cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-Density superconducting ceramics in the BiSrCaCuO system, II

Abstract In our earlier work, we successfully prepared a high-density, single phase of 85 K superconductor in the BiSrCaCuO system by properly annealing an amorphous precursor obtained by quenching from melts. Utilizing the same technique here, we try to prepare a high-density, single phase 110 K superconductor in similar systems. We have succeeded in preparing materials with the zero resistance temperature ( T c,0 ) as high as 99 K in the system (Bi 0.8 Pb 0.2 )SrCaCuO with the molar ratios 1:1:1:2 and 2:2:2:3. Measurements of the Meissner effect indicate, however, that the materials obtained consist of two phases, 85 K and 110 K phases, and the volume of the 85 K phase amounts to 50 to 80%. Transmission electron microscopy indicated the possibility, however, that the high-temperature phase was structurally indistinguishable from that of the low-temperature phase.
Development, Ethics, and the Ethics of Development

Abstract This article investigates three things: (1) what development might be, (2) how development and ethics might be related, and (3) what an ethics of development might look like. First, I show how if we move away from an essentialist metaphysics of being to a possibilist-functionalist metaphysics of becoming in our understanding of development, we can reconceptualize ethics as self-directed ontogeny. Thus, ethics turns out to be a part of development. Secondly, I sketch out the possibility of an ethics of development, showing how it should be based on three desiderata: (1) sustainability, promoting the long-term existence of the maximum human and non-human biodiversity, (2) democracy, promoting human-human relationships that are bidirectional and, to the extent possible, non-imposing, and (3) non-ethnocentrism, promoting true modernity; a modernity not predicated on a non-existent abstract universality but on concrete syncretism. The ultimate aim of this ethics of development is the optimization of i...
ROLE OF TRANSFORMING GROWTH FACTOR-BETA IN TISSUE INJURY AND REPAIR

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGFbeta) belongs to a family of multifunctional polypeptides which regulate normal cell growth, development, and tissue remodeling following injury. The ability of cells to produce TGFbeta or to respond to this growth factor via cell surface receptors is highly conserved throughout the animal kingdom. TGFbeta is a potent growth inhibitor of many normal and transformed cell lines; abnormalities in TGFbeta signaling have been linked to tumorigenicity. Disruption of the TGFbeta1 gene in utero produces a wasting syndrome characterized by systemic inflammation, suggesting that this growth factor plays an important role in limiting the inflammatory response. TGFbeta is a dominant mediator of the pathologic extracellular matrix accumulation that characterizes progression of tissue injury to end-stage organ failure. Recent studies directed towards characterization of the TGFbeta genes, dissection of the mechanisms by which TGFbetas are produced and activated, and identification of TGFbeta signaling pathways have established the important roles that these family members play in cell and tissue homeostasis. In this overview, TGFbeta structure-function relationships and their relevance to a few select models of tissue injury/wound repair are highlighted.
Monoclonal immunoglobulin A antibody to the major outer membrane protein of the Chalamydia trachomatis mouse pneumonitis biovar protects mice against a chlamydial genital challenge

Abstract In order to analyze the protective role that IgA may play in a chlamydial infection two IgA monoclonal antibodies (mAb), MoPn 4-2 and MoPn 13-2, were raised against the major outer membrane protein (MOMP) of the Chlamydia trachomatis mouse pneumonitis (MoPn) biovar. mAb MoPn 4-2 was found to be serovar specific while mAb MoPn 13-2 was species specific. mAb MoPn 4-2 recognized a surface exposed conformational epitope as shown by its ability to bind to native EBs and nonreduced MOMP while failing to bind to heat and trypsin treated EBs, to reduced MOMP and to synthetic MOMP peptides. In contrast, mAb MoPn 13-2 recognized a nonconformational epitope since it was able to bind treated EBs, to reduced MOMP and to the synthetic peptide MTTWNPTISGSGI located in variable domain 4 of the MOMP. Both mAbs agglutinated intact EBs and had in vitro neutralizing activity. However, mAb MoPn 4-2 had a 20-fold higher in vitro neutralizing ability when compared to mAb MoPn 13-2 (50% neutralization at 5 μg ml −1 vs 100 μg ml −1 ). In an in vitro-in vivo infectivity assay, mAb MoPn 4-2 protected mice against infertility when C. trachomatis MoPn elementary bodies were preincubated with the mAb before inoculation. In addition, passive transfer of mAb MoPn 4-2 resulted in significant protection as measured by a decrease in the number of mice infected, and in the intensity and duration of vaginal shedding. These results support previous findings suggesting that IgA antibodies can play a role in protection against a chlamydial infection, and further encourage work to develop vaccination strategies that elicit mucosal immunity.
Effects of pretreatment with cisatracurium, rocuronium, and d-tubocurarine on succinylcholine-induced fasciculations and myalgia: a comparison with placebo.

