cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hemorragia en pacientes con síndromes coronarios agudos: de un hallazgo molesto a un reto importante

Full English text available from: www.revespcardiol.org Las estrategias de tratamiento para el sindrome coronario agudo (SCA) se basan en el empleo de anticoagulantes, antiagregantes plaquetarios y una estratificacion invasiva del riesgo en los pacientes con alto riesgo1. Aunque esta combinacion de metodos ha llevado a la continua disminucion de los resultados adversos, las complicaciones hemorragicas siguen siendo un problema importante2. La hemorragia en pacientes con SCA o en los pacientes a los que se practica una intervencion coronaria percutanea (ICP) ha adquirido una gran importancia tras los estudios que indican que hay relacion entre las complicaciones hemorragicas y la falta de cumplimiento de la medicacion, los episodios isquemicos recurrentes y la mortalidad3. El objetivo de este articulo es revisar la incidencia de complicaciones hemorragicas en los pacientes con SCA y en los tratados con una ICP, revisar la relacion entre la hemorragia y la evolucion adversa, resumir los posibles mecanismos que subyacen a esta relacion y presentar recomendaciones para la reduccion del riesgo de hemorragia.
Single-molecule Study of Site-specific DNA Recombination by γδ Resolvase

γδ resolvase is a serine recombinase coded by γδ transposon, which catalyzes DNA recombination between two res sites (114 bp) on a negatively supercoiled circular DNA, resulting in two catenated DNA circles. Each res site contains 3 different resolvase binding sites - site I, II and III, and each binds to a resolvase dimer. We have developed a single-DNA based system whereby synapsis and recombination should lead to torsional relaxation of a single supercoiled DNA. DNA relaxation catalyzed by γδ resolvase occurs at much higher rate on DNA substrate containing 2 res sites than those containing 1 or 0 res site. Furthermore, reactions on a 2-res-site substrate show a characteristic ∼200 nm relaxation consistent with the +4 ΔLk observed to be associated with the recombination reaction in bulk experiments. We also have observed topoisomerase activity of γδ resolvase on the non-specific (0 res) DNA substrate.
Studying brain function with concurrent near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

We present concurrent NIRS-fMRI measurements on a human subject during a finger tapping test. The optical data were collected with a frequency domain experimental apparatus (ISS, Inc., Champaign IL) comprising sixteen laser sources at 690 nm, sixteen laser sources at 830 nm and four photomultiplier tube detectors. The lasers were coupled to optical fibers that led the light onto the subject's head. A special optical helmet (fMRI-compatible) with a retractable and resilient set of optical fibers was devised to improve the coupling between the fibers and the scalp. The fMRI data were collected with a 3 Tesla Siemens Trio magnetic resonance scanner and a quadrature birdcage radiofrequency coil. The spatial and temporal comparison of the fMRI and NIRS signals associated with brain activation showed a very good agreement, confirming the role of NIRS as a reliable brain monitor for functional studies.
Thorium 230 profiling in deep‐sea sediments: High‐resolution records of flux and dissolution of carbonate in the equatorial Atlantic during the last 24,000 years

Variations in carbonate flux and dissolution, which occurred in the equatorial Atlantic during the last 24,000 years, have been estimated by a new approach that allows the point-by-point determination of paleofluxes to the seafloor. An unprecedented time resolution can thus be obtained which allows sequencing of the relatively rapid events occurring during deglaciation. The method is based on observations that the flux of unsupported 230Th into deep-sea sediments is nearly independent of the total mass flux and is close to the production rate. Thus excess 230Th activity in sediments can be used as a reference against which fluxes of other sedimentary components can be estimated. The study was conducted at two sites (Ceara Rise; western equatorial Atlantic, and Sierra Leone Rise; eastern equatorial Atlantic) in cores raised from three different depths at each site. From measurements of 230Th and CaCO3, changes in carbonate flux with time and depth were obtained. A rapid increase in carbonate production, starting at the onset of deglaciation, was found in both areas. This event may have important implications for the postglacial increase in atmospheric CO2 by increasing the global carbonate carbon to organic carbon rain ratio and decreasing the alkalinity of surface waters (and possibly the North Atlantic Deep Water). Increased carbonate dissolution occurred in the two regions during deglaciation, followed by a minimum during mid-Holocene and renewed intensification of dissolution in late Holocene. During the last 16,000 years, carbonate dissolution was consistently more pronounced in the western than in the eastern basin, reflecting the influence of Antarctic Bottom Water in the west. This trend was reversed during stage 2, possibly due to the accumulation of metabolic CO2 below the level of the Romanche Fracture Zone in the eastern basin.
Parents’ Activity-Related Parenting Practices Predict Girls’ Physical Activity

Purpose Using a sample of 180 9-yr-old girls and their parents, this study examined (a) parents’ activity-related parenting strategies and similarities and differences in such strategies for mothers and fathers, and (b) links between activity-related parenting strategies and girls’ physical activity patterns.
Single Lens Dual-Aperture 3D Imaging System: Color Modeling

