cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of Delirium on Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection (4871)

Objective: To describe the impact of delirium on outcomes in hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Background: Delirium has been attributed to worsened outcomes of hospitalized patients with critical or systemic illness. SARS-CoV-2 infection has been associated with delirium. However, the impact of delirium on the outcome of these patients is yet to be determined. Design/Methods: This was a retrospective study of hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection in one academic center from April through August 2020. Patients’ demographics, hospital complications, hospital length of stay, and discharge dispositions were recorded. Standard statistical univariable and multivariable models were performed to assess the associations of delirium with hospital outcomes. Results: Data of 145 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were available (age 61.4±18.1 years, 41% female, and 29% African American). Delirium occurred in 33.8% of patients. Patients with delirium had increased length of hospital stay, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, longer duration of mechanical ventilation and higher likelihood of discharge to hospice or death (P Conclusions: Delirium in hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with inferior hospital outcomes including longer hospital stay and higher likelihood of death or discharge to hospice care. Disclosure: Dr. Gianchandani has nothing to disclose. Ms. Addison has nothing to disclose. The institution of Dr. Hannawi has received research support from NIH. Dr. Hinduja has nothing to disclose.
Evaluating the Impact of Economic Impact Payments

As part of the CARES Act, the IRS distributed $300 billion in Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) directly to US households. In the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, almost 75% of households receiving an EIP reported using it to mostly pay for expenses. Separating respondents based on labor income interruptions, 84% of unemployed households reported mostly spending their EIPs, compared to 63% of employed households, suggesting that the benefits of more targeted direct transfers may have been limited, especially at the expense of timeliness. Overall, I conclude that Economic Impact Payments played an important role in stabilizing aggregate spending.
Mouse Embryonic Stem (ES) Cell Isolation

Building on the technology presented in earlier units of Chapter 23, this unit describes the basic method for the isolation of mouse embryonic (ES) stem cells. ES cells from wild-type mice may be used for the production of mouse mutants by homologous recombination and blastocyst-mediated transgenesis. ES cells from mutant mouse lines may be used in the analysis of mutant phenotypes.
Feminist Theory and Feminist Method: Transforming the Experience of the Classroom

Approaching teaching from a feminist perspective requires attention to the interrelationship of method and theory. Theory is implicit in method and, through our teaching methods, we gain insight into the meaning of theory in practice. In this article, I will describe an example of a teaching exercise that can be used in a regular classroom course that demonstrates some of the ways that feminist theory can be presented through methods that embody and reinforce some of the central aspects of the theory. The exercise is one that I have adapted from my work as a clinical teacher and I use when I teach a standard Family Law class. In this exercise, I bring someone into the class to play a client. Before the “client” comes in, I give my students the law that applies to the situation, as well as materials about the institutions that are related to the functioning of the law. The goal of the exercise is not primarily to explore the relationship between lawyer and client—that goal can be achieved better in other educational settings, such as in a clinical course,—but to enable students to look at legal doctrine, legal institutions, legal alternatives and the theoretical assumptions embodied in the law in the context of a real person’s life. In addition, through an exercise such as this, students can see themselves as actors in identifying the
Incorporating Resilience Factors Into the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide: The Role of Hope and Self-Forgiveness in an Older Adult Sample

OBJECTIVES: The interpersonal theory of suicide posits that perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness are risk factors for suicide ideation. To more comprehensively characterize this model, it is important to identify resilience factors. Forgiveness of oneself may attenuate the relation between perceived burdensomeness and suicide ideation. Similarly, hope might weaken the association between thwarted belongingness and suicide ideation. METHOD: We examined these relations cross-sectionally in a sample (N = 91) of older adults after including symptoms of depression and demographic variables in the models. RESULTS: Self-forgiveness moderated the relation between perceived burdensomeness and suicide ideation. Hope did not moderate the relation between thwarted belongingness and suicide ideation. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that including resilience factors (i.e., self-forgiveness) in models of suicide ideation may result in better identification of those most at risk for suicide and may allow for more precise intervention targets. Language: en
Introduction to the special issue on semantic integration

Semantic heterogeneity is one of the key challenges in integrating and sharing data across disparate sources, data exchange and migration, data warehousing, model management, the Semantic Web and peer-to-peer databases. Semantic heterogeneity can arise at the schema level and at the data level. At the schema level, sources can differ in relations, attribute and tag names, data normalization, levels of detail, and the coverage of a particular domain. The problem of reconciling schema-level heterogeneity is often referred to as schema matching or schema mapping. At the data level, we find different representations of the same real-world entities (e.g., people, companies, publications, etc.). Reconciling data-level heterogeneity is referred to as data deduplication, record linkage, and entity/object matching. To exacerbate the heterogeneity challenges, schema elements of one source can be represented as data in another. This special issue presents a set of articles that describe recent work on semantic heterogeneity at the schema level.
Oral infection of Hylobius pales by Metarrhizium anisopliae

