cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phosphorylation of acyclovir diphosphate by cellular enzymes

Abstract Acyclovir diphosphate (acyclo-GDP) is a metabolite of the antiviral drug acyclovir [9-(2-hydroxyethoxymethyl) guanine]. Seven enzymes capable of catalyzing the phosphorylation of GDP and dGDP (nucleoside diphosphate kinase, pyruvate kinase, creatine kinase, phosphoglycerate kinase, succinyl-CoA synthetase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and adenylosuccinate synthetase) also catalyzed the phosphorylation of acyclo-GDP. In general, acyclo-GDP had a lower V ′ max and a higher K ′ m than either GDP or dGDP. None of these enzymes showed significantly higher rates of phosphorylation with GDP or acyclo-GDP in herpes simplex virus-infected Vero cells as compared to uninfected Vero cells. The contribution of each enzyme to the phosphorylation of acyclo-GDP in vivo was estimated from the kinetic data from the partially purified enzymes, the level of each enzyme in Vero cells, and the physiological concentrations of both substrates and inhibitors. The relative order of estimated rates of acyclo-GDP phosphorylation in Vero cells was phosphoglycerate kinase ⪢ pyruvate kinase > phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase > nucleoside diphosphate kinase > succinyl-CoA synthetase > creatine kinase > adenylosuccinate synthetase. The calculated potential for acyclo-GDP phosphorylation by these enzymes was adequate to account for the amounts of acyclo-GTP formed in cell culture.
Fractionation of the Lipoproteins of the Fat Globule Membrane from Cream

Summary The membrane material obtained by freezing washed cream has been fractionated from suspensions in 2% sodium desoxycholate into five sedimentable fractions representing 75% of the total material and one soluble fraction (25%). These fractions were clearly differentiated by their appearance and sedimentation behavior. Fractions A and D contained most of the xanthine oxidase activity and were about 32% lipid. Fraction B contained most of the alkaline phosphatase activity and was about 65% lipid. The other fractions were over 70% lipid. In Fractions A, B, and D, the lipid was 15% phospholipid; in Fractions C and E, it was 5–6% phospholipid; and in the supernatant, it was 50% phospholipid.
Photoluminescence from pseudomorphically strained Si/Si 1-x Ge x multiple quantum wells grown on silicon

We have grown Si/Sii_Ger multiple quantum wells (r 8%) lattice-matched to silicon with well thicknesses between 3 and 20 nni using UHV-CVD. The sample parameters were obtained accurately with high-resolution X-ray diffraction ( rocking curves) and transmission electron microscopy. From an analysis of the band-edge related photoluminescence energies we find a blue-shift due to confinement for thin wells.
ANTAGONISM OF LYSERGIC ACID DIETHYLAMIDE (LSD)-INDUCED HYPERGLYCEMIA.

Abstract The hyperglycemic effect of LSD is reduced by 50% by pretreatment with pentolinium or phenoxybenzamine. Hydralazine pretreatment reinforces the hyperglycemic response to LSD. It is concluded that phenoxybenzamine acts at a central site to produce its antagonistic effect, since it did not affect the hyperglycemic response to infused epinephrine.
Speaker recognition using neural network and adaptive wavelet transform

The same word uttered by different people has different waveforms. It has also been observed that the same word uttered by the same person has different waveform at different times. This difference can be characterized by some time domain dilation effects in the waveform. In our experiment a set of words was selected and each word was uttered eight times by five different speakers. The objective of this work is to extract a wavelet basis function for the speech data generated by each individual speaker. The wavelet filter coefficients are then used as a feature set and fed into a neural network-based speaker recognition system. This is an attempt to cascade a wavelet network (wavenet) and a neural network (neural-net) for feature extraction and classification respectively and applied for speaker recognition. The results show very high promise and good prospects to couple a wavelet network and neural networks.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Postpartum Women's Perceptions of the Hospital Environment

Objective: To describe postpartum women's perceptions of the hospital environment and how it affects their postpartum experiences. Method: Descriptive study using content analysis of interview transcripts. Setting: Participants were interviewed in their homes within the first 3 postpartum weeks about their postpartum experiences. Participants: Thirty-one primiparous women who gave birth vaginally to full-term newborns. They were recruited from two large childbirth education programs in the Pacific Northwest. Results: The categories addressing the hospital environment were context, physical conditions, sociocultural conditions, contingencies, and consequences. Overall, these women had more negative perceptions than positive ones of the hospital environment. Women's perceptions seemed to be most influenced by the context of care. Women with mother/baby care had a greater proportion of positive perceptions than women with other care modalities. Conclusion: Nurses need to modify or change the hospital environment to promote more positive experiences for new mothers.
Potassium Transport in Neurospora Evidence for a multisite carrier at high pH