In an effort to miniaturize a 3D imaging system, we created two viewpoints in a single objective lens camera. This was accomplished by placing a pair of Complementary Multi-band Bandpass Filters (CMBFs) in the aperture area. Two key characteristics about the CMBFs are that the passbands are staggered so only one viewpoint is opened at a time when a light band matched to that passband is illuminated, and the passbands are positioned throughout the visible spectrum, so each viewpoint can render color by taking RGB spectral images. Each viewpoint takes a different spectral image from the other viewpoint hence yielding a different color image relative to the other. This color mismatch in the two viewpoints could lead to color rivalry, where the human vision system fails to resolve two different colors. The difference will be closer if the number of passbands in a CMBF increases. (However, the number of passbands is constrained by cost and fabrication technique.) In this paper, simulation predicting the color mismatch is reported.
Can behavior therapy be saved from triviality

Wolpe's (1997) concern about behavior therapy's drift away from experimental psychology seems valid. Behavior therapy's initial integration with basic science assured that, as the basic science progressed, so would behavior therapy. However, the seduction of lay language, combined with clinical tradition, has led us away from both behaviorism and all basic science. It is predicted that the eventual result of this drift will be that the applied science of behavior therapy will be left further and further behind and its progress will become increasingly trivial while the basic science continues to progress. Recommendations are made for steps that could reverse this unfortunate drift.
Variable ratio, polarization-insensitive, 3 x 3 fused biconical tapered couplers

3×3 couplers are increasingly being used in passive stabilization schemes for Mach-Zehnder and Sagnac effect interferometers.1 The coupling coefficients of the 3×3 couplers, Kij, play a critical role in the feedback circuits that form the backbone of the stabilization schemes.2 In practical interferometric schemes, stabilization would be easier to achieve if the electronic tuning in the feedback system were assisted by a coupler with a variable splitting ratio. The splitting ratios in the coupler would have to be insensitive to changes in the polarization state of the input light.
UNIAXIAL STRENGTH TESTING OF NON-WELDED CALICO HILLS TUFF, YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA

Abstract A detailed investigation of the strength properties of Calico Hills tuff was undertaken to further characterize the behavior of this unit. Uniaxial compression tests on 43 specimens of massive and reworked tuff show a dependence of peak strength and Young's modulus on the total porosity, and thereby on the geologic history of the Calico Hills tuff. The average Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, and compressive (peak) strength of dry specimens of massive (and reworked) tuff are: 5.43±0.96 GPa (9.80±0.89 GPa), 0.194±0.052 (0.244±0.067), and 26.34±5.13 MPa (38.64±4.96 MPa). Wet specimens of massive tuff have compressive strengths of 15.34±0.70 MPa, lower than those of dry specimens. The post-peak region for this brittle tuff is characterized by rapid load drops and well-defined residual strengths associated with growth of macrocracks and small faults in the specimens.
Rediscovering Turing's brain

The embodied AI paradigm represents a distinct shift toward an ecological perspective on intelligent behavior. I outline how Ballard et al. have made a promising advance in expanding the seat of intelligence to include sensory and motor systems, but they have not gone far enough. Sustained growth toward truly generalizable accounts of intelligent systems will also require expanding the locus of intelligence to include the environmental structure participating in intelligent behavior.
Yankeetown, Duffy, or Duffytown?: An Examination of Ceramic Variability in the Lower Ohio Valley:

A recent stylistic analysis of ceramic material from the Yankeetown site (12-W-1) of southwestern Indiana has revealed a greater diversity of decorative elements than that indicated by previous descriptions of Yankeetown Phase pottery. The analysis revealed a particularly high frequency of bar stamped rim sherds that were similar to Duffy Complex ceramics from southeastern Illinois. The results of the analysis were compared with Winters's (1967) typological description of “Duffy Decorated” ceramics and revealed a number of close affinities between Yankeetown and Duffy material culture. Furthermore, the presence of diagnostic Yankeetown Incised and Fillet ceramics on sites within the Duffy “core” area as well as apparent similarities in settlement configurations suggest that these two complexes are in fact one in the same cultural-historical unit.
The Interrelationship Between Substance Abuse and the Likelihood of Arrest, Conviction, and Re-offending in Cases of Intimate Partner Violence

The nexus between substance abuse and intimate partner violence has been studied in depth. The interrelationship between substance abuse, intimate partner violence, and the criminal justice system response and subsequent offending has not received as much attention. In this article, the authors examine the impact of substance abuse on the likelihood of an officer’s decision to make an arrest, conviction in that case, and subsequent re-offending. The authors find that while official decision-making remains unaffected by the fact that the offender has been drinking and/or using drugs, substance abuse and subsequent re-offending are inextricably interlinked. These findings highlight the need to screen domestic violence offenders for alcohol/drug abuse, and provide offenders manifesting these problems with alcohol/drug treatment in addition to batterer treatment.
A simple, precise and economical microdissection technique for analysis of genomic DNA from archival tissue sections

Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues are valuable resources for retrospective analysis of the molecular changes in DNA present in tumour tissues. One common problem that precludes an accurate DNA analysis in a human tissue sample is cellular heterogeneity. We have developed a simple and inexpensive, but micrometrically precise, microdissection technique that allows for selective isolation of minute cell clusters and even single cells from archival tissue sections. The features of our technique include use of a 30G1/2 needle affixed to a mechanical micromanipulator as a dissector sharp enough to be used for dissection of even single cells and use of the stage and focus control knobs of the microscope to scrape the target cells instead of moving the needle during microdissection. The main advantages of this technique over the current methods lie in its simplicity, low cost, easy handling and precision.
Optimal convex hull algorithms on enhanced meshes

In this paper we propose time-optimal convex hull algorithms for two classes of enhanced meshes. Our first algorithm computes the convex hull of an arbitrary set ofn points in the plane inO (logn) time on a mesh with multiple broadcasting of sizen×n. The second algorithm shows that the same problem can be solved inO (1) time on a reconfigurable mesh of sizen×n. Both algorithms achieve time lower bounds for their respective model of computation.
Effective procedures and computable functions

Horsten and Roelants have raised a number of important questions about my analysis of effective procedures and my evaluation of the Church-Turing thesis. They suggest that, on my account, effective procedures cannot enter the mathematical world because they have a built-in component of causality, and, hence, that my arguments against the Church-Turing thesis miss the mark. Unfortunately, however, their reasoning is based upon a number of misunderstandings. Effective mundane procedures do not, on my view, provide an analysis of ourgeneral concept of an effective procedure; mundane procedures and Turing machine procedures are different kinds of procedure. Moreover, the same sequence ofparticular physical action can realize both a mundane procedure and a Turing machine procedure; it is sequences of particular physical actions, not mundane procedures, which “enter the world of mathematics.” I conclude by discussing whether genuinely continuous physical processes can “enter” the world of real numbers and compute real-valued functions. I argue that the same kind of correspondence assumptions that are made between non-numerical structures and the natural numbers, in the case of Turing machines and personal computers, can be made in the case of genuinely continuous, physical processes and the real numbers.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Supported Phospholipid/Alkanethiol Bilayers on a Gold(111) Surface

Molecular dynamics simulations have been used to investigate the structure of hybrid bilayers (HB) formed by dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) lipid monolayers adsorbed on a hydrophobic alkanethiol self-assembled monolayer (SAM). The HB system was studied at 20 degrees C and 60 degrees C, and the results were compared with recent neutron reflectivity measurements (Meuse, C. W., S. Krueger, C. F. Majkrzak, J. A. Dura, J. Fu, J. T. Connor, and A. L. Plant. 1998. Biophys. J. 74:1388) and previous simulations of hydrated multilamellar bilayers (MLB) of DPPC (Tu, K., D. J. Tobias, and M. L. Klein. 1995. Biophys. J. 69:2558; and 1996. 70:595). The overall structures of the HBs are in very good agreement with experiment. The structure of the SAM monolayer is hardly perturbed by the presence of the DPPC overlayer. The DPPC layer presents characteristics very similar to the MLB gel phase at low temperature and to the liquid crystal phase at high temperature. Subtle changes have been found for the lipid/water interface of the HBs compared to the MLBs. The average phosphatidylcholine headgroup orientation is less disordered, and this produces changes in the electric properties of the HB lipid/water interface. These changes are attributed to the fact that the aqueous environment of the lipids in these unilamellar films is different from that of MLB stacks. Finally, examination of the intramolecular and whole-molecule dynamics of the DPPC molecules in the fluid phase HB and MLB membranes revealed that the reorientations of the upper part of the acyl chains (near the acyl ester linkage) are slower, the single molecule protrusions are slightly damped, and the lateral rattling motions are significantly reduced in the HB compared with the MLB.
Scheduling multihop CDMA networks in the presence of secondary conflicts

This paper presents an algorithm for producing near-optimal conflict-free schedules for networks operating under code division multiple access (CDMA). A procedure for finding a lower bound on the length of such schedules is also presented. The presence of both primary and secondary conflicts (due to imperfectly orthogonal CDMA codes) are accounted for by these algorithms. The complexity of both algorithms is analyzed and computational experience with both procedures is presented. Using the lower bound, it is shown that the heuristic is effective. The complexity analysis demonstrates that it is efficient enough to use in networks of realistic size, even when the schedules must be produced in real time.
Erythrocyte measurements of diploid and triploid Ctenopharyngodon idella x Hypophthalmichthys nobilis hybrids.

