cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CPEB-mediated ZO-1 mRNA localization is required for epithelial tight-junction assembly and cell polarity

CPEB is a translational regulatory sequence-specific RNA-binding protein that controls germ cell development. Here we show that CPEB heterozygous female mice are fertile but contain disorganized mammary epithelial cells, in which zonal occludens-1 and claudin-3, apical tight-junction proteins, are mislocalized. CPEB depletion from mammary epithelial cells disrupts zonal occludens-1 apical localization and tight-junction distribution; conversely, ectopic expression of CPEB enhances zonal occludens-1 localization. CPEB and zonal occludens-1 mRNA are co-localized apically and zonal occludens-1 3' untranslated region-binding sites for CPEB are necessary for RNA localization. In a three-dimensional culture system that models lumen-containing mammary ducts, depletion of CPEB or zonal occludens-1 impairs central cavity formation, indicating a loss of cell polarity. Cavity formation in zonal occludens-1-depleted cells is rescued when they are transduced with zonal occludens-1 mRNA containing, but not lacking, CPEB-binding sites. Our data demonstrate that CPEB-mediated zonal occludens-1 mRNA localization is essential for tight-junction assembly and mammary epithelial cell polarity.
New Fabriciola species (Polychaeta, Sabellidae, Fabriciinae) from the eastern Atlantic, with a description of sperm and spermathecal ultrastructure

New species in the genus Fabriciola Friedrich are described. Fabriciola is defined by a single synapomorphy, the presence of non-vascularized, ventral filamentous appendages. Otherwise the genus is variable, with differences among species in chaetae, eyes, and peristomial organization. The new species, Fabriciola flammula, F. liguronis and F. parvus, reflect this heterogeneity. Fabriciola liguronis has spermathecae in the radiolar crown of females, the first record of these structures in Fabriciola, but F. flammula and F. parvus lack spermathecae. Sperm ultrastructure in all three species share apomorphies with other fabriciins, but vary in other respects. Fabriciola may be paraphyletic, but material of the type species F. spongicola (Southern, 1921) has been unobtainable so far, and detailed study of this species is required to define the genus Fabriciola adequately.
Empirical equations relating scalar irradiance to a, b/a, and solar zenith angle

From Monte Carlo calculations, equations have been derived to predict underwater scalar irradiance as a function of depth, solar irradiance, and zenith angle at the surface, and absorption coefficient and ratio of scattering to absorption coefficients in the water. The equations correct for the depth dependence of the attenuation coefficient near the surface, and they predict scalar irradiance to within an error of <10%.
Dimer acid structures: Cyclic structures of clay catalyzed dimers of normal linoleic acid, 9-cis, 12-cis-Octadecadienoic acid

The clay catalyzed dimer of linoleic acid has been examined by mass spectrometry of the unhydrogenated, the partially hydrogenated and completely hydrogenated dimer. The results show that monocyclic, bicyclic and tricyclic structures are present. Monocyclic structures predominate, bicyclic structures are also prominent, and tricyclic structures are relatively minor. The monocyclic structure is believed to arise from a Diels-Alder type addition reaction. The bicyclic structure may result from a free radical coupling followed by intramolecular ring closure. The monocyclic structure in the unhydrogenated dimer appears to be mostly a benzene ring with saturated and unsaturated side-chains. It probably is formed by hydrogen transfer from the Diels-Alder cyclohexene structure first formed. Little, if any, of the Diels-Alder dimer structure as such is present. The catalytic linoleate dimer has a higher ratio of monocyclic to bicyclic dimer than does the noncatalytic (thermal) dimer made from normal (nonconjugated) linoleate, while the thermal dimer of a conjugatedtrans-trans linoleate is exclusively monocyclic. It is suggested that the clay catalyzes conjugation and hence favors the Diels-Alder reaction, and then catalyzes hydrogen transfer to aromatize the cyclohexene ring.
Comparative physiological and serotoninergic properties of pulvinar neurons in the monkey, cat and ferret

Abstract The basic electrophysiological properties and responses to serotonin of thalamocortical (TC) neurons in the ferret, cat, and monkey pulvinar were compared. Morphologically, thalamocortical neurons in these three species were similar, except for the presence of beaded dendrites in many monkey neurons. In all three species, the neurons exhibited two distinct firing modes: single spike activity and low threshold Ca2+-spike mediated bursting. However, in monkeys, the low threshold Ca2+ spikes were followed by a prominent 50–100 ms afterhyperpolarization that could result in the generation of an additional rebound Ca2+ spike. The application of 5-HT to thalamocortical neurons in cat and monkey pulvinar resulted in a depolarization and an increase in membrane conductance through an enhancement of the hyperpolarization-activated cation current, Ih, apparently through the activation of 5-HT7 receptors. In contrast, the application of serotonin to ferret pulvinar neurons resulted in a prominent hyperpolarization, owing to an increase in membrane potassium conductance. In monkey and ferret, application of serotonin could result in barrages of IPSPs in thalamocortical neurons. These results indicate that there are significant species-dependent differences in both the electrophysiological and pharmacological properties of pulvinar thalamocortical neurons.
Insights into the image determinants of fashion specialty outlets

