cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Einwirkung von konzentrierter Salzsäure auf Lävoglucosan, III

Bei der Reaktion von Lavoglucosan (1.6-Anhydro-D-glucopyranose, 1) mit konzentrierter Salzsaure entsteht nicht, wie fruher1) angenommen wurde, ein Isomeres von 1, sondern ein Gemisch aus D-Glucose (26%), Isomaltose (12%), Gentiobiose (3%), Cellobiose (1%) und Polysacchariden (53%) mit α- und β-1 6-Bindungen. Das Gemisch kann durch Saulenchromatographie an Kohle/Celite, Papierchromatographie und Dialyse aufgetrennt werden. Der Reaktionsmechanismus wird diskutiert, IR-Spektren werden mitgeteilt. Reaction of Concentrated Hydrochloric Acid with Levoglucosan, III1) The reaction of levoglucosan (1,6-anhydro-D-glucopyranose, 1) with concentrated hydrochloric acid does not, as assumed previously1), lead to an isomer of 1, but to a mixture of D-glucose (26%), isomaltose (12%), gentiobiose (3%), cellobiose (1%) and polysaccharides (53%) with α-and β-1 6-bonding. The mixture can be separated by column chromatography on coal/celite, by paper chromatography, and by dialysis. The reaction mechanism is discussed and the IR-spectra are given.
Risk factors for cervical spine injury.

INTRODUCTION: The early recognition of cervical spine injury remains a top priority of acute trauma care. Missed diagnoses can lead to exacerbation of an existing injury and potentially devastating consequences. We sought to identify predictors of cervical spine injury. METHODS: Trauma registry records for blunt trauma patients cared for at a Level I Trauma Centre from 1997 to 2002 were examined. Cervical spine injury included all cervical dislocations, fractures, fractures with spinal cord injury, and isolated spinal cord injuries. Univariate and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were calculated to identify potential risk factors. Variables and two-way interaction terms were subjected to multivariate analysis using backward conditional stepwise logistic regression. RESULTS: Data from 18,644 patients, with 55,609 injuries, were examined. A total of 1255 individuals (6.7%) had cervical spine injuries. Motor Vehicle Collision (MVC) (odds ratio (OR) of 1.61 (1.26, 2.06)), fall (OR of 2.14 (1.63, 2.79)), age 15 (OR of 7.55 (6.16-9.25)), were all significant individual predictors of cervical spine injury. Neither facial fracture nor head injury alone were associated with an increased risk of cervical spine injury. Significant interactions between pelvic fracture and fall and pelvic fracture and head injury were associated with a markedly increased risk of cervical spine (OR 19.6 (13.1, 28.8)) and (OR 27.2 (10.0-51.3)). CONCLUSIONS: MVC and falls were independently associated with cervical spine injury. Pelvic fracture and fall and pelvic fracture and head injury, had a greater than multiplicative interaction and high risk for cervical spine injury, warranting increased vigilance in the evaluation of patients with this combination of injuries. Language: en
Pretreatment antimüllerian hormone levels determine rate of posttherapy ovarian reserve recovery: acute changes in ovarian reserve during and after chemotherapy

Objective To identify factors associated with ovarian reserve impairment during and immediately after chemotherapy. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Four university hospitals. Patient(s) Forty-six adolescent and young adult women with a new diagnosis of cancer requiring chemotherapy. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Measurements of ovarian reserve via levels of serum follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estradiol, inhibin B, and antimullerian hormone (AMH) as well as antral follicle counts and mean ovarian volume at 3-month intervals. Result(s) Changes in ovarian reserve were quantified for both the acute impact of treatment using linear regression and the longitudinal recovery after therapy using mixed-effects models adjusted for baseline ovarian reserve, use of alkylating agent, and hormone use. The women had at least one pretreatment and two posttreatment study visits (mean follow-up interval: 12 months). All measures of ovarian reserve demonstrated statistically significant changes during chemotherapy. Alkylating agent exposure and baseline ovarian reserve were acutely associated with the magnitude of impairment, and pretreatment AMH levels were associated with the rate of recovery of AMH after treatment. In adjusted models, participants with a pretreatment AMH level >2 ng/mL recovered at a rate of 11.9% per month after chemotherapy, whereas participants with pretreatment AMH levels ≤2 ng/mL recovered at a rate of 2.6% per month after therapy. Conclusion(s) Baseline ovarian reserve and alkylating agent exposure effect the magnitude of acute changes in ovarian reserve from chemotherapy. The rate of recovery of AMH is impacted by pretreatment levels. This should be considered during pretreatment fertility preservation counseling.
Using Monte Carlo transport to accurately predict isotope production and activation analysis rates at the University of Missouri research reactor