Diploid and triploid hybrids resulted when grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella, and big-head carp, Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, were experimentally hybridized. Erythrocyte size can be used to distinguish C. idella×H. nobilis hybrids of different ploidies.
Insights into the structure and molecular basis of ligand docking to the G protein-coupled secretin receptor using charge-modified amino-terminal agonist probes

The amino terminus and third loop regions of class B G protein-coupled receptors play critical roles in ligand docking and action. For the prototypic secretin receptor, the hormone amino terminus is spatially approximated with receptor region high in transmembrane segment 6 (TM6), whereas residues ranging from position 6 through 26 label the amino terminus. Here, we focus on the role of charge of the secretin amino terminus, using a series of full-agonist, acetylated probes. Sites of covalent labeling were examined using sequential purification, chemical and enzymatic cleavage, and Edman degradation. High-affinity amino-terminally-blocked probes labeled the distal amino-terminal tail, rather than TM6, while adding a basic residue, again labeled TM6. These data suggest that the secretin amino terminus docks between the amino terminus and TM6 of the receptor, with this region of secretin likely interacting with an acidic residue within the receptor TM6 and the third extracellular loop. To explore this, cand...
The effect of trans-ACPD, a metabotropic excitatory amino acid receptor agonist, on the responses of primate spinothalamic tract neurons

The responses of primate spinothalamic tract (STT) neurons to innocuous and noxious mechanical stimuli applied to the skin can be enhanced for more than an hour following prolonged noxious stimulation. This increased responsiveness is thought to reflect sensitization of dorsal horn neurons and may help account for secondary hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia. The proposal that central sensitization is due to the activation of second messenger systems was tested in this study by examining the effect of trans-ACPD (trans-d,l-1-amino-1, 3-cyclopentanedicarboxylic acid), an agonist of metabotropic excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptors, introduced into the dorsal horn by microdialysis. A low dose of trans-ACPD resulted in an increase in the responses of STT cells to an innocuous mechanical stimulus (BRUSH), but no increase in the responses to noxious mechanical and thermal stimuli or in the excitation produced by iontophoretically applied EAAs. A high dose of trans-ACPD caused a transient increase in background activity, but no change in the responsiveness of spinothalamic cells to any of the test stimuli. It is concluded that low doses of trans-ACPD can selectively enhance transmission through interneuronal pathways mediating tactile inputs to spinothalamic cells.
Solution of linear two-point boundary value problems and optimal control of time-varying systems by shifted Chebyshev approximations

Abstract A method for finding the solution of a linear two-point boundary value problem with time-varying coefficients is discussed. Properties of shifted Chebyshev series are first briefly presented and the transformation matrix relating the back vector to the current time vector together with the operational matrix are utilized to solve the two-point boundary value problems. This approach can be applied to obtain the optimal control of linear time-varying systems subject to quadratic cost criteria. An illustrative example is given.
Projecting macroeconomic outcomes: Evidence from the IMF

In the process of designing IMF-supported programs, IMF staff members prepare projections of the evolution of key macroeconomic variables for the participating country. These projections are based on countries’ initial situations, and are conditioned on the implementation of reforms and policy measures agreed in the context of programs. In this paper, we examine the accuracy of projections in 291 programs approved in the period 1993–2009. We focus on the projections of three macroeconomic variables (the ratios of the fiscal surplus to GDP and of external current account surplus to GDP, and real GDP growth) during the years immediately following the initiation of an IMF-supported program. We identify several potential reasons for divergence of projected from actual values: (i) mismeasured data on initial conditions; (ii) country-specific differences in forming projections, (iii) projections that do not reflect the dynamic time-series process of the actual data; (iv) policy forecast error; and (v) random errors in the actual data. Our data analysis suggests that the incomplete information on initial conditions and the country-specific differences in projection error are the largest contributors to discrepancies between projection and actual. We also consider whether the IMF’s forecasts have gotten more accurate in recent years; there is evidence that they have for the shortest horizons, but the quantitative impact on forecast error is small.
Pharmacokinetics of butorphanol and evaluation of physiologic and behavioral effects after intravenous and intramuscular administration to neonatal foals.

Background: Despite frequent clinical use, information about the pharmacokinetics (PK), clinical effects, and safety of butorphanol in foals is not available. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the PK of butorphanol in neonatal foals after IV and IM administration; to determine whether administration of butorphanol results in physiologic or behavioral changes in neonatal foals; and to describe adverse effects associated with its use in neonatal foals. Animals: Six healthy mixed breed pony foals between 3 and 12 days of age were used. Methods: In a 3-way crossover design, foals received butorphanol (IV and IM, at 0.05 mg/kg) and IV saline (control group). Butorphanol concentrations were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography and analyzed using a noncompartmental PK model. Physiologic data were obtained at specified intervals after drug administration. Pedometers were used to evaluate locomotor activity. Behavioral data were obtained using a 2-hour real-time video recording. Results: The terminal half-life of butorphanol was 2.1 hours and C0 was 33.2 ± 12.1 ng/mL after IV injection. For IM injection, Cmax and Tmax were 20.1 ± 3.5 ng/mL and 5.9 ± 2.1 minutes, respectively. Bioavailability was 66.1 ± 11.9%. There were minimal effects on vital signs. Foals that received butorphanol spent significantly more time nursing than control foals and appeared sedated. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: The disposition of butorphanol in neonatal foals differs from that in adult horses. The main behavioral effects after butorphanol administration to neonatal foals were sedation and increased feeding behavior.
Magnetic interaction in binuclear copper(II) complexes: Preparation and structure of the schiff base complex derived from pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde and 3-aminopropanol

