cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bolivian Ectoparasites: A Survey of Bats (Mammalia Chiroptera)

Abstract A survey collection of arthropods associated with bats documents new distributional records of Bolivian ectoparasites. New species records include Acari: Mesostigmata: Spinturnicidae—Periglischrus caligus Kolenati, Periglischrus iheringi Oudemans, Periglischrus ojasti Machado-Allison; Macronyssidae—Radfordiella oudemansi Fonseca; Metastigmata: Argasidae—Ornithodoros hasei (Schulze); Insecta: Diptera: Streblidae—Anastrebla caudiferae Wenzel, Anastrebla modestini Wenzel, Anatrichobius scorzai Wenzel, Exastinion deceptivum Wenzel, Megistopoda theodori Wenzel, Neotrichobius delicatus (Machado-Allison), Paradyschiria fusca Speiser, Paraeuctenodes similis Wenzel, Strebla curvata Wenzel, Strebla guajiro (Garcia & Casal), Trichobius petersoni Wenzel, and Trichobius tiptoni Wenzel.
Fine needle aspiration of head and neck masses in the operating room: accuracy and potential benefits.

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) in the operating room is a convenient optional diagnostic approach. Our objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and study the potential benefits of fine needle aspiration in the operating room. Retrospective review of all intraoperative FNA that were requested and performed by pathologists over 20-month period was carried out. Immediate smears were interpreted by the cytopathology team after staining with Diff Quik stain. All cases were reviewed and correlation with subsequent tissue diagnosis was done. Accuracy was calculated and potential benefits were discussed. The number of aspirates was 32. Adequate material for immediate and final interpretation was achieved in 31 cases (sensitivity 97%). In 20 cases (63%), malignancy was diagnosed while a benign diagnosis was rendered in 12 (37%). All cases had a follow up tissue diagnosis. No false–positive cases were identified (specificity 100%). The information gained from this approach was considered helpful to the surgeons. We concluded that FNA of head and neck masses in the operating room is an accurate and sensitive diagnostic approach. The service provides helpful information to surgeons and is an additional optional diagnostic approach. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2008;36:369–374. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Differences in Patient Age Distribution between Influenza A Subtypes

Since the spring of 1977, two subtypes of influenza A virus (H3N2 and H1N1) have been seasonally infecting the human population. In this work we study the distribution of patient ages within the populations that exhibit the symptomatic disease caused by each of the different subtypes of seasonal influenza viruses. When the publicly available extensive information is pooled across multiple geographical locations and seasons, striking differences emerge between these subtypes. We report that the symptomatic flu due to H1N1 is distributed mainly in a younger population relative to H3N2. (The median age of the H3N2 patients is 23 years while H1N1 patients are 9 years old.) These distinct characteristic spectra of age groups, possibly carried over from previous pandemics, are consistent with previous reports from various regional population studies and also findings on the evolutionary dynamics of each subtype. Moreover, they are relevant to age-related risk assessments, modeling of epidemiological networks for specific age groups, and age-specific vaccine design. Recently, a novel H1N1 virus has spread around the world. Preliminary reports suggest that this new strain causes symptomatic disease in the younger population in a similar fashion to the seasonal H1N1 strains.
Position Effects in Play Equipment Preferences of Nursery School Children.

The position preferences of 4 groups of nursery school Ss were studied in a laboratory playroom. A large and small trestle were interchanged between center and corner positions in a series of play sessions. The frequency with which Ss used trestles in each position was recorded. A significant difference between sessions for 3 groups indicated that the trestle in the center position received more use than the one in the corner. Also, the large trestle placed in the center was used more than the small trestle when it was in the center position. The interaction of position and trestle size was noted along with the importance of studying other specifiable parameters affecting a child's use of play equipment.
Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Metallic Alloy Formation by Picosecond Pulsed Laser Irradiation

Irradiating a metallic surface with a short laser pulse is a method for confining the deposition of thermal energy to a very thin surface layer, which melts and is subsequently quenched at a very high rate. This makes picosecond pulsed laser quenching the fastest melt quenching method available.
Highly sensitive beryllium detection with microwave plasma source atomic emission spectrometry

Abstract A highly sensitive technique for beryllium determination using microwave induced plasma atomic emission spectrometry (MIP-AES) is explored in this work based on a self-assembled instrumental system. The analytical performance of this system for beryllium determination was examined using argon as working gas and an ultrasonic nebulization–desolvation system for solution sample introduction. Experimental operating parameters, such as working gas flow rate, microwave power, and observation height were optimized during the system characterization. Influence of matrix elements on beryllium determination was studied. The matrix elements, such as Cu and Ni, were found to have little influence on Be(I) 265.06 nm spectral line even at a concentration of 50 μg ml −1 , which is 1000 times higher than that of beryllium. Short-term stability of the MIP-AES system was evaluated and a relative standard deviation of 1.8% is achieved. A calibration range of five orders of magnitude for beryllium determination could be obtained with its multiple spectral lines. The detection limits of Be(II) 313.04/313.11, and Be(I) 234.86 nm were calculated based on 3 σ using 1% HNO 3 blank solution and shown to be in parts per trillion level.
Impact of TIPS insertion on hepatic functional status