Abstract Microfeeding of Hylobius pales with as few as 40 conidia of Metarrhizium anisopliae , under conditions that excluded any possibility of integumental contaminations, resulted in high mortality. When larger doses were employed, the insects succumbed faster. Histological sections revealed that the fungus invaded the host from within the buccal cavity. There was no evidence of germination and penetration inside the intestinal tract. Spores retained their viability after passing through the gut. In vitro, conidia mixed with the liquid contents of the midgut germinated within 20 hr. Germination occurred even though both yeasts and bacteria were present in the midgut contents. Fungus-killed Hylobius contained hyphae inside their digestive system, but the intima always remained intact.
Electrochemical Reduction of NO by Myoglobin in Surfactant Film: Characterization and Reactivity of the Nitroxyl (NO-) Adduct

We have examined the electrochemical reduction of NO by myoglobin (Mb) contained within a dimethyldidodecylammonium bromide (ddab) film on pyrolytic graphite electrodes. Immersion of the (FeIII)Mb-doped electrode into aqueous solutions of NO results in a bulk chemical reductive nitrosylation forming NO−Mb−FeII, as indicated by the dissappearance of the FeIII/II−Mb couple in voltammograms. At more negative potentials, a catalytic reduction wave appears at ca. −0.7 V/SCE, which remains catalytic in solutions from pH 5.5 to pH 10 and is NO-concentration dependent. Bulk electrolysis at −0.8 V/SCE of 15NO solutions by Mb/ddab yields 15N2O as gaseous product. Cyclic voltammograms of films made of preformed nitrosyl myoglobin, MbFeII−NO, demonstrate a single, reversible reduction to the nitroxyl state, MbFeII−NO-, at E° = −0.87 V/SCE. The reversibility of the nitrosyl reduction is pH dependent; digital simulation yields a rate of 22.5 s-1 for the irreversible loss of a nitroxyl group at pH 7 and 0.7 s-1 at pH 10...
A critical review of design and use of field tent shelters in polar regions

Polar research teams often spend extended periods of time away from base stations, living and working in remote field camps of portable tents. This article reports results of a survey study conducted in 1996 of polar researchers from the United States. The study was about the design and use of portable field tents being deployed in polar areas with regard to safety, health, and well-being from the user's perspective. Preliminary analysis indicates that there existed a number of areas in design and use of the shelters that contributed to concerns of safety, health, and well-being among a considerable number of tent users. The article concludes with suggestions for designing and manufacturing portable field tents.
Relationship of Trauma Exposure and Substance Abuse to Self-Reported Violence Among Men and Women in Substance Abuse Treatment:

Past research showed a relationship between substance abuse and aggression and past trauma and aggression. The nature of the relationships between substance use, trauma, and aggression is inconclusive. The current research hypothesized greater aggression among those with a history of substance abuse and trauma compared with those without such a history and an additive relationship between substance abuse and trauma on aggression. Participants were 615 individuals in a substance abuse treatment program for individuals under criminal justice supervision. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews and self-report measures. Univariate and multivariate analyses assessed the relationships among substance use, trauma, and aggression. Participants with a history of trauma and regular substance use reported the highest rates of homicidal ideation, problem behaviors, and person offenses. Participants in this group also reported greater desire for help managing their stress and tension, dealing with problems in their intimate relationships, developing healthier relationships in general, and learning prosocial approaches to express their feelings. Substance abusing participants who experienced trauma reported more externalizing behaviors and a greater desire for coping- and social-skills training than participants who abused substances but did not report a history of trauma. This suggests that participants in substance abuse treatment programs may have improved outcomes with the addition of components to address these issues.
Variation of strontium isotopes in tektites

Abstract The rubidium, strontium, and strontium isotopic compositions have been determined in tektites from Indo-China, Philippine Islands, Java, Australia, Texas, Georgia, Massachusetts and Czechoslovakia. The range of Sr 87 Sr 86 ratios in 18 tektites is from 0.7121 to 0.7223, indicating the results of Pinson et al. (1958), reporting no radiogenic strontium in tektites, were not of sufficient precision to study the problem definitively. This range of Sr 87 Sr 86 ratios is quite small compared to the range found in nature, in general agreement with previous studies of oxygen and silicon isotopes in tektites. Rb and Sr contents of tektites from a given locality are very similar, but differences exist between localities. There is indicated, however, a sympathetic variation of the Sr 87 Sr 86 and Rb Sr ratios, i.e. the tektite groups have age values of approximately 400 m.y. If tektites were derived from the Moon, and the surface of the Moon is old (4.5 b.y.), the observed Sr 87 Sr 86 ratios could not have been developed by achondritic, granitic, or tektitic surface material, but could have been generated by a basaltic type material. However, production of tektites from a basaltic type surface material during a high temperature fusion implies extreme fractionation in a direction contrary to expectation. A second possibility is that the Moon has undergone differentiation within the last 500 m.y.
Neurobehavioural examination of frontal lobe functions