Abstract Study Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of cisatracurium, rocuronium, and d -tubocurarine in preventing succinylcholine-induced fasciculations and postoperative myalgia in patients undergoing ambulatory surgery. Design: Randomized, prospective, placebo-controlled trial Setting: Teaching hospital. Subjects: 80 ASA physical status I and II patients scheduled for elective ambulatory surgery with general anesthesia. Intervention: A standardized balanced anesthetic technique was used for all patients. Measurements and Main Results: Patients were randomized to receive cisatracurium 0.01 mg/kg, rocuronium 0.06 mg/kg, d -tubocurarine 0.05 mg/kg, or saline, 3 minutes prior to intravenous (IV) succinylcholine 1.5 mg/kg. The intensity of fasciculations and intubating conditions were assessed using a four-point rating scale. In addition, the severity of myalgia was assessed using a four-point rating scale in the postanesthesia care unit and at 24 hours postoperatively. No patient complained of any side effects after the administration of the study drug. Fasciculations were observed less frequently ( p d -tubocurarine and rocuronium groups compared with the placebo and cisatracurium groups. However, there was no difference between the d -tubocurarine group and the rocuronium group (21% vs. 10%, respectively). Although fasciculations occurred less frequently in the cisatracurium group than in the placebo group (59% vs. 85%, respectively), this difference did not reach statistical significance. There was no difference among the four groups in the intubating conditions or the incidence of postoperative myalgia. Conclusion: Pretreatment with rocuronium and d -tubocurarine was superior to cisatracurium in preventing succinylcholine-induced fasciculations. However, pretreatment did not have any effect on the incidence of myalgia after ambulatory surgery.
Retention of Ingested Latex Particles in Peyer's Patches of Germfree and Conventional Mice

Conventional and germ-free mice ingested a suspension of 2-..mu..m latex particles in drinking water for a 15-day period. Number and distribution of intestinal Peyer's patches did not differ significantly in the two types of mice. Cleared Peyer's patches were compared with regard to size and particle content. The location of particles within Peyer's patch follicles of germ-free mice was similar to that of conventional mice, but the latter had significantly larger follicles and greater accumulations of latex particles. Latex concentration varied with patch location. Proximal patches contained the majority of particles in germ-free mice, whereas particles were most abundant in distal patches of conventional mice. The results show that particle uptake into Peyer's patches takes place even in the complete absence of bacteria in the gut.
Internal fixation of high tracheal stents

A technique for internal fixation of a silicone elastomer tracheal stent is described. This technique allows the use of a short stent in situations where complex stent placement otherwise would be necessary. The procedure was used successfully to manage a postresection stricture in the subglottic trachea.
Computer Data Acquisition System for the Sandia Four-Beam Laser

The Sandia Four-Beam Laser facility is briefly described and the need for diagnostic instrumentation is discussed. The on-line computer system which supports this instrumentation is then described. Significant problems affecting the design of the instrumentation equipment are discussed, followed by descriptions of the actual equipments which have been built and the associated interfacing techniques.
Further Experiments on the Recoil of the Nucleus in Beta-Decay

Experiments on the recoil of the nucleus in the disintegration of ${\mathrm{Cl}}^{38}$ have been continued. The fact (which has been reported in earlier publications) that momentum is not conserved in the system consisting only of the nucleus and the emitted electron has been confirmed. By measuring the momenta of the electron and nucleus it has been possible to ascertain the direction of emission of the neutrino with respect to the direction of the electron in each case. Theoretical predictions according to both the Fermi and the K-U theory are plotted for comparison. The experimental data agree slightly better with the Fermi than with the K-U theory, but it is not safe to attach much significance to the results obtained on this aspect of the problem, because of the possibilities for rather large experimental errors. An investigation into the manner in which droplets in the cloud chamber are produced by the recoil atom has been carried out. Evidence is offered which indicates that the products resulting from dissociation of the gas molecules act as centers for condensation. This effect, in addition to ionization, accounts for the droplets observed.
CATEGORY VERSUS SUCCESSIVE-INTERVALS SCALES

The relationship between scale values of magnitude obtained from category and successive-intervals scaling procedures is expected to be nonlinear in many cases. The present research presented the hypothesis that the relationship will be linear if discriminal dispersions are constant and specifiably concave if these dispersions systematically increase or decrease with magnitude. The present data represented the case of constant discriminal dispersions and the prediction for this condition was supported.
Safety of Paracetamol and Ibuprofen in Febrile Children

The increasing use of ibuprofen for the treatment of fever in children has caused concern about possible toxic effects. In susceptible adults ibuprofen has caused kidney dysfunction. While it is unlikely that a child with known kidney disease would be given ibuprofen, many children with febrile illnesses are dehydrated. This report presents an analysis of pre- and poststudy observations from 2 clinical trials that compared the antipyretic effects of ibuprofen and paracetamol in 180 otherwise healthy febrile children.
Condensation of Pure He(3) and Its Vapor Pressures Between 1.2 Deg. and Its Critical Point

