cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nucleotide Excision Repair Defect Influences Lethality and Mutagenicity Induced by Me-lex, a Sequence-Selective N3-Adenine Methylating Agent in the Absence of Base Excision Repair†

Using a yeast shuttle vector system, we have previously reported on the toxicity and mutagenicity of Me-lex, {1-methyl-4-[1-methyl-4-[3-(methoxysulfonyl)propanamido]pyrrole-2-carboxamido]pyrrole-2-carboxamido}propane, a compound that selectively generates 3-methyladenine (3-MeA). We observed that a mutant strain defective in Mag1, the glycosylase that excises 3-MeA in the initial step of base excision repair (BER) to generate an abasic site, is significantly more sensitive to the toxicity of Me-lex with respect to wild type but shows only a marginal increase in mutagenicity. A strain defective in AP endonuclease activity (Δapn1apn2), also required for functional BER, is equally sensitive to the toxicity as the Δmag1 mutant but showed a significantly higher mutation frequency. In the present work, we have explored the role of nucleotide excision repair (NER) in Me-lex-induced toxicity and mutagenicity since it is known that NER acts on abasic sites in vivo in yeast and in vitro assays. To accomplish this, ...
The lack of influence of long-term potassium citrate and calcium citrate treatment in total body aluminum burden in patients with functioning kidneys

It has been suggested that citrate salts might enhance aluminum (Al) absorption from a normal diet, posing a threat of Al toxicity even in subjects with normal renal function. We have recently reported that in normal subjects and patients with moderate renal failure, short-term treatment with tricalcium dicitrate (Ca3Cit2) does not significantly change urinary and serum Al levels. However, we have not assessed total body Al stores in patients on long-term citrate treatment.The objective of this study was to ascertain body content of Al non-invasively using the increment in serum and urinary Al following the intravenous administration of deferoxamine (DFO) in patients with kidney stones and osteoporotic women undergoing long-term treatment with potassium citrate (K3Cit) or Ca3Cit2, respectively.Ten patients with calcium nephrolithiasis and five with osteoporosis who were maintained on potassium citrate (40 mEq/day or more) or calcium citrate 800 mg calcium/day (40 mEq citrate) for 2 to 8 years, respectivel...
Affinity for self-management: A comparison between counseling clients and controls

Abstract Students in counseling were compared with those not in counseling on a brief inventory designed to measure their affinity for self-management concepts. In the main, the counseled students expressed more reluctance to employ self-management strategies than did the regular students. The counseled students expressed less faith in their ability to change their own behaviors, greater aversion to organizing their time and activities, and less willingness to employ external rewards in changing their behaviors.
Nuclear Data Sheets Update for A = 235

Experimental data pertaining to nuclear structure of nuclei with mass number A = 235 have been compiled and evaluated.
A new smartphone lane detection system: realizing true potential of multi-core mobile devices

Just as multi-core processors revolutionized general computing in the past decade, so too multi-core mobile devices mark the new era of mobile computing today. To make full use of multi-core technology, any algorithm developed for a generic computing platform needs to be explicitly modified to match the specific processor of the mobile device in question. In this paper, we demonstrate how proper utilization of a dual-core mobile processor can achieve tremendous speedup in mobile applications. To illustrate the full potential of multi-core utilization, we propose a real-time mobile lane detection system based on a carefully designed parallel programming framework. This integrated parallel approach is capable of detecting lanes with curvature in real time and outperforms several traditional sequential approach. Experimental results confirm that the proposed system produces high detection rates while conforming to the real-time constraint. The successful implementation of the proposed system demonstrates that the true potential of multi-core smartphones can indeed be realized through careful design of parallel programming on the multi-core processor.
Management of cervical cerclage after preterm premature rupture of membranes.

Abstract The optimal management of preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) in a patient with a cerclage is controversial. The issues are whether the latency period between rupture of membranes and delivery is decreased if the cerclage is removed and whether there is an increased rate of maternal or neonatal infection if the cerclage is kept in place. The data are sparse in directing management of women with prophylactic cerclages placed earlier in their pregnancies who rupture membranes. Latency seems to be increased if the cerclage is kept in place, but maternal and neonatal infectious morbidity is increased also. In women at early gestational ages, keeping the cerclage in place may be warranted until labor ensues. In more advanced gestations, it seems preferable to immediately remove the cerclage upon diagnosis of PPROM.
Diagnosis and management of iron deficiency anemia

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a common hematologic condition, affecting a substantial proportion of the world's women and young children. Optimal management of IDA requires an accurate diagnosis, identification and correction of the underlying cause, provision of medicinal iron therapy, and confirmation of treatment success. There are limited data to support current treatment approaches regarding oral iron preparation, dosing, monitoring, and duration of therapy. New intravenous iron agents have improved safety profiles, which may foster their increased utilization in the treatment of patients with IDA. Clinical trials focused on improving current treatment standards for IDA are sorely needed.
EVIDENCE OF SODIUM-DEPENDENT GLUCOSE TRANSPORT IN HUMAN ERYTHROLEUKEMIA CELLS