An individual's perceptions of organizational values, and value processing more closely at company level have been examined with the aim to investigate employees understanding of company values in relations to performance and outputs. How people understand organizational values was clarified, before proceeding to the implementation process. The special focus was on employees' perceptions at different hierarchical levels. The perspective towards organizations is humanistic. This study was a multiple case study, including three Finnish companies operating in the forestry sector, banking and marketing respectively. The empirical data (interviews) was analyzed with content analysis. As a result, the personnel perceptions of organizational values were delineated and suggestions for improving value implementation were given. Journal of Business Research Vol. 1 (1&2) 2007: pp. 73-84
Brand, Citationality, Performativity

ABSTRACT This article provides a semiotic account of the performativity of the brand. It argues that the brand's performativity is a function of its citationality: the ways in which (fractions of) brands are reanimated, or cited, while being reflexively marked as reanimations or citations. First the article argues that the intelligibility and coherence of brands turns on the calibration of a number of gaps in the brand's form: between brand tokens, brand types, and a brand ontology. Such calibration is achieved through moments of citing brand type and brand ontology. The article then discusses three forms of brand citationality that exceed the brand by situating themselves in, and exploiting, these gaps: brand counterfeits, “remixes,” and simulations. The article concludes by discussing the relation between citationality and performativity, arguing that the performativity of brand turns on the (meta-)semiotics of citationality and the excesses it continually generates.
Liquid-lithium cooling for 100-kW ISOL and fragmentation targets

Abstract Advanced exotic beam facilities that are currently being developed will use powerful driver accelerators for the production of short-lived rare isotopes. Multi-beam drivers capable of producing high power beams from very light to very heavy ions are now technically feasible. A challenge for such facilities is the development of production targets to be used for a variety of reaction mechanisms with beam powers of about 100 kW. This paper presents engineering concepts that have been developed recently for using liquid lithium coolant for two types of targets, one for use with light-ion beams on high atomic number ( Z ) targets and the other for heavy-ion beams on low- Z targets.
3D Free-Form Object Recognition Using Indexing by Contour Features

We address the problem of recognizing free-form 3D objects from a single 2D intensity image. A model-based solution within the alignment paradigm is presented which involves three major schemes?modeling, matching, and indexing. The modeling scheme constructs a set of model aspects which can predict the object contour as seen from any viewpoint. The matching scheme aligns the edgemap of a candidate model to the observed edgemap using an initial approximate pose. The major contribution of this paper involves the indexing scheme and its integration with modeling and matching to perform recognition. Indexing generates hypotheses specifying both candidate model aspects and approximate pose and scale. Hypotheses are ordered by likelihood based on prior knowledge of pre-stored models and the visual evidence from the observed objects. A prototype implementation has been tested in recognition and localization experiments with a database containing 658 model aspects from twenty 3D objects and eighty 2D objects. Bench tests and simulations show that many kinds of objects can be handled accurately and efficiently even in cluttered scenes. We conclude that the proposed recognition-by-alignment paradigm is a viable approach to many 3D object recognition problems.
Organizing customized robot dynamics algorithms for efficient numerical evaluation

In 1983, the computer program called algebraic robot modeler (ARM) was implemented to generate symbolically complete closed-form and recursive dynamic robot models. To enhance computational efficiency for dynamic simulation and real-time control, the systematic organization of these symbolic models was introduced in 1985 to remove repetitive calculations within and across equations and thereby generate customized robot dynamics algorithms. The systematic organization procedure of ARM is detailed and its performance compared with documented organizations. It is pointed out that the systematic organization procedure, and the exploitation of kinematic and dynamic manipulator structures through symbolic modeling, make ARM-generated customized algorithms the most computationally efficient manipulator dynamics algorithms of those compared. >
Impact of dietary cereal on nutrient absorption and fecal nitrogen loss in formula-fed infants.