At low extracellular pH (4–6), net uptake of potassium by Neurospora is a simple exponential process which obeys Michaelis kinetics as a function of [K]o. At high pH, however, potassium uptake becomes considerably more complex, and can be resolved into two distinct exponential components. The fast component (time constant = 1.2 min) is matched quantitatively by a rapid loss of sodium; it is attributed to ion exchange within the cell wall, since it is comparatively insensitive to low temperature and metabolic inhibitors. By contrast, the slower component (time constant = 10.9 min) is inhibited markedly at 0°C and by CN and deoxycorticosterone, and is thought to represent carrier-mediated transport of potassium across the cell membrane. This transport process exhibits sigmoid kinetics as a function of [K]o; the data can be fitted satisfactorily by two different two-site models (one involving a carrier site and a modifier site, the other an allosteric model). Either of these models could also accommodate the simple Michaelis kinetics at low pH.
Relativistic effects in the Thomas--Fermi atom

Two methods of applying relativistic corrections to the Thomas–Fermi atom are considered, and numerical calculations are discussed. Radial charge distributions calculated from a relativistic Thomas–Fermi equation agree in gross form with those from more complicated self-consistent calculations. Energy eigenvalues for mercury, as determined from the relativistic Thomas–Fermi solution, are compared with other calculated and experimental values.
Extreme Value Models for Software Reliability

When a new software is produced it is usually tested for failure several times in succession (whenever a failure is detected the software is rectified and tested again for failure). Suppose X 1,X 2,…,X k denote the times between failures. For the customer the main characteristic of interest is T=max(X 1,X 2,…,X k ). In particular, one would be interested in t α for which Pr{T≤t α }=1−α for small α. In this paper we consider four models for T based on the class of extreme value distributions (Gumbel, Fre´chet, Weibull and Pareto) and provide methods for estimating t α . In addition to numerical estimation of t α , we perform sensitivity analysis of t α with respect to the four models considered.
Impact of Fear of Falling for Patients and Caregivers: Perceptions Before and After Participation in Vestibular and Balance Rehabilitation Therapy

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of fear of falling (FoF) on older patients with dizziness history and their caregivers to better determine holistic needs when developing a patient-family centered approach to falling risk reduction. Method A mixed-method design was used, incorporating a phenomenological qualitative approach to explore the impact of FoF in 14 patients and a family member or spouse of each patient. Quantitative analysis was used to further interpret results of interviews conducted before and after participation in a vestibular and balance rehabilitation program designed to reduce falling risk and improve balance confidence. Results Qualitative analysis of participant interviews pre and post vestibular rehabilitation revealed lifestyle changes for both participants and family caregivers due to FoF and the need for reducing falling concerns. Patient age showed statistically significant differences in levels of balance confidence, with younger participants (≤ 65 ...
Variations in Home Ranges of Largemouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Bluegills, and Pumpkinseeds in an Illinois Lake

Abstract Home-range sizes were determined for nine largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, nine bluegills Lepomis macrochirus, four pumpkinseeds Lepomis gibbosus, and four yellow perch Perca flavescens in Cedar Lake, Illinois during June-December 1980 and May-July 1981. There was no significant difference (0.10 > P > 0.05) among these species in mean home-range size, although home ranges of largemouth bass and yellow perch tended to be larger and more variable: yellow perch, 0.54–2.20 hectares; largemouth bass, 0.18–2.07 hectares; pumpkinseeds, 0.23–1.12 hectares; bluegills, 0.15–0.75 hectares. Two of nine largemouth bass had two separate home ranges. One largemouth bass and two yellow perch had two primary occupation areas within their home ranges; other fish of the four species had only one primary occupation area per home range. Four bluegills established home ranges in locations other than where they were captured and released. One bluegill abandoned a home range and established another. The larger hom...
Endocrine evaluation of children with and without Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome gene mutations and Shwachman-Diamond syndrome.

Objective To characterize the endocrine phenotype of patients with Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS). Study design Clinically indicated endocrine screening data from 43 patients with SDS or SDS-like presentation were analyzed according to sex, age, and genetic testing. In addition to 25 patients with biallelic Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome (SBDS) gene mutations, we evaluated 18 patients with cytopenias who were receiving pancreatic enzyme replacement but were without SBDS mutation. We performed a retrospective review of growth records and clinically indicated endocrine evaluations. Results Of patients with SBDS mutations, 2 had low stimulated growth hormone levels, 2 had mildly elevated thyrotropin levels, 5 had abnormal glucose levels, and 1 had an elevated follicle-stimulating hormone level (post transplantation). In contrast, 1 patient without SBDS mutations had postprandial hyperglycemia and 3 had mildly low free thyroxine levels without short stature. Endocrine abnormalities were identified in 19% of short patients and 26% of the whole group. Of patients with SBDS mutations, 56% had a height expressed in SD units from the mean for age and sex of P Conclusion Although short stature was more common in patients with SBDS mutations, no consistent endocrine phenotype was observed in patients with SDS regardless of genetic testing.
Pseudo-free energies and large deviations for non gibbsian FKG measures

A large deviation theorem for the invariant measures of translation invariant attractive interacting particle systems on {0, 1{ Z d is proven. In this way a pseudo-free energy and pressure is defined. For ergodic systems the large deviations property holds with the usual scaling. The case of non ergodic systems is also discussed. A similar result holds for occupation times. The perturbation by an external field is treated.
The hyperfine structure and hyperfine anomaly of 161Dy and 163Dy

Abstract The hyperfine structure of 161 Dy and 163 Dy for five transitions hasbeen measured with a tunable dye laser and a thermal velocity atomic beam. Values for the magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole coupling constants have been determined for the relevant excited states. The hyperfine anomaly parameters, Δ, which are extracted are interpreted in terms of available atomic wave functions.
Comparison of D&C and office endometrial biopsy accuracy in patients with FIGO grade 1 endometrial adenocarcinoma.

