise as a study progressed, excludes from the term entrepreneur those business executives who carry on more or less routine operations, and it directs attention to the dynamic activities of businessmen. It is a little broader than a strict interpretation of the term innovator and fits fairly well the idea implicit in many definitions of the term entrepreneur, namely, that the entrepreneur is the businessman who introduces new ideas and changes the rate at which the wheels of enterprise go ‘round. Moreover, it utilizes three types of business activity concerning which there are data available for studies of the policy-determining executive. I should perhaps add that those who attempt to organize, expand, or adapt business units should be called entrepreneurs as well as those who achieve these goals. Attempts often reveal new ideas that successors are able to put into operation.
Shape-based 3D surface correspondence using geodesics and local geometry

This paper describes a new method for determining correspondence between points on pairs of surfaces based on shape using a combination of geodesic distance and surface curvature. An initial sparse set of corresponding points is generated using a shape-based matching procedure. Geodesic interpolation is employed in order to capture the complex surface. In addition, surface correspondence and triangulation are computed simultaneously in a hierarchical way. Results applied to human cerebral cortical surfaces are shown to evaluate the approach.
Granular SVM with Repetitive Undersampling for Highly Imbalanced Protein Homology Prediction

Highly imbalanced classification is important and increasingly common with emergence of new machine learning application domains including biomedical informatics. In order to solve this challenging class imbalance problem, a novel Granular Support Vector Machines - Repetitive Undersampling algorithm (GSVM-RU) is designed in this work. GSVM-RU creatively utilizes Support Vector Machines (SVM) themselves for undersampling to minimize the negative effect of information loss while maximizing the positive effect of data cleaning in the undersampling process. Consequently, an accurate and fast classifier can be modeled. GSVM-RU ranks as one of the best solutions in ACM KDDCUP 2004 competition for the extremely imbalanced protein homology prediction.
Note---On a Simultaneous Decision Model for Marketing, Production and Finance

A previous study attempting to evaluate the benefits of coordination of marketing, production and finance decisions by Damon and Schramm is examined. It is noted that because of a flaw in the formulation of the marketing sector, the numerical results reported in this study are difficult to interpret. General issues in the design of experiments for evaluating functional coordination are also addressed.