cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isolation of Aspergillus in critically ill patients: a potential marker of poor outcome

Abstract Objective Recent reports have suggested a rising incidence of pulmonary aspergillosis in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical significance of isolating Aspergillus from respiratory samples of critically ill patients. Design Retrospective review of medical records. Setting Tertiary medical center that has a large cancer center. Patients All patients admitted to the ICU between January 1998 and August 2004, in whom Aspergillus was isolated from respiratory samples or lung tissue. Intervention None. Results The charts of 104 patients were reviewed. Aspergillus was isolated for a mean of 6.6 days after ICU admission. Thirty-three percent of patients had hematological malignancy, 10% had absolute neutropenia, 14% had bone marrow transplant, 11% had HIV infection, and 22% had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Upon admission to ICU, 79%, 43%, and 19% were on antibiotics, corticosteroids, or immunosuppressive therapy, respectively. Ninety percent of patients required mechanical ventilation. The mean Acute Physiologic and Chronic Health Evaluation II score on ICU admission was 20.6, with predicted mortality of 35.5%. However, the actual ICU mortality rate for the cohort was 50%. Twenty-eight percent of patients were diagnosed with probable or definite invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, and 72% had Aspergillus colonization. On univariate analysis, the significant clinical differences between the 2 groups were the presence of neutropenia ( P P P P P P = .02), and broad-spectrum antibiotics ( P = .02). Conclusion Isolation of Aspergillus in critically ill patients is a poor prognostic marker and is associated with high mortality irrespective of invasion or colonization. Those who are neutropenic, on immunosuppressive therapy, on broad-spectrum antibiotics, or had bone marrow transplantation are more likely to have invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.
Optimization of wing tip store modeling

I N present three-dimensional flutter investigations of aircraft with external stores, the stores are often approximated by flat plates to reduce the cost and complexity of the analyses. In this Synoptic, the doublet lattice and kernel function methods are utilized to investigate the validity of this flatplate approximation in comparison to store models of other geometries for an F-5 wing with tip-mounted launcher/store combination. Various cross sections are found that show improved results with only a moderate increase in model complexity and thus computer cost.
Verbal discrimination as a function of number of alternatives

Verbal discrimination learning of a four-alternative list may be expected to be more difficult than a two-alternative list because of the presence of more interfering elements. However, because of the demands of a four-alternative task Ss may concentrate more on their correct choices and pay less attention to incorrect alternatives, which would reduce the effects of the additional interfering elements. The present experiment investigated this hypothesis. Four groups of Ss learned high-or low-similarity items consisting of two or four alternatives. Following learning, recognition of correct and incorrect alternatives was required. There were no differences in speed of learning two- and four-alternative lists. Precriterion conditional percentage of correct responses and the recognition data indicated that with four alternatives more attention was given to correct than to incorrect alternatives, while with two alternatives attention was more equally divided among the alternatives.
Perceptions of workplace bullying among athletic trainers in the collegiate setting

Context: Bullying has received a vast amount of attention in the recent past. One form of bullying, workplace bullying (WPB), has been a substantial concern explored in many health professions that...
Generators of Coordinate Transformations in the Penrose Formalism of General Relativity

A new covariant expression for the generator of coordinate transformations is developed in the general theory of relativity. It is hoped that this expression may facilitate the determination of the commutation relations between the independent dynamical variables of Penrose. Since the Penrose function is defined on a characteristic surface, a program for quantization is discussed which can be applied to dynamical variables defined on such null surfaces. In addition, the relationship of the new conservation law to the usual physical constants of Lorentz-covariant theories is indicated, the relationship being effected when there exists a Killing bivector in the Riemannian manifold.
Diverse immunological roles of γδ T cells.

Accumulating evidence suggests that γδ T cells play roles in host immune responses to inflammations/damages, tumors and infections. Recent studies have demonstrated that roles of γδ T cells can be quite broad or diverse. In this special issue, seven review articles discuss recent progress conceiving the diverse immunologic roles in γδ T cells.
Interfacial Effects of Al-Termination on Spin Transport in Magnetic Tunnel Junctions

of the Co layers. Here we report theoretical results that give a positive tunnelingspin polarizationand tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) that is in good agreement with experiments. From densityfunctional theory (DFT) calculations, an Al-rich interface MTJ with atomic-level disorder is shownto have a positively polarized DOS near the interface. We also provide an atomic model calculationwhich gives insights into the source of the positive polarization. A layer and spin dependent eﬀectivemass model, using values extracted from the DFT results, is then used to calculate the tunnelingcurrent, which shows positive spin polarization. Finally, we calculate the TMR from the tunnelingspin polarization which shows good agreement with experiments.
Recurrent low-level Troponin I elevation is a worse prognostic indicator than occasional injury pattern in patients hospitalized with heart failure

