cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measuring Country-of-Origin Effects in Caucasians, African-Americans and Chinese Consumers for Products and Services

Abstract In this study, we applied a measurement model of the country-of-origin (CO) effect developed by Parameswaran and Pisharodi (1994) across three groups: Caucasian Americans, African-Americans, and Chinese consumers. We explored CO effects towards a tangible product with a different origin country (Japan) than previously examined and explored the CO effect towards a service offering. Utilizing structural equation modeling, we found that although the facets of CO effect developed by other authors were robust in different consumer purchase settings, the items measuring each factor showed significant discrepancy. Both theoretical and managerial contributions are discussed and future research is suggested.
Felicitology: Neurath’s Naturalization of Ethics

In this article, I aim to reconstruct Otto Neurath’s naturalistic program for practical philosophy. This program, which he calls “felicitology,” was intended as a version of ethics suitable for the “scientific worldview” of the logical empiricists. I begin by situating Neurath’s ethical concerns in the context of the debate between his fellow Austro-Marxists and the Marburg neo-Kantians. I then show why, contrary to many logical empiricists, Neurath thought that ethical considerations had an important role to play in scientific inquiry. I argue that this conclusion follows from his contribution to the protocol-sentence debate of the early 1930s. Finally, I show how Neurath’s advocacy of unified science, democratic socialism, a world economy, and his method of visual learning all relate to his program for felicitology.
Novel transformations of enzymatically generated carboxymethyl-o-benzoquinone to 2,5,6-trihydroxybenzofuran and 3,4-dihydroxymandelic acid

Abstract The conversion of monophenols to o-diphenols and the oxidation of resultant o-diphenols to o-benzoquinones are two activities widely exhibited by tyrosinases. Accordingly, during the oxidation of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, mushroom tyrosinase produced 4-carboxymethyl-o-benzoquinone as the initial product. Carboxymethyl-o-benzoquinone thus formed was found to be extremely unstable as compared to its lower homolog 4-carboxy-o-benzoquinone and underwent novel transformations to produce 3,4-dihydroxymandelic acid and a new compound identified as 2,5,6-trihydroxybenzofuran, based on uv, ir, and NMR spectral and HPLC studies. Tyrosinase further oxidized the 3,4-dihydroxymandelate formed to 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, as reported earlier [Sugumaran, M. (1986) Biochemistry 25, 4489–4492], while 2,5,6-trihydroxybenzofuran was oxidized to insoluble, unidentifiable dark pigments. Incubation of synthetic carboxymethyl-o-benzoquinone in dimethyl sulfoxide at room temperature resulted in the production of 3,4-dihydroxymandelic acid as the sole catecholic product. Based on these findings, possible mechanisms for the unusual conversion of carboxymethyl-o-benzoquinone to 3,4-dihydroxymandelic acid and 2,5,6-trihydroxybenzofuran are presented.
Relational Stressors and Depressive Symptoms in Late Adolescence: Rejection Sensitivity as a Vulnerability

The role of rejection sensitivity as a critical diathesis moderating the link between adolescent relational stressors and depressive symptoms was examined using multi-method, multi-reporter data from a diverse community sample of 173 adolescents, followed from age 16 to 18. Relational stressors examined included emotional abuse, maternal behavior undermining adolescents’ autonomy and relatedness, and lack of support from close peers. As hypothesized, multiple relational stressors were found to predict the future development of depressive symptoms, but as hypothesized predictions existed primarily for adolescents who were highly rejection sensitive. Results are discussed in terms of a diathesis-stress model of depression and suggest that though relational stressors have previously shown consistent modest links to depressive symptoms, understanding pre-existing intrapsychic vulnerabilities of the adolescent may be critical to identifying the processes by which such stressors lead to depressive symptoms.
Clinical attachment loss, systemic bone density, and subgingival calculus in postmenopausal women.

Background: Results of several studies investigating associations between systemic bone density and clinical attachment loss (CAL) of the soft tissue surrounding the teeth have varied. We investigated these associations in a relatively large study while evaluating potential confounding factors and effect modification by subgingival calculus and age.Methods: In a cross-sectional study of 1,329 postmenopausal women recruited from the Buffalo Women's Health Initiative Observational Study, systemic bone density was measured at the spine, hip, forearm, and whole body by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and a complete oral health examination was conducted.Results: We found the strongest associations between systemic bone density and CAL among women without subgingival calculus. Results were adjusted for age, cigarette smoking, education, and time since last dental cleaning. Presence or absence of subgingival calculus was a strong effect modifier. Among women without subgingival calculus, there were consistent ...
A mechanism for mitigation of blade–vortex interaction using leading edge blowing flow control