Abstract To obtain additional information about the relationship between magnetic properties and structure in oxygen-bridged complexes, the copper(II) complex of the Schiff base of pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde and 3-aminopropanol was prepared. The complex, [Cu(C 8 H 10 N 2 O)] 2 , crystallizes as monoclinic crystals (a = 25.61A, b = 5.46A, c = 16.90A, β = 136.33°) of space group C2/c with 8 formula units (4 dimers) per unit cell (ϱ obsd = 1.73, ϱ calcd = 1.74 g/cm 3 ). A total of 858 unique, non-zero reflections were obtained from precession camera photographs; the structure was solved from Patterson and electron density maps and refined by least-squares methods to a ocnventional R value of 0.076. The coordination of copper is squareplanar and the coordination of the bridging oxygen is also planar. Within the planar four-membered copper-oxygen ring, the angle at copper is 76°; a molecular orbital treatment of the π-system suggests a relationship between this angle and the magnetic properties of binuclear copper(II) complexes.
Sonographic and Clinical Features of Angioleiomyoma Presenting as a Painful Achilles Tendon Mass

Angioleiomyomas are benign soft tissue tumors arising from the smooth muscle cells of blood vessels. These tumors are relatively infrequent and typically present as small (<2 cm), freely movable, painful masses. 1-5 Although most frequently reported in the lower extremity and in middle-aged female patients, angioleiomyomas can be found throughout the body in male and female adults of all ages. 1-7 Sonography is often used in the initial evaluation of soft tissue masses; therefore, sonographers should be familiar with the clinical and imaging features of angioleiomyomas. We report a case of a slowly growing, lateral Achilles tendon mass initially evaluated by sonography and subsequently by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Surgical excision confirmed the diagnosis of angioleiomyoma, likely arising from a branch of the lesser saphenous vein. The clinical and imaging features of this infrequent tumor are reviewed.
Spatial reuse through adaptive interference cancellation in multi-antenna wireless networks

Efficient medium access control in wireless networks has been a challenging task. While the IEEE 802.11 standard coordinates contention effectively, it severely limits the number of concurrent communications. This results in reduced throughput and efficiency. Recent research has focused on employing multiple antennas to increase throughput in a multipath environment by enabling multiple streams between a transmit-receive pair. In this paper we show that exploiting multiuser diversity to enable concurrent communications has certain advantages over multiple streaming. We propose a medium access control (MAC) protocol that uses adaptive interference cancellation with multiple antennas to increase network throughput and to provide better fairness, while requiring minimal change to the widely-deployed 802.11 MAC structure
When Do Peepers Peep? Climate and the Date of First Calling in the Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) in Southeastern New York State

Abstract The date of first calling (DFC) of Pseudacris crucifer (Spring Peeper) was recorded over 15 years between 1997 and 2012 in a small vernal pond in southeastern New York State. There was no statistically significant trend in temperature or in the DFC over this period. To determine what temperature cues best predicted DFC, 20 potential temperature indices (daily mean, minimum and maximum temperatures averaged over several different time periods, and thermal sums using several different base temperatures) and five precipitation indices (precipitation on the DFC and for four time windows prior to the DFC) were calculated, and predicted DFCs were compared to observed DFCs. The thermal sum with a base of 3 °C (TS3) was the best predictor but overestimated DFC slightly at high values of DFC. In evaluating impacts of climate change on the calling of this frog, the TS3 index may provide a more accurate metric than the daily temperature statistics that have been used in previous studies. In a 63-year record...
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass reverses renal glomerular but not tubular abnormalities in excessively obese diabetics.

Background Obesity and type 2 diabetes are associated with renal dysfunction, which improves after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). During a 12-month follow-up period, we studied prospectively the changes in glomerular and tubular functions that occurred in excessively obese diabetic and non diabetic subjects after RYGB. Methods The cohort included 35 patients, 54% of whom had type 2 diabetes. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was estimated using creatinine clearance. Tubular function was studied by measuring the ratio of urinary cystatin C to urinary creatinine (UCC ratio). Results Baseline renal parameters, anthropometric characteristics, and changes in body mass index after the surgical procedures were similar between the 2 cohorts. At 12 months after RYGB, creatinine clearance decreased 15% in diabetics ( P = .02) and 21% in nondiabetics ( P = .03). A change in GFR was seen earlier in the nondiabetics (–29% after 6 months; P = .003). The UCC ratio was increased at both 6- and 12-month follow-ups ( P = .03 and .003, respectively) only in the diabetic group. Conclusion GFR was improved at 12 months after RYGB, with nondiabetics showing a greater propensity score. Tubular function remained unchanged in the nondiabetic subjects, but worsening occurred in the diabetic subjects. These results underscore the importance of reversal of excessive obesity before the onset of frank diabetes.
Synthesis of planar array radiation patterns as applied in the design of a space-fed lens antenna