A detailed Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code (MCNP5) model of the University of Missouri research reactor (MURR) has been developed. The ability of the model to accurately predict isotope production rates was verified by comparing measured and calculated neutron-capture reaction rates for numerous isotopes. In addition to thermal (1/v) monitors, the benchmarking included a number of isotopes whose (n, γ) reaction rates are very sensitive to the epithermal portion of the neutron spectrum. Using the most recent neutron libraries (ENDF/B-VII.0), the model was able to accurately predict the measured reaction rates in all cases. The model was then combined with ORIGEN 2.2, via MONTEBURNS 2.0, to calculate production of 99Mo from fission of low-enriched uranium foils. The model was used to investigate both annular and plate LEU foil targets in a variety of arrangements in a graphite irradiation wedge to optimize the production of 99Mo.
In vitro aging of a heat/pressure-cured composite

Specimens of a heat/pressure-cured microfill composite were aged in saline or distilled water at 37 degrees C up to 12 mon to determine if the flexure strength was affected by the aging media. No significant difference in the flexure strength was observed between the controls and the 12 mon aged specimens. Cyclic testing in distilled water resulted in a lower flexure strength at fracture than that observed for the aged specimens. This lower strength is attributed to fatigue of the silane bond, the resin matrix, and/or the filler particles.
Effects of salbutamol upon performance on an operant screen for antidepressants.

The β adrenergic (β) agonist salbutamol increased reinforcement rates and decreased response rates on a differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate (DRL) 72-S schedule.
Intra-operative iodine-125 prostatic implant following bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy

Sixty-five patients with prostatic adenocarcinoma Stages B and C were treated with intraoperative Iodine-125 prostatic implantation following bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy. Pelvic nodal metastases were found in 31% of the patients: 23% (7/31) in clinical Stage B1 disease, 29% (8/28) in clinical Stage B2, and 83% (5/6) in clinical Stage C. All the patients have been followed for a period of 1 1/2 to 6 years. Serial digital rectal examination revealed complete regression of the palpable disease in 15% of the patients at 6 months, 47% at 1 year, and 87% at 2 years. Post-operative complications were also evaluated: 13% of the patients became sexually impotent, 11% had impaired potency after the procedure, and 16% of patients complained of dry ejaculation; and 17% developed scrotal and/or penile swelling, which persisted up to 14 months, but usually subsided within 5 months. Two patients developed local recurrence. Both patients responded to subsequent external radiation therapy of 7000 rad in 11 to 14 weeks with clinical regression of palpable disease.
Asset-pricing implications of biologically based non-expected utility

Results in population ecology suggest that evolutionary successful species should have an adaptive (reference-based) S-shaped utility function that is intrinsically more sensitive to aggregate than uninsured idiosyncratic shocks—the former cannot be diversified demographically. To test the asset-pricing relevance of these ideas, I embed the non-expected utility specification implied by evolutionary theory into an economy with partial risk sharing due to limited commitment. For the benchmark specification (CRRA=6 over gains), Monte Carlo simulations of a Markov growth economy produce the following results: (i) matching the degree of consumption-smoothing in the cross section, the Sharpe ratio for a Lucas tree is 0.33, an increase of 44 percent relative to expected utility; (ii) the risk-free rate is low, stable and counter-cyclical, hence equity returns, unlike in the expected utility case, have the correct pattern of predictability; (iii) in the cross section, excess returns across equity classes exhibit both a value premium and a size discount with risk adjusted returns that are at least two times higher than their expected utility counterparts.
Sim-Watchdog: Leveraging Temporal Similarity for Anomaly Detection in Dynamic Graphs

Graphs are widely used to characterize relationships or information flows among entities in large networks or distributed systems. In this work, we propose a systematic framework that leverages temporal similarity inherent in dynamic graphs for anomaly detection. This framework relies on the Neyman-Pearson criterion to choose similarity measures with high discriminative power for online anomaly detection in dynamic graphs. We formulate the problem rigorously, and after establishing its inapproximibility result, we develop a greedy algorithm for similarity measure selection. We apply this framework to dynamic graphs generated from email communications among thousands of employees in a large research institution and demonstrate that it works effectively on a set of more than 100 candidate graph similarity measures.
Alternative delivery of a 4Fr lumenless pacing lead in children

Background: The potential advantages of using a 4Fr lumenless pacing lead (3830 SelectSecure™, Medtronic Inc, Minneapolis, MN, USA) in children are largely negated due to the large size of the delivery system. Here we describe an innovative, sheath guided, delivery technique using conventional 5F sheaths. Methods: Transvenous access was obtained via the left cephalic or axillary vein. A 5Fr introducer set with a 45° curved tip (CheckFlo® Performer® Introducer Set with the Children's Hospital Boston Modification, Cook Medical Inc, Bloomington, IN, USA) was placed over a wire into the right atrium (RA) or right ventricle (RV). The sheath was modified by cutting off the valved end and a SelectSecure™ lead was introduced through the sheath. Rotating the sheath provided steerability and allowed for precise placement of the lead. After successful lead placement, the sheath was removed with a universal sheath splitter. Results: We placed seven atrial and six ventricular leads in eight patients during nine separate cases with this method. Patient ages and weights ranged from 5 to 16 years and 16 to –59 kg respectively. Pacing thresholds were excellent at implant. Leads were placed successfully in all attempts. There were no procedural complications. One patient had leads placed twice; both lead systems were removed for suspected infection. Over short-term follow-up in five patients, lead position and characteristics have remained stable. Conclusion: Delivery of the SelectSecure™ lead in children can be successfully and precisely performed using a modified 5Fr sheath obviating the need for a large steerable delivery system.
Play and social skills in maltreated and non-maltreated preschoolers during peer interactions.