Abstract : On October 13, 1948 the authors succeeded in condensing pure He(3), that was prepared by E. S. Robinson and E. M. Potter of the laboratory. The isotope was 'grown' from pure tritium solutions by beta decay of the tritium. The latter was initially separated from traces of He(4) by passage through a palladium valve. The He(3) was purified by absorption of H(2) and T(2) in uranium, followed by repeated successive passages over (1) hot CuO followed by a liquid air trap, and (2) hot Ca, thus removing all other impurities except the rare gases.
Observation of Σ Resonances in the 1670-MeV Mass Region

We present confirmation for the existence of two $\ensuremath{\Sigma}(1670)$ resonances on the basis of their different production angular distributions. One of these decays predominantly into $\ensuremath{\Lambda}(1405)\ensuremath{\pi}$ and is produced much more peripherally than the second, whose principal decay mode is $\ensuremath{\Sigma}\ensuremath{\pi}$.
Semantically Rich Human-Aided Machine Annotation

This paper describes a semantically rich, human-aided machine annotation system created within the Ontological Semantics (OntoSem) environment using the DEKADE toolset. In contrast to mainstream annotation efforts, this method of annotation provides more information at a lower cost and, for the most part, shifts the maintenance of consistency to the system itself. In addition, each tagging effort not only produces knowledge resources for that corpus, but also leads to improvements in the knowledge environment that will better support subsequent tagging efforts.
Structural Physiological, and Biochemical Gradients in Tobacco Pith Tissue

Explants of tobacco pith taken at various distances from the apex of a mature stem show a sharp gradient in growth potential in vitro; growth is highest in the extreme apical and basal explants, and is minimal in explants removed ca. 75 cm from the apex. Calluses produced by the vigorously growing basal explants are harder and more compact than those produced from more apical explants. The gradient in growth potential is directly correlated with gradients in RNA, protein of cell sap and soluble N per unit fresh weight, but is inversely correlated with peroxidase activity. Cell size increases from apex to base of plants.The peroxidase activity of pith explants is electrophoretically resolvable into 2 isoperoxidases, moving anodically at pH 9.0. During in vitro culture, this activity rises, due to the formation of several new isozymes moving toward the cathode. The appearance of these isozymes occurs most rapidly in apical and extreme basal explants.
Perceptions of speakers with minimal eye contact: Implications for stutterers

Abstract One hundred and thirty-three college students responded to percentage definitions of “good,” “minimal,” and “no” eye contact. They also judged their perceptions of a speaker with “little or no eye contact” on a semantic differential scale containing 60 polarized adjective pairs regarding personality traits. The majority of the student respondents defined an individual with “good” eye contact as looking at his/her audience/listener 90–100% of the time. This is a more stringent definition than other literature has indicated. Furthermore, speakers with little or no eye contact were judged less favorably on 70% of the items, which indicates that low eye contact adversely affects perceptions of a speaker's personality. Therefore, stutterers need to be made aware of the importance of and determinants of effective eye contact in communication. Also, the development of effective eye contact needs to be incorporated as a major goal in stuttering therapy.
Quantizing conditionally variational nonholonomic systems

In this paper we present a quantization procedure for a class of nonholonomic systems—briefly, mechanical systems subject to nonintegrable constraints on the velocities—whose reduced mechanics is Hamiltonian. We illustrate the theory developed through several examples, one of which demonstrates how the classical nonholonomic constraints are sometimes manifested quantum mechanically as a shift in the ground state energy of the system.
Welcome to a new world: experiences of American Indian tribal college and university transfer students at predominantly white institutions

This study utilizes an Indigenous methodology and phenomenological methods to better understand the experiences of eight American Indian tribal college and university (TCU) students who transferred to four-year Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). The participants attended TCUs and PWIs located in the Midwest, a geographic area that is understudied in analyses of American Indian college students, in contrast to the southwest or Great Plains. While many studies focus on the failure of American Indian college students, this study focuses on the attributes of successful American Indian college students. It specifically examines the relationship between the participants’ interaction and engagement with their campus and their successful transition to a PWI. Transferring from a predominantly American Indian institution, the participants showed a lack of interest in interacting with non-native faculty, staff, and students and faced ignorance and stereotypes not present at TCUs. This paper has important impli...
Guanine Radical Reaction Processes: A Computational Description of Proton Transfer in X-Irradiated 9-Ethylguanine Single Crystals

Computational methods based on DFT procedures have been used to investigate proton-transfer processes in irradiated 9-ethylguanine crystals. Previous experimental results from X-irradiation and study of this system at 10 K found significant concentrations of two main products, R1, formed by N7-hydrogenation of the purine ring, and R2, the primary one-electron oxidation product (Jayatilaka, N.; Nelson, W. H. J. Phys. Chem. B 2007, 111, 7887). The objective of this work is to describe the processes leading to these products using computational methods that take into account molecular packing and bulk dielectric properties. The basic concept is that a proton will transfer following ionization if the net electronic energy of the system, consisting of the donor plus the acceptor plus any intervening molecules, becomes lower. Three approaches were used to investigate this concept, two based on energies computed for single molecules and one based on energies computed for two-molecule clusters arranged as in the crystals. The results are that the methods successfully predict the observed behavior, that it is energetically favorable on one-electron reduction for proton H1 to transfer from a neutral molecule to N7 of the neighbor, forming the N7-hydrogenated product, and that there is virtually no energy advantage for a proton to transfer upon one-electron oxidation. The results also support the proposal that the C8 H-addition radical, found only upon irradiation at 300 K, was the product of intramolecular transfer of the H7 proton to C8 in a process apparently requiring sufficient thermal energy for activation. Finally, the computations predict hyperfine couplings and tensors in very good agreement with those from experiment, thereby providing additional evidence for the success of the computations in describing the experimental observations.
Characterization of a BALB/c 3T3 preadipose cell mutant with altered Na+K+Cl− contransport activity

