cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preventing opportunistic infections in bone marrow transplant recipients.

: In 1996, a Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-sponsored working group began developing guidelines for preventing opportunistic infections (OIs) in bone marrow transplant (BMT) recipients. The purposes of the guidelines are to: a) summarize current data regarding the epidemiology of OIs in BMT recipients; b) produce an evidence-based statement of recommended strategies for preventing OIs in BMT recipients; c) decrease the incidence, morbidity, and mortality of OIs in BMT recipients; and d) define directions for future OI prevention research. Each recommendation is given two ratings: one indicating the strength of the recommendation, and another indicating the strength of evidence supporting the recommendation. The target audience for the guidelines includes transplant and infectious disease physicians and BMT unit and clinic staff. The BMT OI guidelines include sections on viral, bacterial, fungal, protozoal, and helminth infections, immunization, infection control, and blood and stem cell safety. The disease-specific sections address preventing exposure and disease among both adult and pediatric recipients of allogeneic and autologous BMTs. The immunization section addresses: a) immunization of BMT recipients, their household contacts, and health care workers; b) travel immunizations for BMT recipients; and c) passive immunization with immune globulin products. The infection control sections address room ventilation, isolation and barrier precautions, and prevention of nosocomial and other infections (e.g. infections acquired from visitors, plants, food, pets, construction sites, etc.). The blood safety section contains recommendations on preventing transmission of infections to BMT recipients from infected donated cells. After the guidelines are made available for public comment, they will be finalized and published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and placed on the CDC web site ( Note).
Battling Pollution in Laguna de Bay

(1977). Battling Pollution in Laguna de Bay. Water International: Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 10-12.
Preschool-Aged Siblings of Adjudicated Youths: Multiple Risk Factors for Conduct Problems.

Younger siblings of adolescents with histories of antisocial behavior are at high risk for developing conduct problems. Information about risk exposure in youths at familial risk for conduct problems is critical to the design of informed preventive interventions. The prevalence of well-validated risk factors for conduct problems was examined in a sample of 92 preschool-aged siblings of adjudicated youths. As expected, preschoolers at familial risk for conduct problems were exposed to a range of sociocultural, biological, and parenting risks. Risk exposure was associated with concurrent conduct problems and social competence in the preschool period. Only a minority of preschoolers was reported by parents to have clinically significant conduct problems, and this subgroup had more risks than children with conduct problems in the normal range. Findings are discussed in the context of preventive interventions for high-risk children and families.
Triangular composite finite elements

Composite triangles consisting of four three-node triangles originally proposed by Camacho and Ortiz are studied. It is shown that the original element does not satisfy the Babuska–Brezzi condition nor pass the patch test. Remedies for these shortcomings are described. It is shown that the resulting elements are very robust for large deformation problems. In addition, composite triangular elements generated from four-node quadrilaterals are briefly examined; their accuracy is found to be not as good as the composite triangles.
Membrane Model of Endothelial Cells and Leukocytes. A Proposal for the Origin of a Cortical Stress

Previous models of the erythrocyte membrane have been based on the assumption that the resting curvature of the membrane is either flat or has a small curvature relative to the overall cell dimension. In contrast, several recent experimental observations, both in leukocytes and in endothelial cells, suggest that local regions of the membrane may have high membrane curvature in the resting state. The resting curvature may be of the order of plasmalemmal vesicles in endothelial cells or surface membrane folds on leukocytes. A tension is required to unfold the membrane with strain energy which depends largely on mean curvature. It is proposed that the tendency of endothelial or leukocyte membranes to wrinkle in the unstressed state may provide a restoring force, i.e. a cortical tension.
Phenethyl isothiocyanate suppresses inhibitor of apoptosis family protein expression in prostate cancer cells in culture and in vivo.

BACKGROUND Cruciferous vegetable constituent phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) causes apoptosis in prostate cancer cells through mechanisms not fully understood. The present study was designed to determine the role of inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family proteins in PEITC-induced apoptosis induction.
Disordered phase of a two-dimensional Heisenberg model with S=1

Abstract We use the two-step density-matrix renormalization group method to study an anisotropic version of the J 1 – J 2 model with S = 1 . We find a second order transition from a Neel Q = ( π , π ) phase to a disordered phase with a spin gap. This result which is contrasted to our previous finding on S = 1 2 systems suggests the importance of topological effects in the disordered phases of Heisenberg models.
Cartograms showing China's population and wealth distribution

Population and wealth distributions are two important indicators of socioeconomic activities in a country. Understanding the spatial nature of population distribution is crucial for effective resource allocation and reasonable economic and social policies, factors that influence every aspect of everyday life. Contemporary China is characterized by very rapid economic development and profound social changes, many of them involving population distribution and migration. Here we use a cartogram to represent population distribution at the province level in 2010. The cartogram effectively demonstrates that population is unevenly distributed across the different parts of China. Provinces in the southeast regions are densely populated, while the northwest is only sparsely inhabited. This pattern has been illustrated by the clear contrast between the size of regions above and below the transformed Aihui-Tengchong line in the cartogram, a line long thought to show the extremely uneven distribution of China's popul...
Comparison of the applicability of the 2006 and the 2010 cardiac CT angiography appropriate use criteria.