Differences in gender, age and MELD scores of the two groups were statistically insignificant. The technical and hemodynamic success rates for the transplant group were 93% and 100% respectively. In the single patient with initial technical failure, TIPS attempt the following week was successful. Mortality rates at 6 and 12 months were higher in the transplant group, 25% vs. 15% (p 1⁄4 0.4) and 55% vs. 22% (p 1⁄4 0.025) respectively. There was lower primary patency at 3, 6, and 12 months in the transplant group, measuring 72% vs. 91%, 60% vs. 86%, and 45% vs. 81% respectively (p 1⁄4 0.022). There was lower primary assisted patency at 3, 6, and 12 months in the transplant group, measuring 89% vs. 99%, 76% vs. 97%, and 76% vs. 96% respectively (p 1⁄4 0.003). Clinical success was lower in the transplant group (50% vs. 83%, p 1⁄4 0.023). The transplant group had increased rate of HE requiring TIPS reduction (14% vs. 4%), although not statistically significant (p 1⁄4 0.112). Conclusion: There is lower efficacy of PTFE-covered TIPS in OLT patients compared with those with native livers. Despite high technical and hemodynamic success, there is increased mortality, decreased primary and primary assisted patency, and decreased clinical success.
An Affirmative Intervention for Families With Gender Variant Children: Parental Ratings of Child Mental Health and Gender

This is a report on parents who have children who exhibit gender variant behaviors and who contacted an affirmative program in the United States for assistance. All parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist, the Gender Identity Questionnaire, and the Genderism and Transphobia Scale, as well as telephone interviews. The parents reported comparatively low levels of genderism and transphobia. When compared to children at other gender identity clinics in Canada and The Netherlands, parents rated their children's gender variance as no less extreme, but their children were overall less pathological. Indeed, none of the measures in this study could predict parents' ratings of their child's pathology. These findings support the contention that this affirmative program served children who were no less gender variant than in other programs, but they were overall less distressed.
Allan Richard Pred, 1936–2007: Reflections on a Life

Allan Richard Pred, one of the world's leading geographers and social scientists, died of acute lung cancer on 5 January 2007, at Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley, California. He had retired in May ...
An Interference Matrix Based Approach to Bounding Worst-Case Inter-Thread Cache Interferences and WCET for Multi-Core Processors

Different cores typically share the last-level cache in a multi-core processor. Threads running on different cores may interfere with each other. Therefore, the multi-core worst-case execution time (WCET) analyzer must be able to safely and accurately estimate the worst-case inter-thread cache interference. This is not supported by current WCET analysis techniques that manly focus on single thread analysis. This paper presents a novel approach to analyze the worst-case cache interference and bounding the WCET for threads running on multi-core processors with shared L2 instruction caches. We propose to use an interference matrix to model inter-thread interference, on which basis we can calculate the worst-case inter-thread cache interference. Our experiments indicate that the proposed approach can give a worst-case bound less than 1%, as in benchmark fib-call, and an average 16.4% overestimate for threads running on a dual-core processor with shared-L2 cache. Our approach dramatically improves the accuracy of WCET overestimatation by on average 20.0% compared to work.
Confinement and Detection of Single Molecules in Submicrometer Channels

Detection channels with submicrometer dimensions (500−600 nm i.d.) have been produced directly on electrophoresis capillaries for confinement and detection of single molecules at room temperature. These restrictive channels markedly reduce the Brownian motion of low molecular weight analytes and allow detailed studies of single molecules in solution. With a confocal fluorescence microscope, single molecules have been observed for an extended period of ∼60 ms, which is 50−100 times longer than the bulk diffusion time. These molecules have also been manipulated by an electrokinetic force and detected on-line with high signal-to-noise ratios.
Experimental studies on an OFDM carrier frequency offset estimator

In OFDM carrier frequency offset must be estimated and compensated at the receiver to maintain orthogonality. OFDM carrier frequency synchronization performance can be improved by using diversity. In this paper, we examine the sensitivity of the carrier frequency estimator against key system parameters in a practical implementation using real data obtained on the Stevens wireless testbed. The experimental setup is comprised of wideband 65 Msamples/second digital to analog converter, radio frequency (RF) transmitter, which transmits at 2.4 GHz frequency with 12 MHz bandwidth and RF receiver chains whose outputs are sampled at 65 Msamples/sec.
Effects of prenatal administration of psychotropic drugs on behavior of developing rats.