Study objective: To determine the capacity of infants to digest and absorb rice cereal and to determine the effect of cereal feeding on total energy and nitrogen absorption. Setting: Subjects' residences and the Texas Children's Hospital Clinical Research Center, Houston. Patients: Eight healthy 1-month-old bottle-fed infants. Interventions: Infants were fed their usual formula for 3 days. For the subsequent 6 days, they received 4 gm of rice cereal, labeled with carbon 13, per 30 ml of the formula. Measurements and main results: Fecal balance studies were performed for a 72-hour period while the infants received only formula and again during the last 3 days of cereal feeding. Breath samples for hydrogen measurement were collected before and after the cereal feeding. Nutrient intake was measured and stools were analyzed for 13C abundance, energy, nitrogen, fiber content, and bacterial mass. Cereal absorption was 88±9% (mean±SD). Despite a significant increase in energy and nitrogen intake from cereal feeding, the coefficient of aboorption fell (energy: 97% to 90%, p=0.048; nitrogen: 94% to 74%, p=0.009). Fecal dry weight increased after the cereal feeding (p=0.004), primarily as a result of a sevenfoid increase in fecal bacterial mass (p=0.002). Fecal nitrogen increased primarily because of incorporation of nitrogen into bacteria. No difference were detected in breath hydrogen as a consequence of formula feeding versus formula-cereal feeding. Conclusions: Although cereal was relatively well-absorbed in this group of infants and increased their intakes of energy and nitrogen, it did not increase the coefficients of energy and nitrogen absorption. Cereal feeding increased fecal bacterial mass and bacterial nitrogen.
Compositional upscaling in fractured reservoirs during gas recycling

Compositional simulation of fractured reservoirs with explicit fracture representation is computationally prohibitive. This paper studies the upscaling of component transport by the alpha factor method that can be used in single-porosity, coarse-grid models to make compositional simulation feasible at the reservoir scale. Primary production of a gas-condensate reservoir followed by lean gas recycling is considered. A reservoir segment with a single fracture is modeled by 2D and 3D fine-grid compositional simulation. Alpha factors are computed and the effect of fracture orientation, gravity, capillary pressure, and diffusion on alpha factors are studied. Results show that horizontal fractures have lower alpha factors than vertical fractures. Down dip injection, capillary pressure and diffusion increase alpha factors. Alpha factors calculated from three-dimensional models are larger than those calculated with two-dimensional models. Use of alpha factors in coarse-grid 3D models reduces computational time by factors of thousands (over fine-grid models) and makes full-field compositional simulation a practical tool for reservoir engineers.
Electronic neutron sources for compensated porosity well logging

The viability of replacing Americium–Beryllium (Am–Be) radiological neutron sources in compensated porosity nuclear well logging tools with D–T or D–D accelerator-driven neutron sources is explored. The analysis consisted of developing a model for a typical well-logging borehole configuration and computing the helium-3 detector response to varying formation porosities using three different neutron sources (Am–Be, D–D, and D–T). The results indicate that, when normalized to the same source intensity, the use of a D–D neutron source has greater sensitivity for measuring the formation porosity than either an Am–Be or D–T source. The results of the study provide operational requirements that enable compensated porosity well logging with a compact, low power D–D neutron generator, which the current state-of-the-art indicates is technically achievable.
Federal Credit Reform

The Congress has now enacted, and the president has signed, legislation requiring credit reform accounting in the 1992 budget. This article summarizes the state of federal budgeting for credit activities, covering (1) where we are now with regard to budgeting for ciedit, (2) how we got where we are, (3) the major weaknesses of the older approaches and why credit reform is important, and (4) the fundamental elements of the recently enacted credit reform legislation.
Neuropeptide‐immunoreactive neurons projecting to the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus in the rat

The paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVH) is innervated by a variety of types of neuropeptide-immunoreactive fibers. The cells of origin for many of these inputs are not known. In the present study, the combined retrograde fluorescence–immunofluorescence method was used to determine the cells of origin for neurotensin-, corticotropin-releasing factor-, brain natriuretic peptide-, somatostatin-, and met-enkephalin-like immunoreactive (-ir) fibers in the PVH. After injections of the fluorescent tracer Fluorogold into the PVH, the pattern of retrograde labeling was as previously reported (Sawchenko and Swanson, 1983, J. Comp. Neurol. 218:121–144; McKellar and Loewy, 1981, Brain Res. 217:351–357). The distribution of each type of double-labeled neuron was unique. Retrogradely labeled enkephalin-ir neurons were concentrated in two locations: the ventral part of the lateral septal nucleus and the lateral anterior nucleus within the AHA. A small cluster of corticotropin-releasing factor-ir neurons in the ventral lateral subnucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis were retrogradely labeled. Notable concentrations of somatostatin-ir double-labeled neurons were found in the ventral part of the lateral hypothalamic area and the medial part of the arcudte hypothalamic nucleus. Neurotensin-ir double-labeled neurons were most numerous in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus and in the retrochiasmatic area. Many brain natiuretic peptide-ir neurons in the tuberomammillary nucleus of the hypothalamus and in the pedunculopontine and laterodorsal tegmental nuclei were retrogradely labeled. The specificity of these chemically defined projections helps lay the groundwork for examining the functional organization of PVH afferents. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The influence of internal surfaces on the (2 × 1) shuffle and glide cleavage reconstructions for Si(111)

The surface reconstructions which occur when a parallel-sided gap opens up between the (111) planes of silicon are computed using the ab initio total-energy and lattice dynamics method of Sankey and Niklewski (1989). This allows the time-evolution of the surface structures to be observed. The shuffle and glide terminations are compared, and found to differ in energy by 0.17 eV/(surface atom), with the shuffle termination having lower energy. The Haneman (2 × 1) buckled row reconstruction is found to occur at a certain critical gap dc = 0.46 nm, and acts as a precursor for the Pandey (2 × 1) π-bonded chain model, which occurs at larger gaps. Charge-density maps are shown, and the results related to cleavage in real crystals. The surface energy of (2 × 1) reconstructed Si(111) is calculated to be 1340 erg/cm2 (1.07 eV per surface atom) in good agreement with experiment.
Total synthesis of 7'-desmethylkealiiquinone.