Purpose In a previous study, the 2006 appropriateness criteria (AC) for cardiac CT were applied to 251 patients. It was found that 46% of patients could not be classified, and two observers showed only fair agreement (κ = 0.31) on the assigned appropriateness rating (appropriate, inappropriate, uncertain, or not classifiable). The conclusion was that the 2006 AC were difficult to apply. The AC were revised in 2010. The aim of this study was to determine if the rate of patients not classifiable and interobserver variability had decreased to the point at which the AC could be reasonably applied. Methods Medical records of the 251 patients who were classified using the 2006 AC were reviewed by two observers, who attempted to assign the patients' indications using the 2010 AC. Patients for whom no indications could be found were deemed not classifiable. A third observer settled disagreements. The numbers of patients not classifiable using the 2006 and 2010 criteria and the number of patients on whom the two reviewers disagreed on indications were compared using McNemar's test. Results One hundred fifteen patients (46%) were not classifiable using the 2006 AC. With the 2010 AC, the number of patients not classifiable decreased to 39 (16%) ( P P = .002). Conclusions Using the 2010 AC, the number of patients not classifiable and the number of disagreements decreased. Although the rate of patients not classifiable has decreased to an acceptable level, the interobserver variability remains concerning.
THE ROLE OF AROMATIZATION IN THE RESTORATION OF MALE RAT REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR

This study assessed the role of aromatization in the expression of male reproductive behavior by testing the effects of the aromatase inhibitor, fadrozole, on the restoration of male sexual behavior and partner preference in testosterone-treated gonadectomized rats. We measured nuclear estrogen receptor occupation to determine whether fadrozole blocked brain aromatase. In addition, nuclear androgen receptor assays were used to verify that fadrozole does not block androgen receptors. Mini-osmotic pumps fitted to brain infusion cannulas were used to deliver fadrozole (20 micrograms/day) into the right lateral ventricle. The majority of animals receiving fadrozole treatment with two, 10 mm testosterone filled Silastic capsules (T/F group) failed to display any sexual behavior 7 and 13 days following implant surgery. In contrast, animals receiving fadrozole treatment which were implanted with two, 10 mm testosterone capsules and one, 5 mm 1% estradiol capsule (T/F/E group) copulated normally, indicating that fadrozole's inhibition of male sex behavior was specifically due to blocking aromatase activity. Moreover, the animals which received only one, 5 mm 1% estradiol capsule (E group) also failed to exhibit male sexual behavior. Partner preference for either a sexually receptive female or a non-receptive female was measured in a three chambered apparatus for an index of sexual motivation. Repeated measures contrasts on the group x test interaction indicated that the T/F group was not significantly different from the T group. In addition, the E group did not show a preference for the receptive females and was significantly different from the T group. Fadrozole treatment resulted in a 59% decrease in brain nuclear estrogen receptor occupation relative to the T group. Fadrozole had no significant effect on brain nuclear androgen receptor occupation. Our results lend support to the hypothesis that both androgen receptor activation and aromatization are necessary for the restoration of male sexual behavior in rats. However, we found that estradiol is neither necessary nor sufficient for the restoration of partner preference.
The Moist Static Energy Budget of a Composite Tropical Intraseasonal Oscillation in a Climate Model

Abstract The intraseasonal moist static energy (MSE) budget is analyzed in a climate model that produces realistic eastward-propagating tropical intraseasonal wind and precipitation variability. Consistent with the recharge–discharge paradigm for tropical intraseasonal variability, a buildup of column-integrated MSE occurs within low-level easterly anomalies in advance of intraseasonal precipitation, and a discharge of MSE occurs during and after precipitation when westerly anomalies occur. The strongest MSE anomalies peak in the lower troposphere and are, primarily, regulated by specific humidity anomalies. The leading terms in the column-integrated intraseasonal MSE budget are horizontal advection and surface latent heat flux, where latent heat flux is dominated by the wind-driven component. Horizontal advection causes recharge (discharge) of MSE within regions of anomalous equatorial lower-tropospheric easterly (westerly) anomalies, with the meridional component of the moisture advection dominating the...
The relationship between longitudinal serum leptin measures and measures of magnetic resonance imaging-assessed knee joint damage in a population of mid-life women