The effects of prenatal administration of 1 mg/kg d-amphetamine sulfate or 3 mg/kg chlorpromazine HCl to rats from days 12 through 15 of gestation inclusive were studied on behavior of the offspring in the open field, mazes, and operant conditioning. The locomotor activity scores of rats whose mothers received chlorpromazine were significantly lower than those of controls on day 13 after birth but reached a level significantly higher than that of controls on day 18. Offspring of amphetaminetreated mothers had relatively low activity scores early in testing and were delayed in reaching adult activity levels. Although in the mother-goal-maze offspring of both chlorpromazine- and amphetamine-treated mothers generally had shorter latencies than controls, rats whose mothers received chlorpromazine made significantly more errors. These animals also took significantly longer to acquire the bar-press response. No differences among groups were observed in learning or reversal in the T-maze or in performance or extinction of the operant response.
Bacterial uropathogens and antibiotic susceptibility of positive urine cultures in women with pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence.

Aims The aims of the study are to describe the speciation and resistance patterns of positive urinary cultures in women with pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) and those undergoing pelvic reconstructive surgery. Methods Urine cultures with a colony count of >105 CFU and 6 weeks but ≤1 year) were compared. Results 1,306 positive urine cultures over the 5-year period with 51 different species of uropathogens were identified. The percentage of Escherichia coli identified was not significantly different between groups: POP 57.1%, Stress UI 58.4%, Urge UI 54.3%, non-operative controls 54.3%. Cultures obtained from patients on prophylactic antibiotics were significantly less likely to have E. coli (adjusted OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.22, 0.89, P < 0.0216). Non-E. coli cultures were more common in the early post-operative period compared to the late post-operative cultures (69% vs. 41%, adjusted OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.22, 0.48, P < 0.0001). Conclusions Patients with PFDs who develop UTIs have rates of non-E. coli over 40% of the time. Treatment based on culture and antibiotic sensitivity data should be considered. Neurourol. Urodynam. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Measurements of the Ionic Charge States of Solar Energetic Particles Using the Geomagnetic Field

The mean charge states of C, N, O, Ne, Na, Mg, Al, Si, S, Ar, Ca, Fe, and Ni ions with ~15-70 MeV nucleon^(-1) in the two large solar energetic particle (SEP) events of 1992 October 30 and November 2 have been determined using measurements of the invariant latitude of the cosmic-ray cutoffs of these elements from the Mass Spectrometer Telescope on the polar-orbiting SAMPEX satellite. The deduced charge state values are in good agreement with the mean values measured directly in previous SEP events at much lower energies of ~1 MeV nucleon^(-1). The inferred equilibrium source temperatures are confirmed to be typically 2 × 10^6 K, which provides additional evidence that SEPs in gradual-type events are accelerated coronal material.
Serum N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels are associated with functional capacity in patients with peripheral arterial disease.

We hypothesized that higher serum levels of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) are associated with lower functional capacity in patients with peripheral arterial disease ([PAD] n = 481, mean age 67, 68% men). Functional capacity was quantified as distance walked on a treadmill for 5 minutes. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to the distance walked: >144 yards (group 1, n = 254); 60 to 144 yards (group 2, n = 80); <60 yards or did not walk (group 3, n = 147). The association between NT-pro-BNP levels and the ordinal 3-level walking distance was assessed using multivariable ordinal logistic regression analyses that adjusted for several possible confounding variables. Higher levels of NT-pro-BNP were associated with a lower ordinal walking category independent of possible confounders (odds ratio [OR] 1.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.28-1.77; P < .001). In conclusion, higher levels of NT-pro-BNP are independently associated with lower functional capacity in patients with PA...
Immunotherapy of cancer: A perspective view

The current intense interest in cancer immunotherapy is largely based on the fact that progress in the clinical treatment of solid tumors has been less spectacular than anticipated, whereas efforts in basic and preclinical cancer research made some rather remarkable strides during the last two decades. The major challenge that now faces research investigators in cancer immunotherapy is to determine the functional characteristics of potentially new molecules, important for cancer immunotherapy in both structural and functional terms, to attempt a correlation of their structure with function and to develop, at the basic and preclinical levels, approaches suitable for potential therapy regimens that can be transferred to the clinic for further development.
Promoting cognitive and metacognitive reflective reasoning skills in nursing practice: self‐regulated learning theory