The interaction of a vortical unsteady flow with structures is often encountered in engineering applications. Such flow structure interactions (FSI) can be responsible for generating significant loads and can have many detrimental structural and acoustic side effects, such as structural fatigue, radiated noise and even catastrophic results. Amongst the different types of FSI, the parallel blade–vortex interaction (BVI) is the most common, often encountered in helicopters and propulsors. In this work, we report on the implementation of leading edge blowing (LEB) active flow control for successfully minimizing the parallel BVI. Our results show reduction of the airfoil vibrations up to 38% based on the root-mean-square of the vibration velocity amplitude. This technique is based on displacing an incident vortex using a jet issued from the leading edge of a sharp airfoil effectively increasing the stand-off distance of the vortex from the body. The effectiveness of the method was experimentally analyzed using time-resolved digital particle image velocimetry (TRDPIV) recorded at an 800 Hz rate, which is sufficient to resolve the spatio-temporal dynamics of the flow field and it was combined with simultaneous accelerometer measurements of the airfoil, which was free to oscillate in a direction perpendicular to the freestream. Analysis of the flow field spectra and a Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) of the TRDPIV data of the temporally resolved planar flow fields indicate that the LEB effectively modified the flow field surrounding the airfoil and increased the convecting vortices stand-off distance for over half of the airfoil chord length. It is shown that LEB also causes a redistribution of the flow field spectral energy over a larger range of frequencies.
Influences of occlusion, color, and luminance on the perception of fragmented pictures.

The contribution of the magnocellular (M) pathway to perceptual completion and depth processing was examined by comparing performance under black-and-white conditions with isoluminant color and diffuse red background conditions expected to suppress M pathway activity. Participants identified the repeated figure in pictures where only fragments of the figures were visible. The fragments were presented either alone (unoccluded) or with an occluder (occluded) filling the space between them. Identification with an occluder involved amodally completing the fragments behind it, i.e., depth processing. All unoccluded versions were easy to identify indicating perceptual completion of the fragments was not influenced by suppressing M pathway activity. Black-and-white occluded versions were also easy to identify. The significantly longer identification times for occluded versions under isoluminant and diffuse red background conditions indicates amodal completion of the fragments was hindered when M pathway activity was reduced, supporting the importance of M pathway activity for depth processing.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the United States. This review details the risk factors, clinical presentation, treatment, and prophylaxis for the disease. Information was obtained from a search of the PubMed and MEDLINE databases (keyword: Lyme disease) for articles published from August 31, 1997, through September 1, 2007. Approximately 20,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported annually. Residents of the coastal Northeast, northwest California, and the Great Lakes region are at highest risk. Children and those spending extended time outdoors in wooded areas are also at increased risk. The disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of the Ixodes tick (Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus). Typically, the tick must feed for at least 36 hours for transmission of the causative bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, to occur. Each of the 3 stages of the disease is associated with specific clinical features: early localized infection, with erythema migrans, fever, malaise, fatigue, headache, myalgias, and arthralgias; early disseminated infection (occurring days to weeks later), with neurologic, musculoskeletal, or cardiovascular symptoms and multiple erythema migrans lesions; and late disseminated infection, with intermittent swelling and pain of 1 or more joints (especially knees). Neurologic manifestations (neuropathy or encephalopathy) may occur. Diagnosis is usually made clinically. Treatment is accomplished with doxycycline or amoxicillin; cefuroxime axetil or erythromycin can be used as an alternative. Late or severe disease requires intravenous ceftriaxone or penicillin G. Single-dose doxycycline (200 mg orally) can be used as prophylaxis in selected patients. Preventive measures should be emphasized to patients to help reduce risk.
Chemistry of Muscle Contraction: Is Adenosine Triphosphate broken down during a Single Muscle Twitch?

Chemistry of Muscle Contraction: Is Adenosine Triphosphate broken down during a Single Muscle Twitch?
Kelly West Lecture. Primary prevention of type II diabetes mellitus.

A useful paradigm for developing a public health strategy for combating chronic diseases consists of three phases: observational epidemiological studies, first cross-sectional and then prospective; intervention trials; and, finally, public health action. Although the field of cardiovascular epidemiology is well advanced into the third phase, i.e., public health action, the field of diabetes epidemiology is at least a generation behind and has only recently entered the phase of prospective observational studies. Part of the reason for this lag may be that, unlike cardiovascular disease, non-insulin-dependent (type II) diabetes has not been traditionally viewed as an epidemic, thereby detracting from a sense of urgency about the disease. Although this perspective may be appropriate for white populations, data from around the world make it increasingly apparent that type II diabetes has indeed reached epidemic proportions in non-white populations. Prospective studies are needed to firmly establish risk factors on which public health actions can be confidently based. Although anthropometric and metabolic risk factors such as obesity, body fat distribution, and circulating glucose and insulin concentrations are becoming well established as risk factors for type II diabetes, much less is known about behavioral risk factors. These latter risk factors are especially important because they are often amenable to public health action. There are preliminary data suggesting that decreased physical activity and increased fat consumption may be behavioral risk factors for diabetes. Decreased total energy intake, reflecting either low levels of physical activity or an intrinsically low metabolic rate, perhaps genetic in origin, may also be a diabetes risk factor. Unlike the field of cardiovascular epidemiology, in which there is already a critical mass of intervention trials on primary prevention, such trials are essentially nonexistent in the field of diabetes epidemiology; they are urgently needed. Although the notion of a single gene causing diabetes is clearly simplistic, there is a reasonable expectation that genetic markers can be identified that would be useful in screening for genetic susceptibles, at least in selected predisposed populations. Such markers could then be used to identify target populations for primary-prevention trials and public health action. Although primary-prevention trials should not be deferred until genetic markers are available, these two research paths may someday converge and genetic markers may come to play an important role in screening individuals as part of a comprehensive public health strategy. Numerous trial designs should be considered for testing hypotheses about the primary prevention of type II diabetes. These include single risk factor, multiple risk factor, and factorial designs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
A view-based neurocomputational system for relational map-making and navigation in visual environments