In the course of developing a point design of a bootlace lens antenna for a space-based radar, a versatile radiation pattern synthesis technique capable of simultaneously controlling the mainlobe shape as well as the sidelobe level has been developed for planar phased arrays. Utilizing certain minimax properties of a power functional, the method does not rely on the shape of special mathematical functions and is therefore applicable to a broader class of arrays. After a brief description of its principle, which is based on the extension of an earlier procedure developed for linear arrays by the same author, the technique was applied to the synthesis of the radiation pattern of a feed array of the space-fed lens antenna. The objective is to obtain as closely as possible a two-dimensional gaussian illumination function on the lens surface, while at the same time maintaining a low sidelobe level to minimize the feed loss due to spill-over. Results of this synthesis are presented and discussed.
Energy-resolved collision-induced dissociation pathways of model N-linked glycopeptides: implications for capturing glycan connectivity and peptide sequence in a single experiment

Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) of glycopeptides stands among the principal analytical approaches for assessing protein glycosylation in a site-specific manner. The aims of such experiments are often to determine the monosaccharide connectivity of the glycan, the amino acid sequence of the peptide, and the site of glycan attachment. This level of detail is often difficult to achieve using any single ion dissociation method; however, precedent does exist for use of collision-induced dissociation (CID) to establish either the connectivity of the oligosaccharide or the sequence of the polypeptide depending upon the applied collision energy. Unfortunately, the relative energy requirements for glycan and peptide cleavage have not been thoroughly characterized with respect to specific physicochemical characteristics of the precursor ions. This report describes case studies on the energy-resolved CID pathways of model tryptic glycopeptides derived from Erythrina cristagalli lectin and bovine ribonuclease B. While glycopeptide ions having disparate physical and chemical characteristics shared strikingly similar qualitative responses to increasing vibrational energy deposition, the absolute collision energies at which either glycan or peptide fragmentations were accessed varied substantially among the precursor ions examined. Nevertheless, these data suggest that the energy requirements for peptide and glycan cleavage may be somewhat predictable based on characteristics of the precursor ion. The practical usefulness of these observations was demonstrated through implementation of online collision energy modulation such that both glycan and peptide fragmentation were captured in the same spectrum, providing near-exhaustive glycopeptide characterization in a single experiment. Overall, these results highlight the potential to further extend the capabilities of CID in the context of glycoproteomics.
Cloning of a gene cluster involved in the catabolism of p-nitrophenol by Arthrobacter sp. Strain JS443 and characterization of the p-nitrophenol monooxygenase

The npd gene cluster, which encodes the enzymes of a p-nitrophenol catabolic pathway from Arthrobacter sp. strain JS443, was cloned and sequenced. Three genes, npdB, npdA1, and npdA2, were independently expressed in Escherichia coli in order to confirm the identities of their gene products. NpdA2 is a p-nitrophenol monooxygenase belonging to the two-component flavin-diffusible monooxygenase family of reduced flavin-dependent monooxygenases. NpdA1 is an NADH-dependent flavin reductase, and NpdB is a hydroxyquinol 1,2-dioxygenase. The npd gene cluster also includes a putative maleylacetate reductase gene, npdC. In an in vitro assay containing NpdA2, an E. coli lysate transforms p-nitrophenol stoichiometrically to hydroquinone and hydroxyquinol. It was concluded that the p-nitrophenol catabolic pathway in JS443 most likely begins with a two-step transformation of p-nitrophenol to hydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone, catalyzed by NpdA2. Hydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone is reduced to hydroxyquinol, which is degraded through the hydroxyquinol ortho cleavage pathway. The hydroquinone detected in vitro is a dead-end product most likely resulting from chemical or enzymatic reduction of the hypothetical intermediate 1,4-benzoquinone. NpdA2 hydroxylates a broad range of chloro- and nitro-substituted phenols, resorcinols, and catechols. Only p-nitro- or p-chloro-substituted phenols are hydroxylated twice. Other substrates are hydroxylated once, always at a position para to a hydroxyl group.
Visual requirements for virtual-environment generation

This paper describes how a requirement for stereovision can impact virtual environment characteristics and performance. Human visual anomalies that result from the limitations of producing congruent visual cues are described along with possible solutions. The CAVE is used as a model environment that implements stereovision to provide users with visual contact with objects at arms' length.
Injury Biomechanics: Evaluating the Evidence to Determine Causation

Biomechanical engineering is a field that encompasses a wide variety of applications including the development and evaluation of medical devices, research regarding sports and sporting equipment, and investigations of how individuals are injured and how those injuries could be prevented. Understanding human tolerance, injury mechanisms, and the facts regarding a given scenario allows the biomechanical engineer to use these data to determine how an individual was injured. As the field of biomechanics is becoming more broadly understood, the biomechanical engineer is being called upon more frequently to contribute to forensic analyses. According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of forensic is as follows: “relating to or dealing with the application of scientific knowledge to legal problems.” For a biomechanical engineer, an increasingly reasonable option is to pursue a career in forensic analysis, where his/her knowledge and skills are employed to help attorneys, judges, juries, and other participants in legal proceedings understand technical concepts key to understanding the case at hand.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
The Undergraduate Research Assistantship: An Analysis of the Benefits.