The total synthesis of an analogue of the marine alkaloid kealiiquinone has been completed through application of an intramolecular Diels–Alder reaction of an imidazole-containing enyne. Oxidative aromatization of the lactone adduct and N-methylation facilitates C2-oxidation via the imidazolium salt. Conversion of the lactone to the phthalaldehyde derivative and then to the dihydroxybenzoquinone was achieved via a reaction with glyoxal in the presence of KCN. Esterification of the vinylogous diacid and deprotection provided 7′-desmethylkealiiquinone.
Glucose Intolerance and Aging

Glucose tolerance is known to decrease with advancing age. This decline begins in the third or fourth decade of life and is progressive throughout the entire adult life span. The primary cause of this age-related impairment in glucose metabolism results from tissue unresponsiveness to insulin. The plasma insulin response to glucose shows little change with age. Several factors, including decreased physical activity and decreased lean body mass, probably contribute to the insulin resistance. The aging process per se, however, appears to have its own deleterious effect on tissue sensitivity to insulin.
Comparative effects of amantadine and amfonelic acid on dopamine metabolism in rat brain

Amantadine (50 and 100 mg/kg IP) did not change basal levels of DOPAC (3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid) or HVA (homovanillic acid) in rat brain and did not alter the increase in DOPAC levels resulting from dopamine receptor blockade by spiperone. The increase in HVA levels produced by spiperone was significantly, but only slightly, enhanced by amantadine at these doses. In contrast, amfonelic acid at a dose of 5 mg/kg increased DOPAC and HVA levels and enhanced several-fold the spiperone-induced elevation of DOPAC and HVA levels. Amfonelic acid at a 2.5 mg/kg dose enhanced the turnover of dopamine (measured by the decline in dopamine concentration after inhibition of tyrosine hydroxylation with a-methyltyrosine) in spiperone-treated rats, whereas amantadine (100 mg/kg) had a smaller and not statistically significant effect. Neither compound affected significantly dopamine levels in α -methyltyrosine-treated rats not given spiperone. Although amantadine has been observed by earlier workers to enhance the stimulated release of dopamine, it does not appear to act in a manner similar to amfonelic acid.
Dynamic architectures for microcomputers

Abstract This paper describes low cost dynamic architectures for microcomputers. The proposed architectures allow the CPU to be simultaneously active during DMA block I/O operations. As a result, a considerable speed advantage may be obtained at very little extra cost. An experimental system has been built and successfully tested. Several computational environments have been simulated on the prototype system. Some alternative designs with varying degrees of flexibility and hardware cost are discussed. The designs are aimed primarily at total overlap of I/O interfaces and processor activities. Emulation data show that in many application environments the proposed architectures could provide substantially higher throughputs than conventional static architectures.
One-way transmission of 10 Gbps data through a silicon optical diode based on nonreciprocal resonance reshaping

The reduced optical bandwidth associated with resonance enhancement poses a significant challenge for resonators to process wide-bandwidth optical data. We report one-way transmission of 10 giga-bit-per-second optical data through a silicon optical diode based on both the resonance-enhanced optical nonlinear effects and resonance reshaping. The diode is operated with a forward-only or backward-only input. In the backward direction, the diode corrupts the data through the strong dispersion and attenuation associated with the resonance of a microring. In the forward direction, the data pass through the diode with negligible distortions because the resonance is red-shifted from the carrier wavelength. In this experimental context the finite bandwidth associated with the optical resonance may be considered beneficial, since the phase response makes an additional contribution to transmission nonreciprocity beyond what is seen with unmodulated light.
Effects of Silver on Eggs and Larvae of the Winter Flounder

Abstract Embryos and yolk-sac larvae of the winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus were exposed to 0 (control), 54, 92, 180, and 386 μg/liter silver (Ag +) during an 18-day flow-through bioassay. Percent hatch was significantly reduced only at the 386-μg/liter exposure level (24%). Embryos exposed to 180 and 386 μg/liter hatched earlier than those exposed to lower concentrations, and many exhibited physical abnormalities. Larva mortality was significantly higher at 386, 180, and 92 μg/liter (100, 97, and 31%, respectively) than in the control (6%). The mean total lengths of larvae at hatch were significantly greater in control (3.56 mm) than in 386 μg/liter (1.98 mm) and 180 μg/liter (3.25 mm). At yolk-sac absorption, the mean total length of control larvae (4.27 mm) was significantly greater than that of larvae exposed to 180 μg/liter (4.15 mm). The highest concentration of silver not significantly reducing either survival or growth was 54 μg/liter.
Cytochemical comparison of distribution of proteins and lipids in axenically vs. monoxenically grown Entamoeba histolytica.