Abstract Sodium-dependent transport of D-glucose has been reported only in epithelial cells of small intestine and kidney, and well-differentiated tumors thereof. We observed a two-fold decrease (p 1 ic , defined as steady-state intracellular uptake ÷ extracellular concentration) of the non-metabolized D-glucose analog 3-O-methylglucose (3-O-MG) when logarithmically growing K562 cells (ananaplastic human erythroleukemia) were incubated 3 h in choline substituted, phosphate buffered saline (PBS) rather than Na + PBS, each containing a glucose concentration ([Glu]) of 5.6 mM. Electro-mechanically measured cellular volume V c differed + PBS, V 1 ic (3-O-MG) was approximately twice V c and declined progressively when [Glu] was reduced to 2.8 and 0.1 mM. We conclude that, in a balanced salt medium containing glucose as the only energy source, K562 cells express a concentrative mechanism having characteristics consistent with Na + -dependent transport of glucose.
Phantom assessment of lung dose from proton arc therapy.

Purpose To compare resultant lung dose from proton arc therapy of the chest wall to that from electron arc therapy. Methods and materials A 200 MeV proton beam from the Indiana University Cyclotron was range shifted and modulated to provide a spread out Bragg peak extending from the surface to a depth of 4 cm in water. The chest wall of an Alderson Rando phantom was irradiated by this beam, collimated to a 20 x 4 cm field size, while it rotated on a platform at approximately 1 rpm. For comparison, electron arc therapy of the Rando phantom chest wall was similarly performed with 12 MeV electrons and the resultant lung dose measured in each case. Results Dose-volume histograms for the Rando phantom left lung indicate a reduced volume of irradiated lung for protons at all dose levels and an integral lung dose that is half that for electron arc therapy in the case studied. In addition, a more uniform dose coverage of the target volume was achieved with the proton therapy. Conclusion This study demonstrates a potential role for proton arc therapy as an alternative to electron arc therapy when lung dose must be minimized.
Diagnosis of Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of 7-dehydrocholesterol in plasma, amniotic fluid and cultured skin fibroblasts.

A method is described for quantification of 7-dehydrocholesterol (7DHC) and other neutral sterols by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for diagnosis of Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, an apparent primary defect of cholesterol biosynthesis associated with low plasma levels of cholesterol and high levels of its precursor, 7DHC. Results are summarized for specimens from normal controls and from 40 patients with Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS). Whereas the concentration of 7DHC (as a combined peak of 7DHC and iso-7DHC) in normal infant plasma was found to be 0.10 ± 0.05 (S.D.) μg/ml, the level in patients with SLOS ranged from 2.7 to 470 μg/ml, or from 10 to more than 2000 times the upper limit of normal. Patients with milder type I SLOS as well as those with the more severe type II SLOS were found to have the same sterol abnormality. Although most infants with SLOS had plasma cholesterol levels lower than 400 μg/ml (40 mg/dl), several older children with only mildly increased levels of 7DHC had normal plasma cholesterol levels. Diagnostically useful, comparably increased levels of 7DHC were found in amniotic fluid and cultured skin fibroblasts from patients with SLOS. More mildly increased levels of 7DHC were also found in both plasma and cultured skin fibroblasts of SLOS heterozygotes. The method described uses capillary columns and GC/MS instrumentation available in most biochemical genetics laboratories and should prove useful not only for diagnosis and prenatal diagnosis of Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, but also for identification of other possible inborn errors of sterol biosynthesis.
Quantum-Dot Optoelectronic Devices

Self-organized In(Ga)As/Ga(Al)As quantum dots have emerged as useful nanostructures that can be epitaxially grown and incorporated in the active region of devices. The near pyramidal dots exhibit properties arising from the three-dimensional quantum confinement and from the coherent built-in strain. The properties and current state-of-the-art characteristics of quantum-dot junction lasers, intersublevel infrared detectors, optical amplifiers, and microcavity devices are briefly reviewed. It is evident that self-organized quantum-dot optoelectronic devices demonstrate properties that are sometimes unique and often surpass the characteristics of existing devices.
Femto-second electron pulses from a linear accelerator

Abstract An overview of the research program and recent experimental results from the SUNSHINE (Stanford University short intense electron source) facility will be presented and discussed. This facility consists of an rf-gun and a magnetic bunch compressor followed by a 30 MeV linear accelerator and associated diagnostic instrumentation. The goal of this research activity is to produce sub picosecond electron pulses, study limitations and use those bunches to generate coherent far infrared radiation or for single pass free electron laser development. High intensity electron bunches with a peak current of 298 A at a bunch length of 70 μm rms or 235 fs rms have been produced at a microbunch charge of 0.17 nC while the shortest bunches reached so far last about 100 fs rms at about 10% of maximum intensity. The experimental setup, numerical simulations for bunch compression, sub picosecond bunch length measurements and limitations on achievable short bunches will be discussed.
Influence of nanoparticle surface chemistry and size on supercritical carbon dioxide processed nanocomposite foam morphology