Background. Effective clinical reasoning in nursing practice depends on the development of both cognitive and metacognitive skills. While a number of strategies have been implemented and tested to promote these skills, educators have not been able consistently to predict their development. Self-regulated learning theory suggests that this development requires concurrent attention to both the cognitive and metacognitive dimensions of reasoning in nursing care contexts. Aims. This paper reports on a study to explore the impact of self-regulated learning theory on reflective practice in nursing, and to advance the idea that both cognitive and metacognitive skills support the development of clinical reasoning skills. Methods. Integrative review of published literature in social science, educational psychology, nursing education, and professional education using the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL), Educational Resource Information Center (ERIC), and American Psychological Association (PsychInfo) Databases. The search included all English language articles with the key words clinical reasoning, cognition, critical thinking, metacognition, reflection, reflective practice, self-regulation and thinking. Findings. Reflective clinical reasoning in nursing practice depends on the development of both cognitive and metacognitive skill acquisition. This skill acquisition is best accomplished through teaching–learning attention to self-regulation learning theory. A critical analysis of the literature in the areas of critical thinking and reflective practice are described as a background for contemporary work with self-regulated learning theory. It is apparent that single-minded attention to critical thinking, without attention to the influence of metacognition or reflection, is but one perspective on clinical reasoning development. Likewise, single-minded attention to metacognition or reflection, without attention to the influence of critical thinking, is another perspective on clinical reasoning development. While strategies to facilitate critical thinking and reflective practice have been used in isolation from each other, there is evidence to suggest that they are inextricably linked and come together with the use of self-regulated learning prompts. Conclusions. Students and practising nurses are able to improve their cognitive and metacognitive skills in clinical contexts by using self-regulated learning strategies. The self-regulated learning model in nursing is offered to support teaching and learning of reflective clinical reasoning in nursing practice contexts.
Quantum dynamics, metastable states, and contractive semigroups.

The generalized states of a quantum system obtained by analytic continuation of a dense subset of density operators and their time evolutions are studied. The time evolution of metastable states is computed using the generalized states. Certain model theories are taken for explicit study. For factorizable Liouville operators the asymptotic states are shown to give line shapes. Nonfactorizable Liouville operators and their generators are investigated. The generic cases are shown to be contractions of suitable isometries of enveloping systems.
Dimerization and opposite base-dependent catalytic impairment of polymorphic S326C OGG1 glycosylase

Human 8-oxoguanine-DNA glycosylase (OGG1) is the major enzyme for repairing 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG), a mutagenic guanine base lesion produced by reactive oxygen species (ROS). A frequently occurring OGG1 polymorphism in human populations results in the substitution of serine 326 for cysteine (S326C). The 326 C/C genotype is linked to numerous cancers, although the mechanism of carcinogenesis associated with the variant is unclear. We performed detailed enzymatic studies of polymorphic OGG1 and found functional defects in the enzyme. S326C OGG1 excised 8-oxoG from duplex DNA and cleaved abasic sites at rates 2- to 6-fold lower than the wild-type enzyme, depending upon the base opposite the lesion. Binding experiments showed that the polymorphic OGG1 binds DNA damage with significantly less affinity than the wild-type enzyme. Remarkably, gel shift, chemical cross-linking and gel filtration experiments showed that S326C both exists in solution and binds damaged DNA as a dimer. S326C OGG1 enzyme expressed in human cells was also found to have reduced activity and a dimeric conformation. The glycosylase activity of S326C OGG1 was not significantly stimulated by the presence of AP-endonuclease. The altered substrate specificity, lack of stimulation by AP-endonuclease 1 (APE1) and anomalous DNA binding conformation of S326C OGG1 may contribute to its linkage to cancer incidence.
Strategies for improving audible quality and speech recognition accuracy of reverberant speech

We showed previously (Gillespie and Atlas, Int. Conf. on Acoustics, Speech, and Sig. Processing, 2002) that penalizing long-term reverberation energy is more effective than maximizing the signal-to-reverberation ratio (SRR) for improving audible quality and automatic speech recognition (ASR) accuracy. Using this knowledge, we propose a blind approach to speech dereverberation that reduces the length of the equalized speaker-to-receiver impulse response. The approach reduces the long-term correlation in the linear prediction (LP) residual of reverberant speech. We show that this approach improves both the audible quality (measured with subjective listening tests) and ASR accuracy (measured with two commercial ASR systems) of reverberant speech.
Corporate Piety and Impropriety: Hobby Lobby's Extension of RFRA Rights to the For-Profit Corporation

In Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, Inc., the Supreme Court held, for the first time, that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) applied to for-profit corporations and, on that basis, it allowed Hobby Lobby to omit otherwise mandated contraceptive coverage from its employee healthcare package. Critics argue that the Court’s novel expansion of corporate rights is fundamentally inconsistent with the basic principles of corporate law. In particular, they contend that the decision ignores the fact that the corporation, as an artificial entity, cannot exercise religion in its own right, and they decry the notion that the law might look through the corporate veil to protect the corporate owners’ rights even while having the veil shield the owners from liability for the corporation’s wrongs. In addition to these (supposed) deviations from corporate law principles, commentators express deep concern about Hobby Lobby’s implications. Will the decision apply not just to closely-held corporations but to publicly traded ones as well? If so, how should courts deal with disagreement among shareholders about the religious convictions the corporation should adopt? Will the Courtsanctioned exemption from the contraceptive mandate open the door to other religiously-based exemptions from healthcare coverage that the Affordable Care Act requires—blood transfusions for the corporation owned by Jehovah’s Witnesses, or any form of medicine other than faith healing for the corporation owned by Christian Scientists? And does the notion of corporate religious rights threaten to justify corporate invocations of other rights—perhaps even Second Amendment rights to bear arms, or rights of the corporation to vote in political elections? This Article focuses on the corporate law aspects of the decision, and it seeks to respond to the groundswell of reactions among corporate law scholars. I argue here that much of the consternation results from mistaken notions about the nature of the corporation and the rights that its owners may enjoy. The ambition here, however, is not merely to correct misconceptions. This Article seeks to offer a theory of what the corporation is, what it is for, and why we might ascribe religious rights to it in the first place—considerations that elucidate just what Hobby Lobby should, and should not, portend. I argue that constitutional rights should be ascribed to a corporation when it is necessary to protect the constitutional rights of its controlling members. To that end, I provide a way of determining just who the corporation’s controlling members are. At the same time, I seek to elucidate, and ultimately cabin, the scope of corpo-
The Use of the College Board Classification of High Schools in Predicting College Freshman Grades