Abstract Background Elevated troponin at baseline is associated with higher mortality in heart failure (HF) patients, but the prognostic role of recurrently elevated troponin is not well described. Methods and results We performed chart reviews of 196 HF patients without acute coronary syndrome, with at least three Troponin I (TnI) measurements on different admissions. For the analyses, three sets of TnI values closest to baseline, one year and two years were selected for each patient. Based on the three sets of TnI, the lowest value of TnI ( minimum ), the highest value of TnI ( maximum ), median value of TnI and delta TnI (3rd TnI–baseline TnI) were derived for each patient. The study population of 196 patients had 632 person-year follow-up, consisted predominantly of elderly (68±10years) male patients (99%) with mean ejection fraction of 26±13%. Using multivariate Cox proportional hazards model only minimum TnI, but not the maximum , median or delta of TnI values, was significantly associated with mortality (HR: 13.7, 95% CI: 3.7 to 50.8, p minimum TnI value of >0.04ng/ml was also independently associated with mortality (p=0.01, HR=1.6, 95% CI: 1.1 to 2.3). Conclusions In HF patients without acute coronary syndrome, the persistence of TnI elevation, even at low levels, is associated with a worse survival than sporadic TnI elevations of higher magnitude or any single elevation in TnI; and a recurrent elevation of TnI >0.04ng/ml portends a poor prognosis.
Effects of Sex, Size and Time of Cutting on Processing Yields and Tenderness of Broilers

Abstract At a commercial processing plant, weight measurements were taken on male and female broilers of four different weight classes which were cut-up (1) after being chilled in a continuous drag-type chiller or (2) immediately after evisceration. Shear resistance was measured on the pectoralis major muscle of the cooked breast and on the illiotibialis muscle of the cooked thigh. Chill-cut birds had higher cut-up yields than hot-cut birds at the time of tray packing and after termination of a 10 day storage period at −2°C. Neither sex nor size had an effect on yield. Chill-cut birds lost more weight during the storage period than did the hot-cut birds. No difference in shear score was found between the outer 1.5 mm. slice and the second 1.5 mm. slice of breast muscle for the chill-cut birds, but a higher shear value was observed for the second slice from hot-cut birds. Cutting the muscle from the sternum on one breast piece resulted in a higher shear value than was recorded for the other side of the breast that was left intact. Only in hot-cut birds was this found to be significant. Sex and size had no effect on shear scores of thigh muscle for either the chill- or hot-cut broilers. Higher shear values for both breast and thigh muscle were obtained when birds were hot-cut.
Impact of ionic liquids on the exfoliation of graphite oxide

The fabrication of high performance, graphene-based electrochemical energy storage devices, such as ultracapacitors, depends on the reduction of graphite oxide (GO) and its interaction with ionic liquids (ILs), which may be used as the conductive electrolyte. To explore the physical and chemical interactions between ILs and thermally reduced GO (TRG) as a function of annealing temperature, three ILs with ammonium based structures were selected to differentiate the role of their anions and cations in the exfoliation process. Intercalation was accompanied by either covalent or noncovalent bonding, as supported by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and infrared (IR) absorption spectroscopy performed in situ during thermal annealing and by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Upon IL intercalation, covalent bonding between the IL and TRG prevented exfoliation, while noncovalently physisorbed ILs were readily removed and therefore facilitated exfoliation of the reduced GO. The anion and cation moieties of the ILs i...
Comparison between equilibrium cooling and thermal shock

One of the harsh environments that a photoresist experiences is that of cold temperature. Cooling a photoresist coating constrained on a substrate often results in a sizable stress. This stress is important to understand since it is the driving force for coating failure. A membrane deflection technique was used to measure the stress of a photoresist coating as a function of temperature. The resulting stress was compared to the ultimate properties as a function of sub- ambient temperature. It is shown that failure occurred when the cooling stress exceeded the ultimate strength. Cooling over a temperature range of 30 to 65 degree(s)C was performed slowly (over a period of 6 hours) as well as suddenly (simulating a thermal shock). Using an incremental elastic approach a relationship between equilibrium cooling and thermal shock is presented. This relationship between stresses associated with equilibrium cooling and thermal shock is used to describe the typical decrease in mechanical performance of coatings in a thermal shock environment.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Global warming impact of Florida’s Not-From-Concentrate (NFC) orange juice