A BALB/c 3T3 cell mutant (3T3-E12) was isolated by its ability to survive at a low extracellular K+ concentration (0.14 mM). The growth rate of mutant cells was less dependent on external K+ than parental cells. Analysis of potassium transport revealed that 3T3-E12 cells have a decreased activity of the furosemide-sensitive Na+K+Cl− contrasport system, both in the efflux and influx modes. This is shown to be a result of a decrease in the apparent affinity of the transport system for K+ and Na+, but not Cl−. Upon exposure to the phorbol ester 12-0-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), BALB/c 3T3 cells exhibited a maximal volume decrease of 20%, while mutant cells shrunk by only 7%, suggesting that regulation of cell volume, at least after exposure to a tumor promoter, is impaired in mutant cells compared to parental 3T3 cells.
Toward a cost/utility model for social science periodicals

Abstract The fiscal pressures currently facing college and university campuses provide ample incentives for developing resource allocation models which maximize effectiveness. University libraries have not been exempt from the need to efficiently allocate stable or shrinking budget dollars. However, this objective is complicated by two factors: (a) the increasing number of scientific journals from which to choose; (b) skyrocketing production and distribution costs of printed material. This article discusses a citation-indexing model for business and related social science periodicals. The model considers journal subscription costs and value-in use to researchers.
Deposition of manganese rich sediments during glacial periods.

SEVERAL elements, such as manganese, vary considerably in concentration in different sediments. Factors such as chemical weathering, run off from the continents and physicochemical conditions in the transport medium or in the region of deposition may cause these variations, and volcanic and biological processes may also produce manganese-enriched deposits. The effect of such processes on the areal distribution of manganese has been extensively studied, but their effect on the temporal distribution of manganese is little known. Wangersky and Hutchinson1 found that Caribbean sediments from the last four glaciations are rich in manganese. My data indicate that manganese, copper and calcium carbonate are enriched in sediments from most glacial periods in the Caribbean.
Movement of an aqueous spray of Beauveria bassiana into the profile of four Georgia soils

Vertical movement of commercially formulated conidia of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillimen was measured by recovery of colony-forming units (CFUs) at selected depths in four soil series after application of an aqueous suspension of conidia to soil surfaces. In greenhouse studies with soil blocks (40 by 20 by 20 cm) removed from field plots with a coring device, the number of CFUs recovered 72 h after application from depths below the surfaces was correlated ( P = 0.0001) with water infiltration values of the respective soils. However, 95% of the total number of CFUs recovered in core samples of the Townley (29% sand, 32% clay, 39% silt), Greenville (64% sand, 28% clay, 8% silt), and Cecil series (59% sand, 22% clay, 19% silt) soils remained at the surfaces. In the Tifton series soil (87% sand, 5% clay, 8% silt), 87% of the total CFUs were recovered from the surface with an additional 9% recovered 4 cm below the surface. Core samples taken 2 h after application of an aqueous suspension of conidia to field plots also indicated that the four soils restricted vertical movement of the conidia. Greater than 94% of the total number of CFUs recovered in the cores were from the upper 5 cm of the profile of each soil series. At the 5–10 cm depth, 0.7, 1.8, 3.3, and 4.4% of the total CFUs were recovered from the Cecil, Greenville, Tifton, and Townley series soils, respectively. Only small percentages of total CFUs were recovered from the 10–15 cm profile of each soil. Retention of conidia in the upper profile of these soils appears to be caused by mechanical filtration within the soil structure.
Development of the Expectations of Filial Piety Scale – Spanish version

Aims. This paper reports the development of the Expectations of Filial Piety Scale for use with Hispanic/Latino parents regarding their expectations of care and support from their adult children. Background. Filial piety, a term used to describe a set of family values in relation to parental care and respect, has strong cultural underpinnings. To date, there have been no measures of this construct for use with Hispanic/Latino populations. Methods. A convenience sample of 318 Hispanic/Latino adults in North Carolina and Texas in the United States of America completed a brief biographical survey and field-tested a new Spanish version of the Expectations of Filial Piety Scale in 2003. Results. Principal component factor analysis with orthogonal rotation (varimax method) was used to extract four factors, which accounted for 60% of the variance in scale scores. These factors were: I, respect for parents (23·6%); II, honouring parents (12·5%); III, supporting parents (11·9%); and IV, family unity (11·7%). Overall scale reliability was 0·82, with individual factor reliability coefficients ranging from 0·66 to 0·84. Conclusions. Increasingly, large numbers of Hispanic/Latino elders will look to their families for support as they reach advanced ages. Culturally relevant translations of family caregiving constructs, such as filial piety, will be essential nursing tools for clinical practice and in developing contemporary family caregiver research agendas.
Gas-Phase Pyrolyses of 2-Nitropropane and 2-Nitropropanol: Shock-Tube Kinetics