Abstract Ninhydrin-Schiff (NS) method revealed a higher level of protein-bound amino acids in diffuse and particulate form in cytoplasm of 72-hr, axenically grown amebae as compared to 72-hr cells from monoxenic cultures. Younger (24-hr) monoxenically grown amebae had more such cytoplasmic NS-staining material than older cells. Nuclear NS-positive material in both axenic and monoxenic cells, which was restricted to the peripheral chromatin and endosome, was more intense than that in the cytoplasm. Tyrosine-containing proteins, as determined by Millon's reaction, were present in small amounts in the cytoplasm of both axenic and monoxenic amebae. As was true of the NS method, more intense staining was observed in the nuclei of both cell types. In contrast to the NS technic, however, the nuclear stain was evenly dispersed. Axenic 72-hr amebae had more intensely stained granular and diffuse sudanophilic material (stained with Sudan black B) in the cytoplasm than 72-hr monoxenic cells. Twenty-four-hour monoxenic cells had more sudanophilic inclusions than 48- and 72-hr amebae, primarily associated with large bodies. In some amebae (axenic and monoxenic) intense sudanophilic material was in close association with the nuclear membrane, rarely with the endosome. Cold acetone extracted all sudanophilic material from axenic amebae but left some lightly stained cytoplasmic inclusions in monoxenic cells, especially younger (24-hr) cells. Hot chloroform:methanol extracted all lipids from all cells. The phosphine 3R secondary fluorescence technic used to demonstrate neutral fats gave negative results with both cell types except for a faint reaction in young (24-hr) monoxenic cells. The amount of neutral fat detected was very low. Oil red O demonstrated only a faint diffuse and particulate reaction in 72-hr axenic and 72-hr monoxenic amebae. However, younger (24-, 48-hr) monoxenic amebae had more neutral fat (= oil red Ostaining material) than 72-hr cells. In some young cells (24-, 48-hr) oil red O-positive material was often in association with the nuclear membrane. Phospholipids could not be demonstrated in either cell type with Nile blue sulfate.
Mothers’ Perception of Family and School life When their Children have a Chronic Condition

Background: It has long been recognized that family and school are important influences on the growth and development of a child with a chronic condition. Despite this growing consensus, few investigators have looked at this relationship. Guided by the Family Management Style Framework (FMSF), the purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the perceptions of mothers of children with chronic conditions about family and school life. Methods: This study was a secondary analysis of data gathered from 41 mothers who were interviewed for a larger study on families who have a child with a chronic condition. A constant comparative method was utilized for analyzing verbatim audio recorded interview transcripts. Results: The three themes identified were: view of child, family illness management and school. Four parameters described the view of child: the child’s current physical health, the child’s adjustment to the condition, the child’s participation in self-care activities, and the outlook on the child’s future. For family illness management, mothers described a variety of specific strategies and behaviors used by the family to manage the child’s condition in the context of the home. The school theme focused on communication between mothers and the school system, resources provided to the child’s school, specific parental concerns regarding their children and school, and confidence in the school personnel. Conclusions: Results described the mothers’ perceptions of school life and showed that this is the first step in understanding how to assist these families in managing the care of the child with a chronic condition in the school setting. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4021/ijcp54w
Nuclear quadrupole spin-lattice relaxation in solids

Abstract Nuclear quadrupole spin-lattice relaxation in solids has been investigated using pulsed nuclear induction techniques. By selective excitation of the quadrupolar spin system, several new modes of relaxation are observed. Measurements of these modes are used to determine the individual transition probabilities W1 and W2 associated with Δm = ± 1 and ± 2 quadrupole spin-lattice relaxation. W1, W2, and the spin-lattice relaxation time T1 of the Cl35 pure quadrupole resonance in p-C6H4Cl2, KClO3, and NaClO3 have been measured in the temperature range 77–300°K. The B ayer theory of quadrupole spin-lattice relaxation is applied to p-C6H4Cl2 to calculate W1 and W2. From the B ayer theory and the separate measurement of W1 and W2, information is obtained about the lifetime of excited torsional states and the mode of torsional oscillation which provides the dominant relaxation contribution in p-C6H4Cl2. Measurements of the spin-lattice relaxation in NaClO3 and KClO3 are compared with C hang 's theory of quadrupole relaxation. The experimental results suggest that the model used by C hang to describe the fluctuating internal electric field gradient in NaClO3 responsible for the Cl35 relaxation is inadequate.
Optimal and robust design of unstable valve