Abstract Objective To compare the accuracy of DC in the final hysterectomy specimen, 66 (13.7%) were found to be grade 2 and 5 (1%) were found to be grades 2–3/3. Serous or clear cell histology was diagnosed in 6 (1.2%) additional cases. DC in 5 cases the method used was not discernible. The final post-hysterectomy FIGO grade was higher in 16/187 (8.7%) cases diagnosed by D&C compared to 52/298 (17.4%) diagnosed by office endometrial sampling (P=0.007). Conclusions Preoperative FIGO grade 1 diagnosis correlates with final grade diagnosis in 85% of cases. While D&C more accurately reflects final FIGO grade, a higher grade will be found in 8.7% of the cases at the time of hysterectomy.
Scale-free distribution as an economic invariant: a theoretical approach

The presence of power laws (scale-free distributions) in widely different economic and social phenomena is well established. Here we focus on three specific cases viz. wealth distribution, firm size distribution and the city size distribution. We present a common framework to explain the origin of this feature in such seemingly unrelated contexts. It is shown that the equilibrium configurations of some general economic mechanisms are consistent with a power law in general and Zipf’s law in particular, in size distribution and it is an attractor under some conditions.
Comparing two tyrosine kinase inhibitors for treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma in Medicare and commercially insured patients.

AbstractObjective:The objective of this study was to compare treatment characteristics, survival and costs for sunitinib and pazopanib for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in a real-world setting.Methods:Using claims data, this observational, retrospective cohort study selected individuals aged 19 to 89 years, with commercial or Medicare insurance, advanced RCC, and at least one pharmacy claim for sunitinib or pazopanib between 1 November 2009 and 31 December 2012. Treatment characteristics (treatment interruption, adherence, duration and discontinuation), survival, and costs were measured up to 12 months. Statistical models were adjusted for age, gender, geographic region, race, and RxRisk-V score.Results:At baseline, pazopanib patients exhibited significantly worse health status indicators (RxRisk-V score, number of pharmacy claims, and pre-index total healthcare costs) than sunitinib patients. There were no differences in treatment characteristics or survival. Index medication costs (mean difference...
Radioimmunoassay for the middle region of human parathyroid hormone using an homologous antiserum with a carboxy-terminal fragment of bovine parathyroid hormone as radioligand.

A new type of RIA for human parathyroid hormone (hPTH) is described. The antiserum was generated in a goat against hPTH, and the radioligand is a carboxy-terminal fragment of bovine PTH (bPTH). Although the antiserum is bivalent, use of the fragment as tracer yields an assay monospe-cific for the midregion of the PTH molecule. The assay can detect 0.3 fmol/tube of intact hPTH-(l–84) or 0.1 fmol synthetic hPTH-(44–68), but does not detect hPTH-(l–34), hPTH-(53–84), or bPTH-(28–48). Immunoreactive PTH (iPTH) was detectable in 85 of 92 normal subjects, with a normal range of about 0.1–0.5 µU/ml hPTH Research Standard 75/549. iPTH was undetectable in 22 consecutive severely hypoparathyroid patients and was above normal in 147 of 158 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. In 60 patients with nonparathy-roid hypercalcemia, iPTH averaged 20% lower than in normal subjects, but was still detectable in 80%. Mean iPTH values in hypercalcemia due to malignancy or other nonparathyroid causes were indistinguishable...
Multiple-host fungi are the most frequent and abundant ectomycorrhizal types in a mixed stand of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and bishop pine (Pinus muricata)

summary The ectomycorrhizal fungal associations of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii D. Don) and bishop pine (Pinus muricata D. Don) were investigated in a mixed forest stand. We identified fungi directly from field-collected ectomycorrhizal (ECM) root tips using PCR-based methods. Sixteen species of fungi were found, of which twelve associated with both hosts. Rhizopogon parksii Smith was specific to Douglas fir. Three other species colonized only one of the hosts, but were too infrequent to draw conclusions about specificity. Seventy-four percent of the biomass of ECM root tips sampled in the stand were colonized by members of the Thelephoraceae and Russulaceae. All 12 species of fungi that associated with both tree species did so within a 10‹40 cm soil volume, suggesting that individual fungal genotypes linked the putatively competing tree hosts.
Abnormal shortened diastolic time length at increasing heart rates in patients with abnormal exercise-induced increase in pulmonary artery pressure

Background The degree of pulmonary hypertension is not independently related to the severity of left ventricular systolic dysfunction but is frequently associated with diastolic filling abnormalities. The aim of this study was to assess diastolic times at increasing heart rates in normal and in patients with and without abnormal exercise-induced increase in pulmonary artery pressure (PASP). Methods. We enrolled 109 patients (78 males, age 62 ± 13 years) referred for exercise stress echocardiography and 16 controls. The PASP was derived from the tricuspid Doppler tracing. A cut-off value of PASP ≥ 50 mmHg at peak stress was considered as indicative of abnormal increase in PASP. Diastolic times and the diastolic/systolic time ratio were recorded by a precordial cutaneous force sensor based on a linear accelerometer.
Advanced thoracoscopic procedures are facilitated by computer-aided robotic technology.