Abstract Creating polymer foams with controlled pore size and pore density is an important part of controlling foam properties. The addition of nanoparticles has been shown to cause heterogeneous nucleation and can be used to reduce pore size. In the current study, the effects of filler size and filler surface chemistry on pore nucleation in silica/PMMA nanocomposites are investigated. It was found that as the nanofiller size decreased, the pore density increased by a factor of 2–3 decades compared to that of unfilled PMMA (pore cell densities above 1012 cells/cm3 were obtained). In addition, fluorination of the silica nanoparticle surface led to decreased pore size without changing the degree of silica aggregation and overall density. By monitoring the pore density as a function of pressure, a qualitative comparison was obtained that showed that fluorination of the nanoparticle reduced the critical free energy of nucleation.
Calculation of ESR coupling constants by means of the unrestricted Hartree-Fock method

Abstract We present a simple and straightforward procedure for the derivation of ESR coupling constants from the results of unrestricted Hartree-Fock calculations. We combine the spin orbitals into α-β pairs with similar but slightly different orbital parts; in addition there is a single unpaired orbital. After correcting the UHF results for spin contamination, the spin density is obtained as the sum of the contribution from the unpaired orbital and one-third of the contributions from all the paired orbitals. As an example we present calculations for the methyl, ethyl, vinyl, and allyl radicals based on ab initio wave functions, and we obtain satisfactory agreement with the experimental data.
Table top extreme ultraviolet holography

Table top holography with EUV laser was demonstrated. The hologram recorded in a photoresist was digitized with an AFM. The image was reconstructed achieving 380 nm spatial resolution determined using wavelet analysis and image correlation.
Liver and spleen phosphatase activity in bone-marrow transplantation.

SummaryHost response to inoculation of foreign haemopoietic tissue was studied in C31 (C3H × 101) mice by assessing acid and alkaline phosphatase of spleen and liver homogenates. With intraperitoneal injections of LAF (C57L × A) spleen cells without prior x-irradiation, host-spleen and liver acid phosphatase and Q values were maximal at 14 days after treatment; with prior whole-body x-irradiation with 400 r, intraperitoneal injections of LAF spleen-cells gave maximal acid phosphatase values at 30 days after treatment. An intravenous injection of LAF bone-marrow suspension after 950 r whole-body irradiation doubled the acid-phosphatase activity of C31 liver tissue 14 days after treatment. In non-irradiated C31, intravenous injections of rat bone-marrow produced a 50 per cent increase in liver acid phosphatase 14 days after treatment, whereas values obtained from LAF and C31 bone-marrow injections did not differ significantly from controls. Generally, there was an increase in acid-phosphatase activity assoc...
Interpretation of OAO-2 ultraviolet light curves of beta Doradus.

Middle-ultraviolet light curves of beta Doradus, obtained by OAO-2, are presented along with other evidence indicating that the small additional bumps observed on the rising branches of these curves have their origin in shock-wave phenomena in the upper atmosphere of this classical Cepheid. A simple piston-driven spherical hydrodynamic model of the atmosphere is developed to explain the bumps, and the calculations are compared with observations. The model is found to be consistent with the shapes of the light curves as well as with measurements of the H-alpha radial velocities.
The unitary irreducible representations of the quantum Heisenberg algebra

The goal of this work is to describe the irreducible representations of the quantum Heisenberg algebra and the unitary irreducible representation of one of its real forms. The solution of this problem is obtained through the investigation of theleft spectrum of the quantum Heisenberg algebra using the result about spectra of generic algebras of skew differential operators (cf. [R]).
Emergence asynchrony between herbivores leads to apparent competition in the field

It has been established that herbivore populations can be structured by apparent competition, even if they do not compete directly for resources. But we lack evidence on the mechanisms behind such indirect competition. This study shows that temporal asynchronies in emergence time lead to apparent competition via shared natural enemies in a leafminer–parasitoid community. We present three kinds of evidence on mechanisms driving apparent competition. First, we conducted a two-year population census of Liriomyza helianthi and Calycomyza platyptera, along with all associated parasitoids, at seven sites in the Californian Central Valley, USA. We then assessed C. platyptera parasitism on 16 vegetation islands, half with experimental removal of early-season L. helianthi populations. Finally, we examined parasitoid host preference between leafminer species. We found that Liriomyza helianthi populations emerged approximately one month before C. platyptera. Experimental removal of L. helianthi populations in the ea...
Searching service repositories by combining semantic and ontological matching

In this paper, we explore the use of domain-independent and domain-specific ontologies to find matching service descriptions. The domain-independent relationships are derived using an English thesaurus after tokenization and part-of-speech tagging. The domain-specific ontological similarity is derived by an inference on the semantic annotations associated with Web service descriptions. Matches due to the two cues are combined to determine an overall semantic similarity score. By combining multiple cues, we show that better relevancy results can be obtained for service matches from a large repository, than could be obtained using any one cue alone.
The Logic of Public Fear in Terrorism and Counter-terrorism

This paper attempts to do two things: to provide a summary overview of the ways in which the academic literature has tended to characterize the role of fear and psychological violence in the process of political terrorism and to advocate for counter-terrorism policies that recognize the importance of fear in this process and attempt to reduce this psychological response or, at least, to not exacerbate it. In completing these two tasks, I initially review the literature for discussions of the role of fear in both common definitions and theories of the use of terrorist violence. I then briefly draw upon the empirical findings of public opinion surveys and polls in the UK and US between 2001 and 2010 to illustrate this fear in practice. Finally, the paper concludes with the suggestion that both theories and real world observations point toward the idea that the most efficient form of counter-terrorism policy is one that mitigates levels of public fear.
Beyond the Rayleigh scattering limit in high-Q silicon microdisks: theory and experiment.