Background and objective Serum leptin measures are associated with radiographic knee osteoarthritis, but no studies have examined leptin levels with respect to different measures of knee joint damage from MRI. Methods Participants in the Michigan Study of Women9s Health Across the Nation underwent bilateral knee MRIs at follow-up visit 11 for assessment of cartilage defects, bone marrow lesions, osteophytes, meniscal tears, synovitis and joint effusion. Serum leptin measures were available from baseline, follow-up visits 1 and 3–7. Results Baseline serum leptin levels were associated with greater odds of having more severe knee joint damage at follow-up visit 11 after adjustment for age, smoking status, menopause status and body mass index residuals. The greatest effect was observed for osteophytes; a 5 ng/ml increase in baseline leptin was associated with 24% higher odds of having larger osteophytes (95% CI 1.17 to 1.32). Correlations with baseline serum leptin were greatest for MRI-assessed osteophytes (r=0.41), followed by effusion (r=0.32), synovitis (r=0.30), cartilage defects (r=0.28), bone marrow lesions (r=0.24) and meniscal abnormalities (r=0.21). Conclusions Leptin levels 10 years prior to MRI assessment were associated with the presence of cartilage defects, bone marrow lesions, osteophytes, meniscal tears, synovitis and effusion among a population of middle-aged women. Understanding the role that leptin plays in the joint degradation process is critical for development of more targeted interventions for osteoarthritis.
DO WE REALLY UNDERSTAND? AN EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISE FOR TRAINING FAMILY THERAPISTS

This paper presents an experiential exercise for training beginning marriage and family therapists, as well as several adaptations of the format. The basic exercise consists of role playing a therapy session in which the people playing the clients speak a language that is not understood by the therapist-in-training. Although the therapist cannot understand the clients, the clients can understand the therapist. This exercise assists students to become more cognizant of the need to be cautious and curious in the cocreation of meaning in therapy. In addition, this exercise builds confidence and clinical skills, such as learing about nonverbal communication while observing process.
The Military and the Environment in the United States: Exemptions, Injunctions, and Winter v. Natural Resources Defense Council

This short piece reviews the background of and the U.S. Supreme Court's November 2008 decision in Winter v. Natural Resources Defense Council, which challenged the Navy's use of its mid-frequency active sonar (MFAS) in fourteen military training exercises off the coast of southern California. It concludes that despite possible readings of the case that would generally limit the availability of injunctions in environmental cases, especially cases under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the case is best read as the latest articulation of the Supreme Court's belief that military readiness activities are "special" when it comes to forced compliance with the federal environmental laws.
The Political Contingency of Public Opinion, or What Shall We Make of the Declining Faith of Middle-Class African Americans?

Scholars who study the connections between public opinion and the policy process, and politicians who engage in making those connections, face the same two problems. First, determining what opinion the public actually holds is much more of an interpretive than a methodological exercise. Second, designing policies to respond to that (presumed) opinion is at best an inexact art and at worst a demonstration that making the wrong moves can produce more harm than good. This essay illustrates these points by examining race politics in America over the past three decades. In order to move quickly to those illustrations, let me stipulate, with minimal evidence, several starting points. First, middle-class African Americans are better off now than middle-class members of their race have ever been; well-off African Americans are getting richer at a faster rate than well-off white Americans (though from a lower absolute starting point); and middle-class African Americans are gaining ground at the same time that poor African Americans are losing it. Those points require much evidence to be completely persuasive, but they are all illustrated by a simple comparison of income quantiles by race over time (see Table 1).
Prefiltered Cross-Section Occluders

We introduce an impostor-based visibility technique to provide approximate, average visibility for point-to-cluster and cluster-to-cluster visibility queries. Processing each object in a view-independent manner allows us to generate a mip-map-like hierarchy of approximate visibility information that can report approximate average visibility over conical shafts or conical shaft frustums. We demonstrate how these impostors can be used to approximate smooth soft shadow calculation, and improve the quality of light cuts and multidimensional light cuts. In addition, we describe how to use approximate visibility of shafts to estimate a tighter error bound for the light cuts visibility term, yielding speedup by reducing over-aggressive cut refinement.
Anisotropy in diffusion-weighted MRI

Diffusional anisotropy of water protons, induced by nonrandom, directional barriers which hinder or retard water motion, is measurable by MRI. Faster water diffusion was observed when the diffusion-sensitizing gradient direction paralleled the long axes of white matter tracts, indicative of fewer bamers to water motion. Diffusion perpendicular to this 3xis was as much as four times slower. Anisotropy was seen pre- and postmortem in all axial, sagittal, and coronal planes, with and without cardiac gating. Ordering has also been observed in feline optic nerve and in human peripheral nerves. Utilization of this technique can greatly improve understanding and assessment of demyelinating disorders, of white matter infarcts and neoplasms, and of neonatal brain and spinal cord development. © 1991 Academic Press, Inc.
Film Cooling With Forward and Backward Injection for Cylindrical and Fan-Shaped Holes Using PSP Measurement Technique