Abstract Artificial navigation systems stand to benefit greatly from learning maps of visual environments, but traditional map-making techniques are inadequate in several respects. This paper describes an adaptive, view-based, relational map-making system for navigating within a 3D environment defined by a spatially distributed set of visual landmarks. Inspired by an analogy to learning aspect graphs of 3D objects, the system comprises two neurocomputational architectures that emulate cognitive mapping in the rat hippocampus. The first architecture performs unsupervised place learning by combining the “What” with the “Where”, namely through conjunctions of landmark identity, pose, and egocentric gaze direction within a local, restricted sensory view of the environment. The second associatively learns action consequences by incorporating the “When”, namely through conjunctions of learned places and coarsely coded robot motions. Together, these networks form a map reminiscent of a partially observable Markov decision process, and consequently provide an ideal neural substrate for prediction, environment recognition, route planning, and exploration. Preliminary results from real-time implementations on a mobile robot called MAVIN (the Mobile Adaptive VIsual Navigator) demonstrate the potential for these capabilities.
Effects of Enhanced External Counterpulsation on Arterial Stiffness and Myocardial Oxygen Demand in Patients with Chronic Angina Pectoris

Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) is a noninvasive technique for treatment of symptomatic coronary artery disease in patients not amenable to revascularization procedures. However, the mechanisms underlying the benefits of EECP remain unknown. We hypothesized that decreases in arterial stiffness and aortic wave reflection are a therapeutic target for EECP. Patients with coronary artery disease and chronic angina pectoris were randomized (2:1 ratio) to 35 1-hour sessions of EECP (n = 28) or sham EECP (n = 14). Central and peripheral arterial pulse-wave velocity and aortic wave reflection (augmentation index) were measured using applanation tonometry before, and after 17 and 35 1-hour treatment sessions. Wasted left ventricular pressure energy and aortic systolic tension-time index, markers of left-ventricular myocardial oxygen demand, were derived from the synthesized aortic pressure wave. Exercise duration, anginal threshold, and peak oxygen consumption were measured using a graded treadmill test. Central arterial stiffness and augmentation index were decreased after 17 and 35 sessions in the treatment group. Measurements of peripheral arterial stiffness were decreased after 35 sessions in the treatment group. Changes in aortic pressure wave reflection resulted in decreased measurements of myocardial oxygen demand and wasted left ventricular energy. No changes in central or peripheral arterial stiffness were observed in the sham group. Furthermore, measurements of exercise capacity were improved in the EECP group but unchanged in the sham group. In conclusion, EECP therapy decreases central and peripheral arterial stiffness, which may explain improvements in myocardial oxygen demand in patients with chronic angina pectoris after treatment.
Chelate-Assisted Oxidative Coupling Reaction of Arylamides and Unactivated Alkenes: Mechanistic Evidence for Vinyl C-H Bond Activation Promoted by an Electrophilic Ruthenium- Hydride Catalyst

The cationic ruthenium hydride complex [(η6-C6H6)(PCy3)(CO)RuH]+BF4− was found to be a highly regioselective catalyst for the oxidative C−H coupling reaction of aryl-substituted amides and unactivated alkenes to give o-alkenylamide products. The kinetic and spectroscopic analyses support a mechanism involving a rapid vinyl C−H activation followed by a rate-limiting C−C bond formation step.
Effects of particle evaporation on the angular momentum of the emitting nucleus for deep inelastic and compound nuclear reactions

Abstract A model is developed which allows one to calculate analytically the angular momentum removed, and the angular momentum misalignment created by the evaporation of light particles from an excited nucleus. The mass, temperature and angular momentum of the emitting nucleus are explicitly considered. The formalism applies equally well to heavy-ion and compound nuclear reactions.
Visualization of large influenza virus sequence datasets using adaptively aggregated trees with sampling-based subscale representation.