This study documents and quantifies the benefits of serving as an undergraduate research assistant based on the results of a national survey of undergraduate psychology educators (N = 211). The survey consisted of a list of 40 potential benefits, skills, and abilities. Respondents rated each of the items on (a) whether their research assistants attain the benefit, skill, or ability and (b) the importance of each item to an undergraduate education in psychology. Factor analysis revealed 2 major themes: The first factor contained items relating to technical skills, such as math, statistics, writing, and effective communication, whereas items in the second factor pertained to interpersonal benefits. This study provides important information for evaluating the value of the assistantship experience.
Adding structured data in unstructured web chat conversation

Web chat is becoming the primary customer contact channel in customer relationship management (CRM), and Question/Answer/Lookup (QAL) is the dominant communication pattern in CRM agent-to-customer chat. Text-based web chat for QAL has two main usability problems. Chat transcripts between agents and customers are not tightly integrated into agent-side applications, requiring customer service agents to re-enter customer typed data. Also, sensitive information posted in chat sessions in plain text raises security concerns. The addition of web form widgets to web chat not only solves both of these problems but also adds new usability benefits to QAL. Forms can be defined beforehand or, more flexibly, dynamically composed. Two preliminary user studies were conducted. An agent-side study showed that adding inline forms to web chat decreased overall QAL completion time by 47 percent and increased QAL accuracy by removing all potential human errors. A customer-side study showed that web chat with inline forms is intuitive to customers.
Influence of elevated As on leaf breakdown in an Appalachian headwater stream

AbstractA headwater stream adjacent to an abandoned As mine was investigated to determine the influence of As on stream biota and organic matter processing using an upstream (reference reach) and downstream (mine-influenced reach) comparative approach. Field assessments of stream chemistry, macroinvertebrate abundance and composition, and leaf breakdown were coupled with laboratory experiments addressing As influences on leaf biofilm respiration. Streamwater As concentrations varied from below detection limit (2.5μg/L) in the upstream reach to >12,000 μg/L. Concentrations were low in the reference reach, increased immediately adjacent to tailing piles, and climbed significantly with distance along the mine-influenced reach. Compared to the reference reach, macroinvertebrate density (7869 vs 154 individuals/m2), shredder abundance (3340 vs 22 individuals/m2), and species richness (11.9 vs 0.8 species/sample) were significantly lower in the mine-influenced reach. For both white oak and red maple leaf packs,...
Tools For Structuring Court Discretion: What Do They Work For And Why Don't They Work Better?

Guidelines models intended to structure court discretion typically have been developed using descriptive study methods, and yet have been criticized precisely because they are intended to be descriptive of past practice. Others have criticized descriptive sentencing guidelines because they are insufficiently prescriptive. To date, only one known study has developed, implemented, and evaluated a guidelines model containing both descriptive and prescriptive components. In this paper, we argue that many criticisms made of guidelines models suggest a misunderstanding of these fundamental concepts, that evaluations of guidelines effectiveness often ignore important issues of implementation and intention, and that, when properly developed, implemented, and evaluated, effectiveness clearly may be demonstrated. Finally, we show that fundamental conflicts between normative and descriptive models may constrain effectiveness in many applications of guidelines.
Postmetamorphic changes in the lumbar lateral motor column in relation to muscle growth in the toad, Bufo americanus

Motoneuron number and size (nuclear cross-sectional area) were measured from serially sectioned spinal cords of Bufo americanus to investigate the relation between changes in the lumbar lateral motor column (L-LMC) and postmetamorphic increases in hindlimb muscle fiber number. Previous studies of neuron number in a variety of anuran species reported a correlation between number and body size, suggesting the possible addition of neurons during growth. Our results show a poor correlation between motoneu-ron number and body size with at most a 25% increase in neuron number occurring over the body size range where previous work had shown a hind-limb muscle fiber increase often to 20-fold. Thus, most new muscle fibers must be incorporated into motor units that exist at metamorphosis. Moto-neurons, but not ependymal cells, showed a significant size increase with increasing body size; this is perhaps related to an increased motor unit size that results from axonal sprouting. The range of variation of L-LMC cell numbers in newly metamorphosed toads was nearly equal to that of all other toads examined. This suggests that the weak correlations between motoneu-ron number and size observed in this and previous studies may be due to differential survival of individuals with larger neuron populations rather than to postmetamorphic addition of motoneurons. Our findings also show a strong bilateral correlation of motoneuron numbers, a finding suggesting that factors other than peripheral size may be important in regulating motoneuron number.
Incentive Compatible Collusion and Investment