Abstract Frontal lobe dysfunction has a pervasive compromising effect on many aspects of neuropsychological abilities including attention, language, verbal and non-verbal fluency, memory, planning, judgement, and motor programming. In addition, mood disturbances (depression, mania, and lability), as well as personality changes (irritability, apathy, and impulsiveness) are common consequences of frontal lobe injury. Insight into these disturbances, and into the functions of the frontal lobes, can be achieved by careful neurobehavioural assessment. Many of the tests currently used to evaluate frontal lobe function were developed by Luria. His classification of language alterations following frontal lobe damage, and his discovery that the frontal lobes mediate some aspects of motor function through verbal strategies, remain guiding concepts in contemporary approaches to the frontal lobes.
Studies with mouse pituitary thyrotropic tumors. VI. Monodeiodination of tetrac.

SummaryI-131 labeled 3,5,3′,5′tetraiodothyroacetic acid was injected into healthy mice and into mice bearing 3 different strains of pituitary thyrotropic tumors, a pituitary adrenotropic tumor, and a fibrosarcoma. I-131 labeled 3,5,3′triiodothyroacetic acid was detected as a metabolite in the 3 thyrotropic tumors but in no other tissue. It is suggested that thyrotrope cells conduct monodeiodination of tetraiodothyroacetic acid as well as of thyroxine, and that such monodeiodination is conducted uniquely by the thyrotropes.
A Two-Stage Crack Growth Model Incorporating Environmental Effects

A new two-stage crack growth model has recently been proposed by Dong et al (2003) to provide a unified description from an infinitesimally small crack exhibiting anomalous crack growth behavior to long cracks that are typically characterized by Paris law. As a result, both short crack anomalous crack at notches and long crack growth data can be unified into a single curve, which provides a fracture mechanics basis for the successful development of the single master S-N curve for weldments (Dong et al, 2001). In this paper, the applicability of the two-stage crack growth model in incorporating environmental effects will be investigated by considering some of the recent available crack growth rate data on 304 SS subjected to an elevated temperature aqueous environment by Wire and Mills (2002). The applicability of the master S-N curve method for weldments for incorporating environmental effects will be discussed in light of the findings from this investigation.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Detection of Trace Molecular Species Using Degenerate Four-Wave Mixing

Spectroscopies that make use of laser light have provided an important tool to modern researchers for the nonintrusive analysis of chemical systems. The strengths and limitations of these spectroscopic techniques often determine the viability of scientific investigations. The unique properties of degenerate four-wave mixing, a nonlinear optical technique, have recently been found to provide powerful capabilities for a wide range of applications.
The divergent city: unequal and uneven development in St. Louis

In St. Louis, as in many other cities, decline and displacement occurred when key policies, prejudices, and plans interacted with broad economic restructuring to devastate poor and minority communities, while leaving White and middle-class communities largely intact. Amidst overall population loss and neighborhood decline are pockets of prosperity and gentrification within the central city. In this article, we analyze three significant planning interventions in St. Louis, Missouri, that spurred displacement of populations—urban renewal, triage, and the foreclosure crisis. We argue that the differential experiences of Black and White during each of these periods represent two faces of development: one in the north of the city that is largely Black, experiencing vacant land, high crime, and crumbling infrastructure; another in the south of the city that is largely White, enjoying pockets of vibrant commercial development, larger homes, and stable real estate markets. We analyze each period through a framewo...
A research agenda to advance quality measurement and improvement.

Background.In developing a conceptual framework for the design of a national quality measurement and reporting system (NQMRS), the Strategic Framework Board (SFB) recommends that such a system be built on a strong evidence base.Objectives.To identify critical gaps in the evidence needed for a fully
Ponderomotive Laser Acceleration and Focusing in Vacuum for Generation of Attosecond Electron Bunches

A novel approach for the generation of ultrabright attosecond electron bunches is proposed, based on acceleration in vacuum, by a short laser pulse. The laser-pulse profile is tailored such that the electrons are both focused and accelerated by the ponderomotive force of the light. Using time-averaged equations of motion, analytical criteria for optimal regime of acceleration are found. It is shown that for realistic laser parameters, a beam with up to ${10}^{6}$ particles and normalized transverse and longitudinal emittances $l{10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}\mathrm{m}$ can be produced.
The effects of removing cloudwater and lowering ambient O3 on red spruce grown at high elevations in the southern Appalachians.