A systematic study was performed to investigate the combined effects of hole geometry, blowing ratio, density ratio and free-stream turbulence intensity on flat plate film cooling with forward and backward injection. Detailed film cooling effectiveness distributions were obtained using the steady state pressure sensitive paint (PSP) technique. Four common film-hole geometries with forward injection were used in this study: simple angled cylindrical holes and fan-shaped holes, and compound angled (β = 45°) cylindrical holes and fan-shaped holes. Additional four film-hole geometries with backward injection were tested by reversing the injection direction from forward to backward to the mainstream. There are seven holes in a row on each plate and each hole is 4 mm in diameter. The hole length to diameter ratio is 7.5. The blowing ratio effect was studied at 10 different blowing ratios ranging from M = 0.3 to M = 2.0. The coolant to main stream density ratio (DR) effect was studied by using foreign gases with DR = 1 (N2), 1.5 (CO2), and 2 (15% SF6 + 85% Ar). The free stream turbulence intensity effect was tested at 0.5% and 6%. The results show higher density coolant provides higher effectiveness than lower density coolant, fan-shaped holes perform better than cylindrical holes, and compound angled holes are better than simple angled holes. In general, the results show the film cooling effectiveness with backward injection is greatly reduced for shaped holes as compared with the forward injection. However, significant improvements can be seen in both simple angled and compound angled cylindrical holes at higher blowing ratios and density ratio (DR = 2). Comparison was made between experimental data and empirical correlations for simple angled fan-shaped holes at engine representative density ratios. An improved correlation which covers a wider range of density ratios (DR = 1.0 to DR = 2.0) is proposed.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Face Into the Storm

America is about to experience a demographic shift of enormous magnitude: increasing longevity, declining fertility, and the aging of the baby boom which are triggering an enormous “age wave.” We are facing the challenge of limited access to health care services by millions of our citizens, and unsustainable cost escalation. In response health care is changing fundamentally . In the 2012 McMillan Lecture, Jette discusses three critical “ system skills ” that physical therapists must develop to practice successfully in a changing health care environment. First, therapists must become interested in data . Secondly, they must become skilled in the ability to devise solutions for the system problems that data and experience uncover. And finally, the third skill the physical therapy profession must develop is the ability to implement at scale – the ability to get therapists along the entire chain of care functioning in concert, in collaboration. Jette discusses APTA's Vision 2020 as it relates to these challenges and the degree to which he believe physical therapists are equipped with the system skills needed to function within effective health care systems to identify what works in physical therapy, for what conditions, under what circumstances, and at what cost. Jette articulates a revised vision for physical therapy that includes being a leader in teaching systems skills to practice successfully in interconnected heath care teams; being a recognized national leader in implementing evidence-based strategies; using standardized collection, analysis, and dissemination of intervention and outcomes data as a regular part of practice to determine what interventions best improve the health of individuals and society, and being a profession that is a central player in devising, evaluating, and implementing cost-effective health-care innovations for communities as well as for individuals.
Recognition of other individuals’ social relationships by female baboons

We describe a series of playback experiments designed to test whether free-ranging baboons, Papio cynocephalus ursinus, recognize the calls of other group members and also associate signallers with their close genetic relatives. Pairs of unrelated females were played sequences of calls that mimicked a fight between their relatives. As controls, the same females heard sequences that involved either (1) only the more dominant female’s relative or (2) neither of the females’ relatives. When call sequences involved their relatives, subjects looked towards the speaker for a longer duration than when the sequences involved nonkin. When the sequences involved the other female’s relative, they also looked towards that female. Subjects did not look towards one another when call sequences involved nonkin. Dominant subjects were more likely to supplant their subordinate partners following playbacks of sequences that mimicked a dispute between their relatives than following the two control trials. In contrast, both subjects were more likely to approach one another and to interact in a friendly manner following the two control trials than following the test trial. Results indicate that female baboons recognize the screams and threat grunts not only of their own close relatives but also of unrelated individuals. They also replicate previous studies in suggesting that female monkeys recognize the close associates of other individuals and adjust their interactions with others according to recent events involving individuals other than themselves. © 1999 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
Robustness analysis and new hybrid algorithm of wideband source localization for acoustic sensor networks

Wideband source localization using acoustic sensor networks has been drawing a lot of research interest recently in wireless communication applications, such as cellular handset localization, global positioning systems (GPS), and land navigation technologies, etc. The maximum-likelihood is the predominant objective which leads to a variety of source localization approaches. However, the appropriate optimization (search) algorithms are still being pursuit by researchers since different aspects about the effectiveness of such algorithms have to be addressed on different circumstances. In this paper, we focus on the two popular source localization methods for wideband acoustic signals, namely the alternating projection (AP) algorithm and the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm. We explore the respective limitations of these two methods and design a new hybrid approach thereupon. Through Monte Carlo simulations, we demonstrate that the trade-off can be achieved between the computational complexity and the localization accuracy using our newly proposed scheme. Moreover, we present the new robustness analysis for the source localization algorithms. We derive the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) involving the source spectral estimation error and thus prove that the new hybrid algorithm is more efficient than the EM algorithm. By employing the Gaussianity test, we also quantify the statistical mismatch between the actual statistics of the sensor signals and the underlying Gaussian model. We show that the Gaussianity measure can be a reliable robustness figure for source localization.
Evaluation of Rofenaid® and a Commercial Bacterin for Prevention of Cranial Form of Fowl Cholera in Turkeys