Abstract Objective: The goal of the study was to investigate whether maltreated children differ from nonmaltreated children with regard to their social skills and play behaviors. Method: The social skills and free-play behaviors of 30 3- to 5-year-old maltreated and nonmaltreated children were compared. Fifteen children with a range of maltreatment experiences drawn from a hospital-based therapeutic nursery treatment program and 15 demographically similar children drawn from a home-based Head Start program participated in the study. All children were of low socioeconomic status. Children’s free-play peer interactions were videotaped during the first 3 months of attendance in either program and analyzed along social and cognitive dimensions. Teachers and therapists rated children’s social skills in peer interactions. Results: Maltreated children were found to have significantly poorer skill in initiating interactions with peers and maintaining self-control, as well as a greater number of problem behaviors. Significant differences were not found between groups with regard to social participation or cognitive level of play. Significant correlations of moderate strength were found between social participation in play and social skills for the sample as a whole: total social skills score was positively related to interactive play, and negatively related to solitary play. Conclusion: The results suggest that the experience of maltreatment has a negative impact on children’s developing interpersonal skills above and beyond the influence of factors associated with low socioeconomic status and other environmental stressors.
The Dynamics and Economics of Channel Marketing Systems

Understanding the economics and dynamics of channel marketing systems is the keystone to implementing successful channel marketing strategies.
Cyst formation and growth in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

Cyst formation and growth in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Previous morphologic studies on kidneys from adult patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) indicates that the cysts developed from nephrons and collecting ducts in association with hyperplasia of epithelial cells lining the cyst walls. In the present study, we systematically evaluated by scanning electron microscopy 387 cysts in polycystic kidneys obtained from 10 adult patients. Some cysts were lined by cells typical of collecting duct (7.2%), proximal tubule (1.8%) or glomerular visceral (2.1%) epithelium. The remaining cysts were lined by a single layer of phenotypically undefined (84.0%) or markedly hyperplastic (4.9%) epithelium. The median plane surface area of individual cells within cysts was 182 × 10 -8 cm 2 . Among all cysts the surface area of single epithelial cells ranged between 22 and 2530 × 10 -8 cm 2 , but within single cysts the range of individual cell surface areas was more narrow. Mean cell surface area did not increase in direct proportion to cyst diameter; thus, epithelial hyperplasia is a central element in the progressive enlargement of cysts. In some cysts hyperplasia was accentuated by projections into cyst lumens of polyps, small adenomas and cord–like arrangements of cells. Epithelial polyps were found in the cysts of one non-azotemic patient, excluding renal failure as a cause of this accentuated type of epithelial proliferation. Morphologic evidence that cysts compressed adjacent renal parenchyma was observed in all kidneys. In 11 cysts bisected and then both halves thoroughly examined by scanning electron microscopy, one or two tubule openings were seen in one of the hemisections in three cysts (27.3%). The absence of tubule connections in 72.7% indicates that the intracavitary fluid probably derives from net transepithelial secretion in most cysts. On the basis of this study, we suggest that in ADPKD the major determinants of cyst enlargement are sustained epithelial hyperplasia and the sequestration of fluid delivered to cysts by transepithelial secretion and glomerular filtration.
Effect of calcium on skeletal development, bone loss, and risk of fractures.

Abstract In assessing the role of calcium, it must be stressed that calcium is not the cause of bone health but simply a necessary condition for it. It is mechanical usage that is of primary importance for bone. In just the same way iron is essential for hemoglobin synthesis and protein is essential for muscle mass, but neither is sufficient by itself. What, then, ought we to expect from a high calcium intake? Can we prevent estrogen-withdrawal bone loss? No. Calcium is not a substitute for estrogen, anymore than it is a substitute for exercise. Will calcium slow the remodeling loss that occurs with aging? Yes, to some extent; as calcium slows remodeling, it will inevitably slow remodeling-related loss. But most importantly, a high calcium intake will prevent calcium-deficiency bone loss. The only question, therefore, is the extent to which calcium deficiency loss may contribute significantly to bone fragility in various populations. The bone loss and fracture data reviewed briefly here indicate that an important portion of the osteoporotic fracture burden is calcium-related. What that portion is will be a function of the fraction of the population with inadequate intakes in any given country. Better than half of all adult American women have calcium intakes Calcium intakes of ≥1,500 mg are both safe and natural. While not all bone loss and low trauma fractures are due to low calcium intake, some almost certainly are. Adaptation to low intakes does occur, but it is seldom sufficient to compensate for the low intake. We cannot easily distinguish those who need more calcium from those who need less, and for that reason it makes good sense to ensure an adequate calcium intake for the entire adult population. What should that intake be? During adolescence, 1,500 mg will come close to ensuring the achievement of genetically programmed levels of peak bone mass. And for adults, the intakes endorsed by the 1984 Consensus Conference [38] still appear to be the best estimates: 1,000 mg/day for estrogen-replete women and 1,500 mg/day for estrogen-deprived women.
The adsorption and elutability of albumin, IgG, and fibronectin on radiofrequency plasma deposited polystyrene