Abstract This study was conducted to determine whether acidic cloudwater and ozone (O 3 ) influence the growth of red spruce ( Picea rubens L.) seedlings growing at a high elevation site in the southern Appalachian Mountains. A field exclusion chamber study was established at Whitetop Mountain, VA (elevation 1689 m) which included the following treatments: (1) clouds and O 3 excluded (COE); (2) exposure to ambient O 3 with clouds excluded (CE); (3) exposure to clouds and O 3 (CC); and (4) ambient air plots (AA) that served as a control to evaluate possible chamber effects. After 2 years, seedlings exposed to ambient levels of O 3 and cloudwater (AA and CC) did not differ in biomass accumulation, diameter growth, or epicuticular wax amounts from seedlings grown in chambers where pollution levels were reduced (CE and COE). Treatments receiving cloudwater (AA and CC) had statistically lower current-year needle concentrations of Ca and Mg, indicating that the cloudwater exposure dynamics occuring at this site elicited reductions in needle Ca and Mg. Ozone had neglible impact on all of the seedling parameters measured.
Fragment of the Coast Range ophiolite and the Great Valley sequence in the San Juan Islands, Washington

The Decatur terrane is a small, allochthonous fragment of Upper Jurassic oceanic crust with an overlying blanket of Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous sedimentary rocks in the San Juan Islands. The stratigraphy and petrotectonic elements are dissimilar to those of coeval sequences in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington, and southern British Columbia), but are virtually identical to those of the Coast Range ophiolite and overlying Great Valley sequence south of San Francisco, California. This stratigraphic correlation, together with regional considerations, suggests that the Decatur terrane was detached and transported during Cretaceous time. The resultant displacement is in excess of 1000 km.
THE PRAYING ANIMAL

. Ritual cannot be interpreted by a root metaphor of evolution, without reducing ritual's necessary intention. We must rather understand ritual as humanizing revolution. We have therefore two questions. First, What part does ritual have in human reckoning with reality? Second, What part does ritual have in the step to the specifically human? To the first question, the answer is proposed: ritual is that embodiment of our discourse with God and one another, by which we are made available and vulnerable to reality. To the second question, the answer is proposed: as embodied prayer, ritual is the complement to that address of God which posits our ontologically specific humanity, Parodying Aristotle, we may say that we are the sacrificing animals.
Pharmacokinetics of Carbamazepine in Monkeys following Intravenous and Oral Administration

The pharmacokinetics of carbamazepine were evaluated in four male rhesus monkeys. A 20-mg/kg dose was administered by intravenous (5-min) infusion and orally (nasal-gastric intubation) in a propylene glycol-ethanol-water solvent. Plasma and urine determinations were performed by GLC. All semilogarithmic intravenous curves exhibited an irregular decay behavior in the first 3-hr period, followed by a linear disappearance phase (T 1/2 equals 1.0-2.4 hr). Urinary excretion measurements confirmed the short elimination half-life and showed that less than 1% of the dose was excreted unchanged. Oral studies also yielded a short elimination half-life (1.0-1.60 hr), which was confirmed by urinary excretion measurements. The oral curves were analyzed pharmacokinetically. The fraction of the dose reaching the systemic circulation ranged between 58 and 87%. Measurable (but insignificant) amounts of drug were found in the feces after intravenous and oral administrations.
Pigmentary characteristics and moles in relation to melanoma risk

Although benign and atypical moles are considered key melanoma risk factors, previous studies of their influence were small and/or institution-based. We conducted a population-based case-control study in the state of New Hampshire. Individuals of ages 20–69 with an incident diagnosis of first primary cutaneous melanoma were ascertained through the New Hampshire State Cancer Registry. Controls were identified through New Hampshire driver's license lists and frequency-matched by age and gender to cases. We interviewed 423 eligible cases and 678 eligible controls. Host characteristics, including mole counts, were evaluated using logistic regression analyses. Our results showed that pigmentary factors, including eye color (OR = 1.57 for blue eyes compared to brown), hair color (OR = 1.85 for blonde/red hair color compared to brown/black), freckles before age 15 (OR = 2.39 for freckles present compared to absent) and sun sensitivity (OR = 2.25 for peeling sunburn followed by no tan or a light tan and 2.42 for sunburn followed by tan compared to tanning immediately), were related to melanoma risk; these associations held after adjustment for sun-related factors and for moles. In analyses confined to skin examination participants, the covariate-adjusted effects of benign and atypical moles were moderately strong. Compared to 0–4 benign moles, risk increased steadily for 5–14 moles (OR = 1.71), 15–24 moles (OR = 3.55) and ≥ 25 moles (OR = 4.33). Risk also increased with the number of atypical moles; compared to none, the ORs for having 1, 2–3, or ≥ 4 atypical moles were 2.08, 1.84 and 3.80, respectively. Although risk was highest for those with multiple benign and atypical moles, the interaction was not of statistical significance. Our findings, arising from the first population- and incidence-based study to evaluate atypical moles in relation to melanoma risk, confirm the importance of host susceptibility, represented by pigmentary factors and the tendency to develop benign or atypical moles, in the etiology of this disease. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Assessment of the rate of uterine rupture at the first prenatal visit: A preliminary evaluation

