cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fractionation of isotopically labeled peptides in quantitative proteomics.

The goal of quantitative proteomics is to examine the expression levels of all of the proteins in a biological system and recognize those that change as a function of some stimulus. Quantification is now frequently based on derivatization of peptides with isotopically distinguishable labeling agents. This study examines the extent to which isotopic forms of peptides having the same amino acid sequence are resolved by reversed-phase chromatography and assesses the degree to which resolution of these isotopically different forms of a peptide impact quantification. Three derivatizing agents were examined, the d0 and d3 forms of N-acetoxysuccinimide, the d0 and d4 forms of succinic anhydride, and the d0 and d8 forms of the commercial ICAT reagent. Peptide mixtures from control and experimental samples were derivatized individually, mixed, subjected to reversed-phase chromatography, and analyzed by ESI-MS. When partial resolution of the isotopic forms of a peptide occurs, the largest error in assessing the tru...
Surface processes in silver and gold cyanidation

Abstract Rate processes for silver and gold cyanidation are controlled by a series of coupled electrochemical reactions. These include anodic metal dissolution and oxygen reduction. This study demonstrates basic differences between silver and gold dissolution both in reference to the metal and the accompanying oxygen discharge. The kinetics of oxygen reduction are compared for silver and gold. At a fixed voltage, the cathodic current for gold is less than that of silver except at large negative potentials where the kinetics are oxygen diffusion-limited. A mathematical model is presented for oxygen reduction based upon two paths: one path with peroxide formation followed by alternate catalytic decomposition and desorption, and a second path with continued peroxide reduction to hydroxyl ions. The model permits separate calculations of the first and second waves of oxygen reduction. Based upon mixed potential models, silver dissolution is shown to be controlled by both the first and second waves of oxygen reduction with the number of electrons approaching four for high cyanide concentrations. Gold dissolution is controlled by surface reactions with mixed potentials associated mainly with the first wave of oxygen control and limited to two-electron transfer. The model permits an evaluation of the number of electrons which may be transferred for a given potential and shows this number is voltage-dependent. Silver dissolution is shown to include both diffusion or mixed diffusion plus charge transfer kinetics, influenced by the degree of agitation and both oxygen and cyanide concentration-dependent. Gold dissolution kinetics are controlled by crystal-dissolution overpotentials and are independent of agitation. Models of oxygen discharge and metal dissolution are used to explain observed characteristics and kinetics of silver and gold leaching.
A new unusual iridoid with inhibition of activator protein-1 (AP-1) from the leaves of Morinda citrifolia L.

From the leaves of Morinda citrifolia, a new unusual iridoid, named citrifolinoside (1), showing significant inhibition of UVB-induced Activator Protein-1 (AP-1) activity in cell cultures, has been isolated. Its structure was elucidated on the basis of detailed high-field 1D and 2D spectral analysis.
Pulmonary cystic lesions post motor vehicle accident: a rare occurrence

A 24-year-old man was brought to our institution after a high-speed motor vehicle collision, where he was an unrestrained passenger. The patient initially was in respiratory distress requiring intubation. A chest X-ray (Figure 1A) revealed a left tension pneumothorax and increased alveolar densities bilaterally suggestive of pulmonary contusion. After emergent tube thoracostomy, repeat chest X-ray showed resolution of the pneumothorax with evidence of cystic lesions in the left lung (Figure 1B). A computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest revealed multiple …
Nrf2 Amplifies Oxidative Stress via Induction of Klf9

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) activate NF-E2-related transcription factor 2 (Nrf2), a key transcriptional regulator driving antioxidant gene expression and protection from oxidant injury. Here, we report that in response to elevation of intracellular ROS above a critical threshold, Nrf2 stimulates expression of transcription Kruppel-like factor 9 (Klf9), resulting in further Klf9-dependent increases in ROS and subsequent cell death. We demonstrated that Klf9 independently causes increased ROS levels in various types of cultured cells and in mouse tissues and is required for pathogenesis of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. Mechanistically, Klf9 binds to the promoters and alters the expression of several genes involved in the metabolism of ROS, including suppression of thioredoxin reductase 2, an enzyme participating in ROS clearance. Our data reveal an Nrf2-dependent feedforward regulation of ROS and identify Klf9 as a ubiquitous regulator of oxidative stress and lung injury.
The effective action for chiral fermions

Abstract We present an exact formula for the imaginary part of the effective action for chiral fermions in complex representations of the gauge group G, in the presence of an arbitrary external gauge field configuration. This result provides a unified treatment of both local and global anomalies and a precise characterization of some of the special properties of chiral fermions.
Methodology to derive context adaptable architectures for FPGAs