We consider a two-stage model in which two firms first invest in R&D to reduce their marginal production costs, and then either compete or collude in the output market. When they collude, they bargain over a cartel agreement to divide the collusive profit. If bargaining breaks down, they revert to duopolistic competition. For both a location model and a linear demand model, we show that firms invest more in R&D in the first stage under collusion than under competition. We demonstrate via example that social welfare may be greater under collusion than under competition in the location model. c 2005 Peking
Characterization of Beauveria bassiana (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) isolates associated with Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) populations in Michigan

Earlier research in Michigan on fungal entomopathogens of the emerald ash borer (EAB), a major invasive pest of ash trees, resulted in the isolation of Beauveria bassiana from late-instar larvae and pre-pupae. In the present study, some of these isolates were characterized and compared to ash bark- and soil-derived isolates to determine their reservoir and means of infecting immature EAB. Genetic characterization using seven microsatellite markers showed that most of the EAB-derived strains clustered with barkor soil-derived strains collected from the same site, indicating the indigenous nature of most strains isolated from EAB. More soil samples contained B. bassiana colony forming units than bark samples, suggesting that soil serves as the primary reservoir for fungal inocula. These inocula may be carried by rain splash and air current from the soil to the lower tree trunk where EAB may become infected. Additionally, inocula could come from infected EAB or other insects infesting ash trees. Bioassay of EAB adults, exposed by dipping in conidial suspensions (10 6 conidia/ml), showed all five representative strains with comparable virulence to the commercial strain GHA. These data demonstrate that indigenous strains of B. bassiana have potential for use as control agents against EAB and suggest that fungal inocula applied to ash trunks may prove viable for controlling EAB in the field.
Providing unequal protection for compressed data using hierarchical modulations

The GOES-R series, with a first launch planned around 2012, is currently under development by NOAA. It will be the first in a series of new geostationary environmental satellites to provide greater capabilities needed for weather, atmosphere, climate, and ocean monitoring. An extremely high volume of multi to hyper/ultra spectral remote sensing data is generated from both the onboard sensors and the rebroadcast ground station, with rates in the range of 25 to 140 Mbps. However, the bandwidths allocated to GOES-R are limited, therefore, data compression is necessary. When data are compressed, the information contained in some segments, such as the frame header and sync mark, are much more important than that in other segments. In order to provide unequal protection to different segments of the streaming data, this paper presents a hierarchical modulation that utilizes a 16QAM constellation to transmit three bits per channel use by applying a rate 1/2 forward error correcting code to the least significant bit (LSB). When those bits that require high protection are placed at the LSB positions, the robustness can be significantly enhanced by several orders of magnitude. Depending on the performance requirements of the LSB and the other two bits, the constellation can be optimized so that a minimum amount of transmitted power is needed. The peak-to-average power ratio (PAR) of a 16QAM constellation requires a power back-off when a nonlinear power amplifier, e.g., traveling wave tube or solid-state power amplifier, is used. The power back-off is needed in order to avoid signal distortion. In this paper, the bit error rate (BER) performances of this hierarchical modulation, 8PSK, and rate 3/4 coded 16QAM, which have the same bandwidth efficiency, are compared, taking into account the required power back-off. It is shown that the hierarchical modulation outperforms 8PSK. When the unequal protection is considered, the paper also shows an advantage of using this hierarchical modulation over the rate 3/4 coded 16QAM.
Violation of School Behavioral Policies and Its Relationship With Overall Crime

PURPOSE: Schools enact behavioral policies (e.g., dress codes, truancy policies) to enhance social control and create safe environments. Following the Theory of Social Disorganization, we hypothesize that poor social control measured by violations of behavioral policies is associated with greater rates of school crime. METHODS: We collected incidence of behavioral policy violations and crime from security reports maintained by a South Los Angeles school district of 19,365 students during two school years (2003-2005). Weekly counts of policy violations and crime were modeled by use of the Generalized Linear Models fit using Generalized Estimating Equations based on an autoregressive correlation structure. RESULTS: Greater rates of school policy violations were associated with greater rates of school crime. The strongest association was between substance use violations and crime (high school: rate ratio [RR], 3.4, 95% confidence limit [CL], 2.6-4.6, middle school: RR, 3.8, CL, 2.6-5.4, elementary schools: RR, 2.4, 95% CL, 1.6-3.6). A one-unit increase in the weekly truancy rate per 1000 students was associated with a sixfold increase in the crime rate at the middle school and a 10% increase at the high school but had no apparent association with crime in elementary schools. A one-unit increase in the weekly dress code violation rate was linked to a 20% increase in crime at the high school. CONCLUSIONS: Collective adherence to school behavioral policies may increase social control and reduce disorganization, which may in turn contribute to a positive safety culture and reduced violence at school. Interventions to increase adherence to school policies are needed particularly during early adolescent school years. Language: en