Objective: Computer (robotic) enhancement has been used to facilitate simple thoracoscopic procedures such as internal mammary artery (IMA) mobilization. This report describes the use of robotic technology in advanced thoracoscopic procedures. Methods: Ten patients underwent advanced thoracoscopic procedures utilizing the Da Vinci robotic surgical system (Intuitive Surgical, Mountain View, CA) at our institution. Results: Patients 1 – 6 underwent endoscopic phrenic nerve mobilization with insertion of phrenic nerve pacemakers. The indications were quadriplegia (n ¼ 2), central hypoventilation syndrome (n ¼ 2), and intractable hiccups (n ¼ 2). Three 1-cm incisions were made to access each hemithorax. Patients 7 and 8 underwent robotically assisted resection of posterior mediastinal masses. Patient 9 underwent robotically assisted thoracoscopic left lower lobectomy for a lung mass. Patient 10 underwent robotically assisted left ventricular lead placement for biventricular pacing for heart failure. Conclusions: Robotic technology can be used to perform advanced intrathoracic maneuvers thoracoscopically. The increased visualization and instrument dexterity afforded by this technology may facilitate the development of minimally invasive thoracic approaches that were previously not feasible. q 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Chaperone-mediated autophagy at a glance.

Chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) is an intracellular catabolic pathway that mediates the degradation of a selective subset of cytosolic proteins in lysosomes ([Dice, 2007][1]; [Cuervo, 2010][2]; [Kon and Cuervo, 2010][3]; [Orenstein and Cuervo, 2010][4]). The term autophagy (or self-eating) is
Ringtail ( Bassariscus astutus ) noninvasive survey methods, density, and occupancy in central New Mexico, USA

ABSTRACT. I tested 3 hair-collection devices used for population surveys of ringtails (Bassariscus astutus): PVC pipes, modified cage traps, and triangular Coroplast® tunnels. Coroplast tunnels were the most efficient, with hair obtained by 92% of tunnels tested on radio-collared ringtails. I used the tunnels to survey ringtails on the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in central New Mexico. Probability of detection in areas where ringtails were present was 74% (95% CI 0.56—0.86). Population density was estimated to be 0.17—0.33 ringtails · km-2 and occupancy (Ψ) by ringtails was 0.56 (95% CI 0.35–0.75).
Removal of transposon target sites from the Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus fp25k gene delays, but does not prevent, accumulation of the few polyhedra phenotype

Low-cost, large-scale production of the baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) using continuous insect cell culture is seriously hindered by the accumulation of AcMNPV mutants. Specifically, few-polyhedra (FP) mutants, with a reduced yield of occluded virus (polyhedra) and decreased infectivity, usually accumulate upon passaging in cell culture. FP mutations result from transposon insertions in the baculovirus fp25k gene, leading to significantly reduced levels of FP25K protein synthesis. This study evaluated the effects of removing the transposon insertion sites from the wild-type baculovirus fp25k gene; the mutated virus was denoted Ac-FPm. Specifically, this study involved a detailed comparison of wild-type (WT) AcMNPV and Ac-FPm with regard to the proportion of cells having polyhedra, number of polyhedra per cell, the fraction of empty polyhedra, number of occlusion-derived viruses per polyhedron, number of nucleocapsids in the nuclei, FP25K protein synthesis and genetic analysis of the fp25k gene. Removal of TTAA transposon insertion sites from the fp25k gene stabilized FP25K protein synthesis and delayed the appearance of the FP phenotype from passage 5 to passage 10. Electron micrographs revealed that more virus particles were found inside the nuclei of cells infected with Ac-FPm than in the nuclei of cells infected with WT AcMNPV (at passage 10). Abnormalities, however, were observed in envelopment of nucleocapsids and virus particle occlusion within Ac-FPm polyhedra. Thus, the FP phenotype appeared in spite of continued FP25K protein synthesis, suggesting that mechanisms other than fp25k gene disruption can lead to the FP phenotype.
Postconditioning protects rabbit hearts through a protein kinase C-adenosine A2b receptor cascade.