The configurable nature of field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) has allowed designers to take advantage of various data flow characteristics in application kernels to create custom architecture implementations, by optimising instruction level paralleism (ILP) and pipelining at the register transfer level. However, not all applications are composed of pure data flow kernels. Intermingling of control and data flows in applications offers more interesting challenges in creating custom architectures. The authors present one possible way to take advantage of correlations that may be present among data flow graphs (DFGs) embedded in control flow graphs. In certain cases, where there is sufficient correlation and ILP, the proposed context adaptable architecture (CAA) design methodology results in an interesting and useful custom architecture for such embedded DFGs. Certain other application characteristics may demand the use of alternative methodologies such as partial and dynamic reconfiguration (PDR) and a mixture of PDR and common sub-graph methods (PDR-CSG). The authors present a rigorous analysis, combined with some benchmarking efforts to showcase the differences, advantages and disadvantages of the CAA methodology with other methodologies. The authors also present an analysis of how the core underlying algorithm in our methodology compares with other published algorithms and the differences in resulting designs on an FPGA for a sample set of test cases.
Charge-density-wave states in the fractional quantum Hall regime.

We show that within the Hartree-Fock approximation, self-consistent solutions exist for the two-dimensional electron gas in the extreme quantum limit which show energy cusps at filling factors of odd denominator only. The associated gaps are larger for rational factors represented by simple fractions. One such state holding 0.5 electrons in the charge-density-wave unit cell is discussed in detail.
Acute suppurative parotitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in an HIV-infected man

We report a case of a 32-year-old man who presented with progressive unilateral parotid gland enlargement and subsequently tested positive for HIV. A CT scan of the neck performed with contrast showed a phlegmon in the region of the right parotid tail measuring approximately 2.5×2.4 cm. Cultures of the aspirated fluid grew Streptococcus pneumoniae and the S. pneumoniae urinary antigen test was also positive. The patient underwent surgical debridement and received antimicrobial therapy with complete resolution of the parotitis. Parotitis caused by S. pneumoniae is rare, and HIV infection should be suspected in any case of invasive pneumococcal disease.
Nuclear medium effects on hadronization measured by the Hermes collaboration

The effects of the cold nuclear medium on hadron multiplicities in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering was studied extensively and is presented together with the first direct measurement of p t -broadening in cold nuclear matter. The data have been accumulated by the Hermes experiment at Desy , in which the Hera 27.6 GeV lepton beam scattered off several nuclear gas targets. These analysis provide precious information concerning the space-time evolution of hadronization.
Improved Early Risk Stratification With Cystatin C–Based Estimated GFR

reference point of 95 mL/min/1.73 m 2 , with a significance threshold (ie, the point at which the risk was significantly higher than the risk at the reference point) of 88 mL/min/1.73 m 2 for eGFRcys, 83 mL/ min/1.73 m 2 for eGFRcr-cys, and 59 mL/min/1.73 m 2 for eGFRcr. The relationship between baseline eGFRcys and risk of death was monotonic, whereas relationships between baseline eGFRcr or eGFRcr-cys and risk of death were J-shaped, such that there was also higher risk at the highest eGFRs. Similar relationships were found in the CKD cohorts. Of the 64,010 general population participants for whom deaths from cardiovascular disease were ascertained, 5% died from this cause during a mean follow-up of 8.8 years. The risk for cardiovascular deaths became significant below thresholds similar to those for all-cause mortality: 86 mL/min/1.73 m 2 for eGFRcys, 83 mL/min/1.73 m 2 for eGFRcr-cys, and 69 mL/min/1.73 m 2 for eGFRcr. All 3 equations had a monotonic association with cardiovascular mortality. Incident ESRD occurred in 357 of 37,872 general population participants and 1,297 of 2,955 CKD participants during a mean follow-up of 9.3 years. The risk associations for this outcome were similar for all measures of eGFR in both the general population and CKD cohorts and generally were monotonic. Importantly, across all eGFR categories, when cystatin C was used instead of creatinine as the filtration marker in the estimating equation, reclassification to a lower eGFR was associated with increased risk of all 3 outcomes, and reclassification to a higher eGFR generally was associated with reduced risk of these outcomes. The authors concludedthat cystatin C, which is not as confounded by non-GFR determinants as creatinine, improves the prediction power of eGFR
TH‐E‐ValB‐07: Blood‐Tumor‐Barrier Permeability Changes in High‐Grade Gliomas During Radiation Therapy Using DCE MRI