Objective. To quantify the risk for symptomatic uterine rupture during a trial of labor after prior cesarean delivery based on factors that can be ascertained during early pregnancy.Methods. From all trials of labor over a 12-year period, we determined those factors associated with an increased or decreased risk for uterine rupture and assigned scores. The following numerical scores were used: 2 points for ≥ 2 prior cesarean scars, 1 point for interdelivery interval ≤ 18 months, 1 point for maternal age of 30–39 years, 2 points for maternal age ≥ 40 years, minus 1 point for women with prior vaginal delivery and one prior cesarean.Results. There were 40 uterine ruptures in 4383 trials of labor (0.91%). Overall, the rate of uterine rupture varied by score: −1–0.26% (1/391), 0–0.25% (4/1613), 1–1.11% (21/1894), 2–2.43% (9/370), 3–3.70% (4/108), and 4–14.29% (1/7), p = .001.Conclusions. The rate of symptomatic uterine rupture during a trial of labor varies greatly depending on easily identified risk factors, ...
The effects of castration and androgen on the social dominance of BALB/cJ male mice*

Four experiments were conducted to investigate the relationship between androgen and the maintenance of social dominance in BALB/cJ male mice. Experiment I revealed that 9 out of 10 dominant mice lost their dominant positions after castration, and of the 10 sham-operated dominant mice, 9 still remained dominant. Thus, androgen is necessary for the maintenance of social dominance. Experiment II showed that.2,.4, and.8 mg of testosterone propionate (TP) injected daily to the castrated dominant mice did not restore their precastration dominant positions. Experiment III replicated the second experiment by giving 5 castrated dominant mice.8 mg of TP and and another 5 mice 1.2 mg of TP. Neither treatment restored the precastration dominant status of the treated mice. The animals were then injected with 4 mg of TP, which was not effective in restoring their precastration dominance position. The 8 mg of TP used in Experiment IV was also not effective. The relationship between androgen and social order was discussed.
Oxygen, epigenetics and stem cell fate.

Coordinated interactions between the embryo/fetus and its environment are critical for proper development. In addition to acting as metabolic substrates for cellular homeostasis, basic physiological factors, such as oxygen tension, have a profound influence on developmental outcomes. Since the mammalian embryo resides in a physiologically hypoxic environment during gestation, understanding its responses to oxygen deprivation on a cellular level is critical. In this review, we analyze interactions between the hypoxia-inducible factor family of transcriptional regulators and epigenetic mechanisms governing chromatin structure. The ability of hypoxia-inducible factors to interact physically with histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes and modulate nuclear HDAC activities places them in the pivotal position of integrating physiological and epigenetic effectors. Multiple embryonic and extra-embryonic stem cell populations in mice and humans rely on this interaction – an important determinant of stem cell fate. Diss...
Visual evoked potentials in two forms of hereditary spastic paraplegia

Abstract Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) were used to study two forms of hereditary spastic paraplegia. We recorded the VEP in 6 homozygotes and 5 obligate heterozygotes in one family with recessively transmitted disease and in 5 persons with dominantly transmitted hereditary spastic paraplegia. The VEPs in the affected persons from both families were similar; both had delayed conduction times and changes in the wave form. The VEPs of the obligate heterozygotes were indistinnguishable from those of the unaffected control subjects. Comparison of our findings with those of other disease processes that affect the VEPs suggests that the conduction delays in our patients' VEPs may be associated with changes in myelin.
Local inversion of the radon transform in the plane using wavelets

We use the theory of the continuous wavelet transform to derive inversion formulas for the Radon transform. These inversion formulas are local in even dimensions in the following sense. In order to recover a function f from its Radon transform in a ball of radius R > 0 about a point x to within error (epsilon) > 0, we can find (alpha) ((epsilon) ) > 0 such that this can be accomplished by knowing the projections of f only on lines passing through a ball of radius R + (alpha) ((epsilon) ) about x. We give explicit a priori estimates on the error in the L2 and L(infinity ) norms.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effects of oscillatory magnetic fields on the flux flow properties of superconducting foils

Oscillatory magnetic field superimposition effects on flux flow properties of superconducting metal foils
Processing, cooking, and cooling affect prebiotic concentrations in lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus)

Lentil is an important staple food crop in many regions and is a good source of protein and various micronutrients. Lentil also contains raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFO), resistant starch (RS), and other prebiotic compounds essential for maintenance of healthy gastrointestinal microflora. However, there is a lack of information about concentrations of prebiotics in commercially available, cooked, and processed lentil market classes. This study assessed concentrations of RFO and RS in two commercially available lentil market classes (medium green and small red) and determined changes associated with dehulling, cooking, cooling, and reheating. Mean total RFO concentrations ranged from 5.5 to 6.1% in raw lentils. Total RFO concentration decreased from raw to reheated seeds in two of the four lentil products: whole red (6.1–4.9%) and whole green (5.5–4.3%). Mean RS concentrations in raw, cooked, cooled, and reheated lentil (3.0, 3.0, 5.1, and 5.1% (dry weight), respectively) clearly demonstrate cooling-induced synthesis of RS from gelatinized starch. These results highlight the impact and importance of processing techniques on lentil nutritional quality for both consumer and food industry use.
The ultrastructure of the zymogen cells in Hydra viridis