Objective Ischemic postconditioning protects the reperfused heart from infarction, and this protection is dependent on the occupancy of adenosine receptors. We further explored the role of adenosine receptors in this salvage. Methods In situ rabbit hearts underwent 30min of regional ischemia and 3h of reperfusion, and postconditioning was effected with four cycles of 30-s reperfusion/30-s coronary artery occlusion at the end of ischemia. Results Postconditioning reduced infarct size from 40.2±3.4% of the risk zone in untreated hearts to 15.5±2.5%. Protection by postconditioning was blocked by either the non-selective adenosine receptor blocker 8- p -(sulfophenyl)theophylline or the A2b-selective antagonist MRS 1754, injected intravenously 5min before reperfusion. The protein kinase C (PKC) antagonist chelerythrine also aborted postconditioning's salvage, indicating a PKC-dependent mechanism. Neither the A1-selective antagonist 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine nor the A2a-selective antagonist 8-(13-chlorostyryl)caffeine had an effect on protection. The non-selective but A2b-potent adenosine agonist 5′-( N -ethylcarboxamido)adenosine (NECA) infused from 5min before to 1h after reperfusion mimicked postconditioning's effect on infarct size (17.2±2.7% infarction) and MRS 1754 blocked the NECA-induced cardioprotection, confirming that A2b activation was protective. The PKC activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate delivered just before reperfusion also duplicated the protective effect of postconditioning (16.3±4.1% infarction), and co-administration of the PKC antagonist chelerythrine aborted PMA's protection, confirming that the protection was the result of PKC activation. NECA's protective effect was not affected by chelerythrine, but rather MRS 1754 blocked PMA's salutary effect (42.8±1.0% infarction), suggesting that the A2b receptor's effect is under control of PKC. Finally, wortmannin, a blocker of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, also abrogated protection by PMA. Conclusions Salvage of ischemic myocardium by postconditioning is dependent on activation of A2b receptors, which in turn depends on activation of PKC. It is still unclear why PKC activation is required to make the heart's adenosine become protective.
Detecting and analyzing insecure component usage

Software is commonly built from reusable components that provide desired functionalities. Although component reuse significantly improves software productivity, insecure component usage can lead to security vulnerabilities in client applications. For example, we noticed that widely-used IE-based browsers, such as IE Tab, do not enable important security features that IE enables by default, even though they all use the same browser components. This insecure usage renders these IE-based browsers vulnerable to the attacks blocked by IE. To our knowledge, this important security aspect of component reuse has largely been unexplored.This paper presents the first practical framework for detecting and analyzing vulnerabilities of insecure component usage. Its goal is to enforce and support secure component reuse. Our core approach is based on differential testing and works as follows. Suppose that component C maintains a security policy configuration to block certain malicious behavior. If two clients of component C, say a reference and a test subject, handle the malicious behavior inconsistently, the test subject uses C insecurely. In particular, we model component usage related to a policy based on 1) accesses to the configuration state inside the component and 2) the conditional jumps affected by the data read from the state. We utilize this model to detect inconsistent policy evaluations, which can lead to insecure component usage. We have implemented our technique for Windows applications and used it to detect and analyze insecure usage of popular software components. Our evaluation results show that 1) insecure component usage is a general concern and frequently occurs in widely-used software, and 2) our detection framework is practical and effective at detecting and analyzing insecure component usage. In particular, it detected several serious, new vulnerabilities and helped perform detailed analysis of insecure component usage. We have reported these to the affected software vendors, some of whom have already acknowledged our findings and are actively addressing them.
Fifty-Five-Year Personal Experience with Human Nutrition Worldwide

By 1950 the vitamins had been identified, but little was known of their functions. Beriberi, pellagra, and ariboflavinosis were disappearing, but kwashiorkor and/or marasmus were common in most developing countries. Requirements for protein were still uncertain, and those for essential amino acids or essential fatty acids were unknown. The author's contributions in the field of vitamins began in the 1950s and have been reported in more than 650 publications and in 20 books or monographs. These contributions include establishing the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama, the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the World Hunger Program of the United Nations University, and the International Nutrition Foundation. His scientific contributions include identification of synergistic interactions of nutrition and infection, use of potassium iodate for fortifying crude moist salt, research in the epidemiology of kwashiorkor and marasmus, development of a successful low-cost protein-rich food for infants and young children, establishment of human protein requirements, and investigation of single-cell protein for food use.
The epidemiology of Guillain-Barré Syndrome in U.S. military personnel: a case-control study

Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), the leading cause of acute flaccid paralysis worldwide, is an autoimmune disorder involving the loss of the myelin sheaths encasing peripheral nerve axons, leading to a loss of nerve signaling and typically ascending paralysis. A number of infectious triggers have been identified, with Campylobacter being most common. Limited data are available regarding GBS in U.S. service members at a high risk of exposure to numerous GBS-associated infectious agents. Medical encounter data were obtained from the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center (Silver Spring, MD). Active duty personnel with an incident GBS diagnosis were matched by age, sex, and time with up to 4 controls. Demographic, antecedent infectious gastroenteritis (IGE), and deployment covariates were used to explore GBS risk in this population. The overall incidence was 2.28/100,000 persons (95% confidence interval: 2.03–2.54) with 19.1% (60/314) receiving GBS-related medical care for more than one year. The majority of cases were male, Caucasian and under 25 years of age. There was an increased risk of GBS three months following a documented episode of IGE (Odds Ratio: 5.33; p = 0.03). We also found an association with service in the Air Force and Navy (compared to Army personnel) with odds ratios of 1.39 (p = 0.05) and 1.44 (p = 0.02), respectively. GBS incidence in the U.S. military is slightly higher than the general population and is associated with an antecedent IGE. Future studies are warranted to assess whether there are GBS-associated infectious or environmental exposures inherent to military populations.
Estimates of heat flow from Cenozoic seafloor using global depth and age data