Abstract Rofenaid, a potentiated sulfadimethoxine at drug concentrations of 0.04, 0.02, and 0.01% in feed, a combination of vaccination with a commercial bacterin and 0.01% potentiated sulfadimethoxine (Rofenaid), and vaccination separately, significantly (P
Observational Evidence for Hotter Transition Region Loops within the Supergranular Network

We correlate EUV spectroheliograms of the quiet sun taken by the Harvard EUV Spectroheliometer on Skylab with a magnetogram taken within 15-20 minutes by the 40 channel magnetograph at Kitt Peak. Focus is on the O VI and Ne VII ions which are formed in the hotter transition region and the Mg x ion which is formed in the corona. Since no imaged observations in lines from T = 2 x 10 exp 5 - 10 exp 6 K temperature region have been made since Skylab, these data are unique in providing opportunities to investigate the hotter transition region and its relationship to the corona. The signature of an EUV intranetwork loop is a small EUV brightening located on the neutral line of a small magnetic bipole within the supergranular network. The data clearly show such features. Some of these features are visible at coronal temperatures, indicating that network loops can reach 10 exp 6 K. Others are bright in the lines formed below 10 exp 6 K but occur in regions of depleted coronal emission, which cannot be explained by models based on back-heating from a large-scale corona. We conclude that some fraction of the quiet solar EUV output is generated within network loops that are effectively insulated from the corona.
A video-based system for acquiring biomechanical data synchronized with arbitrary events and activities

A video-based data acquisition and interactive multimedia data extraction system are described for measuring and synchronizing large quantities of biomechanical analog data with arbitrary events and activities. Analog signals from up to 32 channels are digitized, frequency-shift key (FSK) coded, and recorded directly onto the audio tracks of a video tape in synchronization with the video information. The data acquisition system includes an A/D converter that digitizes up to 16 multiplexed channels of 8-b data at a fixed sample rate between 60 and 960 Hz, and an FSK modem that transfers the data onto one of two VHS high fidelity (20 Hz-20 kHz bandwidth) audio tracks. Twenty megabytes of digitized data and time codes, along with associated video and normal audio are contained on a conventional 120-min video tape. An analyst interactively reviews the video tape off-line using a computer-controlled VCR and identifies specific events that divide arbitrary activities into time segments. The computer automatically extracts the biomechanical data corresponding to each time segment for further processing or analysis. This system is useful for ergonomics, gait analysis, sports medicine, sleep laboratory, biomechanics, or any application where complex visual events are synchronized with low-frequency analog data. >
Throughput-delay-reliability tradeoffs in multihop networks with random access

In ad hoc networks, performance objectives are often in contention with each other. Indeed, due to the transmission errors incurred over wireless channels, it is difficult to achieve a high rate of transmission in conjunction with reliable delivery of data and low latency. In order to obtain favorable throughput and delay performances, the system may choose to compromise on its reliability and have nodes forcibly dropping a small fraction of packets. The focus of this paper is on the characterization of tradeoffs between the achievable throughput, end-to-end delay and reliability in wireless networks with random access. We consider a multihop ad hoc network comprising several source-destination pairs communicating wirelessly via the slotted ALOHA channel access scheme. Employing ideas from statistical mechanics, we present an analytical framework for evaluating the throughput, end-to-end delay and reliability performances of the system. The main findings of this paper are (a) when the system is noise-limited, dropping a small fraction of packets in the network leads to a smaller end-to-end delay though the throughput suffers as well, and (b) when the system is interference-limited, however, there exist regimes where dropping a few packets in the network may actually reduce the end-to-end delay as well as increase the system throughput. We also present some empirical results which corroborate the results obtained analytically.
Comfort standards and variations in exceedance for mixed-mode buildings

Mixed-mode buildings operate along a spectrum from sealed heating, ventilation and air-conditioning to 100% naturally ventilated, but little is known about their occupants' comfort expectations and experiences. Exceedance metrics, which quantify the percentage of time that a building's environment falls outside an expected thermal comfort zone, can help address the comfort trade-offs in building design and operation. Practitioners were polled on exceedance use in practice and comfort models and exceedance metrics were analysed: several comfort standards using EnergyPlus simulations of a mixed-mode building with radiant cooling in California's 16 climate zones. Results indicate that comfort model choice significantly influences predicted exceedance. Exceedance using PMV-PPD and the adaptive comfort models from ASHRAE Standard 55, EN 15251, and the Dutch NPR-CR 1752 frequently differed by 10 percentage points, often with 2–4 percentage points across the adaptive models. Yet, recommended exceedance limits of...
Comparison of algorithms for pre-processing of SELDI-TOF mass spectrometry data