Abstract This study assesses global warming impact (GWI) of Not-From-Concentrate (NFC) orange juice produced in the state of Florida. The selected functional unit (FU) is a NFC orange juice carton available in a standard packing of 1.893 L (64 fluid oz) at a local food store. A life-cycle assessment approach was adopted and greenhouse gas emissions of all the steps present in the entire supply chain starting from orange production to storage of orange juice at a local food store were estimated. We considered two scenarios of orange fruit production i.e., with and without resetting of orange trees. The overall GWI for with and without resetting production scenarios was estimated to be 1.6 and 1.8 kg carbon dioxide equivalent/FU, respectively. The GWI of NFC orange juice produced under the scenario of with resetting was less as compared to the production scenario of without resetting due to 21% more orange fruit production per unit of land area. We found that the GWI of orange production was highest in the production chain, followed by NFC orange juice production at a citrus processing plant for both the scenarios. We also found that the use of fertilizers for orange production contributes significantly towards total GWI of the NFC orange juice. It is expected that results of this study will help in reducing GWI of the Florida’s orange juice and thus, facilitate the state of Florida in achieving desired environmental goals.
Physiological response and task performance in like- and cross-sex competition

The relationship between a subject's sex and his or her behavior in a competitive situation was examined. Male and female subjects completed three tasks, first by themselves and then against either a male or female competitor. A 2×2 design (sex of the subject × sex of the competitor) was thereby created. The dependent measures were the subject's performance and his or her heart rate during each task. Since the relationship between a subject's sex and competitive behavior was expected to be situationally specific, three different kinds of tasks were used: anagram, perceptual-motor, and arithmetical. Results were not consistent with predictions based on Horner's “fear of success” model (1968). Competition with either sex was found to increase performance level in both sexes on all three tasks. The only sex-related effect found to be consistent across tasks was that both male and female subjects had a greater increase in heart rate when competing against a male than when competing against a female. This heart rate increase was interpreted as an indicator of increased anxiety or arousal.
An Effective Drug Delivery Process Using a Molecular Dynamics-Based Cylindrical Particle Model

This paper attacks the problem of drug particles modeling in their delivery process for better predictions of solubility and absorption rate. Most of the current models treat the particles to be spheres which may not be accurate. The drug particles formed by grinding and milling are usually not spheres but are irregular or spindles in shape. As such, in this paper modeling of drug particles as cylinders is proposed to rigorously study the impact on its solubility. Along the same line, we also delve into the effect on solubility of changing the aspect ratio of a cylindrical drug particle having a constant mass as well as the diffusion coefficient of the solute which dominates the control on the kinetics of drug release. Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation is employed to calculate the diffusion coefficient of a given particle using one of Einstein’s fluctuation-dissipation equations that relates transport properties to time. The MD approach makes it possible to deal with parameters that are too difficult to be physically measured in a human body. The solubility analysis of a cylindrical drug particle is done using the Noyes-Whitney equation. The rates of change of radius and of mass are analyzed graphically for drug particles of different weights and sizes. Finally the solubility of a sphere versus that of a cylinder for the same mass is investigated. The data reveal that with the same given mass, the solubility of a spherical particle is less than that of the cylindrical shape. As to the effect of the diffusion coefficient, δ on the solubility of a particle, it is found that the increase in δ for a particle with fixed mass increases its solubility. However, the solubility decreases while δ is increased for a particle with fixed radius.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Conformational changes in coupling factor 1 may control the rate of electron flow in spinach chloroplasts.

The relationship between the rate of electron flow, internal H+ concentration and the magnitude of the H+ concentration gradient (ΔpH) in chloroplasts illuminated at various light intensities has been examined. At an external pH of 7.0, the internal H+ concentration is a linear function of the rate of electron flow except at saturating light intensity. In contrast, at pH 8.1, this relationship between electron flow and internal H+ concentration holds only at values of ΔpH below about 2.8 – 2.9 units. At higher ΔpH values, the rate of electron flow increases much more dramatically than the internal H+ concentration. ATP (0.1 mM) prevents this increase. It is suggested that at pH 8.1 but not at pH 7.0, the conformation of coupling factor 1 is altered at high ΔpH values. Its altered conformation may result in an increased efflux of H+ from the chloroplasts. This notion is supported by the effects of ATP on electron flow and ΔpH as well as the effect of external pH and light intensity on the reactivity of coupling factor 1 to N-ethylmaleimide.
Companions in Crime: The Social Aspects of Criminal Conduct

Criminologists often allude to 'peer influence' in explanations of crime and delinquency, but the meaning of that concept rarely receives careful attention. Companions in Crime organizes the extensive literature on peer influence and group delinquency into a coherent form for the first time. Chapters focus on the role of peers over the life course, the group nature of delinquent behavior, and the applicability of peer influence for explaining the major features of delinquent behavior. The most extensive chapter of the book examines possible mechanisms of peer influence and the evidence in favor of each. The principal thesis of Companions in Crime is that deviant behavior is predominantly social behavior, and criminologists must eventually determine the significance of that fact.
Detection of exchange interaction in STM measurements through Fano-like interference effects

We address Fano-like interference effects [Phys. Rev. 124, 1866 (1961)] in scanning tunneling microscopy measurements of nanoscale systems, e.g., two-level systems. Common to these systems is that second order tunneling contributions give rise to interference effects that cause suppressed transmission through the system for certain energies. The suppressed transmission is measurable either in the differential conductance or in the bias voltage derivative thereof.
A case report of a diabetic woman with very low HDL cholesterol.