With the amount of influenza genome sequence data growing rapidly, researchers need machine assistance in selecting datasets and exploring the data. Enhanced visualization tools are required to represent results of the exploratory analysis on the web in an easy-to-comprehend form and to facilitate convenient information retrieval. We developed an approach to visualize large phylogenetic trees in an aggregated form with a special representation of subscale details. The initial aggregated tree representation is built with a level of resolution automatically selected to fit into the available screen space, with terminal groups selected based on sequence similarity. The default aggregated representation can be refined by users interactively. Structure and data variability within terminal groups are displayed using small trees that have the same vertical size as the text annotation of the group. These subscale representations are calculated using systematic sampling from the corresponding terminal group. The aggregated tree containing terminal groups can be annotated using aggregation of structured metadata, such as seasonal distribution, geographic locations, etc. The algorithms are implemented in JavaScript within the NCBI Influenza Virus Resource [1].
Driving Force Dependence of Rates for Nonadiabatic Proton and Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer: Conditions for Inverted Region Behavior

The driving force dependence of the rate constants for nonadiabatic electron transfer (ET), proton transfer (PT), and proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions is examined. Inverted region behavior, where the rate constant decreases as the reaction becomes more exoergic (i.e., as ΔG0 becomes more negative), has been observed experimentally for ET and PT. This behavior was predicted theoretically for ET but is not well understood for PT and PCET. The objective of this Letter is to predict the experimental conditions that could lead to observation of inverted region behavior for PT and PCET. The driving force dependence of the rate constant is qualitatively different for PT and PCET than for ET because of the high proton vibrational frequency and substantial shift between the reactant and product proton vibrational wave functions. As a result, inverted region behavior is predicted to be experimentally inaccessible for PT and PCET if only the driving force is varied. This behavior may be observed for...
EFFICIENCY OF MONTE CARLO MINIMIZATION PROCEDURES AND THEIR USE IN ANALYSIS OF NMR DATA OBTAINED FROM FLEXIBLE PEPTIDES

The Monte Carlo minimization (MCM) method of Li and Scheraga is an efficient tool for generating low energy minimized structures of peptides, in particular the global energy minimum (GEM). In a recent article we proposed an enhancement to MCM, called the free energy Monte Carlo minimization (FMCM) procedure. With FMCM the conformational search is carried out with respect to the harmonic free energy, which approximates the free energy of the potential energy wells around the energy minimized structures (these wells are called localized microstates). In this work we apply both methods to the pentapeptide Leu-enkephalin described by the potential energy function ECEPP, and study their efficiency in identifying the GEM structure as well as the global harmonic free energy (GFM) structure. We also investigate the efficiency of these methods to generate localized microstates, which pertain to different energy and harmonic free energy intervals above the GEM and GFM, respectively. Such microstates constitute an important ingredient of our statistical mechanical methodology for analyzing nuclear magnetic resonance data of flexible peptides. Aspects of this methodology related to the stability properties of the localized microstates are examined. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Heat capacity and thermodynamic properties of thallous fluoride from 5 to 445 K

The heat capacity of TIF has been determined from 6 to 445 K. The nature of the structural transition at 356.3 K, and the excess entropy found (0.225 cal K −1 mol −1 , in reasonable accord with that of Cubicciotti and Eding) are discussed. The derived thermodynamic functions permit a re-evaluation of the thermodynamics of the gaseous system, give better concordance with spectroscopic data, and yield a Gibbs energy of formation: Δ G f o ( 298.15 K ) = − ( 72.8 ± 0.1 ) kcal mol − 1 .
Influence of Oral Lactoferrin on Mycobacterium tuberculosis induced immunopathology

The ability of lactoferrin to provide protection and decrease immunopathology in infectious diseases was evaluated using an aggressive aerosol model of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection. C57BL/6 mice were challenged with MTB strain Erdman and treated with 0.5% bovine lactoferrin added to the drinking water starting at day 0 or day 7 post-infection. Mice were sacrificed at three weeks post-challenge and evaluated for organ bacterial burden, lung histopathology, and ELISpot analysis of the lung and spleen for immune cell phenotypes. Mice given tap water alone had lung log10 colony forming units (CFUs) of 7.5 ± 0.3 at week 3 post-infection. Lung CFUs were significantly decreased in mice given lactoferrin starting the day of infection (6.4 ± 0.7), as well as in mice started therapeutically on lactoferrin at day 7 after established infection (6.5 ± 0.4). Quantitative immunohistochemistry using multispectral imaging demonstrated that lung inflammation was significantly reduced in both groups of lactoferrin treated mice, with decreased foamy macrophages, increased total lymphocytes, and increased numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ cells. ELISpot analysis showed that lactoferrin treated mice had increased numbers of CD4 + IFN-γ+ and IL-17 producing cells in the lung, cells that have protective functions during MTB infection. Lactoferrin alone did not alter the proliferation of MTB in either broth or macrophage culture, but enhanced IFN-γ mediated MTB killing by macrophages in a nitric oxide dependent manner. These studies indicate that lactoferrin may be a novel therapeutic for the treatment of tuberculosis, and may be useful in infectious diseases to reduced immune-mediated tissue damage.
Power flow analysis for amplifier design and energy harvesting