Abstract Because protein adsorption is extremely rapid, cells seeded on a substrate in culture medium containing serum are more likely to interact with an adsorbed protein layer than to make direct contact with the surface. Therefore, the composition of the protein layer adsorbed from serum and the conformation of the protein molecules are probably important factors for later cellular events. We measured albumin and IgG adsorption from 10% serum onto polystyrene substrates that had been modified by radiofrequency plasma deposition from mixtures of oxygen and acetone vapor. Despite different surface chemistries, all treated substrates adsorb similar amounts of albumin and IgG from serum. However, the resistance of both adsorbed proteins to elution by sodium dodecyl sulfate was found to increase with the oxygen content of the substrates. In addition, when the treated surfaces are precoated with pure solutions of albumin or IgG, the subsequent binding of fibronectin increases with surface oxygen.
The Los Alamos free electron laser oscillator: Optical performance

Abstract During nearly a year of oscillator experiments, the Los Alamos free electron laser has demonstrated high-power and diffraction-limited output capabilities with continuous wavelength tunability in the infrared. A conventional L-hand rf linear accelerator produced a 100-μs-long, 2000-pulse train of 35-ps-wide electron-beam pulses with peak currents to 50 A and nominal energy of 20 MeV. Small-signal gain in excess of 40% was generated in a 1-m, plane-polarized, uniform-period undulator for wavelengths between 9 and 11 μm. Best performance included an electron-energy extraction efficiency of ∼1%, 10-MW peak output power, and a corresponding average power of 6 kW over a 90-μs pulse train. A Strehl ratio of 0.9 characterized the output spatial beam quality.
Proton NMR investigation of the influence of subunit assembly on the low-spin ⇌ high-spin equilibrium of met-azido hemoglobin A

Abstract The 1H nuclear magnetic resonance signals for the side-chain labile protons of the proximal His-F8 in met-azido derivatives of the isolated chains and intact tetramer of hemoglobin have been identified. Assignment of the two peaks to the individual subunits of the intact tetramer was effected by the basis of the strong similarity of shift of one of the two peaks to that of met-azido semi-hemoglobin, where hemes occupy primarily the α subunits, with the heme cavity vacant in the adjacent β subunits. The magnitudes of the hyperfine shift for both the His-F8 ring NH and the heme methyls reflect the degree of high-spin character in the thermal spin equilibrium between the high-spin, S = 5 2 , and low-spin, S = 1 2 , states. The changes in these shifts upon tetramer assembly demonstrate that formation of the intersubunit contacts in the R-state met-azido hemoglobin from the isolated chains causes a slight decrease in high-spin character of the α (22 to 20%) and a marked increase (5 to 11%) in the high-spin character of the β subunits. The changes in spin-character are interpreted in terms of slight increase and decrease in the strength of the iron-His F8 bond upon tetramer assembly in the α and β subunits, respectively. These changes in axial bonding upon forming R-state intersubunit contacts are consistent with previous observation on forming the R-state deoxy Hb tetramer from the isolated chains (Nagai, K., La Mar, G.N., Jue, T. and Bunn, H.F. (1982) Biochemistry 21, 842–847).
Evaluation of fluothane for clinical anaesthesia.

Le Fluothane, CF3CHClBr, est un agent anesthesique par inhalation; il est puissant, non explosif et non inflammable, a ľUnversite Duke, nous ľavons admimstre a 500 malades pour en etudier les effets. Toutes sqrtes ďoperations ont ete pratiquees chez des malades dont ľâge vanait de 8 mois a 73 ans. Nous avons present une premedication ordinaire en surveillant toutefois que des doses adequates de medicaments anticholmergiques soient admimstrees pour prevenir la bradycardie durant ľanesthesie
Pressure dependence of intersystem crossing in anthracene and two derivatives at 77°K

Fluorescence lifetimes τf of anthracene, 9,10-diphenylanthracene and 9-methylanthracene have been measured as a function of pressure to 30 kbar at 77°K. An anomalous ≈three-fold increase in τf, observed for anthracene at high pressures, is attributed to prohibition of S1⇝T2 intersystem crossing as a result of relative energy level shifts under pressure
Internal structure of polyelectrolyte multilayers probed via neutral impact collision ion scattering spectroscopy

Layering in polyelectrolyte multilayer films has been studied by neutral impact collision ion scattering spectroscopy. The method affords a direct look at vertical ordering within these films at th...
Exploring National Surgical Quality Improvement Program respiratory comorbidities: developing a predictive understanding of postoperative respiratory occurrences, Clavien 4 complications, and death.