Lipid patterns of low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc) and high triglycerides (TGs), particularly in patients with diabetes mellitus, are of concern to the physician. This is particularly true when plasma lowdensity lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is within the normal range or elevated. This is a report of a diabetic patient with low HDLc and high TGs but a very low total plasma cholesterol. The abnormal HDL particle composition and the response to treatment was thought to be of interest to lipidologists.
A deviatoric version of the SWT parameter

Abstract The Smith–Watson–Topper parameter (SWT = σ max e a ) was originally suggested and is still widely used to account for the mean stress effects in fatigue life analysis. It is well recognized however, that the SWT parameter might be a non-conservative description for cyclic loads that involve relatively large compressive mean stresses that can develop in samples/components with notches after overloads. In such situations σ max tends to be small resulting in underestimating the SWT parameter. It is shown that the SWT parameter can be interpreted in terms of the sum of strain energy and complementary strain energy densities supplemented by the strain energy density associated with a mean stress in the cycle. Using this energy interpretation and its analogy with the Neuber’s rule a deviatoric version of the SWT parameter called SWT D is proposed. It is found that for positive mean stresses and moderate negative mean stresses the original SWT parameter and the proposed deviatoric SWT D parameter yield similar results. At large compressive mean stresses, the deviatoric SWT D parameter demonstrates a fairly good correlation while the original SWT parameter is unable to correlate the data. Although the proposed approach seems to be very promising, based on the limited data of this study, it should be further re-examined using more experimental data sets, in particular for multiaxial in-phase and out-of-phase loadings.
Sub-minute formation of supported nanoporous mesoscale patterns programmed by surface energy.

We demonstrate an original and powerful concept for elaborating spontaneous, high fidelity patterns of nanoporosity from nanoscale building blocks using patterned surface chemistry (i.e., “surface energy gating”) to corral the growth of colloidal structures at a solid surface. Composite films consisting of polymethylsilsesquioxane nanoparticles uniformly dispersed in polypropylene glycol polymer were examined at temperatures beyond the decomposition of the polymer as a function of the substrate surface energy to clarify nanoparticulate ensemble behavior. The principle behind this colloidal assembly can be understood by taking into consideration the entropy and enthalpy dictating the mutual interactions between substrate surface, polymeric solvent, and dispersed colloids in the decomposition regime. The relevance of this research is shown by demonstrating how the principle of surface energy gating can be utilized to achieve spontaneous and controllable spatial patterns of nanoporous, high surface area thin films in a cost-effective and energy-efficient manner via brief thermal exposure. The simplicity and general nature of this methodology are further exemplified by showing the facility with which high-contrast fluorescent bioconjugate arrays can be prepared from nanoporous organosilicate patterns.
Identification of a novel non-AT1, non-AT2 angiotensin binding site in the rat brain.

Abstract Efforts to protect radiolabeled angiotensins from metabolism during receptor binding assays date back more than 30 years. However, this continues to be a problem. This study focused on the effects of a protease inhibitor, p-chloromercuribenzoate (PCMB), on the binding of 125I-Ang II to rat brain membranes. Addition of PCMB to the incubation medium revealed a high affinity binding site for 125I-Ang II in brain membranes (Kd = 1–4 nM) with a greater amount of binding than revealed in previous studies of brain Ang II receptors. Further characterization of this binding, revealed it to be insensitive to inhibition by losartan (an AT1 receptor antagonist) and PD123319 (an AT2 receptor antagonist). This non-AT1, non-AT2 binding site was not present in liver or adrenal membranes. It was activated by a limited range of concentrations of PCMB, with maximal activation at 0.3–1 mM. This binding site was equally abundant in cerebral cortex (a brain region with few Ang II receptors) and the hypothalamus (a brain region with abundant Ang II receptors). The binding site was also present in mouse brain, but not mouse liver. The binding site shows high affinity for Ang I, Ang II and Ang III (Ki ∼ 40–100 nM), but lesser affinity for smaller angiotensin fragments and other neuropeptides. This binding site shares some characteristics with the liver cytosolic Ang II binding proteins, later identified as endopeptidases EC 3.4.24.15 and/or EC 3.4.24.16. However, some unique characteristics of this non-AT1, non-AT2 binding site suggest that it may be a novel angiotensin binding substance.
RapidILL: an enhanced, low cost and low impact solution to interlending

Purpose – The paper aims to provide an overview of the RapidILL requesting system and describes its operation and the benefits derived by its users, including significant cost savings through elimination of various fees, expedited processing, maximum use of a library's own print and electronic journal holdings, and dramatic reductions in the amount of staff time required for processing interlibrary loan requests.Design/methodology/approach – This paper takes the form of a general review and is written by developers with first‐hand knowledge of how the system works.Findings – Libraries participating in RapidILL experience significant savings in both cost and staff time as a result of functionality built into the system.Practical implications – Over 200 libraries currently use the RapidILL system, both in the USA and beyond its borders.Originality/value – This paper provides extensive information on the functionality of the RapidILL system but also will be of interest to libraries that use other interlibrar...
A modified immunohistochemical procedure for the detection of estrogen receptor in mouse tissues