The kinetics of the thermal decomposition of 2-nitropropane was investigated in a shock tube over the temperature range 970−1150 K under high dilution in argon at total pressures 4.5−6 atm. The decay of 2-nitropropane and the production of NO2 were followed spectrophotometrically at 276 and 405 nm, respectively. The unimolecular rate constant deduced from the loss of 2-nitropropane at the high-pressure limit is: k∞ = 1014.55±0.13 exp{(−54.2 ± 3.8 kcal/mol)/RT} s-1. The products of pyrolysis were identified and quantified with FTIR and GC. The major products are NO, CH3CHCH2, CO, CH3CHO, C2H4, and (CH3)2CO. The decomposition proceeds primarily through C−N bond fission, while the contribution from the five center elimination of HONO accounts for less than 20% of the total loss of 2-nitropropane. A reaction mechanism that consists of 81 elementary steps is proposed; it accounts quantitatively for the overall pyrolysis. Numerical simulations with the mechanism reproduce reasonably well the NO2 vs time profil...
EXTRACTION OF STEROID CONJUGATES FROM URINE USING CHARCOAL AS AN ADSORBENT.

The extraction of steroid conjugates from human urine using charcoal as an adsorbent has been investigated using urine specimens containing radioactive, naturally occurring conjugates of various steroid hormones. Following adsorption, the conjugates were removed from the charcoal by elution with ammoniacal ethanol. The recovered radioactive materials were examined by partition column chromatography in order to establish that the extracted metabolites remained in the conjugated form. The recoveries were comparable to those obtained by the ether-ethanol extraction procedure of Edwards et al. (1). Analysis of the conjugated metabolites of cortisol isolated by charcoal suggested that they were unaltered by the adsorption procedure. The results of this study disclose that adsorption on charcoal can serve as the basis for a simple and efficient method for the recovery of steroid conjugates from urine.
Low-frequency scatter from a semielliptic groove in a ground plane

Explicit closed-form expressions are obtained for the scattering of a plane wave by a semielliptic groove in a perfectly conducting ground plane, in the low-frequency limit. They are valid for arbitrary polarization, arbitrary incidence and scattering directions, and arbitrary eccentricity. The problem is complicated by the fact that the Mathieu eigenfunctions are complete but not orthogonal over the semisurfaces upon which the boundary conditions are fixed. Complete separation of the coefficients for the scattered field is possible only in the low-frequency limit. Simple results are obtained for the special cases of a very narrow groove, very shallow groove, and a semicircular groove.
Dental Morphologic Variation and the Hardy-Weinberg Law

Recently, the Hardy-Weinberg Law has been applied to population data to support the contention that various human dental morphologic characteristics are controlled by single autosomal genes. By a discussion of the principles involved and by the use of an example, this approach is shown to be invalid.
SECONDARY NUCLEATION: AN ANALYSIS

(1981). SECONDARY NUCLEATION: AN ANALYSIS. Chemical Engineering Communications: Vol. 12, No. 1-3, pp. 161-169.
Following Plant Metabolismin Vivoand in Extracts with Heteronuclear Two-Dimensional Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Abstract Limits of sensitivity and spectral resolution currently restrict the application of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in plant metabolism. This study shows that these limits can be substantially expanded through the application of heteronuclear single- and multiple-quantum two-dimensional (2D) spectroscopic methods using pulsed field gradients both in vivo and in extracts. The course of metabolism in approximately 0.2 g of maize ( Zea mays L.) root tips labeled with [1- 13 C]glucose was followed with 1 min time resolution using heteronuclear multiple quantum coherence (HMQC) 13 C– 1 H spectroscopy in vivo. The timing of alanine, lactate, and ethanol synthesis was followed during the transition from normal to hypoxic conditions. In extracts of labeled maize root tips, 13 C– 1 H heteronuclear single quantum coherence and heteronuclear multiple quantum coherence (HMBC) spectra acquired in 2–3 h allowed the detection and assignment of resonances that are not seen in one-dimensional (1D) 13 C NMR spectra of the same samples taken in 12 h. In root tips labeled with 15 NH + 4 15 N– 1 H HMQC spectra in vivo showed labeling in the amide of glutamine. In extracts, 15 N labeling in amines and amides was detected using 15 N– 1 H HMBC spectra that is not seen in 1D 15 N spectra of the same sample.
Role of circuit and logic simulators in EE curriculum