Abstract Background For preoperative risk stratification, little is known about the implications of respiratory comorbidities in relation to postoperative complications in the diverse population of surgical patients. We hypothesized that patients with preoperative respiratory comorbidities would be at increased risk of postoperative respiratory occurrences and death. Methods Under the data use agreement and with the approval of the Henry Ford Health System Institutional Review Board (IRB #6830), we reviewed 5 y (2005–2009) of National Surgical Quality Improvement Program participant use files. Respiratory comorbidities were defined as current smoker, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, dyspnea, and current pneumonia. Respiratory outcomes tracked in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program included reintubation, postoperative pneumonia, and prolonged ventilation. We defined Clavien 4 and 5 outcomes to include postoperative septic shock, postoperative dialysis, pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, prolonged ventilatory requirements, need for reintubation, and death. Results Of 971,455 patients identified, 361,412 had respiratory comorbidities. As the number of respiratory comorbidities increased, we found a statistically significant increase in the occurrence of postoperative respiratory adverse events, including Clavien 4 and 5 complications. Multivariate regression analysis showed that respiratory comorbidities and age were independent predictors of mortality. All data reported here were significant at P Conclusions This study showed a significant association between respiratory comorbidities and postoperative adverse events, including Clavien 4 complications and death. Further prospective studies are required to explore this association.
The 103 law for the volume dependence of superexchange

Abstract We have analyzed various experimental results relevant to the dependence of super-exchange on inter-ion distance. These include the variation of the magnetic transition temperatures with pressure, the value of the Curie constants and the anomalies of volume and of angle. Our analysis leads to the conclusion that exchange interactions in simple insulating materials vary as the −10 3 power of the volume. Application of this law to the evaluation of exchange interactions is discussed.
Applying the Transactional Stress and Coping Model to Sickle Cell Disorder and Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus: Identifying Psychosocial Variables Related to Adjustment and Intervention.

This review paper examines the literature on psychosocial factors associated with adjustment to sickle cell disease and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in children through the framework of the transactional stress and coping (TSC) model. The transactional stress and coping model views adaptation to a childhood chronic illness as mediated by several psychosocial factors. This review examines the utility of the model in explaining adjustment in two different childhood diseases, identifies needed research and intervention targets, as well as highlights potential changes to the model. The major conclusions of this review suggest that, in addition to child-specific factors, family functioning is an area that interventions should address in sickle cell disease and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
Local Electrochemical Functionality in Energy Storage Materials and Devices by Scanning Probe Microscopies: Status and Perspectives

Energy storage and conversion systems are an integral component of emerging green technologies, including mobile electronic devices, automotive, and storage components of solar and wind energy economics. Despite the rapidly expanding manufacturing capabilities and wealth of phenomenological information on the macroscopic device behaviors, the microscopic mechanisms underpinning battery and fuel cell operations in the nanometer-micrometer range are virtually unknown. This lack of information is due to the dearth of experimental techniques capable of addressing elementary mechanisms involved in battery operation, including electronic and ion transport, vacancy injection, and interfacial reactions, on the nanometer scale. In this article, a brief overview of scanning probe microscopy (SPM) methods addressing nanoscale electrochemical functionalities is provided and compared with macroscopic electrochemical methods. Future applications of emergent SPM methods, including near field optical, electromechanical, microwave, and thermal probes and combined SPM-(S)TEM (scanning transmission electron microscopy) methods in energy storage and conversion materials are discussed.
The Prevalence of Chronic Diseases and Multimorbidity in Primary Care Practice: A PPRNet Report

Introduction: Multimorbidity (multiple chronic illnesses) greatly affects the delivery of health care and assessment of health care quality. There is a lack of basic epidemiologic data on multimorbidity in the United States. This article addresses the prevalence of 24 chronic illnesses and multimorbidity from primary care practices across the United States. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the PPRNet, a practice-based research network among 226 practices in 43 states that maintains a clinical database derived from a common electronic health record. Practices providing data as of October 1, 2011, and their active adult patients comprised the population used for analyses. The prevalence of each chronic illness and multimorbidity were calculated. Results: Included in these analyses were 148 practices with 667,379 active patients. Median prevalence across practices ranged from 35.8% for hypertension to 0.23% for Parkinson disease, with wide variability among practices for all conditions. Multimorbidity increased steeply with age, leveling off at age 80; overall, 45.2% of patients had more than one chronic illness. Conclusion: Multimorbidity is a prevalent problem in primary care practice, a finding with implications for health care delivery and payment, quality assessment, and research.
Alternate Capping Mechanisms for Transcription of Spring Viremia of Carp Virus: Evidence for Independent mRNA Initiation