Motivation: Surface-enhanced laser desorption and ionization (SELDI) time of flight (TOF) is a mass spectrometry technology. The key features in a mass spectrum are its peaks. In order to locate the peaks and quantify their intensities, several pre-processing steps are required. Though different approaches to perform pre-processing have been proposed, there is no systematic study that compares their performance. Results: In this article, we present the results of a systematic comparison of various popular packages for pre-processing of SELDI-TOF data. We evaluate their performance in terms of two of their primary functions: peak detection and peak quantification. Regarding peak quantification, the performance of the algorithms is measured in terms of reproducibility. For peak detection, the comparison is based on sensitivity and false discovery rate. Our results show that for spectra generated with low laser intensity, the software developed by Ciphergen Biosystems (ProteinChip© Software 3.1 with the additional tool Biomarker Wizard) produces relatively good results for both peak quantification and detection. On the other hand, for the data produced with either medium or high laser intensity, none of the methods show uniformly better performances under both criteria. Our analysis suggests that an advantageous combination is the use of the packages MassSpecWavelet and PROcess, the former for peak detection and the latter for peak quantification. Contact:[email protected]; [email protected] Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
TEXTURAL AND HISTOLOGIC DIFFERENCES AMONG 3 MUSCLES IN THE SAME CUT OF BEEF

SUMMARY -3 muscles. longissimus dorsi (LD), spinalis dorsi (SD) and trapezius (T) of beef rib steaks were compared for penetration. shear and histological characteristics. l-in. steaks were cooked by oven broiling. Although the same muscles from adjacent steaks from an animal were quite similar, the 3 muscles within the steak differed markedly. It is suggested that the thin fibers of the perimysium end endomysium end the breakdown of the contractile fibers in cooking may contribute to the softness of the SD, whereas the solid muscle fibers, shrunken fiber bundles and larger amount of collagen which retains a fibrous organization may account for the solidity of the T muscle.
Uric acid-dependent inhibition of AMP kinase induces hepatic glucose production in diabetes and starvation: evolutionary implications of the uricase loss in hominids

Reduced AMP kinase (AMPK) activity has been shown to play a key deleterious role in increased hepatic gluconeogenesis in diabetes, but the mechanism whereby this occurs remains unclear. In this article, we document that another AMP-dependent enzyme, AMP deaminase (AMPD) is activated in the liver of diabetic mice, which parallels with a significant reduction in AMPK activity and a significant increase in intracellular glucose accumulation in human HepG2 cells. AMPD activation is induced by a reduction in intracellular phosphate levels, which is characteristic of insulin resistance and diabetic states. Increased gluconeogenesis is mediated by reduced TORC2 phosphorylation at Ser171 by AMPK in these cells, as well as by the up-regulation of the rate-limiting enzymes PEPCK and G6Pc. The mechanism whereby AMPD controls AMPK activation depends on the production of a specific AMP downstream metabolite through AMPD, uric acid. In this regard, humans have higher uric acid levels than most mammals due to a mutation in uricase, the enzyme involved in uric acid degradation in most mammals, that developed during a period of famine in Europe 1.5 × 10(7) yr ago. Here, working with resurrected ancestral uricases obtained from early hominids, we show that their expression on HepG2 cells is enough to blunt gluconeogenesis in parallel with an up-regulation of AMPK activity. These studies identify a key role AMPD and uric acid in mediating hepatic gluconeogenesis in the diabetic state, via a mechanism involving AMPK down-regulation and overexpression of PEPCK and G6Pc. The uricase mutation in the Miocene likely provided a survival advantage to help maintain glucose levels under conditions of near starvation, but today likely has a role in the pathogenesis of diabetes.
Electron microscopic study of mature bovine spermatozoa.

Summary Characteristics of the normal bovine spermatozoa as revealed by electron micrographs have been reported. Detail of the head area reveals that the acrosomic granule is an integral structure within the acrosomic cap of the mature spermatozoa. The acrosomic cap overlaps the porous-appearing posterior nuclear cap. The midpiece containing outer axial fibrils of at least two different dimensions appears to have a diameter at least as great as the thickness of the head. Possible contractile elements of the fibrils are closely associated with the basal granules in the neck. Elements of the tail area also have been described.
The effect of local-scale physical heterogeneity and nonlinear, rate-limited sorption/desorption on contaminant transport in porous media