The power requirements imposed on a active vibration isolation system are quite important to the overall system design. In order to improve the efficiency of an active isolation system we analyze different feedback control strategies which will provide an electrical energy regeneration. In this case, the power is flowing from the mechanical disturbance through the electromechanical actuator and its switching drive into the electrical storage device (batteries or capacitors). We demonstrate that regeneration occurs when controlling one or both of the flow states (velocity and current). This regenerative control strategy also affects the closed loop dynamics. The regenerative control applied to a voice-coil actuator results in a closed loop system which has a reduced amount of damping compared to the initial system. In fact the regenerative control strategy will increase the level of vibration compared to the closed electrical circuit boundary condition in order to make the system absorb more energy, of which a part is transferred to an electrical storage device.
Allozymic Variation in California Sea Otters

A survey of electrophoretic variation was conducted using 74 sea otters from California and nine from Alaska. Thirty-one presumptive loci were successfully scored. Because of the severe bottleneck suffered by the population in California, we compared the level of genetic variation in this population with otters from Alaska. For both samples, 19.4% of loci studied were polymorphic with two alleles each, and heterozygosity was 4.9% (7.4% based on Hardy-Weinberg expectations). Sea otters show genetic variability levels more typical of terrestrial mammals than marine species. Comparing samples from California and Alaska, allelic and genotypic frequencies differed at one locus and heterozygosity levels were 2.2% greater in the sample from Alaska. At three loci, sea otters from California had a deficiency of heterozygotes. Local inbreeding seems to be the most likely explanation for this deficiency. Our results support the predictions of earlier models that otters from California suffered only a small loss in genetic variability.
Feature-based surface decomposition for polyhedral morphing

We demonstrate a new approach for establishing correspondence for morphing between two homeomorphic polyhedral models. The user can specify corresponding feature pairs on the polyhedra with a simple and-intuitive interface. Based on these features, our algorithm decomposes the boundary of each polyhedron into the same number of morphing patches. A 2D mapping for each morphing patch is computed in order to merge the topologies of the polyhedra one patch at a time. We create a morph by defining morphing trajectories between the feature pairs and by interpolating them across the merged polyhedron. The user interface provides high-level control as well as local refinement to improve the morph. The implementation has been applied to several polyhedra composed of thousands of polygons. We also demonstrate the performance of our system two non-simple polyhedra.
Eukaryotic Selenocysteine Incorporation: Mechanistic Insights

Cotranslational insertion of selenocysteine occurs in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. For the most part, what is known about this process in eukaryotes has been derived from extensive analysis of the RNA requirements for selenocysteine incorporation. Studies which have defined the selenocysteine insertion sequence (SECIS) element, identified its critical sequence and structural motifs, and established constraints on its spatial relationship with the UGA selenocysteine codon, have given mechanistic insights into this critical process.
François Cointeraux and the School of “Agritecture” in Eighteenth-Century France

Abstract In eighteenth-century France, Francois Cointeraux was as an advocate of pise, a provincial technique that rammed pure earth into artificial stones. Economical and sturdy, pise could be used for a variety of rural constructions, ranging from sheds to silos. To share this knowledge, Cointeraux founded the “School of Agritecture,” which combined agriculture (“agri-”) with architecture (“-tecture”), and taught students how to work the land for food and shelter. Despite its practical benefits, the hybrid curriculum was not adopted elsewhere, for its agrarian values ultimately proved incompatible with the interests of industrial capitalism.
Stevens-Johnson syndrome, mucositis, or something else?

Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) has been described in the literature as a combination of erythematous blistering skin lesions covering <10% of body surface area and ≥1 mucous membrane erosion.1 SJS is usually triggered by a medication or infection. Infectious causes are more common in children, most notably herpes simplex virus (HSV) and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Mucous membrane erosions without significant skin involvement have been classified as “atypical SJS” and mucositis.2 Case: An 18-year-old high school senior presented to his physician with a 2-week history of sore throat and cough, 1-week history of fever, and 1-day history of swollen lips and mucosal ulcerations in his mouth accompanied by pain with swallowing. He was an otherwise healthy adolescent male, with the exception of a PICU admission for anaphylaxis without obvious trigger 8 years ago and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder for which he is taking methylphenidate. The treating physician ordered a chest radiograph that demonstrated streaky infiltrates in the right lower lobe and sent serology samples for Mycoplasma , immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies for HSV type 1 and 2, and HIV testing. The patient was started empirically on azithromycin and acyclovir, with lidocaine viscous for his mouth sores. The following day he developed conjunctival erythema, urethral ulceration, and continued to have poor oral intake; he was therefore admitted to the inpatient pediatric ward for intravenous hydration, pain control, and further observation. Question: Does this patient have SJS? Discussion: There is disagreement in the literature on the exact definition of SJS. As first described by Stevens and Johnson in 1922, a patient must have a generalized skin eruption in conjunction with mucosal involvement to meet the definition.3 This patient never had a generalized skin eruption and therefore does not meet the classic criteria. He did, however, develop 1 targetoid lesion with a central blister on …
Externally sensitized deprotection of PPG-masked carbonyls as a spatial proximity probe in photoamplified detection of binding events