A horseradish peroxidase (HRP) labeled antibody method was developed for use with a monoclonal antibody to detect estrogen receptor (ER) in mouse tissue. Combined use of HRP labeled F(ab′)2 fragment absorbed with mouse liver protein to minimize background staining and imidazol-DAB reaction gave the most reliable and sensitive immunostaining. The method was applied to uterine, vaginal, pituitary and liver tissues in ovariectomized adult mice. In uterus and vagina, ER was recognized in nuclei of epithelial cells, stromal cells and smooth muscle cells of the muscle layer and blood vessels. Liver tissue showed positive nuclear immunostaining in parenchymal cells; however, no reaction was present in endothelial cells, Kupffer cells, bile ductal cells, and smooth muscle cells of blood vessels. ER was localized in the nuclei of anterior pituitary cells while weak reaction was also recognized in cells of the intermediate lobe. No staining was detected in the posterior pituitary. Results demonstrate that both occupied and unoccupied ER are localized in the cell nucleus from several target tissues. Weak immunostaining in samples could not be enhanced by multiple procedures. It is suggested that nuclear ER is partially hidden by nuclear components such as nuclei acid and chromatin proteins.
Finite cracks in transformation-toughened ceramics

Abstract The dependence of the tensile fracture stress on crack length in dilatationally phase-transforming ceramics is studied by modeling the evolution of the transformed regions around the tips of finite cracks during crack growth. The presence of the transformation is found to reduce the stress required for crack-growth initiation . However, the peak, or “ultimate”, tensile stress is found to occur during subsequent crack growth, and the transformation-strengthening , that is, the increase of tensile strength due to phase transformation, is found as a function of initial crack size.
Age-related deficits in the retention of memories for cued fear conditioning are reversed by galantamine treatment.

Abstract Aging has diverse effects on different behaviors and underlying neural systems. This study utilized fear conditioning to determine if aged mice have deficits in the acquisition and/or retention of memories for contextual or cued fear conditioning, and to determine if galantamine, an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor and allosteric modulator of nicotinic acetylcholinergic receptors, would alter acquisition and/or retention of fear conditioning memories in young (2–3 months) and aged (19–20 months) C57BL/6 mice. Mice were trained with two white-noise CS (85 dB, 30 s)–footshock US (0.57 mA, 2 s) presentations. In the initial study, separate groups were tested 24, 48, or 96 h post-training. All mice were retested 1 week after the initial test. Aged mice were impaired in freezing to the CS for the 48 and 96 h train-test intervals, but not the 24-h interval. When retested 1 week after the initial test, freezing to the CS was significantly lower for all train-test intervals. No age-related deficits were found in contextual fear conditioning. In the second study, 2 mg/kg galantamine was administered to young and aged mice before fear conditioning and conditioned fear was assessed 48 h later. No age-related deficits in cued fear conditioning were seen in galantamine-treated aged mice. Thus, aged C57BL/6 mice are impaired in the long-term retention of auditory cued fear conditioning, but not the acquisition of auditory cued or contextual fear conditioning. This retention deficit for cued fear conditioning is ameliorated by treatment with the AChE inhibitor galantamine.
Metalation of unsaturated polymers by using activated organolithium compounds and the formation of graft copolymers. II

Polybutadiene was successfully metalated by use of tert-butyllithium activated with alkoxides of Group I metals without chain degradation. The metalated polymer was grafted with styrene and 1,3-butadiene to give novel graft copolymers of varying microstructure. This metalating system was found to be highly efficient; however, its catalyst effectiveness is less than that of organolithium-TMEDA metalation agent.
Inverse Monte Carlo: A Unified Reconstruction Algorithm for SPECT

Inverse Monte Carlo (IMOC) is presented as a unified reconstruction algorithm for Emission Computed Tomography (ECT) providing simultaneous compensation for scatter, attenuation, and the variation of collimator resolution with depth. The technique of inverse Monte Carlo is used to find an inverse solution to the photon transport equation (an integral equation for photon flux from a specified source) for a parameterized source and specific boundary conditions. The system of linear equations so formed is solved to yield the source activity distribution for a set of acquired projections. For the studies presented here, the equations are solved using the EM (Maximum Likelihood) algorithm although other solution algorithms, such as Least Squares, could be employed. While the present results specifically consider the reconstruction of camera-based Single Photon Emission Computed Tomographic (SPECT) images, the technique is equally valid for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) if a Monte Carlo model of such a system is used. As a preliminary evaluation, experimentally acquired SPECT phantom studies for imaging Tc-99m (140 keV) are presented which demonstrate the quantitative compensation for scatter and attenuation for a two dimensional (single slice) reconstruction. The algorithm may be expanded in a straight forward manner to full three dimensional reconstruction including compensation for out of plane scatter.
Field Issues Associated with the Use of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composite Bridge Decks and Superstructures in Harsh Environments