Our research is concerned with the design of a cost effective single stage direct acting electrohydraulic valves for high flow rate and high bandwidth applications by utilizing the instability caused by flow induced forces. In our past research, we have demonstrated simple change in valve geometry can be used to manipulate both transient flow force as well as steady flow force for this purpose. In this paper, with the goal of minimizing the steady flow forces range, we present two optimal design methods over the space of these design parameters: (1) the nominal optimal design method, in which no uncertainty is taken into account; (2) the robust optimal design method, in which the design must be robust enough to model uncertainty and perturbations. By representing the original problem as a LFT interconnection, the robust design problem can be formulated into synthesizing an optimal controller for an appropriate static plant with a structured uncertainty. An algorithm is then presented to transform the LFT into an appropriate robust control problem and synthesize the controller. The case study shows that unlike the nominal optimal solutions where viscosity effect is exclusively utilized, the robust optimal solutions tend to take advantage of both viscosity effect and non-orifice flux effect, and in return provide the better performance over nominal optimal solutions.
Neonatal Informatics—Dream of a Paperless NICU: Part Five: Putting “IT” All Together

The promise of computer-assisted neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) medical management is an intellectually global challenge. In early 2009, President Obama presented a “carrot and stick” plan to accelerate use of electronic health records. Financial incentives are offered to early adopters who meaningfully use certified systems; penalties begin in 2015 for those who do not. NICU critical care environments are extremely difficult to computerize because clinical data are time-dependent and highly variable, use repeated measures of many different elements, and run in real-time. Effective clinical computerization requires translation of complex human thinking models into software bits and bytes. All efforts require a logical, stepwise approach to designing effective databases and systems, and no existing system is currently adequate. Creating meaningful computerization for a busy NICU remains an ongoing challenge. On a daily basis, bedside visit and other care-related notes that outline the patient9s condition, medications, treatments, nutrition, new problems, care being provided, plans, and family updates must be generated by physicians or neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs). Clinical data management in NICUs is currently a “mixed model.” Real-time information management by typing is extremely difficult for hands-on critical caregivers, both in paper records and in computer systems. Workarounds involving paper remain the most common current practice in many institutions (including the scrub pants’ notational workaround). Medicolegal and service billing rules require documentation, and hundreds of different approaches are used, none of which is “certified.” Vendors’ old databases and newer databases designed by nonengineering individuals for clinical documentation tend to have significant technical problems that limit usability. In the future, good database design using modern techniques and technology should improve the situation. Direct download from devices and laboratories to local real-time systems is on the horizon, as is voice recognition for neonatal applications. However, for this year and through 2011, NICUs are not on the radar. Industry and political focus remains on administrative and population “quality management” functionality, now known as “meaningful use.” Emerging drafts of criteria for 2011 incentive payments formally excluded all hospitalists and infants younger than age 2 years from eligibility. Head circumference, respiratory rate, and temperature are not official parts of the vital signs specifications criteria for testing. The dream of a paperless NICU remains only a dream.
The Early Restart Algorithm

Consider an algorithm whose time to convergence is unknown (because of some random element in the algorithm, such as a random initial weight choice for neural network training). Consider the following strategy. Run the algorithm for a specific time T. If it has not converged by time T, cut the run short and rerun it from the start (repeat the same strategy for every run). This so-called restart mechanism has been proposed by Fahlman (1988) in the context of backpropagation training. It is advantageous in problems that are prone to local minima or when there is a large variability in convergence time from run to run, and may lead to a speed-up in such cases. In this article, we analyze theoretically the restart mechanism, and obtain conditions on the probability density of the convergence time for which restart will improve the expected convergence time. We also derive the optimal restart time. We apply the derived formulas to several cases, including steepest-descent algorithms.
Endometrial Glands Are Essential for Blastocyst Implantation and Decidualization in the Mouse Uterus

Uterine glands and their secretions are hypothesized to be essential for blastocyst implantation and decidualization in the uterus of rodents and humans. One factor solely expressed by uterine glands in mice is leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), and Lif null mice are infertile because of defective blastocyst attachment to the uterine luminal epithelium (LE). Progesterone treatment of neonatal mice permanently ablates differentiation of uterine glands, resulting in an aglandular uterus in the adult. Progesterone-induced uterine gland knockout (PUGKO) mice were used to investigate the biological role of uterine glands in blastocyst implantation and stromal cell decidualization. As compared to controls, PUGKO mice cycled normally but were infertile. Histological assessment of PUGKO uteri on Days 5.5 and 8.5 postmating found a hatched blastocyst apposed to an intact LE without evidence of implantation or stromal cell decidualization. Expression of several implantation-related factors, including Lif and PTGS2, were altered in the PUGKO uterus, whereas expression of steroid hormone receptors and their regulated genes was not different. Artificial decidualization was observed in the uteri of control but not PUGKO mice. Further, intrauterine administration of LIF failed to promote artificial decidualization in the uterus of PUGKO mice. Thus, uterine glands and their secretions have important biological roles in blastocyst implantation and stromal cell decidualization in the uterus.
Comparison of stroke work between repaired tetralogy of Fallot and normal right ventricular physiologies