Two alternate mechanisms of mRNA capping for spring viremia of carp virus have been observed. Under normal reaction conditions, a ppG residue of the capping GTP is transferred to a pA moiety of the 5' termini of mRNA transcripts. However, in reaction conditions where GppNHp is used instead of GTP, an alternate capping mechanism occurs whereby a pG residue of the capping GTP is transferred to a ppA moiety of the transcripts. The first mechanism is identical to that described previously for vesicular stomatitis virus (G. Abraham, D. P. Rhodes, and A. K. Banerjee, Nature [London] 255:37-40, 1975; A. K. Banerjee, S. A. Moyer, and D. P. Rhodes, Virology 61:547-558, 1974), and thus appears to be a conserved function during the evolution of rhabdoviruses. The alternate mechanism of capping indicates not only that capping can take place by two procedures, but also that the substrate termini have di- or triphosphate 5' ends, indicating that they are probably independently initiated. An analog of ATP, AppNHp, has been found to completely inhibit the initiation of transcription by spring viremia of carp virus, suggesting that a cleavage between the beta and gamma phosphates of ATP is essential for the initiation of transcription. However, in the presence of GppNHp, uncapped (ppAp and pppAp), capped (GpppAp), and capped methylated (m7GpppAmpAp and GpppAmpAp) transcripts are detected. Size analyses of oligodeoxythymidylic acid-cellulose-bound transcripts resolved by formamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated that full-size mRNA transcripts are synthesized as well as larger RNA species. The presence of GppNHp and S-adenosylhomocysteine in reaction mixtures did not have any effect on the type of unmethylated transcription products. Our results favor a transcription model postulated previously (D. H. L. Bishop, in H. Fraenkel-Conrat and R. R. Wagner, ed., Comprehensive Virology, vol. 10, Plenum Press, New York, 1977; D. H. L. Bishop and A. Flamand, in D. C. Burke and W. C. Russell, ed., Control Processes in Virus Multiplication, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1975; D. H. L. Bishop and M. S. Smith, in D. Nayak, ed., The Molecular Biology of Animal Viruses, Marcel Dekker, New York, 1977; P. Roy and D. H. L. Bishop, J. Virol. 11:487-501, 1973) in which mRNA synthesis is initiated independently; they do not support a model for transcripts being synthesized by plus-strand cleavage (A. K. Banerjee, G. Abraham, and R. J. Colonno, J. Gen. Virol. 34:1-8, 1977; A. K. Banerjee, R. J. Colonno, D. Testa, and M. T. Franze-Fernandez, in B. M. J. Mahy and R. D. Barry, ed., Negative Strand Viruses and the Host Cells, Academic Press, London, 1978).
A Decision Model for Closed Queuing Networks

This paper considers a computer configuration design problem. The computer system is modeled by a closed queuing network. The system throughput is the objective function to be maximized and the speed of the devices are the decision variables. A rich class of non-linear cost functions is considered.
Prospects For Near-Real-Time Holographic Displays Using Electronic Recording Techniques

AbstractA system for video recording of holograms using phase modulation of the reference waveand heterodyne detection of only the cross - interference terms is described. The system per-mits nearly complete use of the limited spatial resolution capability of an image dissectorcamera for recording object wave information. The method has been used to record hologramsof simple objects. Results are presented and system requirements for extension to complexobjects and to quasi- real -time display are discussed.IntroductionRemote electronic recording, transmission, and display of visual information using com-bined holographic and video techniques is a subject of continuing interest and periodic in-vestigation1,2,3,4. Difficulties arise in the implementation of such systems, however, be-cause here, in contrast to holographic interferometry systems, the recording medium must becapable of resolving the complete spatial frequency spectrum of an object wave. The systemdescribed in this paper reduces or eliminates these difficulties by the use of a phase mod-ulated reference wave and heterodyne signal detection.BackgroundOptical holography has as its basis the formation and recording of the interferencepattern between two waves -- an object wave and a reference wave. One component of thispattern, which results from interference between the object and reference waves, is an in-tensity distribution which is proportional to the complex amplitude of the object wave. Itis this cross - interference component (CI) which, when illuminated by a duplicate of thereference wave, will lead to an exact reproduction of the object wave. Unfortunately, though,the interference pattern also contains information resulting from self interference (SI) ofthe object wave and of the reference wave. These latter components, when illuminated forreconstruction, produce undesired waves, or noise, which can severely degrade the recon-structed object wave if measures are not taken to avoid this.The conventional photographic recording technique for holograms is to provide for an an-gular separation between object and reference wave propagation directions, as shown inFigure 1. This "off- axis" recording geometry produces a corresponding angular separation of
TRP CHANNELS IN C. ELEGANS

▪ Abstract The TRP (transient receptor potential) superfamily of cation channels is present in all eukaryotes, from yeast to mammals. Many TRP channels have been studied in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, revealing novel biological functions, regulatory modes, and mechanisms of localization. C. elegans TRPV channels function in olfaction, mechanosensation, osmosensation, and activity-dependent gene regulation. Their activity is regulated by G protein signaling and polyunsaturated fatty acids. C. elegans TRPPs related to human polycystic kidney disease genes are expressed in male-specific neurons. The KLP-6 kinesin directs TRPP channels to cilia, where they may interact with F0/F1 ATPases. A sperm-specific TRPC channel, TRP-3, is required for fertilization. Upon sperm activation, TRP-3 translocates from an intracellular compartment to the plasma membrane to allow store-operated Ca2+ entry. The TRPM channels GON-2 and GTL-2 regulate Mg2+ homeostasis and Mg2+ uptake by intestinal cells; GON-2 is also re...
Efficient Storage Management for Object-based Flash Memory