There has been ample time for the United States to evaluate the use of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites to serve as bridge decks and superstructures under real-world environmental and oper...
Mycophenolic acid production by drug-resistant and methionine or glutamic-acid requiring mutants of Penicillium brevicompactum

Penicillium brevicompactum ATCC 16024 produced 1.7 g/1 of mycophenolic acid (MPA) in the culture medium. Various drug-resistant mutants, showing resistance to such as polyene antibiotics, chemotherapeutic agents, redox indicator and surfactants, were derived from the fungus. Most of the mutants produced 2.0 ~2.5 g/1 of MPA. A clofibrate and dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride double resistant mutant, No. 4–23–11, produced 4.7 g/1 of MPA. A monofluoroacetic acid resistant strain, No. 5–1, derived from No. 4–23–11 produced 5.3 g/1 of MPA.A methionine auxotroph, M-l, derived from ATCC 16024, produced 4.0 g/1 of MPA. A glutamate auxotroph, G-42, derived from strain No. 4–23–11 produced 5.8 g/1 of MPA. G-42 grew on l-aspartate instead of l-glutamate, and showed one-third the pyruvate carboxylase activity of the parent. Another glutamate auxotroph, G-78, did not produce MPA but accumulated 1.5 g/1 of acetate in the culture medium, and showed one-fifth the citrate synthase activity of the parent strain.
Alterations in Corrected QT Interval Following Liver Transplant in Patients With End‐Stage Liver Disease

Background: Studies have demonstrated that patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) often have a prolonged corrected QT interval (QTc) with variable changes in the QTc post-transplant. We sought to characterize the prevalence and degree of QTc prolongation in ESLD patients, identify risk factors for QTc prolongation, and assess changes in QTc following transplant. Hypothesis: QTc interval is prolonged in ESLD patients pre-transplant due to a variety of risk factors and shortens following liver transplantation. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, multicenter study utilizing 2 large liver-transplant databases. QTc intervals were calculated utilizing Bazett's formula. The cutoff used for prolonged QTc was 440 milliseconds for men and 460 milliseconds for women. Results: There were 269 patients (169 men, 100 women) included in the final analysis. The mean pre-transplant QTc was prolonged (449.0 ms), whereas the mean post-transplant QTc shortened and was within normal limits (416.7 ms) (P < 0.0001). QTc shortened after transplant in 87% of patients. QTc normalized in 70% of patients. Age and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score were not predictive of prolonged QTc at baseline. Conclusions: ESLD patients often have a prolonged QTc, which frequently shortens or normalizes after transplant. Screening for prolonged QTc is warranted if medications known to prolong the QTc interval are used in ESLD patients pre-transplant. MELD score, age, and sex were not predictive of prolonged QTc at baseline. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Ms. Lorenze is a student at the University of Wisconsin whose involvement on this project included, but was not limited to, data collection and analysis and manuscript editing. The authors have no funding, financial relationships, or conflicts of interest to disclose.
Fibroblast growth factor in the human placenta.

Abstract Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) has been purified 333,000-fold from human placenta by a combination of salt precipitation, cation-exchange chromatography, and Heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography. Molecular weight (15–16 kDaltons), amino acid composition, bioactivity and immunological crossreactivity with bovine pituitary FGF indicate that the mitogens from the two species are closely related molecules.
Reasoning About the Mark of the Cognitive: A Response to Adams and Garrison

I critically examine Adams and Garrison’s proposed necessary condition for the mark of the cognitive (Adams and Garrison in Minds Mach 23(3):339–352, 2013). After a brief presentation of their position, I argue not only that their proposal is in need of additional support, but also that it is too restrictive.
Activity and specificity of covalently immobolized wheat germ agglutinin toward cell surfaces

Wheat germ agglutinin protein, which is able to agglutinate tumor cells better than normal cells, was covalently bound to polyacrylamide gel beads. The specific binding activity of the protein was preserved on these beads and was expressed heterogeneously by the binding of mouse leukemia cells (L1210) to the protein coupled gels. The selective activity of the immobilized protein was maximal when the number of sites available to covalently couple the protein was lowest. The application of this observation to the general field of covalent immobilization of proteins and enzymes may be of considerable utility.
Suspended sediment effects on walleye (Sander vitreus)