Introduction: Radiation could affect vascular permeability in tumor and normal tissue. A previous study using high‐resolution MR images and a contrast uptake index demonstrated that an increase in contrast uptake in the tumor occurs after 30 Gy and persists up to one month after radiation therapy (RT). This finding suggested that an optimal time window exists to increase the efficiency of drug delivery to tumors. In this study, a quantitative method, dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MR imaging , was used to assess tumor vascular permeability changes during RT, in order to maximize potential therapeutic benefit. Methods: Twenty patients with high‐grade gliomas who underwent conformal RT participated in a MRI protocol. DCE T2* weighted images were acquired before RT, after ∼30 Gy, and one month after the completion of RT. A transfer constant (K) of Gd‐DTPA from blood to tissue was estimated voxel‐by‐voxel and used as a metric for assessment of vascular permeability. In the tumor volume (TV) defined on FLAIR MRI, statistically significant changes in K after ∼30 Gy and one month after RT were evaluated, compared to before treatment, using a students' t test. Results: An average fractional volume of 29.6% in tumor manifested substantial contrast leakage with K>0.005 min−1 pre RT. In the TV where there was no substantial leakage pre RT, the mean K increased significantly from K=0.0003 min−1 to 0.0073 min−1 after ∼30 Gy (p 0.5). Conclusion: DCE MR imaging reveals vascular permeability increases after ∼30Gy in the portion of tumor where leakage is not substantial before RT. This finding suggests that the optimal time to administer chemotherapy is during the course of radiation therapy.
Two promising empirical techniques for closed form functional representation of 14–16 micron radiance profiles

Climatological radiance profiles in 14 to 16 micron interval represented by closed form functions dependent only on tangent height
Distribution and Parasitism of Winter Moth, Operophtera brumata (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), in Western Oregon

In Oregon, winter moth, Operophtera brumata (L.), is distributed throughout the northern region of the Willamette Valley, where it is commonly found on commercial hazelnut, Corylus avellana L.; crabapple, Malus silvestris Mill.; and flowering plum, Prunus cerasifera J. F. Ehrh. Adults emerge in early November through December, eggs overwinter, larvae eclose in mid-March and develop through five instars, and pupae occur in the soil from May to November. Six species of native parasitoids were reared from field-collected larvae, but parasitism averaged only 4.5 and 12.2% in 1980 and 1981, respectively. The exotic parasitoids Cyzenis albicans (Fallen) (Tachinidae) and Agrypon flaveolatum (Gravenhorst) (Ichneumonidae) were released for biological control of winter moth in 1981 and 1982. C. albicans was recovered from four of seven release sites. No A. flaveolatum have been recovered
A transport model with micro- and macro-structure

Abstract In this paper we consider solute transport through porous media where the chemical species undergoes a chemical process through the surface of the porous skeleton. The problem is modeled by a system of differential equations for the macro-concentration u = u ( x , t ) and the micro-concentration u ′ = u ′( x , x ′, t ). We prove existence and uniqueness, and some properties of the set with positive concentration.
Propagation of sound in liquid metals: The velocity in lead and tin☆

Abstract The velocity of propagation of longitudinal sound waves in liquid lead and tin has been measured over a temperature interval upward from the freezing point. A constant linear decrease of the sonic velocity with increasing temperature is found in both metals. The acoustic data are used to evaluate the parameters in a simple hole theory of the liquid state, which is then compared with data for diffusion in liquid metals.
MARKET STRUCTURE, SECURITY PRICES, AND INFORMATIONAL EFFICIENCY

We consider an economy with an incomplete securities market and heterogeneously informed investors. Each investor trades in the market to hedge the risk to his endowment and to speculate on future security payoffs using his private information. We examine the efficiency of the securities market in allocating risk and transmitting information under different market structures, as defined by the set of securities traded in the market. We show that the introduction of derivative securities can decrease the market's efficiency in revealing information on security payoffs, and increase the equity premium and price volatility in the market.
Electron-microscopic demonstration of olfactory-marker protein with protein G-gold in freeze-substituted, Lowicryl K11M-embedded rat olfactory-receptor cells.

In this study electron-microscopic immunocytochemistry was used to localize olfactory marker protein in olfactory epithelia. Rat olfactory-epithelial samples were rapidly frozen, freeze-substituted with acetone, embedded at low temperatures with Lowicryl K11M and labelled on the sections with polyclonal antibodies raised against olfactory marker protein and with protein G conjugated to colloidal gold. Apart from the aforementioned use of acetone, substitution was carried out in the complete absence of chemical fixation, i.e., neither aldehydes nor OsO4 were used. This procedure resulted in localization concurrent with a good ultrastructural preservation. Olfactory-marker protein was present throughout the cytoplasmic compartments of dendrites and dendritic endings of olfactory-receptor cells, but it was not found in organelles such as mitochondria. Olfactory-marker protein was found only in dendriticendings of olfactory-receptor cells mature enough to have given rise to cilia, but these cilia displayed less labelling than dendrites and dendritic endings. Olfactory-marker protein was not found in apices and microvilli of neighboring olfactory-supporting cells.
Diffusivities and Viscosities of Poly(ethylene oxide) Oligomers

Diffusivities and viscosities of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) oligomer melts with 1 to 12 repeat units have been obtained from equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations using the TraPPE-UA force field. The simulations generated diffusion coefficients with high accuracy for all of the molar masses studied, but the statistical uncertainties in the viscosity calculations were significantly larger for longer chains. There is good agreement of the calculated viscosities and densities with available experimental data, and thus, the simulations can be used to bridge gaps in the data and for extrapolations with respect to chain length, temperature, and pressure. We explored the convergence characteristics of the Green−Kubo formulas for different chain lengths and propose minimal production times required for convergence of the transport properties. The chain-length dependence of the transport properties suggests that neither Rouse nor reptation models are applicable in the short-chain regime investigated.
Discrete event simulation in C with DISC