The zymogenic secretory cells of Hydra viridis are scattered between the digestive muscle cells of the gastric region. The mature zymogenic cells are located along the apical surface of the gastrodermal epithelium and contain numerous spherical secretory droplets. They appear to differentiate from stem cells located near the mesoglea. These stem cells resemble epidermal interstitial cells and are filled with free ribosomes. They differ from the interstitial cell in that they usually possess a small amount of granular endoplasmic reticulum. During the process of differentiation they elaborate a highly organized system of granular endoplasmic reticulum. This system becomes dispersed into vesicles as the secretory product is synthesized. There is no indication that the Golgi apparatus participates directly in the formation of the secretory droplets, and there is no indication of a membrane bounding the mature secretory droplet.
Peer and self assessment in undergraduate surgery.

Abstract The purpose was to determine if students could identify their own strengths and weaknesses as viewed by their peers and whether peer or self ratings of knowledge and interpersonal skills could predict scores on National Board Medical Examinations and final grades in surgery. Ninety-eight juniors rated themselves on a 13-item scale; 830 peer ratings (about eight per student) were also obtained and averaged to provide a peer score for each student. There were low but significant correlations between the two sets of ratings. Peer scores were excellent predictors of both National Boards and final grade. Self scores were only weakly associated with these outcomes. Interpersonal skill ratings were inversely related to grades. Peer ratings seem to be a valuable addition to evaluation of student performance. Self ratings may be more useful as a means of helping students learn to accurately assess their strengths and weaknesses.
Parallel and quantitative sequential pattern mining for large-scale interval-based temporal data

Mining frequent subsequences of patterns, or sequential pattern mining, has wide application in customer shopping sequence analysis, web log stream analysis, multi-modal behavioral studies, to name a few. To detect unknown, anomalous, and unexpected patterns from large-scale interval-based temporal data without complete a priori knowledge is challenging. In this paper, we present a framework — PESMiner which allows parallel and quantitative mining of sequential patterns at scale. Whereas most existing sequential mining algorithms can only find sequential orders of temporal events, our work presents a novel interactive temporal data mining algorithm capable of extracting precise temporal properties of sequential patterns. Furthermore, our work provides a unified parallel solution that scales our algorithms to larger temporal data sets by exploiting iterative MapReduce tasks. Comprehensive performance evaluations demonstrate that PESMiner significantly outperforms existing interval-based mining algorithms in terms of both quality (i.e. accuracy, precision, and recall) and scalability.
Human placental estrogen synthetase (aromatase). Effect of environment on the kinetics of protein-protein and substrate-protein interactions and the production of 19-oxygenated androgen intermediates in the purified reconstituted cytochrome P450 enzyme system

Estrogen synthetase (aromatase) catalyzes the conversion of androgen into estrogen via two hydroxylations at C19 and a subsequent C19-10 lyase reaction. We report here the results of a reconstitution study using a highly purified aromatase cytochrome P450 monooxygenase enzyme system, with both protein components (cytochrome P450 and NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase) obtained from human term placental microsomes. By varying one of the components (amounts of cytochrome P450, NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase, or androgen substrate) as the other two were held constant in four different environments (phospholipid, non-ionic detergent, mixture of phospholipid and non-ionic detergent and buffer alone), we obtained evidence supporting the following conclusions. The reconstituted enzyme is more active and the protein components exhibit much lower apparent Km values in the detergent and/or lipid environment compared with buffer alone. Although the apparent Km and Vmax values for each aromatase protein component differ significantly in most cases with the particular limiting component and environment, the catalytic efficiency (Kcat/Km) was independent of the limiting protein component and varied with the environment only (highest in the lipid-detergent mixture and lowest in lipid alone). When the concentration of androgen substrate (androstenedione or testosterone) was varied at constant amounts of the aromatase protein components (NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase saturating), the Km was lower and the Vmax was higher for adrostenedione. The specificity constant (Vmax/Km) was a function of the reconstitution environment (highest in lipid alone and lowest in detergent alone) and was, on average, about 4-fold higher for androstenedione in a particular environment. The extent of production of 19-oxygenated androgen intermediates (19-hydroxy and 19-oxo androstenedione) was examined at three different levels of aromatase cytochrome P450 (subsaturating, saturating, super-saturating) relative to the NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase component in the three different hydrophobic environments using androstenedione as substrate. Both 19-oxygenated androgens, each made in comparable amounts relative to control, were isolatable in greatest amounts under cytochrome P450 super-saturating conditions in the detergent-lipid mixed environment, and in least amounts under cytochrome P450 subsaturating conditions in the lipid-only environment. Based on these data, we propose that 19-oxygenated androgen intermediates are biosynthesized sequentially in a step-wise fashion as the cytochrome P450 and NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase form transient complexes, and that the amount of isolatable 19-oxygenated androgen is proportional to the amount of excess cytochrome P450 component.
Atomistic study of pipe diffusion in Al–Mg alloys