Abstract Environmental windows are seasonal restrictions imposed on dredging operations in the Great Lakes and other waterways of the United States. Such restrictions often generically assume that sediments resuspended by dredging result in adverse impacts to fish; this is the case in western Lake Erie where the environmental window was established due to potential impacts on walleye ( Sander vitreus ). To address this concern, laboratory studies mimicking sediment resuspension during dredging operations in western Lake Erie were conducted to determine whether suspended sediments affect walleye eggs and fingerlings. Newly laid eggs and 45- to 60-d old fingerlings from separate hatcheries were exposed for 72-h under flow-through conditions to 0, 100, 250, and 500 mg/L total suspended sediment (TSS). Fingerlings, eggs, and newly hatched larvae were analyzed for multiple lethal and sublethal endpoints. Data indicated no significant effects of suspended sediment on egg hatch success or fingerling survival after three days of exposure. No significant differences were observed when comparing percent egg viability in the control with any TSS treatment; however, a downward trend was observed at 500 mg/L. No significant differences were observed during comparisons of fingerling gill lamellae in the control with any TSS treatment; however, a statistically significant difference was observed when comparing gill lamellae in the control with the original supply animals. No significant differences were found between control means and unexposed eggs or any TSS treatment. These effect data for walleye will serve to better inform the setting of environmental windows for this species in western Lake Erie.
Competitive Judgments in a Business Simulation: A Comparison between American and Chinese Business Students

A complex total business enterprise computer simulation was used as the setting for a study of judgments by Chinese and American business school students. The subjects were asked to make a series of decisions and give judgments about expected levels of competition for a new market opportunity in the simulation world. Decisions were compared across the groups based on the decision structure and content. The results confirm previous research as the American participants generated significantly more responses overall, and especially judgment-consistent responses than the Chinese participants. Analysis of the content of the decision representations found that the relative proportion of singular to distributional information in the responses was similar for both American and Chinese individuals when making decisions about their own teams, but the Chinese participants focused more heavily on distributional information when making judgments about the behavior of others. This implies that American and Chinese individuals focus on different aspectsof similar information and this may influence subsequent judgments. q 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
SELF-REPORTED ASSERTIVE JOB-SEEKING BEHAVIORS OF MINIMALLY EDUCATED JOB HUNTERS

Little research attention has focused on the job-search behavior of minimally educated workers. The primary objective of the studies reported was to examine the relationship of self-reported assertive job-hunting behavior to acquisition of employment among minimally educated workers. The results of three studies provide: (a) construct validity evidence for the Assertive Job-Hunting Survey (AJHS; Becker, 1980), (b) evidence for construct similarity across minimally educated job seeker and college student populations, (c) evidence of a significant relationship between the AJHS and both subjective and objective job acquisition criteria in postdictive and predictive research designs, and (d) evidence that the AJHS, a measure of a non-cognitive variable, can make a unique contribution to the prediction of job acquisition beyond cognitive ability measures.
SU‐GG‐T‐519: Improving Gamma Knife Plans Using Independent Sector Weighting

Purpose: The Gamma Knife Perfexion uses 192 Co‐60 sources divided into eight sectors. For each treatment isocenter, each sector can be either blocked or collimated using one of three collimator sizes, but the beam‐on time is identical for all sectors. We postulated that independently variable sector weighting might confer dosimetric advantages with regard to critical structure sparing. In this work, we investigate the potential advantages of independently varying the weighting of individual source sectors to create sector modulated Gamma Knife (SMoG) plans. Materials and Methods: We simulated independent sector weighting for a clinical Gamma Knife plan for a trigeminal neuralgia case. We first obtained dose matrices corresponding to the contribution of each sector. The sector weighting was varied in eight discrete levels and an optimum combination determined using an optimization algorithm. The resulting sector modulated Gamma Knife plan was then entered into the Gamma Knife treatment planning system by decomposing the weighted sectors into multiple shots at the same location with different weights and blocking. The process was repeated using four levels of sector weighting. Results: Our results showed that the optimized plan reduced the maximum dose to the organ at risk (the brainstem) from 18.6 Gy to 11.8 Gy (with eight levels) compared to the clinical plan. However, the beam‐on time for delivery increased from 32 minutes to 84 minutes. The SMoG plan with four sector weighting levels reduced the maximum brainstem dose to 12.6 Gy and only increased treatment beam‐on time to 42 minutes. Conclusions: We have demonstrated that independent weighting of the individual sectors in the Gamma Knife Perfexion can improve the quality of treatment plans, although at the cost of longer delivery times.
Structured entity identification and document categorization: two tasks with one joint model