The experiences of the author in the use of four simulation packages in four different courses in an electrical engineering curriculum during the past four years are described. The simulators used were the commercially available SPICE and HILO and the home-grown EEPAK and APAP. The capabilities of the packages are briefly noted. The advantages and disadvantages of the use of simulators in education are discussed in some detail. It is concluded that, when one weighs the pros and cons of using computer simulation, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, and that the simulators play a positive role as long as they are kept subservient to the main goal of education, which is imparting knowledge and understanding of the subject. >
Medication Extraction from Electronic Clinical Notes in an Integrated Health System: A Study on Aspirin Use in Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate whether aspirin use can be captured from the clinical notes in a nonvalvular atrial fibrillation population. Methods A total of 29,507 patients with newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation were identified from January 1, 2006, through December 31, 2011, and were followed up through December 31, 2012. More than 3 million clinical notes were retrieved from electronic medical records. A training data set of 2949 notes was created to develop a computer-based method to automatically extract aspirin use status and dosage information using natural language processing (NLP). A gold standard data set of 5339 notes was created using a blinded manual review. NLP results were validated against the gold standard data set. The aspirin data from the structured medication databases were also compared with the results from NLP. Positive and negative predictive values, along with sensitivity and specificity, were calculated. Findings NLP achieved 95.5% sensitivity and 98.9% specificity when compared with the gold standard data set. The positive predictive value was 93.0%, and the negative predictive value was 99.3%. NLP identified aspirin use for 83.8% of the study population, and 70% of the low dose aspirin use was identified only by the NLP method. Implications We developed and validated an NLP method specifically designed to identify low dose aspirin use status from the clinical notes with high accuracy. This method can be a valuable tool to supplement existing structured medication data.
The history of dermatome mapping

Dermatome maps are commonly used in clinical neurology. These maps are valuable for the localization of varied sensory phenomena in patients with neurological disorders. The methods used in the construction of the classic maps by Sir Henry Head, Sir Charles Sherrington, Otfrid Foerster, and Jay Keegan and Frederic Garrett are of historical interest and are relevant to the current understanding of dermatome anatomy and physiology. In particular, the work of Derek Denny-Brown and his colleagues demonstrates that patterns of dermatomal sensory loss depend on the anatomical and physiological characteristics of large regions of nervous tissue, multiple adjacent dorsal ganglia, and the nearby caudal and rostral spinal cord.
Designing Fast and Scalable XACML Policy Evaluation Engines

Most prior research on policies has focused on correctness. While correctness is an important issue, the adoption of policy-based computing may be limited if the resulting systems are not implemented efficiently and thus perform poorly. To increase the effectiveness and adoption of policy-based computing, in this paper, we propose fast policy evaluation algorithms that can be adapted to support various policy languages. In this paper, we focus on XACML policy evaluation because XACML has become the de facto standard for specifying access control policies, has been widely used on web servers, and is most complex among existing policy languages. We implemented our algorithms in a policy evaluation system called XEngine and conducted side-by-side comparison with Sun Policy Decision Point (PDP), the industrial standard for XACML policy evaluation. The results show that XEngine is orders of magnitude faster than Sun PDP. The performance difference grows almost linearly with the number of rules in an XACML policy. To our best knowledge, there is no prior work on improving XACML policy evaluation performance. This paper represents the first step in exploring this unknown space.
Experiments on visual loop closing using vocabulary trees

In this paper we study the problem of visual loop closing for long trajectories in an urban environment. We use GPS positioning only to narrow down the search area and use pre-built vocabulary trees to find the best matching image in this search area. Geometric consistency is then used to prune out the bad matches. We compare several vocabulary trees on a sequence of 6.5 kilometers. We experiment with hierarchical k-means based trees as well as extremely randomized trees and compare results obtained using five different trees. We obtain the best results using extremely randomized trees. After enforcing geometric consistency the matched images look promising for structure from motion applications.
Metabolic and Genetic Analyses of Apoptosis in Potassium/Serum-Deprived Rat Cerebellar Granule Cells

Cerebellar granule cells maintained in medium containing serum and 25 mm potassium undergo an apoptotic death within 96 hr when switched to serum-free medium with 5 mm potassium. Because large numbers of apparently homogeneous neurons can be obtained, this represents a potentially useful model of neuronal programmed cell death (PCD). Analysis of the time course and extent of death after removal of either serum or K+ alone demonstrated that a fast-dying ( T 1/2 = 4 hr) population (20%) responded to serum deprivation, whereas a slow-dying ( T 1/2 = 25 hr) population (80%) died in response to K+ deprivation. Taking advantage of the complete death after removing both K+ and serum, changes in metabolic events and mRNA levels were analyzed in this model. Glucose uptake, protein synthesis, and RNA synthesis fell to <35% of control by 9 hr after potassium/serum deprivation, a time when 85% of the cells were still viable. The pattern of the fall in these metabolic parameters was similar to that reported for trophic factor-deprived sympathetic neurons. Most mRNAs decreased markedly after K+/serum deprivation. Levels of c-jun mRNA increased fivefold in potassium/serum-deprived granule cells; c-jun is required for cell death of sympathetic neurons. mRNA levels of cyclin D1 , c-myb , collagenase , and transin remained relatively constant in potassium/serum-deprived granule cells. These data demonstrate the existence of two populations of granule cells with respect to cell death and define common metabolic and genetic events involved in neuronal PCD.
Scalable shape sculpting via hole motion: motion planning in lattice-constrained modular robots