Using a combination of resist reflow to form a highly circular etch mask pattern and a low-damage plasma dry etch, high-quality-factor silicon optical microdisk resonators are fabricated out of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers. Quality factors as high as Q = 5×10^6 are measured in these microresonators, corresponding to a propagation loss coefficient as small as α ~ 0.1 dB/cm. The different optical loss mechanisms are identified through a study of the total optical loss, mode coupling, and thermally-induced optical bistability as a function of microdisk radius (5-30 µm). These measurements indicate that optical loss in these high-Q microresonators is limited not by surface roughness, but rather by surface state absorption and bulk free-carrier absorption.
Single by Choice? Assessing and Understanding Voluntary Singlehood Among Mature Gay Men

This study investigated what it means for mature gay men to be voluntary single from the perspective of both assessment and subjective experience. A convenience sample of 94 self-identified single gay men from a large midwestern city, ages 35 and over, completed a structured questionnaire that included the 15-item Adaptation to Single Status Measure. Twenty of these men also participated in semi-structured life-history interviews. Descriptive, item, and scale analyses indicated a discrepancy between the perception of oneself as “single by choice” and acceptance of and satisfaction with single status. Qualitative data indicated that voluntary singlehood is neither a salient identity nor an expression of primary control; rather, it is an idiosyncratic “narrative strategy” and a form of secondary control that preserves ego integrity. These findings are discussed with respect to their implications for the creation and maintenance of healthy, happy, single lifestyles and communities.
Variation of turbulence in the marine boundary layer over the Arabian Sea during indian southwest monsoon (MONEX 79)

Analysis of high frequency (20 Hz) turbulence data collected from low level flights by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Electra aircraft over the central Arabian Sea on 20 and 24 June, 1979 as part of MONEX 79 indicates the influence of the Somali Jet on boundary-layer turbulence. Different stages of monsoon development were evident on the two observation days from mean boundary-layer profiles. However, turbulence statistics of wind speed components and temperature in the monsoon boundary layer for both days are generally greater than those observed in laboratory experiments or tropical and trade wind boundary layers in which a strong jet was not present. Analysis of high frequency wind, temperature and humidity data was made to obtain fluxes of momentum and heat. Magnitudes of the sensible and latent heat fluxes are three to five times larger than the values observed over the monsoon boundary layer over the Bay of Bengal. The turbulent kinetic energy budget over the Arabian Sea for 24 June indicates the importance of buoyancy, and to a lesser extent shear as the dominant term. Dissipation serves as the primary sink term.
Treatment of postural tachycardia syndrome: a comparison of octreotide and midodrine

We assessed the potency of octreotide and midodrine, and their combination, in the treatment of the postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and orthostatic intolerance (OI). Nine patients with POTS and six patients with OI stood for up to 1 hour while their HR and BP were monitored. Patients received on separate days, midodrine 10 mg 1 hour before testing, octreotide 0.9 micro g/kg 8 minutes before testing or combination therapy. Standing time in the patients with POTS was 41.2 +/- 8.4 minutes and not improved by midodrine or octreotide, but increased to 56.3 +/- 2.7 (P < 0.01) minutes following combination therapy. The standing heart rate in POTS, 114 +/- 0.7 bpm, was suppressed by midodrine 92.8 +/- 0.7 (P < 0.001), octreotide 90.6 +/- 0.78 (P < 0.001), and combination therapy 84.7 +/- 0.7 (P < 0.001). Combination therapy was better than monotherapy (P < 0.001) but only for the first 10 minutes of standing. Standing time of 36.3 +/- 3.5 minutes in the patients with OI improved with midodrine, octreotide and combination therapy (55.5 +/- 3.1, 56.5 +/- 3.5, and 56.6 +/- 3.3, respectively, P < 0.05 for each). Standing heart rate in OI was 100 +/- .76 bpm; following midodrine it was 80.3 +/- .69 (P < 0.05), following octreotide it was 84.8 +/- .86, and following combination therapy it was 71.2 +/- .9 (P < 0.01). The RR interval versus time area under the curve (The Orthostatic Index) was 21.1 +/- 4 in patients with OI. After midodrine it was 41.4 +/- 3.5 (P < 0.01), after octreotide 40.3 +/- 3.8 (P < 0.01) and after the combination it was 47.3 +/- 4.6 (P < 0.001). Midodrine and octreotide suppressed tachycardia in POTS and improved standing times in OI. The two drugs had similar potencies; combination therapy was not significantly better than monotherapy.
Current status of residency programs: Survey of program directors