Four variables used by the College Board for identifying types of high schools were investigated to determine if they yielded information about college achievement in addition to that provided by Scholastic Aptitude Test scores and high school achievement. Classification of schools by percentage of graduates attending college, location, and private or public provided additional information about achievement for about 11% of 6,278 freshmen.
Compact fault dictionary construction for efficient isolation of faults in analog and mixed-signal circuits

Diverse design styles and the associated complex circuit specifications make testing by functional methods prohibitively expensive for most analog and mixed-signal circuits. Hence, fault oriented test techniques, similar to those for digital circuits, are being actively pursued in the research community. However the large number of failure mechanisms in analog and mixed-signal circuits presents a major bottleneck in terms of fault simulation effort and in the construction of compact fault dictionaries. In this paper, we propose an efficient fault sampling and clustering methodology to construct compact fault dictionaries for complex analog and mixed-signal circuits, with significantly reduced fault simulation effort. For a given fault universe, we show that only a small fraction of the total faults need to be simulated and stored in the fault dictionary to achieve near-perfect diagnosis. A fault sampling algorithm is proposed to identify the faults that contribute to diagnostic information with minimal simulation effort. A fault clustering algorithm is applied to the resulting fault syndromes to identify equivalent syndromes with maximal diagnostic information content. For complex analog/mixed-signal circuits, the fault sampling and fault clustering algorithms are applied hierarchically to construct the compact fault dictionaries, without sacrificing diagnostic accuracy.
Transcriptional reprogramming and stimulation of leaf respiration by elevated CO2 concentration is diminished, but not eliminated, under limiting nitrogen supply.

Plant respiration responses to elevated CO2 concentration ( [CO2 ] ) have been studied for three decades without consensus about the mechanism of response. Positive effects of elevated [CO2 ] on leaf respiration have been attributed to greater substrate supply resulting from stimulated photosynthesis. Negative effects of elevated [CO2 ] on leaf respiration have been attributed to reduced demand for energy for protein turnover assumed to result from lower leaf N content. Arabidopsis thaliana was grown in ambient (370 ppm) and elevated (750 ppm) [CO2 ] with limiting and ample N availabilities. The stimulation of leaf dark respiration was attenuated in limiting N (+12%) compared with ample N supply (+30%). This response was associated with smaller stimulation of photosynthetic CO2 uptake, but not interactive effects of elevated CO2 and N supply on leaf protein, amino acids or specific leaf area. Elevated [CO2 ] also resulted in greater abundance of transcripts for many components of the respiratory pathway. A greater transcriptional response to elevated [CO2 ] was observed in ample N supply at midday versus midnight, consistent with reports that protein synthesis is greatest during the day. Greater foliar expression of respiratory genes under elevated [CO2 ] has now been observed in diverse herbaceous species, suggesting a widely conserved response.
Monocytes with altered phenotypes in posttrauma patients.

Abstract Context.—Posttrauma patients show impaired immune responsiveness and increased susceptibility to infections. Although monocytes in these patients have been known to express decreased HLA-DR, induction of HLA-DR using interferon gamma failed to reduce susceptibility to infection, suggesting additional factors also may be involved in the impaired immune responsiveness. CD4 plays an integral role in most of the functions of HLA-DR. In newborn infants, who have impaired immune responsiveness, we found a concomitant reduction of CD4 on monocytes with decreased HLA-DR expression. Objective.—Because monocytes in posttrauma patients have not been previously studied for morphology, coexpression of CD4 and HLA-DR, and activity of α-naphthyl butyrate esterase, the purpose of this study was to analyze these factors in this population. Design.—Monocyte morphology; expression of CD4, CD11b, CD13, CD16, and HLA-DR by 3-color flow cytometry; and analysis of α-naphthyl butyrate esterase activity by cytochemical s...
Statistical Quantification of Detachment Rates and Size Distributions of Cell Clumps from Wild-Type (PAO1) and Cell Signaling Mutant (JP1) Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms

The detachment of cells from bacterial biofilms is an important, yet poorly understood and largely unquantified phenomenon. Detached cell clumps from medical devices may form microemboli and lead to metastasis, especially if they are resistant to host defenses and antibiotics. In manufacturing plants detached clumps entering a process stream decrease product quality. Two strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a wild type (PAO1) and a cell signaling mutant (JP1), were studied to (i) quantify and model detachment patterns and (ii) determine the influence of cell signaling on detachment. We collected effluent from a biofilm flowthrough reactor and determined the size distribution for cell detachment events by microscopic examination and image analysis. The two strains were similar in terms of both biofilm structure and detachment patterns. Most of the detachment events were single-cell events; however, multiple-cell detachment events contributed a large fraction of the total detached cells. The rates at which events containing multiple cells detached from the biofilm were estimated by fitting a statistical model to the size distribution data. For events consisting of at least 1,000 cells, the estimated rates were 4.5 events mm(-2) min(-1) for PAO1 and 4.3 events mm(-2) min(-1) for JP1. These rates may be significant when they are scaled up to the total area of a real biofilm-contaminated medical device surface and to the hours or days of patient exposure.
Heme oxygenase metabolites inhibit tubuloglomerular feedback in vivo.

Tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) is a renal autoregulatory mechanism that constricts the afferent arteriole in response to increases in distal NaCl. Heme oxygenases (HO-1 and HO-2) release carbon mo...
Vascular endothelial and endocardial progenitors differentiate as cardiomyocytes in the absence of Etsrp/Etv2 function

Previous studies have suggested that embryonic vascular endothelial, endocardial and myocardial lineages originate from multipotential cardiovascular progenitors. However, their existence in vivo has been debated and molecular mechanisms that regulate specification of different cardiovascular lineages are poorly understood. An ETS domain transcription factor Etv2/Etsrp/ER71 has been recently established as a crucial regulator of vascular endothelial differentiation in zebrafish and mouse embryos. In this study, we show that etsrp-expressing vascular endothelial/endocardial progenitors differentiate as cardiomyocytes in the absence of Etsrp function during zebrafish embryonic development. Expression of multiple endocardial specific markers is absent or greatly reduced in Etsrp knockdown or mutant embryos. We show that Etsrp regulates endocardial differentiation by directly inducing endocardial nfatc1 expression. In addition, Etsrp function is required to inhibit myocardial differentiation. In the absence of Etsrp function, etsrp-expressing endothelial and endocardial progenitors initiate myocardial marker hand2 and cmlc2 expression. Furthermore, Foxc1a function and interaction between Foxc1a and Etsrp is required to initiate endocardial development, but is dispensable for the inhibition of myocardial differentiation. These results argue that Etsrp initiates endothelial and endocardial, and inhibits myocardial, differentiation by two distinct mechanisms. Our findings are important for the understanding of genetic pathways that control cardiovascular differentiation during normal vertebrate development and will also greatly contribute to the stem cell research aimed at regenerating heart tissues.
Gene expression in mature neutrophils: early responses to inflammatory stimuli

Neutrophils provide an essential defense against bacterial and fungal infection and play a major role in tissue damage during inflammation. Using oligonucleotide microarrays, we have examined the time course of changes in gene expression induced by stimulation with live, opsonized Escherichia coli, soluble lipopolysaccharide, and the chemoattractant formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine. The results indicate that activated neutrophils generate a broad and vigorous set of alterations in gene expression. The responses included changes in the levels of transcripts encoding 148 transcription factors and chromatin-remodeling genes and 95 regulators of protein synthesis or stability. Clustering analysis showed distinct temporal patterns with many rapid changes in gene expression within the first hour of exposure. In addition to the temporal clustering of genes, we also observed rather different profiles associated with each stimulus, suggesting that even a nonvirulent organism such as E. coli is able to play a dynamic role in shaping the inflammatory response. Principal component analysis of transcription factor genes demonstrated clear separation of the neutrophil-response clusters from those of resting and stimulated human monocytes. The present study indicates that combinatorial transcriptional regulation including alterations of chromatin structure may play a role in the rapid changes in gene expression that occur in these terminally differentiated cells.
Synchrotron Strain Measurements for in situ Formed Metallic Glass Matrix Composites

We have examined the micromechanical behavior of in situ formed metallic glass composites by performing in situ high-energy synchrotron X-ray scattering during uniaxial compression. The load partitioning between the amorphous matrix and the reinforcing particles was examined by measuring the lattice strains in the crystalline particles during compressive loading. The crystalline particles yield in compression during loading followed by tensile yielding during unloading. The large elastic mismatch between the two phases leads to large residual strains after each loading cycle. The load partitioning was also examined with finite element modeling (FEM). The predicted von Mises effective stress in the crystalline particles from the FEM calculations compares well with the experimentally determined von Mises effective stress so long as the deformation is elastic in both particles and matrix. After the particles yield, the model predicts strain hardening of the particles that is not observed experimentally.
Diurnal Variation of the Planetary Boundary Layer in a Mesoscale Model