Abstract The creation of complex simulation models requires the capabilities of a good analyst/programmer and the support of a truly versatile and powerful simulation language. The migration of computing from mainframes to microcomputers and the growth of the capacity and speed of microcomputing present convincing arguments for the development and use of a simulation “language” which is compatible with microcomputer implementation. DISC ( DI screte event Simulation in C ) is a software library of C functions with supports the development of discrete event simulation models with event routines coded in C in a manner analogous to the use of SLAM or SIMAN with FORTRAN . The primary advantages of using C and DISC are dynamic memory management, an interactive execution environment, an interactive trace and powerful debugging facility, flexible input-output features, small code sizes and faster execution.
Serotonin-immunoreactive axon terminals innervate pyramidal cells and interneurons in the rat basolateral amygdala.

The basolateral nuclear complex of the amygdala (BLC) receives a dense serotonergic innervation that appears to play a critical role in the regulation of mood and anxiety. However, little is known about how serotonergic inputs interface with different neuronal subpopulations in this region. To address this question, dual-labeling immunohistochemical techniques were used at the light and electron microscopic levels to examine inputs from serotonin-immunoreactive (5-HT+) terminals to different neuronal subpopulations in the rat BLC. Pyramidal cells were labeled by using antibodies to calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, whereas different interneuronal subpopulations were labeled by using antibodies to a variety of interneuronal markers including parvalbumin (PV), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), calretinin, calbindin, cholecystokinin, and somatostatin. The BLC exhibited a dense innervation by thin 5-HT+ axons. Electron microscopic examination of the anterior basolateral nucleus (BLa) revealed that 5-HT+ axon terminals contained clusters of small synaptic vesicles and a smaller number of larger dense-core vesicles. Serial section reconstruction of 5-HT+ terminals demonstrated that 76% of these terminals formed synaptic junctions. The great majority of these synapses were symmetrical. The main targets of 5-HT+ terminals were spines and distal dendrites of pyramidal cells. However, in light microscopic preparations it was common to observe apparent contacts between 5-HT+ terminals and all subpopulations of BLC interneurons. Electron microscopic analysis of the BLa in sections dual-labeled for 5-HT/PV and 5-HT/VIP revealed that many of these contacts were synapses. These findings suggest that serotonergic axon terminals differentially innervate several neuronal subpopulations in the BLC. J. Comp. Neurol. 505:314–335, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Biometric variation in Phragmites australis affecting convective ventilation and amino acid metabolism

Abstract Parameters of convective ventilation and amino acid patterns in basal culm internodes of Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. were studied at four sites in the Danube Delta (Romania) in May 1997. The considerable stand-specific differences in shoot diameter, length and density were related to ventilation efficiency. Tall shoots with high diameters were able to induce higher gas flow rates per generated pressure differential, than those with smaller diameters. However, if the flow rates of single culms were related to the corresponding shoot densities, stands with thinner shoots but higher densities achieved significantly higher ventilation efficiencies per m 2 reed stand. These differences in the rate at which rhizomes can be flushed with air were reflected in amino acid patterns in basal culm internodes. The fractions of Ala, Ser and γ-aminobutyric acid of total amino acid content were significantly increased at stands with tall, thick shoots but low densities. The contents of these amino acids were correlated with parameters of convective ventilation, and may indicate hypoxic conditions in basal and below-ground plant parts of P. australis . In conclusion, biometric parameters of reed stands can be decisive for determining the efficiency of convective ventilation.
Targeted recruitment of senior citizens and cardiac patients to a mass CPR training course

CPR courses attract a predominance of young, healthy adults. Targeted recruitment of senior citizens and family members of cardiac patients has been suggested but inadequately studied. We used a targeted recruitment strategy for our annual mass CPR training course to determine if such an approach would be effective in attracting the target group. Targeting significantly increased the percentage of senior citizen participants and participants who took the course because they or a close friend or relative had cardiac disease ( P
Multi-megarad (Si) radiation-tolerant integrated CMOS imager

The paper describes the design, operation, and performance of integrated CMOS imagers that withstand multi-megarad(Si) total dose of ionizing radiation. It reports test result from two imagers - one with on-chip integrated timing and control, and the other with a variety of pixel structures for parametrically investigating the effects of radiation ion imager performance. The CMOS Imager has been shown to response only to ionizing radiation, and is able to withstand high proton fluence. Minimal change in imager performance is observed after being subjected to a proton fluence of 1.2 X 1012 protons/cm2. The imager also exhibits minimal change in optical response after being dosed with 1.5 Megarad(Si). The radiation-induced dark current ins small and is well-behaved over the entire dose range. No change in operation bias is needed either for operating the imager at low-temperature or after irradiation. The parametric test chip indicates that the LOCOS region plays a significant role in determining the total-side-hardness of the pixel. Based on test results, most promising pixel structures for imaging under high radiation environments have been identified.
Behavior of cement based matrices reinforced by randomly dispersed microfibers