Rationale and Objectives. This survey was compiled to provide current data on the structure and content of radiology residency programs and the role of the residency program director. Methods. A survey, created in electronic form and on paper, was distributed to all United States academic, private, and military radiology residency program directors. Results. Of the 202 survey forms distributed, 168 (83%) were completed and returned. Eighty percent of respondents support national curriculum guidelines, but most do not favor national curriculum requirements. About half (53%) of programs spend 6 months in “view box” nuclear medicine; others provide some experience by lectures and on-call time. Most programs (60%) relieve residents of some call during the senior year. Some programs (28%) allow seniors time away from clinical duties to study for the oral board exam, and 17% permit time away to study for the written boards. Seventy-eight percent of programs have had a “problem resident,” and 47% have asked a resident to leave the program. Directors' most frequently expressed concern was threat of diminished residency numbers due to decreased funding.
Compton Scattering and Electron Momentum Density in Beryllium

Compton-scattered x-ray spectra were measured for three orientations of a beryllium single crystal. The reduced profiles were analyzed in terms of the electron momentum distribution. Observed anisotropies can be explained qualitatively in terms of the geometry of the Fermi surface and are in qualitative agreement with earlier positron and x-ray data. The present results show high-momentum components among the valence electrons which are not revealed in the positron experiment nor accounted for by available calculations. In the process of reducing the data to obtain the momentum distribution of the valence electrons, detailed consideration was given to the effects of binding upon the Compton scattering by the core electrons.
Comparative analysis of dioxins and furans in ambient air by high-resolution and electron-capture mass spectrometry

Abstract Known mixtures and unknown atmospheric sample extracts containing polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) were analyzed by both electron impact, high resolution, mass spectrometry (HRMS) and by electron capture, negative ion, low resolution mass spectrometry (ECNI). PCDD/F concentrations measured by the two methods were comparable, typically agreeing within ±33%. The major difference between the two techniques is that HRMS easily detects 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, but ECNI does not. With this exception, the results suggest that ECNI can be a sensitive, low cost alternative to HRMS for the determination of PCDD/F concentrations.
Efficient Recovery of High-Affinity Antibodies from a Single-Chain Fab Yeast Display Library

Yeast display is a powerful technology for the isolation of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against a target antigen. Antibody libraries have been displayed on the surface of yeast as both single-chain variable fragment (scFv) and antigen binding fragment (Fab). Here, we combine these two formats to display well-characterized mAbs as single-chain Fabs (scFabs) on the surface of yeast and construct the first scFab yeast display antibody library. When expressed on the surface of yeast, two out of three anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 mAbs bound with higher affinity as scFabs than scFvs. Also, the soluble scFab preparations exhibited binding and neutralization profiles comparable to that of the corresponding Fab fragments. Display of an immune HIV-1 scFab library on the surface of yeast, followed by rounds of sorting against HIV-1 gp120, allowed for the selection of 13 antigen-specific clones. When the same cDNA was used to construct the library in an scFv format, a similar number but a lower affinity set of clones were selected. Based on these results, yeast-displayed scFab libraries can be constructed and selected with high efficiency, characterized without the need for a reformatting step, and used to isolate higher-affinity antibodies than scFv libraries.
Investigation of a sex pheromone for the oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis☆

Abstract A sex pheromone for adult male oriental cockroaches Blatta orientalis was isolated from the faeces of adult virgin female oriental cockroaches. It elicited a sexual response at 10 pg and 1 ng with B. orientalis and Periplaneta americana adult males, respectively. The site of production appers to be the crop, oesophagus, and proventriculus. Electroantennogram responses of male antennae toward the isolated pheromone were greater than those of the female antennae. The adult male oriental cockroach also responded to the American cockroach sex pheromone. The isolated pheromone with a mol. wt of 232 may be similar to one of the components of the American cockroach sex pheromone.
Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) severity and outcome among patients infected with the NAP1/BI/027 strain in a non-epidemic setting.

OBJECTIVEDetermine whether the NAP1 strain identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based stool assay is correlated with CDI severity and clinical outcomes.METHODSMedical records of adult patients with positive stool Xpert® Clostridium difficile PCR assay for an initial episode of CDI between January 2012 and January 2013 at a tertiary care hospital in Chicago were reviewed. Two patients diagnosed with CDI caused by a non-NAP1 strain (positive Xpert® C. difficile assay but negative Xpert® C. difficile Epi assay) were included for each patient diagnosed with CDI caused by a NAP1 strain (positive Epi assay). Patient charts were reviewed for markers of severity, risk factors, treatment regimens, and outcomes.RESULTSOf 494 stool specimens, 90 (18%) that were positive for C. difficile by PCR were positive for NAP1 strain. In total, 37 patients with CDI due to NAP1 were matched with 74 patients with CDI due to non-NAP1 strains. Multivariable model revealed individuals ≥65 years old were 3 times more likely to have NAP1 strain than individuals <65 (P=.02). Residents of a nursing home prior to hospitalization were 10 times more likely to have NAP1 strain than patients residing in their homes (P=.001). More NAP1 cases had a change in treatment from metronidazole to oral vancomycin plus intravenous metronidazole (P=.01). The severity of CDI, incidence of mortality and recurrent CDI were similar between groups.CONCLUSIONSIn a nonepidemic setting, NAP1 strains were more common in older patients and individuals admitted from nursing homes. Identification of NAP1 by PCR of stool specimens was associated in a change of therapy but did not predict worse outcomes. Reporting strain results may not be clinically useful in routine settings.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2014;00(0): 1–7
The CO 2 -He-Ar-H 2 O systematics of the manus back-arc basin: resolving source composition from degassing and contamination effects