Flash memory has become increasingly popular in today’s storage systems. However, replacing hard drives with flash memory in current systems often either requires major file system changes or causes performance degradation due to the limitations of block-based interface and out-of-place updates required by flash. To alleviate this problem, we propose an object-based model for flash memory that gives the hardware and firmware the ability to optimize performance for the underlying implementation. Based on this model, we propose two new data placement policies that exploit richer information from an object-based interface. Using simulation, we show that cleaning overhead can be reduced by up to 9% by separating data and metadata. Segregating the access time from metadata can further reduce the cleaning overhead by up to 23%.
Marital Communication and the Persistence of Misunderstanding

This research examined spouses' understanding of their partners and the relation of understanding to the amount of communication in marriage. The results showed that spouses overestimated agreement with their partners; therefore, understanding scores were low after response similarity (i.e. agreement) was factored out. Reported communication had a complex relation to understanding. Communication had a slight positive association with wives' understanding of husbands' instrumental perceptions and a negative association with wives' understanding of companionate perceptions. Communication was not associated with husbands' understanding scores. The results partly supported previous research in which communication had a stronger relation to understanding of instrumental perceptions than to understanding of abstract, relational (i.e. companionate) perceptions.
Selective growth of diamond crystals on the apex of silicon pyramids

Diamond crystals have been selectively grown on the apex of anisotropically chemically etched silicon pyramids. A novel process sequence is developed which exposes a patterned sharp apex of silicon pyramids surrounded by thermally grown silicon dioxide to a high pressure microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (HPMACVD) process where the reactant feed gases are methane and hydrogen. The nucleation rate of diamond is very high on the sharp edge of a silicon mesa structure or an apex of a silicon pyramid, as anticipated. Selective growth of diamond particles on the apex of silicon pyramids fabricated using various approaches was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy.
Gait Variability while walking with three different speeds

Gait Variability is defined as changes in gait parameters from one stride to the next. Gait variability increases in individuals affected by neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease and Huntington disease, and also with falls in the elderly and incident mobility disability. In this work, we study speed-related and age-related gait variabilities in healthy adults. Ten participants, five females (three young and two middle-aged) and five males (three young and two middle-aged) were recruited to walk on an instrumented treadmill for three minutes in this study. The gait variables (stride length, stride width, stride time and stride velocity) were extracted and processed from camera motion system. Results: slow speed walking increased gait variability with all gait variables; only stride width variability was increased significantly in middle aged subjects compared with the young subjects (p≪0.05), there were no changes in other variables. Based on gait variability differences in age, height and body mass, we propose to design a knowledge-base membership function of gait variability for all the related gait variables with different heights and weights (BMI) as cofactors in each age group. An automatic diagnostic tool, Fuzzy Inferential Reasoning system, will help the clinician to identify pathological impairment from normal.
The consequences of social responsibility for small business owners in small towns

This paper focuses on three under-researched subjects in the corporate social responsibility literature: small businesses, small towns, and consequences of social responsibility for the business owner personally. Small businesses are the vast majority of businesses and make a significant contribution to national economic vitality. Their value to the survival of small towns, where they are often the only businesses, is even more important. Research indicates that the social performance of big and small businesses alike is dependent upon the values and disposition of the top decision maker. Therefore, insight into the owner's motivations for contributing to community betterment and the consequences of that behavior for the business and the owner will add to this literature. Equally important, this knowledge can inform policies aimed at increasing good citizenship for all sizes of businesses regardless of location.
Initial results of a structured rotation in hematology and transfusion medicine for anesthesiology residents

Abstract Study Objective To develop and evaluate a new curriculum in transfusion medicine for anesthesiology residents. Study Design Quasi-experimental study. Setting Single center, pilot curriculum in the anesthesiology residency program at a university-affiliated medical center. Participants Group TM consisted of residents who participated in the one month-long transfusion medicine rotation in postgraduate year 2 (PGY2; n=9). The comparison group (non-TM) consisted of residents who had no exposure to the transfusion medicine rotation (n = 21). Measurements We compared results of the 2009 American Board of Anesthesiology In-Training Exam (ABA-ITE) 2009 by residents of our program with the national performance of residents in the first clinical anesthesia year (AMG CA1=PGY-2) and second clinical anesthesia year (AMG CA2=PGY-3) on transfusion medicine/hematology knowledge. Performance on a pre-test and post-test of those who took part in the transfusion medicine curriculum, and overall performance on the ABA-ITE, of departmental residents who had and had not participated in the Transfusion Medicine curriculum within the target knowledge area of hematology/transfusion medicine and compared against national peer performance data, was assessed. An anonymous electronic survey (5-Point Likert scale) was used to assess the perceived educational value of the curriculum. Main Results Transfusion medicine-related knowledge of anesthesia residents markedly improved from the pre- to post-rotation examination and on the ABA-ITE. In the ABA-ITE 2009, the TM group performed better than their national peers (AMG CA1 and CA2) in the hematology content area. The post-rotation anonymous resident survey indicated high resident satisfaction. Conclusions A structured transfusion medicine curriculum improved anesthesiology resident knowledge in transfusion medicine and was associated with high learner satisfaction.
Progress on the gyrocon deflection-modulated amplifier