Abstract The total heat output of the Earth constrains models of mantle and core dynamics. Previously published estimates (42–44 TW) have recently been questioned because the measured conductive heat flow on young oceanic lithosphere is about a factor of 2 less than the expected heat flow based on half-space cooling models. Taking the conductive ocean heat flow values at face value reduces the global heat flow from 44 to 31 TW, which has major implications for geodynamics and Earth history. To help resolve this issue, we develop a new method of estimating total oceanic heat flow from depth and age data. The overall elevation of the global ridge system, relative to the deep ocean basins, provides an independent estimate of the total heat content of the lithosphere. Heat flow is proportional to the measured subsidence rate times the heat capacity divided by the thermal expansion coefficient. The largest uncertainty in this method is due to uncertainties in the thermal expansion coefficient and heat capacity. Scalar subsidence rate is computed from gradients of depth and age grids. The method cannot be applied over very young seafloor (
RFID: Human Agency and Meaning in Information-Intensive Environments:

RFID tags, small microchips no bigger than grains of rice, are currently being embedded in product labels, clothing, credit cards, and the environment, among other sites. Activated by the appropriate receiver, they transmit information ranging from product information such as manufacturing date, delivery route, and location where the item was purchased to (in the case of credit cards) the name, address, and credit history of the person holding the card. Active RFIDs have the capacity to transmit data without having to be activated by a receiver; they can be linked with embedded sensors to allow continuous monitoring of environmental conditions, applications that interest both environmental groups and the US military. The amount of information accessible through and generated by RFIDs is so huge that it may well overwhelm all existing data sources and become, from the viewpoint of human time limitations, essentially infinite. What to make of these technologies will be interrogated through two contemporary ...
Frailty predicts increased hospital and six-month healthcare cost following colorectal surgery in older adults.

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of frailty and 6-month postoperative costs. Methods Subjects aged ≥ 65 years undergoing elective colorectal operations were enrolled in a prospective observational study. Frailty was assessed by a validated measure of function, cognition, nutrition, comorbidity burden, and geriatric syndromes. Frailty was quantified by summing the number of positive characteristics in each subject. Results Sixty subjects (mean age, 75 ± 8 years) were studied. Inpatient mortality was 2% (n = 1). Overall, 40% of subjects (n = 24) were considered nonfrail, 22% (n = 13) were prefrail, and 38% (n = 22) were frail. With advancing frailty, hospital costs increased ( P P P P = .044). Conclusions A simple, brief preoperative frailty assessment accurately forecasts increased surgical hospital costs and postdischarge to 6-month healthcare costs after colorectal operations in older adults.
A combination chemotherapy protocol with MOPP and CCNU consolidation (Tufts VELCAP-SC) for the treatment of canine lymphoma

A chemotherapy protocol using a consolidation phase of alkylating agents was used for treating 94 dogs with lymphoma. Fifty-seven percent of dogs were in stage V, 63% were ill and 38% had T-cell lymphoma. The complete remission (CR) rate was 70% and is comparable to results achieved with previously published chemotherapy protocols. Anorexia predicted the remission; of the 40 dogs without anorexia, 35 (88%) achieved CR whereas of 52 dogs with anorexia, 30 (58%) achieved CR. Median first CR duration was 168 days and 1- and 2-year CR rates were 17.4 and 15.5%, respectively. Platelet count affected length of first CR, with a 53.2% reduced chance of coming out of remission with each log increase in platelet count. Median survival time was 302 days. One and 2-year survival rates were 44 and 13%, respectively. Anorexia and no dose reduction of any drug were independent negative variables. Of 93 dogs with toxicity data, 65 dogs (70%) required a dose reduction. Cyclophosphamide was most commonly reduced with reductions in 31 (38%) of 82 dogs. A dose reduction was significantly more likely in dogs with B-cell lymphoma than in those with T-cell lymphoma.
The Indian and South Korean Green Revolutions

The paper highlights the impact of the Green Revolution on the agricultural sector in India and South Korea. The academic debate on ‘agricultural modernization’ is motivated around the types of developmental processes: the neo-liberalist approach advocating the free-market, market liberalization and the role of the developmental state. The paper outlines two major questions: the role of the State during the Green Revolution period in India and South Korea after the 1970’s in promoting agricultural development, and the effectiveness of state-induced interventionist policies. Additionally, analyzing the issues of poverty, technological backwardness, and social issues in the two countries through a framework of state cooperation and institutional change allows us to compare the success of the Green Revolution in the two countries from a qualitative standpoint. Clearly, the South Korean Green Revolution was more effective than the Indian Green Revolution due to the role of heavy state planning and success of effective policy.
An Overview of Non-pharmacological Therapies for Palliative Cancer Care