We describe a novel shape formation algorithm for ensembles of 2-dimensional lattice-arrayed modular robots, based on the manipulation of regularly shaped voids within the lattice ("holes"). The algorithm is massively parallel and fully distributed. Constructing a goal shape requires time proportional only to the complexity of the desired target geometry. Construction of the shape by the modules requires no global communication nor broadcast floods after distribution of the target shape. Results in simulation show 97.3% shape compliance in ensembles of approximately 60,000 modules, and we believe that the algorithm will generalize to 3D and scale to handle millions of modules
Automating the quantitative analysis of 2-D neural dendritic trees.

Abstract Neurons in the central and peripheral nervous system vary widely in their dendritic branching patterns. Quantification of the morphological characteristics used to identify different classes of neurons and relate neural structure to function requires that accurate metric and non-metric data be obtained from neural images obtained by camera-lucida drawing or from digitized video images made with transmitted, fluorescence or confocal microscopy. This paper describes a largely automated procedure for determining the dendritic tree structure of largely planar cells (such as retinal ganglion cells or cells in tissue culture monolayers) from an initial pictorial representation or digitized image. From this structure, non-metric data (such as the ordered ‘tree’ of branches) and metric information (such as total dendritic length and dendritic field area) can be automatically computed. The use of this method is specifically illustrated in the capture of the dendritic tree structure of retinal ganglion cells from the rabbit retina.
Reduced Dry Periods and Varying Prepartum Diets Alter Postpartum Ovulation and Reproductive Measures

There has been substantial recent interest in shortening dry periods; however, the effects of this management change on reproduction have not been adequately evaluated. Holstein cows (n = 58) were assigned in a randomized block design to 1 of 3 treatments: 1) traditional (T) dry period (approximately 56 d) in which cows were fed a low energy diet from 56 to 29 d prepartum followed by a moderate energy diet for 28 d; 2) shortened (S) dry period (approximately 28 d) in which cows were fed continuously a high energy diet; or 3) no planned (N) dry period in which cows were fed continuously a high energy diet. All cows received a high energy lactation diet after calving. Ovaries were evaluated by ultrasound and blood samples collected 3 times weekly beginning at d 6 or 7 postpartum until 7 d after second ovulation. Average days from calving until first detection of a 10-mm follicle were fewer in N (8.0 d) and S (8.9 d) than in T (10.5 d) cows. Time from calving to first ovulation was earlier in N (13.2 d) than in S (23.8 d) and T (31.9 d) cows. A greater percentage of follicles of the first follicular wave ovulated in N (89%; 16/18) than in T (42%; 8/19), with S (62%; 13/21) cows being intermediate. Double ovulation rate at the first ovulation was greater in T (61%) than N (16%), with S (35%) intermediate. No difference was detected in double ovulation rate at second ovulation (13/56). Number of cows with persistent corpus luteum (>30 d; 15/56) was not different among groups; however, short luteal phases were greater in N (28%; 5/18) than S (0%; 0/20) cows. Days to first artificial insemination were fewer in N (69.4 d) and S (68.0 d) than in T (75.0 d). First-service conception rate was greater in N (55%; 11/20) than in T (20%; 4/20), with S (26%; 6/23) cows being intermediate. Days open in pregnant cows were fewer in N (93.8 d) than in T (145.4 d), with S (121.2 d) cows being intermediate. Thus, shortening or eliminating the dry period leads to earlier postpartum ovulation and the results highlight the need for future large field studies to accurately evaluate the effect of dry period length on reproductive performance of lactating dairy cows.
Southern Ocean velocity and geostrophic transport fields estimated by combining Jason altimetry and Argo data

Zonal geostrophic velocity fields above 1975 dbar have been estimated for the Southern Ocean from 2004 into 2011 based on sea surface topography observed by Jason altimetry and temperature/salinity measured by Argo autonomous floats. The velocity at 1000 dbar estimated with the method has been compared to Argo drift trajectory at the same pressure level available from the Asia Pacific Data Research Center (APDRC). The inferred velocities agree with those from the Argo drift within the estimated sampling error of the latter, but have fewer gaps in space and time. The velocity has also been integrated from depth to surface to determine the mean and time-variable zonal geostrophic transport in the Southern Ocean between 29.5°S and 58.5°S, primarily in the South Atlantic and South Indian Ocean basins, due to limitations in coverage of Argo. Analysis shows errors can be reduced by >70% by averaging gridded results over wide areas. Zonal transport averaged over the entire Indian Ocean basin shows a significant correlation with the Antarctic Oscillation (AAO) at low frequencies: transport is higher than normal during a positive phase of the AAO, and lower during the negative phase.
International Remittances and Human Capital Formation