Externally sensitized electron-transfer fragmentation in dithiane PPG (photoremovable protecting group)-protected carbonyls is adopted for detection and amplification of molecular recognition events. The new methodology allows for detection of as low as 50 attomoles of avidin utilizing an imager based on a low sensitivity mass-produced consumer CCD camera. Numeric modelling is carried out to demonstrate the intrinsic limitations of 2D amplification on surfaces and the advantages of unconstrained amplification in a compartmentalized volume of spatially addressable 3D solutions.
A prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of dexmedetomidine as an adjunct to epidural analgesia after thoracic surgery

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that after thoracic surgery, the supplementation of a low-dose thoracic epidural (ED) bupivacaine (0.125%) infusion by intravenous (IV) dexmedetomidine decreases analgesic requirement without causing respiratory depression. The primary endpoint was the need for additional ED bupivacaine administered through patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA). Secondary endpoints included the requirement for supplemental opioids and the impact of dexmedetomidine on CO2 retention. Design: A prospective, randomized, double-blinded study. Setting: A major US tertiary care university hospital. Patients: Twenty-eight patients scheduled to undergo elective thoracotomy for wedge resection, lobectomy, or pneumonectomy. Interventions: On intensive care unit arrival, the thoracic ED catheter was loaded with 0.125% bupivacaine to a T4 sensory level and a continuous infusion of 0.125% bupivacaine without opioid was commenced at 4 mL/h. Patients were then randomized into 1 of 2 groups. The dexmedetomidine group received an IV loading dose of dexmedetomidine of 0.5 μg/kg over 20 minutes, followed by continuous IV infusion at 0.4 μg/kg/h. The placebo group received IV saline at the same calculated loading and infusion rates by volume. If necessary, supplemental analgesia (increased ED rate, ED fentanyl, ketorolac [IV]) was provided to ensure a visual analog scale (VAS) score of ≤3. Measurements: The analgesic effect was monitored by the VAS, and the requirement for PCEA dosing and additional analgesics was recorded. Heart rate, blood pressure, and blood gases were also monitored. Main Results: There was no significant difference in PCEA use and VAS score between the 2 groups, but requirement for supplemental ED fentanyl analgesia was significantly greater in the placebo group (66.1 ± 95.6 v 5.3 ± 17.1 μg, p = 0.039). Mean PaCO2 was also significantly greater in the placebo group (40.3 ± 4.1 v 43.9 ± 4.3 mmHg, p = 0.04). Patients in the dexmedetomidine group exhibited significantly decreased heart rate (1 patient required and responded to atropine) and blood pressure (4 patients required and readily responded to IV fluid) compared with the placebo group. Conclusion: The authors conclude that in postthoracotomy patients, IV dexmedetomidine is a potentially effective analgesic adjunct to thoracic ED bupivacaine infusion and may decrease the requirement for opioids and potential for respiratory depression.
Up-regulation of peroxiredoxin 1 in lung cancer and its implication as a prognostic and therapeutic target.

Purpose: Peroxiredoxin 1 and 2 are highly homologous members of the Prx (or Prdx) protein family. Prx1 and Prx2 are elevated in several human cancers, and this seems to confer increased treatment resistance and aggressive phenotypes. This study was undertaken to examine the expression profiles of Prx1 and Prx2 in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and to test their prognostic value in predicting patient survival. Experimental Design: To gain insight into the regulatory mechanisms of Prx1 and Prx2 expression in NSCLC, their respective transcript profiles were examined in NSCLC cell lines from the NCI-60 panel Affymetrix database sets, and the promoter compositions of the two genes were investigated using computer-based multiple sequence alignment analyses. Immunohistochemical analyses of Prx1 and Prx2 were done on a total of 235 NSCLC specimens with stage I through IV disease. The expression profiles of Prx1 and Prx2 in tumor specimens, and their associations with survival, were investigated. Results and Conclusion: The levels of prx1 transcript were higher than those of prx2 in NSCLC cell lines, and the upstream regulatory sequences of the two genes display striking differences. The relative risk of death increased as Prx1 expression levels increased ( P = 0.036) in a multivariate Cox model, independent of other clinicopathologic variables associated with survival. No statistically significant correlation was observed between Prx2 and survival. These results suggest that Prx1 may possess unique functions and regulatory mechanisms in NSCLC which are not shared with Prx2, and that Prx1 may serve as a new prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in NSCLC.
Developing an Injectable Formula Containing an Oxygen-Sensitive Drug: A Case Study of Danofloxacin Injectable