It is estimated that 1,596,670 new cancer cases were diagnosed in 2011. Symptoms commonly associated with cancer and cancer treatment include pain, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, insomnia, dyspnea, delirium, anxiety, depression and distress. An important aspect of cancer control is palliative care, which is guided by the principles of symptom relief, integration of psychological and spiritual care into the treatment plan, and promotion of quality of life (QoL). Palliative care is patient-focused, family-centered care delivered by a multidisciplinary team and is indicated early in the course of the illness. Palliative care has a broad mission to reduce symptom burden (in all domains of life), improve QoL, and as a result, reduce suffering. Palliative care provides a supportive environment in which there is collaboration between patients and health care providers to achieve the best possible results for the patient. This collaborative framework can incorporate the patient’s use of non-pharmacological therapies such as relaxation and guided imagery to reduce stress and enhance QoL. Patients diagnosed with cancer are increasingly using non-pharmacologic strategies to address their illness concerns, including pain relief, desire to improve health, and desire to enhance QoL. Many of the non-pharmacological therapies used by patients do not have sufficient evidence to determine efficacy or safety. This chapter provides an overview of some of the most commonly used non-pharmacological therapies with a discussion of the evidence supporting their use and indications of risk of each therapy.
Online speech and democratic culture: a comparison of freedom of online speech between South Korea and the United States

ABSTRACTCivil libertarian doctrine which was dominant during the twentieth century argued that the main goal of freedom of speech was to ensure that the public would be well-informed and actively engage in public deliberation. A literal extension of this claim to the Internet age often justifies the regulation of online speech under the assumption that harmful communication undermines the public interest. This study challenges civil libertarianism and proposes a new thesis of freedom of online speech, which posits that online speech should be understood in terms of a democratic culture where every individual participates freely and without restraints in the process of meaning making that constitute her/him as an autonomous individual. Based on such a theoretical concept, this study identifies three important aspects of online speech freedom – unfettered speech, anonymous speech, and participatory speech – and then compares the status of online speech between South Korea and the United States. This researc...
Batch Trajectory Synchronization with Robust Derivative Dynamic Time Warping

The issue of dynamic batch profile synchronization is addressed. By converting synchronization into a dynamic optimization problem, dynamic time warping (DTW) and derivative DTW (DDTW) show the best performance by far. To deal with the singularity point and numerical derivative estimation problems of DTW and DDTW in the presence of noise, a robust DDTW algorithm is proposed by combining the Savitzky–Golay filter and DDTW algorithm together. A comparative analysis of robust DDTW and available methods is performed on simulated and real chemical plant data.
Comparing mortality of vaginal sarcoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma in the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results database.

Objective To evaluate the mortality outcomes of vaginal sarcomas in a large cohort compared with vaginal squamous cell and adenocarcinomas. Methods Women with primary invasive vaginal sarcomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and adenocarcinomas diagnosed between 1988 and 2010 were identified within the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Parametric and nonparametric methods were used to compare the demographic and clinical characteristics of women among the three tumor types as well as between sarcoma histologic subtypes. Overall and cancer-specific mortality outcomes were examined using Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. Results The final cohort consisted of 3,121 patients with vaginal squamous cell carcinoma, 720 patients with adenocarcinoma, and 221 patients with sarcoma. Compared with women with squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, patients diagnosed with vaginal sarcomas tended to be younger, have larger tumors with less regional extension and lymph node positivity, and be treated primarily with surgery without radiation. In unadjusted analysis, 5-year mortality rates border 30% for all three histologies. After adjusting for other prognostic factors including use of radiation and surgery, patients with vaginal sarcomas had a 69% greater risk of cancer-related mortality compared with patients with squamous cell carcinoma (hazard ratio 1.69, 95% confidence interval 1.26-2.26). Although sarcoma histology failed to associate with mortality risk, age, tumor extension and metastasis, and surgery were poor prognostic factors. Conclusion Primary vaginal sarcomas are aggressive neoplasms with different presenting characteristics and increased adjusted risk of mortality compared with squamous cell and adenocarcinoma subtypes. Level of evidence III.
The Classical LIL’s in Analysis

In this chapter we will describe how the LIL’s in Chapter 3 are related to the classical LIL’s for lacunary series and to the more recent LIL’s for Bloch functions.
Determining the nanoscale chemistry and behavior of interfaces and phases in Al-Si(-Cu-Mg) nanoparticles using in-situ TEM

Understanding fundamental phenomena such as the structure and composition of the solid-liquid interface, the partitioning of elements between the solid and liquid phases during crystal growth, and critical factors involved in the nucleation of phases, are essential to solidification science and the development of novel material structures [1]. The sample chosen for this investigation was a commercial Al-Si base alloy (AA390) powder containing Al-17.87Si-1.83Cu-0.6Mg (at.%). The powder particles were suspended in ethanol and dispersed on an ultra-thin carbon film supported on a copper-mesh TEM grid. In-situ heating experiments were conducted at 200 kV in a JEOL 2000FX-II TEM using a Gatan double-tilt heating holder. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) was performed using a Gresham high-angle X-ray detector and an incident electron beam diameter of about 25 nm [2,3].
Aspirin and Clopidogrel Inhibit Aneurysm Healing after HydroCoil Implantation in External Carotid Artery Aneurysm Model