Abstract A study on behavior of cement based matrices reinforced by randomly distributed microfibers is summarized. Effects of volume fraction, length and type of fiber, and type of cement based matrix were experimentally examined using uniaxial tensile specimens and three-point bend beams. The matrix fracture properties were measured by a RILEM recommended test procedure. A confocal microscopy technique was used to measure fracture surface roughness, a parameter that was shown to correlate with fracture properties. By incorporating the obtained matrix fracture properties, fiber aspect ratio, and fiber-matrix interface bond into a fracture mechanical R-curve approach, mechanical responses of cement based matrices reinforced by fibers can be predicted.
Pandemic influenza: is an antiviral response realistic?

Background: Antiviral agents could play a significant role in the response to a future influenza pandemic, especially if an effective vaccine is unavailable. There is, however, a limited availability of antiviral drugs, as was the case during the A/Fujian(H3N2) epidemic in the 2003-2004 season. There are major differences among the available antiviral agents in terms of clinical pharmacology, adverse effects and resistance profiles, all of which must be considered when selecting agents for pandemic use and stockpiling. The logistic issues involved in delivering the drug to large populations must also be considered. The M2 ion channel inhibitors amantadine and rimantadine are partially effective for chemoprophylaxis of pandemic influenza, and when used for early treatment they provide some symptom relief. Interpandemic studies demonstrate that the neuraminidase inhibitors would be effective for both prevention and treatment of influenza. Conclusion: Given the limited supply and the previously demonstrated inability of the manufacturing sector to meet surging needs, an effective antiviral response could not currently be launched in the United States. Antiviral agents could be important in managing and treating pandemic influenza and reduce lower respiratory complications and hospitalizations.
A closed-form expression for the exact BER of generalized PAM and QAM constellations

We derive an explicit closed-form expression for the exact bit-error rate (BER) computation of generalized hierarchical M-ary pulse amplitude modulations over additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) and fading channels. This expression can also be used to obtain the exact BER of generalized hierarchical quadrature amplitude modulations (square and rectangular). For the AWGN case, these expressions are in the form of a weighted sum of complementary error functions, and are solely dependent on the constellation size M, the carrier-to-noise ratio, and a constellation parameter which controls the relative message importance.
Dosing of Enoxaparin for Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Obese Patients

Objective: To evaluate the appropriate dosing of enoxaparin as a venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis in hospitalized obese patients. Data Sources: Literature articles were accessed through MEDLINE (1946 to August week 1, 2013) and EMBASE (1980 to 2013 week 33) searches using the terms enoxaparin, obesity, and thromboprophylaxis. Study Selection and Data Extraction: All articles that involved human subjects and were published in the English language, evaluating the appropriate dose of enoxaparin for VTE prophylaxis in hospitalized, obese patients were included. Data Synthesis: Appropriate enoxaparin dosing for thromboprophylaxis in adult patients is 40 mg subcutaneously daily or 30 mg subcutaneously twice daily. Although obesity is considered one of the risk factors for thromboembolism, morbidly obese patients were excluded from most clinical trials; therefore, the appropriate enoxaparin preventive dose is not clear in this population. In recent years, the appropriate dose of enoxaparin for VTE prophy...
Health Benefits In 2008: Premiums Moderately Higher, While Enrollment In Consumer-Directed Plans Rises In Small Firms

ABSTRACT: Our annual Employer Health Benefits Survey contains findings from interviews with 1,927 public and private employers surveyed during the first five months of 2008. Average annual premiums...
Implementation of an oceanographic expert system: problems, feedback, solutions

An oceanographic expert system to describe the evolution of the Gulf Stream and its rings is discussed. The results show the expert system to be more than 60% accurate in ring-location predictions. The structural composition of the implemented expert system consists of an OPS83 rule-based shell and modules, using primarily C for algorithms. Some of the computer-related problems encountered while trying to obtain a production version for the oceanographic analyst are described. >
Tumor vaccine strategies after allogeneic T-cell depleted bone marrow transplantation

Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation is currently restricted to hematological malignancies because of a lack of anti-tumor activity against solid cancers. We have tested a novel treatment strategy to stimulate specific anti-tumor activity against a solid tumor after transplantation by vaccination with irradiated tumor cells engineered to secrete granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Using the B16 melanoma model, we found that vaccination elicited potent anti-tumor activity in recipients of syngeneic bone marrow transplantation in a time dependent fashion, and that immune reconstitution was critical for the development of anti-tumor activity. Vaccination did not stimulate anti-tumor immunity after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation because of the post-transplantation immunodeficiency associated with graft-versus-host disease. Remarkably, vaccination was effective in stimulating potent and long-lasting anti-tumor activity in recipients of T cell-depleted allogeneic bone marrow. Thus T cells derived from donor stem cells were able to recognize tumor antigens even though they remained tolerant to host histocompatibility antigens. Donor leukocyte infusion from a donor immunized with the recipient-derived B16 vaccines enhanced clinical activity of tumor vaccines without exacerbating graft-versus-host disease and CD4+ T cells are essential for this enhancement. These results demonstrate that vaccination of both donors and recipients can stimulate potent anti-tumor effects without the induction of graft-versus-host disease, and this strategy has important implications for the treatment of patients with solid malignancies.
An architecture for the estimation of higher order cumulants

To achieve real-time performance in signal processing applications that require the estimation of higher order statistics, it is necessary to introduce parallel processing and pipelining. The authors present a two stage VLSI architecture for the computation of all the non-negative lags of the cumulants of a real, one-dimensional data sequence. All the non-negative lags of the moments, up to the fourth order, are computed first by a triangular array, based on the indirect block-type estimation approach (C. L. Nikias and M. R. Roghuveer, 1987). The second and fourth order moments are then used to compute the fourth order cumulants using additional processors. A systematic algorithm-to-architectures synthesis methodology facilitated the design of both parts of the architecture and their optimal space and data flow matching. >
Unhappy After an Appendectomy

1. What are the differential diagnoses for a child with hematemesis? According to Pomeranz, Busey, Sabnis, Behrman, and Kliegma (2002) and Sylvester (2004), t differential diagnoses for hematemesis in a school-aged child are extensive and include the following: ● Peptic ulcer disease (gastritis; duodenitis; gastric and duodenal ulcers) ● Postoperative small bowel obstruction (SBO) ● Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) adverse effect ● Esophagitis ● Mallory-Weiss tear ● Foreign body ● Vascular malformation ● Caustic ingestion ● Esophageal or gastric varices (related to liver disease and portal hypertension) ● Gastric or intestinal duplications ● Tumor
Will People Act to Mitigate Climate Change

The articles by Markowitz and Bowerman (2011) and by Liu and Sibley (2011) highlight the importance of individual behavior and attitudes in addressing climate change, and suggest reasons for optimism about the possibility of individual change. In this comment, I reflect on the role of identity in both studies. Appeals based on personal and group identities have an important role in behavior change.
How Children's Adjustment Is Affected by Their Relationships to Their Mothers' Abusers

Although researchers have begun to examine the long-term impact of exposure to domestic violence on children, most studies focus exclusively on the mother-child dyad in examining children's adjustment. The presence and behavior of the abuser has been noticeably absent, even though such variables are likely to relate to children's well-being. This study presents evidence that the abuser's relationship to the child (whether he is the biological father, stepfather/father figure, or nonfather figure) is an important variable in understanding children's adjustment. Although level of physical abuse of the children did not differ by group, stepfathers were more emotionally abusive to the children and the children reported being more fearful of them, compared to the other two groups of abusers. Biological fathers were the most emotionally available to the children, yet these children reported lower self-competency compared to children whose mothers' abusers were not their father figures. Research and policy impli...
VATS intraoperative tattooing to facilitate solitary pulmonary nodule resection

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) has become routine and widely accepted for the removal of solitary pulmonary nodules of unknown etiology. Thoracosopic techniques continue to evolve with better instruments, robotic applications, and increased patient acceptance and awareness. Several techniques have been described to localize peripheral pulmonary nodules, including pre-operative CT-guided tattooing with methylene blue, CT scan guided spiral/hook wire placement, and transthoracic ultrasound. As pulmonary surgeons well know, the lung and visceral pleura may appear featureless on top of a pulmonary nodule. This paper presents a rapid, direct and inexpensive approach to peripheral lung lesion resection by marking the lung parenchyma on top of the nodule using direct methylene blue injection. In two patients with peripherally located lung nodules (n = 3) scheduled for VATS, we used direct methylene blue injection for intraoperative localization of the pulmonary nodule. Our technique was the following: After finger palpation of the lung, a spinal 25 gauge needle was inserted through an existing port and 0.1 ml of methylene blue was used to tattoo the pleura perpendicular to the localized nodule. The methylene blue tattoo immediately marks the lung surface over the nodule. The surgeon avoids repeated finger palpation, while lining up stapler, graspers and camera, because of the visible tattoo. Our technique eliminates regrasping and repalpating the lung once again to identify a non marked lesion. Three lung nodules were resected in two patients. Once each lesion was palpated it was marked, and the area was resected with security of accurate localization. All lung nodules were resected in totality with normal lung parenchymal margins. Our technique added about one minute to the operative time. The two patients were discharged home on the second postoperative day, with no morbidity. VATS with intraoperative tattooing is a safe, easy, and accurate technique to streamline and efficiently resect solitary pulmonary nodules.
Coca-Cola China's Virtual Olympic Torch Relay programme at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games: adding interactivity to a traditional offline Olympic activation