Abstract A two-dimensional mesoscale atmospheric model is presented and used to study unsteady dynamic processes occurring in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) driven by diurnal heating at the ground. The model reproduces turbulent fluxes of heat and momentum both by explicitly modeling resolvable eddies and by employing a single parameterization at all levels of the model to represent vertical fluxes caused by subgrid-scale eddies. The unsteady behavior of horizontally-averaged profiles of temperature and velocity respond quite realistically to the diurnally-varying heat flux at the ground, particularly with regard to the time variation of lapse rates and the occurrence times of maximum and minimum temperatures at various levels in the lower boundary layer. The spatial variation of predicted atmospheric quantities shows a great deal of resolved eddy activity during the day with a significant remnant persisting through the night at higher levels of the PBL. These eddies account for the predominant means ...
Lumping of Mass in Calculating Vibration Response

Analytical results are presented in which the vibration response of a uniform Bernoulli-Euler cantilever beam carrying a tip mass is compared with that of a weightless beam supporting sixteen concentrated masses. Natural frequencies and effective masses are presented for the impedance or steady-state behavior. For the shock problem, effective modal masses, as well as modal bending moment factors, are examined. Results show that the lumped mass beam depicts the shock response parameters more accurately than those associated with steady velocity at a driven point. For both shock and steady loading, the lumped mass model becomes more accurate as the ratio of tip mass to beam mass increases.
Threshold policy for global games with noisy information sharing

It is known that global games with noisy sharing of information do not admit a certain type of threshold policies [1]. Motivated by this result, we investigate the existence of threshold-type policies on global games with noisy sharing of information and show that such equilibrium strategies exist and are unique if the sharing of information happens over a sufficiently noisy environment. To show this result, we establish that if a threshold function is an equilibrium strategy, then it will be a solution to a fixed point equation. Then, we show that for a sufficiently noisy environment, the functional fixed point equation leads to a contraction mapping, and hence, its iterations converge to a unique continuous threshold policy.
Observed and predicted particle dynamics driven by inertial flows within high aspect ratio microfluidic channels

Inertial focusing in microfluidic channels has been shown to be an effective and versatile method of passively arranging particles into specific streamlines and regulating interparticle spacing. As a result of the high precision and fidelity of particle ordering, there has been significant interest in using microfluidic devices for applications in cell encapsulation, particle–fluid separation, size-selective cell sorting, and flow cytometry. When predicting application-specific design parameters, such as channel dimensions and flow rates, it is necessary to rely upon relations connecting the inertial forces acting upon particles with geometric dimensions. In this study, we develop an empirical technique to measure transverse-flow particle velocities and provide a semiempirical model describing the lateral forces experienced by a particle subject to non-turbulent, finite Reynolds number flow in a rectangular channel.
NK cells pave the road for alloengraftment

In this issue of Blood , [Alvarez et al][1] describe a novel inhibitory receptor-mediated role for unlicensed natural killer (U-NK) cells in allogeneic graft facilitation.[1][2] ![Figure][3] In the mouse allogeneic transplant setting, inflammatory cytokines prime NK cells to enhance their
Financial integration and diversification benefits: China and ASEAN4 countries

Purpose – The strategic partnership between China and ASEAN has resulted in significant financial reforms at the country and regional level. The scale and pace of these changes call for systematic assessments of their bearing on the development and integration of financial markets in this region. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the level of financial integration of the equity markets in China and ASEAN4 countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand) for the period 2004-2014. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use the β and σ convergence, dynamic conditional correlation, and wavelet correlation to assess the degree, trend, and change across different time scales of the integration of China-ASEAN4 equity markets. Using two measures of change in return per unit risk and variance, we assess the difference in diversification benefits between an equity portfolio China-ASEAN4 and China-EU. Findings – The authors find that financial integration across China-ASEAN4 equity markets flu...
Violence from Above, Violence from Below: The State and Policing Citizens in Mubarak’s Egypt

While observers and analysts list multiple sources as the root causes of the Egyptian uprising, it is beyond doubt that the mass protests were triggered by the violent practices of Ministry of Interior’s security apparatus. This chapter examines the different forms of police violence, probing the conditions that facilitated their production and development. I argue against a mono-causal analysis that attributes police violence to dynamics of autocratic rule, as this lens fails to capture repertoires of violence that characterized the last two decades of Mubarak’s rule. Instead, I put forth a more complex story that identifies authoritarian policies as well as institutional inequalities in the age of neoliberal economic policies at the heart of state violence. I argue that two levels of police repression existed: repression from above and repression from below. While the first form of state violence was directed against political opposition, the second form of police repression was directed at non-politicized residents of impoverished areas. These two levels of violence are distinct, but related. Violence from below was caused by the unequal distribution of state resources that favored high-ranking state agents over low-ranking and noncommissioned officers during times of declining state capacity and neoliberal economic shifts. At the same time, the regime’s sanctioning of repressive measures against political opposition provided a nurturing environment for low level violence to grow. I adopt an inter-disciplinary approach, putting into conversation understandings of political repression, policing and organizational behavior to explain forms of police violence in Egypt.
Analysis on the Status of HIV,HCV and Sypl Infection among Drug Addicts