Summary This article investigates the effect of international migration on children left behind in Peru. The theoretical model is based on human capital theory and educational investment decision linked to remittances. The model analyzes the role of international remittances on the investment decision between sending children to a public school or to a private school. Using data for the period 2007–10, this study addressed the problem of a left-censored endogenous variable for panel data by using a two-step estimation, and found that international remittances have a positive effect on the likelihood to send children to private schools controlling for absenteeism of parents.
Demonstration of Ubiquitin Thiolester Formation of UBE2Q2 (UBCi), a Novel Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzyme with Implantation Site-Specific Expression

Abstract We recently identified a differentially expressed gene in implantation stage rabbit endometrium encoding a new member of the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme family designated UBE2Q2 (also known as UBCi). Its unusually high molecular mass, novel N-terminus extension, and highly selective pattern of mRNA expression suggest a specific function in implantation. This study analyzes its relationship to the E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme superfamily, investigates its enzymatic activity, and examines its localization in implantation site endometrium. Construction of a dendrogram indicated that UBE2Q2 is homologous to the UBC2 family of enzymes, and isoforms are present in a broad range of species. In vitro enzymatic assays of ubiquitin thiolester formation demonstrated that UBE2Q2 is a functional ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme. The Km for transfer of ubiquitin thiolester from E1 to UBE2Q2 is 817 nM compared to 100 nM for other E2 paralogs; this suggests that the unique amino terminal domain of UBE2Q2 confers...
Minimally invasive lateral retropleural thoracolumbar approach: cadaveric feasibility study and report of 4 clinical cases.

BACKGROUND: Traditional anterior and posterior approaches to the thoracolumbar spine are associated with significant morbidity. In an effort to eliminate these drawbacks, minimally invasive retropleural approaches have been developed. OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the feasibility and clinical experience of a minimally invasive lateral retropleural approach to the thoracolumbar spine. METHODS: Seven cadaveric dissections were performed in 7 fresh specimens to determine the feasibility of the technique. In each specimen, the lateral aspect of the vertebral body was accessed retropleurally, and a corpectomy was performed. Intraprocedural fluoroscopy and postoperative computed tomography were used to assess the extent of decompression. As an adjunct, 3 clinical cases of thoracic fractures and 1 neurofibroma were treated with this minimally invasive approach. Operative results, complications, and early outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: In the cadaveric study, adequate exposure was obtained to perform a lateral corpectomy and to allow interbody grafting between the adjacent vertebral bodies. The procedures were successfully performed in the 4 clinical cases without conversion to conventional approaches. A pleural tear was noted in the first clinical case, and a chest tube was placed without any long-term sequelae. CONCLUSION: Our early experience suggests that the minimally invasive lateral retropleural approach allows adequate vertebrectomy and canal decompression without the tissue disruption associated with posterolateral approaches. This approach may improve the complication rates that accompany open or endoscopic approaches for thoracolumbar corpectomies.
Temporal pathogenesis of experimental neonatal woodchuck hepatitis virus infection: Increased initial viral load and decreased severity of acute hepatitis during the development of chronic viral infection

Acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections either resolve or progress to chronicity. Identification of early deviations in host-virus responses associated with these outcomes can further differentiate cause-effect mechanisms that initiate and maintain chronicity. Neonatal woodchucks were infected experimentally with the woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) at 3 days of age. At 8 or 14 weeks of age (i.e., the early- or mid-acute stage of infection), whole blood and large surgical biopsies of the liver were obtained from infected animals and uninfected controls. These were stored for later correlating histopathologic responses and viral load with the subsequently determined outcome of infection. As of 1 year postinfection, half of the surgically treated infected woodchucks had developed self-limited infections, while the other half developed chronic infections. The self-limited outcome was characterized by decreased viral load in acute-phase liver and plasma and a generally robust acute hepatic inflammatory response. Comparisons at the same early time points revealed that the chronic outcome was characterized by increasing initial viral load in liver and plasma, and a detectable, but diminished, acute hepatic inflammation. These cotemporal comparisons indicate that there is an early host-response deviation during the acute phase of a developing chronic infection. Continued analysis of the tissues banked from this study will facilitate further temporal characterization of acute-phase mechanisms that determine resolution versus chronicity in WHV infection. Understanding such mechanisms may be useful in the rational design of therapy for established chronic HBV infection.
Estimating House Price Indexes in the Presence of Seller Reservation Prices

We analyze a bias in transaction-based price indexes due to the presence of seller reservation prices. We develop a model in which the ratio of sellers' reservation prices to the market value affects trading volume and biases of observed transaction prices: when trading volume decreases (increases), index returns are estimated with an upward (downward) bias. We propose a new econometric procedure to mitigate the bias, and use simulations to demonstrate the effectiveness of the procedure. We construct a reserve-conditional unbiased index for the Los Angeles housing market, which substantially differs from a traditional repeat sale index.