Abstract Solute diffusion in an Al-rich binary Al–Mg alloy is studied by means of atomistic simulations. The activation energy for diffusion of Mg in the bulk is evaluated in the dilute solution limit for the nearest neighbor and the ring mechanisms. It is concluded that bulk diffusion at low and moderate temperatures must be assisted by vacancies. Further, diffusion of Mg along the core of edge, 60° and screw dislocations is studied. The activation energy for vacancy formation in the core and for vacancy-assisted Mg migration is evaluated for a large number of diffusion paths in the core region. It is observed that, similar to the bulk, Mg diffusion in absence of vacancies is energetically prohibitive. The paths of minimum activation energy are identified for vacancy-assisted diffusion, for all three types of dislocations. The lowest energy path is found in the core of the 60° dislocation, its activation energy being 60% of the activation energy in the bulk. Most diffusion paths have activation energies larger than 75% of the equivalent bulk quantity. This analysis is relevant for the discussion on the mechanism of dynamic strain aging in these alloys. The data presented here show that pipe diffusion, which is currently considered as the leading mechanism responsible for dynamic strain aging is too slow in absence of excess vacancies.
The Utilization of Carbohydrate and Nitrogen Reserves in the Spring Growth of Lilac

The spring flush of growth and the utilization of reserve materials in this growth was studied in lilac plants 0, 2, 4 and 6 weeks after bud break. The influence of nitrogen applied the previous season on the storage and utilization of carbohydrate and nitrogen reserves was determined. The plants were separated into buds, stems and roots and analyzed for changes in total available carbohydrates, sugars, hemi-celluloses, total nitrogen, basic and non-basic amino acids and organic acids. The bulk of the carbohydrate reserves occurred as soluble sugars in the roots, although the reserves of sugars and hemicellulose in the stem was important during the first two weeks after bud break. The bulk of the nitrogen reserves were stored as non-basic amino acids in the stems and roots. However, the roots of plants grown under high nitrogen levels contained twice us much total nitrogen as roots grown under low nitrogen. This additional nitrogen which was stored in the roots of high nitrogen plants was released as arginine. The dry weight of buds increased 3–10 fold during the initial two week period and during the next four weeks doubled again. This bud growth was correlated with the stored nitrogen reserves. The high nitrogen plants grew twice as much and utilized more of the reserve carbohydrates in spring growth than low nitrogen plants. Carbohydrates were synthesized in this new growth and the high nitrogen plants utilized this carbohydrate for additional growth while low nitrogen plants transported it to the stems and roots.
A unified noise analysis for iterative image estimation

Iterative image estimation methods have been widely used in emission tomography. Accurate estimate of the uncertainty of the reconstructed images is essential for quantitative applications. While theoretical approach has been developed to analyze the noise propagation from iteration to iteration, the current results are limited to only a few iterative algorithms that have an explicit multiplicative update equation. This paper presents a theoretical noise analysis that is applicable to a wide range of preconditioned gradient type algorithms. One advantage is that proposed method does not require an explicit expression of the preconditioner and hence it is applicable to some algorithms that involve line searches. By deriving fixed point expression from the iteration based results, we show that the iteration based noise analysis is consistent with the xed point based analysis. Examples in emission tomography and transmission tomography are shown.
Dip Coating of Boron Nitride Thin Films on Nicalon Fibers

A process involving dip coating of ceramic fibers in H3BO3 solution followed by reaction with NH3 has resulted in the formation of a BN coating on Nicalon and a carbon coated Nicalon fiber. BN coated C-Nicalon fiber maintained its strength during the coating process, while the BN coated Nicalon did not.
Implementation of a parallel high-performance visualization technique in GRASS GIS

This paper describes an extension for GRASS geographic information systems (GIS) that enables users to perform geographic visualization tasks on tiled high-resolution displays powered by the clusters of commodity personal computers. Parallel visualization systems are becoming more common in scientific computing due to the decreasing hardware costs and availability of the open source software to support such architecture. High-resolution displays allow scientists to visualize very large data sets with minimal loss of details. Such systems have a big promise especially in the field of GIS because users can naturally combine several geographic scales on a single display. This paper discusses architecture, implementation, and operation of pd-GRASS-a GRASS GIS extension for high-performance parallel visualization on tiled displays. pd-GRASS is specifically well suited for very large geographic data sets, such as light detecting and ranging data or high-resolution nation-wide geographic databases. This paper also briefly touches on computational efficiency, performance, and potential applications for such systems.
Linear theory of nonlocal elasticity and dispersion of plane waves

Abstract The equations of the nonlocal elasticity given in [1]and[2] are linearized. The dispersion relations are obtained for one dimensional plane waves. The nonlocal material moduli are determined to fit exactly the acoustical branch of elastic waves within one Brillouin zone in periodic one dimensional lattices.
The maturation and interrelationship of EEG patterns and auditory evoked responses in premature infants