This case study examines the interactive marketing initiatives of Coca-Cola China Company for one of its marquee Olympic properties, the Olympic Torch Relay. It provides insights into building increased brand interaction by adding an online interactive component to an age-old concept in Olympic activations.
Optimum Design of Photovoltaic Water Pumping Systems

Photovoltaic systems are expected to be used as an energy source for water pumping and transfer in many developing countries. Better design could mean substantial savings in the initial investment cost. Better understanding of the water well system will help in the optimum design. Data from some water wells have been used to determine models for the well system and simulate it. A PV system simulator has been used to examine various design philosophies. Battery storage can help improve the performance especially in the case of small capacity wells or in the case of high friction head losses. Tracking arrays are also examined. Some results demonstrate how the performance is affected by the design of systems having the same array power.
Universally Composable Direct Anonymous Attestation

Direct Anonymous Attestation DAA is one of the most complex cryptographic algorithms that has been deployed in practice. In spite of this and the long body of work on the subject, there is still no fully satisfactory security definition for DAA. This was already acknowledged by Bernard et al. IJIC'13 who showed that in existing models insecure protocols can be proved secure. Bernard et al. therefore proposed an extensive set of security games which, however, aim only at a simplified setting termed pre-DAA. In pre-DAA, the host platform that runs the TPM is assumed to be trusted. Consequently, their notion does not guarantee any security if the TPM is embedded in a potentially corrupt host which is a significant restriction. In this paper, we give a comprehensive security definition for full DAA in the form of an ideal functionality in the Universal Composability model. Our definition considers the host and TPM to be separate entities that can be in different corruption states. None of the existing DAA schemes satisfy our strong security notion. We therefore propose a realization that is based on a DAA scheme supported by the TPMi¾?2.0 standard and prove it secure in our model.
A novel method for quantifying arm motion similarity

This paper proposes a novel task-independent method for quantifying arm motion similarity that can be applied to any kinematic/dynamic variable of interest. Given two arm motions for the same task, not necessarily with the same completion time, it plots the time-normalized curves against one another and generates four real-valued features. To validate these features we apply them to quantify the relationship between healthy and paretic arm motions of chronic stroke patients. Studying both unimanual and bimanual arm motions of eight chronic stroke patients, we find that inter-arm coupling that tends to synchronize the motions of both arms in bimanual motions, has a stronger effect at task-relevant joints than at task-irrelevant joints. It also revealed that the paretic arm suppresses the shoulder flexion of the non-paretic arm, while the latter encourages the shoulder rotation of the former.
Legislative Deliberation and the Drafting Process: The Drafter's Role

AbstractDialogic deliberation lies at the heart of the democratic process, which in turn lies at the heart of the discourse of reason. Nevertheless, the world around, precious little deliberation actually occurs. That leaves without rhetorical test the assertions by its proponents that a proposed bill will ameliorate its targeted social problem. By position and professional and moral obligation, the legislative drafter is uniquely positioned to facilitate legislative deliberation. By accompanying a proposed bill with a research report justifying the bill, the drafter can help ‘kick-off’ deliberation by supplying the facts and logic on which the bill rests and an agenda for structuring that deliberation.
Impact of Evidence-Based Guidelines on Outcomes of Hospitalized Patients With Clostridium difficile Infection

Objectives Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the most common healthcare-associated infection in the United States. Clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of CDI were updated in 2010 by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. An institutional guideline for the classification and management of CDI in accordance with the 2010 Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America/Infectious Diseases Society of America guideline was developed and provided to attending physicians and medical residents in multiple formats. Methods We sought to determine the impact of an evidence-based guideline for the treatment of CDI at a community teaching hospital. A retrospective chart review was conducted to identify length of stay (LOS), readmission rates, direct cost, mortality, and physician adherence to guidelines in patients with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition codes and laboratory confirmation of CDI between February 1, 2013 and January 31, 2014. Endpoints included LOS after diagnosis of CDI, 30-day readmission rates, direct cost after diagnosis of CDI, and mortality. Results A total of 351 patient encounters were included in the study. Although not statistically significant, it was found that guideline-based therapy (n = 131) was associated with a lower median LOS (6 days vs 8 days; P = 0.06). Thirty-day hospital readmission (25.2% vs 29.5%; P = 0.39) and median cost after diagnosis of CDI ($7238.48 vs $8794.81; P = 0.10) also were lower but not statistically significant. Patients with mild-to-moderate infection were found to have a significantly lower median LOS (5 days vs 7 days; P = 0.03) and median cost after diagnosis ($5257.85 vs $7680.56; P = 0.03) when treated with guideline-based therapy. Overall physician adherence to guidelines was low, at 38%. Conclusions Treatment with guideline-based therapy for CDI was associated with a trend toward a significantly lower LOS and cost. Barriers to physician adherence to guidelines still exist, despite education and guideline availability. Electronic health record-based order sets or clinical decision tools may improve recognition of and adherence to guidelines.
Forming a ‘circle of protection’: Christian activism and the budget