The gyrocon is a high-power deflection-modulated amplifier that can have excellent spatial bunching and, hence, high dc-to-rf conversion efficiency. A program to design and build a prototype amplifier at 450 MHz is discussed. Peak powers of 150 kW and conversion efficiencies of 23% have been measured; the testing program is being pursued to improve this performance. Some possible mechanisms for the difference between the experimental and calculated performance are discussed.
Simultaneous optimization of total power, crosstalk noise, and delay under uncertainty

Technology scaling has not only magnified the effects of device process variations, but it has also precipitated the need for simultaneous optimization of several performance metrics. In this paper, we propose a novel gate sizing approach for multi-metric optimization of delay, power, and crosstalk noise. The algorithm is based on the concepts of mathematical programming, and models the process variation uncertainty considering spatial correlations. The approach identifies leakage power, dynamic power, and crosstalk noise as the objectives, and the optimized gate delays are kept as constraints. Initially, the deterministic upper and lower bounds of the objectives are identified, and during the final step, a crisp non-linear programming problem is formulated using these boundary values. The problem is solved using KNITRO, an interior-point based optimization solver. The proposed model maximizes the variation resistance, thus providing higher yield. ITC'99 benchmarks were used to test the proposed approach, and the results indicate that our algorithm identifies the solution points that are closest to the nominal bounds, while maintaining high timing yield.
Further steps of hepatic stimulatory substance purification.

The hepatic stimulatory substance (HSS) extracted from weanling rat livers was purified 381,000-fold using chromatographic techniques including nondissociating polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (nondenaturing PAGE). The activity of this highly purified HSS, named Acr-F4, was assessed in twoin vivo models. In 40% hepatectomized rats, it produced a fivefold increase in the proliferative rate normally seen following this partial hepatectomy. In Eck fistula dogs, the level of base increase in hepatocyte renewal was amplified threefold by an infusion of Acr-F4 (50 ng/kg/day). Acr-F4 had no influence on the regenerative response of the kidney following a unilateral nephrectomy or of the bowel following a 40% resection of the small bowel. On the basis of these findings, it can be concluded that HSS (Acr-F4) has a high biological activity and is organ specific.
Fragment adaptive reduction: coping with various interferers in radio unlicensed bands

This paper studies the impact of common interferers found in unlicensed bands on 802.11 and other CSMA systems. First, we describe those interferers and the MAC techniques used to combat them. Then, we present fragment adaptive reduction, a scheme to overcome the effect of non-CSMA repetitive interferers, and it's implementation in the SWAP protocol. We also describe a simple model of domestic microwave oven interference. We finish by some exhaustive simulations of the impact of microwave oven and other interferers on 802.11, which illustrate the benefits of the fragment reduction scheme.
THE ROLE OF SUBJECTIVITY IN RECONSTRUCTING ANCESTRAL CHARACTER STATES : A BAYESIAN APPROACH TO UNKNOWN RATES, STATES, AND TRANSFORMATION ASYMMETRIES

The synthesis of data from ecology and systematics makes possible, at least in principle, the reconstruction of features of extinct ancestors. The reliability of such reconstructions, however, is a matter of considerable concern. For example, the commonly used method of parsimony character-state optimization (Farris, 1970; Hartigan, 1973; Swofford and Maddison, 1987) often (but not always) assigns unambiguous character states to internal (ancestral) nodes of fully resolved trees, but it is intuitively clear that some such assignments are more reliable than others (Fig. 1). Various probabilistic methods (including maximum-likelihood approaches) for determining the relative reliability of ancestral state assignments have been proposed, all depending on various model assumptions about character evolution (e.g., Frumhoff and Reeve, 1994; Maddison, 1995; Schluter, 1995; Schultz et al., 1996; Schluter et al., 1997; reviewed in Cunningham et al., 1998). These general models require plausible values for the parameters describing the probability of change between character states, and these values can either be estimated from the data or derived from independent sources. For example, maximum-likelihood reconstructions of nucleotide evolution (which are not necessarily explicitly concerned with ancestral states) usually derive theprobabilities of change between the four nucleotides from the relative base frequencies across all of thesequences under consideration (Felsenstein, 1981; reviewed in Swofford et al., A B A
Sentence level machine translation evaluation as a ranking problem: one step aside from BLEU

The paper proposes formulating MT evaluation as a ranking problem, as is often done in the practice of assessment by human. Under the ranking scenario, the study also investigates the relative utility of several features. The results show greater correlation with human assessment at the sentence level, even when using an n-gram match score as a baseline feature. The feature contributing the most to the rank order correlation between automatic ranking and human assessment was the dependency structure relation rather than BLEU score and reference language model feature.