Abstract We report new stepped heating He, Ar, CO2 and water data on a petrogenetically diverse suite of lavas from the Manus back-arc basin, where a plume component has previously been identified. The aim of this study is to evaluate the superimposed effects of degassing and contamination in order to identify mantle source characteristics. CO2 abundances and carbon isotopes in both the vesicle ([CO2] up to 180ppm; δ13C as low as -33.6 ‰) and glass ([CO2] up to 270ppm; δ13C as low as -34.3 ‰) phases reveal that samples have been modified by varying degrees of degassing. High water concentration samples (back-arc basin basalts (BABB) and arc type samples) show the highest degrees of degassing (i.e. lower δ13C values and lower CO2 contents). The results are modelled for both the glass and vesicle phases using batch and fractional degassing models. Parental melt compositions can be constrained to show the following CO2 concentration trend: arc-type > BABB s.r. (southern rift) > MORB-2, E-MORB, X-BABB (extreme BABB), BABB > MORB-1 and MORB-smt. 4He/40Ar∗ ratios of samples (14.6–1100) are consistent with residual volatiles from a degassed source. Variations in CO2/3He values are likely due to degassing, followed by contamination from a crustal source (either the subducting Solomon Sea Plate or the pre-existing crust through which the lavas erupt), as evidenced by high K2O/TiO2 ratios and low δ13C. The CO2/3He of the Manus plume is best estimated by the MORB-smt and MORB-1 samples at 3.1 ± 0.6 x 109. This value is similar to previous estimates of plume CO2/3He values, which are either equal to or slightly greater than the upper mantle average of 2 x 109.
‘Accidents’ and invisibilities: Scaled discourse and the naturalization of regulatory neglect in California's pesticide drift conflict

Abstract In this paper, I draw on the politics of scale literature in order to discuss the strategic use of scale as a framing device. I argue that scale-based framings can gain effectiveness through capitalizing on longstanding social inequalities and thus deserve careful consideration for their abilities to reinforce those inequalities and obscure ongoing illness. I discuss the ways in which actors in the present conflict over agricultural pesticide drift in California discursively engage scale in order to reframe the issue and justify (or, in other cases, contest) minimal regulatory response. I argue that the predominant scale-based framing of pesticide drift as a series of particularized, local ‘accidents’ gains its effectiveness through multiple intersections with long-standing social invisibilities and injustices endured by California's farmworkers, with the problematic results of rendering pollution invisible and naturalizing regulatory neglect. I also introduce the efforts of pesticide drift activists to ‘push up’ the framing of the issue, improve their political traction at the statewide level, and justify their demands for precautionary, health-based restrictions on the use of agricultural pesticides. Finally, I conclude by applying this analysis to recent debates for devolved environmental governance and problematizing the tendency to associate local governance and social justice.
POLARIZATION OF THE EARTH'S TELESEISMIC WAVEFIELD

SUMMARY The average polarization of the Earth’s teleseismic wave¢eld is imaged by applying a vector stacking technique to *32000 three-component broad-band seismograms. Polarization record sections capture the average radial^vertical particle motion in two narrow frequency bands: one above the microseism peak (0.5^2.0 Hz) and one below (0.03^0.07 Hz). Within these record sections, colour indicates polarization angle and brightness denotes particle motion linearity. These parameters are estimated using the time-domain method of Jurkevics (1988), enhanced to allow the simultaneous analysis of multiple sources. The low- and high-frequency record sections highlight diierent features in the teleseismic wave¢eld. The low-frequency stack shows P, S and their surface multiples as well as more exotic phases originating from combinations of re£ections, refractions and conversions.Thehigh-frequencystackdetects fewer arrivals. However, the attenuation of the multiple S waves allows the detection of later-arriving core phases. Both the high- and low-frequency stacks illuminate regions containing consistent waveforms and warn of contaminating arrivals. The coherence of lowermantle-turning P waves is indicated by the agreement between the observed and predicted polarization angles. In contrast, a large discrepancy between the observed and predicted low-frequency S angles evidences strong SPLcontamination between 20 0 and 60 0 . Both polarization stacking and conventional amplitude stacking techniques allow the detection of seismic phases that are buried within the noise on single seismograms, but polarization stacking additionally yields polarization angle and particle motion linearity.
Review of esomeprazole in the treatment of acid disorders.