Abstract In a longitudinal neonatal study, biweekly EEGs and summed auditory evoked responses (AERs) were recorded during sleep from 23 premature infants between the ages of 28 and 41 weeks post-conception. Seventy-eight EEG tracings were obtained and 60–74 min of each were visually analyzed. Each 20 sec epoch was classified into one of 6 EEG patterns according to specific criteria relating to amplitude, frequency, and persistence or intermittancy of activity. With increasing post-conceptional age, the relative and absolute occurrences of 3 patterns decreased and 2 patterns increased significantly in a general linear fashion. During each EEG session, 9–12 summed AERs to loud click stimuli were recorded from the vertex with combined ears as the reference electrode. The amplitude and latency of the N1 and P2 potentials were, in general, positively related to 3 intermittent, relatively immature EEG patterns, and negatively related to a high voltage continuous pattern, but significant relationships were noted mainly in subjects older than 34 weeks post-connection. Post-conceptional and gestational age but not post-natal age influenced the relationship between EEG patterns and AER measurements. The average regression coefficients between AER measurements and some EEG patterns were determined for every 2 week age period permitting a quantitative estimate of these relationships related to age post-conception. The intra-subject, intra-recording variability in amplitude and latency of 2 major waves of the neonatal AER recorded from premature infants was therefore related to two measurable variables, background EEG and age post-conception.
Exercise Prescriptions in the Pediatrician's Office: Feasibility or Folly?

The recognition that adverse health outcomes are related to a sedentary lifestyle has created an opportunity for physicians to promote regular exercise in the office setting. The role of pediatricians in exercise guidance is indicated by the long-term salutary effects of exercise that begins in childhood and adolescence. However, a number of obstacles have prevented pediatricians from playing a role in delivering physical activity guidance for their young patients. These include the lack of an evidence-based means of creating an activity prescription, lack of expertise and time, and questions of reimbursement. This review addresses this issue, suggesting a number of alternative approaches for pediatricians in activity counseling. Whether these can be effectively delivered in the office setting, however, remains to be determined.
Effects of halogen substituents on base stacking in nucleic acid components: the crystal structure of 8-bromoguanosine.

Abstract The crystal structure of 8-Bromoguanosine dihydrate was determined from three-dimensional diffractometer data. Base stacking in the structure involves close contacts between the bromine atom and the purine moiety of a crystallographically related nucleoside. Comparison with the crystal structure of guanosine suggests that halogen substituents may modify solid state base stacking patterns.
A generalization of the gauss limit for iterated means

It is shown that a recursive process, involving iteration of the means of order t 1 t N , applied to any positive initial point of N -space, produces a sequence of points converging to a point ( l, l, …, l ) “on the diagonal.” The special case N = 2, t 1 =0, t 2 = 1, with both weights ½, is the geometric-arithmetic-mean algorithm of Gauss.
Astrology in the Pseudo-Clementine : Recognitions

The Pseudo-Clementines contain a lengthy debate about astrology that stands in some literary relationship to Bardaisan's writings. Connections with earlier works are important, but the Recognitions' fourth-century Syrian context – much neglected by earlier scholarship – reveals why it devotes such a large amount of narrative space to a dialogue about astrology, fate and free will. This article argues that such material is more than just a remnant of the past carelessly appropriated by the Pseudo-Clementines. Astrology plays a crucial role in the Recognitions' polemical agenda, which reflects a complex rivalry between several groups in fourth-century Syria.
Polar Hermeneutics: A Multi-faceted Decision Mechanism

Abstract Social simulation inherently involves social actors, at various levels, that make a wide range of decisions. However, the decision mechanisms used by most research programs have often been intuitive, ad hoc and/or overly simplistic. In contrast, in all cultures and times, diverse social actors are required to make decisions in complex circumstances. For simulative decision mechanisms to be credible, the complex nature of social processes needs to be recognized and represented. In order to create a more credible architecture for social simulation, the present paper introduces a rich, expressive decision process based upon a composite mechanism: polar hermeneutics.
COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE SOLID-MATRIX LUMINESCENCE PROPERTIES OF PERDEUTERATED PHENANTHRENE AND PHENANTHRENE ADSORBED ON SEVERAL SOLID MATRICES

Temperature was varied over a wide range to determine its effect on the luminescence properties of deuterated phenanthrene and phenanthrene adsorbed on a number of solid matrices. Not only were insights into the effects of temperature and solid matrices on the luminescence properties acquired but also the deuterium isotope effect revealed unique information about the role played by the solid matrix in the luminescence of the model compounds. In addition, comparisons of nonradiative rate constants and the efficiencies of intersystem crossing revealed important differences among the solid matrices in altering these parameters. The perdeuterated phenanthrene and phenanthrene proved to be useful probes for investigating the effects of solid matrices on the excited triplet state of phosphors because the excited singlet state of the lumiphor was affected very little by the solid matrices, and the rate constants of phosphorescence for the two phosphors are essentially the same.