Nonideal transport of contaminants in porous media has often been observed in laboratory characterization studies. It has long been recognized that multiple processes associated with both physical and chemical factors can contribute to this nonideal transport behavior. To fully understand system behavior, it is important to determine the relative contributions of these multiple factors when conducting contaminant transport and fate studies. In this study, the relative contribution of physical-heterogeneity-related processes versus those of nonlinear, rate-limited sorption/desorption to the observed nonideal transport of trichloroethene in an undisturbed aquifer core was determined through a series of miscible-displacement experiments. The results of experiments conducted using the undisturbed core, collected from a Superfund site in Tucson, AZ, were compared to those obtained from experiments conducted using the same aquifer material packed homogeneously. The results indicate that both physical and chemical factors, specifically preferential flow and associated rate-limited diffusive mass-transfer and rate-limited sorption/desorption, respectively, contributed to the nonideal behavior observed for trichloroethene transport in the undisturbed core. A successful prediction of trichloroethene transport in the undisturbed core was made employing a mathematical model incorporating multiple sources of nonideal transport, using independently determined model parameters to account for the multiple factors contributing to the nonideal transport behavior. The simulation results indicate that local-scale physical heterogeneity controlled the nonideal transport behavior of trichloroethene in the undisturbed core, and that nonlinear, rate-limited sorption/desorption were of secondary importance.
Some Notable Features of an Automatic Distance Dialing System

There have been significant technological advancements in recent years in the automation of handling, switching, and accounting of telephone toll calls and other operator-assistance types of calls. The concept of the Traffic Service Position has been developed to speed and standardize human operations for all kinds of calls involving operators. Several features of the ADDDS system installed at Las Vegas, Nev., for the Central Telephone Company of Southern Nevada are described. A wide versatility of the operator position readily accommodates various difficult to handle categories of calls, such as time-and-charge, delayed, emergency, leave word, paystation calls, and others. An extremely effective system is used to monitor and control traffic to the operators under congestion conditions and to predict and adjust operator force size. A fully automatic scheme is used to deliver time-and-charge-information for calls made by guests of hotels, using teletypewriter techniques, within a few seconds of completion of the calls. A special solid-state and ferrite core computer serves the triple function of computing charges for: 1) Prepay coin telephone calls 2) Time-and-charge calls for hotel guests 3) All calls that are machine ticketed for preparation of billing. This system, cut into service in November 1964, serving approximately 80 000 subscribers and producing 15 to 20 thousand tickets a day, is equipped with 120 operator positions.
The semi-ab initio (SA) approach to chemistry

The relative values of current theoretical approaches are reviewed in relation to their use by chemists as practical aids to experiment, in particular in studies of reaction mechanisms and chemical reactivity. In this connection, all current procedures, ab initio and semi-empirical alike, are wholly empirical and the choice between them should be made solely on the basis of their relative performance. Current semi-empirical methods have been restricted by the crudity of the approximations on which they had to be based to enable chemists to apply them to the molecules in which they were interested. The best treatments of this kind have nevertheless proved of major value, competing with ab initio procedures that need far more computing time
Mezlocillin Enteral Absorption in Rabbits

To determine the role of enterohepatic recirculation on its nonlinear elimination, we studied the enteral absorption of mezlocillin in rabbits. Mezlocillin was not substantially absorbed from the stomach or duodenum. We conclude that enterohepatic recirculation does not cause the dose-dependent elimination kinetics of mezlocillin.
Treatment of Neck Laxity with Radiofrequency and Infrared Light

Neck rejuvenation predominantly targets skin laxity, with a lesser emphasis on rhytides and photoaging. Neck laxity may increase with age due to progressive prominence of platysmal bands, loss of bony mass along the mandible and mental region, increased subcutaneous fat, and loosening of the connective tissue framework. Additionally, photoaging may result in progressive solar elastosis, which may contribute to rhytides, laxity, and poor texture. Important limitations to treatment include the anterior location of the thyroid and parathyroid glands, which must be shielded from deeply penetrating wavelengths. The increased scarring risk on chest secondary to pulsed light indicates a potential increased scarring risk on the inferior aspect of the neck as compared to face, thus necessitating greater care and lower fluences in this region. Overall, neck rejuvenation targets skin laxity bringing skin tightening technologies to the forefront in this category.
Abstract 31: Rate of Change in Memory Functioning Before and After Stroke Onset

Introduction: Although memory impairment is both a predictor and a consequence of stroke, memory decline is common even in healthy elderly. We use a prospective cohort to describe the long-term tra...
Electron-Radiation-Induced Epitaxial Growth of CoSi2 on Si(111)

We report electron-radiation-induced epitaxial growth of CoSi2 on Si(111) from an amorphous Co/Si 1:2 mixture with epitaxial CoSi2 nuclei. Under the electron beam of a Philips EM430 electron microscope, the epitaxial nuclei grow parallel to the surface with a growth rate orders of magnitude higher than that for thermally activated growth. The substrate temperature during irradiation and the electron energy dependence were studied. Electron-radiation-induced growth shows very weak temperature dependence in the temperatures between 100°K and 300°K and the activation energy is 0.03 eV. The growth rate increases significantly as the electron energy increased to 200 KeV which is about the threshold energy for displacing Si atoms.
Modeling PCN-61 and PCN-66: Isostructural rht-Metal–Organic Frameworks with Distinct CO2 Sorption Mechanisms