Purpose To understand whether the use of antiplatelet agents leads to less intra-aneurismal tissue formation following coil implantation in a rat end-pouch external carotid artery (ECA) aneurysm model. Methods End-pouch ECA aneurysms were created in adult rats and were then embedded with either platinum or HydroCoils. Rats were treated either with aspirin, clopidogrel, aspirin + clopidogrel, or saline for 2 weeks after coil implantation. At 2 weeks after coil implantation, rats were sacrificed and the aneurysm pouch was removed for histological and immunohistochemical analysis. A blinded single observer calculated the percentage of the organized area and the residual length of elastic lamina within the aneurysm. Student's t -test was used to compare data from image analysis between the different groups. Results Within the platinum group, the organized tissue area was not affected by antiplatelet administration (aspirin versus saline, P = .83; clopidogrel versus saline, P = .46; aspirin + clopidogrel versus saline, P = .54). For the HydroCoil group, the organized tissue area was significantly reduced (aspirin versus saline, P = .02; clopidogrel versus saline, P = .04; aspirin + clopidogrel versus saline, P = .02) in rats treated with antiplatelet agents; however, no difference (aspirin versus clopidogrel, P = .8; aspirin versus aspirin + clopidogrel, P = .3; clopidogrel versus aspirin + clopidogrel, P = .5) was found among type or combination of antiplatelets administered. HydroCoil-treated aneurysms had a similar number of macrophages compared to the platinum group ( P = .3819); however, the HydroCoil group had significant suppression of macrophages in the groups treated with combined antiplatelets ( P = .02). Conclusion Following HydroCoil implantation, the area of organized tissue is diminished significantly in a rat end-pouch ECA aneurysm model treated with antiplatelets.
Reining in uncontrolled inflammasome with PKA

New findings show that the NLRP3 inflammasome is inactivated by disassembly of the inflammasome mediated by the kinase PKA and that this regulation might be negated in NLRP3-gain-of-function diseases.
Treatment of Active Tuberculosis in Chicago, 2008-2011: The Role of Public Health Departments.

Objective Evaluate differences in TB outcomes among different provider types in Chicago, IL. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all TB cases reported to the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) from 2008 through 2011. Provider type was stratified into three groups: public, public-private, and private providers. Multivariate regression was used to evaluate treatment duration and time to sputum culture conversion. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess treatment completion. Results Of 703 cases, 203 (28.9%), 314 (44.7%), and 186 (26.5%) were treated by public, public-private and private providers, respectively. Adjusted regression showed private provider patients had a 48-day (95% CI 22.0-74.3) increase in treatment duration and a 30-day (95% C.I. 9.5-51.1) increase in time to sputum culture conversion. Cox model showed increased risk of remaining on treatment was associated with extra-pulmonary TB (aHR 0.78, 95% C.I. 0.62-0.98), being foreign-born (aHR 0.74, 95% C.I. 0.58-0.95), and any drug resistance (aHR 0.59, 95% C.I. 0.46-0.76). There were no differences in outcomes between public and public-private providers. Conclusion Patients treated solely in the private sector had prolonged time to sputum culture conversion and treatment duration which lead to increased cost for treatment, prolonged infectiousness, potential for transmission, and the possibility for increased medication side effects.
Shrinkability of Minimal Elements in Sphere Representations of Posets

Let k be a positive integer and let P = (X,≤) be a poset. We call P a k-sphere order provided there is a mapping f which assigns to each element x \( \in\) X a ball f(x) in Rk so that x ≤ y in P if and only if f(x) \( \subseteq\)f(y). We ask: Given that P is a k-sphere order, does there necessarily exist a representation f with the property that every minimal element of P is assigned a ball of radius zero? The answer is “yes” for k = 1, but “no” for all k ≥ 2.
Particle Behavior in Vacuum Systems: Implications for In-Situ Particle Monitoring in Semiconductor Processing Equipment.

The flow of aerosol in vacuum conditions representative of many semiconductor processes (100 sccm, 1 Torr). was investigated. The study was performed using aerosols with highly nonuniform spatial distributions. An ideally nonuniform aerosol was produced by generating an aerosol beam using an aerodynamic lens. The flow containing the aerosol beam was drawn through vacuum system components. The size of the beam was measured upstream and downstream of these components by collecting the aerosol on a filter and observing the deposition pattern. Very little mixing phenomenon was observed. These results point to a potential limitation in the methods employed by the semiconductor industry for in-situ particle monitoring in vacuum systems. A simple solution to this flaw is suggested.
Watching the Clock: Quantum Rotation and Relative Time

A consistent theory of nature must account for both microscopic quantum waves and macroscopic relativistic particle trajectories. In the recent "New Quantum Paradigm", locally realistic rotating vector fields comprise fundamental particles with spin. These same coherent quantum rotators constitute local clocks that define local time, in a way that agrees with general relativity to first order, but provides surprising new insights (e.g., no black holes). This paradigm avoids conventional paradoxes of quantum indeterminacy and entanglement. All information on quantum systems follows directly from the dynamics of real fields in real space; no further information is obtained by reference to abstract quantum Hilbert space. This simple but unconventional picture provides a consistent unified foundation for all of modern physics.