Adult patients who underwent tetralogy of Fallot repair surgery (rTOF) confront life-threatening ailments due to right ventricular (RV) myocardial dysfunction. Pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) needs to be performed to restore the deteriorating RV function. Determination of correct timing to perform PVR in an rTOF patient remains subjective, due to the unavailability of quantifiable clinical diagnostic parameters. The objective of this study is to evaluate the possibility of using RV body surface area (BSA)-indexed stroke work (SWI) to quantify RV inefficiency in TOF patients. We hypothesized that RV SWI required to push blood to the lungs in rTOF patients is significantly higher than that of normal subjects. Seven patients with rTOF pathophysiology and eight controls with normal RV physiology were registered for this study. Right ventricular volume and pressure were measured using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and catheterization, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed to quantify the difference in SWI between the RV of the rTOF and control groups. Right ventricular SWI in rTOF patients (0.176 ± 0.055 J/m2) was significantly higher by 93.4% (P = 0.0026) than that of controls (0.091 ± 0.030 J/m2). Further, rTOF patients were found to have significantly higher (P < 0.05) BSA normalized RV end-systolic volume, end-systolic pressure, and regurgitation fraction than control subjects. Ejection fraction and peak ejection rate of rTOF patients were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those of controls. Patients with rTOF pathophysiology had significantly higher RV SWI compared with subjects with normal RV physiology. Therefore, RV SWI may be useful to quantify RV inefficiency in rTOF patients along with currently used clinical end points such as RV volume, pressure, regurgitation fraction, and ejection fraction.
Political Consultants and the Extension of Party Goals

Political consultants are seen as influential actors in American politics who may effect policy long after their service on an election has concluded. Many observers of the consulting industry (see, for example, Shea 1996; Sabato 1981) have suggested that the use of political consultants has been especially bad for political parties, contributing to their decline. Proponents of the party decline thesis maintain that consultants weaken parties by giving candidates independent support bases for conducting their campaigns, creating a campaign climate where individual candidates take the voting public's focus away from party platforms. But consultants have become prominent because the parties cannot always offer up-to-date technical services and close attention to local situations. Some political scientists suggest that political consultants can assist parties in attaining their goals by providing the highly professional and technical services to party candidates that party organizations themselves cannot (Luntz 1988). Further, political consultants tend to work in concert with political parties because they depend on the parties for a supply of clients (Sabato 1981; Luntz 1988). Here we explore another dimension of the consultant-political party relationship: the role political parties play in training political consultants. We hypothesize that contemporary political consultants are likely to have had close links (such as prior employment) with a political party since the 1970s, when parties began adopting new technologies and training their employees to use them. Consultant background vis-a-vis political parties can lead to two very different notions of the effect of consultant activity on our politics.
Aspergillus Fumigatus Infection of an Automatic Internal Cardiac Defibrillator

We report a patient without immune compromise with infection of an automatic internal cardiac defibrilla- tor patch due to Aspergillus fumigatus presenting 8 years after implantation. The mechanism of infection was unknown, but symptoms began 1 month after laser uvulopalatopharyngoplasty was performed for sleep apnea. The patches were surgically removed and the patient was treated sequentially with amphotericin B and itraconazole. He remains without evidence of infection 12 months after the completion of therapy.
Defensins and other endogenous peptide antibiotics of vertebrates

Gene-encoded peptide antibiotics are ubiquitous components of host defenses in mammals, birds, amphibia, insects, and plants. Their de novo synthesis or release from storage sites can be induced rapidly, which makes them particularly important in the initial phases of resistance to microbial invasion. The endogenous antimicrobial peptides of animals are products of single genes and are synthesized as preproproteins. Multistep processing yields the mature peptide, which generally acts by inducing microbial membrane permeabilization. Several families of antimicrobial peptides have been identified that differ with respect to the presence of disulfide linkages, amino acid composition, structural conformation, and spectrum of activity. The arginine-rich three disulfide-containing beta-sheet defensins are remarkably abundant and widely distributed in animals and plants. The antibiotic peptides of higher eukaryotes merit further study for their role in natural immunity and their potential as novel therapeutic compounds.
Magneto-optical trapping of a diatomic molecule