Objective The present study was conducted to investigate the status on the infection of HIV,HCV and Syphilis in a drug rehabilitation center in Xinhui and find out the risk factors that the diseases were transmitted by blood route among drug addicts in order to provide scientific basis for the prevention and control of AIDS among this population.Methods Antibodies of HIV,HCV and Syphilis were detected in 436 drug addicts of a voluntary drug rehabilitation center in Xinhui in 2011 and the results were analyzed.Results The infection rate of HIV was 3.4%(15/436),HCV 36.9%(161/436),and syphilis 9.4%(41/436).HIV and HCV were mainly transmitted by sharing syringes among the intravenous drug users.Conclusion There existed the risk that blood-borne diseases were transmitted and spread among the investigated drug addicts.It is necessary to enhance surveillance,education on the prevention of the diseases and behavioral intervention for drug addicts so as to reduce the transmission and spread of HIV,HCV and syphilis in the population,and control the spread and prevalence of blood-borne infectious diseases such as AIDS.
Semi-local Convergence of Iterative Procedures and Their Applications in k-Multivariate Fractional Calculus

We provide new semi-local convergence results for general iterative methods in order to approximate a solution of a nonlinear operator equation.
Transport in Nanostructures: Transmission in nanostructures

In Chapter 2, we introduced the idea of low-dimensional systems arising from quantum confinement. Such confinement may be due to a heterojunction, an oxide-semiconductor interface, or simply a semiconductor-air interface (for example, in an etched quantum wire structure). When we look at transport parallel to such barriers, such as along the channel of a HEMT or MOSFET, or along the axis of a quantum wire, to a large extent we can employ the usual kinetic equation formalisms for transport and ignore the phase information of the particles. Quantum effects enter only through the description of the basis states arising from the confinement, and the quantum mechanical transition rates between these states are due to the scattering potential. This is not to say that quantum interference effects do not play a role in parallel transport. As we will see in Chapters 5 and 6, several effects manifest themselves in parallel transport studies such as weak localization and universal conductance fluctuations , which at their origin have effects due to the coherent interaction of electrons. In contrast to transport parallel to barriers, when particles traverse regions in which the medium is changing on length scales comparable to the phase coherence length of the particles, quantum interference is expected to be important. By “quantum interference” we mean the superposition of incident and reflected waves, which, in analogy to the electromagnetic case, leads to constructive and destructive interference. Such a coherent superposition of states is of course what leads to the quantization of momentum and energy in the formation of low-dimensional systems discussed in the previous chapter.
Metabolic Characterization of Prostate Cancer: Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Publisher Summary This chapter appraises the clinical utility of magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the metabolic characterization of prostrate cancer. Magnetic resonance spectroscopyhas advanced in a remarkable way in a relatively short period of time. The biomedical uses for the modality, combined with the potential for further clinical integration, may present it as an extremely powerful tool for the management of human prostate cancer. Despite this seemingly straightforward analysis of the prostate, in clinical reality the disease is very heterogeneous. Prostate cancer is a pathologically multifocal disease that can be found throughout the gland. The innate heterogeneity of prostate cancer complicates disease diagnosis. Magnetic resonance occurs between the states when a second magnetic field, B1, is applied through a coil at a radiofrequency that matches the required energy to transition between the α and β states for protons. Magnetic resonance uses the response of the magnetic moment of a nucleus when placed in a static external magnetic field and perturbed by a second oscillating field. The objectivity of MRS combined with its ability to be noninvasive, sensitive, and specific will continue to assert MRS as a premier technique of the twenty-first century. The ability of metabolic profiles to designate benign from malignant, and the aggressiveness of a tumor if present, would make spectroscopy a clinical necessity.
Ultra-high breakdown high-performance AlInAs/GaInAs/InP power HEMTs

In this paper we report on record breakdown voltages for high-performance InP-based HEMTs. We have obtained gate-to-drain breakdown voltages of as high as 59 V (measured at 1 mA/mm of gate current) for a 500 ym wide InP-based HEMT with a gate-length of 0.25 /spl mu/m and drain-to-source spacing of 5 /spl mu/m. This is the highest breakdown voltage ever achieved for an InP-based HEMT. For a 50X0.25 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ device with a 2/spl mu/m drain-to-source spacing the typical gate-to-drain breakdown voltage is over 30 V with a current density of 520 mA/mm and a maximum transconductance of more than 570 mS/mm. This is the highest combination of breakdown voltage, current density, and transconductance ever reported for any type of FET. >