Simulations of CO2 sorption were performed in two members of the highly tunable rht-metal–organic framework (MOF) platform: PCN-61 and PCN-66. These MOFs differ only in the triisophthalate ligand used to synthesize the respective MOFs. In PCN-61, the center of the ligand contains a benzene ring; this ring is substituted with a triphenylamine group in PCN-66. There are two chemically distinct Cu2+ ions that comprise the copper paddlewheels, [Cu2(O2CR)4], in all rht-MOFs. One type of Cu2+ ion, denoted Cu1, projects into the truncated tetrahedral (T–Td) and truncated octahedral (T–Oh) cages, while the other Cu2+ ion, denoted Cu2, projects into the cuboctahedral (cub–Oh) cages. Electronic structure calculations revealed that, in PCN-61, the Cu2 ions have a significantly higher partial positive charge than the Cu1 ions, whereas the opposite was observed in PCN-66. The simulations revealed that the CO2 molecules sorb initially onto the Cu2+ ions that have the higher partial positive charge, i.e., the Cu2 ions i...
Encapsulation of an Enzyme Cascade within the Bacteriophage P22 Virus-Like Particle

Developing methods for investigating coupled enzyme systems under conditions that mimic the cellular environment remains a significant challenge. Here we describe a biomimetic approach for constructing densely packed and confined multienzyme systems through the co-encapsulation of 2 and 3 enzymes within a virus-like particle (VLP) that perform a coupled cascade of reactions, creating a synthetic metabolon. Enzymes are efficiently encapsulated in vivo with known stoichiometries, and the kinetic parameters of the individual and coupled activities are characterized. From the results we develop and validate a mathematical model for predicting the expected kinetics for coupled reactions under co-localized conditions.
The Polygonal Inequalities

(1964). The Polygonal Inequalities. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 71, No. 7, pp. 755-760.
Role of basic fibroblast growth factor in proliferation of endothelium and smooth muscle after denuding injury in vivo.

Balloon catheter injury of the rat common carotid artery causes complete denudation of endothelium. Using this model, endothelial regrowth from the aortic arch and the carotid bifurcation is initially rapid but cessation of endothelial outgrowth occurs after approximately 6 weeks [1]. This leaves a central portion of the common carotid artery permanently denuded of endothelium. However, if a less traumatic technique (filament loop denudation) is used to remove the endothelium, proliferation of endothelium proceeds at a continuously high rate until complete coverage of the vessel is achieved within approximately 12 weeks. The difference in endothelial regrowth in these two models allowed us to investigate which factors might be involved in controlling the growth of these cells. With an antibody raised against human recombinant basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) immunocytochemistry was performed on en face (Hautchen) preparations of the leading edge of the regenerating endothelium. Strong staining with this antibody was found only in those endothelial cells that continued to proliferate, i.e. at early times after balloon catheter denudation and at all times after filament denudation [1]. The staining appeared to be predominantly nuclear. Endothelial cells that had stopped proliferating, i.e. at later times after balloon catheter injury or normal endothelium in uninjured vessels showed markedly less staining.
Make Prose Teaching Full of Poetic

It has a unique advantage in carrying out the aesthetic education for prose teaching.Its emotion,mood,philosophy,language,as well as poly-shaped bulk of the overall image provides a multidimensional perspective for us to grasp the beauty of prose.
Particulate PAHs and n-alkanes in the air over Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, n-alkanes and polar organic compounds were investigated in the marine atmosphere of Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Sea, in the frame of the scientific cruise of Urania ship between 27 July and 11 August 2013. The PM10 fraction of aerosol to which most organic substances are associated, were collected daily; contemporarily, gaseous regulated toxicants (ozone, nitrogen oxides and carbon oxide) and carbonyls were recorded. Samplings were carried out in front of Palermo and Messina, respectively the start and end harbors, and along the cruise, both in movement (transects, N = 14) and at stops (N = 11). Total PAHs ranged from 0.06 ng/m(3) up to 1.8 ng/m(3), with the maximums observed close to harbors. Unlike total concentrations that were in general comparable, the percent composition of PAHs was distinct for harbors, transects and stops, which allowed to draw insights about the pollution sources impact. Concentrations of n-alkanes (C18-C35) ranging from 6.7 to 43 ng/m(3) were quantified. The carbonyls evaluation revealed relatively high concentrations of formaldehyde (∼4-24 μg/m(3)) and acetone (∼5-35 μg/m(3)) near harbors, and of acrolein (up to 12 μg/m(3)) offshore, while benzaldehyde was quite independent of the site type (≈0.5 μg/m(3)). Nicotine and caffeine were detected, at different extents (0.0-2.2 ng/m(3) and 0.01-0.17 ng/m(3), respectively), in ca. 70% and 100% of samples. Alkyl phthalates ranged from 2.7 to 67 ng/m(3) and showed variable percentages in the samples. Finally, traces of N,N-diethyl-meta-toluene amide (up to 0.4 ng/m(3)) were found at all sites.