Esomeprazole (Nexium, AstraZeneca) is the (S)-isomer of omeprazole and the first proton pump inhibitor to be developed as an optical isomer. Esomeprazole has an improved pharmacokinetic profile, resulting in increased systemic exposure and less interindividual variability compared with omeprazole, and more effective suppression of gastric acid production compared with other proton pump inhibitors. In several large, double-blind, randomised trials, significantly higher rates of endoscopically-confirmed healing of erosive oesophagitis and resolution of heartburn have been achieved in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease receiving 8 weeks of esomeprazole 40 mg o.d. compared with those receiving omeprazole 20 mg o.d. or lansoprazole 30 mg o.d. In the maintenance of healed erosive oesophagitis, esomeprazole 10, 20 or 40 mg o.d. was significantly more effective than placebo in two 6-month, randomised, double-blind trials. Additionally, esomeprazole 20 mg o.d. was more effective than lansoprazole 15 mg in the maintenance of healed erosive oesophagitis in another 6-month, randomised, double-blind trial. Healing of oesophagitis was also effectively maintained by esomeprazole 40 mg o.d. in a 12-month non-comparative trial. Esomeprazole 20 or 40 mg o.d. effectively relieved heartburn in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease without oesophagitis in two 4-week, placebo-controlled trials. Clinical trials have shown that triple therapy with esomeprazole 40 mg o.d. in combination with amoxicillin and clarithromycin produced Helicobacter pylori eradication rates similar to those obtained using triple therapy involving twice-daily dosing with other proton pump inhibitors. Esomeprazole is well-tolerated, with a spectrum and incidence of adverse events similar to those associated with omeprazole.
Registration of ‘Xerpha’ Wheat

Many of the current soft white winter (SWW) wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars produced in Washington are adapted to specifi c environments. The objective of this research was to develop a high yielding, disease resistant SWW cultivar with competitive yield potential for all Washington winter wheat production environments. 'Xerpha' (Reg. No. CV-1045, PI 645605) SWW wheat was developed by the Agricultural Research Center of Washington State University (WSU) and released in 2008. It was selected from an 'Eltan'/'Estica' cross made in 1999 and advanced to the F 5 in the greenhouse by a modifi ed single seed descent breeding strategy. Successive progeny were advanced under fi eld conditions by a modifi ed pedigree-bulk breeding method under the experimental designations SSD01061 and eventually WA007973. Xerpha was the highest, or among the highest, yielding SWW cultivars in every precipitation zone in the WSU Extension Uniform Cereal Variety Testing Program (EUCVTP) trials in 2006, 2007, and 2008. It was released as a replacement for 'Madsen' and Eltan on the basis of its superior grain yield in Washington's low ( 500 mm AAP) precipitation zones; excellent grain volume weight; strong cold tolerance, and high-temperature, adult-plant (HTAP) resistance to stripe rust (caused by Puccinia striiformis Westend. f. sp. tritici).
Chemical Looping with Copper Oxide as Carrier and Coal as Fuel

A preliminary analysis has been conducted of the performance of a Chemical Looping system with Oxygen Uncoupling (CLOU) with copper oxide as the oxygen carrier and coal approximated by carbon as the fuel. The advantages of oxygen uncoupling are demonstrated by providing the energy balances, the circulation rate of oxygen carrier, the oxygen carrier mass loadings, the carbon burnout and oxygen partial pressure in the fuel reactor. Experimental data on the cycling of cuprous oxide to cupric oxide and kinetics for the oxidation and decomposition reactions of the oxides were obtained for use in the analysis. For this preliminary study unsupported oxides were utilized. The decomposition temperatures were rapid at the high temperature of 950°C selected for the fuel reactor. The oxidation kinetics peaked at about 800°C with the decrease in rate at higher temperatures, a decrease which is attributed in the literature to the temperature dependence of the diffusional resistance of the CuO layer surrounding the Cu2 O; the diffusion occurs through grain boundaries in the CuO layers and the rate of diffusion decreases as a consequence of growth of CuO grains with increasing temperature. The analysis shows the advantages of CLOU in providing rapid combustion of the carbon with carbon burnout times lower than the decomposition times of the oxygen carrier. For the full potential of CLOU to be established additional data are needed on the kinetics of supported oxides at the high temperatures (>850°C) at which oxygen is released by the CuO in the fuel reactor.
Nanomechanical biomarkers of single circulating tumor cells for detection of castration resistant prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND. Emerging evidence shows that nanomechanical phenotypes of circulating tumor cells (CTC) could become potential biomarkers for metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). METHODS. To determine the nanomechanical phenotypes of CTCs we applied atomic force microscopy (AFM) employing the PeakForce quantitative nanomechanical (QNM) imaging. We assessed biophysical parameters (elasticity, deformation, and adhesion) of 130 CTCs isolated from blood samples from five castration sensitive (CS) and 12 castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPCa) patients. RESULTS. We found that CTCs from CRPCa patients are three times softer, three times more deformable, and seven times more adhesive than counterparts from CSPCa patients. Both nonsupervised hierarchical clustering and principle component analysis show that three combined nanomechanical parameters could constitute a valuable set to distinguish between CSPCa and CRPCa. CONLUSIONS. Our study indicates that nanomechanical phenotypes of CTCs may serve as novel and effective biomarkers for mCRPC. Prostate
Committee on Evaporation and Transpiration, 1939–40