Laser cooling and trapping are central to modern atomic physics. The most used technique in cold-atom physics is the magneto-optical trap (MOT), which combines laser cooling with a restoring force from radiation pressure. For a variety of atomic species, MOTs can capture and cool large numbers of particles to ultracold temperatures (less than ∼1 millikelvin); this has enabled advances in areas that range from optical clocks to the study of ultracold collisions, while also serving as the ubiquitous starting point for further cooling into the regime of quantum degeneracy. Magneto-optical trapping of molecules could provide a similarly powerful starting point for the study and manipulation of ultracold molecular gases. The additional degrees of freedom associated with the vibration and rotation of molecules, particularly their permanent electric dipole moments, allow a broad array of applications not possible with ultracold atoms. Spurred by these ideas, a variety of methods has been developed to create ultracold molecules. Temperatures below 1 microkelvin have been demonstrated for diatomic molecules assembled from pre-cooled alkali atoms, but for the wider range of species amenable to direct cooling and trapping, only recently have temperatures below 100 millikelvin been achieved. The complex internal structure of molecules complicates magneto-optical trapping. However, ideas and methods necessary for creating a molecular MOT have been developed recently. Here we demonstrate three-dimensional magneto-optical trapping of a diatomic molecule, strontium monofluoride (SrF), at a temperature of approximately 2.5 millikelvin, the lowest yet achieved by direct cooling of a molecule. This method is a straightforward extension of atomic techniques and is expected to be viable for a significant number of diatomic species. With further development, we anticipate that this technique may be employed in any number of existing and proposed molecular experiments, in applications ranging from precision measurement to quantum simulation and quantum information to ultracold chemistry.
Lower extremity mechanics of iliotibial band syndrome during an exhaustive run

Injury patterns in distance running may be related to kinematic adjustments induced by fatigue. The goal was to measure changes in lower extremity mechanics during an exhaustive run in individuals with and without a history of iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS). Sixteen recreational runners ran to voluntary exhaustion on a treadmill at a self-selected pace. Eight runners had a history of ITBS. Twenty-three reflective marker positions were recorded by an eight-camera 120 Hz motion capture system. Joint angles during stance phase were exported to a musculoskeletal model (SIMM) with the iliotibial band (ITB) modeled as a passive structure to estimate strain in the ITB. For ITBS runners, at the end of the run: (1) knee flexion at heel-strike was higher than control (20.6° versus 15.3°, p = 0.01); (2) the number of knees with predicted ITB impingment upon the lateral femoral epicondyle increased from 6 to 11. Strain in the ITB was higher in the ITBS runners throughout all of stance. Maximum foot adduction in the ITBS runners was higher versus control at the start of the run (p = 0.003). Maximum foot inversion (p = 0.03) and maximum knee internal rotation velocity (p = 0.02) were higher versus control at the end of the run. In conclusion, ITB mechanics appear to be related to changes in knee flexion at heel-strike and internal rotation of the leg. These observations may suggest kinematic discriminators for clinical assessment.
The design and construction of implicit LES models

We offer preliminary thoughts on the design of a modified equation and the construction of a corresponding numerical algorithm, which may be intended for use in an implicit large eddy simulation. The principle of design here is based on ensuring a form for the energy dissipation that is not significantly dissipative on the resolved scales of the numerical mesh, but is strongly dissipative when the solution is unresolved and so provides strong nonlinear stability in the simulation. The construction process is modelled on the composition (hybridization) of two flux approximations by means of a nonlinear, flow-dependent switch
Effects of Atrial Premature Systoles on Sinus Rhythm in the Rabbit

Although it is well known that atrial premature depolarizations (APDs) frequently lead to lengthening of the next cycle (returning cycle), it is usually not appreciated that shortening of the returning cycle (RC) can also occur. Moreover, the mechanism for these alterations is not clearly understood. APDs were therefore electrically induced in rabbit sinoatrial (SA) preparations, and four basic patterns of alteration in the SA nodal rhythm were observed. The type of change depended very much on the timing of the APD in the cycle. The atrial events, more often than not, failed to reflect the underlying SA nodal events. Thus, lengthened atrial RCs occurred in spite of shortened SA nodal RCs. This and other discrepancies indicate that the extracellular records of atrial activity do not faithfully reflect the events within the SA node and that information gathered from them should be interpreted with caution. Timing of the APD in the cycle, antegrade and retrograde SA conduction time, SA nodal action potentia...
Pharmacoeconomic issues in bisphosphonate treatment of metastatic bone disease.

Bisphosphonates provide a supportive benefit to patients with bone metastases from cancer by reducing skeletal complications, such as bone pain, pathologic fractures, and hypercalcemia. Although bisphosphonates have important therapeutic effects, such as significant improvements in the quality of remaining life, they do not, as yet, significantly improve the overall survival of affected patients. Furthermore, as with all new innovations, they exert a major impact on drug budgets dedicated for cancer care. Further research is warranted to identify clinical predictors of the optimum time in the course of the disease to start and stop therapy, to integrate use of bisphosphonates with other therapies, to identify their role in the adjuvant setting, and to determine their cost-benefit consequences. Current cost-effectiveness assessments have shown that the incremental costs per skeletal-related event are particularly sensitive to the unit price of the bisphosphonate modeled. Therefore, pharmacoeconomic evaluations should be combined with clinical trials to predict accurately the true costs (total resource usage) of this health care intervention and to ultimately assess the rational broad use of these agents.