Scholars have noted the rise of religious lobbying groups in Washington, as these entities have sought to influence the policy process and the discourse surrounding political issues. This article seeks to determine whether progressive groups are evolving into sophisticated political actors, focusing on how they promote values that would resonate in the current economic climate. Using a qualitative framing analysis, I examine the issue campaigns of progressive and conservative Christian organizations around the budget to determine how they use faith-based arguments to defend their positions on social welfare spending and the role of government. Drawing from interest group and social movement literature, particularly the use of collective action frames, I look at the ways these groups define problems inherent in debates about the budget or national debt, attribute blame, propose solutions and mobilize people of faith. My findings demonstrate that progressive groups have capitalized on the salience of economic issues and implemented public campaigns that encourage lawmakers to view the budget as a moral document. They have helped to ensure their long-term survival by appealing to potential members and re-defining the budget as a religious issue that merits political action from people of faith. This study also adds to our understanding of religious organizations and how they operate similarly to other lobbying groups by framing issues for their target constituency and mobilizing against competing interests.
House Fly: Partial Reproductive Isolation Among Six Strains

Six strains of Musca domestica L. from different geographical areas were intercrossed in combinations of 2 to ascertain whether any cases of cytoplasmic incompatibility or hybrid sterility could be isolated. No classical cases of either type were found; however, a significant depression in fertility was observed in several crosses, and 2 of the 6 strains showed gross behavioral or genetic differences. Some males from a strain of African origin would not or could not copulate with females of other strains, and males from an Australian strain produced a preponderance of male progeny in crosses with other strains.
Computational Aerodynamics of the Ahmed Model Car Body

This study reports aerodynamic computations of a model car body using various turbulence models. Simulation results were compared with data from wind tunnel tests, for two rear slant angles. The results indicate that RSM simulations gave slightly better predictions of the drag coefficient in both cases. All turbulence models performed reasonable well for the 25° case. However, none of the models could predict observed separation on the rear slant in the 35° case. Consequently, they all failed to predict the massive recirculation zone in the wake.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Novel Cubic ZnxMg1−xO Epitaxial Heterostructures on Si (100) Substrates

We have synthesized new cubic phase of ZnxMg1−xO alloy, which can be grown epitaxially on MgO (100) by lattice-matching epitaxy, and on Si (100) substrate by our domainmatching epitaxy for integration with silicon microelectronic devices. Cubic ZnxMg1−xO films on MgO (100) and Si (100) substrates were grown using a rotating target in a single chamber “insitu” pulsed-laser deposition system. Integration of ZnxMg1−xO films with silicon was accomplished via titanium nitride (TiN) buffer layers where four lattice constants of TiN match with three of the silicon during epitaxial growth via domain epitaxy. Rutherford backscattering/ion channeling techniques were used to determine chemical composition and crystalline quality of the films for x = 0.0-0.18. Detailed X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy studies confirmed the epitaxial nature of ZnMgO/MgO (100) and ZnMgO/TiN/Si (100) heterostructures, and showed the formation of the Mg2−xZnxTiO4 spinel at the interface with TiN. Using optical transmission measurements, the band gap of cubic Zn0.18Mg0.82O film was estimated to be approximately 6.7 eV. The potential use of these alloys for optical devices in the ultraviolet range is discussed.
High-Yield Solvothermal Synthesis of Magnetic Peapod Nanocomposites via the Capture of Preformed Nanoparticles in Scrolled Nanosheets

A versatile method has been developed for the fabrication of magnetic peapod nanocomposites with preformed nanoparticles (NPs). With use of a solvothermal treatment, NPs combined with acid-exchanged hexaniobate crystallites readily produce nanopeapods (NPPs). This approach is effectively demonstrated on a series of ferrite NPs (≤14 nm) where Fe3O4@hexaniobate NPPs are rapidly (∼6 h) generated in high yield. When NP samples with different sizes are reacted, clear evidence for size selectivity is seen. Magnetic dipolar interactions between ferrite NPs within the Fe3O4@hexaniobate samples lead to significant rise in coercivity, increasing almost fourfold relative to free particles. Other magnetic ferrites NPPs, MFe2O4@hexaniobate (M = Mn, Co, Ni), can also be prepared. This synthetic approach to nanopeapods is quite versatile and should be readily extendable to other, nonferrite NPs or NP combinations so that cooperative properties can be exploited while the integrity of the NP assemblies is maintained.
Numerical Simulation and Analysis of Flood Assessment of the Qingbaijiang Railway Bridge

Two-dimensional mathematical model of water flow was used to conduct feasibility study on the Qingbaijiang railway bridge.By comparing water condition changes before and after the bridge construction,the scouring impact of velocity around bridge piers and change of water surface line on piers was investigated.The feasibility of railway bridge provided technical support for the implementation of the project.