The personnel of the Committee includes the following: T. C. Adams, N. W. Cummings, W. E. Davis, S. T. Harding, A. H. Hendrickson, I. E. Houk, J. Kittredge (Chairman), E. W. Lane, C. H. Lee, C. G. Rossby, T. Saville, C. A. Taylor, C. W. Thornthwaite, H. C. Troxell, and H. G. Wilm. During the year a reorganization has been effected to bring together for the consideration of a single Committee the closely related subjects of evaporation and transpiration, which were formerly separated between two Committees. While evaporation from free water-surfaces is a specific phase of hydrology, the losses of water by evaporative processes from vegetation and soil have similar features and may be subject, in part at least, to the physical principles which have been fruitful in the study of evaporation from water-surfaces. The latter is the simpler case and progress is more advanced, although marked differences of opinion still exist as to the best methods of relating evaporation to meteorological factors. One of the aims of this Committee should be to show how these differences may be obviated or reconciled. Vegetation and soil introduce certain physical complexities, and transpiration involves in addition the physiological responses of the vegetation. Moreover, in the case of transpiration there is great need for coordination between the work being done from the hydrological point of view and that on the biological aspects, which have been summarized by Raber [see 8 of “References”,at end of report].
Wavelengths and levels of the Na I isoelectronic sequence from K IX through Mn XV

The seven spectra K IX through Mn XV have been analyzed and the series limits determined. We present the adopted wavelengths and the derived energy levels and term splittings. The highly ionized atoms were produced in a spark source and recorded mainly on a 3 m grazing incidence spectrograph. Many new lines have been identified and many previously given wavelengths have been revised. All wavelengths have been examined for consistency by least-squares-fitting procedures and other tests. These procedures indicated misidentified lines and incorrect wavelengths which we corrected when possible. A discussion of the errors is given.
Community Attitudes toward Funeral Directors

Attitudes and experiences of church members concerning the practices of funeral directors were surveyed through a two-phase sampling procedure. A sample of clergy was approached by mail and asked t...
Talent Ignored, Talent Diverted: The Cultural Context Underlying Giftedness in Females

This article presents the results of a study of 67 gifted females enrolled in graduate programs in education at a large state university. These women completed a questionnaire about various aspects...
Detection of Rossby wave breaking and its response to shifts of the midlatitude jet with climate change

[1] A Rossby wave breaking identification method is presented which searches for overturning of absolute vorticity contours on pressure surfaces. The results are compared to those from an analysis of isentropic potential vorticity, and it is demonstrated that both yield similar wave breaking distributions. As absolute vorticity is easily obtained from most model output, we present wave breaking frequency distributions from the ERA-Interim data set, thirteen general circulation models (GCMs) and a barotropic model. We demonstrate that a poleward shift of the Southern Hemisphere midlatitude jet is accompanied by a decrease in poleward wave breaking in both the barotropic model and all GCMs across multiple climate forcing scenarios. In addition, it is shown that while anticyclonic wave breaking shifts poleward with the jet, cyclonic wave breaking shifts less than half as much and reaches a poleward limit near 60 degrees S. Comparison of the observed distribution of Southern Hemisphere wave breaking with those from the GCMs suggests that wave breaking on the poleward flank of the jet has already reached its poleward limit and will likely become less frequent if the jet migrates any further poleward with climate change.
An evaluation of planar-adaptive routing (PAR)

Network performance can be improved by allowing adaptive routing, but doing so introduces new possibilities of deadlock which can overwhelm the flexibility advantages. Planar-adaptive routing resolves this tension by limiting adaptive routing to a series of two-dimensional planes, reducing hardware requirements for deadlock prevention. The authors explore the performance of planar-adaptive routers for two, three, and four-dimensional networks. Under nonuniform traffic loads, the planar-adaptive router significantly outperforms the dimension-order router, while giving comparable performance under uniform loads. With equal resources, the planar-adaptive router provides performance superior to fully adaptive routers because it requires less resources for deadlock prevention, freeing resources to increase the number of virtual lanes. >
Multi-core accelerated harmonic balance method for multi-tone full chip RFIC simulation

Harmonic balance (HB) method is a pure frequency domain simulation method. Harmonic balance works well for mildly nonlinear RF circuits; however, its performance can be a critical issue as the circuit size increases and the circuit nonlinearity becomes dominant. With the advent of multi-core computers, multi-threading (MT) technique is a good choice to improve efficiency of the traditional harmonic balance method. Since the harmonic balance simulation is very memory-bandwidth-bounded, it is hard to achieve a good MT performance when the CPU number is large. In this paper, we present a harmonic balance technique, with great MT scalability, for many-core computers. We implemented the proposed method, tested it on real radio frequency (RF) circuits, and show that the method gives great MT performance on 4-core and 8-core computers.