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of impurities in formulation components, antioxidants, formulation pH, and processing/packaging on the extent of color change associated with oxidation of danofloxacin injectable. The methods used in this study include reversed-phase HPLC, UV-VIS spectrophotometry, atomic absorption spectroscopy, visual observation, and iodimetric titration for quantification of the antioxidant. The results from this study revealed that trace impurities from two different excipients significantly contributed to color change associated with oxidation. Polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) introduced trace levels of peroxides into the solution. A second excipient also had a significant impact on stability because it introduced trace metal impurities into the product. The minimization of oxygen levels alone in the solution and headspace was not sufficient to completely eliminate the product instability. The addition of an antioxidant, monothioglycerol (MTG), resulted in a formulation less sensitive to processing variables. The impact of pH on the performance of MTG was also studied. At pH 7.5, MTG resulted in significant improvement in stability; however, at pH 6.0 it was not effective as an antioxidant. Process modifications alone may not be sufficient to prevent oxidation. Chemical approaches, such as pH control, addition of an antioxidant, and control of components should be considered first as means of enhancing stability of oxygen-sensitive solutions.
SP-1 secretion by baboon embryos in vitro

Summary Baboon embryos cultured to postimplantation stages have been shown to secrete the placental protein SP-1 into the culture medium in quantities of up to almost 5 μ g/day, based on a rhesus monkey standard. Twelve embryos, for which spent media samples have been assayed, have been shown to secrete this protein, with measurable quantities usually being present on day four following attachment of the zonaless embryo to the culture dish. Secretion has continued for up to 14 days, with over 26 μ g total SP-1 secretion from one embryo. These observations further enhance the utility of the baboon embryo culture system as a model for studying early placental development in the primate.
A Critical Appraisal of the Role of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory in the Diagnosis of Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are a common health problem in both outpatient and inpatient settings, and urine cultures occupy much of the workload in many clinical microbiology laboratories. Appropriate utilization of urine cultures by health care providers and generation of meaningful results by
Wing and gliding dynamics of a flapping winged ornithopter

The Great Albatross, having the largest wingspan of any extant bird, is a highly efficient flier, using unique flapping and gliding techniques to cover great distances with little exertion. The main issue in the development of an Albatross robot is overcoming the problem of needing to use a significant amount of material in order to simulate its flapping motion. This can be solved by using other factors, such as air resistance as a force to move the wings. All biological components of a bird's wings are essential in capturing the proper flight dynamics. This includes their shape, which is why providing camber to the wings is important in providing the proper amount of lift for a bird simulating robot. In this paper, we discuss the problems faced when trying to replicate the biological flight of an Albatross and discuss a wing design that uses camber and air resistance to assist in flight.
Inclusion of topside metal heat spreading in the determination of HBT temperatures by electrical and geometrical methods [GaAs devices]

Topside metal helps spread the heat dissipated by HBTs and reduces both the thermal resistance at a given temperature, and its temperature dependence. In this paper we describe new methods for including topside metal cooling effects in both an electrical method of extracting HBT temperature and a geometry-based method for calculating HBT temperatures.
Using numerical simulations to compare the fracture toughness values for concrete from the size-effect, two-parameter and fictitious crack models

The size-effect, two-parameter, and fictitious crack models were developed to predict crack growth in materials like concrete that experience tension softening. The three models must predict the same response for infinitely large structures. Therefore, this study evaluates the differences in response for smaller structures. The metric used to compare response is the fracture toughness value required by the model to generate a particular load versus crack mouth opening displacement graph for a single edge specimen loaded in bending. The graphs, including unloading response, were generated numerically using the fictitious crack model and seventeen different sets of property values. The size-effect and two-parameter data reduction methods were then applied to the graphs to determine the associated fracture toughness values. Results of the evaluation indicate that the fracture toughness values for the size-effect and two-parameter models tend to be less than those of the fictitious crack model. However, there is a range of simulated materials for which the models are in reasonable agreement for structures on the scale of standard laboratory specimens.
ODVBA: Optimally-Discriminative Voxel-Based Analysis