Traditionally, research in identifying structured entities in documents has proceeded independently of document categorization research. In this paper, we observe that these two tasks have much to gain from each other. Apart from direct references to entities in a database, such as names of person entities, documents often also contain words that are correlated with discriminative entity attributes, such age-group and income-level of persons. This happens naturally in many enterprise domains such as CRM, Banking, etc. Then, entity identification, which is typically vulnerable against noise and incompleteness in direct references to entities in documents, can benefit from document categorization with respect to such attributes. In return, entity identification enables documents to be categorized according to different label-sets arising from entity attributes without requiring any supervision. In this paper, we propose a probabilistic generative model for joint entity identification and document categorization. We show how the parameters of the model can be estimated using an EM algorithm in an unsupervised fashion. Using extensive experiments over real and semi-synthetic data, we demonstrate that the two tasks can benefit immensely from each other when performed jointly using the proposed model.
Further testing of the fullerene formation mechanism with predictions of temperature and pressure trends

A previously published detailed kinetic mechanism for C 60 and C 70 formation in flames is explored beyond the previously performed preliminary test of kinetic plausibility. Consideration of the sensitivity of model predictions to rate coefficients for the specific reaction types shows that the only remaining area of uncertainty is in how the forward rates of the individual C 2 H 2 addition/ring-formation reactions are affected by the varying amounts of curvature-induced strain introduced. An overall test of the mechanism's sensitivity to the thermochemical properties of the species reinforces the kinetic plausibility of the mechanism by confirming that none of the reactions in the mechanism has an insuperable thermodynamic barrier. The mechanism's ability to predict trends with temperature and pressure is limited by the simplified modeling approach used. Existing data are consistent with maxima in fullerence formation with respect to both temperature and pressure. The mechanism predicts a maximum fullerence formation rate near 2100 K, reflecting competition between processes accelerated by higher temperatures (H abstraction and intramolecular rearrangements) and processes thermodynamically disfavored by higher temperatures (C 2 H 2 -addition/ring-formation and intramolecular rearrangements). Predictions of a monotonic increase in fullerene formation rate with increasing pressure are explained in terms of the chemical processes not yet included in the fullerene formation mechanism, most notably reactive coagulation of PAH with each other and with soot.
On lookahead in the list update problem

Abstract We study a problem in the area of self-adjusting data structures: algorithms for the singly-linked list for the case in which a sequence of operations is to be performed on the list and the entire sequence is known beforehand. Whereas past approaches assume that the cost of lookahead is zero, we explicitly take into account this cost and allow for different list access and lookahead costs, parametrically specified by a ratio ∝. Our main result is that the well-known Move-to-Front algorithm is 2∝-competitive with an algorithm that scans the entire sequence of operations. Simulation results point to a remarkably counter-intuitive observation: the optimal strategy is to either scan the entire sequence of operations or not scan it at all.
The Future of Consultation in Public Education

Declining enrollments and budgets, and older, less pliable teachers and administrators, are forcing changes in the role of the consultant.
Fatal asthma and the environment

The human immune system has evolved over millions of years to protect against pathogenic invaders in the environment, especially microbes. The immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated immune response is adept at defending against helminthic parasitic infections. In allergic disease, however, this same system can kill the host organism in a matter of minutes. Anaphylaxis and upper airway obstruction caused by soft tissue swelling are two dramatic examples of potentially fatal allergic reactions to substances that have been injected, ingested, or inhaled. Asthma is another example of a potentially fatal maladaptive response to environmental stimuli that is mediated in large part through IgE-related mechanisms. Asthma represents a persistent tendency of the bronchi—large and small—to narrow excessively in response to triggers in the environment. This narrowing can result from smooth muscle contraction in the airway, bronchial wall swelling, and filling of bronchial lumens with mucus and inflammatory debris. It can develop gradually over days to weeks or rapidly over minutes to hours. The potential consequence of an extreme generalized asthmatic reaction is asphyxiation and death. Fatal asthma is not a unique, biologically predetermined form of asthma. It is a disastrous and, for the most part, preventable outcome of a very severe asthmatic attack. All persons with asthma are vulnerable to asthmatic attacks. Factors affecting the severity of an attack include the degree of underlying hyperresponsiveness of the airways and the intensity of the stimulus that triggers the attack. These factors are influenced by environmental exposures. The outcome of severe asthmatic attacks also is determined by the availability of intensive medical care to treat the attack. Key determinants of the outcome of severe asthmatic attacks are recognition (by the patient or medical provider) of the seriousness of the illness and rapid transfer of the patient to a setting where intensive medical treatment can be administered.
Adaptive small-sample condition estimator for matrices with rank-one modifications

A number of adaptive condition number estimators have been proposed in the past to dynamically estimate the sensitivity of the coefficient matrix of a linear systems of equations. Applications of these techniques often arise in the context of signal processing, where the information matrix is being updated with rank-one modifications. Various schemes, such as ACE, ALE and ICE, were proposed to cope with this problem. In this paper, we will briefly review the past work, and show how the small-sample condition estimator can be used in an adaptive manner.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Engineering the economic future

I SALUTE the electrical engineers of America. I salute them for their very major part in the contribution which scientists and engineers have made to the lightening of burdens and the brightening of the way of mankind, and to the victory achieved by our forces in the recent war.