Gaussian smoothing of images prior to applying voxel-based statistics is an important step in voxel-based analysis and statistical parametric mapping (VBA-SPM) and is used to account for registration errors, to Gaussianize the data and to integrate imaging signals from a region around each voxel. However, it has also become a limitation of VBA-SPM based methods, since it is often chosen empirically and lacks spatial adaptivity to the shape and spatial extent of the region of interest, such as a region of atrophy or functional activity. In this paper, we propose a new framework, named optimally-discriminative voxel-based analysis (ODVBA), for determining the optimal spatially adaptive smoothing of images, followed by applying voxel-based group analysis. In ODVBA, nonnegative discriminative projection is applied regionally to get the direction that best discriminates between two groups, e.g., patients and controls; this direction is equivalent to local filtering by an optimal kernel whose coefficients define the optimally discriminative direction. By considering all the neighborhoods that contain a given voxel, we then compose this information to produce the statistic for each voxel. Finally, permutation tests are used to obtain a statistical parametric map of group differences. ODVBA has been evaluated using simulated data in which the ground truth is known and with data from an Alzheimer's disease (AD) study. The experimental results have shown that the proposed ODVBA can precisely describe the shape and location of structural abnormality.
Component Selection to Optimize Distance Function Learning in Complex Scientific Data Sets

Analyzing complex scientific data, e.g., graphs and images, often requires comparison of features: regions on graphs, visual aspects of images and related metadata, some features being relatively more important. The notion of similarity for comparison is typically distance between data objects which could be expressed as distance between features. We refer to distance based on each feature as a component. Weights of components representing relative importance of features could be learned using distance function learning algorithms. However, it is seldom known which components optimize learning, given criteria such as accuracy, efficiency and simplicity. This is the problem we address. We propose and theoretically compare four component selection approaches: Maximal Path Traversal, Minimal Path Traversal, Maximal Path Traversal with Pruning and Minimal Path Traversal with Pruning. Experimental evaluation is conducted using real data from Materials Science, Nanotechnology and Bioinformatics. A trademarked software tool is developed as a highlight of this work.
A Dynamic Adaptation of AD-trees for Efficient Machine Learning on Large Data Sets

This paper has no novel learning or statistics: it is concerned with making a wide class of preexisting statistics and learning algorithms computationally tractable when faced with data sets with massive numbers of records or attributes. It briefly reviews the static AD-tree structure of Moore and Lee (1998), and offers a new structure with more attractive properties: (1) the new structure scales better with the number of attributes in the data set; (2) it has zero initial build time; (3) it adaptively caches only statistics relevant to the current task; and (4) it can be used incrementally in cases where new data is frequently being appended to the data set. We provide a careful explanation of the data structure, and then empirically evaluate the performance under varying access patterns induced by different learning algorithms such as association rules, decision trees and Bayes net structures. We conclude by discussing the longer term benefits of the new structure: the eventual ability to apply AD-trees to data sets with real-valued attributes.
Rainfall Insurance: A Promising Tool for Drought Management

Diverse and complex water management systems have been created in many areas of the world to manage the risk of drought. The primary challenge is the inherent uncertainty of water supply and demand over time, which makes the process of correctly allocating water rights annually a difficult and costly task. As a result, risk averse water authorities make overly conservative estimates of water supply. This paper introduces the use of a rainfall index contract as a tool to improve drought management. An irrigation district in New South Wales, Australia, is used as an illustration of the concept.
Conveying medication prescriptions in American Sign Language: Use of emphasis in translations by interpreters and deaf physicians

In this study we examine linguistic features produced by interpreters and deaf bilingual physicians when translating medication instructions from English into American Sign Language (ASL). In the U.S. healthcare system, signed language interpreters are frequently called upon to facilitate communication between deaf individuals who use ASL and their non-signing physicians. A small but growing number of deaf individuals are now pursuing medical training, creating a situation in which deaf patients can communicate in ASL with their healthcare providers. Numerous practical and perceptual barriers affect patients' medication intake behaviors, including comprehension, memory of instructions, and language differences between physicians and patients. Research indicates that language concordance increases patients' compliance to prescription treatment. It follows that direct communication in ASL between deaf patients and deaf physicians will positively impact treatment compliance of patients and may result in better recall of medical instructions. We examined the linguistic features used in English to ASL translations of two medication directions as produced by experienced ASL-English interpreters (n=3) and deaf bilingual physicians (n=3). Results showed the absence of a standard approach for translating medication directions into ASL; however, both groups incorporated the same linguistic devices to promote emphasis within the translation, including repetition, emphatic lexical signs, and prosodic markers, presumably to promote recall of key concepts by deaf patients. Lexical variability in the translations is discussed, as well as information gaps between the ASL and English versions of the medication instructions. The results hold implications for healthcare professionals, interpreters, and interpreter educators for building effective communication for deaf patients.
Examining associations between adolescent binge eating and binge eating in parents and friends

Objective: Binge eating is prevalent among adolescents, but little is known about how parents and friends may influence such behaviors. This study examined associations between adolescent binge eating behaviors, and similar behaviors in their parents and friends. Method: Participants were 2,770 target adolescent boys and girls who had at least one friend and/or parent who also participated. Logistic regression, stratified by gender, examined associations between parents’ and friends’ self-reported binge eating, and similar behaviors in target adolescents. Results: Girls’ binge eating was associated with their male friends’ (odds ratio 5 2.33; p 5 0.03) and fathers’